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Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Monday, August 28, 2000

Non-Hawaiian Conklin
files for OHA candidacy

Kenneth Conklin, 57, of Kaneohe officially filed nomination papers this morning to run for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Conklin, one of 13 plaintiffs who won a preliminary injunction against the state's Hawaiians-only candidate requirement for the OHA elections, believes race-based programs for Hawaiians are unconstitutional.

The former high school math teacher and philosophy professor is the first non-Hawaiian to officially file as a candidate since OHA was created in 1980.

The temporary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor remains in effect until Sept. 8.

At that time, Gillmor will issue a permanent ruling, as well as decide if OHA can have legal standing in support of the state in the case.

Water board to buy Waipio Heights land

The Board of Water Supply has adopted a resolution providing for purchase of a land parcel next to the board's Waipio Heights Reservoir.

The land will be the site of a granular-activated carbon unit for treating drinking water to remove impurities. Activated carbon also helps improve the taste and odor of water.

Isle Army Reserves doing A-OK

A New York Times story today outlined America's armed services reserve recruiting and staffing. The report says that reserve billets are unfilled nationwide.

In Hawaii, the Reserve picture is different from the national one.

Lt. Col. Howard Sugai, Pacific Army Reserve spokesman, said recruiters here hoped to bring in 566 new recruits this year and were able to attract 506 new soldiers -- or about 94 percent of the Army's goal.

"We were one of the highest in the nation," Sugai said.

Of the 2,400 soldiers who belong to the Army Reserve in Hawaii, Sugai said it was able to retain 77 percent of them this year.

"People here leave for different reasons than in the active component," Sugai said. "Many of our members are married to active-duty soldiers and when their spouses are transferred, they have to go.

"Others go on active duty for training and love it so much, they up to go active."

Aqua-bio motion study begins here

More than 60 scholars from the United States, Japan and England concerned with how creatures move through water are meeting in Hawaii. The First International Symposium on Aqua-Bio Mechanisms is being held through Wednesday at Tokai University Pacific Center.

Delegates are looking at aquatic animals in developing environmentally friendly robots and equipment.

Sponsors include Tokai, the U.S. Office of Naval Research International Field Office, Asia-Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the National Science Foundation. Call 983-4109.

Electrical failures hit McCully, Waimanalo

Up to 2,000 customers in the McCully area were without power from 4:30 to 6:20 a.m. today after there was arcing on a switch on a utility pole, according to a Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman.

As a result, six traffic lights in the area malfunctioned.

The power outage affected homes and businesses in the area bounded by Young, McCully, Algaroba, Lime and Punahou streets.

In an unrelated incident, 700 customers in Waimanalo, including Bellows Air Force Station, lost power for nearly five hours because of a downed line, reported at 2:48 a.m.

Meetings on tobacco seek ways to curb use

The state will hold meetings on how Hawaii will continue to curtail tobacco use. The first eight gatherings on five islands will be hosted by the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund Advisory Board and the state Department of Health.

The idea is to gain public input on developing a statewide comprehensive tobacco prevention and control plan.

Oahu meetings will be:

Sept. 6, 2 p.m., Campbell Building, Laulima Room, Kapolei; and 6 p.m., Windward Community College, Hale Alakai.

Sept. 7, 1:30 p.m., state Capitol auditorium.

Neighbor Island meetings are:

Kauai, Sept. 8, 3 p.m., War Memorial Convention Hall, Lihue.

Molokai, Sept. 9, 10 a.m., Department of Health conference room, Kaunakakai Civic Center.

Maui, Sept. 9, 5 p.m., J. Walter Cameron Center conference rooms, Wailuku.

Hilo, Sept. 11, 10 a.m., Department of Health, Environmental Health Conference Room, Hilo.

Kona, Sept. 11, 6 p.m., Kealakehe Elementary School, Kona.

Written comments will be accepted through Sept. 15 via fax, (808) 521-6286, or at http://www.hcf-hawaii.org.

Tomorrow

Some events of interest

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Neal Blaisdell Center, Pikake Room: Federal hearing regarding U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's native Hawaiian recognition bill. Hearings originally scheduled for neighbor islands will be held on Oahu.

6-7:30 p.m. , Hawaiian Humane Society, Education Center: William D. Balfour Jr., director of the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, will speak about dogs in public places, off-lease dog parks and legislative updates.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Two men accused of tying up an elderly woman in her home
near Kailua made their first appearance in court today. Evan
Lowther, left, and Kawika Crites are charged with second-
degree robbery, kidnapping and first-degree burglary.

Two killed as stolen
motorcycle crashes into car

Two men were killed in Waianae yesterday when a stolen motorcycle slammed into the driver`s side of a car turning left onto Farrington Highway from an unmarked beach road.

The driver of the car, 22-year-old Rayson Labaya, and the operator of the motorcycle, 28-year-old George Vahinui, were killed. Both lived in Waianae.

Police say that Vahinui was heading east on Farrington at a "very high rate of speed" when the accident occurred three-tenths of a mile east of Kaukama Road about 4:19 a.m.

The sedan flipped onto its roof, and the motorcycle and Vahinui flew over the car and landed a few feet from it.

Labaya died at 5:55 a.m. yesterday after being taken to Queen's Medical Center. A 19-year-old male passenger in the car was treated and released.

Vahinui was not licensed to drive a motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet, police said.