Teacher contract hearing postponed to next month
Hawaii Labor Relations Board hearings originally scheduled to begin tomorrow to settle a contract dispute between the state and the Hawaii State Teachers Association have been postponed until next month.The hearings are now scheduled for Nov. 5, 8 and 9.
The dispute centers on 3 percent bonuses paid to teachers with masters degrees and professional diplomas.
The HSTA has argued that written language in the contract calls for the bonuses to be paid this year and next year. The state has said that the language in the contract is in error and its negotiators agreed only to a one-time payment.
Both sides have filed prohibited practice complaints against each other with the labor board.
The disagreement held up the implementation of the contract, which was ratified by teachers in April following a three-week statewide strike, but Gov. Ben Cayetano agreed last month to carry out the undisputed sections of the contract and take the bonus dispute to the board to settle.
The board then ordered both sides into mediation, which began Oct. 5 with mediator Colbert Matsumoto.
If mediation fails to produce a resolution, the board will commence with the hearings.
While the hearings won't take place on Monday, the board instead will hear a motion from the HSTA asking to dismiss part of the state's complaint, a union spokeswoman said.
Congress approves funds for preservation of sites
Hawaii would get $20.5 million to preserve everything from the historic Falls of Clyde to the thousands of acres of Kahuku Ranch on the Big Island under a bill approved Wednesday by Congress.Among other things, the bill calls for the National Park Service to get $6 million to buy 115,000 acres of Kahuku Ranch, home to rare and endangered species such as the Hawaiian goose and Hawaiian hawk. The bill also calls for $2.3 million to keep Hawaii free of the brown tree snake, which has wreaked havoc on Guam's agriculture and native birds.
The Bishop Museum will get $300,000 to preserve the Falls of Clyde, a 19th century four-masted ship and a National Historic Landmark.
The initiatives are part of the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill and are headed to the White House for approval.
Hunter education classes planned for December
Hunter education classes are being offered in December by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.Instructors discuss firearms and archery safety, survival and first-aid, wildlife identification and conservation, rules and regulations, game care and outdoor responsibility.
Classes are open to those age 10 and older, and will be held at the Nimitz Business Center at 1130 N. Nimitz Highway, #A-151. For more information, call the Hunter Education Office at 587-0200.
Schedule of classes:
Dec. 7: 5:45 to 10:15 p.m.
Dec. 8: 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Palolo among the gainers in affordable housing boost
Affordable housing construction and repair will get a multimillion-dollar boost in the form of state and federal tax credits and funds.The Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii announced Thursday it has approved allocation of more than $29.9 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits over 10 years.
It also approved doling out nearly $10.9 million from the Rental Housing Trust Fund to three private developers to construct and revamp 443 low-income rental units.
As part of the package, the Mutual Housing Association of Hawaii Inc. will buy and rehabilitate The Palolo Homes I & II project -- the first privatization of state-owned public housing under an initiative by Gov. Ben Cayetano.
A total of four projects involve affordable housing for seniors, families and people with special needs in Palolo, Hawaii Kai and elsewhere in Honolulu.
Other developers receiving awards are the Hawaii Housing Development Corp. and Hawaii Intergenerational Community Development Association.
Cayetano commended the stimulus package for meeting a need for affordable rental units and providing jobs "during a period of uncertainty."
Isles get expanded Medicaid coverage
WASHINGTON >> Hawaii is among 13 states given approval to broaden Medicaid coverage to include women with breast or cervical cancer.U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson on Friday approved the states' requests to extend Medicaid benefits.
"These expansions offer help, hope and health care to women who otherwise would receive only a diagnosis that may sound like a death sentence," Thompson said. "With these approvals, women who had no health coverage can now get immediate access to life-saving treatment through Medicaid."
The benefits will now be available to uninsured women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federal screening program.
In addition to Hawaii, the states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Maine, Michigan, Vermont and Wyoming.
The 13 states are the most recent states to take advantage of the federal Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000. The act allows states to expand Medicaid coverage to these women who otherwise would not have health coverage. In the year since the law's enactment, HHS has approved expanded Medicaid eligibility in 32 states.
Police beefing up parking enforcement
Honolulu police will be strictly enforcing parking regulations -- citing and towing vehicles in "no parking" and "tow away" zones. Chief Lee Donohue said the enforcement is part of an effort to increase safety of the community by removing suspicious vehicles.
Program offers further info on drug dangers
Dangers of mixing over-the-counter herbal remedies and other supplements with prescription drugs will be emphasized today through Oct. 27 in a special program: "Managing Your Medications Week."The Hawaii Pharmacists Association and Hawaii Medical Service Association are sponsoring the program during National Pharmacy Week.
