Millennium Moments
If sugar was king for Hawaii's economy for most of the 1900s, pineapple was its thorny-crowned prince. Pineapple had tough early time
While plantation owners glommed onto sugar at the turn of the century, James D. Dole saw the potential of pineapple. Realizing that the fruit grew well on his Wahiawa farm, Dole in 1901 formed the Hawaiian Pineapple Co., according to "Modern Hawaiian History" by Ann Rayson.
In 1922, the company bought the island of Lanai for large-scale production -- and by 1950, it was the world's largest pineapple company.
In between, however, Dole experienced highs and lows. Due to a mainland economic depression that left an overproduction of Hawaiian pineapple, Rayson says, Dole was nearly bankrupt by 1932. In came Castle & Cooke, which invested and reorganized the Hawaiian Pineapple Co.
Revitalized success for the firm, however, spelled an exit for Dole, the company's founder. In 1948, Rayson says, the company's directors recommended Dole severe ties as an executive officer.
Embittered, he did, moving on to other ventures. By 1961, Castle & Cooke owned 100 percent of Hawaiian Pineapple Co.
Hokule'a making great time on sail to Rapa Nui
Hokule'a senior navigator Nainoa Thompson is pleased with the voyaging canoe's progress in its sail to Rapa Nui, or Easter Island.Thompson said favorable northerly winds have allowed the canoe to travel one-third of the distance to Rapa Nui in the five days since the crew left Mangareva.
Thompson cautioned that conditions could change quickly, but so far the canoe has covered more than twice the distance than expected for this point in the sail.
The public can track the progress of the Hokule'a on the World Wide Web at http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/pvs/ Photographs from the Hokule'a are available at http://www.hokulea.net
Retrial postponed till suspect is deemed fit
A retrial for Samson Kauhi, convicted in 1995 of murdering a 74-year-old woman, has been delayed until he is determined fit for trial.Defense attorney Cliff Hunt told prosecutors today that Kauhi indicated he wasn't thinking clearly, had problems understanding the proceedings before him and was having "evil thoughts," said deputy prosecutor Kevin Takata.
Jury selection for Kauhi's murder case was to begin this morning. Instead, a three-member panel of court-appointed doctors will be convened to determine whether Kauhi is mentally fit to proceed with trial, Takata said. Judge Michael Town set a fitness hearing for Nov. 10.
The Supreme Court in November 1997 ordered a new trial for Kauhi because of flawed jury selection.
Kauhi is accused of beating and strangling Ellen Lum in her Makiki home.
Taking Notice
Honors earned
McKinley High School teacher Jeroldine Cy Chun is Hawaii's recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Program award, worth about $35,000. She will use the funds in a project on industry standards to help prepare students for a high-tech world.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
No bail for Maui man held in death of wife
The husband of a woman stabbed to death in the bathroom of her home in central Maui is being held by police this morning without bail.Police Sgt. Dean Rickard said Brian Kawamoto, 42, is charged with second-degree murder. Kawamoto was found Saturday morning in a truck that had plunged down a cliff off a highway near Kahakuloa.
Rickard said Kawamoto was taken to Maui Memorial Hospital for treatment and later released into the custody of police.
Police had been searching for the man since Friday, after 37-year-old Bridget Kawamoto was found stabbed to death at her residence in Waiehu Terrace.
Her 18-year-old daughter called police for help at about 6:30 p.m.
Police said a temporary restraining order had been issued against Kawamoto's husband.
Collision in Kaneohe claims life of man, 93
A 93-year-old man was killed and three people were injured last night in a head-on collision involving two cars on Kaneohe Bay Drive near Castle High School.The man was a passenger in a 1990 Toyota Corolla that overtook another vehicle and crossed into the lane of an oncoming 1985 Honda Accord, said police vehicular homicide investigators.
The collision occurred shortly before 9 p.m.
An 80-year-old woman who was driving the Corolla and one of two 22-year-old men in the Accord are in critical condition in Queen's Hospital.
The other man is in serious condition at Queen's.
Arson suspect charged in two costly store fires
Police have charged a Nanakuli woman with setting two department store fires that caused over $50,000 damage to merchandise.Michelle Wallace, 23, of a Hakimo Road address allegedly set fires at Liberty House in Kailua and Daiei's Pearl City store last Sunday and Monday, respectively, as a diversion to shoplift items, police said.
Wallace is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal property damage and is being held in lieu of $40,000 bail.
The fires caused over $50,000 damage at Liberty House and $600 at Daiei, police said.
Cashier and boyfriend accused in scheme
Multiple second-degree theft charges are pending against a woman and her boyfriend, both 30, who allegedly stole merchandise from a Hawaii Kai store using stolen credit card numbers.The woman, a cashier at the store, admitted to store investigators yesterday that she input five random credit card numbers of store customers into the cash register and had her boyfriend sign for charges made on the numbers.
The store has reimbursed over $1,000 to customers whose credit card numbers were used, police said.
The Island Mini Mart at 95-280 Kipapa Drive was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash early yesterday by a man who held his hand under a shirt in a manner indicating he was armed.
The robbery was reported at 4:45 a.m.
