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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 26, 2002

BUREAUCRACY BUSTER
How do I discard my tree?

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. What's the best way to get rid of my Christmas tree after the holidays?

A. You can have it taken away from your curbside during regularly scheduled pickup for green waste, drop it at your neighborhood city refuse and recycling convenience center or composting site, or hold on to it until Jan. 11 to take to one of 11 tree-recycling sites set up that day by the city.

Leave the tree curbside no earlier than the day before your pickup date. The twice-monthly schedules are listed on your city-issued refuse container, or you can call the city Recycling Office at 692-5410. Trees taller than 6 feet should be cut in half, and all ornaments removed.

You can also drop off trees at city refuse and recycling centers in 'Ewa, La'ie, Wahiawa, Waimanalo, Waipahu and Wai'anae, or composting sites run by the city at Ke'ehi and Hawaiian Earth Products (Kailua or Kapolei).

On Jan. 11, trees will be picked up 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kailua Intermediate, Kaiser High, Kapalama Elementary and Kapolei Elementary schools; Mililani Maka'unulau, Waimea Falls and Waiau District parks; Polynesian Cultural Center; University of Hawai'iiManoa (Richardson Law School); Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; and Kapi'olani Community College.

The worst thing you can do is dump your Christmas tree on the side of the road or leave it at a "treecycling" site outside the Jan. 11 pickup date, said Lane Otsu of the state Health Department's solid-waste program.

"Once you have one tree there, the next thing you know, there are 15 or 20."


Q. A neighbor's dog barks intermittently for hours almost every day starting at 5:45 a.m. I've called the police out 15 times in the past three months. I and another neighbor have submitted written complaints. I've been told on at least three occasions that citations have been given to the owner. The problem persists. What can be done?

A. Sadly, this is a case where the resident has done everything correctly, and can only hope the courts do their job, said Kailua police Sgt. R. Tom.

An owner convicted of an animal nuisance offense will be fined $50 for a first offense. The maximum penalty, after the third offense in a two-year period calls for a fine of $500 to $1,000, maximum jail time of 30 days, or both.

Do you ever get frustrated trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you need help reaching the right person, you can contact The Bureaucracy Buster:

• Write to: The Bureaucracy Buster
The Honolulu Advertiser
605 Kapi'olani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813

• e-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.