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<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, August 23, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: UH PROF NOT GUILTY, AWARDED DAMAGES IN HARASSMENT CASE A federal jury today found University of Hawai`i religion professor Ramdas Lamb not guilty of sexual harassment charges filed against him by a former student. The jury also ordered plaintiff Michelle Gretzinger, 25, to pay Lamb $132,000 in punitive damages for intentional character assault and abuse of the justice system. For the trial, Gretzinger was seeking $1.7 million in damages from Lamb. Gretzinger claimed Lamb used his position as a professor to force her to have sex with him 16 times in 1992. Lamb said he and Gretzinger never had sex, suggesting that she was angry when she feared she wouldn't get an "A" in his class. Despite today's ruling, Lamb said his professional career has been irreparably damaged. "In some people's eyes I'll always be guilty because I was charged," Lamb said. "To many people allegation equals guilt." During the three-week trial, Lamb's attorney questioned why Gretzinger signed up for another class with him after the alleged rapes occurred, why she waited several months before reporting anything, and why her accounts of the incidents were inconsistent over the course of the investigation. "I feel very sorry for her," Lamb said after leaving the courtroom. "I think she's a very sick woman." Clayton Ikei, Gretzinger's attorney, said the ruling is a major loss for everyone. "If you're a woman and you're raped, I think you're going to have a lot of second thoughts before you report it," Ikei said, "because juries are not going take your word for it." Lamb and his attorney, Anthony Gill, say they will now focus their attention on a lawsuit Lamb filed against UH for its initial handling of the case. Lamb said administrative and union pressure prevented him from responding to Gretzinger's public accusations. UH had recently paid Gretzinger $175,000 to settle its involvement out of court, but Ikei said the money has been primarily consumed by legal costs. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MISSOURI FUND NEEDS ANOTHER $1 MILLION Now that they've won the right to have it, the USS Missouri Memorial Association has to find the money to get it. After years of campaigning, Honolulu won the honor of being the final home to the USS Missouri, the World War II battleship expected to serve as the perfect sister exhibit to Pearl Harbor's popular USS Arizona Memorial. So far the association has raised about $6.5 million from a variety of sources, including the state, banks, and private contributors. Even so, another $1 million is needed in order to tow the 880-foot, 58,000-ton Missouri from its current berth in Bremerton, Washington. Facing a weak local economy, association leaders say, the non- profit group hopes to start a nationwide fundraising effort. After the trans- Pacific tow, the association will need considerably more money. Major renovation work -- turning the Missouri from a warship into a floating museum -- is planned, as is a $20 million visitors center. Funding is also needed in order to maintain it after it is opened to the public in October 1998. Association leaders say the Missouri's many sections and museum displays will most likely be opened over time. Local groups are doing what they can, however, the Hawaii Business Roundtable this week committing to help the association in its efforts. With the Missouri's arrival expected to be a substantial boost to the visitor industry, related companies may also be asked to pitch in. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ISLE JOBLESS RATE DIPS, DESPITE FEWER STATE JOBS While the state unemployment rate fell .5 percent to 6.3 percent overall last month, the state Department of Labor reports this week that there are about 4,000 fewer jobs in Hawai`i. The numbers are still higher than the national average of 5.6 percent, but fall in line with the jobless rate during the same period last year. The department said 3,400 more people were on the job as of last month, with an estimated 1,100 people joining the workforce for the first time. Government jobs were a mixed bag, with about 1,500 new jobs at the city level, most of them summer hires that will be leaving the payroll when school resumes over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, more than 8,000 positions have been eliminated by the state -- primarily in the social service and education areas. Broken down by island, Moloka`i had the highest unemployment rate: 18.9 percent, up over one percent from July. Jobless rates fell on the other major islands, 11.2 to 10.7 percent on the Big Island, 7.4 to 6.8 percent on Maui, 12.6 to 11.1 percent on Kaua`i and 5.6 to 5.2 percent on O`ahu. Some economists are encouraged with a small increase in the number of jobs in the construction industry, after declines seen in the previous two months. Private sector jobs saw a general increase, such as at local hotels and restaurants. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES FLAMES tore through a bird sanctuary at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawai`i yesterday, killing 37 endangered, federally-protected sea birds. Five injured baby birds were taken to Sea Life Park, and only three survived and continue to receive medical treatment tonight. Firefighters, aided by Marine Corps aircraft, extinguished the blaze shortly after noon. Kaneohe spokesman Chuck Little said the area is home to over 2,000 birds. The fire was caused by a machine-gun round fired during training exercises, Little said... HUMANE Society officials are holding one of four Doberman pinschers after it attacked their owner yesterday morning. 32-year-old Yubin Takenaka has been upgraded from critical to fair condition at Queen's Medical Center after at least one of her dogs attacked when she'd gone out to feed them at her Waipahu nursery. She suffered bites to her face and right arm. Takenaka's husband has confined the other dogs, and asked the Humane Society to hold the canine believed to be the primary aggressor... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 90/73, Kaua`i 85/73, Moloka`i 86/73, Maui 88/73, Hilo 85/72 CASTS: Sunny, evening showers, trades to 15MPH; all shores surf below 3 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 1:09 p.m.; Low 8:14 p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Thursday, August 22, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: ISLE SAT SCORES CONTINUE TO CLIMB Scholastic Aptitude Test results for Hawaii's high school students have gone up for the third year in a row. According to a report released today by the U.S. College Board, 54 percent of Hawaii's graduating seniors took the SATs this year. The test is often a prime factor in college admissions. Island students, on average, scored above their mainland peers in math skills overall. Local scores on the verbal portion of the SAT, however, continued to lag behind national figures. When the numbers are broken down to separate private and public schools, private schools scored higher -- there is an 80 point difference in the verbal portion, and 90 point difference in math. Department of Education officials say the disparity stems from the different goals of the two. "Many of them are college preparatory schools," said department spokesman Greg Knudsen, explaining that the SAT is geared towards college-bound students. As public schools serve all students, he said, "we will probably never compete on par with them." Knudsen that SAT scores alone are not a fair basis to rate how well schools are doing. +-----------------------------------------------------+ | SAT SCORES :::: Math :::: ::: Verbal :::| +-----------------------------------------------------+ | 1995 => 1996 1995 => 1996 | +-----------------------------------------------------+ | Hawai`i, Public 507 510 483 485 | | Hawai`i, Relig. 541 521 | | Hawai`i, Indep. 576 541 | +-----------------------------------------------------+ | U.S. Average 506 508 504 505 | +-----------------------------------------------------+ -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: COAST GUARD CHARGES DIVE CAPTAIN A charge of negligence has been levied against the captain of a Atlantis tour boat, after a Japanese tourist lost her life during a routine beginners' dive off Waikiki. Coast Guard officials say Atlantis boat captain Robert Yoho Jr. failed to notice that one of his passengers was missing. "It's relatively clear," said Coast Guard spokesman Frank Whipple. "X number of people went out on the boat, X minus one number of people came back on the boat." Although the head-count error might have been made by the instructors on the dive, Whipple said, it was Yoho's responsibility to verify them. One week ago, divers from another tour company pulled an unconscious 24-year-old Akemi Hoshino from about 30 feet of water. Lifeguards were unsuccessful in attempts to resuscitate her, later discovering that she had been underwater for over an hour before being brought to shore. A hearing is scheduled for January, and Yoho may be stripped of his captain's license and face the end of his 13- year career. "I find this to be a very difficult decision to make, because it's an accident," Whipple said, adding that the Coast Guard's authority in the case stops at examining Yoho's involvement. Although it is unclear whether Atlantis will face inquiries by other authorities, the incident has prompted the company to shut its doors indefinitely. Company spokesman Terry O'Halloran said Atlantis' 12 employees now find their jobs in limbo. "They're all just waiting like we all are," O'Halloran said. The company has expressed its regrets to Hoshino's family. State investigators, meanwhile, have not yet determined the exact reason behind Hoshino's drowning, whether it was due to an injury, a case of the bends or getting caught on some rocks. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ISLE INMATE STRIKES OUT, GETS LIFE Larry Pagan, 32, was sentenced to life in a maximum-security prison this week by a federal judge. Pagan was one of 300 Hawai`i inmates sent to private prisons in Texas to ease prison overcrowding in the islands. He was serving a 15-year minimum term for kidnapping, assault and terroristic threatening. Pagan escaped from the Newton County Correctional Center in February, kidnapping a 50-year-old Texas woman and forcing her to drive him across the border into Mexico. Mexican officials caught and returned Pagan to the U.S., and he later pled guilty to kidnapping charges. Pagan was sentenced under the federal "three strikes you're out" law. In handing down his sentence, judge Howell Cobb said he'd never come across a defendant in his entire career on the bench with a longer history of criminal behavior. "The public can now feel safer knowing that Mr. Pagan will be kept in a maximum security federal prison for the remainder of his life," Howell said yesterday in a prepared statement. "Any escape from such a prison would be almost impossible." In addition to the prison sentence, Pagan was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victim and $4,500 to the private Newton County prison. State corrections spokesman Gregg Takayama said Pagan's three-strikes sentence was more than appropriate. With numerous prior convictions, Takayama said, Pagan has spent most of his adult life behind bars. