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Clinton order protects Northwest coral reefs
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton established the largest protected area in the United States, an 84 million-acre coral reserve around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.Clinton issued an executive order today creating the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. The area contains nearly 70 percent of the United States' coral reefs, as well as pristine remote islands, atolls and submerged lagoons.
Clinton said it is imperative to move swiftly to protect the reefs. "Coral reefs are beautiful, but more than that, they are home to thousands of species of fish and wildlife found nowhere else on earth," Clinton said.
However, the Western Fisheries Management Council says creating the reserve would unfairly restrict fishing and could affect the availability of fish in Hawaii.
Clinton announced his action during a speech at the National Geographic Society, where representatives of several Hawaii environmental groups were present. Some groups had hoped the president would make the area a national monument, which would have created a marine sanctuary.
Gov. Ben Cayetano has said Clinton told him earlier he would not totally ban fishing and coral-gathering in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, even though the Interior Department had supported such a ban.
Cayetano had written to Clinton to oppose a proposal to make the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument.
Meetings scheduled on akule fisheries
A statewide plan for management of akule fisheries will be discussed at informational meetings this month held by the Division of Aquatic Resources of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.The first meeting takes place at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Lihikai Elementary School in Wailuku, Maui.
Other meetings are:
At 5 p.m. Dec. 12 at Kealakehe Intermediate School, Kailua-Kona, and 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at the State Office Building in Hilo.
At 6 p.m. Dec. 19 at the DLNR Board Room, 1151 Punchbowl St., and at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Alii Surf Center next to Haleiwa Harbor in Haleiwa.
Kamehameha Hwy. Leilehua intersection work starts
Work was to begin today on Kamehameha Highway intersection improvements at Leilehua Golf Course Road near Wahiawa.The work from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will add a new traffic signal system, new sidewalk and curbing and a new underground drainage system. The intersection will be repaved.
The $2.5 million job will be done by Okada Trucking.
Kalihi will get more noise from aircraft
The state Department of Transportation says Kalihi residents can expect additional aircraft noise tomorrow and Wednesday nights because of runway closures at the Honolulu Airport.Two runways will be closed from midnight to 7 a.m. for restriping.
Tomorrow
Some events of interest
7 p.m., Campbell Building, Laulima Room: Vision meeting. For information, call 523-4385.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Woman is stable after baseball bat beating
A 42-year-old Halawa Heights woman who was beaten with a baseball bat Friday is in stable condition at Queen's Medical Center.She has two broken arms, a broken leg, and head and spinal injuries, police said.
Police charged the woman's estranged husband yesterday with attempted murder. Anthony Valencia, 41, who violated a temporary restraining order by contacting his wife, is being held on $100,000 bail.
Valencia allegedly beat his wife Friday night at their residence.
Police, responding to the scene at 99-425 Kekoa Place at 9:47 p.m., broke in and found Valencia standing over the bleeding woman with two butcher knives.
He later allowed police to take the woman from the house. The Special Services Division was called when he refused to surrender.
Negotiators convinced Valencia to give himself up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
Bank robbery suspect to appear in U.S. court
A 26-year-old man was scheduled to appear in federal court today on a bank robbery charge in connection with the Oct. 12 robbery of First Hawaiian Bank's Liliha branch.Shane Shigeru Rodrigues of a Kohou Street address was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Friday. The FBI and Honolulu police conducted the investigation that led to Rodrigues' arrest.
Man arrested in stabbing at World Cafe nightclub
Police arrested a 25-year-old man for second-degree assault early yesterday morning for stabbing another man at a North Nimitz Highway nightclub.The injured man, 22, who was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife that had a 3-inch blade, is in guarded but stable condition at Queen's Medical Center, police said.
The stabbing at World Cafe was reported at 3:30 a.m.
Three young Kalihi girls held for kidnapping
Three 13-year-old Kalihi girls were arrested and charged with kidnapping and second-degree assault over the weekend.Police say a 13-year-old girl from lower Kalihi told police she was kidnapped by a group of four girls. Three of the girls assaulted her several times, she said.
The victim got away in Waikiki and called police. She was treated and released.
Police seek man, woman for attempted robbery
Police are looking for a man and woman who allegedly attempted to rob a Hausten Street apartment at 1:30 a.m. yesterday. Police say the couple was looking for a safe containing money and drugs. When told there was no safe, the suspects allegedly restrained the female resident in a chair.The woman was able to escape and called the police while the couple searched the apartment.
The woman says she saw them leave in a red Honda.
Big Isle cops investigate fatal traffic accident
HILO -- An investigation is continuing into a traffic accident that killed an 81-year-old Big Island man Saturday south of Hilo.Horace E. Lufkin of Mountain View was killed Saturday morning when his two-door Hyundai was hit by a four-door Ford as he tried to make a left-turn from Volcano Highway into the Glenwood transfer station.
Lufkin was pronounced dead at Hilo Hospital following the 7:17 a.m. accident.
The driver of the Ford, Andrew Warren, 51, of Kurtistown, and his two passengers, Leah Warren, 1, and Patricia Stauffer, 31, were treated at the hospital and released.
Lufkin's death was the 35th traffic fatality of the year on the Big Island, compared with 28 at the same time last year.
