Hawai`i News with Ryan Ozawa

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Friday, November 17, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ RALLY TARGETS RACISM ON UH CAMPUS The alleged ejection of two Hawaiian students from a Geography class two months ago was the spark behind a four-hour rally held yesterday at UH-Manoa. Over 300 students listened and cheered speakers and performers at the event, promoted as an exploration of discrimination against native Hawaiians at the university. Haunani-Kay Trask and Lilikala Kame`eleihiwa -- both faculty in the Hawaiian Studies department -- were the keynote speakers. "Look around you," Trask asked the audience, "85 percent of the student body are people of color. 85 percent of the faculty [at UH] is haole -- What's wrong with this picture?" Trask said the practice of awarding Hawaiian Homestead lands on the basis of a blood quantum is based on racist philosophy, saying that the government is dividing the Hawaiian population much as it did the African American population in the south. She also urged more opposition to the tuition hike proposal now in the works, and a plan to cut tuition waivers to native Hawaiian students. Kame`eleihiwa gave a history lesson about racism in the islands, starting with the first missionaries came to the islands. "We cannot have peace in Hawai`i until we have justice in Hawai`i," Kame`eleihiwa said. Comedian and former gubernatorial candidate Bu La`ia was emcee. "Sovereignty isn't a Hawaiian thing," Bu La`ia said. "It's about an injustice done to a people." The event was organized by the Center for Hawaiian Studies and Kuikalahiki, a student group focused on Hawaiian rights issues. BUMPY ENJOYS FREEDOM, SUPPORTS RALLY'S INTENT Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele, leader of the Waimanalo-based sovereignty group Nation of Hawai`i, attended the Hawaiian rally yesterday, listening to and applauding speakers. Kanahele was released earlier this week from federal confinement, allowed to live in a halfway house until his case can be retried in January. "I never come here to be acknowledged," Kanahele said. "I came to support the intent of whatever this was for." He said he was originally invited to speak by Kame`eleihiwa, but declined. "This is my third day out," Kanahele said. "I just want to take in the fresh air and the freedom." On Wednesday, Kanahele issued a public apology to Mililani-Kay Trask and her sister, Mililani, who vehemently rebuffed the call for peace yesterday. Today, Kanahele kept his distance from Haunani-Kay Trask saying it was "not the right time" to approach her. "I'm happy I came," Kanahele said. "This is the first time I've come to such a big gathering here." Kanahele said he has been asked to speak at the UH Law School. CAMPUS TO CELEBRATE DIAMOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY Starting today, the UH College of Arts and Sciences will be commem- orating its 75th year of academic pursuit. In 1907, the campus was originally the College of Hawai`i of the Territory of Hawai`i. It was in 1920 that faculty efforts finally effected the creation of the College of Arts and Sciences, turning the schools into the University of Hawai`i. "Magic and Mystery" is the theme of this weekend's festivities, to culminate with "Sunday at Manoa," a large open house and grounds fair on the lawn between Hawai`i Hall and the new Architecture Building. The area, called the Quad, once constituted the extent of the university's campus. Booths by each of the four schools within the college will highlight the university's history and the newest endeavors, from cutting-edge scientific research to multimedia presentations. Live entertainment by the Royal Hawaiian Band and performers from the Hawaiian group "Hapa" will play, and food concessionaires will sell a variety of ethnic foods. Today, four "favorite" emeritus professors will speak in Campus Center; Tomorrow, a special half-time show will be performed at the UH football game versus San Diego State. COMMISSION PREPS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL Allowing gay couples to marry, or at least a domestic partnership alternative, will be the recommendation of the State Commission on Sexual Orientation. The commission met yesterday to finalize their draft report, which will now go before the public for comment before being forwarded to the legislature. The report is expected to go before the full commission next Wednesday. Currently, same-sex marriages are illegal in Hawai`i, but the 1991 statute is being challenged by several court cases. One of those cases was suspended because of the commission's pending presentation during the 1996 legislative session. The public hearing phase will run from the draft's approval this week to Dec. 7, when the final form will be drafted and again voted on. Even if only the domestic partnership alternative is made law, it would essentially grant the same financial and legal rights of opposite-sex couples. The debate peaked in 1993, when the Hawaii Supreme Court questioned the constitutionality of a statute outlawing same-sex marriage. It warned that the law may be overturned unless the state can show a compelling reason why marriage should be limited to male-female relationships alone. STATE WORKERS INSURERS UNTOUCHED BY MONEY CRUNCH Companies that provide workers compensation insurance in Hawai`i showed an upturn in profits last year, a profit of over $30 million, according to the National Association of Insurance Companies. Although company represent- atives point out that the earnings for island providers are below the U.S. average, last year's numbers are a far cry from those in the preceding two years. Workers comp insurers revenue dropped 7.3 percent, then 5.7 percent, in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Marty Simons with the state Insurance Division said yesterday that the profits show that "the crisis mentality in this state for workers compensation is totally unwarranted." Attorneys that specialize in workers comp claims say, however, that things aren't that bright. They say that 15 percent figures are considered ideal, and that the dearth of new insurers in the state show an industry reluctance to enter Hawaii's weak market. The profit is thought to be the result of a 20 percent rate increase in 1994, and a reduction in the number of claims paid out last year. WHALE DEATHS SUSPEND "BOOM BOX" RESEARCH The discovery of three dead humpback whales off California has prompted the National Marine Fisheries Service to stop the activation of a controversial network of sound-transmitters -- including one off Kaua`i -- until the cause of the whale deaths can be determined. The suspension order comes after researchers revealed that the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) tested the underwater transmitters several times in late October. The latest partially-decomposed whale was discovered Nov. 9 off San Francisco. The first dead whale turned up on a stretch of beach adjacent to Pioneer Seamount (a underwater prominence), where the sound source was installed on Oct. 28. The second whale was found near the Farallon Islands last Wednesday. Sesearchers admit the deaths are suspicious events, but insist they could not have been caused by their tests. But longtime opponents of the ATOC program say that three deaths within such a short period of time is "highly unusual," and are backing a government investigation. They say that they were not told of any equipment tests, and the unapproved sounding of the equipment violated federal regulations. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] NEARLY 200 students held a sit-in yesterday at the UH-Hilo campus, protesting a proposed tuition hike for the university system while the Board of Regents met on the Big Island. Organized by students of UHH and Hawai`i Community College, the protest follows a Oct. 31 march on O`ahu... [+] ALTHOUGH they died over the weekend in a fatal Hawaii Kai accident, the families of Thanh Van Nguyen and Hanh "Cindy" Pham fulfilled their engagement to eachother. The two teenagers, 19 and 18 respectively, were married yesterday. Their unborn son, Thanh Van, was also mourned... [+] HIKERS and nearby property owners are butting heads over a public access plan for the popular Wiliwilinui Trail, which winds up into the Ko`olau mountains above Waialai Iki. Residents of the subdivision are concerned about liability for people in the area to hike... [+] KRUGER, a rare white rhino at the Honolulu Zoo, may be flown to China in the hopes that he can find a compatible mate, and keep the species from dwindling further. The zoo orginally hoped a female could be found and brought to Hawai`i, but five years had turned up no prospective dates... TEMPS: O`ahu 88/71, Kaua`i 80/68, Moloka`i 86/72, Maui 85/70, Hilo 86/70 CASTS: Heavy rains for Maui, Big Island. 4-8 foot surf on the North Shore. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 12:32AM, Low 6:53PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Thursday, November 16, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ PLANNED PRISON SITE DRAWS FIRE At the first of several hearings today, members of the public were given the opportunity to testify on the potential effects of putting a federal prison in their neighborhood. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has selected two possible sites for the first federal prison to be built in Hawai`i, one on Elliot Street near the Airport, and one adjacent to Fort Armstrong in Kakaako. The latter site was the subject of most of the debate. Among points raised by speakers: possible contamination of groundwater and area soil at the Fort Armstrong location, delays in likely tangles with Hawaiian groups (the site sits on ceded lands), and complicating access to the Imigration and Naturalization Services building located in the next lot. Bishop Estate spokesman Neal Hannahs was also on hand, saying the prison would have an impact on area developments planned by the estate. Anne Kent, US Marshall, is intent on choosing a site quickly. "There is no time for delay and indecision," Kent said today. "It is too late to look for another site, or a better site." The bureau will be hearing public comment until Dec. 11, then draft a final Environmental Impact Statement. Kent said they hope to choose the final location by February of next year. With groundbreaking expected in 1997, the facility may take up to five years to build. DIAMOND HEAD DEVELOPMENT OPPOSITION ERUPTS A seemingly forgotten legislative bill in defense of Diamond Head's natural state is the latest volley in an ongoing wave of criticism levied after Gov. Cayetano revealed that he had approached the Disney company -- unsuccessfully -- to build a theme park in it. State Senator Les Ihara has stepped forward today with a statute he successfully backed in 1992, asserting that the crater should be kept in a "semiwilderness" state. Many commentators are apalled at the idea that anyone could consider the Hawai`i landmark as just another site for a commercial development. "It is sacred in people's minds," Ihara said. Ihara explained that if Cayetano wants to move forward with his vision, he has to change a 1979 plan designating the crater as both a federal and state monument. Michelle Matson of the Diamond Head Neighborhood Board said today, "This mad hatter, hare-brained idea of his is just another example of the exploitation of public land." Cayetano's ideas are part of his master plan -- rooted in efforts started during the Waihee administration -- to redevelop much of Kakaako and to bring more commerce into the cash-strapped state. Cayetano is currently in Japan. VOLCANO HOUSE SHUTDOWN LEAVES WORKERS IN LIMBO The guests of the fully-booked Volcano House hotel, overlooking the Kilauea Caldera inside Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, have been told they have to find accomodations elsewhere. A federal order, stemming from the national government shutdown in effect since Tuesday, mandates that the hotel be closed by 3PM tomorrow. Volcano House, which features 42 rooms and 10 cabins, employs approximately 60 Hawai`i residents. According to Lee Harlow, president of the hotel, its workers do not share the same protections as regular federal employees. Nearly all Volcano House employees will be laid off, but will not be entitled to recover lost wages -- if they're rehired. "Since this is just before Thanksgiving, it's going to be very hard on them," Harlow said. Only a skeleton crew will be kept on to perform vital maintenance and to keep the lobby's famous fireplace, said to have been crackling nonstop for over a century, burning. The park itself has been completely closed, including all trails, roads, and visitor centers. Mardie Lane, coordinator for the park, said, "People are kindhearted about the situation, but you can sense their frustration." HARRIS OFFERS TO HELP RUN FEDERAL MONUMENTS With tourists by the hundreds being turned away at the gates of the National Cemetary of the Pacific in Punchbowl and the Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has offered to help restore their normal operating hours. "We'll keep these places open," Harris vowed today, saying he will meet formally with federal officials tomorrow to discuss his plan. Harris has offered to coordinate volunteers to staff the two facilities while its paid employees are furloughed in the government shutdown. "I think it's vital that we keep them open," Harris said, noting reports that the government shutdown is beginning to bring down numbers in the private sector. The only concern, Harris said, is that neither the city nor the federal government will easily accept any liability for the volunteers. According to federal regulations, no volunteers work at facilities like the Arizona Memorial because of liability concerns. TRASK SISTERS KEEP DISTANCE FROM KANAHELE Mililani Trask, member of the sovereignty group Ka Lahui Hawai`i, lashed out today against Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele. Kanahele, leader of sovereignty group Nation of Hawai`i, publically asked for peace and cooperation between the different Hawaiian groups throughout the islands. Kanahele had called Mililani Trask and her sister, Haunani-Kay Trask, "brilliant," and valuble allies in the fight for Hawaiian independence. Mililani Trask said Kanahele's request was simply a publicity stunt. "It may be convenient to create a media event when you're facing federal charges," she said. Mililani Trask was critical of statements made by Kanahele two years ago, when he allegedly called some members of his own sovereignty group "terrorists" that he could not control. Those words, and his pending federal case, is a "black eye on the sovereignty movement," she said. Meanwhile, Kanahele appeared today on the UH campus to attend an anti-racism Hawaiian rally led in part by Haunani-Kay Trask. Haunani-Kay Trask did not acknowledge Kanahele's presence, although Emcee Bu La`ia had pointed him out. [More coverage of the rally and Kanahele to come. -rko ] IN OTHER NEWS: [+] TELEVISION coverage led 42-year-old Michael Malakha, wanted on a grand jury warrant for murder, to turn himself in tonight, about an hour after KHON aired a story on him. He is charged with the 1991 death of 3-year- old Zachary Riviera, the son of his girlfriend. Malakha reportedly tied and gagged the toddler to stop him from crying. He will be flown to O`ahu tomorrow... [+] KATHLEEN Johnson, Senior Vice President of the HVB, resigned yesterday from her position. HVB President Paul Casey, only in his post since summer, said he was surprised by Johnson's resignation, reportedly to pursue job opportunities on the mainland. A replacement may be months away... TEMPS: O`ahu 87/70, Kaua`i 81/70, Moloka`i 84/71, Maui 84/72, Hilo 84/69 CASTS: Mild trades, some isolated showers. Rising surf on the north shore. