Isle entrant in Spelling Bee makes it to 8th round
HONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii’s contestant was eliminated in the 8th round of the National Spelling Bee on Friday in Washington, D.C.,Iolani School eighth-grader Matthew Won of Kaneohe was eliminated when he in
correctly spelled “Abidjan,” the capitol of Ivory Coast in Africa. He spelled the word without the silent “d.” Won’s performance was the best in a number of years for a Hawaii speller in the national contest.
Only eleven spellers remained in the 8th round, and four were eliminated before Won.
When Matthew returns from Washington next week, he still has to take final exams at Iolani.
Leslie Evans, his English teacher at Iolani, called him “an incredibly determined and motivated student.”
Japanese Americans tell their Pearl Harbor stories
A panel of Japanese Americans will share their experiences of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor at a free public event Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.The program will feature several panelists, including Jane Komeiji, an educator and author whose family owned a fabric store that came under suspicion for running newspaper ads that supposedly contained secret messages. The family had run identical newspaper ads for several years but was only questioned after the attack, a news release said.
Also speaking will be Bishop Yoshiaki Fujitani, a retired Jodo Shinshu minister who in 1941 was a ROTC student at the University of Hawaii. After the attack, Fujitani was issued an obsolete rifle and assigned to guard downtown from possible attack. He later served in the Varsity Victory Volunteers and the Military Intelligence Service.
"Our hope is that these types of stories -- of which there are many more -- can serve as a counterpoint to the new 'Pearl Harbor' movie," said Allison Tanaka, president of the Honolulu chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. "It is unfortunate that such stories about Japanese Americans -- and about Hawaii residents in general -- are largely absent from the film."
The event is presented by the Honolulu JACL and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii at 2454 S. Beretania St. It will be facilitated by Mark Santoki, former editor of the Hawaii Herald.
Alexander St., University onramps slated for work
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for travel because of the following closures due to roadwork.The Alexander Street onramp to the H-1 freeway westbound will be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today for striping and manhole adjustment work. The eastbound University onramp to H-1 will be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and tomorrow.
Federal grant renewed for prison drug treatment
The U.S. Justice Department has awarded a $355,653 grant to continue a residential drug treatment program for Hawaii prison inmates.The award, announced by U.S. Rep. Patsy T. Mink, goes for Project Bridge, a transitional therapeutic community program with a capacity for 64 male inmates and 14 female inmates.
The money is granted to the state Department of the Attorney General, which transfers all but 5 percent of the funds to the state Department of Public Safety.
Free lecture on gout scheduled in Waipahu
Gout, a form of arthritis, will be discussed by Dr. Inman Rahman in a free public lecture at 2 p.m. June 5 at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center of Waipahu, located at 94-307 Farrington Hwy.The Arthritis Foundation is joining the rehabilitation center in sponsoring the lecture.
Seating is limited, so people are asked to call 677-5177 to reserve a seat.
Corrections and clarifications
>> Sonny Ching and Nohea Kawahakui won the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for liner notes for Sonny Ching's album, "Ho'oulu I Ka Na'auao." Kawahakui's name was misspelled in yesterday's newspaper.>> Attorney Earl Nishimura, founder of the Japanese American Citizens League in Hawaii, died of heart failure. An article May 18 had the incorrect cause of death.
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. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
CRASH SCENE CLEANUP
Hawaii fugitive found in Las Vegas apartment
A man wanted in Hawaii for sexual assault and other felony charges was arrested yesterday by Las Vegas police.On a CrimeStoppers tip, officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department went to a Las Vegas apartment and found the fugitive, Joshua Reed, and arrested him at 7:30 a.m. (Hawaii time).
Reed will be extradited to Hawaii for sentencing.
