Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, August 21, 1998

Rescued skipper
won't give up quest

Waves pounding against the crossbars that linked the two hulls of the ancient-style catamaran Feathered Serpent III broke the ship apart in the early morning darkness Wednesday, Sean Savoy said after talking by radio to his father, catamaran captain Gene Savoy.

Despite the sinking of the 75-foot ship near the Phoenix Islands north of Samoa, Gene Savoy is determined that the round-the-world voyage will continue, his son said from Reno, Nev.

Savoy spoke from the container ship Ever Victory, which rescued the seven-member crew yesterday.

"He did say the expedition will continue one way or the other. There is something good to come out of this," Sean said.

Beginning in 1957, Savoy, 70, made a series of discoveries of pre-Columbian cities in the jungles of Peru.

He developed theories that ancient sites were linked by oceangoing vessels, theories that Sean acknowledged are "not popularly believed."

Having sailed from Peru to the Big Island in December and January, the canoe began the next leg of its journey, from Haleiwa to Brisbane, Australia, two weeks ago.

The canoe crossed the equator at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday in good weather, Sean said.

After midnight one of the beams linking the hulls "popped" free of one hull, Sean said. The crew decided to detour to the Phoenix Islands, but waves continuing to slam against the crossbeams broke another one free, he said.

The crew then activated an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which sends out an array of information such as a vessel's size and home port as well as its location, the Coast Guard said.

When the Coast Guard tried to contact the canoe, it got no response.

The seven-man crew was forced to use a three-man life raft to save themselves, Sean said.

Those who didn't fit in the raft had to bob in the water alongside.

Everything was lost, including all of the camera equipment used to document the voyage, even his father's watch, Sean said.

"It's always very difficult to watch your ship go down," Sean said.

Despite their situation, the crew remained calm and disciplined, even making jokes, Savoy told Sean.

Describing the situation to his son, the most emotional statement Savoy made was, "It was very heavy," Sean said.

The crew was much relieved when a Coast Guard C-130 from Barbers Point, homing in on the emergency beacon, dropped an additional raft and a radio to the crew at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The Ever Victory diverted from its course and reached the crew at 8:12 a.m. yesterday, the Coast Guard said.

U.S. News downgrades UH-Manoa to 50th

Two Hawaii universities have released their rankings in the 1999 America's Best College guidebook, published by U.S. News and World Report.

University of Hawaii officials yesterday said UH-Manoa is tied at 50th out of 147 accredited public universities that offer a full range of majors and graduate degrees.

The University of California-Berkeley and University of Virginia topped the public national university list.

Still, Manoa's ranking dropped from last year, when the magazine ranked it the 25th best public college in America. In 1996, Manoa placed 32nd of 229 universities nationwide for the best college value.

Meanwhile, Chaminade University of Honolulu reports it ranked sixth among Western regional universities for the diversity of its student body.

This is the second year that the magazine has ranked schools by the ethnic makeup of the undergraduate student population, and the first year Chaminade has been ranked in the category.

Still, it scored higher than any other Hawaii college or university, with a 68 percent ranking.

The guidebook, to be released Monday, also reported UH-Manoa graduates leave school with the ninth-lowest debt among national universities.

2 labor unions choose Fasi over Lingle

Two labor unions have endorsed former longtime Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi over Maui Mayor Linda Lingle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

The unions are the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186; and the Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, International Brotherhood of Lodge 204.

Asked if the endorsement was more anti-Lingle than pro-Fasi, IBEW business manager Thomas Fujikawa said yesterday that he would simply stand by the unions' joint press release. The statement said, "It's a clear choice between one who says that she will create change, and one who has actually created change for a better Hawaii."

It is conceivable that the unions could make a different endorsement for the general election, once the Democratic and GOP gubernatorial nominees are known, Fujikawa said.

Gov. Ben Cayetano is opposed by five relatively unknown challengers in the Democratic primary.

In 1994 the 2,400-member IBEW endorsed Cayetano through the primary and general elections, Fujikawa said.

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



By Star-Bulletin staff

By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Drug Enforcement Administration agent Sidney Hayakawa
shows drugs and money seized in a recent arrest. "For a
person to be able to purchase this quantity of drugs, we'd
consider him a major dealer," Hayakawa said.

Agents nab pair after
$220,000 'ice' deal

"It's hard to get ice these days."

That's what 30-year-old Larry Domingo of Kailua allegedly told an undercover federal drug agent as he negotiated to buy eight pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $55,000 a pound.

Domingo allegedly agreed to buy four pounds for $220,000.

According to court documents, Domingo and Kalihi resident William Shafer, 40, were arrested Wednesday after they gave undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents a briefcase full of money in the Ala Moana Center parking lot near Zippy's in exchange for the drugs.

Yesterday, the DEA showed off the drugs wrapped in plastic storage bags, a briefcase stuffed with wads of money, and additional cash totaling about $250,000.

Sidney Hayakawa, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA's Hawaii office, said additional cash was seized after a search of Domingo's residence and other locations. He expects the money eventually to be forfeited to the federal government.

Domingo owns the Tropical Sun Indoor Tanning Salon in Aiea.

Agents are continuing to investigate, and Hayakawa would not rule out the possibility more assets may be seized.

"For a person to be able to purchase this quantity of drugs, we'd consider him a major dealer," he said.

Hayakawa said Domingo and Shafer face 10 to 30 years in prison, if convicted.

Jimmy's Travel owner booked for theft

Police yesterday arrested the owner of a bankrupt Honolulu travel agency in a theft investigation concerning the sale of nearly a million dollars' worth of now-worthless discounted Las Vegas tour packages.

James K.S. Lee, 56, of Mililani, the president and owner of Jimmy's Travel, was booked for first-degree theft at 5 p.m. yesterday and questioned for 30 minutes.

He was released pending further investigation.

Police are investigating the case based on a complaint filed by the state Regulated Industries' complaints office. Jimmy's Travel closed down operations on July 18, leaving more than 2,000 customers without the Las Vegas tour packages they had purchased.

Jimmy's Travel was offering discounted Las Vegas air/hotel packages for less than $300 per person from January through June.

Police said Lee allegedly used money paid for future tour packages to run his day-to-day operation and pay for current flights during the six-month period.

Gunman robs 2 Oahu stores within 2 hours

A gunman robbed two Central Oahu businesses last night and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

The robberies at California Grocery Liquor Store on California Avenue in Wahiawa and Island Mini Mart on Kipapa Drive in Mililani were reported at 9:50 p.m. and 11:38 p.m., respectively. The gunman, similarly described in both cases, was accompanied by a second man in the Mililani robbery.

Fire forces family of six to flee Laie residence

The Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross was assisting a Laie family of six who escaped a fire today at a two-story residence on the 55-700 block of Wahinepee Street. Firefighters responding to the 3:39 a.m. alarm reported the blaze under control at 4:33 a.m.

No injuries were reported; cause of the fire is under investigation.

In other news...

HILO - A Big Island man died yesterday in Queen's Hospital of injuries he suffered Monday in a one-car accident in Honokaa, police said.

The victim, Christopher Dacquel, 18, of Kalopa was a passenger in a car that went over an embankment and overturned. The driver, 20, of Honokaa was arrested for drunken driving, and the investigation is continuing.

WAIMEA, Hawaii - Two large brush fires in the northern part of the Big Island which began Wednesday eased overnight but were still not under control, the Fire Department said. A 300-acre burn along Akoni Pule Highway was contained at 6:20 p.m. yesterday. A 1,000-acre fire near Mana was not contained but was described as quiet during the night. The only structural damage was to a lean-to at Mana.

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