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES MAYORAL candidate Frank Fasi got the jump on his opponents today with a $6,000, half-page ad placed in both of Hawaii's major newspapers. Fasi will appear tonight opposite Arnold Morgado and incumbent Jeremy Harris in a live, televised debate. In his ad, Fasi primarily criticizes Harris and claims made by his campaign. Among other points, Fasi blasts Harris for taking credit for clearing T-shirt vendors off Waikiki sidewalks. Chris Parsons, Harris campaign spokesman, said Fasi is "deliberately misleading the public." Bill Meheula, head of Morgado's campaign, said Fasi's claim that Morgado sold out while heading the city council is false... MALFUNCTIONING navigational equipment forced a TWA airliner bound for St. Louis to return to the terminal at Honolulu airport yesterday, and its passengers ending up spending the night. The stranded travelers were moved to a holding room that they were not allowed to leave, and airport police had to be called three times when tempers flared. TWA officials said today they are trying to place them on flights on other airlines, while some passengers say they are being refused refunds. Family members of college students stranded at the airport have spent $900 to speed them off to college... ALLEGED discrimination against Caucasian job applicants is the focus of charges filed in federal district court today by the state's Equal Employment Opportunity office. Roberts is suspected of giving preference to people of Japanese descent in filling tour leader positions, unfairly excluding those of other ethnicities despite comparable fluency in the Japanese language. Company officials deny the claims, but refused further comment. The EEO office has requested a jury trial in the case... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 89/73, Kaua`i 84/72, Moloka`i 84/72, Maui 85/72, Hilo 84/71 CASTS: Morning showers, trades to 15MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 12:15 a.m.; Low 7:28 p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, August 20, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: FELIX, FASI CRITICIZE POLICE SHORTAGE With polls showing crime to be the top concern of Honolulu residents, city councilman John Henry Felix said he is appalled and shocked over reports released this week that reveal the police department left $4 million of its 1995-96 budget unspent. "I should think that we would spend every single dime in order to secure the safety of our citizens," Felix told KHON-TV2. However police officials say the leftover money was earmarked specifically for police salaries. With the department unable to fill all officer vacancies last year, the allocated money was returned to the city's general treasury. "The police department saves money for contingencies," said city budget director Bob Fishman, adding that the police department is still recruiting as fast as it can. HPD officials said they also need more patrol cars, radios and upgraded technology. Felix agreed. "If they money could not be used for additional personnel, it should most certainly be used for equipment," he said. Fishman confirmed that the leftover money will be carried over to the current fiscal year to be spent on both salaries and equipment. Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Frank Fasi yesterday criticized Mayor Jeremy Harris and his administration's handling of the police shortage. Fasi said Harris has wasted his two years in office with useless hand-wringing and "shameless publicity stunts," such as his meeting last month with teen gang members. Fasi suggested that the governor enlist the National Guard to join police in beefing up citizen safety. Fasi also urged the city council to crack down on juvenile curfew violators and said the city should establish county jails. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HOLT ENDORSEMENT REJECTED BY UH UNION In a low-turnout vote, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly -- a union representing over 3,000 UH faculty members -- has decided not to endorse state Sen. Milton Holt for re-election this year. The decision goes against the prior recommendation of the UHPA's political action committee. Holt's District 14 seat is being challenged by Rep. Suzanne Chun-Oakland, both hoping to represent residents of Palama and Alewa Heights. Their platforms are frequently distinguished by their stance on the same-sex marriage issue, Holt an outspoken opponent and Oakland a supporter of basic gay rights. According to UHPA officials, only 402 out of 3,100 ballots were returned. 60 ballots were returned with no answer, the decision not to endorse Holt pulled from a difference of 30 votes. John Radcliffe, associate director of UHPA, said the lack of an endorsement was due to the union's inability to clearly represent Holt's platform to its membership. Radcliffe also said Holt was the target of a "well-organized effort" by UH faculty who oppose his re-election. He said the anti-Holt campaign unfairly focuses on Holt's 1991 guilty plea for allegedly beating his then-wife as well as alleged incidents of public drunkenness during a business trip to the Mainland. "Milton's ex-wife forgave him," Radcliffe told the _Star-Bulletin_, "but others can't." In exchange for a guilty plea, Holt served a two-day jail sentence and attended six months of anger-management classes. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: GOLF TOURNAMENT PLANNING UPSETS WATCHDOG GROUP A drive to raise money for scholarships has come under fire by Common Cause Hawai`i -- a political watchdog group -- for using city department employees and equipment in promoting and organizing an accompanying golf tournament. The Hawai`i Congress of Planning Officials holds an annual fund-raiser for scholarships to support students hoping to work in urban planning or as civil engineers. "There's nothing sinister about it," said Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, noting that city employees won't be able to participate in the golf tournament -- just answer questions about it. Desmond Byrne, director of Common Cause Hawai`i, finds that inappropriate. The application for the tournament lists two Planning Department employees and their office phone numbers, Byrne said, meaning that the event is being organized during work hours. Answering calls about the tournament would be a "gross distraction" from the employees' city jobs, Byrne said, and is a misuse of taxpayers' time and resources. "And they keep complaining that they don't have enough people," he said. The tournament has been held for over 20 years, Harris said, with the state's various counties rotating the responsibility of organizing it. "This is just a basic part of planning a large conference like this," Harris said. A city employee would have to use vacation time to participate in the tournament, he said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BIG ISLAND MAC NUT CROPS DOWN Less than half the usual amount of rain fell on the Big Island in 1995, leading to a substantial drop in the size of the year's crop of macadamia nuts. Despite the smaller harvest, industry experts say the going price for macadamia nuts shouldn't waver much from the year's average of 55 cents per pound. Weak precipitation left Mauna Loa Macadamia Partners -- said to be the state's largest grower of macadamia nuts -- with a crop 10 percent smaller than expected. The company reported a 1995 harvest of 17.9 million pounds, 2 million pounds smaller than the previous year. A drop in crop size was observed in the first half of this year as well, about 20 smaller than the same period in 1995. Mauna Loa Macadamia Partners' South Hawai`i orchards in Ka`u produced 22 percent fewer macadamia nuts, while the company's Mauna Kea fields saw a small increase in nut production. The company controls almost 4,000 acres of macadamia nut orchards on the Big Island. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES STRAUB, one of the state's largest health-care providers, is reportedly considering a partnership with a Tennessee-based physician's management group in order to boost its dwindling finances. If the deal goes through, however, physicians will be forbidden from performing abortions at Straub clinics. The company, PhyCor, opposes abortion, but allows doctors to perform them at alternate sites. The group is already associated with 21 clinics in several other states, and reported $441 million in net revenues last year. A buy-in could mean a rebound for the physician-run Straub outfit, which has seen a federal audit and dwindling profits in the last few months... ALEXANDER Carvalho is awaiting a ruling by the Hawai`i Paroling Authority on whether he will be able to leave Halawa Prison after serving nearly nine years of a 10-year sentence. Carvalho was convicted of manslaughter in 1987 for the death of his wife, Cathy. He was paroled last December, but three months later he was charged with abusing his then-girlfriend and also tested positive for drug use. He was returned to prison pending the outcome of the abuse trial, in which he was eventually acquitted... POLICE have charged a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping his wife in a restroom at Pearlridge Shopping Center on Friday. The suspect, identified as Ewa resident Scott Torrellas, reportedly took his wife into the men's restroom and choked her unconscious before sexually assaulting her. When another person came into the restroom, police say Torrellas took his wife to a different restroom and assaulted her a second time. He remains in custody today, charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault... STUDYING the Earth's climate is the mission of the Ka`imi Moana, a new 224- foot federal research vessel that will now call Honolulu harbor home. The Ka`imi Moana -- or "ocean seeker" -- was officially unveiled this morning at Aloha Tower, and will be operated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA officials say its crew and equipment will first focus on researching the weather phenomenon known as El Nino... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/71, Kaua`i 83/70, Moloka`i 83/70, Maui 85/71, Hilo 83/69 CASTS: Morning showers, sunny, trades to 20MPH; North shore surf to 3 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 10:07 a.m.; Low 5:03 p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, August 19, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: COURT EMBARGOES SOVEREIGNTY VOTE RESULTS A group that claims the Native Hawaiian Vote is unconstitutional won a temporary restraining order against the Hawaii Sovereignty Elections Council on Friday. The order -- while allowing the HSEC to count the mailed-in ballots -- prohibits the council from announcing the results until after the group's primary legal challenge is resolved. Five opponents of the vote have charged that the state's involvement in the vote makes it unconstitutional. That case will come before a federal court on Aug. 30. If that hearing drags on, the HSEC will not be able to announce the vote's results on Sept. 2 as previously hoped. In his ruling, judge David Ezra agreed with the five plaintiffs, who said their case challenging the vote's legality could be compromised by having the vote's results announced beforehand. Ezra was quick to clarify that his granting of the restraining order should not be taken as a hint as to how he will rule in the primary case. Last Wednesday was the deadline for native Hawaiians worldwide to return the ballots, which ask whether the native Hawaiian people should elect delegates to propose an independent government. The Hawaii League of Women Voters will be the group responsible for counting the truckload of ballots received. At present, both the HSEC and the ballot-counters have not disclosed how many of the 82,000 ballots mailed out in June were returned. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: POSSIBLE HISTORIC ACT VIOLATION STOPS DREDGING A Big Island environmental group last week won a temporary injunction against a resort development in Kaupulehu, halting shoreline dredging work being done at the site of the future Four Seasons Resort. The Kona Hawaiian Civic Club, backed by the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, claims Hualalai Development Co. and the Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires cultural and historic surveys be performed at sites significant to native Hawaiians. Although Hualalai Development will comply with the federal order, spokesman Jeff Mongan said yesterday that three of four planned swimming areas for which the dredging was being done have already been completed. The fourth has been moved elsewhere on the site, and may now be outside the historic area the civic club is trying to protect. The civic club is primarily concerned with a stretch of shoreline just north of the Four Seasons site, located along the northwest shore of the Big Island. According to the group, the area has been a major fishing and resource- gathering spot for generations. Although most of Hualalai Development's dredging is complete, members of the civic club say the injunction is significant in how it may affect future shoreline development projects. The hearing on whether the historic act was violated is scheduled for Oct. 29. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ISLE KIDS' USE OF MARIJUANA UP One out of every four students in Hawaii's public schools have tried marijuana, according to a state survey released last week. The Hawaiian Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted every two years, also found 44 percent of the respondents said they've had sexual intercourse, 29 percent of them becoming sexually active before age 15. Nine percent of female students under age 17 said they've been pregnant, 25 percent contemplated suicide, and 41 percent had drunk alcohol within a month of taking the Department of Education survey. The surveys are part of a national campaign to reduce risk behaviors in high schools, with specific goals set for each year through 2000. This latest survey shows an increase in marijuana use, up from 17 percent in 1993. However, department officials said the survey did not find an expected correlative increase in the prominence of tobacco use. Health officials say the increase comes as a surprise, as the availability of marijuana has decreased and its price has increased. Officials say the surveys have helped schools focus their education and support programs, finding ninth-graders to be more at risk than students in the other three grades. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES RANDALL and Carol Kim were remembered in an ocean ceremony yesterday, their ashes scattered in the waves off Ala Moana Beach while over a hundred surfers looked on. The Kims, well known in the surfing community, were killed a week ago in their Mililani home. Randall Kim was a professional surfer turned beachwear promoter, his wife remembered as a "peacemaker" in the surfing community. They were laid to rest at sunset in a surfing area known as "Big Rights," said to be Randall Kim's favorite spot. The couple, also prominent members of their Mililani church, is survived by two children... DESPITE being without an elected position for two years, Honolulu mayoral candidate Frank Fasi can still play the political game like a pro. After a highly-publicized refusal last week to participate in a televised debate this week, Fasi announced on Friday that he changed his mind. Although first expressing displeasure over the selection of the debate's moderator, Fasi said urging from his supporters and the planned "Lincoln-Douglas" debate format (wherein candidates can ask each other questions) convinced him to appear. Fasi said he always looked forward to a debate, and the opportunity for the public to scrutinize each candidate's record... SCHULER Homes has pulled out of an East Kapolei housing project, leaving up to 8,000 single-family homes planned for 750-acres of Ewa land without a developer. James Schuler said his company was simply not ready to commit the money needed to build up Oahu's "Second City," although he could not say how big that investment would have been. Schuler's pullout leaves landowner Campbell Estate on the hunt for another developer, but company officials say there have been some inquiries already. At present, the East Kapolei project is still at the planning and state approval stage... OVERCROWDED as Hawaii's prisons may be, a federal report yesterday ranked Hawai`i well below other states in incarcerated felons per capita. There are 217 prisoners for every 10,000 residents in the islands, compared to the nationwide average of 409, according to the federal Department of Justice. Only 15 states ranked lower. The report also states Hawaii's prison population rose by 6.8 percent from 1994 to 3,550 inmates last year, falling right in line with the nation's average... PELE, an 11-year-old African lion that called the Honolulu Zoo home for ten years, had to be put to death last week after developing health problems in late July. City officials say she may have been suffering from a brain or nervous system disorder. Pele is survived by her brother, Apollo, who is now the sole occupant of the zoo's African Savanna exhibit. Zoo physicians won't know what was wrong with Pele until mid-September, when blood tests are completed on the Mainland... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 88/73, Kaua`i 85/71, Moloka`i 84/73, Maui 87/71, Hilo 84/72 CASTS: Sunny, trades to 15MPH; West and north shore surf to 4 feet. MONDAY'S TIDES: High 8:52 a.m.; Low 3:10 p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, August 14, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: "BIG FIVE" COMPANY MULLS BIG ISLAND HEADQUARTERS C. Brewer and Co., one of the oldest and most prominent food and agriculture companies in the state, may move its base of operations from Honolulu to Hilo. The _Honolulu Advertiser_ reported today that an official announcement may come as soon as tomorrow, after months of talks between the company and Big Island officials. Hawai`i County Mayor Steve Yamashiro and C. Brewer vice president Kathy Oshiro yesterday would not reveal the details of the arrangement. The company's main office currently employs over 60 people. A spokesman for the Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board, a group of Big Island business owners and economists, said the board is thrilled by the idea. Board chair Monty Richards said today that C. Brewer's possible move might help the board lure Kaiser Permanente, another major local corporation, to put its headquarters on the Big Island as well. C. Brewer is currently the largest macadamia nut producer, after decades of being among Hawaii's top five sugar companies and owning nearly 50,000 acres statewide. For the last ten years or so, C. Brewer has focused on diversified agriculture, having established small mango and orange plantations on the Big Island in addition to its macadamia farms there. Established in the 1860s, the company has been locally owned for most of its 192-year history. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BROTHERS CAZIMERO GIVE UP MUSEUM GIG For two years, island musicians Roland and Robert Cazimero played several concerts a week at the Bishop Museum's 280-seat Hawaiian Hall. As of next month, however, the brothers will be looking for a regular show somewhere in Waikiki. The reason for leaving the historic Kalihi auditorium was mainly attendance and money, according to a spokesperson for the Cazimeros' promoter, Mountain Apple. Company officials say recent construction work in the area has affected the already widely-varying size of the audience, which can be packed one night and practically empty the next. The Cazimeros are wistful over the move, having lived in Kalihi as children. Playing at the museum's facility has been "rewarding," Robert Cazimero said, but realistically it was always a gamble to try and make a show work in a non- traditional, non-Waikiki venue. Museum officials say the Cazimeros will still be invited to return for special concerts and other events. Before moving to Hawaiian Hall last spring, the duo often played at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Manager Jon deMello said there are still no definite arrangements as to where they will be playing next. The Brothers Cazimero will perform 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays through Sept. 1. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KANAHELE ELECTED TO NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele, leader of the Waimanalo-based sovereignty group Nation of Hawai`i, was appointed as a member of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board on Monday. While Kanahele awaits a retrial in federal court on obstruction of justice charges, he's been keeping busy. Although the terms of his release forbid him from visiting any place in Waimanalo except his own home, Kanahele was elected to serve on the Waimanalo Health Clinic Board of Directors. Since the court gave him permission to attend meetings at the clinic, he said he expects to have a similar arrangement to work with the neighborhood board. Kanahele's appointment was approved by a 7-0 vote with one abstention, and other board members are impressed by his desire to work with them. "He wants to help the community, and we want to give him a chance to do that," said neighborhood board chair Greg Field. Field said Kanahele was willing to take an oath of office, and that was all the board would require. The Nation of Hawai`i is one of several organizations dedicated to establishing native Hawaiian self-determination, and this year the group endorsed the controversial Native Hawaiian Vote. Kanahele said he doesn't see a conflict in his working in a county-related role while working with the Nation of Hawai`i to become independent of city and state government. The group's constitution allows for such community involvement, he said, adding that for him, helping his neighbors comes above all else. