Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, May 16, 1997

Isle murder suspect
jumped California parole

A man charged with murder in a hammer attack on a 44-year-old Manoa man had been sought in his home state of California for a parole violation.

But California authorities did not issue a nationwide alert for the convicted arsonist, Monte L. Young, because he was not considered a threat.

Police last night charged Young, 33, with second-degree murder in the beating death of Paul Ulbrich. Ulbrich was sitting outside the University Avenue Burger King restaurant Saturday when he was attacked. Young, whose bail was set at $300,000, was to be arraigned today in Honolulu District Court.

Police said Young had been arrested multiple times in Hawaii, but they did not know that he had violated his parole in California for an arson conviction.

Young has been sought by California paroling authorities since January. He was placed on parole in March 1996 after serving about half of a five-year sentence for setting fire to his father's San Diego home, said Linda Ward, spokeswoman for the California State Parole Office.

Directors vote to keep
Tax Foundation afloat

The Tax Foundation of Hawaii opened for business today without the threat of closure hanging over it from money problems.

The foundation's directors yesterday voted to keep the 44-year-old watchdog agency going and to try to broaden its membership.

Public response rescued the foundation after its plight was revealed six weeks ago. More than $55,000 was raised - more than the shortfall predicted for the current year's budget.

But many of the contributions are one-time, and similar amounts must be raised to maintain support for the nonprofit group, said Gene Burk, board chairman.

Donations may be sent to 126 Queen St., Suite 304, Honolulu, HI, 96813. Call 536-4587.

Punahou High principal
to step down next year

Winston Healy Jr. will step down as Punahou's high school principal at the end of the 1997-98 school year, marking only the third change in leadership of the academy since 1946.

Greg Foster, head of the upper school (grades 9-12) at Robert Louis Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, Calif., will succeed Healy.

Healy, principal since 1969, "will continue to have my complete and unequivocal support as an equal and vital partner," said Punahou President James Scott. Healy will remain on the faculty after 1998.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.

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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Retired businessman
killed in his Hilo home

HILO -- A Big Island man was killed at his home in the Puueo area of Hilo yesterday, police said.

Responding to a 12:47 p.m. call of a possible assault, police found the body of Gordon Granger, 73, at his home at 306 Kauila Street.

Officers found evidence of foul play, they said, but did not provide any details.

The case is classified as a homicide. No other details were released.

Granger was a retired businessman.

He had been active in Friends of the Zoo, an organization that assisted in making improvements to the county's Panaewa Rainforest Zoo.

The four-block Puueo district where he lived has been a high crime area in the past although a community policing officer assigned to the area has reduced the activity.

Police said drug deals were common and other killings took place there, but the crime was focused on one street, four block from Granger's home.

He once told the Star-Bulletin that he didn't feel threatened by it.

Other Police/Fire headlines
in today’s Star-Bulletin:

• Halawa prison inmate dies in plunge from second floor
  
• Police book suspect, 19, on auto theft charges
  
• Marijuana plants confiscated near school campus

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.