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Nyla Fujii-Babb, one of Hawaii's premier storytellers and a children's librarian at Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library, has been selected to be a featured storyteller at the 28th Annual National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn., Oct. 6 to 8. Hawaii storyteller to appear
at national festival"This is almost like getting an Oscar for a storyteller," Fujii-Babb said. "It is something I never dreamed could have happened to this Hawaiian girl from the islands."
The festival is the nation's oldest and most dynamic event dedicated to the oral tradition.
Fujii-Babb will perform for four hours at the three-day convention, sharing the stage with more than 20 other storytellers from around the world.
She has 30 years of experience as a teller, artistic director and actress. Fujii-Babb specializes in Hawaiian and Asian history and folklore, enlivening her performances with music and dance.
Fujii-Babb is considered a kupuna (elder) in Hawaii storytelling circles.
A professional librarian having more than 30 years with the Hawaii State Public Library System, Fujii-Babb served as director of program development services and was named Manager of the Year in 1993.
Absentee ballot requests accepted
Requests for absentee mail-in ballots are being accepted by city clerks of each of the four counties. All registered Hawaii voters are eligible to vote absentee in the primary and general elections.Mailed requests can be found on Wikiwiki registration forms in the white pages of local telephone books. They can also be downloaded off the Office of Elections web site at www.state.hi.us/elections.
Requests must be received by Sept. 16. Mail-in ballots must be returned the day before the primary, Sept. 23, or general election, Nov. 7.
Voters vote absentee can also do so at an absentee walk-in site. During the primary, walk-in sites will be available Sept. 11 to Sept. 21.
For more information, call the county clerk's office: in Honolulu (523-4352), Big Island (961-8277), Maui (270-7749) or Kauai (241-6350).
Hawaiian culture workshop planned
Healing and forgiveness will be themes at a workshop Friday that will explore ways to combine Hawaiian culture with worship of God and ministry to people.The seminar, sponsored by the Hawaiian Arts and Liturgical Inculturation Awareness Committee, will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Star of the Sea Church in Waialae.
Helen O'Connor of the Integrated Healing Center in Waianae will speak on "Ho'oponopono, the Process of Healing and Forgiveness." Participants will join in activities including lomilomi massage and haku lei making in addition to music and prayer. Na Leo Pilimehana will entertain.
Reservations at $10 a person may be made by calling Darlene Ah Yo at Star of the Sea Church, 735-0259, or Noreen Awong, 668-1949.
Alyshia to begin therapy on Oahu
Alyshia Shimizu will begin therapy this week at the Honolulu Shriners Hospital to increase the range of motion in her right leg, the hospital said.The five-year-old returned to Honolulu last week after undergoing skin grafts at the Sacramento Shriners Hospital. She developed necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as a flesh-eating disease, after she cut her knee at her home in Wahiawa in June.
All the medical services she has been receiving at the Shriners hospitals are being provided at no charge.
Church sponsoring 'Take Out Luau'
All the courses of a full luau will be packed for drive-through pickup Saturday at the United Church of Christ in Nuuanu. The "Take Out Luau" is the annual fund-raiser of the church at 467 N. Judd St.Tickets at $16 are available by calling 536-8418, during business hours. Five dollars of the price is tax deductible, with proceeds to benefit Teen Challenge and the church. "Take Out Luau" can be picked up between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Tomorrow
Some events of interest
6-9 p.m., Waianae High School cafeteria: Community meeting to explain the federal native Hawaiian bill. Online chat available at http://www.oha.org. The legislative bill can also be downloaded at that site.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Waianae man charged with murder in death of Dino Arado
A Waianae man was charged yesterday with second-degree murder for Saturday night's shooting death of Dino Arado in Mililani.Joseph Poomaihealani, 30, of 85-1295 Koolina St. is also charged with first-degree assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His bail totals $200,000.
Nineteen-year-old John Poomaihealani, Joseph's younger brother who resides at the same Waianae address, and Brandon Lizardo, 22, of 85-175 Farrington Highway, were charged with first-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening related to the beating of 21-year-old Brian Chamberlain at his Waimakua Drive residence.
In addition, John Poomaihealani was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. His bail is $100,000.
Lizardo is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The three men went to the Waimakua Drive home looking for Chamberlain's roommate at about 9 p.m.
A confrontation between Chamberlain and the three men attracted the attention of Arado, who was shot in the heart when he went to investigate the commotion at his neighbor's home.
Juvenile arrested in attempted murder probe
A 17-year-old Mililani boy has been arrested for questioning in an attempted-murder investigation, stemming from a traffic incident early Sunday morning near the Hawaii Convention Center.The boy allegedly was driving a car while fleeing the scene of a 3:30 a.m. robbery at Kalauokalani Way and hit a 23-year-old man.
The man remained on the hood of the car for 500 feet as the driver repeatedly swerved to get him off, police said.
The man eventually was thrown from the car on Kapiolani Boulevard when the driver slammed his brakes.
The man remains in critical condition at Queen's Medical Center.
The suspect was among a group of four or five youths that allegedly robbed a boy, 15, in a parking lot on Kalauokalani Way. Another boy, 17, has been arrested in the robbery case.
Ace Hardware fire destroys Kona store
KAILUA-KONA -- A fire that destroyed the Ace Hardware store in the Kailua-Kona industrial area yesterday did $2.5 million in damage, the Fire Department said.The cause of the 6:34 a.m. fire is under investigation.
A variety of chemicals, including poisons, paints, bleaches, acids, and fertilizers were in the building and would have been washed into a dry well, polluting ground water, so the fire was allowed to burn, they said.
The industrial area was evacuated until 2:45 p.m. after the fire was declared out. The Red Cross set up an evacuation center, but no one went there, a Red Cross spokeswoman said.
Thief twice poses as maintenance man
HILO -- An 86-year-old man and an 89-year-old woman were robbed by a thief posing as a maintenance man in separate incidents Sunday, police said.The man let the suspect into his unit at the E Komo Mai apartment building, then discovered that $170 in cash was missing.
The woman let a suspect of the same description, a slim man wearing dark shorts, into her unit at the Hilo Lagoon Centre, then discovered $100 missing when he left.
Police warn residents to require proper identification from people claiming to be maintenance personnel.
