O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff
WINDWARD
Highway lanes to close today
State transportation officials will close both Kailua-bound lanes of the Pali Highway today from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to clean up a slick surface that has caused accidents at the hairpin turn past the tunnels.
A clogged drainage system has caused water to collect along the roadway, causing moss to grow near the area.
The slippery surface has caused vehicles to lose traction while making the turn, leading to 11 accidents this month.
Kailua-bound traffic will be diverted to one of the Honolulu-bound lanes, said Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.
State crews will clean off the road and clear out the rocks and other debris today from the drainage opening.
Kahekili work hours change
Night work scheduled for tomorrow will instead be performed on Kahekili Highway during the day, according to the state Department of Transportation.
One Honolulu-bound lane of Kahekili Highway between Kulukeoe Street and Likelike Highway will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow for installation of an electronic sign.
Bellows landfill discussion set
A proposal to cap a landfill on Bellows Air Force Station will be discussed at a public meeting of the Restoration Advisory Board from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Waimanalo Elementary School, 41-1330 Kalaniana'ole Highway.
Environmental officials from the Air Force, Marine Corps and state Department of Health are recommending that the one-acre landfill be capped with soil and that groundwater be monitored for several years, according to a military official.
Community residents, an environmental group and the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board have opposed this option.
The proposed option comes as a result of a three-year, $2 million study of soil samples, groundwater, surface water, sediments and wildlife.
Lifeguard tower installed
The city has installed a lifeguard tower at Waimanalo Beach Park and replaced an older stand at Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area.
Weekend and holiday service was restored at the beach park in early June, but the lifeguard on duty didn't have the advantage of a tower, which allows better visibility.
The tower, taken from Sandy Beach, which received a new tower, was installed Monday.
Although the beach didn't have a lifeguard stationed at the park, a mobile unit always was available within six to 20 minutes, said Jim Howe, operations chief for the city lifeguards.
"Now we're able to provide primary service that comes with all the medical and rescue equipment as well as the trained personnel," Howe said.
On Saturday, the city replaced an older tower with a new stand at the recreation area, called Sherwood. Mobile service still is available for Waimanalo Bay.
CENTRAL
Pump house mercury-free
An abandoned pump house near Richardson Field at Pearl Harbor passed a final inspection and has been declared free of mercury by the state Department of Health.
The pump house was the source of mercury contamination at the nearby Pu'uwai Momi public housing project, an adjacent park and 'Aiea Elementary School in March. The contamination shut down the housing project for several days and forced dozens of families to find alternative housing.
A broken water meter in the pump house is believed to have been the source of the mercury, health officials said. The meter contained about 54 pounds of mercury, and about 30 pounds were recovered during a three-day cleanup effort.
The cost of the cleanup is estimated at $34,000.
LEEWARD
Resume-writing class offered
A free resume-writing workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon today at the Wai'anae O'ahu Work-Links office at the Satellite City Hall, 85-670 Farrington Highway.
The workshop is designed to help job-hunters complete a resume to present to potential employers.
The group also is offering a workshop to develop interviewing skills from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow, and a one-hour computer class set for 9 a.m. on Friday.
O'ahu WorkLinks is a partnership of cooperating agencies, organizations and private businesses dedicated to workforce development.
For more information, call 697-1472 or 696-7067.
