Kevin Wong of Kailua began shaving his head to show solidarity with his wife, Jamie, when she began losing her hair to advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma. Community, husband support
By Lori Tighe, Star-Bulletin
woman fighting cancerNow friends, family and Hawaiian musicians want to show their solidarity with the Wongs in a benefit concert Aug. 30.
The couple has battled her cancer since doctors diagnosed an unusual abdominal growth about 14 months ago after Jamie Wong, 32, miscarried during her pregnancy.
The Wongs leave Friday for an intense two-month treatment program at Stanford University Medical Center to rid her body of the cancer. They will live in a small apartment near the hospital, where they plan to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary Aug. 8.
"Her spirits are great and she's very positive," Kevin Wong said.
His wife, a 1983 Kamehameha Schools graduate, will undergo a high-dose chemotherapy treatment with a stem-cell transplant to begin eradicating her cancer on July 30. The stem cell is produced by her own bone marrow, which is unaffected by the cancer.
The chemotherapy she will receive is about 10 times the usual dose. The procedure will leave her sick, weakened and in isolated care for several days, according to her doctor.
But Jamie Wong said: "I've learned you can't let having cancer take over your life and drag you down. You've got to move on, maintain a positive attitude and continue living life to the fullest."
She is on leave from her job at the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, while her husband is taking a leave of absence from Laird Christianson Advertising.
To help with Wong's $10,000 out-of-pocket expenses, the public is invited to a Hawaiian music benefit from 2 to 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at St. John Vianney Church, 940 Keolu Drive, Kailua. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under age 10 and include a chili-and-rice plate lunch.
Entertainers include Haunani Apoliona, Ho'okena, Halau O Ke 'A'ali'i Ku Makani, Chant, 'Elua Kane, Makaleka Street Band, Ben Vegas, Jonny Kamai and Brother to Brother. The event features a craft sale, including Hawaiian quilt designs, Ni'ihau shell products, Fimo jewelry and lauhala.
For concert tickets and information, call 247-3016. All proceeds raised will be deposited in a special fund established at Bank of Hawaii on Wong's behalf.
Hawaiian artifact likely to come back home
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs hopes that a 200-year-old ki'i laau, or spear holder, will be back in the islands by early fall.The 15-inch carved wooden artifact is believed to have been taken to Rhode Island in 1810, and has been held by the Providence Museum of Natural History.
Since 1996, OHA trustees and native Hawaiian groups have been trying to get the relic from the city of Providence.
Yesterday, OHA approved a $125,000 settlement to bring the kii, valued at more than $200,000 to Hawaii.
Kaneohe housing project must scale back
The city is out six units in the Kaneohe Elderly Housing Project and taxpayers likely will have to foot the $400,000 cost to redesign it.Members of the City Council's Human Resources Committee blamed the situation on Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration, after a briefing yesterday on the Kaneohe Elderly Housing Project.
The city originally had issued a contract to Pacific Housing Oahu Corp. to develop the 81-unit rental project near Windward Shopping Center.
It is scaling back the project to 75 units because construction costs were $2.5 million over budget.
The extra $400,000 will be paid to consulting architect Bob Luersen to redesign the project and bring costs in line with its budget.
Applicants cut to nine for water board chief
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has narrowed applicants for new water manager to nine.The board would not reveal the names of the applicants, citing privacy considerations.
All are from Hawaii, board spokeswoman Denise DeCosta said.
The seven-member board will meet Monday and next Wednesday to interview candidates.
Board members are slated to announce a new manager at their July 31 meeting.
Palolo Valley tenants to meet with prosecutor
Tenants of Palolo Valley Homes will meet with Honolulu Prosecutor Peter Carlisle tomorrow to discuss ways to bring closure to the shooting death of Rodney Laulusa.Carlisle recently released his office's findings that the police officers who shot and killed Laulusa on Jan. 22 should not be prosecuted for murder.
The prosecutor is still investigating whether police used excessive force during the incident that took place just inside the housing project.
The meeting is sponsored by the Palolo Tenants Association and will be held in the Palolo Community Hall at 2170 Ahe St. at 7 p.m.
Convention center, H-3 win national honors
WASHINGTON -- To Honolulu residents and tourists, it's that weird glassy building at the busy intersection near Waikiki.But to engineers, Hawaii's new convention center is a structural marvel.
The convention center will be honored here this week with one of seven grand awards for engineering excellence from the American Consulting Engineers Council, the nation's largest engineering organization.
In addition, H-3, the $1.3 billion highway that opened last year after decades of planning and construction, was picked for one of 16 "honor awards."
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffWaikiki man charged with beating young son
A 22-year-old Waikiki man was arrested and charged yesterday after admitting he beat his 7-month-old son.David Cox was charged with second-degree assault. He is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail.
He had taken his son to Kapiolani Hospital July 2 for a routine checkup and asked doctors to treat the child's swollen leg. X-rays revealed the tot had a broken bone.
Five South Koreans face deportation this week
Five women from South Korea face deportation this week after being arrested over the weekend by police and federal agents at two Keeaumoku Street massage parlors.The women were arrested in connection with prostitution, conducting massages without a license and immigration violations at Osaka Relaxation and China Spa early Saturday morning, officials said. The five were among seven total arrests made.
Federal agents said the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation by the Honolulu Police, the Immigration and Naturalization Services, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.
Argument gets heated, leads to man's arrest
A 28-year-old man allegedly held a knife to a 29-year-old female yesterday and reportedly threatened to kill her during an argument about going shopping.The man was arrested on charges of first-degree terroristic threatening at a house at 94-263 Waipahu St.
He reportedly placed the knife in front of the victim's face and threatened to kill her. The suspect was arrested as he was trying to leave the house.
Third suspect arrested in March beating death
Police yesterday arrested a third suspect in the beating death of a 59-year-old Kalihi man.James Insco died March 8, nearly 47 months after he was attacked by six youths at a North School Street bus stop.
Homicide investigators last week arrested two prison inmates, ages 27 and 23, as suspects. The third man, 22, was arrested yesterday morning.
Toaster oven blamed in Aiea townhouse fire
A toaster oven started a fire yesterday that damaged an Aiea townhouse and killed four cats and two dogs.Fire investigator Capt. Glenn Solem said the owner of the unit, who left home 10 minutes before the 9:10 a.m. blaze was reported, left the toaster oven on.
Damages are estimated at $125,000 to structure and $35,000 to contents.
Kona drowning victim is identified
KONA -- The Big Island man who drowned Sunday in waters off Keauhou in west Hawaii has been identified as 36-year-old Robert J. Mendoza of Honalo in north Kona.Police said Mendoza was sightseeing with a friend on a rocky shore off Alii Drive when a large wave swept him out to sea.
A fire rescue unit recovered his body.
Big Island police uproot marijuana in Puna
HILO -- Police yesterday seized 15,324 marijuana plants from various areas of the Big Island's Puna District.The plants, some of which were up to 10 feet tall, were taken from Volcano, Glenwood, Mountain View, Hawaiian Acres, Kaloli, Hawaiian Beaches, Makuu, Kalapana, Waawaa and Kapoho.
Police hunt girl, 14, missing since May
Big Island police are looking for a 14-year-old girl missing since she left home on May 28.Windy Koch is described as of Portuguese descent, 5-feet 1-inch tall, 120 pounds, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information about her is asked to call the Big Island Police juvenile section, 961-8810.
Bones at Sand Island were those of a dog
The medical examiner's office yesterday identified remains recovered Monday at Sand Island Beach Park as dog bones.Police had given the bones to the medical examiner to determine if they were human.
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