Page 8 - MidWeek - March 22, 2023

8 MIDWEEK MARCH 22, 2023
Thankful For License Renewal Changes
Dear Darah,
Senior drivers ages 72-79 can now re- new their driver’s licenses for four years instead of two years. While the late state Sen. Breene Harimoto tried for sev- eral years to change the law to four years, we have to thank state Sen. Bennette Misalu- cha for taking up the cause. She was tenacious in fighting for us until the change was finally approved by the 2022 Legislature.
change. Mahalo for fighting for us seniors!
Gayle Harimoto Pearl City
Dear Gayle,
state Sen. Breene Harimoto. Breene was a dedicated pub- lic servant and I wanted to be sure we honor his memo- ry by pursuing the goals he had set out to do while he was in office.
not pass. During the inter- im period, we worked with various stakeholders and in the end, we introduced and crafted a bill that addressed the concerns. That version of the bill passed in 2022 during my second legislative session and former Gov. Da- vid Ige signed it into law.
ing basketball is an off-duty fireman and ran over to help. Nate knew what to do and re- lieved our fears. He assessed the situation and determined that we needed an ambulance. My friend is doing fine today. Thank you, Nate.
Susan Cardenas Kāne‘ohe
Dear Susan,
I’m glad to hear your friend has recovered and is doing well. We are so for- tunate to have the men and women of our Honolulu Fire Department always willing and able to help us in our times of need, even when they are “off the clock.” Al- though, when I talk to my firefighting friends, it seems
their hearts and minds are always on duty and ready to serve when they can. Thank you, Nate and the HFD ‘ohana for being everyday heroes.
Is there someone you’d like to thank? Mail letters to MidWeek c/o Mahalo Nui at 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Ste. 7-500, Honolulu HI 96813, or email mahalonuiwithdar- ah@gmail.com. Include your name, where on the island you reside, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of the person you’ re thanking so she can contact him or her. Darah Dung hosts “The Pet Hui” and “Island Driver,” both on Spectrum OC16.
While the city did not even oppose the two-year require- ment, it was really Misalu- cha who fought for us and finally convinced those who were opposed to agree to the
State Sen. Misalucha re- sponds, “I was very touched by the letter sent by Gayle Harimoto, who is a lifelong Pearl City resident and the sister of my predecessor,
“My legislative team and I went to work and intro- duced the measure during my first legislative session. Unfortunately, the bill did
Dear Darah,
Thank you for your letter and for being a voice for so many seniors who were ad- vocating for this. And thank you to your brother, state Sen. Harimoto, who brought this initiative to the legisla- ture and served the people of Hawai‘i for so many years.
“After I got appointed, I met with his sister, Gay- le, and she told me that Breene’s strongest desire was to ease the burden of senior citizens as they re- new their driver’s license. Breene had introduced the bill at least four times but he passed before he could accomplish the goal.
“I want to thank Gayle for her kind acknowledgment and advocacy as well as the scores of senior citizens who testified in favor of the bill. It was their collective voices that made this possible.”
My friend fell while play- ing pickleball. She was on the ground and none of us were sure what to do. A guy play-
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