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 12:38AM, Low 6:22PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 15, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ CAYETANO: NO DISNEYLAND, BUT PUT SOMETHING IN CRATER Environmental groups are bristling at talk that Gov. Cayetano has been plying Disney and other big-name companies for a possible theme- park inside Diamond Head Crater. "To me," Cayetano said recently, "It's really an underdeveloped, underutilized asset." Today, Lt. Governor Mazie Hirono clarified, "I think we can envision many number of things we can do with the interior of Diamond Head." Disney was approached by Cayetano earlier this month, but eventually turned down Cayetano's pitch for a "tasteful" park in the 150 acre, flat center of the unmistakable Hawaii landmark. The governor has proposed a number of ideas, including a golf course and Waikiki Shell- esque amphitheatre carved out of the crater's walls, and also says corporate giants Time Warner and Sony are on his hit list. The Outdoor Circle is one of many groups, however, appalled by Cayetano's proposals. Central to their objections are traffic, displacement of area residents, and unchecked development. Cayetano said the crater is an excellent location for a public arena of some sort. "There was nothing sacred inside the crater," he added. ISLE SIXTH GRADERS GET BEST OF MEDIOCRE MARKS The latest Hawai`i figures for the Stanford Achievement Test show a slight decline in math scores for the state's tenth-, eighth- and third- graders. Reading scores for sixth graders were up, however -- 77 percent of students here scored as average or above against national figures. They also stayed above the national average in math. According to figures released this week by the Department of Education: Among high-school sophomores, scores for both categories fell, both now lying along the 71 percent mark; Eight- graders held their place with 64 percent scoring average or above in reading, but math scores here also fell from 74 percent to 69 percent; Similar reading scores for third-graders rose two percent to 65 percent, but fell for math by the same percentage to 76 percent. For comparison, the national average for all grade levels were 77 percent of students scoring as average or above for both math and reading sections of the test. In a statement by Schools Superintendent Herman Aizawa, the improvements in reading scores among elementary grades was highlighted. "However," Aizawa said, "we are concerned about the declining math scores." From the tenth-grade figures, the high schools with the highest percentage scoring as exclusively above- average were: Kaiser (36%), Moanalua (33%) and Waiakea (32%) in Reading; Roosevelt (47%), McKinley (45%), and Pearl City and Kalani (39%) in Math. KANAHELE CALLS FOR PEACE, COOPERATION Asking for more unity between different sovereignty groups, Nation of Hawaii leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele said today that he has found the virtues of a more cooperative, focused campaign. Kanahele was released yesterday to a halfway house, where he is to live until his retrial in federal court in January. Calling Ka Lahui sister-leaders Haunani-Kay and Mililani Trask "very brilliant," Kanahele said he hopes to patch up relations with them, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and other Hawaiian-rights groups. "I think we're going forward much more quickly than we've ever done in the past," Kanahele said today. He also asked members of the Nation of Hawaii to refrain from civil disobedience, manifested in the past by driving cars with "SOVEREIGN" license plates and issuing arrest-warrants to Hawai`i judges and law enforcement officials. "These are little fires that we don't need at this point," Kanahele said today. We want to go into what counts." He said he hopes to establish an office in downtown Honolulu. Kanahele still faces the federal charges of interfering with law enforcement efforts and harboring federal fugitive Nathan Brown; the case ended in a mistrial two weeks ago. YOUNG DREAMCOAT VOICES FIND NEW STAGE When producers canceled the Hawai`i stop of their "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" musical tour, several isle youngsters were particularly disappointed. When the show was initially booked, four chorus' were assembled from Hawai`i schools and youth choir groups to sing in the show. Those youths may get their chance to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber's score after all. Diamond Head Theatre has announced yesterday that they will produce a run of "Joseph" in April. "I Do! I Do!" was sacrificed in the season's schedule to make the change. Recently appointed artistic director John Rampage said the move is both to give the children another chance to perform, and also to take advantage of disappointed residents who had bought tickets to the canceled, Canada-based show. The DHT production cannot find a place for every young performer in its decidedly smaller production, but the singers originally scouted by Livent Inc. will get the first chance to audition. Although the change will cost DHT considerably more to produce, they're hoping the Joseph-hungry Hawaii market will make it a success. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] CHARGES have been filed against Ronald DeReis, 34, in the murder of a father and son on the Big Island. The bodies of Ernest Martinez Sr. and Jr. were found earlier this week with shotgun wounds, reportedly also dragged behind a truck. Neighbors reportedly suspect DeReis was upset with the Martinez men when his girlfriend had moved out to live with them... [+] TWO two-year-olds died in separate incidents today. In one, a 23- year-old man reportedly punched his girlfriend's son while they waited outside the Waipahu Civic Center. He died 2 hours later of cardiac arrest at St. Francis Hospital. Navy police, meanwhile, are investigating the cause of death of a girl declared dead this morning at Tripler Hospital... [+] VOLCANO House, the hotel overlooking Kilauea Crater on the Big Island, has been notified it has until Friday to shut down. Although booked full, the hotel is going down with a number of other federal services in the midst of a national government shutdown. Its art museum, and Volcano National Park's Crater Rim Drive, have already been closed until further notice... [+] REPTILES have been making the news this week. Three reptiles, illegal in the islands, have been recovered by state officials in the last seven days. A 4-foot-long iguana in Waimanalo, a two-foot-long "alligator snapping turtle" found in Kemoo, and a foot-long Knight Anole lizard in Kaneohe... TEMPS: O`ahu 83/72, Kaua`i 80/71, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 85/73, Hilo 83/69 CASTS: Mild trades, some isolated showers. Rising surf on the north shore. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 9:56AM, Low 5:20PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Tuesday, November 14, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ TOURISTS, CITIZENS SHARE STRESS OF SHUTDOWN The hourly shuttle boats running between the pier and the Arizona Memorial kept their schedule today, even though many of them were empty. Because of a nationwide shutdown of government programs and offices, the usually bustling Pearl Harbor attraction was barely running. With the museum and theatre closed, many frustrated tourists settled for pictures on the front lawn before packing back onto their buses and leaving. Caretakers of the National Cemetery of the Pacific, nestled in Punchbowl Crater, struggled to show visitors what they could during severely truncated hours. On Maui, the road to Haleakala National Park was closed at the 7,000 foot level early this morning, denying a number of eager tourists the famed sight of a Hawai`i sunrise; visitors to Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island were privy to only a small portion of the park's usual offerings. Residents also faced cutbacks in federal services. The Internal Revenue Service and the Veteran's Affairs offices were closed, and the Social Security office in the Federal Building in Honolulu -- usually serving 300 people a day -- struggled through only ten cases today. JUDGE RELEASES KANAHELE WITH CONDITIONS Ordered back to prison last month after his federal case ended in a mistrial, Nation of Hawai`i leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele wasn't banking on walking Hawai`i streets anytime before his new trial in January. However in a surprise move yesterday, U.S. District Judge David Ezra released Kanahele to a halfway-house, without bail. Ezra reportedly said that Kanahele's rights need to be heard in addition to that of law enforcement officials. The prosecutors in the case said that Kanahele posed a threat to the public. Kanahele walked out of the federal courthouse this morning, greeted by supporters and family members. With the first few weeks of his stay at Miller Hale -- a halfway-house in Makiki -- paid for by two OHA trustees, Kanahele can bide the time before his retrial any way he likes... so long as he doesn't go near the sovereignty group's headquarters in Waimanalo. Kanahele said he will abide by the judge's conditions, adding that the outpouring of support at today's court hearing -- which included members of other sovereignty groups -- demonstrated the broad support the independence movement is gaining. "This is not just about 'Bumpy,'" Kanahele said. FATHER-SON MURDER UNFOLDS IN EDEN The body of 58-year-old Ernest Martinez was found Saturday night about one mile from his home in Eden Roc, a subdivision in Puna located south of Mountain View. His son, 34-year-old Ernest Martinez Jr., had also been missing since the weekend. The grieving family's worst suspicions were confirmed today, however, when the son's body was also discovered. Police already have a suspect in custody: Ronald DeReis, next-door neighbor to the Martinez family. Police have called the murders particularly grizzly. According to preliminary reports, both Martinez men were shot, then tied to the back of a white pickup truck -- reportedly driven by DeReis -- and dragged along a dirt road for up to three miles. Their bodies were then run over, police say. A shotgun matching the type used to inflict the fatal wounds to both men was found during a search of DeReis' home. Family members and neighbors say that there were frequent brawls between DeReis and the Martinez, but insist that the Martinez men mostly kept their cool, and often helped other Eden Roc residents -- including DeReis -- with errands. Police say drugs are not thought to be an element in the case; to date, no formal charges have been filed against DeReis. GROUPS GEAR UP FOR SUNSET BEACH HEARING The Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters of Honolulu, and two other island activist groups have added their support to a lawsuit filed by the Save Sunset Beach Coalition earlier this year. Aligned against developer Obayashi Hawaii Corp. and its controversial Lihi Lani development, the lawsuit faces the first of several hearings in the case this Friday. Central to the debate -- whether a residential district can be built on agriculturally zoned land if the district has "pseudo-agricultural" components. The Wahiawa-based coalition says no. SSBC President Larry McElheny also cited statistics reporting as many as 70 similar subdivisions planned for agricultural land receiving preliminary approval on Maui. "It's only part of the statewide epidemic that we're asking the court to cure." The language of laws drafted by the legislature leave some ambiguity on whether agriculturally zoned lots must have development that are "primarily" or partially agricultural in purpose. Earlier this year, the state delayed work on a Kona subdivision because of a lack of required "farm dwellings." IN OTHER NEWS: [+] CEMENT glue is suspected as the key ingredient used to start a fire last night at Honowai Elementary School in Waipahu. Witnesses reported seeing six juveniles fleeing the area prior to the 6:40PM blaze, which burned a ground- floor classroom in a two-story building. Damage: $50,000 total... [+] MEDICAL examiners have identified the fifth victim of a Friday morning car crash in Hawai`i Kai as Kiet The Tran, 20, of a Linapuni Street address. Thai Nguyen, 20, yet remains in stable condition at Kuakini Hospital... [+] AMBITIOUS visions for a new Waikiki were tempered back today. The task- force working on a long-range plan for the tourist mecca announced that it would be dropping two aspects of their initial plan: making Kuhio Avenue a one-way street, and converting Kalakaua Avenue into a pedestrian mall... [+] STATE tax collections were up last month, an increase of 13.6%, or about $28 million, from October of last year. So say state officials... [+] FORMER HandiVan driver Bill Becker testified today before the City Council, saying the service -- contracted to transport handicapped residents around the island -- is beset by inadequate maintenance and thefts. The council is thinking to dissolve the Honolulu Public Transit Authority... [+] GRASS skirts and coconut-bras stretched from wall-to-wall today, during tryouts for parts in "authentic" Polynesian shows at Disney theme parks. Dancers are being recruited this week for Tokyo and Florida-based shows. Tokyo scouts -- saying hula dancers are always a strong draw at shows in Japan -- eventually found the five "petite" dancers they were looking for... TEMPS: O`ahu 83/72, Kaua`i 80/71, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 85/73, Hilo 83/69 CASTS: Mild trades, some isolated showers. Rising surf on the north shore. