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The Net of Light Friday, August 23, 1996
Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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 |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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...
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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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