Hawaii Citizens for the Separation of Church and State plans to file a lawsuit to end the state Good Friday holiday, although courts have upheld the holiday in the past. Group set to sue over
Good FridayThe group says it believes workers paid by public funds shouldn't get religious holidays. It earlier was instrumental in having a cross removed from Camp Smith.
The group has hired attorney Evan Shirley to prepare the suit, which may be filed this month, said Mitch Kahle.
Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Wisconsin is one state that has removed the Good Friday holiday, said Kahle, who unsuccessfully advocated a bill last year to change the holiday to "Aloha Day," enabling people of all faiths to celebrate it.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1992 left intact a lower court ruling that Hawaii's observance of Good Friday does not violate the constitutional separation of church and state.
Voyaging canoe leaves Chuuk for Piailug's home
The Big Island voyaging canoe Makali'i set sail yesterday from Chuuk Lagoon for Satawal, the most important leg of its Micronesian voyage.The tiny atoll 500 miles south of Guam is the home of grand master navigator Mau Piailug. In the 1970s, Piailug taught Hawaiians the ancient skill of celestial navigation, which had almost died out here.
His teaching triggered a revival of celestial navigation among Polynesians.
The canoe left Moen, Chuuk, and is scheduled to arrive in Satawal in four days, according to Makali'i Captain Chadd Paishon of the Big Island.
Some freeway lanes will be closed briefly
Some H-1 freeway lanes will be closed Sunday and Monday .Townbound center and right lanes will close Sunday from 10 p.m. to midnight at Kaamilo overpass.
Two left lanes Ewa-bound will close at Ward Avenue overpass 24 hours later, from midnight to 2 a.m.
Update
The HPD exodus
Several Pacific Northwest law enforcement agencies came to Oahu last year to recruit Honolulu police officers. The mainland departments grabbed the attention of hundreds of officers with their higher salaries and affordable cost of living.A total of 28 officers so far have left the Honolulu Police Department as a result of the recruiting visit.
On Monday, a team from the King County (Wash.) Sheriff's Office will return to finalize background testing on 35 more Honolulu officers.
Jaymes K. Song, Star-Bulletin
Correction
Captain Cook explored the Pacific in the British bark Endeavour, but the ship did not visit Hawaii, as noted in a story yesterday. Cook's ships when he saw Hawaii were the similar barks Resolution and Discovery.
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Police, Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffWeekend roadblocks will try to catch drunks
Drinking driver checkpoints go up tonight and through the Good Friday-Easter weekend.The driving-under-the-influence roadblocks at unannounced locations and times will continue through Monday, police said.
So far this year, 12 deaths have resulted from 11 traffic crashes on Oahu, compared with 11 deaths from 11 crashes by this time last year.
About 18 percent (two of 11) of fatal crashes this year have been alcohol-related, compared with 45 percent (five of 11) last year.
Speed was determined to be a factor in five of the 11 fatal crashes this year.
Police suspect arson in fires at sugar mill, home
Arson is suspected in yesterday's blaze at the Waipahu Sugar Mill.Fire swept through a 2,600-square-feet office structure on the mill's property at about 12:24 a.m.
Arson detectives believe an accelerant was used to fuel the fire.
About $140,000 damage was reported to the structure and contents.
In an unrelated case, yesterday's fire at a Mililani home was also determined to be maliciously set.
A fire was started in the garage area of the home by an unknown suspect at 10:20 a.m.
A 44-year-old man who was home at the time was not injured.
The home had $9,000 in damages.
The Courts
School registrar indicted for receiving child porn
A federal grand jury yesterday indicted William P. Sealy, 38, a registrar at Washington Middle School arrested March 25, for receiving child pornography.He was to be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Francis Yamashita.
Steven Alm, U.S. attorney, said court documents filed earlier indicated Sealy had ordered four videotapes showing minors of estimated ages 8-13 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen said Sealy is on school-directed administrative leave.
If convicted, Sealy faces a maximum 15-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000.
Estate of man killed by police sues city, officer
The estate of Fortunato Barques III, who died two months after being shot by police on his Pupukea farm on May 5, 1998, has filed a wrongful death suit against the city, officer Mark Boyce and others, seeking unspecified damages.The suit also claims the Heeia man's civil rights were violated.
Earlier, the prosecutor's office, after investigating, said shots fired by Boyce after noticing Barques was armed were justified.
Barques received the fatal wounds after he had gone with his girlfriend to Pu'u O Makuha Heiau and was seen walking between parked cars, police said. Police had been investigating 11 vehicle break-ins at the heiau.
Prison guard pleads not guilty to drug charges
Suspended prison guard Richard Doolin pleaded not guilty yesterday to two counts of promoting a dangerous drug - crystal methamphetamine, or "ice" - and one count each of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.Doolin, a Department of Public Safety guard for 18 years, is serving a 30-day suspension from the department and will likely be dismissed, a prison official said.
Doolin was arrested March 16 in the parking lot of a Waiau restaurant after he allegedly bought an ounce of ice from undercover officers. He allegedly paid about $2,800 for the drug.
His attorney, Earle Partington, said trial is set for June 1 but he doubted the case would be ready.
Doolin sued the Honolulu Police Department last year because officers repeatedly beat him while he was in custody. He received a settlement of more than $300,000.
Manslaughter verdict in Chinatown slaying
A homeless woman has been found guilty of reckless manslaughter for the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in Chinatown. Anita Brady was charged with second-degree murder, but jurors came back with the lesser charge Wednesday after deliberating a day.Brady, 40, stabbed William Lee Bass, 43, in the right rib after the two fought in August 1997. The defense said the victim punched Brady. Another person pulled them apart and Brady went for her knife.
Deputy public defender David Hayakawa had argued that Brady acted in self-defense.
Brady, scheduled for sentencing June 2, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison or probation with up to a year behind bars. She's already served one year.
Lawyer for Dana Ireland suspect faces sanctions
HILO - Clifford Hunt, the lawyer defending murder suspect Frank Pauline Jr. in the 1991 death of Big Island visitor Dana Ireland, faces punishment from Judge Riki May Amano for failing to follow a court order.Hunt, in Honolulu, is ordered to explain to Amano by telephone on April 13 why he failed to write a letter to the judge about one or more meetings he was supposed to have with county prosecutors regarding the case, according to a court document.
The document calls the failure "unprofessional conduct" and says Hunt must explain why Amano should not impose "sanctions."
In February Amano ordered eight meetings between Hunt and prosecutors from March to May. Both sides were to write the judge a letter after each meeting to state whether there was any matter needing her attention, but Hunt failed to do so, the document says.
Hunt was unavailable for comment.
Jury selection for the much-delayed Ireland case is set for April 12 with trial to open June 14.
Man charged with $12,000 in bank fraud pleads not guilty
A man who allegedly posed as the president of a local business pleaded not guilty to bank fraud yesterday. John Romig, 38, is accused of cashing checks totaling $12,000 at an Oahu bank. The checks were found to be stolen from a post office box and forged.
Romig is being held pending a detention hearing April 6. His federal trial is scheduled for May 25.
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