NEW RULES TAKE EFFECT

Early birds get the fish
as shoreline sites open

Some state income tax forms revised

By Eloise Aguiar
Star-Bulletin

Fishermen Robert Mielke and Jay Ohashi were at the water's edge off San Souci Beach at 5:59 this morning with underwater flashlights, single pronged spears and catch bags, waiting for the 6 a.m. opening of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area.

Their promptness paid off for Ohashi, 29, who bagged a one-and-a-half pound uhu and four aweoweo. Mielke wasn't as lucky, but he said he'll try again tomorrow morning at the management area that's been closed for the last year.

The state prohibits fishing from the near-shore water between Diamond Head Lighthouse and the Ewa wall of the Natatorium during odd-numbered years.

By 7 a.m. today, more than 80 divers, two girls and four pole fishermen were trying their luck off the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel. More divers trickled in as the sun rose on the new millennium.

Mielke and Ohashi said they hadn't partied last night because they wanted to be the first in the water. Their strategy was to catch the fish sleeping, knowing the sea creatures were less likely to expect trouble after a year without hunters. But Ohashi predicted the onslaught of divers will frighten the fish away.

"Now (the fish are) kind of comfortable," Ohashi said. "They been here one year just cruising, but now they going be scared. They going be running."

Murky conditions caused by wave action forced the buddies out of the water. They said fishing should be good for a couple more weeks before the animals become leery.

Nainoa Mutch, 28, said the fishing was already bad. Claiming to be the first in this morning, Mutch speared an uhu and nothing else.

"Wasn't that much, and I had to hunt for 'em," said Mutch who partied last night but sobered up in the water. "Not like before, used to have plenty. And I never see no lobster."

Kats Ninomiya, 72, blamed the high number of fishermen for the lack of fish. He said the last time the state Department of Land and Natural Resources opened the area more than 200 people showed up on opening day to take advantage of the season.

Despite low numbers today, the Kaimuki resident still hadn't caught anything with his pole. He said he tried to convince DLNR to allow fishing on a more restricted schedule.

"I told them they should have pole fishing for three months, then the next three months for divers, and close the area for a year and a half," Ninomiya said.

Several divers hoped to take fish home, but 9-year-old Rosie Chinen and her 12-year-old sister Starlie said they were there for the fun and the challenge of hooking a fish.

"You feel triumph over the fish," said Starlie, adding that fish frequently outsmart people. "A lot of times they'll bite and you reel it in for nothing because they just run away."

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Some state income tax
forms revised

Star-Bulletin staff

The year 1999 is over but the 1999 tax season is just beginning.

Here are changes taxpayers will find on their state income tax forms.

On itemized tax forms (N-11, N-12 and N-15), a Tax Credits for High Technology line has been added and the line for the Hotel Remodeling Tax Credit has been deleted because it is no longer available.

A new Form-318, Tax Credits for High-Technology, is also available.

The instruction booklets for Forms N-11, N-12, N-13 (short form) and N-15 have been revised to reflect lower income-tax rates, which range from 1.6 percent to 8.75 percent of taxable income.

The Food Tax Credit has been replaced with a new Low- Income Refundable Tax Credit.

The 1999 Tax Information CD-Rom will be available for $12.50 in mid-January.

All of the 1999 Hawaii tax forms, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations forms, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs forms and the Department of Budget and Finance's unclaimed property forms are all included, in addition to a variety of resource materials, enabling you to file from your computer.

To order the CD-Rom or to obtain forms by mail, call 587-7572 on Oahu or toll-free from neighbor islands or the mainland at 1-800-222-7572. It generally takes five working days to get the forms by mail.

To obtain forms by fax, call on Oahu at 587-7572. Callers from other areas should call (808) 678-0522 from your fax machine. Forms are usually faxed within 24 hours.

Tax forms and other information are also available at the state Department of Taxation Web site at http://www.state.hi.us/tax/ tax.html.

By mid-January, residents who filed in 1998 will automatically receive a packet for the same form they filed last year, unless they moved, filed late in 1999 or checked the box on their 1998 form requesting only a mailing label.

Forms also will be automatically mailed to nonresidents who checked the box on last year's forms requesting 1999 forms.

Those filing the short N-13 form can get free tax-preparation services at the Oahu District Tax Office from Jan. 3 through April 20.

The service is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon in Room 124 of the Princess Ruth Keelikolani Building at 830 Punchbowl St.

For more information, call 587-6515.