Residents are urged to schedule appointments with participating pharmacies for free consultations and information about their prescriptions, vitamins, dietary supplements and herbal products and potentially dangerous interactions.
Call your neighborhood pharmacy to ask if it is participating in the program or visit www.hmsa.com for a list of participants and other information.
Kawa Stream pollution focus of meeting
The state Department of Health will hold a public informational meeting Oct. 30 to explain findings in its draft report on Total Maximum Daily Loads estimated from Kawa Stream, Kaneohe.The meeting will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Kaneohe Senior/Community Center, 45-613 Puohala Road.
Residents are encouraged to attend and ask questions about the process and present ideas to improve the stream's water quality.
Total Maximum Daily Loads are the maximum amount of pollutants that can enter surface water without violating the state's water quality standards.
Kawa Stream's nutrients and sediments must be reduced to the amount allowed by Total Maximum Daily Loads to meet state standards and be removed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's approved list of impaired water bodies.
This would ensure that the stream can support a balanced aquatic community, including any endangered species, and is safe for recreational uses.
For a copy of the report, contact the Environmental Planning Office, 586-4337, e-mail bmatsunaga@eha.health.state.hi.us, visit www.hawaii.gov/doh/eh /epo, or mail a request to the EPO, 919 Ala Moana, Room 312, Honolulu 96814. Written comments may be submitted to the EPO manager at the above address by Nov. 13.
$3 million grant to aid disabled
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the city of Honolulu a $3 million grant for 75 housing vouchers for people with disabilities to rent affordable private housing of their choice."This funding for housing choice vouchers goes to support the independence and equal rights of persons with disabilities in our society," said U.S. Rep. Patsy T. Mink (D, Hawaii).
Alliance for Arts Education donates $500 to attack victims
The Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education has donated $500 to the Hawaii Community Foundation's "September 11th Fund" to aid victims of the terrorist attacks.The foundation contributed one dollar for every ticket sold for its "Alliance Awards" on Sept. 22 at the Hawaii Theatre.
"This contribution is a symbol of the arts community taking a proactive role in helping people cope with these devastating attacks," said Marilyn Cristofori, executive director.
"The arts explore and define the essence of the human experience. They hold the power to build understanding, to express our thoughts and emotions, and more importantly, to heal our souls," she said.
At the event, the alliance presented the 2001 Alfred Preis Award for lifetime dedication to the arts to Henry Miyamura, music director for the Hawaii Youth Symphony Association and conductor of the association's Youth Symphony I.
Kahuku, Roosevelt and Waianae High Schools, Honolulu Waldorf School, Mid-Pacific School of the Arts, and Seabury Hall (Maui) received Arts Excellence Awards.
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
HONOLULU
Pedestrian identified in fatal Palolo car accident
The medical examiner's office has identified the pedestrian who was killed Friday night in Palolo Valley as Man Young Pak, 76, of Palolo.A Nissan pickup truck, driven by a 32-year-old Palolo man, hit Pak at 9:05 p.m. while he was crossing 10th Avenue in a marked crosswalk at Kaau Street, police said.
Pak was taken by ambulance to Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, with injuries to the left side of his head, body and left leg. He was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m.
Police ruled out speed, alcohol and lighting as causes in the accident.
LEEWARD OAHU
14-year-old arrested for sexual assault on woman
Police arrested and charged a 14-year-old boy Friday after he allegedly tried to sexually assault a woman walking home in Makakilo Tuesday.The 22-year-old woman identified the teen in a photographic lineup. The boy had been arrested for a similar incident in the same area Thursday, police said.
The woman said she noticed someone following her and continued to walk away from him, but the teen grabbed her from behind and tried to sexually assault her, police said. When she screamed, he fled.
The 14-year-old was charged with kidnapping and third-degree sexual assault in the case. Because he is a juvenile, no bail was set and his identity is being withheld.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Rangers find dead victim inside Kilauea Caldera
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK >> Park rangers found the body of an Oklahoma woman about 200 feet below the edge of Kilauea Caldera about 12:50 yesterday afternoon, according to a news release. Regina P. Stabler, 48, had been reported missing by her husband Hollis yesterday morning. The Stablers were staying at the Kilauea Military Camp.Park rangers, firefighters and rescue personnel searched the camp, the surrounding area and nearby earth cracks and ledges before finding the victim.
Regina Stabler was a commander with the U.S. Public Health Service, according to the release.
Woman charged with killing her ex-husband
HILO >> Police charged 50-year-old Genesis Eleakala Kauhi with second degree murder in the shooting death of her ex-husband. Police were called to a home in the Keaukaha section of Hilo about 5:14 a.m. Thursday. They found Gaylon Baldado, 51, with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center where he underwent surgery and later died.Kauhi is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
