Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, January 16, 1999

League asks court to void
results of vote on charter

The League of Women Voters has filed another lawsuit against the 1998 Honolulu Charter Commission, challenging the charter amendments on last November's ballot.

The league is asking that the convening of the Charter Commission last year and the amendments be declared invalid.

Honolulu voters ratified seven of the eight proposed amendments in the Nov. 3 general election. The city clerk on Nov. 23 released the results after the deadline for contesting election results, the suit said.

The league claims it is entitled to a judgment, saying the amendments are not valid because the commission was illegally formed.

The league cites the city's Revised Charter, which says the convening of a Charter Commission must occur in 10-year intervals. That would make the next one in 2001, not 1998, it says.

The suit also asks that the commission be prevented from proposing amendments in the general election in 2000.

Also named in the lawsuit are Mayor Jeremy Harris, City Council Chairman Mufi Hanneman and David Arakawa, city corporation counsel.

Harris and Hanneman have argued that the language in the charter allows the commission to begin work before 2001.

State courts have dismissed the league's three previous challenges, but the league said it is important that the charter be interpreted properly.

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Maui court clears way for review of runway

WAILUKU -- The state Land Use Commission may proceed with reviewing a request to extend the Kahului Airport runway, following a decision by Maui Circuit Judge Artemio Baxa.

Baxa on Thursday confirmed a determination made by Gov. Ben Cayetano and federal agencies last year about the adequacy of the environmental impact statement for the runway.

The state Transportation Department's application to extend the runway has been on hold since December 1993, after groups of Maui residents challenged the adequacy of environmental studies.

The groups, including Hui Alanui O Makena, are continuing to challenge the runway extension, saying it will hurt Maui.

Cayetano and Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana have supported extending the runway from 7,000 to 9,600 feet to enable direct overseas travel by passenger jets from Maui.

Overseas jets can land on Maui, but must go to Honolulu to fuel because the runway at Kahului is too short for them to take off with a full load of passengers and fuel.

City predicts decline in property tax appeals

The number of property tax assessment appeals apparently will decline again, according to city officials.

The deadline to mail appeals for fiscal year 2000 was yesterday, and as of 4 p.m. the city had received 1,156 appeals.

That's a drop from the 1,722 appeals filed in 1998. In 1997, there 2,186 appeals; in 1996, 2,724, and in 1995, 4,845.

The assessments are applied to tax rates to determine the amount of property taxes owed, and it comes as no surprise the number of appeals are dropping since assessments have been falling.

Finance Director Roy Amemiya has said overall assessed property values decreased 6.7 percent from last year. It was the fifth straight year assessments have fallen.

CORRECTIONS Nainoa Thompson, navigator of the voyaging canoe Hokulea, will not be sailing on the Makali'i to Micronesia next month. An article yesterday incorrectly reported that he would be aboard. A story in Thursday's Star-Bulletin erroneously listed the International Longshore and Warehousemen's Union as one of the four unions that were long considered the most corrupt in the United States. The story should have referred to the International Longshoremen's Association, based in New York City.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Police have no suspects in Waikiki armed robbery

Police yesterday were investigating an armed robbery of a Waikiki apartment.

Three armed men forced their way into the apartment at 411 Hobron Lane on Wednesday and tied up a 62-year-old resident, police said.

One man aimed a gun at the resident's head while the other two rummaged through the apartment. Police have no suspects.

Man accused of resisting arrest, handgun violation

A 40-year-old man is being held in a Honolulu cellblock today for allegedly carrying a handgun in public and resisting arrest.

Police officers approached the man at 11:35 a.m. yesterday on Kamehameha Highway in Waimalu for possible drug activity, and a butterfly knife was spotted in the suspect's pocket.

The suspect struggled with the officers, police said. A handgun later was found in a bag he had, they said.

Police hold suspect, 29, in Big Isle car break-ins

KAILUA-KONA - Surveillance by police and state conservation officers has resulted in the arrest of a Kona man suspected of breaking into cars in West Hawaii, police said.

The 29-year-old suspect remained in custody today following his arrest Thursday.

Police said items taken Thursday from a car parked at Kiholo were found in his car. Police also found items from another car break-in at Hapuna Beach they said.

CrimeStoppers tip gets robbery suspect arrested

Robbery suspect Calvin Chun was arrested yesterday in Kalihi after being featured in a CrimeStoppers notice this week.

A caller led to Chun's arrest on Kalena Drive at 7 a.m., CrimeStoppers said. Chun will be returned to Halawa prison and faces several counts of robbery.

Manoa Valley residence has $30,000 fire damage

Fire yesterday caused an estimated $30,000 damage to a Manoa Valley residence at 2810 Oahu Ave.

The fire was reported at 6:20 p.m. and firefighters had it under control in 11 minutes.

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