DFS Group's Reed to lead Aloha United Way drive
John Reed has been named Aloha United Way's new general campaign chairman."I've been a longtime supporter of AUW and its member agencies and I am honored to have been selected for this task," said Reed, chairman of Pacific retail development for DFS Group.
"It really takes the whole community pulling together to make a difference."
Reed and AUW Co-Chairwoman Patricia Tam, general manager of the Halekulani Hotel, will recruit campaign volunteers, speak on behalf of the campaign, develop strategy and monitor campaign progress.
This year's goal for the fund drive is $15 million, a 9 percent increase over the amount raised last year, Reed said.
"We know it is aggressive in light of Hawaii's situation, but we are planning to target some very specific markets which have not been tackled before," he said.
Reed also is active with Variety School, Hawaii Business Roundtable, University of Hawaii Foundation and Hawaii Theater Center.
Keith Ahue, deputy director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, is labor chairman for the AUW drive.
Last year, $13.7 million was raised by AUW on Oahu.
This year's Pacesetter campaign with a limited number of companies runs from June 1 through July 31.
The general campaign will be from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31.
UH engineering students win regional robot mouse contest
Forget about building a better mouse trap. University of Hawaii engineering students have built a better and faster robot mouse.The UH team won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1998 Region 6 Central Area Micromouse Competition in California over the weekend - for the second year in a row.
On UH's winning team were Michael Masaki, Nathan Mariels, Nava Zvaig and Shigehiro Minami. All except Zvaig were on last year's winning team.
The team built 'Iole 'Auana, or "wandering mouse," which completed a maze in 44 seconds, six seconds ahead of the runner-up from host University of California, Davis.
'Iole 'Auana also shaved 18 seconds off UH's 1997 winning time.
In the competition, teams design and build a robot mouse no larger than 25 centimeters by 25 centimeters. UH's mouse was a battery-powered 68020 microprocessor with stepper motors to run the wheels and infrared sensors to see the walls. Each mouse is given 10 minutes to learn the fastest route through the maze - from the starting point to center square.
Kauai enjoys sharp upturn in tourism
LIHUE -- The folks who promote tourism on Kauai have been haunted for years by images of Hurricane Iniki's destruction, but efforts to overcome that finally seem to be paying off.The sea change in the perception of Kauai as a tourist destination -- especially among the Japanese -- is partially reflected in Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau statistics for March.
When compared to the same month of last year, Kauai saw a 30 percent increase in eastbound visitors, a stark contrast to the 14 percent decline in eastbound visitors statewide.
That gave the island a 1.7 percent boost to its total visitor count, compared to a 6 percent drop statewide.
"In a very down market, it's a very positive trend," said Chuck Cohen, senior vice president at The Schiller Group, a marketing firm under contract with the Kauai Visitor's Bureau.
County and visitor industry officials have aggressively targeted marketing efforts to the Japanese the last several years.
Gerald Dela Cruz, the county's economic development director, points to Kauai Mayor Maryanne Kusaka's trips to Japan and the Philippines in developing key relationships with major players in the Japanese travel industry.
The county also has hired musicians to greet visitors at the airport and provides juice and coffee in an effort to convey the aloha spirit.
Highway funds impasse not presently a problem
Despite a roadblock over highway funding in Congress, work on Hawaii's roads won't be held up unless the dispute spills over into early summer.U.S. House and Senate conferees have yet to reach a compromise on a new surface transportation bill, which contains money for new and continuing highway projects. That meant all highway funding to states ended April 30.
Marilyn Kali, state Transportation Department spokeswoman, said the impasse was expected, and the state in April obligated $88 million for road projects.
"We anticipated that this would happen and did what we could to get our projects out," Kali said.
"We're good for another month or so. After that we become concerned."
Withington new leader of Big Isle Democrats
HILO -- Attorney Beverly Jean Withington has been elected chairwoman of the Hawaii County Democratic Party, the party announced.Withington was chosen at a county convention Saturday. She replaces Kona attorney Robert Kim.
The convention also elected other officers and adopted three dozen resolutions, including one supporting a new state prison on the Big Island.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffMamea guilty of manslaughter in slaying of musician
Circuit Court jurors saw photos of 72-year-old Francis C. King after his beating death, his skin split open from his left eye to his forehead. The fold of his eyelid lay like an island in between.They also heard King's 21-year-old Palolo Valley neighbor testify that he slammed a toy pistol into King's head after King wouldn't let go of his testicles during a fight.
After deliberating for five hours, jurors yesterday rejected murder and convicted Sauileao Mamea Jr. of the lesser charge of manslaughter, finding his behavior reckless.
Mamea, who said he didn't know how badly King was hurt when he left to go to the beach with money he stole from King's wallet, faces probation to life in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 25 before Circuit Judge Wendell K. Huddy.
King, who played jazz trumpet and installed house alarms, died of swelling to his brain.
"I think a life sentence is appropriate," Deputy Prosecutor Rom Trader said after the verdict.
Manslaughter carries a 20-year term, but laws allow the court to extend it to life with parole, based on circumstances, including whether the victim is 60 or older.
If the court sticks with the 20-year term, Trader said he would ask for a mandatory minimum of six years and eight months, based on the victim's age.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority can set a higher minimum when it reviews the case after sentencing.
But state laws also allow the court to sentence those under 22 as youthful offenders, depending on the crime. A 20-year term can drop to eight years.
Trader said Mamea may not be eligible for youthful-offender status, depending on bills before the lawmakers.
Student hits classmate with a baseball bat
Police yesterday charged a Moanalua High School boy for allegedly assaulting another with a baseball bat.The suspect reportedly tapped a classmate in the back of the head with a baseball bat trying to annoy and alarm him before class, police said. The boy suffered a bump to the head.
The suspect was charged with third-degree assault.
Molokai hiker not lost, just way out of touch
WAILUKU -- A California hiker informed Molokai police yesterday that he was all right and not lost, as feared by his parents.Todd Hamamoto, 24, called police to say he was visiting the Big Island, Police Sgt. Timothy Meyer said.
Hamamoto called his parents from Maunaloa Town in west Molokai on April 26.
Hamamoto's parents notified police their son was missing on May 1. A search was conducted of the coastline before determining he might have left the island.
Meyer said Hamamoto had told his parents he would call them as he moved from island to island.
"He didn't check in with his parents," Meyer said.
Honolulu man arrested in neighbor's burglary
Police yesterday arrested a 47-year-old Honolulu man who allegedly burglarized his neighbor's house.The suspect, of Linapuni Street, entered his neighbor's home on the same street on Sunday at 6:15 p.m., police said. The man reportedly took a bicycle and threatened to kill everyone.
Police located and arrested the man yesterday.
He was booked for first-degree robbery.
Death from pneumonia blamed on car crash
HILO -- A man who died of pneumonia as the result of injuries suffered in a traffic accident has been classified as a traffic fatality, police said.Jerald R. Curlee, 67, of Keaau, died April 1 as a result of the illness caused by a Feb. 4 accident, they said.
Curlee's car, driven by his wife, hit a pickup truck at the junction of Volcano Highway and Pahoa Road, police said.
Curlee was in Hilo Hospital for two weeks, released, and then returned to the hospital, where he died.
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