Newswatch
You can't always get what you want. Rolling Stones shut out
at Aloha StadiumIn this case, the ball bounced the wrong way for a Rolling Stones concert at Aloha Stadium because of requirements for the Pro Bowl, played here every year since 1980.
Local promoter Tom Moffat first wanted to have the Stones perform at the stadium Jan. 23. The date was then moved ahead to Jan. 21.
But stadium manager Edwin Hayashi rejected the requests, saying he needed two weeks to prepare for the Pro Bowl, which will be played Feb. 1.
Hayashi said the players arrive Jan. 26 for practice, and some preparations need to be done before that as well.
Breaking down a big concert stage would take three to four days, Hayashi said, and the latest possible concert date would have been Jan. 15.
"The Pro Bowl is our No. 1 event," Hayashi said Saturday. "It's not a one-shot deal. We just negotiated to get it back. We would like to have the concert, but it was too close and we had to make a decision."
Hawaii's public libraries continue to receive shipments of books from Baker & Taylor as the deadline nears for the termination of its contract with the Hawaii State Public Library System. Performance deadline near
for book-buyer firm"We will continue to do that - shipping up to the last week," said Arnie Wight, vice president of Baker & Taylor.
He could not say how many books have been sent recently.
A check of several libraries yesterday, however, showed they are not receiving large numbers of books as the deadline nears. Several librarians said they're continuing to receive duplicates, paperbacks rather than hardbound books, and no reference or foreign-language materials.
State Librarian Bart Kane, in a letter issued during a meeting July 11, gave Baker & Taylor 10 days to correct nine areas in which the North Carolina-based book buyer has failed to perform according to the contract. It required Baker & Taylor to ship more than 60,000 outstanding titles and abide by terms of the contract.
The clock began ticking upon issuance of the letter, Kane said. If problems aren't corrected, on Monday Kane will send Baker & Taylor a letter terminating the $11.2 million contract for default and issue a claim for damages.
State chief election officer Dwayne Yoshina doubts it can be done. But he is moving ahead with organizing a full-blown election with all of the state's 328 voter precincts on whether to convene a Constitutional Convention. State asks for stay
of Con Con rulingUnder U.S. District Judge David Ezra's recent ruling, the special election must be held by Sept. 9, which is less than two months away.
Friday, state attorneys filed a request for a stay to Ezra's order, pending their appeal. A hearing before Ezra was scheduled for next Friday.
The state's arguments include a statement by Yoshina, who asserts that it is too costly and logistically difficult to hold an election by Sept. 9.
Attorney General Margery Bronster has said if Ezra denies the state's request for a stay, she will try to get the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn Ezra's decision.
Citizens for a Constitutional Convention and Let the People Decide, which were successful in persuading Ezra to order a new election, have vowed to fight the state's efforts.
