ANYONE who's spent time on mainland freeways can appreciate Hawaii for what it lacks: those huge outdoor billboards. Signs of the times
There was a time, however, when Hawaii's vistas did include such advertising signage.
As early as 1871, posters up to 6 feet high promoting coming attractions hung on the fence fronting the Royal Hawaiian Theatre at Hotel and Alakea streets, according to "Firsts and Almost Firsts in Hawaii" by Robert Schmitt. By 1897, free-standing billboards advertising bars, plays and tobacco products dotted downtown; then Ward Avenue and McCully Street
Until 1912, that is, when the newly formed Outdoor Circle took up the anti-billboard crusade.
The group prevailed in 1926, when it bought out the last outdoor-ad company here and got major firms to side with the campaign. The next year, the Territorial Legislature passed an act limiting billboards to Honolulu's business district, setting the maximum size at 10 feet, 6 inches.
Ewa Villages defendant
By Debra Barayuga
agrees to help prosecutors
Star-BulletinAnother player indicted in connection with the Ewa Villages relocation fraud is expected to testify against former housing official Michael Kahapea.
Benton Post, charged with first-degree theft, has reached an agreement with the state and is expected to change his plea after prosecutors give the go-ahead, his attorney Darwin Ching said today. Trial for Post was scheduled for later this month. Judge Victoria Marks set his change of plea for Aug. 31. Several other defendants also have agreed to testify against Kahapea.
Post, formerly with Aloha State Tours -- a transportation company -- is accused of submitting a false billing to the city for the company's moving expenses, said deputy prosecutor Randal Lee.
Prosecutors believe Kahapea was the mastermind of a scam in which he hired friends and relatives to set up bogus companies to bill the city for moves that were not done or done at inflated costs.
Clean-up teams head back to Johnston
The Johnston Island work force was to begin heading back to the atoll today after an assessment team found no major damage from the weakened Hurricane Dora which swept past Tuesday night.The first order of business will be to bring power, water and sewer systems back into operation on the island 825 miles south of Honolulu. An Army spokesman said the first people to return to duty will be those charged with repairing any damage done by the storm which passed about 70 miles south of the island.
The assessment team yesterday found some windblown debris and a few puddles, but other than that, Hurricane Dora didn't leave much of a mark. The team said all buildings were intact and no utility poles or trees were downed by wind.
All the residents were evacuated to Honolulu by Tuesday morning. They include 200 military personnel and about 1,000 civilian employees.
The storm did not affect chemical weapons stored in earth-covered bunkers awaiting destruction in the Army's Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System.
Pacific Navy group's Y2K test goes well
Sixteen Pacific Fleet warships, including two from Pearl Harbor, belonging to the aircraft carrier USS Stennis battle group, will complete the Navy's latest Y2K sea tests off California tomorrow.The Navy 214 separate systems involving the battle group's ships and planes were tested.
"Only minor problems were detected," said Lt. Flex Plexico, Pacific Fleet spokesman. "Most of these problems were anomalies that resulted in an incorrect date display."
On Aug. 13, the ships, including the cruiser USS Royal and destroyer USS Russell from Pearl Harbor, rolled the dates on their computer systems forward to Feb. 28, 2000 to test the battle group's systems in a simulated new year.
As part of the Y2K demonstration, a Tomahawk missile was launched Monday from the USS Champlain.
The Stennis battle group is expected to begin its routine six-month western Pacific deployment in January.
Missing fisherman found dead on beach
LIHUE -- The body of a Hanamaulu fisherman who had been missing for two days was recovered on the beach at Carter's Point yesterday by U.S. Coast Guard and Kauai Fire Department rescue workers.Serafine Duterte, 49, launched his 14-foot boat at Ninini Point at the entrance to Nawiliwili Harbor Monday. He left his home at about 9:30 p.m, family members told Kauai police. The empty boat was spotted near Ninini Point Tuesday evening, and searchers found his truck and boat trailer parked near the lighthouse there shortly afterward. His body was discovered the next morning on the opposite side of the harbor entrance, about 2 miles from where his boat was found.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard called off the search for the sailboat September Morn about 8:20 a.m. yesterday, after learning the vessel never left the Big Island as scheduled. The sailboat was reported missing Tuesday night after the crew failed to arrive in Lahaina.
Hilo cancer center to be dedicated
The Hawaii Pacific Oncology Center, established by the Hilo Medical Center, was to be dedicated today. Big Island patients will be able to receive state-of-the-art cancer care at the oncology center, across from the Hilo hospital, instead of traveling to Oahu, the doctors said.
Two hikers cited for hiking into Maakua Gulch after it was closed due to hazardous conditions were each ordered to pay a $118 fine. A story Saturday made it appear the two were fined a total of $118. Correction
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Bank suspect pleads not guilty to 17 charges
A man who faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for firing at a police officer during a July bank robbery in Kahala pleaded not guilty today to first-degree attempted murder and 16 other charges.Judge Victoria Marks set trial for Albert Raymond Batalona for the week of Oct. 18.
Batalona, 24, was indicted on state charges Aug. 11 with 13 counts of kidnapping, first-degree robbery, two firearms offenses and first-degree attempted murder.
Batalona was initially charged in federal court with bank robbery along with three other defendants.
Accused murderer may face death penalty
A federal judge has denied a convicted felon's request to stop government prosecutors from seeking the death penalty at his pending trial on first-degree murder charges.Richard Lee Tuck Chong, 47, was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 1998 in Hawaii's first death penalty case since capital punishment was abolished more than 40 years ago.
Chong, also known as "China," is charged with fatally shooting William Noa in September 1997 over a $100 drug debt.
Chong had argued that the government failed to obtain an indictment charging him with intent and did not include the aggravating factors justifying the death sentence.
In an 83-page decision filed this week in federal court, Judge Alan Kay noted that Chong was charged with using a firearm in committing a federal drug trafficking crime and caused a person's death "willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation."
Pakalolo plant pull nears 4,000 on Big Isle
Big Island police seized 3,918 marijuana plants in Counter Cannabis Field Operations in West Hawaii on Tuesday and yesterday. Lt. Chad Fukui said the plants ranged in size from seedlings to 7-footers.State conservation officers and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency helped police in the eradication effort from Napoopoo to Kau.
Police hunt for suspect in Nanakuli slaying
Police officers this morning were looking for a suspect who shot and killed a 27-year-old man early this morning at a Nanakuli home while the man was lying in bed.The man was sleeping at a woman's 87-404 Hakimo Road home when another man came to the house and wanted to talk to the woman, according to Waianae police.
As the woman and the suspect talked, he fired two rounds at the sleeping man at 1:12 a.m., police said.
The man was taken to Queen's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect is described as 28 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall and 245 pounds.
Hilo woman hit by car dies in hospital
A 76-year-old Hilo woman died yesterday morning after being hit by a car while trying to cross Kaumana Drive by Omao Street, Big Island police said.Kaumana Drive resident Hsiu Chen was walking in the Hamakua direction when she was struck by a 1997 Nissan sedan heading makai, said Lt. Chad Fukui.
Chen was taken to Hilo hospital where she died from injuries sustained in the crash.
There are no crosswalks on that section of Kaumana Drive.
"Traffic officers are conducting a standard negligent homicide investigation to determine if speed was a factor," Fukui said.
