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Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, April 19, 2000

Waianae students learn that
small acts can add up

By Pat Gee, Star-Bulletin

Students at Waianae Elementary School have learned that every little bit counts, that a penny saved is a penny earned, that pennies don't come from heaven but from friends and relatives -- lots of them.

They gathered $1,589, mostly in pennies, to donate to the Aloha United Way. The sum was more than twice the amount of their $700 goal in only three weeks, according to Neriza Pangan, the Student Council leader who helped organize the project.

The basic idea of this project was to teach students that "every penny counted" toward helping other people, Pangan said.

They filled a giant barrel with pennies and other denominations of money, the equivalent of three shopping carts, from Feb. 28 to March 15. The incentive was an ice cream party for the class that collected the most money, which turned out to be the fifth-graders taught by Susan Ware.

The winning classroom in each of the six grade levels was given a Popsicle party, Pangan said.

According to council adviser Justin Furuta, even the classes that didn't win still felt good about themselves because they were able to help others less fortunate.

Ceremony tomorrow for first
chancellor at UH-West Oahu

William A. Pearman will officially take the helm at University of Hawaii-West Oahu tomorrow.

A formal investiture ceremony at Leeward Community College will make Pearman the school's first official chancellor.

Pearman has been with the school since 1999, when UH-West Oahu was moving classrooms and administrative facilities from one end of the Leeward campus to the other. That is meant to be a temporary location until a proposed campus is built in Ewa.

"It's an exciting challenge to be a part of the planning process at this critical time for the campus," Pearman said.

With the "prospect of expansion to a permanent campus well under way, there is a renewed commitment to the mission of the institution."

The West Oahu campus currently enrolls 685 upper division students and expects to award about 100 baccalaureate degree in May, according to a UH news release.

Prior to his UH-West Oahu appointment, Pearman served as interim UH senior vice president and interim chancellor at UH Hilo. He earned his doctorate degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh and his master's degree in sociology and anthropology from Fordham.

Visit to Diamond Head
park to cost $1

Beginning May 1, it will cost hikers $1 to enter the popular Diamond Head State Monument.

The fees will be put into the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks special fund to improve and maintain state parks, including Diamond Head, said Parks Administrator Ralston Nagata.

An estimated 1 million people visit the park each year. Nagata said it is hoped the fee will raise several hundred thousand dollars a year for state parks.

An annual pass will be available for $10 a year. The pass will be sold at a kiosk at Diamond Head and at the DNLR permitting office at the Kalanimoku Building on Punchbowl Street beginning May 1. When the kiosk is not manned, Nagata said it is hoped visitors will voluntarily put a dollar into a collection box that is being set up.

The master plan for improvements to Diamond Head includes an interpretive center, scenic viewpoints and establishment of a trail network, and a visitor orientation facility.

Ewa Beach Easter
Egg Hunt Saturday

The Ewa Beach Easter Egg Hunt and Costume Contest will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ewa Beach Community Park.

The Ewa Beach Community Association and Ewa Beach Lions Club are sponsoring the free event. Parking will be at the park and at Campbell High School. Call co-chairs "Aunty" Arline Eaton or Sen. Brian Kanno at 586-6830.

UPW backs Hannemann in mayoral election

The United Public Workers, the state's second-largest public workers union, has endorsed Councilman Mufi Hannemann for mayor.

UPW state Director Gary Rodrigues made his union's endorsement yesterday.

Hannemann is running against Mayor Jeremy Harris, who is seeking re-election this fall.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association endorsed Hannemann several weeks ago.

Harris received the endorsements of both unions in his 1996 mayoral campaign, but public worker contract disputes and a reorganization of city government have frayed relations.

Rodrigues said that during six years as a councilman, Hannemann has tried to achieve "joint and bilateral decision-making" by enlisting the opinions of employees.

The UPW represents most of the city's blue-collar workers, from parks maintenance to garbage haulers.

Correction Kauai police believe Davis Cortez Jr. was killed by cane-crushing machinery at the Amfac/JMB Lihue Plantation. An article yesterday misspelled his first name.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

Body found in river difficult to identify

HILO -- Police are investigating the death of a person whose body was found floating in the Honolii River just north of Hilo yesterday, they said.

The body was badly decomposed, preventing an immediate determination even of the sex of the person.

The cause of death is to be determined by an autopsy. The case is classified as a coroner's inquest, police said.

Police received a call about the body at 1:37 p.m. Fire Department rescue personnel responded to the scene, about 400 yards upriver from the ocean, they said.

Two rescue specialists rappelled 150 feet down the steep embankment of the river to reach the body, which was then lifted out of the river canyon by helicopter.

Police said the victim was wearing blue jeans, dark canvas shoes with white rubber soles, and a long-sleeve, button-down shirt.

Man, 72, arrested in use of counterfeit $50 bill

A 72-year-old man was arrested yesterday for allegedly attempting to use a counterfeit $50 bill at a Nanakuli convenience store.

The man gave the cashier a fake bill to purchase two packs of cigarettes at the 87-1584 Farrington Highway store at 8:09 a.m., police said.

$60,000 Pupukea fire from electrical problem

An electrical problem from a composting toilet caused yesterday's fire in Pupukea, which caused $60,000 damage, fire investigators said.

Nearly a dozen classic surfboards were destroyed when the large storage shed caught fire at an Akanoho Place home at 7:45 a.m., fire officials said. The fire started from underneath an electrical toilet installed in the shed.

Woman in Wailuku fire suffers smoke inhalation

WAILUKU -- A South Maui woman suffered smoke inhalation in a bedroom fire caused by a 10-year-old boy playing with matches last night, the fire department said.

Ariadne Green was treated and released from Maui Memorial Hospital, said Assistant Chief Alan Cordeiro. Green was baby-sitting, noticed a fire in her neighbor's bedroom and was trying to put it out when firefighters arrived at 6:23 p.m., he said.

Cordeiro said the fire caused about $4,500 in damage to the contents and structure of a three-bedroom home at 1680 S. Alaniu Place.