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 9:56AM, Low 5:20PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Monday, November 13, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ ISLE EMPLOYEES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES FACE LAYOFFS Just hours ago, lawmakers in Washington, DC failed to beat their midnight deadline to reach a compromise in passing the nation's budget bill. More than 20,000 Hawaii residents -- 16,000 of them in the military alone -- had been prepared for the worst. With the federal government mired in a partial shutdown tomorrow, leaders of the local armed forces said that they have told employees to come in to work, but that they will likely be sent home after three hours. Officials with local offices have confirmed that each of Hawaii's 60 or so federal agencies will be affected by the shutdown in some way. While post offices, Medicare, Social Security and Federal courts will remain in operation, others will be closed or subject to reduced hours. The Arizona Memorial and Haleakala National Park would close, food stamps will not be distributed, and research and grant programs will cease. In addition, the National Memorial of the Pacific will only be open between 10AM and 2PM and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will be running with only minimal staff. HILO STUDENTS PLAN FRIDAY PROTEST Although the public hearings on the University of Hawaii's proposed tuition hikes are still several weeks away, students on the Big Island are still riding the wave of student activism that peaked Halloween afternoon with the Death of Education March in Honolulu. With the November Board of Regents meeting taking place on the UH-Hilo campus this Friday, the student governments of both UHH and Hawaii Community College are preparing for a protest of their own. Kalani Kahalepau`ole, president of the UHH Student Association, said they are expecting a turnout of about 100 people, who will stage a sit-in during the early afternoon meeting. He said that the protests organizers have gained the support of some Big Island businesses, and that they have started running radio advertisements for the protest on KAOI -- a station with transmitters on several islands. Kahalepau`ole said students additionally have their eye on the first public hearing, also scheduled for Hilo, during the first week of December. The regents will move the hearings from island to island that week to fulfill the requirements needed to advance a proposed tuition increase schedule, which would allow the University to raise tuition by up to 75% a year. KALANIANAOLE HIGHWAY CRASH KILLS FIVE A 20-year-old male still remains unidentified after a serious one car accident early Friday morning left five youths -- including a pregnant 18- year-old -- dead. Another passenger is currently hospitalized in stable condition at Kuakini Hospital, while two other survivors have been treated released. 21-year-old Kinh Nguyen of Kaimuki was driving the vehicle, reportedly racing with another car along the newly widened highway. He apparently lost control at about 1AM, jumping a curb and smashing into a fire hydrant, then an electrical transformer, finally slamming into a brick wall where the car immediately burst into flames. The accident occurred between Kirkwood Street and Kuliouou Road. The identified passengers: Driver Kinh Nguyen, dead; Cong Nguyen, 18, treated and released; his brother Thanh Nguyen, 19, dead; Thanh's fiancee -- four months pregnant -- Hanh Thi Pham, 18, dead; Thai Nguyen, 20, hospitalized; Than Thai Phan, 20, dead; Truong Tuan, 15, treated and released. Only the Nguyen brothers were related. The crash cast a somber shadow over ceremonies held Saturday morning, marking the full re-opening of the highway after a multimillion dollar widening and beautification project. Some memorial services are scheduled for Friday. PET OWNERS PICKET QUARANTINE STATION Saying the mandatory 120-day quarantine of animals brought in to the islands is unnecessary, about 30 Hawaii residents picketed outside the state's Animal Quarantine Station in Halawa yesterday. Although most of the protesters hadn't met before, they were mostly unified in their belief that there was much room for improvement in the system. Kailua Representative Eve Anderson lead the picket, saying that modern vaccination and test methods can keep the majority of Hawaii's imported pets from having to go through the four month ordeal. Some of the demonstrators decried unclean and uncomfortable conditions at the facility, noting tick and flee infestations and uncleaned, concrete enclosures. Others were satisfied with the care, but agreed that the confinement period should be shorter. Managers of the quarantine station say that the quarantine system was crafted with the help of the World Health Organization -- an international animal-rights group -- and has been very successful in keeping Hawai`i rabies free. Nevertheless, Anderson hopes to reintroduce legislation that would reduce quarantine stays for properly treated and tagged animals in January. Two years ago, a similar plan was rejected by the state legislature. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] HANAUMA Bay will be closed from today until Friday, for some long overdue road work. City officials say that the main access roads haven't been paved for 13 years, leading to serious deterioration and some foundation subsidence in recent years. A sidewalk will also be installed in the $425,000 project... [+] HEARINGS for a proposal to increase the size of protected whale sanctuaries around the Hawaiian islands begin next week, opening in Hilo on Nov. 27. Proponents say the move is necessary to nurture the growing humpback whale population; skeptics oppose more government regulation... [+] DEFENSE Attorney Michael Weight begins presenting today, hoping to prove that earlier witnesses were wrong in saying former Hilo Sgt. Kenneth Mathison fatally beat his wife, Yvonne, inside their van before running her over. Mathison says she jumped out and was later hit by another driver... [+] HILO police are currently investigating the death of an unidentified 50- year-old man, and murder is suspected. His body was found this past weekend on Mahaina Street in Puna. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was apparently run over by a vehicle. He had "EM" tattooed on his left arm... [+] DESPITE the sketchy service as of late, the Hawaii NewsList welcomed it's 600th subscriber today. It has been recently suggested that the NewsList occasionally distribute "local kine" stories, memories of the past or tales of island adventures written by correspondents. Sound good? Let me know... TEMPS: O`ahu 88/74, Kaua`i 82/72, Moloka`i 88/72, Maui 85/75, Hilo 83/68 CASTS: Partly cloudy, gusty trades to 20MPH; 2 - 4 foot surf on North shores. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 9:04AM, Low 4:44PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Friday, November 10, 1995 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ============================================================= ================ NO KA `UPENA FOR TODAY As reported in Wednesday's edition, Ka `Upena will not be seen today, Friday Nov. 10, 1995. In addition, delivery of Dayle Turner's sports reports for Saturday and Sunday will be delayed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Have a pleasant Veteran's Day holiday! Ka `Upena will,of course, return on Monday. ============================================================= ================ This report is part of The Hawai`i NewsList family of internet features. It and a number of other Hawai`i-related items can be delivered directly to your e-mail address. Send a subscription request to listproc@hawaii.edu, with the text "SUBSCRIBE HI-NEWS-L Firstname Lastname" in the body of the message.
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 8, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ LIGHTNING FORKS ACROSS ISLE SKIES For the second time in a week, nature's light show has played across the islands. From earlier this evening, lightning -- often in the form of distinct bolts, which are unusual for Hawai`i -- was seen across the state. The National Weather Service was deluged with reports from all over O`ahu, including Waianae, Hawaii Kai, Aiea and Kailua. In a four hour period tonight, 2.5 inches of rain was reported in Waiahole Valley. A flash flood watch for all islands issued this afternoon is still in effect, and will be in place at least until tomorrow morning. The current conditions are the result of a high-level storm system approaching from the east. Because the system extends 10 miles up into the atmosphere at points, lightning is widely visible but the expected thunder claps and heavy showers are not as prominent. Tomorrow will bring high humidity and probably more rain, as another storm system nears the island chain from the south. Despite the late onset of cloudy skies, O`ahu set a new record high for this date -- 89 degrees. Kahalui on Maui reported temperatures in the low 90s. Things aren't expected to clear until Sunday, weather forecasters say. WEATHER SERVICE GETS NEW HOME, TOILS ON In addition to watching today's developing storm systems, the National Weather Service's Honolulu office was also celebrating its recent move from the Honolulu International Airport to the UH-Manoa campus. A dedication ceremony was held today at the NWS' new headquarters, occupying the Mauka end of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics building on the upper campus. After nearly 50 years at the airport location, the new Honolulu Forecast Office houses drastically new, advanced meteorological equipment. The move is part of a nationwide effort by the NWS agency to join forces with universities, working together with their research arms to study weather phenomena. Where the office once used equipment designed in the 1940s, the new equipment uses cutting-edge, "Doppler radar" techniques that allows more dimension to studying the vertical depth of weather systems. The Honolulu Forecast Office is currently overseeing the statewide upgrade of monitoring stations, called NEXRAD, two of which are awaiting installation on the Big Island. The office itself features many modifications to the building's architecture, including earthquake-resisting supports and automated sheet-metal shields that drop down over windows to withstand the most ferocious of hurricanes. KAILUA BEACH CLEARED BY SHARK SIGHTING Visitors to the placid waters at Kailua Beach were given a start yesterday afternoon, when an 8-foot tiger shark was spotted less than 10 feet from the shore. Lifeguards say the shark was possibly fighting with a recent catch (not human), as its tail had flipped 2 feet out of the water at one point. Water safety officials were startled by the shark's aggressive behavior, but hypothesize it was more concerned with subduing a turtle rather than noontime swimmers. Even so, officials are saying the shark's appearance is likely the first of many more. Heavy rains, like those recently experienced, traditionally preceed shark sightings as rivers flush dead rodents and birds and other shark-sought debris into the ocean. City and state officials say they don't plan on closing any beaches, but more intense attention will be given to finned visitors. According to witnesses, the shark was spotted just after 12 noon. One lifeguard kept watch while another drove along the shore, warning an estimated 200 area beachgoers to leave the water. There were reportedly many swimmers within 100 feet of the shark at the time, one perhaps only 35 feet away. Few were kept away from the waves for long. FORMER EXECUTIVE GETS SETTLEMENT FROM OHA The Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian affairs voted yesterday to settle out of court with Dante Carpenter, a former agency administrator who was fired earlier this year. Carpenter -- who is also a state senator -- had sued the trustees, alleging that certain members of the board had "made false and defamatory" statements concerning his handling of trust funds. The vote was 6-3, with trustees Moses K. Keale, Rowena Akana, and Billie Beamer opposing the settlement. Beamer was one of the specific targets of Carpenter's suit, primarily because of a report Beamer filed on Aug. 31 criticizing Carpenter for being tardy in submitting OHA's budget package to the state Legislature. In the settlement, Carpenter will recieve no more than $30,000 for lost income he would have recieved through January of next year, and the board will have to "correct" its official minutes for the Aug. 31 meeting to demonstrate that Beamer's report was not validated by the board. Beamer said that amending minutes and submitted reports is not allowed for, as they are technically in the public record. She also said that Carpenter has already recieved $21,000 in severance pay, and that the money should be enough for his compensation. Some trustees -- like Kina`u Kamali`i -- say they voted for the settlement to simply put the entire affair behiind them. PAPAKOLEA WOMEN CAN CONTINUE CHARITY WORK When three women, who said they were following their Christian mission, began serving coffee and donated pastries to homeless people at Aala Park, they caught the attention of an inspector for the state Department of Health. Charlene Buckley, Mary Reveira, and Louise Terty had called on the reluctant residents of the downtown park every morning for two weeks, bringing them what breakfast they could muster. However, state health regulations required that any food served must be prepared in a kitchen inspected and certified by the Health Department. The women brewed the coffee in their Papakolea homes. Yesterday, _The Honolulu Advertiser_ reported, the women were given a food permit. A spokesperson for the Health Department said that there was a simple misunderstanding, and praised the efforts of the "Angels of Aala Park." The permit, usually issued to caterers, is renewable monthly and allows them to continue their charity work. The women say community support has been good -- passers by are contributing dollars here and there, and passers-by wave. Although they are now without the institution-sized coffee pot they'd borrowed for their efforts, they say they will continue as long as they can. