Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, January 1, 1999

Former Maui official joins governor's team

Gov. Ben Cayetano has named David Blane, a former Maui County administrator, as the director of the Office of State Planning, and also announced the appointments of four deputy directors.

Wayne Kimura, formerly Cayetano's policy and planning analyst, joins the Department of Budget and Finance as its No. 2 administrator.

Pauline Namu'o, previously Cayetano's assistant for legislative affairs, is now the Department of Public Safety's deputy director of administration.

Dr. Virginia Pressler, who was president and chief executive officer of Queen's health-care delivery system, was appointed the Health Department's deputy director for health resources.

Cayetano reappointed Bradley Mossman as deputy director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Blane directed Maui's Planning Department under outgoing Republican Mayor Linda Lingle, who narrowly lost in her November bid to unseat Cayetano, a Democrat. Blane has also worked as a senior vice president of C. Brewer Homes Inc.

Blood donors needed to avert yearly shortage

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is urging islanders to donate blood in January, which has been declared Volunteer Blood Donor Month in Hawaii.

The blood bank on New Year's Eve had a supply enough for four to five days, said spokesman Sukil Suh.

But he expected the supply to dwindle starting today because blood donations traditionally slow drastically in January.

"January always is a real difficult time for us to retain an adequate supply. People are busy after the holiday season. Plus it's the cold and flu season, which prevents people from giving blood," he said.

To make an appointment to give blood, call 845-9966.

Road work will narrow Pali Highway on Sunday

Kailua-bound lanes on the Pali Highway from Waokanaka Street to Nuuanu Pali Drive will be closed for road work from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the state Transportation Department said.

During those hours, Kailua-bound motorists will be contra-flowed into one of the Honolulu-bound lanes.

CORRECTION The number of Hawaii bankruptcy cases filed in 1998 as of late Thursday was 29.6 percent higher than the 4,454 cases filed in 1997. An article and graphic in early editions yesterday had an incorrect percentage.

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Police, Fire



By Star-Bulletin staff

POLICE

Gunmen break into Waikiki eatery

Two masked men armed with guns broke into Perry's Smorgy in Waikiki early today, tied up a janitor then fled after failing to open the restaurant's safe, police said.

The robbery-kidnapping at 2380 Kuhio Ave. was reported at 4:29 a.m.

Both suspects are still at large.

Visitors accused in $4,000 theft

Two women visiting from Japan were arrested last night for allegedly stealing more than $4,000 worth of merchandise from the Duty Free Shoppers store in Waikiki.

Store security saw one of the women, 49, shoplifting and confronted her outside the store after she had met with another woman, 26, police said.

The two women accompanied security back into the store.

The older woman was in possession of $1,000 worth of items while the other woman had merchandise worth $3,500, police said.

The two women were booked for second-degree theft.

Fugitive returns, family tells police

Felony theft charges are pending against a 27-year-old Waimanalo woman who allegedly stole cash, jewelry and Hawaiian quilts last year from a Manoa woman she was caring for, police said.

The woman, who had been in hiding for a year, was reported to police by her family when she returned home for Christmas.

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