Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, June 30, 1998

Costco recalls frozen
ground beef patties

Costco has recalled frozen ground beef patties from stores in 24 states, including Hawaii, because they may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Initially, the state health department believed that the beef was not shipped to Hawaii. However, today spokesman Patrick Johnston said his agency had received erroneous information.

The company announced yesterday it was recalling frozen beef patties from stores in 24 states because of possible E. coli bacteria contamination after one illness was reported in New York.

The recall was aimed at two products.

One is Costco's frozen 1/3-pound Kirkland Signature Ground Sirloin and Loin of Beef Patties in 6-pound packages. The patties carry item number 18508 and can be identified by looking on the bottom of the plastic package bag and finding one of two production codes designated as follows: "xx:xx 04/06/98 MFG" or "xx:xx 04/07/98 MFG" with "xx:xx" designating the time of day.

The other is frozen 1/4-pound Kirkland Signature Ground Beef Patties in 6-pound packages. They carry item number 18498 and are identified by a production code of "xx:xx 04/07/98 MFG," with "xx:xx" again designating the time of day.

Costco said the patties could be returned for a full refund, regardless of whether the package had been opened.

Consumers with questions about the recall can call Costco Wholesale's Membership hot line toll-free, at 1-800-727-8248, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific Time.

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UH is fined for hazardous
waste storage violations

By Stan Constantino, Star-Bulletin

The state Department of Health today issued a notice of violation and order against the University of Hawaii at Manoa for violating the state's hazardous waste laws.

In doing so, it also fined the university $1.3 million, and ordered the school to remove the hazardous chemicals.

The university was cited for 10 violations, ranging from illegal storage of laboratory wastes to the mismanagement of hazardous chemicals. The violations were discovered at Bilger Hall and the Environmental Protection Facility last fall.

"The violations at the university were serious," Bruce Anderson, DOH deputy director for environmental health, said today. "The toxic chemicals stored at the UH facilities posed a significant health threat to people on campus and in nearby communities."

Eugene Imai, UH senior vice president for administration, said the UH accepts responsibility and is working with the DOH to correct the problem.

Health Department investigators found significant amounts of waste laboratory chemicals in a fallout shelter below lecture rooms in Bilger Hall.

The university did not have a permit to store hazardous wastes. The chemicals were not in the proper containers and lacked labels identifying the kind of chemicals and how long they had been in storage.

Testing by a contractor found some to be acutely toxic and highly explosive.

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New Hilo center will buoy aquaculture

The Oceanic Institute envisions a Big Island center for aquatic feeds research comparable to Kansas State University's center for terrestrial feeds, says Thomas E. Farewell, institute president and chief executive officer.

The nonprofit research institute, located at Makapuu Point on Oahu, is negotiating with the University of Hawaii for a sublease to a building site in the University of Hawaii-Hilo Agriculture Farm at Panaewa.

It plans a $3.2 million aquatic feeds research and pilot production facility.

"This feed mill -- the first dedicated aquatic feeds research and pilot production facility in the United States -- is going to be a tremendous boost to the aquaculture industry nationwide," Farewell said.

The facility will be funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture grants to the state and institute, through U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's support.

The University of Hawaii and the agriculture industry are expected to benefit through cooperative feeds-related research and studies on use of macadamia nuts, sugar cane, coffee beans, coconut and other indigenous products for aquaculture feeds.

The Hilo facility would be a testing area for U.S. manufacturers of feeds production equipment. It would also serve as a showcase for U.S. equipment, products and production technology to the Asia-Pacific region, the institute said.

With global aquaculture accounting for about $20 billion in revenues, the institute said, "The potential for the U.S. feeds industry is enormous."

Feed companies have donated or provided discounts on equipment valued at more than $700,000 for the project.

Construction on the feed mill is expected to start early next year, pending a lease agreement with the University of Hawaii and completion of the design.

Asian studies group revokes fiction award

The Association for Asian American Studies has passed three resolutions, including one to revoke its 1997 Fiction Award for Lois-Ann Yamanaka's popular but controversial "Blu's Hanging" novel.

The group said the three-member Fiction Award Committee's decision honoring the novel contradicts the association's purpose "to promote better understanding and closer ties between and among various subcomponents within Asian American Studies."

The measure was submitted by the Filipino American Studies Caucus and the Anti-Racism Coalition based on concern about the marginalization of underrepresented ethnic groups in academia.

A second resolution, passed at the association's 15th annual membership meeting Saturday at the Ilikai Hotel, urged the University of Hawaii to restore the Ethnic Studies Department's UH Japanese-in-Hawaii specialist position.

"Failure to fill . . . the position runs counter to the mission and vision of the University of Hawaii with its focus on Hawaii and the Pacific," the association said.

A third resolution passed called on Mills College to reconsider the tenure review of a professor in Asian American Studies.

$1.12 million fed grant goes to UH med school

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently granted $1.12 million to the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine and Ke Ola O Hawaii to continue the statewide Area Health Education Centers Program.

