Major UH parking areas free for next 2 weekends
The parking office at the University of Hawaii-Manoa has announced that students will temporarily be allowed to park in the two major parking areas free of charge while they attend weekend classes for the next two weeks.Students will be allowed free entry into the lower campus parking structure until 4:30 p.m.
Parking attendants will begin charging $3 at 4:30 p.m. for those coming to campus for the men's volleyball game.
About 150 spaces in the parking lot adjacent to the Center for the Hawaiian Studies will also be free of charge from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Temporary parking regulations were administered for students attending weekend classes to make up class time lost due to the faculty strike.
Food and library services also have expanded weekend hours.
Haleakala road repairs to limit parking, traffic
WAILUKU >> Traffic delays and limited parking at the Haleakala National Park's summit may occur as eight miles of road are repaired and improved during three months of construction starting May 7.The work involves sealing the road between Halemauu and Kalahaku and resurfacing the road from Kalahaku to the summit.
The work includes resurfacing the Haleakala Visitor Center parking lot, a task expected to take three weeks.
Park officials said the work at the center parking lot will result in extremely limited parking. Officials said more information of the construction phases will be available by May 4. The information may be obtained by calling the park, 572-4400, or visiting the Web site at http://www.nps.gov/hale.
3-hour introduction to Zen Buddhism offered
The Honolulu Diamond Sangha will offer an introduction to Zen Buddhist tradition at a three-hour program next Saturday at the Palolo Zen Center, 2747 Waiomao Rd.A lecture on the theory of the meditative tradition and a demonstration of posture and exercises will begin at 9 a.m.
Experienced practitioners will be available to answer questions. Reservations are not needed for the free event. Participants are required to wear subdued clothing that covers shoulders and legs.
Corrections and clarifications
>> The hometown of a driver injured in a Big Island traffic accident is Mukilteo, Wash. The name of the town was incorrect in a "Police/Fire" item yesterday.>> A report Sunday on the Sterling Scholar Awards had incorrect results for the Computer Science & Technology category. The correct results were: first place -- Felma Andres Duque, Lahainaluna High School; second place -- Derick Ken Okihara, Kalani High School; third place -- Wayne Kainoa Coito, Kamehameha Schools; runners-up -- Keith Tsuyoshi Takishita, Punahou School, and William Herman Williams, Hilo High School.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Publisher and Editor in Chief John Flanagan at 529-4748 or email him at jflanagan@starbulletin.com.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Former Sen. Ige given extension on theft trial
Former state Sen. Marshall Ige's trial on theft, extortion and money-laundering charges has been continued to Sept. 24 to allow his defense more time to prepare for trial.District Judge George Kimura yesterday granted public defender Rick Sing's request, which was sought partly because of the amount of discovery in the case.
Deputy Attorney General Kurt Spohn did not object to the continuance.
Ige is accused of taking $30,000 from a Beverly Hills couple and laundering the proceeds through a third party. He also is accused of taking $7,000 from a Windward Oahu farmer after threatening to evict him.
Ige will be sentenced Tuesday on an unrelated misdemeanor campaign-spending violation.
City workers subpoenaed in Unity House probe
City sources said yesterday that about five city officials have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury on April 25 regarding an investigation of the labor organization Unity House.Sources said that for about three to four years now, federal investigators have been looking into how the city selected Unity House to build homes at Ewa Villages despite submitting their proposal to build after the city's deadline.
Unity House had been expected to purchase 153 lots in Parcel A for $14.7 million, with the help of $7.3 million in federal block-grant funds for affordable homes. Later, Unity House chose to buy only 96 lots, leaving open the option of buying the remaining 57.
[COURT BRIEFS]
9th Circuit Court rejects appeal of career criminal's drug convictions
SAN FRANCISCO >> The 9th U.S. Court of Appeals yesterday rejected reputed underworld figure Robin Saya's appeal of his 1998 drug convictions and 20-year sentence.Saya, 52, and five co-defendants were arrested in 1995 in a reverse sting by the FBI and Honolulu police for allegedly agreeing to buy 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $1 million.
After his first trial ended in a hung jury, Saya was convicted in a second trial of conspiracy and attempting to possess the drug with the intent to sell it.
Saya contended that the jury was exposed to extraneous information and that he was improperly classified as a "career offender."
In 1993, Saya was wounded and his girlfriend killed in a shooting in a parking garage in downtown Honolulu, and Saya contended that information should not have been given to the jury.
Saya was designated a career criminal at sentencing because of a 1977 murder conviction and a witness intimidation conviction.
It doubled his sentence to 20 years.
The appeals court affirmed the District Court on both issues.
Calif. student hurt in fall from balcony sues HPU
A Hawaii Pacific University student who was injured when the railing of the Ala Moana apartment building where she was staying gave way, causing her to fall eight stories, is suing the university and the companies responsible for managing and maintaining the building.Suzanne Johnson, 18, of Rolling Hills, Calif., suffered injuries in the Sept. 29 fall which also killed fellow student John Sherwood, 19, of California.
The complaint filed yesterday in Circuit Court alleges that the university, Sunny Isles Property and Williams and Associates Inc., the construction company hired to repair the apartment building's lanais, were negligent in failing to provide a safe environment for the students.
The lawsuit also claimed the apartment building was in violation of county building codes and that the defendants failed to adequately warn residents and guests of the dangerous and unsafe conditions.
The university had leased several units in the Ala Moana Tower on Kapiolani Boulevard as living quarters for students during the school year.
State Farm can retain law firm, judge rules
A state judge has denied a motion to disqualify the McCorriston law firm from representing State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. in a civil case, partly because of former Supreme Court Justice Robert Klein's involvement in the case.Klein, who is now in private practice with the law firm of McCorriston Miho Miller Mukai, had argued a discovery motion before the court last month which resulted in Circuit Judge Dan Kochi ruling for State Farm.
James and Sandra Delmonte, who had sued State Farm for breach of fiduciary duties, had sought to disqualify the law firm because Klein's arguments touched on a Supreme Court opinion that he had signed while still a justice.
"When we're here to argue a limited discovery motion ... what I do care is, Justice Klein gets up here and argues, 'Here's what we meant when we issued this opinion,'" argued Terrance Revere, attorney for the Delmontes.
Attorney Lisa Ginoza, who argued against the motion to disqualify her law firm, said Klein's participation was limited to a discovery issue and that not once did plaintiff attorneys object to Klein's presence at the previous hearing.
She characterized the "untimely" motion as an attempt to rid State Farm of their choice of counsel.
Mirikitani moves to have kickback charges dropped
City Councilman Andy Mirikitani is seeking to dismiss charges he allegedly received kickbacks from former employees whom he gave bonuses to and converted the money for his personal use.In a motion filed in U.S. District Court this week to dismiss the charges, Mirikitani argues that the indictment against him does not allege that any federal funds received by the city or any federal program administered by the city were affected by his alleged conduct.
"The charged conduct relates to abuses in local government and constitutes violations in areas highly regulated under Hawaii law," the motion said.
Mirikitani's girlfriend Sharron Bynum, who was indicted along with him, joined in his arguments.
A hearing on the motion is set for May 3 before U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor.
