Sign needed at free legal service
Hawaii County has a self-help, no-charge legal guidance service offered every Tuesday at midday for a hour and a half at the Judiciary building in Hilo.
I went Tuesday and have a suggestion for the people who are responsible for this program: For God’s sake, put up a clearly written and prominently displayed sign with instructions for how to sign in, thereby beginning the process, because there is absolutely nothing like that there. It’s like you have to know, and that is just wrong.
I was there, sitting like an idiot, for half an hour before one of my fellow guidance-seekers figured it out and shared it with me.
And I watched five more people come after me, all with the same puzzled expression, as in, “Where in the world do I sign in?”
Turns out, the one person manning the question booth had clipboards with sign-in forms all over his desk. In between his sessions with guidance-seekers, we were evidently supposed to dart into his office and grab one of these clipboards to fill out our intake information.
Tough luck for me that I didn’t know that. I didn’t want to keep darting into his office between clients, because I thought it would be disruptive to his work.
Just because some of us don’t have extra cash laying around to plunk down on lawyers does not mean that we should be left to fend for ourselves, or that we are clairvoyant. We pay taxes, too.
So, for crying out loud, hire somebody to spend an hour or two making a sign that says where and how to sign in.
Meanwhile, I’ll be back there soon, and I will know what to do. That is, unless they hide the sign-in sheets somewhere else next time.
Lucky for me, I’m retired, have some time, and my legal questions aren’t life-and-death. Some of the other people had busses to catch or were going to have to go to work with no lunch.
Don’t make us grovel.
Mary Lee Knapstad
Volcano
Be kind during the holiday season
I love this time of the year, as it provides a season where we have holiday cheer in celebration of Thanksgiving and the Christmas Spirit is all around us.
I believe that this time of the year is to promote “togetherness” with family, friends and the community. Because we “live aloha” daily, this dedicated time can make life so sweeter.
However, please slow things down and breathe. Remember, that our health and safety is of the most importance, and be cautious of the commercial pressure that is everywhere.
Counteract the madness of holiday shopping with sleeping in, going to the beach, or some other activity that encourages a mindful and environmental-friendly attitude. If you must go out shopping, plan on crowds and less parking at your favorite store or mall, so leave earlier and give extra time for travel.
Smile. Give thanks and praise for your blessings.
During this season, let’s focus on being kind to others and generous with our time and efforts to make things better in our community.
Claudia Wilcox-Boucher
Hilo