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Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, February 25, 2000

Bradley gets some Isle support

Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley's presidential campaign picked up the support of more than a dozen state and city officials yesterday.

Bradley supporters said it was significant because the pro-Bradley supporters represented a majority of the Democrats in the state senate.

Endorsing the former New Jersey senator were Sens. Norman Mizuguchi, Colleen Hanabusa, Jan Yagi Buen, Robert Bunda, Jonathan Chun, Marshall Ige, Cal Kawamoto, David Matsuura, Bob Nakata, Rod Tam, Joe Tanaka and Brian Taniguchi.

Bradley also won the support of city council members Duke Bainum and Steve Holmes.

The Democrats are looking for supporters to come to the March 7 state Democratic Party precinct caucuses

"The Hawaii caucus can have a big impact," Hanabusa said, pointing out that Bradley is within 15 delegate votes of his opponent, Vice President Al Gore.

Japanese consulate visiting
neighbor islands for consultation

The Japanese consulate is visiting neighbor islands to help Japanese citizens living in Hawaii with services such as passports and overseas voter registrations.

Other consultation topics include residency reports; various certification (koseki tohon) for reporting births, marriages and other actions, and applications for English translation services for proof of residency or certification of signatures; and residency surveys to support Japanese nationals.

Those needing services should bring their passport, green card and Hawaii state driver's license.

The schedule for Maui:

Feb. 26 and 27: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Maui Community College, Room FL104, 310 West Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, call cellular phone 721-7397.

For more information call the consulate in Honolulu at 808-543-3111.

Funds available for
forestry enhancement

Small landowners interested in applying for the Forestry Incentives Program may sign up between March 1-31 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices.

About $16,700 is available to encourage small landowners to increase the growing of timber, continue the management of private forest land, install cost-effective improvements, and enhance other forest resources.

Financial assistance is available to cost-share up to 50 percent of eligible expenses for planting trees, improving a stand of trees, and preparing a site for natural regeneration.

Eligible participants include private landowners who do not manufacture forest products full-time, and Hawaiian Home Lands lessees.

For information, call the local NRCS field office (541-2600) or the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife district office.

Tour boat firm fined for not paying penalty

A Kewalo Basin tour boat company entered a no contest plea before the Honolulu Liquor Commission yesterday for failing to pay a $3,350 penalty within 15 days of being served.

The commission assessed a $750 fine on Dream Cruises for the nonpayment.

Following the adjudication hearing, Hiram Kamaka, Dream Cruises attorney, told reporters that although the commission says the cruise operation owes $3,350, the whole thing involves some "misunderstanding."

He declined to elaborate but noted the commission gave Dream Cruises a chance to explain in another appearance before the commission in three weeks.

Dream Cruises had one of two liquor licenses revoked last year for selling alcoholic beverages to minors, but the firm won partial license restoration to sell liquor on one vessel, the Rainbow I.

Earlier, the company was found in violation of rules against selling liquor to minors and allowing minors to consume alcoholic beverages.

Violations took place last March 27 and June 18 on the firm's other vessel, American Dream, and that revocation and ban on liquor sales has stayed in effect..

Dream Cruises on Sept. 2 was ordered to pay the fine and given 15 days to comply but failed to pay up, said Anthony Chang, city deputy corporation counsel.

Waimanalo hosts three projects for Hawaiians

A groundbreaking ceremony was to be held today in Waimanalo for three separate projects of Hawaiian service organizations on adjacent lots of Hawaiian Homes Land.

The projects are:

A new Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center.
The center provides support services for Hawaiian orphans and indigent children.
New facilities for the Kamehameha Schools preschool program. Kamehameha Schools will offer up to 72 Hawaiian children -- 3- and 4-year-olds -- an early education opportunity.
The Waimanalo Hawaiian Homes Association Community Center.

The association will begin Phase One of a new community center that will include a bathroom facility, landscaping, and an outdoor hula mound.

New building will help disabled be more mobile

A low-income housing project for people with significant paralysis or limited mobility will receive $1.6 million from the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

The money will be applied to the purchase and installation of technology such as voice-activated controls, remote-control switches and infrared sensors.

The 24-unit independent living apartment complex is being built by Independent Living Waipahu Inc. under the Section 811 program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

It is the first such development in the nation, according to the company.

Applications to live in the building are available from Independent Living Waipahu at 537-2609.

Dr. Shintani will offer health hints tomorrow

Suggestions on how to balance health and fitness for a stress-free daily routine will be offered by specialists at a conference from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at the YWCA, 1040 Richards St.

Dr. Terry Shintani will speak during lunch, at noon.

