Millennium Moments
IN the shade and tranquility of Manoa Valley sits one of the perks of being University of Hawaii president: College Hill, home to the institution's head. Athertons gave UH a home
The house, a 1964 gift to the university from the Atherton family, was built in 1902 for Frank C. Atherton, a son of financier J.B. Atherton (1837-1903).
The senior Atherton came to Hawaii in 1858, married Juliette M. Cooke, then became president of Castle & Cooke, active in developing the sugar industry, says "Place Names of Hawaii" by Mary Kawena Pukui, Sam Elbert and Esther Mookini. Atherton Street in lower Manoa was named for him.
Another link between the Atherton family and the university: The Honolulu YMCA men's dorm near UH-Manoa, say the authors, was built in 1932, gifted by the Athertons and named for Charles Henry Atherton, a son of J.B.
Nominations to fill a vacancy on the state Ethics Commission are sought by the Judicial Council. Applicants sought for ethics panel
Bernice Pantell, a commission member, died Sept. 25. This term will expire next June 30.
Nominees must be U.S. citizens, Hawaii residents and may not hold any other public office. Interested persons should submit applications along with resumes by Nov. 12 to: Judicial Council, Hawaii Supreme Court, 417 S. King St., second floor, Honolulu, HI 96813-2902.
Application forms are available at the Public Affairs Office, Room 206-C, 417 S. King St. in Honolulu. For information, call 539-4910.
State tax collections down 2.9% last month
State tax officials today reported a 2.9 percent decline in tax collections last month compared with September 1998, contributing to a year-to-date decline of almost half a percent.Although the tax revenues are lower, they are not dropping as much as was predicted. The state Council on Revenues had predicted a tax collection drop of 1.1 percent.
Total tax revenue deposited into the general fund in September 1999 was $265.9 million, a decrease of $8 million compared with September 1998.
Tax Director Ray Kamikawa said of the $8 million decline in deposits, more than three-fourths or $6.3 million was due to the change from monthly to quarterly filing of the insurance premium tax. The insurance premium tax is one of the taxes in the "all other" category of state tax revenues, which declined by $8.9 million in September.
Looking at the individual taxes, the excise tax take was actually up. But state income taxes were down because of new lower tax rates, according to the state.
For the fiscal year beginning July 1, income tax collections fell $5.5 million behind the amount collected last year.
Kamikawa said last month's figures show the total amount of revenue deposited into the general fund for fiscal year 2000 was $736 million. The amount was $3 million less than that deposited at this time a year ago.
Hawaiian activists protest
Supreme Court lawsuit
3 isle educators win $25,000 national award
The fourth and final winner of a $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award was expected to be announced today.Superintendent Paul LeMahieu yesterday surprised Olomana School Principal Estelle Wong and Waianae High School multimedia teacher LaJuaine "Candy" Suiso with the news that they were recipients of the award.
LeMahieu visited Waiakea Intermediate science and math teacher Jamil Ahmadia on Friday to let him know he was also a recipient.
Wong is being recognized for her work with at-risk students at the Windward district school. Suiso has been lauded for her coordination of the school's mass media program, knowledge sharing with teachers and her commitment to the Leeward Coast community. Ahmadia is credited for instilling in his students knowledge, creativity and an enthusiasm for life and learning.
The Milken Educator Awards recognize excellence among public school educators while also inspiring youth to become teachers.
Since it became part of the Milken program in 1990, Hawaii has had 50 educators receive a total $1.25 million in awards.
Recipients will be honored at a luncheon Nov. 6 and attend the National Educator Awards ceremony and conference.
State's wildest areas offer once-a-year visit
The public can enjoy activities at four of Hawaii's national wildlife refuges to learn about the state's unique native species this week."Wild Things," through Saturday, is the annual week designated by the National Wildlife Refuge System to celebrate each state's wildlife refuges. Areas not normally accessible to the public are opened.
On Oahu, James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge near Kahuku will provide walks in search of the elusive bristle-thighed curlew between 4 and 6 p.m. Thursday, and between 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday. For reservations, call 637-6330.
Correction
One "gigaflop" in computer speed is the ability to make one billion calculations in one second. A story in Hawaii Inc. yesterday about the Maui supercomputer had incorrect information.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Weapons missing from agriculture dept. truck
An AR-15 rifle, a handgun and two shotguns were discovered missing yesterday from a stolen federal pickup truck, police said.At 4 a.m., the Department of Agriculture vehicle was reported stolen from in front of a government employee's house in Pearl City, police said.
When the pickup was discovered abandoned later in the day, the weapons were missing.
The weapons are used to eradicate birds at Wheeler Army Airfield and at Kalaeloa Airport at Barbers Point.
White-tip shark sighting clears Ewa Beach
A white-tip shark was spotted in waters off Ewa Beach yesterday.Firefighters cleared the beach after two people reported seeing a 5- to 6-foot shark swim near some children playing in the water at 5:23 p.m. near 91-397 Ewa Beach Road, said Fire Capt. Ed Cashman.
A fire helicopter was called to survey the area, but no sharks were seen.
Fire officials did not close the area, but did ask people to get out of the water -- and people responded quickly.
"You tell them that there's sharks and they're going to come out," Cashman said.
Man injured trying to douse care-home fire
A 61-year-old man suffered first-degree burns to his foot this morning as he tried to extinguish a fire this morning inside an adult-care home in Kalihi.Five men and six women were inside the home when the fire started in the second-floor living room. No other injuries were reported, fire officials said.
Fire crews had the 5:08 a.m. blaze under control in eight minutes.
About $12,000 in damage was reported. A cause was not determined as of this morning.
In other news ...
KAPAA, Kauai -- Kauai police said a pedestrian was struck and killed in an accident north of Kapaa at about 8 a.m. today. The investigation shut down the Kuhio Highway for most of the morning.
