Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, September 8, 1998

Public libraries will
maintain year-round public
service hours

Star-Bulletin

Public libraries are going the way of year-round modified school schedules.

Hawaii's 49 libraries will be switching to year-round public service hours, effective today, state librarian Virginia Lowell announced. "We would like to make our libraries accessible to the public as much as possible."

Public libraries have traditionally operated on two schedules, staying open a few hours later in the fall to accommodate students, and closing earlier in the summer.

Now, libraries will maintain the fall schedule throughout the year.

Bookmarks listing the new year-round library hours are being printed and will be available at all libraries.

Generally, librarians favor remaining open the same hours throughout the year, said Al Wickens, president of the Hawaii Librarians Association and branch manager at Waialua Library, which has maintained the same public service hours throughout the year for many years. "Changing hours all the time doesn't do service to our customers."

Tripler center promotes health

Tripler Army Medical Center patients and families will be hearing a lot about healthy lifestyles from now on.

The hospital has opened a new Health Promotion Center.

"By promoting lifestyles that improve and protect the physical, emotional and spiritual health of our community, we enhance quality of life and contain health-care costs at the same time," said Maj. Gen. Nancy R. Adams, Tripler commander.

The center's goal is to assist the hospital's primary care managers in promoting health.

They will focus on preventing disease and injuries related to tobacco and alcohol use, stress, nutrition, safety, family violence, physical fitness and reproductive health.

Lt. Col. Joann Hollandsworth, chief of Tripler's community health nursing, is director of the health promotion project.

The center will use health evaluation surveys to assess the health status and risks of all incoming active-duty soldiers assigned to Tripler and their families.

It will serve anyone enrolled in TRICARE Prime at Tripler or Schofield Clinic with a referral from their primary care manager.

Health screenings, one-on-one counseling and individual health-risk assessments will be provided at the Health Promotion Center.

It also will assist with health promotion classes and workshops and provide educational material.

For more information, call 433-1472 or 433-1473.

Women's heart-care meeting scheduled

Women are invited to learn how to avoid heart disease and stroke at a "Take Wellness to Heart" conference Sept. 25 at the Ihilani Resort and Spa.

The American Heart Association of Hawaii is targeting the free conference at professional women.

Speakers and health-care experts will dispel myths about women and cardiovascular diseases and stroke, teach them how to reduce risks and encourage them to become advocates for women's health.

More than 500,000 American women die each year from heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases -- more than the next 16 causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer, the association said.

Dr. Joana Magno, AHA of Hawaii president-elect and conference chairman, said, "We hope to raise awareness among Hawaii's women that they are very much at risk of developing a cardiovascular disease."

She said women have specific risk factors. In Hawaii, some risk factors also may be linked to ethnicity, she said.

The conference will begin with registration and exhibits at 7:30 a.m. and continue with speakers from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to the first 400 to register. Lunch is included.

Ihilani is offering participants a $165 ocean view room rate, To register, call Judy Delkeskamp at the AHA of Hawaii office at 538-7021.

Pacific Island officials train for disasters

More than 30 government officials from the Pacific Islands will attend Federal Emergency Management Agency training here Wednesday through Friday to learn about new procedures that give officials more latitude in rebuilding damaged public properties caused by federally declared disasters.

Public assistance disaster funds are used to repair, restore and replace facilities owned by governments and certain nonprofit organizations.

In the past, FEMA has spent $20 billion to help rebuild after natural disasters.

Officials from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands will attend the training.

Federal officials said the new procedures will speed up funds after disasters.

Hawaii sends S.Korean flood victims $35,301

A sum of $35,301.25 raised in Hawaii went to South Korea to aid victims of recent flooding.

KBFD-TV, the 55,000-member Korean community in Hawaii and others donated the funds after torrential rains and floods caused damage estimated worth more than $1.5 billion last month. More than 200 people died, and thousands were left homeless.

KBFD-TV, a Korean-language station, started the flood relief fund Aug. 10. The drive ended Aug. 28.

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

Honolulu woman injured in apartment fire dies

An 87-year-old woman who suffered second- and third-degree burns over 40 percent of her body in a fire last month died yesterday in Straub Hospital.

Police have classified the case as an unattended death.

The woman was found Aug. 14 in her second-floor apartment at 1220 Aala St. at 4:09 p.m. by neighbors, who broke in after noticing smoke coming from the unit.

Body of male visitor found in Waikiki waters

A 44-year-old Maryland man died yesterday while swimming in waters near the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki.

The man, a civilian Department of Defense employee, was taken unconscious from the water at 3:21 p.m. Lifeguards, fire rescue and emergency medical personnel tried unsuccessfully to revive the man.

Waimea man being held in abduction of woman

HILO -- A Big Island man has been charged with kidnapping and terroristic threatening, after allegedly abducting a former girlfriend.

Weston Lindsey, 34, of Waimea was being held in lieu of $14,100 bail.

The 24-year-old woman said Lindsey picked her up at 8:30 a.m. yesterday and threatened to kill her if she did not go with him, according to police.

Lindsey's truck was stopped on Kawaihae Road, after police received a call about the the alleged abduction at 1:15 p.m., said Police Sgt. Prentiss Moreno.

Moreno said the woman had some superficial injuries to her face but did not require medical attention.

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