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] WITH midterms afoot next week, and a camping-friendly long weekend starting tomorrow, Ka `Upena will not be published for Thursday, Nov. 9 and Friday, Nov. 8. We wish a pleasant Veteran's Day weekend to all, and will return as usual on Monday. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause! TEMPS: O`ahu 88/75, Kaua`i 86/75, Moloka`i 88/73, Maui 89/75, Hilo 84/68 CASTS: Flash flood warning islandwide; some thundershowers, high humidity. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 5:07PM, Low 12:28AM FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 5:51PM, Low 1:19PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Tuesday, November 7, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ PEPPER SPRAY OFF TO SHAKY START Three months into an 18-month trial period, the Honolulu Police Department reported today that pepper spray -- aerosol canisters containing caustic oils intended to be used in self-defense -- was used more often to commit crimes on O`ahu than to prevent them. According to HPD figures, there have been 17 incidents of pepper spray being used to commit crimes since its sale was legalized in mid-July. During the three month period between April 25 and July 20, before it was legalized, nine incidents were reported. City councilman John Henry Felix, one of the original proponents of legalizing the spray, called the numbers "interesting," but said it's too early to decide if the trial has had positive or negative findings. "There's no cause and effect to be drawn here," Felix said. As recently as three weeks ago, a security guard in Waikiki was sprayed when trying to stop a shoplifter. The HPD report also shows two incidents of the sprays being used in self defense. In addition, the department has to date made inspections of over 50 local merchants licensed to sell the sprays, finding minor violations at 12. AUDITOR FINDS COLLEGE WITHOUT FOCUS According to a report released yesterday by the office of state Auditor Marion M. Higa, the UH College of Education's teacher training program could use improvement -- and it could start with finding a basic direction. "The college of Education can improve its undergraduate teacher preparation programs by clarifying its mission," the report said. Higa said the recommendations could be accomplished in part by bringing the college into better compliance with existing UH policies and a revamping of the school's own evaluation process. The report called the college -- run on a $7 million annual budget -- one of the state's primary source for teachers in the state's public school system. 500 students a year graduate from its nine departments. In a ten page response to the report, the college's interim dean Charles Araki agreed overall with its findings, but also criticized the "premature release" of the report to the Governor, Legislature and the press. In addition, as the state audit was expressly intended to review the college's teacher preparation programs, Araki urged Higa to clarify that the report was not a quality assessment of the entire college. Without adequate explanation, Araki said, the report could "tarnish the image and reputation of the college in the public mind." The audit -- performed between January and May of this year -- was instigated by the state auditors office as part of the routine evaluation of all state departments and agencies. STATE HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS FACE MORE CUTS Inside the State Office Tower today, Gov. Ben Cayetano signed a proclamation declaring Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day. Outside, however, a crowd of about 50 people -- most suffering from various physical and mental disabilities -- protested proposed cuts to health and other support agencies... including many that help Hawai`i AIDS patients. Foremost on their minds, a plan to cut off state welfare benefits after six months. Many protesters said they depended on welfare for specialized services and to keep from being homeless. Susan Chandler, director of Human Services for the state, said they have to do something to cut costs. "The state legislature took $10 million last session," Chandler said. She pointed out that many people would be eligible for federal social security benefits, set up especially for the disabled, and that her office would help its current clients apply for them. Affected programs -- which include job placement and counseling -- face a cut of up to 20 percent each, and $2 million more cuts overall are still expected. HAWAII NEWSLIST DOWN, ALTERNATIVE ACCESS Direct E-mail distribution of Ka `Upena, Dayle Turner's Sports report and several other Hawaii features -- distributed via The Hawaii NewsList -- has been disrupted by software problems on the UH computer system. Since Nov. 3, service has been intermittent, and most of the list's more than 500 subscribers have gone without their island fix. However, readers with web browsers can still find many of these items mirrored at Robert Abbett's excellent "H4" site (located at http://www.hotspotshawaii.com/H4times.html). Ka `Upena is also updated daily at the UH gopher server (gopher.hawaii.edu) for those with such access. System administrators at the university are working on the problem. We apologize for the inconvenience. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] MORNING visitors to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor caught a rare sight this morning, when a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal came in from the sea and lolled on the beach. By law, approaching monk seals -- an endangered species -- is illegal. Tape and signs were put up around her, and she was allowed to rest there all day. An fireworks display tonight finally scared her away... [+] TERI Caldwell, 51, was found dead in her Waikiki apartment Sunday, and is thought to have died during a robbery attempt. Friends of Caldwell said she dedicated much of her energy to helping homeless teenagers. Often going by another name, she also danced at many local clubs. Police say she probably knew her assailant, as there was no sign of forced entry... [+] STAMP collectors from all over the world flocked to the Pierre Hotel in New York to bid on a famous collection of old Hawaiian stamps. Formerly owned by media-mogul Thurston Twigg-Smith, one missionary-era 2 cent stamp went for over $2 million. Another unused set, featured in the movie "Charades," sold for $600,000. Revenue totaling $8 is expected from the whole collection... [+] WINDOW washers saw a bit of excitement today. A malfunction in scaffolding equipment flipped two men overboard outside the 20th floor of the downtown Bank of Hawaii building. Wearing their safety harnesses, the men dangled until rescue crews arrived. They then rappelled down safely... TEMPS: O`ahu 83/72, Kaua`i 82/71, Moloka`i 85/70, Maui 86/72, Hilo 83/68 CASTS: Islandwide thundershowers possible by this weekend; surf mostly flat. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 4:25PM, Low 11:44AM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Monday, November 6, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ CAYETANO: UH MUST CUT PROGRAMS, LISTEN Calling the Death of Education rally last Tuesday the "death of dialogue," Gov. Cayetano spoke last Friday on the UH-Manoa campus in the hopes of briefing both the Board of Regents and the campus community on his role, and that of the UH administration. Cayetano said that while the university took a 9 percent cut this year, it was a smaller cut than those suffered at other stage programs -- including his own office. "Education has always been number one to me," he said, explaining that the university must re-examine its basic mission and make difficult decisions on how to fulfill it in the current fiscal crisis. Cayetano has repeatedly bemoaned a state debt in the hundreds of millions. Stressing 'vertical' rather than 'horizontal' cuts within the UH system, Cayetano said, "Get rid of some [programs] and strengthen others." He urged the regents to keep the student body informed of its work on how they're distributing the cuts. "It is the responsibility of the president at the board of regents to make the cuts," he said "I'm not passing the buck -- I've done what I'm supposed to do." STUDENTS, GOVERNOR MAKE PEACE AT FORUM After his meeting last Friday with the UH regents, Gov. Cayetano crossed the campus to meet with a packed auditorium of students and faculty members. In contrast to the emotional rally on Halloween, the late afternoon forum put Cayetano on a panel with student and faculty leaders, and together they addressed questions about the budget cuts. Again repeating that the state is immersed in its "worst financial crisis ever," Cayetano assured the crowd that the university is still high on his list of priorities. Saying UH would be vital in ushering the state into the next century, he nevertheless said "the burden of this fiscal crisis must be borne by anyone." Taking comments from the audience, the panel heard several ideas on how to ease the cuts at the university -- although neither Cayetano nor most panel members were taking notes. One suggestion was to give state taxpayers the option of giving $5 towards higher education, rather than the current checkbox to give $1 to the governor's campaign fund now found on state tax forms. Another was to cut the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau's share of the state's general fund. PALI HIGHWAY MASTER PLAN PARED DOWN Five years in the making, a master plan assembled by the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization originally boasted an ambitious plan to provide a contraflow lane along both Likelike and Pali highways -- including through their respective tunnels -- in order to ease Windward- downtown commuting. Titled "Draft 2020," the proposal will finally be go to its first public hearing tomorrow... but with a much smaller vision. After staunch opposition from neighborhood boards and other community groups, OMPO pushed back and stretched the target dates for the plan's implementation. Groups representing residents on the downtown side of the mountain range said a contra-flow arrangement would aggravate noise pollution conditions and make entering the highway from cross streets nearly impossible. Originally hoped to be in place between the year 2000 and 2005, "Draft 2020" now asks for contra-flow only along the last two miles at the downtown end of Pali Highway, to be in place sometime between 2005 and 2020. Proponents hope to seek federal funding to implement the project. HAWAIIAN AIR, IN DEBT, FINDS POSSIBLE INVESTORS Hawaiian Airlines -- still recovering from bankruptcy and in the throes of corporate reorganization -- nevertheless may have found some much sought after financial backing. With $7 million in plane rental payments to American Airlines now months overdue, the airline has piqued the interest of an unidentified New York firm. The mainland investors group will reportedly pump $20 million into Hawaiian Airlines; in return, the group will get 6 of 11 seats on the company's board of directors, and $18.2 million in new stock. "The company will be theoretically more valuable," said Bruce Nobles, company president, although he admitted the new Class A common stocks would dilute ownership of Hawaiian. The trade will reduce the current stockholders' share in the company from 85 percent to 40. Before the deal closes, however, some conditions must be met, including an agreement from the mechanic's union to go without a pay raise until the year 2000, and the conversion of its debt to American Airlines -- most likely into even more new shares. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] BREAKING the 1993 record, a 20-year-old Caucasian man committed Hawaii's 57th bank robbery this afternoon. He walked into the Moili`ili branch of First Hawaiian Bank armed with a note. Although over 50 robberies a year have happened before, the FBI started only started counting 5 years ago... [+] HAWAI`I might as well have froze over. The Eagles played tonight before a near-sellout crowd at Aloha Stadium, even with per-ticket prices in excess of $80, part of its "Hell Freezes Over" world tour. Promoters and local promoters hope the huge-scale show's success will attract more big names... [+] FEDERAL, state and city officials are beaming over another successful drug raid, this one carried out last Friday. In the undercover sting, one month in the making, $1.2 million in cash, three guns and an unspecified amount of the drug "ice" was confiscated from six men. [+] GETTING goofy in my old age, turns out today was my 21st. Celebrated it with a burrito, three loads of laundry and a nice long call to Hilo. Also note, with a long weekend upcoming, I plan a two day hiatus from the NewsList on Thursday and Friday. Gonna go camping at Malaekahana... TEMPS: O`ahu 85/70, Kaua`i 84/73, Moloka`i 87/72, Maui 89/74, Hilo 85/70 CASTS: Morning showers, poss. heavy by Friday; 4-6 foot surf at Sunset Beach. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 3:47PM, Low 10:58AM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Friday, November 3, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ CITY'S LEASE-TO-FEE ORDINANCE DISPUTED Hearing from both Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estates and attorneys for the city of Honolulu yesterday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is now contemplating the constitutionality of a county ordinance set in 1991 requiring property owners to allow lease holders to buy the land under their condominiums. KS/BE, which manages over 40,000 condominium units in Hawai`i, says that the ordinance -- which brings in a judge to determine "fair value" of the property if owners and tenants cannot agree -- deprives them of their land without adequate compensation. The city contends that all the proper procedures -- including public hearings -- were followed in establishing the ordinance, and that it should be let alone. Testimony was also offered by a group of lessees of KS/BE condominiums, who pointed to similar Supreme Court decisions concerning single-family homes. The court also examined but eventually again ruled out another ordinance capping leasehold rents. CITY PUSHES BUS PASS PROGRAM, DOESN'T PARTICIPATE For the last month, Mayor Jeremy Harris has been pushing more Honolulu businesses to subsidize bus-pass programs for its employees. Over forty businesses -- and three federal programs -- already have such programs, helping over 5,000 workers buy monthly passes for TheBus. Companies are allowed to deduct the subsidies as a business expense, and employees get them as a tax-free benefit. According to First Hawaiian Bank, which has such a subsidy, the bus-pass program is one of the most popular elements of their benefit package. The city itself, however, does not offer the subsidy to its employees. According to city officials, this is due in part to the already high ridership on the part of city workers -- estimated as high as 30 percent -- and the lost revenue in the form of their currently non-subsidized pass purchases and the ineligibility for the business tax break. The state Department of Transportation, however, this year did not fund the bus-pass promotion this year because of budget constraints. This despite the fact that the DOT estimates nearly 90,000 vehicle trips were taken off Hawai`i roads with mass transit last year when the program was in effect. ROBBER'S FOURTH HIT TIES STATE RECORD The FBI is looking for a man who robbed the School Street branch of the Bank of America yesterday afternoon. The hit makes the 56th bank robbery this year, a tie with the all time record set in 1991 since the FBI started tracking them eight years ago. At about 5PM, the suspect approached a teller with a note. According to the FBI, no weapon was seen nor mentioned in the note. He was described as in his 20s, 5-feet, eight inches tall, and was wearing dark glasses, a baseball cap, slippers and dark clothing. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, reportedly fleeing through the parking lot of Kamehameha Shopping Center. Police suspect the same man is responsible for three earlier robberies: one in Kaimuki on Sept. 21, on in Liliha on Sept. 27, and at a downtown credit union on Oct. 19. With the approaching holidays, FBI officials are fairly confident that this year will set a new record. INVESTIGATION OF KAUA`I POLICE CONTINUES Monica Alves is prepared to take a polygraph test in order to help prove her claims of sexual abuse at the hands of Kaua`i police officers last month. Although the results wouldn't be admissible in any court proceedings, her attorney, William Sink, has said that the results would be publicized. The statements come a day after the FBI announced that it was launching its own investigation into Alves' allegations. Both Sink and Kaua`i County administrators have expressed approval of the FBI's involvement. Alves was arrested in September during an unprecedented prostitution sting against an exotic dancer company. Alves told investigators that she was photographed, fondled, and harassed by Kaua`i police officers. In addition, investigators are hearing testimony from 19-year-old fellow dancer Fania Hicks -- arrested alongside Alves -- who says she witnessed some of the events Alves said occurred. However, Hicks reportedly said that she and Alves were separated after the initial photographing incidents, and did not see the alleged sexual contact. The original sting itself is also under investigation, stemming from reports that there was no outright proof of offering sex for money, and because of the improper contact of officers with the arrested dancers. YMCA DENIES SPACE TO ACTIVIST GROUPS According to Laulani Teale, former boardmember of the now dissolved University YWCA, the new owners of their former building have refused to rent space to the various groups that once had a home there. On Oct. 31, ownership of the Mary Atherton Richards House on University Avenue transferred from the YWCA of O`ahu to the University YMCA. With the buildings' sale, its managing board and many longtime tenants were ousted. After a meeting with YMCA executives yesterday, Teale said she was frustrated by their reasons for refusing the groups space. "They said we were too controversial; that they are an apolitical organization," Teale said. She said the former members of the University YWCA are still pursuing their case against the O`ahu YWCA, in which they are demanding financial compensation for their eviction, and help for the six or so former tenants -- including a women's support group and an anti-war group -- in finding a new place to meet. Meanwhile, Teale said the now-homeless activist groups will still have their meetings -- somewhere. "We're still around. We haven't died and gone away," she said. This afternoon, one such group will hold its monthly music and political event, called "Our Back Porch," on the sidewalk fronting the MAR house. TEMPS: O`ahu 89/73, Kaua`i 84/76, Moloka`i 88/72, Maui 87/76, Hilo 82/70 CASTS: Rain, some thunderstorms. 5 to 7 ft. surf anticipated on north shores. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 2:38PM, Low 2:38PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Thursday, November 2, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ KANAHELE PROTESTS EXTENDED JAIL STAY Saying he's changed and that he'd like to see his family, Nation of Hawai`i leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele criticized the decision by U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmore to hold him without bail until his new trial on January 3. Gillmore declared a mistrial in Kanahele's trial earlier this week when one jury member was found doing unauthorized research and who also reportedly failed to declare a 1990 felony conviction for sodomy against two girls. The prosecutor in the case defended the decision, saying that Kanahele's past made him a potential threat to the community. Although Kanahele lamented the fact that he'd be spending the holidays behind bars, he said he's making the best of his time there. Kanahele said he'd found many new supporters of sovereignty in prison. "Not only the inmates, but the [prison guards] have learned a lot," Kanahele said today. Kanahele faces charges that he harbored federal fugitive Nathan Brown and interfered with an attempt to arrest Brown last year. Kanahele said that if he is eventually convicted -- facing up to nine months in a mainland prison -- the sovereignty issue will only get stronger. DANCER ALLEGES MOLESTATION BY KAUAI POLICE 29-year-old Monica Alves, arrested in September on Kaua`i on prosti- tution charges, has hired an attorney to prosecute the Kaua`i County Police Department for sex abuse she suffered at officers' hands. The department has launched a criminal and internal investigation into the allegations, and the FBI is reportedly looking into them as well. According to Alves, she was approached by police officers after her arrest to pose with them in photographs. However the incident became more severe -- Alves said she was photographed in her underwear, then had her breasts and genitals fondled. She said some of the abuse took place while she was in handcuffs. During her overnight prison stay, Alves said, officers also followed her to the restroom and watched her urinate. Additionally after she was released, she said officers phoned her up at home. "We are in the public's trust to protect them," said Chief George Freitas, "we also have to make sure that power is not abused." Freitas said that the four officers identified by Alves are cooperating with the investigation. To date, none of the photographs that were allegedly taken have been recovered. Alves is to go to trial on the prostitution charges -- the first such case in recent memory -- in January. CLINTON SIGNS HAWAIIAN HOMESTEAD BILL Earlier today, President Clinton signed into a law a legislative bill that acknowledges the U.S. government illegally took Hawai`i homestead land (reserved for native Hawaiians) in 1920. The bill will appraise the adjusted value of 1,400 acres of Lualualei land -- a total figure that could be as high as $70 million -- and settle the 75-year-old debt to the Hawaiian homestead program. The appraised value will include revenue that could have been drawn from the land since they were taken, and will be repaid with federal land of equivalent value elsewhere in the state. The land award will be placed under the management of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka, who shepherded the bill through the senate, praised Clinton's expressed sympathy for the historic troubles of native Hawaiians. Akaka personally attended the bill-signing ceremony with the other members of Hawaii's congressional delegation and representatives from the state. Recalling recent victories in other disputes over Hawaiian land, Akaka called Clinton's approval today a "godsend." Lands at Barber's Point Naval Air Station and another military base have been cited as some of many likely parcels to be transferred to the DHHL under the new law. ONOMEA BEACH ACCESS RESTORED Hilo residents and nature-lovers are cheering a small victory earlier this week -- regaining easy access to Onomea Stream and the shoreline at its mouth. Four years ago, the management of the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden -- which manages property adjacent to the shoreline -- posted "no trespassing" signs at the entry to an unofficial trail that led past the garden to the stream's mouth. HTBG executives said that people would use the trail to gain illegal access to the garden. However regular visitors to the Onomea beach said that the signs violated the garden's twelve-year- old permit, which requires unrestricted public access to the shoreline. Under an agreement negotiated between the garden, the state, and a community group, an access route will be established. The first leg will utilize an existing government road at the north end of the park. The latter will be a wide trail running along Aikahi Stream, which forms the south border of the garden. The entire route will be fenced to prevent trespassing. CAYETANO TO MEET UH REGENTS, STUDENTS Gov. Ben Cayetano will speed through two meetings on the University of Hawai`i-Manoa campus tomorrow, following on the heels of a Tuesday protest by 5,000 UH students at the state Capitol. First at 2:30PM, Cayetano will address the Board of Regents in Campus Center, where he is expected to tell them that UH should cut entire programs to preserve the integrity of more important ones, and look into raising tuition for specific schools. He will also repeat his support of UH President Kenneth Mortimer's recent proposal to raise admission standards at Manoa, his press staff said. Half an hour later, Cayetano is scheduled to appear across campus at the Architecture Auditorium in a public panel discussion over the university's budget woes and the state's fiscal condition. Unlike the Capitol rally -- where Cayetano was jeered by the crowd -- student leaders are stressing tomorrow's meeting as a reasoned analysis of the condition of the university and its place among the state's overall priorities. At the protest, Cayetano asked the students to show up tomorrow with their list of what to cut in the state budget. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] THUNDER storms on Kaua`i and the Big Island have already begun, and surf as high as 20 feet is expected by this weekend, as an unusually powerful storm system approaches the islands from the north. Weather forecasters say the system will pass within 500 miles of the state... [+] KAHULUI has been announced as the location of Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate's third preschool. According to KS/BE officials, the school will join two programs on the Big Island in providing pre-elementary education. The school will lease Maui Land & Pineapple Co's preschool site... [+] PAUKUALO surfers will have to watch out for more than other surfers, with a spill of up to 60,000 gallons of raw sewage reported at the Wailuku sewage treatment station. A pump failure Tuesday night led to the overflow, and an estimated 7,000 gallons made it to the ocean, Maui officials said... [+] KA `UPENA may miss another Friday, with personal coverage of the Cayetano appearances and a special birthday visit this weekend by my honey from Hilo. Note that I turn 21 on Tuesday, and I might miss that day's report too. Deepest apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. "Dang kids..." TEMPS: O`ahu 88/71, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 87/71, Maui 87/74, Hilo 84/67 CASTS: Snow on Mauna Kea, thundershowers coming. High surf anticipated. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 1:18PM, Low 7:39PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 1, 1995 Hawai`i News -- SPECIAL UH 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! ============================================================= ================ UH STUDENT RALLY FLOODS STREETS, CAPITOL LAWN More than 5,000 demonstrators filled the Ewa lawn of the state Capitol on yesterday afternoon, the finale of the "Death of Education" demonstration by University of Hawai`i students and faculty against the current and threatened budget cuts by the state. The rally started on the UH-Manoa campus, with 2,000 people gathering near campus center for a Hawaiian blessing, a review of protest protocol, chant practice and a short speech by UH President Kenneth Mortimer. During the noontime event, the Campus Center courtyard was packed with people -- many in costume and several hundred holding signs. About a hundred people from the law school arrived in a unified procession, as did over fifty from the Hawaiian Studies department. At about 12:20, the demonstrators headed for University Avenue. The procession, at one point stretching over a mile and overtaking two of the three traffic lanes along Beretania, got the support of many storefront businesses and residents, some of whom brought out water and cheered as the students passed. Passing cars honked their support, otherwise caught in a traffic jam that stretched the full length of the march route. When they reached the state Capitol grounds, the number of demonstrators had grown and many new groups -- including the UH Marching Band and representatives from several community colleges -- chanted and shouted. After a surprise speech by Gov. Ben Cayetano (see related story), demonstrators heard several more speakers, including Hawaiian activist and Center for Hawaiian Studies head Haunani-Kay Trask (see related story), UH Regent Momi Cazimero, and student leaders from several system campuses. "This is better than anyone expected; it's terrific," said Kathy Ferguson, political science chair and one of several protest organizers. "We made our 5,000 easy. More even," she said, surveying the Capitol grounds. "That'd be a quarter of the UH-Manoa student population." Joshua Cooper, vice-president of the Graduate Student Organization, summed up the rally in his speech before the assembled crowd. "One thing died today -- apathy on the UH campus," he said. CAYETANO ADDRESSES STUDENTS, DROWNED OUT BY JEERS After originally turning down an invitation by organizers to speak at the event, Gov. Ben Cayetano took the podium at the Death of Education rally before anyone else. Cayetano crossed Beretania from the governor's mansion at Washington Place soon after 1:20 p.m. yesterday, while several hundred protesters were still stretched a quarter-mile back along the road. Immediately after taking the podium, thousands of assembled students booed and recited anti-Cayetano chants. "Be quiet," Cayetano scolded. "Maybe you'll learn something." Cayetano repeated several times that the state is suffering the "worst financial crisis in history." He told the students that he would spare the university if he could, but, "We are $800 million in debt -- we have to make cuts." He paused often to point out jeering members of the audience, telling them to be quiet. At one point, some items were thrown in his direction. "I'm not intimidated by these kinds of demonstrations," Cayetano said, saying that emotion was useless without logic. He told the protesters that if they want to preserve UH, they should help by telling him what else to cut. Cayetano's closing words were drowned out by the crowd, and he retreated hastily back across the street -- traffic and protesters abruptly blocked by several bodyguards. HAWAIIAN SPEAKERS TARGET HVB, OTHER PROGRAMS Haunani-Kay Trask, head of the UH Center for Hawaiian Studies and longtime Hawaiian activist, took the stage after Cayetano retreated yesterday and called for specific cuts to preserve important university programs -- particularly Hawaiian studies. "Cayetano asked us to tell him what to cut," Trask said. "I'll tell him what he can cut. He can cut the HVB!" Trask told the crowd that the state is misguided in investing millions in the visitor industry, and in projects like the Hawaii Convention Center. Trask said that the cuts -- which now threaten tuition waivers for students systemwide -- also furthers an economic and racial divide in higher education. "This university, this state, is built on stolen lands," Trask said, saying that native Hawaiians in particular will suffer by being excluded from higher education. Trask then said that if cuts had to be made at the university, they should be made in programs like the School of Business and the School of Travel Industry Management. "Some of education is valuable, some of it is not," Trask said. "How many students work in the tourism industry? Do you think any of them can afford to to go this university?" Trask said that professional programs like the law school and the school of health should be spared, and that tuition waivers for Hawaiian students should be preserved at all cost. After a member of the audience protested her statements, she responded, "I agree that unity is important, but the needs of the native people must be addressed first." Students of the business and TIM schools -- many of whom were there to hear her speak -- were disturbed by Trask's splintering at the protest, and today said that they would be assembling a statement defending the value of their programs. CAYETANO, ORGANIZERS BITTER IN PROTEST AFTERMATH Minutes after leaving the podium, Cayetano called a special press conference to respond to the Death of Education rally. "I think a case was made today for more remedial education at the university," Cayetano quipped, saying that he was very disappointed with the conduct of the protesters. "It seems that the organizers lost control," he said. "I was distressed to see faculty there screaming obscenities and not even giving me an opportunity to speak." Cayetano said that the crowd was unruly, emotional, and that things were thrown at him. He said that the protest was not the "peaceful demonstration of concern" it was publicized as. Protest organizers were incensed by his comments. "He wasn't supposed to speak at the rally," Cooper said today. "He came over with his bodyguards, and pushed past us to get to the stage," he said. "They were blocking us from the space we created." Cooper said Cayetano should not have expected a docile crowd. "It was a protest, Ben, it wasn't supposed to be a lecture." Other organizers took Cayetano to task for his own conduct at the rally, criticizing his attitude and criticism towards the students. "What did he expect?" Cooper asked. "Five thousand students were there to demonstrate the power of their voice, and he comes down to tell us to shut up."
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 1, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ DEATH OF EDUCATION RALLY OVERWHELMS CAYETANO Over 5,000 students and faculty members crowded the state Capitol grounds yesterday, showing their support of the university system and protesting recent budget cuts by the state. The "Death of Education" rally was called a success by its organizers, calling it the end of student apathy and the beginning of a powerful new political and voting voice in the state. The rally started on campus, leading into a 2.5 mile march along Beretania Street. Gov. Cayetano, one of the primary targets of the protest, showed up at the rally unannounced, and tried to tell the crowd that the cuts are necessary because of the state's financial crisis. He was drowned out, however, by jeers and boos, and left after only five minutes. Cayetano later criticized the protesters for their conduct, and organizers of the rally countered by saying that Cayetano wasn't expected in the first place. Cayetano is to meet this Friday on the UH campus, first with the Board of Regents and then with student leaders in a more controlled setting. MISTRIAL CALLED IN KANAHELE CASE An overzealous juror and another's question about "jury tampering" led U. S. District Judge Helen Gillmore to declare a mistrial yesterday in the government's case against Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele, head of the Nation of Hawai`i sovereignty group. Kanahele was facing charges that he harbored fugitive Nathan Brown, and interfered with two attempts to arrest Brown last year. Gillmore ordered the to meet and reconsider their positions after a deadlock was apparent. When the court reconvened today, Gillmore said he discovered one juror had been doing research in the law library (one floor below the court), particularly on the Constitution's fourth amendment. Kanahele's defense centered around the alleged failure on the part of federal marshals in identifying themselves on his property. The juror's studies, however, violated Gillmore's ban on outside research set when the trial opened. Gillmore also said a member of the jury had asked an unusual question about improprieties within the jury. She declared the mistrial, and the prosecution vowed to pursue a retrial. Kanahele, meanwhile, was sent back to prison, to again be held without bail. Kanahele has been in federal custody since Aug. 2. MARTIN LUTHER KING RITES TO GO ON Earlier this year, Gov. Cayetano cut the $78,000 budget of the King Celebration Commission -- dismantling the group that had organized and coordinated the yearly ceremonial observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Members of the commission, however, announced on Monday that they would be incorporating as a non-profit group, and will seek funding and support for the Jan. 15 celebration from independent donors. The coalition has set ambitious goals, hoping to upgrade the traditional Waikiki march to a full-scale parade -- including representatives from several local cultural organizations, special guests, bands and other entertainment. Coalition chairman George Rainey said in the announcement that a major goal of the new group is to include a wide range of ethnic groups, rather than focusing on African Americans. Rainey said that King's followers in the 1960s came from all races, and in that the people of Hawai`i can find kinship. No details have been set, and it is unclear how much the coalition needs to raise to support the planned parade. SIGHT OF SORE EYES SPARKS ATTACK "Stink eye" again led to an auto-related confrontation yesterday morning, this time in Hawai`i Kai. Three teenagers -- 17, 18 and 19, all male -- were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. after they reportedly damaged a truck parked at the Koko Marina Zippy's restaurant. According to police, the teens were inside the restaurant when two men -- 21 and 43 -- sitting nearby gave them a hostile look. After a staring match, the pair left the restaurant, followed closely by the three teenagers, and got into their truck. The passenger side window was punched out with a fist, and the vehicle's body and mouldings were also damaged, police say. The three men then fled in a van, but were stopped by police and positively identified by the victims about an hour later. The incident marks another in a series of street duels between drivers, attributed to funny looks and staring matches. Earlier this month, an unidentified driver rammed the back and sides of another car after a "stink eye" exchange in Pearl City. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] CRYSTAL methamphetamine -- about $60,000 worth -- was confiscated from the concealed midriff of 22-year-old Fannie Ordonez at the Honolulu International Airport late last week. The Los Angeles woman was reportedly acting suspiciously, and caught the eye of an airport guard... [+] POLICE are investigating a rape report filed by a 19-year-old resident of a homeless shelter in Iwilei against her 33-year-old uncle. The Aiea man was arrested downtown late Monday night. According to the victim, her uncle raped her on a dark street after she refused a request for sex... [+] HEROIN is even more scarce in Hawaii's illegal drug market after a raid yesterday in Kalihi. Police say they shut down a major distribution line, part of a large network drawing the drug from a Mexican operation. Similar busts have been made recently on the Maui and the Big Island... TEMPS: O`ahu 87/72, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 87/71, Maui 89/73, Hilo 84/69 CASTS: Light trades, mostly cool. Weak surf, but expected to jump by Friday. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 12:35PM, Low 7:10PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Tuesday, October 31, 1995 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ============================================================= ================ NO EDITION FOR TODAY There will be no Ka `Upena for Tuesday, Oct. 31, because of late-running coverage of the UH protest march. Watch for the story in tomorrow's edition. Thank you for your understanding, and happy Halloween!
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Monday, October 30, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ CAMPUS GEARS UP FOR HALLOWEEN PROTEST Over 400 University of Hawai`i faculty members have pledged to cancel their classes tomorrow in support of the "Death of Education March." Organizers hope to make a statement that cannot go unanswered by Gov. Ben Cayetano, who is the target of what organizers hope will be one of the largest student demonstrations in UH history. Though organized by students, much of the strength behind the protest is the unilateral support of numerous departments, the faculty senate, and the faculty labor union. The event will start with a rally at Campus Center at noon, with protesters -- generously estimated to number in the thousands -- then proceeding along a coned-off lane of Beretania Street to the state Capitol. Organizers have made arrangements for a shuttle bus for those who can't march the 2.5 mile route, and have arranged for route marshals and water stations. The Death of Education March is the latest event in a string of student protests, all sparked by recent budget cuts in the university system and by a proposal currently in the works that would allow the Board of Regents to raise tuition by up to 75%, perhaps as early as 1995. Students at other campuses, including UH-Hilo, are planning their own events -- from smaller demonstrations to class walk-outs -- to coincide with the Manoa-to-downtown march. INOUYE LIKELY TO JOIN BIG ISLE MAYORAL RACE Although she has yet to officially announce her candidacy, former Big Island Mayor Lorraine Inouye has scheduled her first fund-raiser. The $5 per plate dinner, being held on Nov. 11, further affirms speculation that Inouye would try again for the county seat she lost in 1992. Inouye, a Democrat, served as mayor of the Big Island for two years, starting in 1990 when she defeated fellow party member Steve Yamashiro by a mere 76 votes. Although her campaign focused on limited growth, members of her cabinet were seen as pro- development. As a result, Yamashiro returned to overthrow her in 1992. For the upcoming contest, Inouye says she plans to stress her continued stance of moderation and plans to take Yamashiro to task for not fulfilling his promise to restore island jobs. Among Inouye's projects, she said in a press release last week, is a plan for renewed agriculture projects in Hawai`i County that had been reviewed during her term on the City Council. Inouye now effectively joins state Representative Virginia Isbell and Senator Richard Matsuura in the bid to take the Democratic nomination from Yamashiro next year. HVB STRUGGLES TO BOOK CONVENTION CENTER Ground was finally broken this past April for the state's much- touted, international-grade convention center, but