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES AFTER months of supporting the cause, 45-year-old leukemia patient Chris Pablo became a beneficiary last week. Pablo has worked behind-the-scenes to get island residents to join the bone marrow donor registry in order to give cancer patients like 2-year-old Alana Dung a second chance at life. Three weeks ago, 100 people came forward in one of several local donor drives. A perfect match for Pablo has now been found in an international registry. Pablo's joy is tempered with the awareness that the roughest part -- the transplant operation -- lies ahead. "I cried and cried and cried," wife Sandy said. "It was the news we were hoping for and dreading at the same time." The operation is scheduled for mid-October at a California hospital... RICK RALSTON, owner of the successful local apparel company Crazy Shirts, will stick with the T-shirt trade. Ralston will be closing the Ettore Bugatti clothing boutique he opened in Waikiki only nine months ago, sales with his target market -- the Japanese -- falling far short of his expectations. Ralston said Bugatti was a new Italian brand name whose international marketing plans fell through. He said the lack of name recognition made it difficult to compete with other stores selling brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci. The failed Waikiki venture cost over $2 million to establish. Ralston will likely lease the space to another store... PUBLIC access programming on cable ranges from the political to the peculiar, but Honolulu police may be opening an investigation into whether a show that aired Saturday night was pornographic. First Amendment concerns prevent directors of `Olelo, cable channel 22, from screening tapes before they air, but citizen producers are required to sign a form stating the material isn't be obscene. The tape of the program "Blue Hail" has been turned over to HPD by `Olelo. It's content was described on KITV-4 as "sexually explicit." According to police, the only way a case can be made against its producers is if they can prove a child was watching the show when it aired at 11:45 p.m... DESPITE his pending retirement from the state legislature, Rep. Sam Lee reportedly attended a conference of state lawmakers in St. Louis last month and paid for the trip with taxpayer money. Lee, along with nine other Hawai`i representatives, spent six days on the mainland for the annual meeting. Lee says he signed up for the trip before he made the decision to retire, and said he will write a report on the ideas discussed at the conference. Lee added that his constituents expect him to keep doing his job until his term as state representative ends with the general election in November... EIGHT years ago, the roof of Aloha Airlines flight 243 tore off in mid- flight. The incident made headlines worldwide, and even today remains fresh in the minds of airline employees. The 94 passengers aboard survived, and flight attendant C. B. Lansing was the only fatality. Lansing's years of stellar service was remembered today at the dedication of the new C. B. Lansing Memorial Garden at the Honolulu airport's interisland terminal... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/72, Kaua`i 83/71, Moloka`i 83/70, Maui 87/70, Hilo 82/69 CASTS: Mostly sunny, trades to 20MPH; Surf islandwide under 3 feet. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 4:53 p.m.; Low 10:13 a.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, August 12, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: FOUR DEAD IN MILILANI MURDER-SUICIDE An afternoon argument turned deadly in Mililani yesterday, when a gunman stormed into his neighbor's house at 95-453 Awiki Street, fatally shooting three people inside before turning the gun on himself. Police still don't know what prompted Awiki Street resident and city accountant Michael Lau to murder 36-year-old Randall Kim -- a prominent surfer -- Kim's 33-year-old wife Carol and 33-year-old Terry Nakasone. Nakasone happened to be visiting the Kims at the time with her husband Miles, who fled the home moments before the shootings began. Local television stations broadcast a 911 call placed from the home, a female voice urging police to hurry and apparently pleading with Lau not to shoot her for her children's sake. The call abruptly ended after a popping sound. Police evacuated a two-block area and surrounded the home with a SWAT team, waiting three hours before entering the home and finding everyone dead. Colleagues of Randall Kim, a professional surfer in the 70s and working out of his Mililani home as a distributor for Billabong sportswear, were stunned by his death. "He was a devout Christian, a really nice guy," Tim Barrons said. "It's amazing that anyone would have wanted to hurt him." Surfing promoter Mike Latronic described Kim as a" well rounded, respected waterman." Kim met Carol through his work with Billabong, and the couple had two children -- an 8-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. The children weren't home at the time of the shootings. According to investigators, Lau was the registered owner of two handguns and had no prior police record. Neighbors described Lau, a nine-year resident of Mililani, as quiet, often seen tending his lawn or washing his car. Lau was also perceived to be very protective of his property, and had recently filed two complaints with the Mililani Town Association over the Kim's children and frequent visitors. "The suspect himself may have complained about the victim's friends blocking his driveway as well as the victim's children making loud noises playing," HPD Lt. Allen Napoleon said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: GROUP CLAIMS PARKS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST DISABLED The city said it's working as fast as it can to bring Honolulu's city beach parks into compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, but a group of local advocates for the disabled are threatening to sue if full access isn't assured soon. The group is conducting an informal survey of O`ahu parks, so far identifying hundreds of ADA violations. Waimanalo Beach Park alone, according to advocate Carol Hanna, had 26 violations ranging from absent wheelchair ramps and inaccessible bathrooms, pay phones and water fountains. The group says the city has had six years to modify its facilities, and to have parks in their current condition is unacceptable. City officials, however, say they've spent over $8 million for ADA improvements. Bringing Ala Moana Park into compliance took two years and cost $3 million, said Alvin Au, deputy director of the parks department. Au also said public restrooms at over half of the city's parks are now wheelchair- accessible. The survey was prompted by the unexpectedly demolition of Camp Kailua last week, a cabin camping facility near Kailua Beach Park that several community groups had tried to save in part because it was the only place disabled residents could easily participate in camping activities. Camp Kailua has been slated for demolition for three years as part of an expansion plan for the neighboring park. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ISLE OUTFIT SNAGS RIGHTS TO COMPUTER GAME There are few personal computers in America on which the game Tetris is not installed. Despite its simplicity -- centered on fitting falling blocks together -- Tetris has proven to be widely addictive and in the last 10 years more than 40 million copies have been sold worldwide. But while the eyes of international businessmen glazed over playing it, Honolulu entrepreneur Henk Rogers saw opportunity in the fine print. The rights to Tetris, previously owned by the Moscow Academy of Computer Sciences, expired this year and Rogers bought them. A former student of the University of Hawai`i, Rogers owns two companies: Blue Planet Software based in Hawai`i, and Bullet Proof Software in Japan. Immediately after sealing the deal with the game's original creator and the privatized Soviet Ministry of Software Export, Rogers has made deals with Nintendo, Sega and Sony -- three of the world's largest manufacturers of video game systems. Rogers and his associates hope to develop new "flavors" of Tetris, including one that would use an internet connection to allow competitive play across cyberspace. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ABUSE SUSPECTED BEHIND BABY'S INJURIES An 8-month-old boy remains in serious condition at Tripler Medical Center tonight after his parents, residents of Marine Corps Base Hawai`i in Kaneohe, say they accidentally dropped him. They called for an ambulance on Thursday, and the baby's initial injuries prompted one hospital employee to erroneously describe its state as "brain dead." His condition is improving, officials say, breathing on his own and removed from a respirator yesterday. State child welfare officials are opening an investigation of possible child-abuse, however, after hospital officials determined the injuries to be inconsistent with a fall. Military officials have also revealed that the child had been hospitalized before. According to Marine spokesman Capt. James Milliman, the baby was treated for internal cranial bleeding at Tripler in March. The investigation at that time did find indications of abuse. Although Naval investigators are involved in the case, the state will be heading the investigation. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES ALANA DUNG, the 2-year-old leukemia patient that captured the hearts of 30,000 islanders this summer, is as feisty as ever. Family members say the girl's appetite hasn't stopped growing since she underwent a vital bone- marrow transplant operation July 17. Doctors say her immune system is also getting stronger. This Thursday, a pivotal blood-test will be performed to verify that her body is free of disease. The next objective, center staff say, is to wean her off intravenous support. The girl remains at a Seattle hospital. Letters of support can be sent to Alana Dung, c/o Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1124 Columbia St., Seattle, Wash., 98104... JENNIFER ENO, Chief Inspirational Officer of both the Hawai`i NewsList and Ka `Upena Kukui, will be marking her 24th birthday tomorrow. Birthday wishes can be sent to her at kitten@aloha.net, and NewsList Coordinator Ryan Ozawa recommends messages include the answer to the question, "If I could get one thing from Hawai`i for _my_ birthday, what would it be?" Postcards are also welcomed at 207 Paoakalani, Apt. 5, Honolulu, Hawai`i, 96815... CORRECTION: The "Best of Honolulu" list reported in the last interim news summary was published by _Honolulu Weekly_, determined by votes of the alternative newsweekly's readers. The wrong publication was named... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MARKET SNAPSHOTS [Anyone interested in something like this, maybe weekly? -ed.] Partly furnished two bedroom, one bath apartment in Aiea, view of Pearl Harbor, covered parking, appliances and security -- rent $1050 a month. Crisp Japanese cucumbers, locally grown, $.69 per pound at Star Market... Two bedroom, two bath condominium overlooking Ala Wai Golf Course, Waikiki and Diamond Head, new paint -- leasehold, $172,500. Part-time customer-service representative, Hawai`i Newspaper Agency. Type 35WPM, familiar with local street names, good telephone manner. Would work 25 hours per week, at $12.88 per hour... Four bedroom, two bathroom home in Mililani, 2,100 square feet, near schools and shops -- fee-simple, $330,000. Adult video store for sale, Waikiki, excellent location, fully stocked. $15,000 or best offer. 50th State split broiler halves, $1.19 per pound on sale at Times... Waterfront 3 bedroom, two bath townhouse in Hawai`i Kai, garden, den, large deck, recently remodeled -- fee-simple, $169,900. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/73, Kaua`i 83/74, Moloka`i 85/73, Maui 89/73, Hilo 84/71 CASTS: Some showers, trades to 20MPH; East shore surf to 3 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 3:56 p.m.; Low 9:01 a.m.
