Waikiki Beach cleanup scheduled for June 15
The Japan-America Society of Hawaii and the Waikiki Improvement Association will join forces on June 15 to clean up Waikiki Beach.Volunteers from both groups will meet at the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki at 7 a.m. and walk down Waikiki Beach collecting trash.
The event will include the St. Louis School Japanese club.
For more information on the event or to sign up, contact the society at 524-4450 or e-mail ayoshiko@jashawaii.org.
Public will get to testify on water-sewage merger
The Honolulu City Council's policy committee moved a proposal yesterday that would ask Oahu voters if they want a merger of the city's water and sewage disposal functions.Councilman Gary Okino had introduced the bill because, he said, a merger would take the politics out of the decisions made for the island's massive waste-water disposal program, which is projected to need some $1.6 billion in improvements over the next two decades.
Cliff Jamile, manager of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and Tim Steinberger, director of the city Environmental Services Department, said they want the matter studied further before coming out with their positions on the proposal.
The committee voted 5-1 to move out the proposal for a public hearing on June 26. Councilman Steve Holmes was the lone opposing vote, while members Darrlyn Bunda, John DeSoto and Jon Yoshimura were out of the room.
Sunset on the Beach returns to Queen's Beach
The city's Sunset on the Beach program continues at Queen's Beach this weekend, with a free showing of "Men in Black" on Saturday and "Mrs. Doubtfire" on Sunday.Food booths will be operated by Hau Terrace Lanai, Furusato's Japanese Restaurant, Ocean Seafood & Steak House, Davey Jones Ribs, Mr. Pizza, Royal Hawaiian Hot Dog, Ghiradelli's Ice Cream, Fort Ruger Market, Nutty Hawaiian, Popcorn Express and Beach House Cart.
The event begins at 4 p.m. with recorded Hawaiian music, followed at 4:30 p.m. by live entertainment from FM 100 deejays. The movies begin at 7 p.m.
People going to the Sunday event may park at Ala Wai School, 503 Kamoku St., and Jefferson Elementary School, 342 Kapahulu Ave. This is because of a parade from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday that will force the closure of Kalakaua Avenue.
For more information, call 523-CITY or the Waikiki Improvement Association at 923-1094.
Ragasa disbarred for ethical violations
A 41-year-old Oahu attorney has been disbarred from practicing law effective July 3.The Supreme Court disbarred Johnny P. Ragasa on Monday for ethical violations including incompetence, neglect, misappropriation of client funds, failure to keep financial records and failure to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation.
Ragasa had also practiced law while his license was suspended.
The Supreme Court ordered Ragasa to pay a total of $3,545 in restitution to six clients.
Ragasa was admitted to the Hawaii bar May 17, 1988.
Skin cancer screening offered free on Saturday
Hawaii Skin Cancer Coalition members will sponsor a Sun Protection Exposition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Windward Mall to increase awareness of the dangers of overexposure to the sun.The event will feature local celebrities, music, games, prizes and free skin cancer screenings by physician members of the Hawaii Dermatological Society.
The coalition points out that melanoma is one of the fastest-growing types of cancer in the United States, with the highest incidence nationally in Hawaii.
It estimates 70 cases of malignant melanoma and more than 100 cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in Hawaii each year. It advocates wearing hats and sunscreen while outdoors for protection from the sun.
The coalition represents the American Cancer Society, state Department of Health, Hawaii Dermatological Society, Hawaii Dermatological Nurses Association, health service organizations and businesses.
For more information and free publications about the signs and symptoms of skin cancer, call the Cancer Information Service of Hawaii toll-free at 800-4-CANCER from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or the American Cancer Society, 800-ACS-2345.
Local vegetarians target obesity among isle youth
The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii, with more than 1,000 members, is seeking donations for an educational program to battle the obesity of Hawaii's children.The society is working with other health-related organizations "to bring the many benefits of a vegetarian diet to the students" with a video presentation.
A newsletter, also produced by the nonprofit organization, offers articles by vegetarian experts and vegetarian-friendly businesses, information for restaurants and legislative advocacy for the vegetarian community.
Tax-deductible donations may be made to the society at P.O. Box 23208, Honolulu, HI 96823-3208.
For more information, call 944-VEGI (8344) or see info@VSH.org or www.VSH.org.
Crohn's disease patients to meet Monday at Straub
A support group for residents with Crohn's disease and colitis will meet from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday in the Doctor's Lounge of Straub Clinic & Hospital at the corner of King Street and Ward Avenue.Crohn's disease is a serious inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract.
For more information, call 623-9303.
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>> Verizon will continue to offer phone service to new Department of Hawaiian Home Lands residents. A Page A1 story on Tuesday incorrectly stated that Verizon does not intend to compete with Sandwich Isle Communications, which is building a $500 million fiber-optic cable system for future DHHL residents. A Verizon official said only that it has no plans to try to build a competing high-speed data transmission system exclusively for DHHL customers. The same article incorrectly identified Clayton Hee as chairman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Hee is a former OHA chairman. Corrections and clarifications
>> Shane Komine, the Hawaii-born pitcher who was drafted by the Oakland A's on Tuesday, attends and plays for Nebraska. A Sports story in yesterday's early edition said incorrectly that he attended Stanford.
>> The number to call for the Kingston Trio concerts today at Punahou School is 943-3683. An incorrect number ran in Monday's Today section.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULU
HPD nabs second fugitive from MidWeek wanted list
CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department announced the arrest yesterday of a second fugitive featured on the front page of the weekly newspaper MidWeek.Police arrested Roland Lara, 33, in Kalihi at 10:40 a.m. Lara was wanted for a probation revocation warrant for a previous felony assault. Police said Lara is also wanted for questioning in a jewelry theft that took place in March in downtown Honolulu.
CrimeStoppers has received more than 26 tips since Monday morning about the fugitives shown on the cover of MidWeek. Anyone with information about them may call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Thief takes wheelchair from boy at Kalihi school
Police continued this morning to locate a motorized wheelchair stolen from an 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy.The chair was stolen Tuesday outside a classroom at Kalihi Kai School.
Clyde Igarashi, school vice principal, said that because the classrooms were crowded, the fifth-grader had to leave the wheelchair outside and enter the room using a walker.
The wheelchair was stolen from the sidewalk on McNeil Street at about 11 a.m., he said.
"Some students said they saw a woman walk off with it," Igarashi said.
The chair cost $5,200, and the boy's family cannot afford another one, said Andi Kubota, care coordination manager at Shriners Hospital, where the boy has been a patient since 1996. The boy is using a loan chair, which is not motorized. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 842-7737.
WAIKIKI
Suspect in carjackings arrested in stolen vehicle
Honolulu police have arrested a man they say may have been involved in one of several carjacking cases earlier this year. David James Taylor, 23, was wanted for questioning in an April 23 case in which a male suspect stole a car by pushing a woman out of the driver's seat.Police said the victim was stopped at a red light when the suspect entered her car from the passenger's side, opened the driver's side door and pushed her out of the car. The suspect drove the vehicle Ewa-bound on Kapiolani Boulevard, and the vehicle was recovered the next morning, opposite 23 Prospect St., police said. Police arrested Taylor yesterday morning in Waikiki. They said he was operating a stolen vehicle. Police said also in the vehicle was another fugitive, Jennifer Cabaccang.
