Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Hawaii has taken over chief sponsorship of the city's no-alcohol New Year's Eve party. New Year’s no-alcohol
By Gordon Y.K. Pang, Star-Bulletin
party to help raise
funds for MADDFormerly called First Night Honolulu, the annual event has been renamed the Starbucks Starlight MADDness, in honor of MADD-Hawaii and title sponsor Starbucks Coffee.
"It's a perfect match for MADD and what MADD is trying to do," said MADD-Hawaii Vice President Dave Cheever.
MADD-Hawaii hopes to turn the event into a fund-raiser. Red lanyards featuring the Starlight MADDness badge will go on sale in early December for $4 and offer incentives and discounts for those attending the event.
The night's entertainment, starting at 4 p.m. Dec. 31, will include the Honolulu Symphony, Tenderoni, Raymond Kane and the Fort Mills Concert Band.
The city has chipped in $10,000 in overhead costs while Starbucks, the Hawaii Community Foundation and HMSA are contributing an additional $30,000.
Since the event's inception eight years ago, the nonprofit group First Night Honolulu sponsored the event with help from the Hawaii Community Foundation and the city.
Show sponsors, however, ran into financial difficulties and were unable to host the event this year.
Mayor Jeremy Harris yesterday also announced that Dec. 5 would open the Honolulu City Lights program, coupled with an electric-light parade and lighting of the city Christmas tree.
Guns, money taken from man at home in Hauula
Police are searching for three men who robbed an 80-year-old man this morning, taking several rifles and handguns from his Hauula home.Two suspects entered the man's home on the 53-000 block of Kamehameha Highway at about 3:30 a.m., police said. One suspect had a baseball bat and the other was armed with a hunting knife.
After taking an undisclosed amount of money, the suspects took the homeowner's gun collection. The exact number of weapons taken is still under investigation, police said.
The two men fled in a get-away car driven by a third suspect. They were last seen driving toward Kahuku on Kamehameha Highway in a older-model, dark gray sedan with a citizens-band antenna mounted on the center of the roof, police said.
The two men who entered the home are about 25 to 30 years old. One suspect is 5 feet 10 inches tall and the other is 6 foot tall. There is no description available of the driver.
Hearing on Big Isle to consider new prison
The state will hold a hearing Tuesday in Hilo on issues that will be addressed in the environmental impact statement for the proposed 2,300-bed medium-security prison at Kulani on the Big Island.The hearing, to be conducted by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Accounting and General Services, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Nani Mau Gardens at 421 Makalika St.
Two candidates named to fill state ethics post
Dr. Carl Morton and Ronald Yoshida are candidates to fill one vacancy on the state Ethics Commission.As required by law, two individuals are recommended by the Judicial Council for each vacancy. The governor is expected to pick one to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Leslie Baker, whose term would have expired June 30, 2001.
Morton is a physician who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. Yoshida is transportation manager with the U.S. Army Garrison.
CORRECTIONS
Pisaina Tupai faces a sentence ranging from a five-year prison term to probation for second-degree assault, Deputy Prosecutor Wayne Teshima said. The maximum sentence was incorrectly reported in a story Monday.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Search] [Info] section for subscription information.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffMan suspected of raping two young boys in Ewa
Police yesterday arrested a 33-year-old man for allegedly raping two boys, 9 and 10, last month.The alleged rapes took place on Makule Road in Ewa Beach on Oct. 28, according to police reports.
The scene is within a few blocks of six schools.
The man was booked on two counts of first-degree sexual assault.
26-year-old arrested in beating of Kalihi man
A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged yesterday in connection with last month's beating of another man, 56.James M. Brown, charged with second-degree assault, is being held on $15,000 bail, police said.
Brown reportedly assaulted the victim at a Kalihi Valley home on Oct. 4 causing substantial injury and blood loss.
Search enters sixth day for missing Waimea man
HILO -- Fire Department rescuers today resumed a sixth day of searching for an 84-year-old Waimea man who disappeared Sunday while picking kokoolau leaves for tea in the Saddle Road area. The search will continue through tomorrow if he is not found today.John K. Linsey's truck was found near the Kilohana Girl Scout Camp after dark Sunday after he failed to return home.
Since then, some 64 people, including family, friends, state conservation officers with a tracking dog, rescue workers and military personnel from Pohakuloa Training Area have joined in the search.
Cash box thief drove a red Jeep Cherokee
KAILUA-KONA -- Police are asking for the public's help in finding a man who grabbed a metal cash box from a South Kona coffee company yesterday and drove away in a red Jeep Cherokee.The 9:30 a.m. theft took place while a worker at the company was busy with coffee bags.
The worker described the thief as about 5-feet-9-inches tall, medium build, and wearing black pants and a gray sweater with a hood that partly covered his face. Call police at 326-4646 or Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 with information.
Neighbor with hose helped douse Palolo fire
A neighbor using a garden hose helped curtail a fire that damaged a Palolo Valley home yesterday. The residents of 2564 Jasmine St. were not home when firefighters were summoned at 5:17 p.m.The cause of the blaze, which did an estimated $100,000 damage to the building and $100,000 to its contents, is under investigation, said Palolo fire Capt. Steven Bethel.
The fire was limited to the kitchen and living room, but the rest of the four-bedroom structure received smoke and water damage.
Bethel said firefighters arrived to find a neighbor spraying water through the kitchen window. The man left when crews from three fire companies took over.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Search] [Info] section for subscription information.