KA `UPENA KUKUI LITE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Lite -- Top News of Hawai`i Friday August 9, 1996 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= < Yes, I'm still taking a breather -- really! Just started typing random items up this afternoon (trying to get a bit of news to a friend in Oregon) and couldn't stop myself. Figured I might as well stick in the lines and stuff and send it to y'all... hope it helps hold you over until classes start at UH again (Aug. 26). The "real" Ka `Upena Kukui will return then (gods willing). In case you're wondering, full-time tuition at UH-Manoa as of Fall 1996 is $1210.70. Ouch. Enjoy! -- Ed. > -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: NONE HURT IN EMERGENCY JET LANDING A Kaua`i-bound Hawaiian Airlines jet made an emergency landing without the use of its front landing gear yesterday morning, but none of the 113 passengers were injured. The DC-9 was preparing to land at Lihue Airport when its pilot, Capt. Tim Wheeler, noticed a problem with the plane's front landing gear. Attempts were made to fix the problem manually, and after two passes by the Lihue air-traffic control tower could not confirm the gear was down and locked, the plane headed back for Honolulu International Airport. Airport officials cleared the reef runway, and as fire and rescue crews looked on, the plane touched down on its rear wheels and then its nose. There were sparks and flames from the metal scraping along the runway, but in the end there was no major fire or structural damage to the plane. It was sprayed down with fire retardant foam as a precaution, and passengers disembarked via both the normal stairs and a rear emergency chute. An investigation is under way. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: PIPE BOMB FOUND IN AIEA A bomb squad from the Honolulu Police Department evacuated the Waimalu Shopping Center and adjacent residential units this morning after a pipe-bomb was found wired to the door of a small market. An employee discovered the device, about 10-inches long and two inches in diameter, at about 9 a.m. today. Police say the device had nails taped to it, thus designed to injure or maim, and also appeared too have a timer attached to it. Bomb detail officers tied a string to the device and pulled it away from the store's door from a distance, and it did not detonate. Although the timer was found to be inoperable, investigators characterise the device as "well made." The device will be examined tomorrow to determine what kind of explosive powder was used to build it. Police currently have no suspects in the case. In addition to shutting down the shopping center, all Ewa-bound lanes of Kamehameha Highway were closed until the bomb was removed at about 11 a.m. It is the second pipe-bomb found in Honolulu in under a month, the first discovered on July 29 along the H-1 freeway. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KANESHIRO PUSHES JAIL AT BARBERS POINT City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, who is expected to be appointed as the new head of the state Department of Public Safety next year, says he wants five former barracks at Barbers Point Air Station to be converted into minimum-security drug detention centers for Hawaii inmates. He made the comments yesterday before the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission, which will determine the use of the military base after the Navy turns most of the property over to the state. Kaneshiro said only nonviolent inmates being confined for property crimes would be housed there. Some area residents oppose the idea of prisoners being in their neighborhood, and others testified that the barracks could better be used to house the homeless. Kaneshiro said the 258 or so existing rooms could be an affordable route of relief for the state's prison overcrowding problem. Other proposals for the property include a civillian and commercial airport, affordable housing, and a regional park. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: LOIHI MAY BE ERUPTING, EXPERTS SAY University of Hawai`i researchers today will continue unmanned submarine surveys of the undersea volcano Loihi, located off the southeast coast of the Big Island. Since last week, there has been unusually high levels of seismic activity focused in the area, many earthquakes measuring in excess of 4.0 on the Richter scale and felt in many Big Island neighborhoods. Since July 17, over 4,000 distinct quakes were detected by UH seismologists. During a Pisces V expedition yesterday, researchers spotted what they believe to be a new major pit crater, over 500 feet wide and nearly 1,000 feet deep. It's the strongest evidence yet of an undersea eruption, as erupting magma leaving the chamber deep within Loihi may have caused the summit to collapse. In addition, unusual deposits of 'black glass' were found, as well as lots of white granular material -- compared in appearance to sand or snow -- scattered across its summit. Loihi stands about 3,000 feet below sea level, and may become the next Hawaiian island... in about 10,000 years or so. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- HONOLULU MAGAZINE published its 1996 "Best of Honolulu" edition this week, the results determined by reader votes. Among the awardees: Best Local Web Site H4/Internet Radio Hawai`i (http://www.hotspotshawaii.com/) Best Restaurants Roy's Restaurant, Indigo, Alan Wong's Best Local Band Ka`au Crater Boys Best Alternative Radio Station Radio Free Hawai`i Best Saimin Shiro's & Saimin Haven (tie) Best New Store Border's Books and Music Worst Local Commercials Harry and Myra (BOH), Ala Moana Least Desirable Neighborhoods Kalihi, Waianae, Waipahu and Waikiki Best Nude Sunbathing Diamond Head Beach Best Act of Aloha Alana Dung Bone Marrow Drive (30,000) Best Dance Club The Jungle (Waikiki) Sexiest Politician Arnold Morgado Most Entertaining Politician Frank Fasi Most Romantic Getaway The Lodge at Koele Best Pick-Up Spot (to 25) UH Manoa Best Pick-Up Spot (25 and up) At Work >From the August 7 edition (Vol. 6, No. 32), copyright 1996 Honolulu Magazine, Inc. E-Mail address: hnlwly@lava.net -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES CABIN camping facilities at Camp Kailua were demolished by city crews today, after years of legal battles over the future of the three-acre site adjacent to Kailua Beach Park. Several groups protested the planned elimination of the cabins, saying that they were the only county facilities that allowed handicapped residents to enjoy camping experiences, and that Kailua Beach Park is already underused. Camp Kailua is being razed as part of a plan to expand the beach park. Many area residents were in support of demolition as well, however, claiming the cabins had become an eyesore. Homeless people were also attracted to the camp since it was closed five years ago, they said... AUGUST 13 is Jennifer Eno's birthday. Eno serves as the Supreme Goddess of the Hawai`i NewsList, a volunteer internet news service based in Waikiki, and is credited with maintaining the sanity of one 21-year-old student editor. Subscribers to the NewsList who have not yet sent in their postcard are encouraged to do so now, to wish Eno well and to thank her for enduring the antics of her scatterbrained fiancee. Address them to 207 Paoakalani Ave., Apt. 5, Honolulu, Hawai`i, 96815-3700... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 90/73, Kaua`i 85/72, Moloka`i 85/73, Maui 91/70, Hilo 84/70 CASTS: Partly sunny, trades to 20MPH; Nort and East Shore surf to 4 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 1:48 p.m.; Low 8:58 p.m.
Aloha kakou! Stuff in this edition: ---------------------- * Up in Smoke (Again) * Where Would I be Without... * Fun with Listproc What's That Smell? ------------------ The power adapter for my beleagured (notice only journalists use this word?) PowerBook caught fire last night. Pretty ugly scene. Until I can convince the folks at MacMall that they should replace it, or until my friend (waynea@hawaii.edu) can get his loaned adapter to me, I will be unable to publish Ka `Upena Kukui. Everyone who had bet something like this was coming, raise your hand. And no, I will _still_ not consider anything that runs Windows 95. Of course, Ka `Upena was going to go on hiatus for the between-term break at UH anyway (Aug. 5 to Aug. 16, or maybe even to Aug. 23 depending on my workload at Ka Leo), so maybe someone's just trying to tell my addled brain to take a break. Even so, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thankfully, as usual, other NewsList items should still be distributed regularly. Special Thanks: --------------- I'd like to take this moment to announce that the primary sponsor of the Hawai`i NewsList, the First National Bank of Mom, now has an e-mail address -- milo@aloha.net As many of you know, the FNBM has been crucial in repeatedly resuscitating my five-year old computer and keeping me sane (and many times, fed). If you feel like helping her experience the true expanse of the net and the furthest reaches of the aloha spirit, please write a note of thanks to FNBM, attention Ryan's mommy. Also, NewsList Executive Goddess and Inspiration Generator Jennifer Eno will be celebrating a birthday on Aug. 13. The truly e-mail happy (or bored) can write her a message of cheer at eno@hawaii.edu. Don't worry, I'll mention this again next week. Mailing List Software Fixes --------------------------- The listproc software upgrade was completed this weekend, and though I'm still tinkering, it should run a tad bit smoother (at least on my end). Most important to note, again, are the following: 1. If your mailbox bounces something, you may be unceremoniously dumped. I know this is going to be a pain for those of you who have stingy ISPs; as the DIGEST function is still available, I'd suggest you try it. 2. Messages from different NewsList correspondents should now appear as coming from them individually -- thus replies will actually get to them rather than being eaten by the UH system. 3. Last but not least, ARCHIVES have been enabled as of yesterday for all NewsList features. Though this isn't useful right now, in a few months it should be great to be able to search back by the day for something that you know you read once upon a time. Thank you for your time and support!
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, July 29, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: PIPE BOMB FOUND ALONG H-1 FREEWAY An 8-inch undetonated pipe bomb was found this afternoon on a grassy embankment along the H-1 freeway's East-bound Kinau Street offramp. The discovery comes less than a week after two explosive devices utilizing bags and tripwires were set off at the Pali Lookout. According to police, today's bomb was constructed out of half-inch diameter PVC composite piping, filled with explosive material and with a fuse attached on one end. They also say it was designed to be dangerous. "This device would have caused either death or serious injury had it detonated at the scene," HPD spokesman Jimmy Kawakami said. The pipe bomb was less than 50 feet from traffic, Kawakami said, and within a few hundred yards of residential buildings. A state maintenance worker cutting the grass on the embankment came across the pipe bomb shortly before 1 p.m. Police closed the Makiki cutoff and two of three freeway traffic lanes for over an hour while a bomb squad moved in to retreive the device. Officers with the HPD bomb detail located the pipe bomb, tying a line to the device then pulling it down the hill from a distance as a precaution against a booby trap. It did not go off, and police locked it in a case and transported it to the Koko Head firing range to disable it. Makiki residents say they were shaken by the discovery, many of whom were keenly aware of the pipe bomb that killed two last week in Atlanta. "I think it's terrible what's happening," said Stela Cabebe, whose apartment complex overlooks the Kinau Street offramp. "Because of all these bombings happening with the Olympic games and everything, it seems like it just a trend now." Alex Sotelo, another neighbor, said he wasn't told whether he was in danger. "We've read at the Olympics that people get hurt from 100 feet away," Sotelo said. "We didn't even know how far so we don't really know how much in danger we are." At present, police have no suspects in the case. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FOUR HURT, H-3 CONSTRUCTION HALTED The upper reaches of Halawa Valley are quiet today as state officials and contractors try to determine what caused four 60-ton concrete beams to collapse on Saturday at an H-3 construction site, falling 15 feet and injuring four workers. Three of the four workers were seriously hurt and remain hospitalized today at Queen's Medical Center. Officials with Kewit Construction, one of the primary contractors working on the project, say for now they can see no reason why the beams would have fallen. Most similar accidents occur when beams and girders are being lifted or moved by cranes, Kewit spokesman Pat Stinton said. "[These beams] were up a week and a half and should have been in a stable condition," Stinton said. All work on the freeway has been halted until the cause of the accident can be found. "We're going to bring in some people who have a great deal of expertise to take a look at this situation, to see whether there is a safety problem or whether there has been any engineering problem," Gov. Ben Cayetano said today. "We don't know at this time." Transportation director Kazu Hayashida said hopes to have some answers by tomorrow or Wednesday. However no one will put a firm date on when workers can return to the area. Also unknown is who will be responsible for paying for repairs. The $1.3 billion freeway -- built up and through the Ko`olau mountains to connect Kaneohe and Pearl Harbor -- is scheduled to open in the fall of next year. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: AIRMAN REMEMBERS SAUDI ARABIA BOMBING Just over a month ago, a terrorist bombing at a military housing complex in Saudi Arabia killed 19 people, the blast sending one Hickam Air Force Base serviceman from his seventh-floor room to the ground. "I was asleep when the bomb went off," Master Sgt. George Dyer, 34, told reporters today. "Not only was I asleep but I was hit and knocked unconscious [by falling debris]," he said. "When I came to consciousness I was in the intensive-care unit and I had no idea what happened." Dyer listed off a few of his injuries, including a broken orbital bone in his skull, broken ribs, and cuts and stitches "from head to toe." A 15-year veteran of the Air Force, Dyer -- originally from Pennysylvania -- was one of 25 Hickam personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia before the June 25 bombing. Two others from the islands were also injured. Now almost completely recovered, Dyer said he hopes to be back on the job at Hickam by the end of August. Asked whether he was angry for what happened, he replied: "Doing what they did to me and the people in my building? The people who blew up the 747? The people who planted the bomb at Atlanta? There's certainly anger there." Even so, he said he's no longer asking "why me?" Dyer said he realized that he must have been a "miracle child" to have lived through what happened. "All I can say now is thanks to god and thanks to all the people who've come to my support," Dyer said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES EVER since the landmark pineapple water tower in Iwilei was taken down years ago, O`ahu residents mourned its absense from the Honolulu skyline. With the recent announcement of several major retail developments at the old Dole cannery, however, company officials hinted today that a replacement is in the works. Horizon Ventures, the developer for a major mall-and-aquarium complex slated to open next summer, is reportedly working with the Historic Hawai`i Foundation to create a new landmark. Officials are tight-lipped, however, on whether it will be another pineapple or something else. The original tower was taken down after corrosion threatened to topple it... BIG ISLAND leaders are beaming after an announcement last week that a medical equipment manufacturer will put its headquarters in Hilo. The county had adjusted zoning and other regulations at several lots near the Hilo airport in order to create a foreign trade zone, and NIC Americas, Inc. will be its first tenant. NIC officials say the five-acre Hilo site is an ideal location because of its proximity to both the airport and a major ocean port. NIC will build hospital incinerators designed to destroy hypodermic needles. The main office will open next month, and by next year the operation is expected to employ about 150 people... FRUSTRATED by meddling in Board of Education affairs, board member Darrow Aiona said on Friday that he will not run for re-election this year. Aiona said state lawmakers and other politicians have constantly distracted the board from its goal of improving public schools. Teachers are also still underpaid, he said. "It's no wonder so many are retiring," Aiona said. Aiona, a former instructor at Leeward Community College, has been on the board for 22 years. He said he may seek a trustee position with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs when seats open in 1998... State got 1.6 million bonus accurate management of Federal Food Stamp Program 96.22 percent rating second highest in rating, 7th time in 9 years won extra funding for food stamp program. SDHS use money for elec. food stamp pilot program on Kaua`i. ARBITRATION began today to resolve a dispute over pay-raise schedules between SHOPO -- the Hawai`i police officers' union -- and three county governments. An independent, three-person panel will pick up where earlier unsuccessful mediation efforts left off. SHOPO wants an unspecified systemwide raise, citing a 7 percent raise recently granted to the state's firefighters. As in the earlier case, the counties say they simply don't have the money to cover the requested raise... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 89/72, Kaua`i 83/71, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 88/71, Hilo 83/70 CASTS: Mostly sunny, trades to 15MPH; North and East shore surf to 4 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- a.m.; Low -:-- p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, July 26, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: MAN FIRES AT, CHASES WIFE IN KAKA`AKO An apparent domestic dispute turned violent in front of several witnesses this morning as a 65-year-old man confronted his wife at a South Street lunch wagon. The man -- tentatively identified as Raymond Perez -- fired two shots, one of which struck his wife in the shoulder. She fled north to Queen Street and through a Chevron gas station, and Perez followed. "He was very relaxed, just calmly holding the gun in his hand." said Gordon Moore, one witness. While the victim tried to hide from Perez by ducking behind parked cars, Chevron employee Robert Ilae tried to intervene. "I picked up a pry-bar, came out of the front and I walked up behind him," Ilae said. "I took two steps and threw it at him, but I missed him and he turned around, looked at me, lifted the gun and he shot at me." Ilae was not injured. The victim flagged down a tow truck and got in, and Perez ran after it and fired again. He ran to his car to follow it, but police officers with weapons drawn converged on his vehicle and ordered him to surrender. Perez got out but refused to surrender his weapon, and instead ran into a loading area for the Hawaii Newspaper Agency building on Kapi`olani Boulevard. When he emerged in the parking lot, according to officer Ben Ballesteros, Perez asked a woman in a car to give him a ride to the airport. Police moved in to restrain him and a scuffle ensued, some officers suffering minor scrapes, Ballesteros said. He was then taken into custody. The victim remains in stable condition at Queen's Medical Center tonight. According to court records, the couple had been separated but there were no standing restraining orders. Police say Perez has a past arrest record for assault and rape. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: DON HO MAKES JUMP TO BIG SCREEN It will be the first time in the movies for television star and performer Don Ho. He'll be sharing the spotlight with several other first-time actors == about 10,000 live and animated cockroaches. MTV's first motion picture venture, "Joe's Apartment," opens today nationwide. The 65-year-old Ho plays evil-landlord Alberto Bianco, who wants to evict Joe (Jerry O'Connell) from his critter-crowded New York Apartment. Ho said the Godfather-esque role was fun, but that he's more interested in seeing the film for his tiny costars rather than himself. "They have roaches that people really raise and train," Ho said. "Somebody one time by mistake squashed one of these roaches -- it was like the guy killed the Pope or something." Ho took a break from his regular gig at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel for two weeks in January for filming. Ho said Director John Payson had first sent him a videotape showing the talking, dancing roaches. When he viewed the tape with some of his 10 children, they encouraged him to take the part. Even so, Payson requested an audition of sorts. Ho set up a video camera and had his daughter read the lines he had to respond to. The jump from television to the big screen wasn't hard to make, he said. "In the movie business or television business patience is all of it," Ho said. "A lot of kids think it's so glamorous -- the only thing glamorous it is the money." Ho would not say how much he was paid for his appearance. Could this starring role lead to a comeback like those experienced by Tony Bennett or Mel Torme? Ho told KHON he wasn't that old. "Don't put me in that category," Ho said "Those guys are _real_ mature." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: POLICE SEARCHING FOR MANOA SEX ASSAULT SUSPECT Honolulu police are asking for the public's help in catching a man who broke into the home of a 75-year-old Manoa resident earlier this month and fondled her. The same man is believed to be involved in 10 earlier cases in Kalihi. HPD investigator Marie McCauley said the victim was in her living room when she noticed something out on her lanai shortly after 1:45 a.m. on July 6. When she went to the door to get a better look, McCauley said, the victim saw a man wearing a women's black lace camisole "glaring at her with a big toothy grin." The woman ordered him to go away, and he did -- only to return about 20 minutes later. Police say the suspect -- described as a local Chinese or Portuguese male -- then came into the victim's Honnewell Street home and sexually assaulted her. Police, who had been called to the scene, spotted the suspect but could not catch him. After reports had been taken and police left the area, the suspect returned again shortly after 5 a.m. and waved at the victim. Police recovered a pipe used to smoke crystal methamphetamine on the lanai, and believe the suspect may have been smoking ice before the assault. Investigators are looking into whether the suspect is the same man who terrorized Houghtailing Street residents years ago. Between 1989 and 1992, a man would appear at Kalihi homes nude or wearing women's lingerie. