Some isle services
will continue despite
any shutdown

Resolution that keeps
the government at work
expires midnight tonight

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

The National Park Service will keep the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor open through the weekend even if President Clinton fails to sign the 1999 spending bill.

Congress has until midnight today to extend a continuing resolution that keeps the government operational until the various federal department budget bills are approved by President Clinton.

Kathy Billings, superintendent at the USS Arizona, said that if Clinton fails to extend the continuing resolution beyond tonight, the memorial still will stay open through the weekend.

Although Monday is a federal holiday -- Columbus Day -- the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center and the shuttle boat service will maintain operations as it normally does during most holidays, Billings said.

The visitor attraction averages about 3,000 people a day and has a labor force of about 60. During the last budget battle in 1995, Billings said the Arizona Memorial was closed for several days in November and for three weeks in December and January.

Hawaii has about 65 federal agencies here, including the Department of Defense, the largest employer, with 17,000 civilian workers. An additional 61,000 are members of the active and Reserve forces, who will be paid regardless of the budget battles.

Lt. Col. Kevin Krejcarek, Pacific Command spokesman, said the military here doesn't expect any problems and expects that another continuing resolution will be approved before this weekend to keep the civilian payroll alive.

The largest Department of Defense civilian force -- 8,105 employees -- belongs to the Navy, and a spokesman at Makalapa said federal workers are expected to show up for work Tuesday unless otherwise directed during the weekend.

Sara Fishburn, Fort Shafter spokeswoman, said the 4,500 civilians employed by the Army also are expected to report to work Tuesday.

During the last budget battle in 1995, both Tripler Army Medical Center and the veterans' clinics at the federal building and on the neighbor islands were required to remain open.

Also exempt from any type of furlough caused by a budget bill problem last time were the federal courts.

Walter Chinn, clerk of the federal court, said he assumed that the courts would be required to remain open if an emergency furlough was again ordered.