Also featured will be Nancy Link-Au, a fitness expert; Rachel Graybill, a professional runner and American Heart Association Queen of Hearts candidate; Rachel Wong, a healing touch specialist; Patricia Kamida, a YWCA master trainer; and Valerie Hobensack, a yoga expert.

Proceeds from the $25-a-person cost will go toward the American Heart Association's efforts to reduce heart disease and stroke.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

Mauna Kea brush fire nearly under control

HILO -- Firefighters were beginning to bring a brush fire on the east face of Mauna Kea under control by midmorning today, said Fire Department spokesman Lloyd Narimatsu.

The fire in gorse brush burned about 600 acres in a 2-square-mile area during the night, Narimatsu said.

"It's not under control, but I think they've got a handle on it for now," he said.

The fire 17 miles northwest of Hilo could be seen during the night from lowland areas 30 miles away. It was reported shortly before 6 p.m. yesterday in an area one mile above the remote Keanakolu-Mana ranching road. The cause was not known.

During the night the fire burned down to the road, but as day arrived, winds reversed, and the fire was blowing uphill again.

Civil Defense spokesman Bruce Butts said the fire extends a mile north and a mile south of the area of a former ranch cabin at Puu Akala.

No structures were threatened, but people at the Hale Pohaku midlevel astronomy facility seven miles west of the fire were complaining about smoke problems, Narimatsu said.

Eleven county firefighters who monitored the blaze on site during the night were reinforced by an additional five today, he said.

The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife sent an additional 15 firefighters at midmorning, a spokeswoman there said. A county bulldozer was being used to cut firebreaks.

Last Pearl City robbery suspect turns himself in

The last suspect sought in a home-invasion robbery earlier this month turned himself in to the Pearl City police station yesterday.

Police said the 18-year-old suspect is one of five masked males who barged into a home on Kaumahana Place on Feb. 8 and shot the resident in the leg with a rifle.

Earlier this week, three teen-age suspects were arrested and charged with the armed robbery. Masaaki Nemoto, 18, and Nathaniel Penn, 18, are being held on $10,000 bail each, police said. A 16-year-old boy was charged with burglary and robbery.

A 17-year-old boy who allegedly fired the shot at the resident was arrested last week.

Extradition unlikely in email threat case

A Pearl City High School freshman who allegedly emailed bomb threats to a New Jersey school this year most likely will not be extradited to the mainland to face charges, police in New Jersey said.

Police believe the 14-year-old may have emailed threats to schools in at least six states.

He was arrested last week after investigators traced the threats through his Internet server. The boy was released the same day without charges.

Police also seized his $3,000 computer system from the Salt Lake apartment where he lives with his legal guardian.

Machete-wielding man robs Big Isle gift shop

KALANI HONUA, Hawaii -- A gift shop at Kalani Honua resort on the Puna coast was robbed by a man carrying a machete who demanded money at about 2:10 p.m. yesterday, police said.

The suspect got away on foot with cash, and there were no injuries, police said.

The suspect is described as about 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and very pale skin.

He was wearing a black parka, a black T-shirt with a skull and the word "MADNESS" printed on it in red, black jeans and black sneakers.

Palolo man, 29, arrested for alleged gun threat

A 29-year-old Palolo man was arrested last night for allegedly threatening to shoot his neighbor with a handgun.

The two men got into an argument at their New Jersey Avenue apartment building which escalated into a fight at 7:30 p.m., police said. Police said the suspect retrieved a handgun from his unit .

The suspect was arrested 30 minutes later, and the handgun was recovered. His neighbor, 42, was not injured.

Naked man breaks into halfway house for girls

Police arrested a 28-year-old man last night for breaking into a Makakilo halfway house for girls.

The suspect reportedly stood in front of a sliding-glass door of the Makakilo Drive home, uttered "young girls," then removed his clothes and demanded oral sex at 10:25 p.m., police said.

The naked man broke into the home by removing the glass door from the tracks, police said. The girls immediately ran upstairs and informed an adult. The suspect fled the home but was apprehended in the area shortly afterward, police said.

Electrical fire damages pallet-making machine

An electrical fire fueled by sawdust and wooden pallets caused an estimated $5,000 damage to a pallet-making machine in Mapunapuna last night.

Fire Capt. John Drake of Moanalua Station said the fire began because of an electrical short in the 440-volt line that provides power for the machine. The fire was at Tri-Palm Industries at 2858 Kaihikapu St.

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading into a nearby structure where hundreds of wooden pallets used in forklift loading were stored, he said.

The fire was reported at 8:41 p.m., was under control at 8:51 and extinguished at 9 p.m.