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MOTORISTS' PAST COME BACK TO HAUNT THEM As of this year, the driving abstracts issued by Hawai`i courts will include records of DUI arrests stretching five years further back than before. For some drivers, that means a record that was clear a few months ago may now show blemishes up to 10 years old. This past legislative session, lawmakers created a new felony offense -- "habitual DUI" -- for people who rack up more than three DUI convictions within 10 years. As a result, the traffic violations bureau added DUI records that were previously deleted back into the county abstract database. Prior to this change, a resident's DUI record would have been cleared after five years. Currently, moving violations are still cleared after three years, no-fault claims after five. At least one driver says he's worried that the cost of his newly reacquired automobile insurance will go up. Mike Holbron was convicted for DUI in 1989, and traveled on foot or via bus until the five year limit was over and his driving record was wiped clean. It's not clean any more. "Why is it back on there?" Holbron said. "I felt kind of hurt in a way because I felt that I did my time, I paid my dues for this." According to State Insurance Commissioner Wayne Metcalf, the change should not affect the cost of auto insurance. "In deciding or determining what rates will be approved, the insurance division will not look at information that is stale," Metcalf said. A five year history is the industry standard, he said, although there are some businesses that sell records going further back. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: UNDERSEA QUAKES RAISE TSUNAMI CONCERNS Loihi, the underwater volcano southeast of the Big Island, has been rumbling, and some seismologists are saying the activity could be a major eruption -- or a precursor to a tidal wave. In the last week, over 1,400 tremors originating near Loihi have been recorded by scientists at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, over 30 of those measuring about 4.5 on the Richter scale. Located about 20 miles off the coast of Pahala, Loihi stands 2 miles high off the ocean floor and has about 100,000 years of growth before it becomes another island. Even so, its growing pains concern some because they may cause a tsunami. Seismologists say it would take a magnitude six quake to generate a wave, but can't yet make any predictions. With the epicenter focused so close to the island of Hawai`i, civil defense officials say, there will be practically no time to warn residents before a wave swamps the shore. Civil Defense chief Harry Kim told _The Advertiser_ that people in low lying areas who feel an earthquake should "run like hell." The two most recent quakes were recorded Tuesday, and could be felt Puna in Ka`u. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES UNLOADING a cargo container shipped from the Mainland, workers at a Honolulu warehouse discovered an American gray squirrel scurrying around inside. They quickly locked the Matson container and called the state Department of Agriculture, and animal quarantine officials arrived to take the illegal traveler into custody. A trap was set and the squirrel was caught Wednesday morning. Quarantine officials say the squirrel will be tested for rabies and then probably be sent back to the Mainland... AFTER nearly 40 years with the state, Public Safety Department Director George Iranon announced this week that he will be leaving his post. After retiring at age 63 effective Sept. 1, however, Iranon may still stay within the realm of public safety -- perhaps as a paid consultant to his successor. Such a position would require the approval of the governor and the state Senate. Although Hawaii's prisons have suffered major overcrowding for years, Iranon told reporters that he considers the movement of island inmates to Mainland prisons as one of his best accomplishments. Iranon has been with the department since 1985... HAWAI`I residents should be double-checking their paychecks this fall, as the state tax department this month kicks off an awareness campaign to remind employers that the amount to be withheld for state income tax has been reduced from 10 percent to 8 percent. The reduction was approved during the last legislative session, and by September the state expects all employers to be in compliance. For an average island family of four, the change means just over $100 more in take-home pay each year... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/71, Kaua`i 82/70, Moloka`i 83/70, Maui 87/70, Hilo 82/69 CASTS: Clearing skies, trades to 25MPH; South shore surf to 6 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- a.m.; Low -:-- p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, July 24, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: BOMBS FOUND AT PALI LOOKOUT, SCARE AT AIRPORT Herb Lau, a solo-bike officer with the Honolulu Police Department, was headed up Pali Highway shortly after 6 a.m. today when he noticed the steel gates at the entrance to the Nu`uanu Pali Lookout were still closed. When he rode past the gate into the park, he apparently hit a trip-wire that detonated a small bomb hidden in the brush. When another officer reporting to the scene opened the gate, a second explosive device went off. Although no one was seriously injured by the booby traps, Lau reportedly sustained a slight ear injury. Police investigators described the devices as crude, the trip-wire -- one end tied to the gate post -- ran to a simple detonator inside a plastic bag filled with a yet-unidentified explosive material. Although the bombs were not of the more dangerous fragmentary type, police say they had the potential to badly hurt someone. Police kept the lookout closed while searching for evidence and other devices in the thick brush lining the sides of the park access road. Police have no suspects in the case. Meanwhile, bomb squads briefly cleared the employee cafeteria at Honolulu International Airport when diners reported hearing a loud sound coming from a small open area outside an emergency exit. The Kama`aina Cafe, located in a restricted area of the airport's main terminal, was closed during the hour-long search. Nothing was found, and airport officials say the noise was likely the sound of a fluorescent light exploding outside. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: UH HAWAIIAN STUDIES CENTER COMES TO LIFE After more than 10 years of waiting and a few budget and legal battles, the new Hawaiian Studies Center at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawai`i opened today so that faculty and staff could begin moving in. The $7.5 million building -- about $1 million over its original budget -- overlooks Manoa Stream along Dole Street. It has a design said to be inspired by ancient Hawaiian architecture, the design highlighted by rock walls and tall, angular domes covered with green copper. Inside, one of the university's fastest growing departments will be able to host classes, performances and exhibits. "What we're hoping to do is open up the building and therefore the campus to people who are involved in things like hula, language instruction, voyaging and weaving," said center director Haunani-Kay Trask. The Hawaiian culture is flourishing, Trask said, and so is academic thirst for its history and future. "When we started the Hawaiian Studies Center in 1987 we had 13 students," Trask said. "We now have 1,350 students." The center should be ready for use by the beginning of the fall semester. Completion of the center's was five years behind schedule, due in part to protests by a community group that claimed that building the center would destroy historic taro lo`i at the site. In 1992, Ho`o`kahe Wai tried to stop construction and proposed a redesign of the center that would spare the lo`i. Although the redesign was refused, Trask said despite the controversy and intense construction work, the taro in question remains untouched today. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MAYOR HARRIS DEFENDS PAWA`A HOUSING VENTURE A city-backed housing project at the site of the old police station in Pawa`a may be in jeopardy after the state denied the developer tax credits it says were needed in order to take the job. Earlier this month, the state Housing Finance and Development Corporation met to determine which developers would get tax credits set aside for companies building affordable housing in Hawai`i. The city endorsed developer Waldron Ventures for the Pawa`a project, but the company said it wanted a $2.9 million tax credit -- $900,000 more than the total available tax credits the state had to distribute year. The HFDC decided to divide the available credits across four separate affordable housing projects on the neighbor islands. The city hoped Gov. Ben Cayetano would find the extra money to move ahead in Pawa`a, but this week Cayetano said the city should not have backed a company that didn't have adequate finances. "I think the governor made a very bad decision," Harris said. "[Pawa`a] is a good project -- not only for people on this island that need housing, but it's also a good project for people who need jobs." However, the HFDC said the Pawa`a project had other disadvantages compared to the ventures that did receive tax credits. The four projects -- located on the Big Island, Moloka`i and Maui -- would bring 212 affordable housing units to the island market in all, according HFDC spokesman Ron Lim. The Pawa`a project would only build 128 units, he said. "It just didn't match up to the other projects," Lim said. Waldron Ventures has filed a petition with the HFDC board, questioning its selection process and criteria. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: EWA VILLAGES DEVELOPER BACKING OFF The city had high hopes for its Ewa Village Revitalization Project, expecting $45 million in home sales in its three subdivisions this year alone. To date, however, only 20 people filed applications to buy lots in the first phase -- Green View Villas -- and only a handful qualified. No homes have been built or sold since construction started near the municipal golf course. The slow sales have prompted realtor Prudential Locations this week to suspend its marketing efforts for the Ewa Village. Now, developer Armstrong Builders, Ltd. has apparently started talks with the city to reconsider their strategy. "Mr. Armstrong has discussed the situation with the city and has alerted us that he wants to re-evaluate what types of homes he wants to build and sell in the area," City Budget Director Malcolm Tom said. "We are looking at alternative marketing approaches and looking at what he can do to increase the sales rate." City Council Budget Chair Duke Bainum is calling for an audit of the project. "What we've seen is a string of projects in which we really were competing with the private sector," Bainum said. The Ewa Village project was approved by the council in 1994. Although at the time the city had committed to using union labor, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris changed the provisions of the contract a month after he took office allowing the developer to pay less than union wages. The decision was protested by local construction unions earlier this year. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CONVENTION CENTER WORK HURTING BUSINESSES Responding to growing complaints from Waikiki businesses and residents, Convention Center Authority spokesman Alton Kuioka said they're doing what they can, but that some problems are beyond their reach. "Some of the things that they'd like us to do is really beyond the authority's level," Kuioka said. Traffic around the construction site has been congested for weeks, and the noise is grating on the nerves of neighbors. In addition, businesses near the Hawai`i Convention Center site say the chaos has hurt them. Kevin Gazzara, manager of Cafe Bellshiba, said sidewalk traffic in the area is down and parking for his restaurant is almost impossible to reach. His business is on Kapi`olani Boulevard, directly across from the site. "Our lunch hours have been down about 50 percent," Gazzara said. Although the state is considering moving its construction work to night hours, no final decisions have yet been set. Although night work would solve the daytime traffic nightmare, Kuioka said, problems with noise might increase. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/72, Kaua`i 83/71, Moloka`i 82/70, Maui 88/72, Hilo 83/70 CASTS: Scattered showers, trades to 20MPH; South shore surf to 4 feet. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- a.m.; Low -:-- p.m.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, July 23, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: KAUA`I TEENS RETURN FROM ATLANTA MISADVENTURES A group of 87 high school students from Kaua`i were looking forward to three weeks of Olympic excitement when they left the islands for Atlanta last week. ""Promises, promises, promises," said Donna Rodenhurst, one of several chaperones who accompanied the teens on their trip. "They said someone would meet us there, that we'd have jobs, places to stay -- nothing." Instead of getting part-time jobs at Olympic Village kiosks, rooms at an Atlanta hotel and tickets to Olympic events, the Kaua`i contingent got a bus-ride to a small Georgia town and emergency food and shelter from the American Red Cross. The students, along with about 2,000 other kids from across the country, were left high and dry by the Atlanta-based travel agency Creative Travel Services. They returned to Hawai`i today, thanks to the Anheiser-Busch Corporation which arranged a special chartered flight to bring them home. The company also gave the students souvenirs, tickets to an Olympic basketball game for their last day in Atlanta, and closing their trip with a "real" dinner. Each of the students spent about $500 for the ill-fated excursion. "Our housing wasn't that great, the food wasn't that great," said Kaua`i High School student David Michaud. "It was pretty bad." While sleeping on cots in a middle-school gym, many compared the experience to weathering Hurricane Iniki years ago. Kapa`a High School student Jodie Noma said the trip wasn't a total disaster. "It was totally unforgettable, it was great," Noma said. "There were some downtimes, but there were also uptimes, and I'm glad that's how our trip ended -- on a positive note." The FBI is reportedly opening a criminal investigation. Meanwhile, some parents of the Kaua`i teens were critical of Gov. Ben Cayetano, who was also in Atlanta, saying he ignored the island kids' plight. Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono said that wasn't the case. "The governor's office, as soon as they found out about it, took efforts to assess the situation and to help out," Hirono said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HARRIS MAKES RE-ELECTION BID OFFICIAL Before a crowd of about 300 supporters, Honolulu mayor Jeremy Harris today came down from his third-floor office in Honolulu Hale to kick off his campaign to return to his post, which he won two years ago after former mayor Frank Fasi resigned to run for governor. Harris filed his election papers today, the last day for any citizen to declare a run for office. In a noontime speech in the courtyard, Harris lead his supporters in a three-time cheer of "Hana hou!" As the incumbent, Harris is currently leading in the polls, and he said he expects to win the non-partisan race outright in the Sept. 23 primary. "Let's pull together once more, let's do it again from the heart," Harris said. "If we keep pulling together as a community, there's no reason the future can't be a bright and beautiful vision." Rainbow-dyed pigeons were released, and free plate-lunches were distributed at today's City Hall rally. Harris is being challenged by Fasi and Arnold Morgado, who came in second in the 1994 election. Although Morgado supporters have suggested that Harris would drop his city post in mid-term to run for governor in 1998 (as Fasi had done), Harris said a gubernatorial run isn't likely. "Right now I have no intention of running for governor," he said, "but I'm not going to foreclose any options." Many political analysts believe that Fasi's decision to run will undercut the Harris campaign, as both supposedly share the same supporter base. Despite remarks made by Fasi earlier this month characterizing him as a weak leader and a promise-breaker, Harris said the race will not be a personal one. "There are some who would cast this campaign as a personal fight between Frank Fasi and us," Harris said. "I'm here to tell you that's not what this campaign is about." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MAINLAND TOURISM CAMPAIGN UNVEILED The Hawai`i Visitors Bureau got a new name today, and also kicked off a new strategy in marketing the islands as a tourist destination for U.S. Mainland travelers. A quick vote turned the Hawai`i Visitors Bureau into the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau, a change that represents the agency's new role in promoting and booking the Hawai`i Convention Center currently under construction. The HVCB then announced a multi-million dollar television advertising campaign to lure Americans to island shores. Last year's tourism figures found growth in the number of visitors from nearly all markets, except for those from the Mainland. "We've got a lot of business being taken out of the market by the cruise business," said HVCB President Paul Casey. "What we need to do is re-energize and reinvigorate the U.S. market." The campaign marks a shift from the print-based strategies of the past, Casey said, in part prompted by aggressive television advertising by other tourist meccas like the Caribbean and Florida. The 18-month campaign will focus on the dual theme of aloha and diversity, the main goal being to "rebuild the brand of Hawai`i in North America." The plan was hailed by some local hoteliers as a stronger partnership. "The message should be clear that HVCB's job is to brand the product," said Hilton Hawaiian Village spokesman John Votsis. "Those of us in private industry will be out there retailing the product." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: SEVERAL TO BE RE-ELECTED AUTOMATICALLY At least five state senators will automatically get their seats back in September, as many incumbent candidates -- most of them democrats -- were left unchallenged after today's campaign filing deadline. Several candidates waited until the last minute to file their election papers, with security guards securing the Lieutenant Governor's office at 4:30 p.m. sharp. Among those re-elected by default are Kauai Rep. Bertha Kawakami, Maui Rep. Robert Nakasone and Honolulu Reps. Dennis Arakaki, Romy Cachola and Nobu Yonamine. More unchallenged posts may be identified later tonight as papers from the satellite elections office in Pearl City are collated with those from the state Capitol. Richard Port, standing chairman of the state's democratic party, said the candidates winning free-rides to the state House deserve to return. "Some of those names clearly are among the best and the finest that the democratic party has in office today," Port said today. "I feel that there is a lot of confidence among voters for some of those names." Jane Tatibouet, chairwoman of the Hawai`i republican party, conceded that she hoped to challenge every democratic legislator. "We were trying to field quality candidates," Tatibouet said. "We wanted to make sure we could find the best people." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: TWO CLOTHING CHAINS PULLING OUT OF HAWAI`I After the phenomenal influx of discount retail stores in Honolulu over the last few years, two major store chains are pulling out of the island market. Off-price apparel stores Marshall's and T. J. Maxx will leave Hawai`i by September, meaning about 250 employees in all will be losing their jobs. Market analyst Eric Tema told KHON that a consolidation of the retail market was inevitable following the mass arrival of national chains such as K-Mart and Wal-Mart. Marshall's currently has 6 outlets in the state, while T.J. Maxx has one at Stadium Mall in Aiea. All of the locations will be sold to Ross, a competing retailer that will then be left as the only clothing chain of its kind in the state. "Ross is going to be interviewing every manager and every associate," said company spokeswoman Cathy Sharpe. "It is our expectation that they will be able to retain many of the employees." At this point, Sharpe said, Ross will probably not open stores in all six of the acquired locations, instead subleasing them to other businesses. The transfer is scheduled to become effective Sept. 1, although presently no final contracts have been signed. Marshall's and T.J. Maxx recently announced a partnership which involves closing 200 stores nationwide. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES UNDERWATER World is coming to the islands. The owners of the U.S. franchise, which operates two other combination mall-and-aquarium centers on the Mainland, today announced that it will be putting a 1.5 million gallon, 80,000 square foot tank at the Dole Cannery Square shopping complex. The Underwater World in Honolulu will be the third one nationwide, the others currently operating in San Francisco and Minnesota. It will feature a 400- foot submerged acrylic tunnel, seven feet in diameter, that will allow visitors to walk under the aquarium and view the sea life as if they were on a deep sea dive. It is expected to open in late 1997 or early 1998... FRANK Fasi Jr., son of the former Honolulu mayor, will receive a settlement in excess of $100,000 from the city following an accident in Waikiki seven years ago. Fasi was riding a bike along Kalakaua Avenue in 1989 when a police cruiser allegedly cut across 3 lanes of traffic to cite him. The car struck Fasi, who suffered back and neck injuries despite wearing a helmet at the time. A City Council committee today voted to back the six-figure settlement. The final amount will be determined pending approval by the full council... DAIRY farmers in Hawai`i are asking the state for permission to raise the amount they can charge for their milk. The state regulates the price producers such as Foremost and Meadow Gold pay to farmers, which is currently 49 cents per gallon. The request, prompted by a 40 percent increase in the cost of feed corn, seeks to raise the rate to 55 cents per gallon. Two years of poor corn production has led to rising milk prices on the Mainland, farmers say, and the added costs have now reached the islands... WATER safety officials were kept busy today as surf on the state's southern shores swelled to 8 feet, with 12-foot waves being reported on some neighbor islands. The unusually high surf, caused by a storm system south of Tahiti, began yesterday. At least 20 rescues were made on Monday, and lifeguards had to render first aid and rescue lost surfboards today. No major injuries were reported. Waves are expected to be strong through tomorrow... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 89/74, Kaua`i 85/73, Moloka`i 84/72, Maui 90/73, Hilo 85/71 CASTS: Humid, some showers, trades to 15MPH; South shore surf to 5 feet. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 11:52 a.m.; Low 6:41 p.m.


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