Newswatch
By Star-Bulletin Staff
Friday, September 13, 1996
Some voters in Graulty's Moanalua-Salt Lake district recoiled when they opened the mailing yesterday, at first believing it contained a live bullet. "I did not expect to receive this kind of stuff in the mail," said Leimomi Sproat, a retired state court clerk.
June Motokawa, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association union, also apologized because the 9,500 bullet casings were mailed in HSTA envelopes that contained a pro-Graulty letter from her.
Although the stationery of the 12,000-member public schoolteachers union was used, the mailing was paid for by Graulty's campaign.
Although Graulty apologized, he said, "Bullet casings - even if they're empty - are unpleasant. They're grim. But violence is grim and unpleasant. My point in sending that out is that with all the (campaign literature) people are receiving and with all the desensitizing they get from violence because of what they see on TV, I wanted people to take stock and to think about what's really important in this election."
The board also cranked into the fiscal 1998 budget a recommended $100,000 for additional board staffing and technology, $218,000 for an innovative art program and $150,000 for the DOE safety office.
The board went along with budget recommendations of superintendent Herman Aizawa. He projects substantial workload increases in the 1997-99 biennium as well as significant increased program costs. Staffing for new schools, costs of new equipment and utilities and special education staffing are among the most expensive items.
The board last night also voted for a proposed 1997-1999 capital improvements program. Although the DOE has prepared an annual request totaling nearly $200 million for improvements, the current annual funding level is established at $90 million in the Educational Facilities Improvement Special Fund. All the board's 1997-99 biennium budget proposals now go to Gov. Ben Cayetano.
The 6:30 p.m. crash occurred just inside Wilson tunnel and appeared to have caused a chain reaction, the dispatcher said.
Traffic snaked along the two-lane highway and was backed up to Kalihi Street, police said.
Police yesterday morning recovered a semiautomatic pistol that was later found to have been reported stolen.
The driver, 28, of Waipahu, was placed under arrest after officers discovered he was wanted for two outstanding warrants.
Both he and his passenger, a 33-year-old Kaimuki man, were booked for possession of stolen property and a prohibited weapon.
- An 11-year-old boy in stable condition after hit by a car
- Honolulu police will conduct DUI checkpoints during Aloha Week