Ke Ola O Hawaii is part of a national project made possible by a Kellogg Foundation multimillion-dollar grant.

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

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Ritte, another accused in Molokai Ranch case

WAILUKU -- Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte Jr. and Clarence "Halona" Kaopuiki are scheduled to appear in Maui Circuit Court tomorrow morning.

They are accused of destroying Molokai Ranch's pipelines, costing close to $1 million in repairs.

The two have also been charged with burning the ranch's renovated house at Kaupoa Beach on Sept. 10, 1995.

Ritte, 53, is charged with two counts of second-degree criminal property damage. He has been released on $20,000 bail.

Kaopuiki, 42, is charged with three counts of second-degree criminal property damage.

He was being held at Maui Community Correctional Center in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Both are members of Pono, a group critical of the ranch's development of tourist camps along beaches. Ritte's attorney Philip H. Lowenthal declined comment.

Teen gets three years for sword attack

A 16-year-old boy pleaded no contest yesterday to trying to kill his girlfriend with a sword, and a Family Court judge sentenced him to three years in the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility -- the longest the juvenile system can hold him.

Shane Hirakawa of Pearl City is accused of stabbing his 13-year-old former girlfriend nine times on March 30, nearly severing her wrist. Hirakawa was charged with attempted murder of the girl, who was walking home in Pearl City at the time of the attack.

Family Court Judge Bode Uale also ordered Hirakawa to stay away from the victim until he turns 20; get no parole or release without a prior court hearing; and receive mental health treatment at the youth facility.

Hirakawa, who apologized for his actions, will stay under the jurisdiction of Family Court until he turns 20.

Family Court Judge Dan Kochi ruled in May that Hirakawa should be tried as a juvenile, stating that prosecuting him as an adult would not protect the victim or further the interest of society.

Kochi also said none of the psychologists who examined Hirakawa believed he had a violent personality or presented a danger to others.

Jimmy's Travel hit with $100,000 suit

A man who claims he loaned the owner of bankrupt Jimmy's Travel $100,000 filed a lawsuit for the money yesterday in Circuit Court.

But he'll have to line up with 2,500 Hawaii people who claim the travel agency owes them at least $750,000 in refunds for prepaid trips to Las Vegas.

Melvyn Iwaki is suing James K.S. Lee for the unpaid $100,000 loan plus interest and attorney fees.

According to the lawsuit, Iwaki loaned Lee the money last Jan. 15, and Lee signed a promissory note.

When Iwaki called Lee June 19 about the first payment of $50,000 due July 15, Lee said he wouldn't be able to make the payment. Lee soon closed Jimmy's Travel.

Lee plans to file personal bankruptcy July 13. Lee's attorney Harrison Chung advised people to wait to file claims in bankruptcy court until then.

The only available money for claims is $200,000 in an escrow account at a bank.

Jimmy's Travel sold trips to Las Vegas from Honolulu for about $300 and apparently used incoming cash from advance bookings to pay for the airline and hotel costs for those who had made earlier reservations.

Lee canceled trips two weekends ago.

Police hunt for Kalihi man's kidnappers

Police are searching for two men who kidnapped a Kalihi man last night for ransom.

The man, 34, was carjacked near his home on Naopala Lane by the two suspects at 8:15 p.m., police said. The suspects called the man's parents and demanded money.

The man's parents refused, and the man was later able to escape, police said.

Two men arrested, will be sent to mainland

Two men were arrested yesterday and are scheduled to be extradited to the mainland.

Jonathan Yoro, 38, was arrested by police and FBI agents in Kahuku.

Yoro, of Waialee, is wanted by the California State Department of Corrections in connection with child molesting, police said.

Casey Cooper was arrested yesterday at his job at the First Interstate Building on Ward Avenue, police said.

Cooper, of Mililani, is wanted by the Comanche County Sheriff's Department in Oklahoma.

According to the Comanche County Sheriff's Department, Cooper, 21, was charged for writing bad checks.

In other news . . .

Police arrested a man, 28, last night for allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a handgun in Laie after an argument.

Honolulu Police will be conducting drunken-driving checkpoints for the Fourth of July holiday. The DUI roadblocks will be set up at unannounced times and locations from Thursday through Sunday, police said.

A man wanted on a contempt warrant for first degree terroristic threatening turned himself in at the main police station on Beretania Street early yesterday morning. Alan Wayne Pitz, 41, was featured in a CrimeStoppers news release on Friday after he failed to turn himself in to the Maui Community Correctional Center.

An abandoned house was destroyed by fire in Waianae yesterday. The structure on Kuwale Road was fully involved when firefighters arrived at about 11 a.m. The fire was under control within 10 minutes. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

HILO -- An escapee from the Hale Nani minimum security facility who failed to return from a work furlough Friday turned himself in yesterday at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, police said. Mathew Felix, 28, was charged with escape and is being held in lieu of $2,000 bail.

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