[June 17, 2013] The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Kokua Line column Tweet Jun 17, 2013 (The Honolulu Star-Advertiser - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Question: There's a big sign, about 5 by 3 feet, on a pile of dredged sand by Kaelepulu Stream in Kailua saying sand is for sale and to call somebody at such and such number. I thought no sand was allowed to be removed and sold from the beach. Are individuals allowed to sell public beach sand? Answer: State law allows someone to take a maximum of one gallon of sand per person per day "for reasonable, personal, noncommercial use," so no, the sand is not allowed to be sold. The sign you saw is not authorized, and whoever's behind it has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with city officials. The Department of Parks and Recreation has been taking the signs down whenever they see them, "but someone keeps putting new signs up," said Jesse Broder Van Dyke, spokesman for the city administration. It appears to be the work of someone trying to embarrass Mayor Kirk Caldwell. A caller to the mayor's office saw a recently placed sign that said to "Call Kirk" and displaying the phone number of Caldwell's campaign committee, Broder Van Dyke said. "Neither the city nor Mayor Caldwell is selling the sand, and anyone that is unlawfully attempting to sell or remove the sand may be subject to prosecution," said Ross Sasamura, director of the Department of Facility Maintenance. Anyone with information about the sign or about anyone taking the sand is asked to call his office at 768-3343. The city dredged the sand months ago to open up the mouth of Kaelepulu Stream. The dredged sand will be used to replenish beach areas in the immediate vicinity. "We received 'guidelines' from several noncity government agencies regarding where the dredged sand can and cannot be placed," Sasamura said. His office is determining where the sand can be taken without violating any of those guidelines. Question: Can you do some research and straighten out young people who believe that Memorial Day is only for military veterans? I'm 95 years old, and going back 60 to 70 years, I remember Memorial Day being a general day to remember everyone, not just veterans. Answer: Actually, Memorial Day has always been a day to honor military veterans. Although many cities claim the title, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson, in 1966, declared Waterloo, N.Y., as the official "birthplace" of Memorial Day because the first ceremony honoring Civil War veterans was held there May 5, 1866. By the end of the 1800s, Memorial Day was being celebrated throughout the nation on May 30. We found the history of Memorial Day on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' website: www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp.CQ. After World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to honor those who died in all American wars, not just the Civil War. In 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday, to be held on the last Monday in May. It is sometimes referred to as Decoration Day, which was its original name. Veterans Day, Nov. 11, meanwhile, honors everyone who has served in the U.S. military, not just those who died in service. Mahalo To the helpful folks at Hanauma Bay, who found my packet of ID cards and cash on the tram. Everyone there was so very friendly, letting me back in when the parking lot was full (and I didn't have a dollar to pay for parking as all my money was lost!), letting me park in the loading zone and skip through the various lines and checkpoints, and handing me my valuables at the tram ticket point. -- Ken Berkun, Kailua Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email [email protected]. ___ (c)2013 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]