to date only four major clients have reserved use of its gleaming new halls after it opens in the Summer of 1998. State and business leaders hope the center, which is being built along Kapiolani Avenue near the western edge of Waikiki, will bring hundreds of thousands of groups to Hawai`i, coming to meet but staying to spend money at local hotels, restaurants and other businesses. To help promote the Hawaii Convention Center, the HVB announced late last week that it had hired Rick Chapman -- currently the head of a Reno, Nevada resort hotel's convention division -- to guide their marketing strategy. Construction of the center is expected to clear $200 million, with several million more to be spent selling it to mainland and foreign groups. The HVB has identified more than 20 groups that have expressed an interest in booking the center, but few of them are looking further than the year 2000. HVB officials are not concerned, yet, noting that bookings are traditionally done 2 to 3 years in advance. REVISIONS IN WATER ESTIMATES WORRY HOMESTEADERS Last week, the state announced that the Molokai aquifer at Kualapuu -- the primary source of shallow groundwater for the entire island -- would provide 2 million less gallons of water a day than previously estimated. Its output originally estimated at 7 million gallons per day, the State Water Commission is now preparing to accept the revised figure of 5 million gallons. The reduced estimate, along with the Molokai's very limited water supply, has many residents worried. Most concerned, perhaps, are homesteaders granted land on Moloka`i by the Hawaiian Home Lands program. As it stands, 11,000 acres of homestead land (out of an available 19,000) have already been awarded. Earlier this year, the commission set aside 2.9 million gallons of water per day for the future DHHL developments. And additional 2.3 million is already consumed by government and private landowners. With Molokai Ranch planning a major tourist center at Maunaloa, the water supply could run dry. Some state officials have criticized the advance reservation of water for the homesteads, and awardees are equally concerned that their water supply could now be limited. Molokai is the public island with the highest concentration of Native Hawaiians -- nearly 70% of its 5,000 some residents. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] LAKE Wilson fishermen are now best advised to throw them back, after more than 500,000 gallons of untreated sewage gushed into the central O`ahu lake on Saturday. The release occurred when the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant was closed because a toxic substance was detected in the plant... [+] MANUEL Diego, 66, died yesterday at Queen's hospital after an accident on Friday. Diego was leaving his job at Columbia Inn on Kapiolani Boulevard when he tried to run across the busy six-lane thoroughfare when he was struck by a truck. He was not in a crosswalk at the time, police say. TEMPS: O`ahu 89/71, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 87/73, Maui 87/75, Hilo 84/69 CASTS: Trades to 20MPH, high surf advisory (6 to 12 feet) on the North Shore. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 10:45AM, Low 5:57PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Thursday, October 26, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ KOREAN PRESIDENT VISITS, SALUTES HAWAI`I HISTORY Saluting the perseverance of Hawaii's Korean community, South Korean President Kim Young-sam closed the second day of a three-day O`ahu visit at a reception last night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Before a crowd of 400 people, most of them Korean Americans, Kim said that he admired the hard work and sacrifice of Korean plantation workers in old Hawai`i. Kim spoke with pride about his country's recent economic growth, and its status as the 11th largest economy in the world. Speaking in Korean, Kim promised that he was dedicated to rooting out political corruption in South Korea, saying that its future will be a great and prosperous one. The reception was the target of a small demonstration, organized by a group that opposes the U.S. military presence in Korea. Earlier in the day, Kim met briefly with Gov. Ben Cayetano, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, Mayor Jeremy Harris, and Admiral Richard Macke, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Today, Kim was to attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, and met privately with Macke. In related news, early risers at the UH-Manoa campus this morning had a chance to catch a glimpse of Kim, who paid a surprise visit to the East-West Center and toured part of the campus. "PHANTOM" PRODUCERS CHANGE TUNE FOR FUTURE SHOWS When a traveling production of "Phantom of the Opera" made $11 million for Canadian company Livent, Inc. in 1993, they were more than happy to plan a whole slate of musicals in Honolulu for the next three years. However, when "West Side Story" opened this week with dismal attendance -- just over 50 percent capacity on average -- the company changed its tune. According to a Livent spokesperson, four scheduled productions have been canceled. They include "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which would have opened in August if not for a conflict with local school schedules, "Showboat," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Show Boat." In addition, "Man of La Mancha" will play at the Blaisdell for only seven shows, instead of the original 16. The company had reportedly been considering removing Hawai`i from its touring schedule for several months because of lagging advance ticket sales and an islandwide recession. The financial loss from "West Side Story" cemented their resolve. Company officials also cited the islands' isolation and its crowded theatrical market. KANAHELE REFUSES TO TESTIFY, DEFENSE RESTS In an court meeting without the jury present, Nation of Hawai`i Leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele said yesterday he would not take the stand because the sovereignty issue was declared off-limits by the judge. His attorney, Hayden Aluli, rested his case. The trial is for federal charges that Kanahele harbored fugitive Nathan Brown and twice interfered with attempts to arrest Brown in 1994. U.S. District Judge Helen Gilmore told Kanahele as the trial began that only issues involving the specific, alleged crimes would be allowed as evidence and witness testimony. "My case is based on sovereignty," Kanahele said. Since his primary argument is that the U.S. government has no jurisdiction over him -- a stance the present court dismisses -- he said, "I'd be lying to you if I do testify." Earlier this week, Aluli was barred from calling Francis Boyle, a key advisor in Kanahele's fight for Hawaiian independence, as a witness in the case because of the declared irrelevance of the sovereignty issue. Kanahele said his decision not to testify was based on daily restrictions and prosecution objections to the mention of sovereignty during the trial. Closing statements in the trial, which also levies similar charges on Kanahele's co-defendant Gordon Kaaihue, are expected tomorrow. U.S. HOUSE PREMATURELY DELETES KALAUPAPA FUNDING Although the federal government had been providing funds to operate the Kalaupapa settlement -- established in the 1860s as a quarantined area for people with Hansen's disease -- for several decades, members of congress cut the Kalaupapa camp from its budget. Members of the House Appropriations Committee were working with the mistaken impression that no one was left at Kalaupapa, said congressional spokespersons. In fact, although the quarantine was removed in 1969, the state maintained accommodations at Kalaupapa for patients that wanted to stay. Approximately 70 patients remain there today. Although it's too late to restore the line item for the House budget, Hawai`i Representative Patsy Mink said that she has secured a promise from members of the subcommittee that will be responsible for resolving the House and Senate versions of the budget. On the senate side, Hawai`i Senator Daniel K. Akaka -- honorary mayor of the historic Molokai peninsula -- secured $2.7 million in funding in its budget. Lawmakers and state officials were expecting to receive an 8 percent cut in funding for the settlement, but are astonished at the oversight. This year, Kalaupapa was appropriated $2.9 million to pay for the upkeep of about 100 buildings and a staff of 50. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] FEDERAL funding for state mass transit systems are being threatened in congress, and that threatens nearly $1.2 million now provided to the Honolulu Public Transit Authority -- operators of Oahu's widely acclaimed TheBus system. If that happens, the HPTA said it will ask for more city funding... [+] MANSLAUGHTER was the verdict handed down yesterday to 18- year-old Barry Chalmers. Chalmers was convicted for the shooting death of Jack Parrish in November of last year, after trying to steal marijuana from Parrish's home. Chalmer's brother Brian, 20, also faced charges from the fatal break- in... [+] AFTER seventeen weeks of city training, the Honolulu Fire Department swore in 41 new recruits yesterday. The evening ceremony in Waikiki marked the 76th class of the department's training program. The new firefighters were given their badges and certificates at the dinner... [+] KA `UPENA will most likely not be seen tomorrow, Oct. 27. Potentially bored readers can pass the time by urging local media outlets KHNL (khnlnews8@aol.com) and _The Advertiser_ (76322.2016@compuserve.com) to patronize Hawai`i-based internet access providers... TEMPS: O`ahu 90/74, Kaua`i 83/73, Moloka`i 89/74, Maui 89/73, Hilo 86/71 CASTS: Brisk trades to 20MPH, cloudy skies. 2 to 4 foot surf on north shores. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 6:38PM, Low 1:54PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Wednesday, October 25, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ STATE LAYOFF LIKELY PROMPTED FREEWAY SUICIDE Kathleen Rhodes, 46, dedicated the last couple of years of her life to helping others beat a demon she'd conquered herself -- mental illness. Working for United Self-Help, a Waikiki counseling program, Rhodes worked her way back from depression and homelessness after landing in Hawai`i four years ago. Rhodes, however, was to lose her job on Oct. 31 -- one of several hundred victims of the most recent round of state budget cuts -- and her associates and friends say the news was devastating. After spending eight days in the hospital for serious depression, Rhoades threw herself in front of an 18-wheel tractor-trailer on Moanalua Freeway on Monday. Outreach staffers with the Honolulu Police Department say that Rhoades' death might only be the first of a potential rise in Hawai`i suicides. There has been a steady increase in suicides in the last five years, and island counselors are saying that her tragedy is a tragic and ironic warning about indiscriminate program cuts. Sharon Black, HPD outreach coordinator, told the _Star- Bulletin_, "By taking away proactive programs like counseling, we're increasing the likelihood of crisis situations." United Self-Help, which suffered an 80 percent cut in funding, is not alone in its plight among such programs. ALA MOANA PARK RESTRICTED AFTER DARK After a rash of late night robberies, assaults, and shootings in Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has put his foot down. "We're not going to sacrifice our parks to the criminals and the hoodlums," Harris said in a press conference in the park yesterday. He announced that the park will be closed to vehicular traffic between 10PM to 4AM as of Nov. 1. In addition, two bicycle police officers will patrol the park through the night. The Magic Island parking lot will also continue to be cleared at 7:45PM. Harris said the access road will be blockaded about a quarter of a mile from each entrance, still leaving 200 parallel parking stalls available for people who wish to walk in the park. The addition of the overnight patrols, stemming from an average of 90 emergency calls from the park a month, will cost the city an additional $83,000 a year. Other security improvements are planned, including additional lights in isolated trees and along roadways. ACLU SCRUTINIZES STATE PRISONS Overcrowding in state prisons is not a new problem. In 1985, criticism of cramped conditions led the state to agree in federal court to limit inmates at two of its facilities. Yesterday, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney said that if serious overcrowding continues at one of the prisons -- the women's prison in Kailua -- the state will be dragged back into court for contempt charges. The occupancy of the women's prison is capped by policy at 110 inmates. Since August, however, it has averaged 116. Alvin Bronstein, head of the ACLU's prison project, said yesterday that he will give the state Prison Population Management Commission until the end of the year to form and implement a plan to keep the prison's enrollment down. If the number of inmates at the Kailua facility goes above 110 after Jan. 1, Bronstein said, the ACLU will seek federal sanctions against the state. According to the ACLU, related rulings in other states have led to fines of $1,000 per inmate for every day the prison is over its limit. Prison officials say several plans are already being considered, but they all depend on funding from the Legislature. REGRETFUL CASILLAS GETS 30 YEARS On Nov. 21, 1993, the body of 17-year-old Holly Potter was found in the ocean off the Waianae Coast. Yesterday, Potter's mother said she forgave Kathrine Casillas for her part in Holly's death. Even so, Casillas was sentenced to 30 years in prison -- 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder, and 20 years for kidnapping, served consecutively. Casillas had pled guilty to the lesser charges earlier this year rather than face a charge of second- degree murder. Later, Casillas said she wanted to change her plea. Her request was denied yesterday by judge Marie Milks, largely because the prosecution argued Casillas was more than aware of the circumstances -- particularly her husband's testimony about her part in the murder. Joseph Casillas was convicted earlier this year for killing Potter, and during his trial he repeatedly implicated Kathrine. According to his