Kaneohe chickens
By Rod Ohira
cross road to
avoid being shot
Star-BulletinIn her Kaneohe neighborhood, Joy Tahara is a chicken's best friend.
Tahara, who lives on Kahuhipa Street, is annoyed that some teen-agers have been shooting feral chickens while others are bagging roosters for sale to cockfighters.
"They're not like stray dogs or cats," said Tahara, who has saved five injured chickens so far this year. "They don't bother anyone.
"I saw three teen-age boys with rifles shooting at chickens. It's a game to them but it's so cruel. One chicken was wounded in the head and can't see anymore."
Conviction of cruelty to animals carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $2,000 fine, said Eve Holt of the Hawaiian Humane Society.
"The chickens were here when I moved in 1985," Tahara said. "I figure they have a right to be here."
Earlier this year, Tahara took a chicken with a broken leg to VCA Kaneohe Animal Hospital but couldn't afford to pay the cost to set the leg and keep it there for six weeks.
"The total bill would have been between $550 and $900," said Dr. Jed Rodgers, the hospital's medical director.
An anonymous sponsor covered the hospital bill and later adopted the chicken, said Rodgers.
Haiku Villa resident Bill Moore, also of Kahuhipa Street, has seen teen-agers shooting chickens with BB guns.
"I don't think much of the ethical values of kids walking up to chickens and shooting them point-blank," Moore said. "We've called the cops several times to complain."
Tahara said her view of chickens has changed since she began caring for them.
"It's really hard now for me to eat chicken," she said.
A chip off the old block
Bob Nash, Jerome "Hook" Freeman, Al Davis, Dwight Holiday and John Pennybacker -- nicknamed the "Fabulous Five" -- ignited local interest in University of Hawaii basketball during the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons.The team won 47 of 55 games over the two-year period -- a spectacular record for a program that had managed just one winning season and 81 total victories in its first 27 seasons. UH basketball became the hottest sport ticket in town, and interest was so high that games were televised live for the first time.
Today, a young player watches the old game films, paying particular attention to the Fabulous Five's 6-foot-8 center.
"There's no comparison," said 6-foot-5 Robert Lee "Bobby" Nash III, an Iolani School freshman. "My father's game was intense, a lot more than mine is.
"I might be as intense inside, but outside I'm more laid-back," he added. "I love playing and I think it comes naturally."
Bob Nash, a former National Basketball Association player who is the UH's associate men's basketball coach, and his wife -- the former Domelynne Lum -- were careful not to push basketball on their son.
"But I think he gravitated toward basketball by being around the UH coaches and good players," the older Nash said.
"When I was 15 and living in the backwoods of Georgia, I had no clue of what sports was about. Bobby is a lot more skilled at his age than I was."
Bobby, whose goal is a college basketball scholarship, welcomes advice from his father. "I have a dad who always supports me at my games and he's someone I can count on now to push me in basketball," he said.
Her eyes are on the prize
All that's missing from Victoria "Vicky" Lia's dream is the ending -- and that could come on Nov. 1, when the Air Force accepts one officer candidate through its Medical Service Corps program.Lia, who turns 33 on Sept. 16, is among hundreds nationally vying for the spot.
She has already completed her physical examination and will be interviewed twice this month by a recruiter.
"All we can do is set our goals and try our best to attain them," Lia said.
Lia, orphaned twice by age 17, is married and the mother of two children.
Despite working full-time, she went to college and this year earned her master's degrees in public and business administration from Chaminade University.
It took eight years of determination for Lia to achieve her educational goals.
If Lia doesn't get into the Air Force, she'll continue working for Kaiser-Permanente.
"I know my supervisor at Kaiser is looking for something to fit my credentials," she said.
If you have a people story for Rod Ohira, please call 525-8640.
