Karleen C. Chinen
Commentary
Phew! We survived the first test of change — delivery two weeks ago of our Feb. 5, 2016, edition of the Herald using the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s distribution system. There were a few hiccups, but, really, only a few. And, considering that distribution manager Sharene Yoshizaki-Chun’s crews had to deliver several thousand copies, statewide, I’d give Sharene and her crew a “B+.” Hopefully, they earn an “A” with this Feb. 19 edition.
I want to thank the subscribers who called or emailed me to let me know that their Herald arrived A-OK, or if they had a problem. Others had additional questions. The most frequently asked question was: “What happens to my Herald when I go on vacation? Will they hold it for me and deliver it when I return?”
“Yes!” said Sharene, who set up a special email account where you can send your vacation start/stop requests: hochi@staradvertiser.com. Please cc me on your email at kchinen@thehawaiihochi.com, or the Herald’s general email box: heraldinfo@thehawaiihochi.com.
Depending on what you want to do about the issues you missed, you can request either a VACATION HOLD or a VACATION STOP/START.
If you would like the issues we published while you were away, please request VACATION HOLD — DELIVER BACK COPIES. You will need to email hochi@staradvertiser.com with the first date you will be away and the date you will be returning. Be sure to include the words: HOLD — DELIVER ALL BACK COPIES so that Sharene will know that you want to catch up on your Herald reading when you return from your vacation.
If you want to forgo the issues that are published while you are away, simply request a VACATION STOP/START and note the first date you will be away and the date you want your delivery to resume. Keep in mind that if you request a vacation stop/start, you will not receive the issues that were published while you were away. Also note that you will not receive a credit on your account for those issues if you request a stop/start.
Regular Herald subscribers should receive their paper by sunrise on the first and third Friday of each month. If you have not received your Herald by then, call the Star-Advertiser’s customer service line at (808) 538-6397 and let them know. If you call them before 9 a.m., they can have your carrier bring you the paper that day. Calls made after 9 a.m., but before 2 p.m. will be delivered the next day.
Now that we’ve covered the bases on delivery, we can move on to the next big change of 2016 — subscription.
It’s unavoidable — we must talk about the $6 subscription increase that will go into effect on March 1, 2016. Effective March 1, a one-year subscription to the Herald will cost $54. If you think that’s huge, I probably can’t change your mind. But consider this: I paid $6 to park my car in a parking garage for two and a half hours this past weekend.
Frankly speaking, there isn’t much $6 will buy you these days, except a large bowl of chili at Zippy’s, excluding tax, or two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches from McDonald’s McPicks menu and a senior drink, again, excluding tax. Gulp . . . and they’re gone.
With the Herald, you’ll hopefully gain something that will feed your mind and soul for years to come. Mahalo for your support.
