Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, August 19, 1997

4th operator in 3 months due
at Ala Wai golf driving range

The city will have the fourth operator at its Ala Wai Golf Course driving range in three months come Oct. 11.

And that doesn't include the one week earlier this month the city ran the concession by itself.

Here's what's happening with management at the driving range:

March 8, 1996: Kikaku Hawaii is terminated from its five-year contract after failing to pay its rent to the city. Island Golf takes over with a five-year contract.

Aug. 3: The city severs ties with Island Golf and accuses the company of not paying the $36,000 plus 5 percent of gross revenues that it owed the city. Island Golf sues the city in federal court, alleging it has made it difficult for the company to derive a profit. There are also charges against city officials of bribery.

Aug. 11: After running the driving range with city employees for a week, the city hands over operations to Fujikami Florist for a temporary period of 30 days, to buy time for setting up criteria to hire a long-term operator.

Sept. 11: Nevada Bob's is slated to take over for 30 days in an arrangement similar to Fujikami's. Procurement laws prohibit the city from hiring the same vendor for a nonbid contract for more than two consecutive 30-day periods.

Oct. 11: A new vendor is expected to come in with a three-year contract.

Auditoriums Director Alvin Au, who oversees Ala Wai, says the golfers are happy despite the revolving door of managers. "The public there is overjoyed at the quality of the service and friendliness of the staff and the prices at the driving range," he said yesterday.

Cayetano wants to allocate
more ditch water to Leeward

Gov. Ben Cayetano favors more Waiahole Ditch water for Leeward Oahu than the Commission on Water Resource Management has tentatively set.

Responding to a question from Wendell Koga, executive director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Cayetano said the state plans to seek more water for the Leeward side.

"I was informed by the attorney general today that the state will be filing objections to the Water Commission's rulings," he said last night at Mililani Waena Elementary School in his fifth town meeting.

"It's pretty clear to me that the future of farming on Oahu is in the Leeward (area)."

The commission made a tentative decision last month to allocate 10.24 million gallons a day to Leeward Oahu, 9 million for farmland and the rest for other uses; and 6 million gallons would flow to Windward streams, while 10.76 million gallons would be kept "unpermitted."

The commission will make a final decision Friday.

Cayetano did not reveal specifics on how much additional water the state will seek for the Leeward side.

Waikiki residents move publication
racks on Kuhio Avenue

A couple of Waikiki Neighborhood Board members and their friends have taken their interpretation of the law into their own hand trucks.

Yesterday morning, James Korus and five others moved about 20 publication racks on Kuhio Avenue between 30 and 200 feet to a site they considered legal.

The racks are set up by local publications ranging from the tourist-oriented "This Week" publication to Oahu's two major dailies.

Korus charges that 14 of the 20 racks moved lacked a city news rack permit.

The others, Korus said, were improperly placed because they were 300 feet from an intersection. Korus said he believes they must be within 100 feet and so was justified in moving the racks, even the ones with valid permits.

But a separate section of the city ordinances allows for the police to issue citations if news racks are deemed hazardous.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Identification hunted
in killing on Tantalus

Police want help in investigating Saturday's killing of an unidentified Asian male found in the 4000 block of Tantalus Drive near Pu'u Ohia Trail.

He was wearing a silver ring on his right index finger. He carried no identification, police said.

At 10:54 p.m. Saturday, neighborhood residents reported hearing gunshots.

Four minutes later, a passing motorist reported finding the body of a man lying beside the road.

Responding officers found the man dead. He had visible head wounds.

An autopsy yesterday confirmed the victim died of gunshot wounds to the head.

He is described as in his 20s, 5-feet-9, 125 pounds, slim build, black hair, brown eyes and fair complexion. He wore a gray T-shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. The ring he was wearing had an etched star-like design.

Anyone with information on the case, especially those who were in the Tantalus/Round Top Drive area at the approximate time of the killing, or anyone who may be able to identify the victim, is asked to call the police homicide detail at 529-3115.

Calls also may be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.

In other police/fire news:

Honaunau man arrested for alleged sex assault
Maui police suspect drugs in standoff
Another home lost to fire on Big Isle

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