Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, October 27, 1998

Convention Center
neighbors air concerns

By Harold Morse, Star-Bulletin

Community impact from the Hawaii Convention Center brought about 250 Ala Moana, Waikiki and McCully-Moiliili residents to a briefing last night at Washington Middle School.

Traffic congestion, view planes blocked by possible hotel construction and sewage disposal were a few of the questions raised.

Finding out what the communities want is the goal now, said Bob Stanfield, chief of the city Planning Department's plans evaluation and revision branch. He went over a number of possibilities.

Some residents objected to the idea of new hotels going up in their neighborhoods. Some wanted more open space and greenery, maybe parks at ground level with underground parking areas beneath the parks.

On sewage issues, Patrick Onishi, city chief planning officer, assured residents adequate infrastructure must be guaranteed before any project can be permitted to proceed.

To concerns about bike paths and pedestrian walkways, City Councilman Andy Mirikitani said a bikeway master plan from Pearl City to Kahala is already far along, related to a lei-of-parks plan to enhance greenery. All these things are meant to "create a more walkable and livable city," Mirikitani said.

Former state Sen. Mary Jane McMurdo -- noting stated goals are to preserve and enhance the residential character of neighborhoods surrounding the Hawaii Convention Center and to attract and serve both residents and visitors -- wondered what happens to people displaced by the center and related development.

Stanfield and Onishi said that residents will have opportunities to make their feelings known every step of the way.

Last night's meeting was part of a series of public gatherings on the work of a task force created by a City Council resolution to study future impact on communities surrounding the center.

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Police caution parents on Halloween dangers

Honolulu police are advising parents to accompany children on Halloween and to stay in the neighborhood with them, visiting only homes of people they know.

Police said parents should also make sure children's costumes are safe, made of light-colored fabric or containing reflective material. Costumes should be short enough to prevent tripping, and if masks are worn, children should be able to see clearly.

Parents also should:

Make sure children pay close attention to traffic, stay on sidewalks whenever possible, use crosswalks and watch out for cars.

Have children carry a flashlight after dark.

Examine candles before allowing youngsters to eat them and discard items that are not commercially wrapped.

If treats appear to have been tampered with, police should be notified immediately at 911. Tampering may include putting sharp, foreign objects in food and lacing treats with drugs.

Motorists are asked to watch out for trick-or-treaters, especially in residential areas.

Wahiawa library holds benefit book, bake sale

The Friends of the Wahiawa Library present the Great Pumpkin Book and Bake Sale Saturday at the Wahiawa Public Library.

Books, Halloween cakes and cookies will be on sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for those who come in costume.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to support the library's children's programs and to purchase books and magazines. For more information, call the library at 621-6331.

Conference to focus on needs of girls

According to the Hawaii Girls Project, one out of three youths arrested in Hawaii is female, compared with the U.S. rate of one out of four.

In general, girls have higher levels of stress, depression, eating disorders and suicide attempts than boys.

A conference discussing these issues aims to increase awareness about the needs of girls and young women.

The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at Tokai University.

Registration is $25.

For more information, call 973-1022.

Land board cancels Kawai Nui Marsh meet

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has canceled tomorrow's informational meeting on Kawai Nui Marsh.

A formal public hearing is still set for Nov. 19.

For more information call Paul Conry at 587-4176.

CORRECTIONS Nov. 20 is the record date for Pacific Century Financial Corp. shareholders to qualify for a 17-cent dividend. A Hawaii Inc. brief yesterday had an incorrect date. Jean Gochros was erroneously identified in a letter to the editor Saturday. A notation after her signature gave her profession as psychologist. Gochros is a licensed social worker, not a psychologist. A 60-year-old man was struck by a car Saturday on Kaneohe Bay Drive and was in critical condition in Queen's Hospital. An article yesterday said incorrectly that a woman had been struck.

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

Pipe bomb exploded at Manoa School

Manoa School officials have notified the community and briefed students after a pipe bomb exploded on campus Sunday night.