testimony, Kathrine was upset that he was seeing Potter again, and wanted to eliminate her. The prosecution in Kathrine's case also alleged that she was responsible for many of the wounds found on Potter's body. Casillas did not receive a minimum time to serve her sentence, leaving that to parole boards. TENNESSEE TOURIST DEFIES WARNINGS, DROWNS 45-year-old Becky Ridgy of Tennessee, traveling with two other friends, came looking for big waves. She got them -- despite a warning from a lifeguard -- and drowned yesterday soon after noon near Ehukai (otherwise known as Off-the-Wall). According to police, the three middle-aged women asked an Ehukai lifeguard where they could find the renown Banzai Pipeline at around noon yesterday. Seeing that the women had masks and snorkels, and no swim fins, the lifeguard told them that yesterday's 3-foot-surf hid dangerous current conditions. They suggested the visitors go to calmer shores at Waimanalo or Makapu`u. Instead, they drove less than a mile down the shore, and tackled the surf at Off-the-Wall. One remained on shore with a video camera, while two entered the water. A few minutes later, Ridgy disappeared. Rescue crews from Ke Waena Beach, Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach responded to her friends' calls for help, and she was found face down in the water some time later. Ridgy was transported to Kahuku Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. STATE WORKERS GET DAY OUT FOR TRAINING, INSPIRATION 150 people joined countless park-goers for camaraderie and fun at Ala Moana Beach Park yesterday, but unlike the other visitors, they were paid for it. They were state employees, participating in a voluntary network training and morale boosting event at McCoy Pavilion. The eight hour program started with 3 hours of lectures, but the rest was spent in recreation. Activities included a short lesson in line-dancing, volleyball games, and humor skits in which the employees ridiculed their many critics -- particularly the media. "If you expect people to do more with less," director Jean Aki said, "you have to give them the inspiration." The theme of the day's excursion was "A Whole New World," the theme from a recent Disney film. Food and supplies for the day's activities were donated by the employees, but each of them were paid for a regular day in the office. A second day of the informal training is scheduled for tomorrow. TEMPS: O`ahu 89/74, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 88/73, Maui 88/75, Hilo 84/72 CASTS: Moderate trades to 1MPH, morning showers. 1-3 foot surf all around. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 5:34PM, Low 12:44PM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Tuesday, October 24, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ LAW SCHOOL TO JOIN HAUNT OF CAYETANO'S HOUSE With one week to go before Halloween, the UH School of Law is expected to close on Oct. 31 so that its students and faculty may participate in the "Death of Education March." Organizers of next Tuesday's march hope for a turnout of over 5,000 people -- breaking the all-time record turnout set at protests in the early 1970s. The march will start with a rally at noon at the UH Campus Center then proceed to Washington Place on Beretania for a 2:00PM demonstration. It will top off a series of protests this semester against budget cuts plaguing the university system. An unprecedented coalition of campus groups -- from the faculty union to the student government to members of the UH administration -- are backing the march. Many professors will be taking their students to the rally, and some classes will participate in the march to the Gov. Cayetano's mansion as a "field trip." Some of the publicity and materials for the protest is being supported with money from "The (Not So Great UH Bake Sale and Teach-in" demonstration earlier this month. HAWAI`I SYMPHONY MUSICIANS FIRED... FOR NOW The more than 60 players in the Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra -- started in 1994 -- were given pink slips yesterday. The musicians agreed to the layoffs however, as they are only temporary. Orchestra members will be without jobs for three weeks, then rehired -- just in time to present their planned classical season, premiering Nov. 18. The unusual move will save the organization $200,000 in payroll expenses, and will allow its musicians to qualify for unemployment benefits. That, the symphony said yesterday, was the good news. The musicians union still had problems to face. Members haven't been paid since the start of the current season in September, adding up to 20 total weeks without pay when added to 16 weeks worked last season without compensation. The unpaid payroll now stands in excess of $1 million, and has caught the attention of the IRS. Additionally, some players will most likely have to be laid off permanently, and the symphony is still without a conductor. Former conductor/musical director Tom Bennett resigned from the position earlier this month. The debt stems from the symphony getting $1 million less than expected from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. POLICE OPPOSE, PUBLIC PUSHES IN-LINE RIGHTS A bill that would allow roller-skates -- more directly in-line skates -- on Honolulu roads and sidewalks has been deferred by the City Council for public hearings. Community members and safety officials have been quick to offer their thoughts. For fans of this fast-growing form of alternative transportation, the bill is very popular. Users say that with current city ordinances, the skates are excluded at more places than they're welcome. The bill would also welcome "prudent and careful" skaters on the sidewalks of Waikiki, where bicycles and skateboards are currently banned. However, Police Chief Michael Nakamura has said the police department opposes the bill. Nakamura said that complaints from pedestrians will increase and skating injuries will become more severe. He cited the availability of protected roadway lanes for bikes, and the lack of such avenues for in-line skaters, as another reason police object to the bill. Some councilmembers have taken issue with the broad-sweep of the bill, saying that releasing hoards of wheeled-travelers amongst users of the city's formerly safe walkways could lead to trouble, and even lawsuits. CALIFORNIA MAN BUYS A PIECE OF PARKER RANCH For John Hoffe of California, owning a luxury condominium unit on the northern tip of the Big Island wasn't enough. Parker Ranch, the company that owns what is considered the largest ranch in the country, announced yesterday that it had sold a 10-acre beachfront parcel to Hoffe for an undisclosed price -- most likely in the millions. The property lies along the district boundary for North Kona, located on the southern lip of Anaeho`omalu Bay. The parcel is located in the heart of the Big Island's network of resorts, but Hoffe apparently plans to build a vacation home there. The site had never been zoned for hotel or resort use like most of its neighbors. The parcel's gem, a 200-foot long white-sand beach, was reserved since the 1960s for the use of Parker Ranch employees until last week. The sale is part of an effort to cover over $25 million in state and federal estate taxes, left after the 1992 death of ranch owner Richard Smart. Smart, 79 when he died, frequently made the Forbes list and was once a performer on Broadway. At the time of his death, his estate was worth an estimated $300 million, covering almost a quarter of a million acres on the Big Island. TWO SITES LEFT IN SEARCH FOR PRISON SITE Hawaii's first federal prison will find a home at one of two potential locations -- a parking lot near Honolulu International Airport, or at Fort Armstrong along the east edge of Honolulu near South Street. So concluded a draft of the federal Bureau of Prison's environmental impact statement, released earlier this week. As it stands, federal officials favor the Fort Armstrong location because of its proximity to the federal courthouse -- located along Ala Moana Boulevard -- and the increased security it provides. The sites, both 3 acres or so in size, are candidates for hosting the planned 650-bed prison. The state has assisted in the federal government's search for a site, and the state has expressed interest in using some beds to take the pressure off its overcrowded facilities. To date, no group or company has been set to operate the federal prison; U.S. marshals haven't ruled out the possibility of a private company running the facility, from which the government would rent beds. The search now goes out for public hearings, the first of which will be held on Nov. 16; the comment period ends Dec. 11. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] FAMILY members of Timothy Pantaleoni, a hiker missing since June 28, have not given up the search. The N.Y. family has placed newspaper ads offering a $10,000 reward and announcing a toll-free number to collect any leads in the search. In its first run, two calls to 1-800-300-1239 have already come in... TEMPS: O`ahu 82/76, Kaua`i 85/73, Moloka`i 87/72, Maui 89/74, Hilo 83/73 CASTS: Strong trades to 30MPH, faint showers. Weak surf on all shores. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 4:43PM, Low 11:44AM
<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----- The Net of Light Monday, October 23, 1995 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! ============================================================= ================ RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC TIED UP BY TRAGEDY A 46-year-old woman died this afternoon after throwing herself in front of a ten-wheel tractor-trailer. Police have ruled the woman's death as suicide. Witnesses say they spotted the woman walking down the East-bound Pali Highway off ramp towards oncoming traffic at about 2:45 this afternoon. As the semi turned up the ramp, she reportedly threw down her purse and leapt in front of the truck. Police say the truck tried to swerve, and it rolled up the south embankment and tipped over. Two witnesses raced to the scene, but found the woman already dead. They then worked to free the truck's driver. Their rescue, though eventually successful, was hampered by a 3- foot-tall teddy bear -- the driver's "good luck charm" -- tied to the door. He was not seriously injured in the accident. The fallen tractor-trailer completely blocked the Pali off ramp, and the traffic was worsened by rubberneckers surveying the dramatic scene. The victim, a Caucasian woman, has been identified as a Queen Street resident. Her name has not been released. GARCIA CAPTURED WITHOUT INCIDENT David Garcia, wanted in connection to four robberies last week -- most committed within hours of each other -- has been arrested last night in Waianae. The 39-year-old suspect has reportedly been identified by witnesses present at several robberies, the last few of which targeted restaurants. Tagged by local media as "the fast-food bandit," Garcia is already wanted for violating parole for a 10-year assault sentence handed down in 1992. Among the places hit since the crime-spree began on Oct. 1: the Nanakuli Kentucky Fried Chicken (twice), the Dillingham Texaco Food Mart, the Wahiawa Jack in the Box, and the nearby Kilani Bakery. In each of the robberies, the suspect threatened use of and later displayed a gun, and often ordered the money be put into a paper cup. Garcia's arrest came less then a week after a Crime Stoppers bulletin was issued last Wednesday, in response to a rash of four robberies by the same suspect within a 24-hour period. FIREFIGHTERS WATCH DWINDLING WAIANAE FIRE Before being extinguished at about 6:30 this morning, 25 acres of wild brush was scorched along Waianae Valley Road, located near Mt. Kaala Camp. Efforts to combat the fire were stalled by a dizzying array of problems, including the department's lack of a helicopter, brisk winds, fields of dry, drought-browned brush and the area's limited number of water tanks. The city has been without its own helicopter since a Sept. 8 crash put its last one out of commission. Just after noon today, while fire crews were trying to run hoses along the roadway near Haleani Street, the fire momentarily escaped their control when it jumped the street and then spread swiftly. Although it was stopped before burning into forest and watershed preservation areas, whirlwinds of smoke and ash frequently erupted and abandoned shacks and other wood structures were quickly engulfed by the fire. HVB PROMOTION'S THIRD YEAR DOUBLES NAMES November 1 marks the commencement of the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau's now- annual "Hawaii's Value Season" promotion this year. The $2.5 million movement is supported by $800,000 of HVB money, plus $1.1 million from various tourist businesses and $600,000 from American Express. The "Value Season" revolves around a travel planner, titled "The Islands of Hawai`i." 2 million copies of the 36-page, full color publication features pictures, articles, and excerpts by historic authors such as Jack London and Mark Twain. 54 advertisers have bought space in the planner, double the number of participants in the program last year. The jump in advertisers is due in part to the subsidy from American Express, allowing the HVB to sell space to smaller businesses for as little as $5,000. The planner will be inserted into national travel and other magazines and sent out to select American Express cardholders. The program was credited last year with bringing 20,000 visitors to the islands, who spent an estimated $27 million here. IN OTHER NEWS: [+] ANDY Anderson, a major GOP player, announced this week that he was leaving the islands' beleaguered Republican Party. Last in the limelight as the director for Patricia Saiki's failed bid for the GOP gubernatorial ticket last year, Anderson said he felt "out of step" with the party and voters... [+] RENOVATIONS near completion, the cordoned off State Capitol will regain some of its old tenants starting today. $62 million was spent to renovate the aging building -- $15 million to remove asbestos, $49 million to repaint and revamp the air-conditioning, and $3 just to plan and move... TEMPS: O`ahu 90/75, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 88/74, Maui 90/75, Hilo 85/70 CASTS: Strong trades to 30MPH, faint showers. Weak surf on all shores. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 3:57PM, Low 10:45PM