BUREAUCRACY BUSTER
 |
Concert security questioned
Q: I went to the Jimmy Buffett concert at the Waikiki Shell recently and noticed people drinking outside in the park all afternoon. When we got in to the concert we had people that were throwing up behind us, urinating next to us. It just ruined the entire concert for us. The private security guards said only 56 people were hired for a concert that attracted a capacity crowd. Why weren't police checking to prevent drinking in the city park?
A: Honolulu police Maj. Thomas Nitta supervises the officers who patrol that area and said they were notified about the concert only the day before because of a communication glitch. "We didn't really have time to plan for extra patrols," he said.
Police also got complaints from a few others about the Buffett concert. "Since that concert, we now have a list of events of things that are happening at the Shell," Nitta said. He said police were told that about 5,000 tickets had been sold for the 8,400-capacity Shell.
He would like to see the promoters take more responsibility but he said police ultimately do monitor such events. And the city requires promoters to hire security.
Nitta said that police do get complaints about drinking in the park and they sometimes arrest people. "Nobody's supposed to be drinking. It's a concern that we have all the time."
Q: I took my cans for recycling to Mililani on a Saturday after reading the revised hours in the newspaper ads placed by the state Health Department. That center was closed although another was open in Waipahu. When I got there, people were saying that the Wai'anae and Pearl City centers also were closed by 2 p.m. even though the ads said all would be open. Why aren't they open during posted hours?
A: State Health Department official Genevieve Salmonson said her office takes all complaints like yours seriously and is working with the private businesses that run the recycling centers "to work through the growing pains." A call to the Health Department about these complaints may help them track any problems.
Kahuku follow-up
Thelma Tanaka, daughter of the family that founded S. Tanaka store in Kahuku, called Bureaucracy Buster to let people know that her family sold the property more than 12 years ago. She was concerned after an item here mentioned the city had given the current owners notice to correct violations there. "My dad was so proud of his reputation," she said.
If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:
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 in case we need more information.
