Kokua Line: Will kids get to trick-or-treat this year?

Oct. 10—Question : Last year the CDC basically canceled Halloween. What are they saying about this year ?

Answer : Trick-or-treating outdoors in small groups should be safe for most children, Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told CBS News' "Face the Nation " on Sept. 26.

Moderator Margaret Brennan asked, "Should kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween ? Is it safe ?" Walensky replied, "Oh gosh. I certainly hope so. If you're able to be outdoors, absolutely. Limit crowds. I wouldn't necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups, and I hope that we can do that this year."

The CDC is expected to update its website, , to reflect new guidance for upcoming holidays but had not done so by Friday. As you noted, the agency strongly discouraged traditional trick-or-treating last year.

We also checked with the state Department of Health. Spokesman Brooks Baehr said the department would soon issue guidance about how to safely enjoy Halloween, amid careful monitoring of Hawaii's COVID-19 data. Barring a turn for the worse, he expects that guidance to agree that it's safe for small groups to trick-or-treat outdoors, as long as no one in the group has COVID-19 symptoms. We'll publish the DOH's full, official advice once it is issued.

Q : They said they were going to repave Wilikina Drive many months ago, maybe over a year. When is that going to happen ? It's still so full of potholes.

A : You are one of numerous readers asking about the overdue Kamehameha Highway, Kamananui Road and Wilikina Drive rehabilitation project, which was initially scheduled to begin in early 2021 and was delayed by multiple bid protests, according to the state Department of Transportation.

This $24 million project, which includes resurfacing Kamehameha Highway from Weed Circle to the H-2 Freeway, Kamananui Road from Kamehameha Highway to Wilikina Drive, and Wilikina Drive from Kamananui Road to Kamehameha Highway, is now estimated to be completed in spring 2023. The project involves reconstructing deeper layers of pavement, rather than simply repaving the top, which should result in longer-lasting repairs.

The department announced last week that overnight roadwork to resurface Kamehameha Highway from Wilikina Drive to the Karsten Thot Bridge would begin Tuesday night and continue from 9 p.m. to 4 :30 a.m. nightly, except Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting.

For more information, the DOT says to view the project website at or call the project information line at 808-945-1145.

E Kala Mai To the exceptionally slow driver Thursday on the Kalanianaole Highway, I apologize. We did indeed reunite at the red light. Still, please stick to the right lane unless you are turning left. Driving so far below the speed limit can be dangerous. But I do feel bad for yelling. That's not my style.—Mean motorist Auwe Auwe ! There are so many cars on the road without current safety checks and registrations. By not paying these, they cannot get car insurance and thus saving thousands of dollars every year, which raises everybody's rates when accidents occur with uninsured motorists. On Thursday, a large truck with a 2018 safety sticker was driving over Red Hill. HPD : Please enforce the laws !—Waikele reader Mahalo Mahalo to the kind fellow who scrambled to collect my purchases when I tipped my rolling carrier off the curb at South King and Keeaumoku streets. I recently gave up driving at my grown children's insistence, and to think that I couldn't even walk the neighborhood without falling over was distressing. The kind fellow assured me that it could have happened to anyone and helped me on my way.—Suddenly a pedestrian------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; fax 808-529-4750 ; or email kokualine @staradvertiser.com.------

___

(c)2021 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.