"We don't want anyone to panic, because it's an isolated incident, but we need people to beware," said Principal Kara Mark.

Police are investigating the incident and have no suspects as of this morning.

Mark was in her office at the time of the 10:15 p.m. blast. She said the boom echoed through the valley. The bomb blew a hole in a wooden walkway causing $150 in damages.

"Vandalism really hurts the school in total -- the children and the adults feel it," Mark said. "Safety is a concern, but the pride in the school is hurt."

Four Wahiawa teens will be tried as adults

Four Wahiawa teen-agers accused of September's attack of an undercover police officer and a civilian with baseball bats were charged as adults yesterday.

Anastcio Martinez III and Darwin Ramirez, both 17, and Mark Calicdan and Kalani Agosto, both 16, were charged with attempted first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, police said.

They are being held at the Honolulu Police cellblocks on $400,000 bail each.

The officer, 46, and a 30-year-old man who was assisting police were hospitalized with concussions, multiple cuts and bruises after being struck repeatedly with baseball bats in an alley near the Palm Terrace public housing in Wahiawa on Sept. 17, according to police.

A detective said the officer and the civilian had gone to Palm Place to purchase stolen computers in the undercover operation.

The two men were also allegedly robbed of their wallets.

Pair of teens charged in beating, robbery

LIHUE -- Two 16-year-old boys were charged with second-degree robbery and theft and third-degree assault yesterday for the robbery and beating of a 52-year-old Kaumakani man Sunday, police said.

The man was giving the boys a ride home to the north shore when they ordered him to pull off into a canefield, police said.

They allegedly beat the man and robbed him of an undisclosed amount of money, police said.

Man says alleged rape was episode 'gone awry'

Police yesterday arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly raping a woman at a Waikiki hotel.

The woman, 20, was reportedly attacked at 4:15 p.m. inside the hotel fire escape stairwell, police said.

After the woman called police to report the rape, the man fled and later called police to report the incident as well.

"The suspect called the police to report a sexual encounter that gone awry," according to a police report.

He was booked for first-degree sexual assault and kidnapping. He was later released pending further investigation.

IN THE COURTS

Brother’s story changes
during testimony in
murder trial

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

First, he said it was an accident.

Then later, he said it wasn't.

In testimony that at times even confused him, Fernando Marzan told a Circuit Court jury yesterday that he witnessed his brother, Saldy, "kill the wife."

Saldy Marzan is on trial for the second time for second-degree murder in the Jan. 27, 1997, fatal shooting of his estranged wife, Arlene, in his younger brother's apartment in Kalihi.

Saldy Marzan's first trial earlier this year ended in a mistrial when a jury could not reach a verdict.

The prosecution contends that Saldy Marzan deliberately aimed the gun at his 24-year-old wife and shot her through the heart. The defense said the gun fired accidentally during a struggle.

Saldy Marzan, 31, was under a court order to stay away from Arlene at the time of the shooting following years of spouse abuse.

Saldy Marzan went to his brother's Kalihi Street apartment with a gun after his wife, who was staying with his brother, rebuffed his telephone call for help.

Fernando Marzan began his testimony by saying that the gun went off when his brother and sister-in-law were fighting over it.

"My brother accidentally shoot the wife," he said, at one point holding his clasped hands above his head to describe how they struggled as the gun fired.

But Fernando Marzan's story changed after he listened to a taped recording of a statement he gave police about an hour after the shooting.

In that statement, Fernando Marzan said that Saldy kicked Arlene to the floor and then shot her.

On cross-examination by defense lawyer, Chester Kanai, Fernando Marzan's account became confusing.

Fernando Marzan said he had trouble remembering whether his brother kicked, slammed or punched his wife before shooting her.

But he also said, "He went pop the gun. . . . I only wen see my brother kill the wife."

Fernando Marzan testified that like his brother, he smoked crystal methamphetamine or "ice."

At the time of the shooting, he said he had been smoking ice for about 10 years and the drug had taken a toll on his memory.

Fernando Marzan is expected to resume testifying this morning in the trial before Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario.

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