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Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Council grants 2 Haleiwa businesses drive-throughs

The Haleiwa Special Design District will be allowed to have two businesses with drive-through windows -- one on each end of town -- under a bill approved 6-3 by the Honolulu City Council.

Likely to be one of the businesses is the Haleiwa McDonald's restaurant, which already has a drive-through but will need to apply for a minor use permit with the Department of Planning and Permitting.

The Haleiwa McDonald's was granted a variance for a window in 1997 by the department, but the decision was overturned last year after a lawsuit by area residents and the environmental group, Life of the Land. The window has remained in use pending an appeal filed by the restaurant owner, Susan Smith. The Hawaii Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case.

Members Duke Bainum, Steve Holmes and Jon Yoshimura voted against the measure, stating they wanted to hear how the court rules before acting.

2 make listing of top doctors for women

Drs. John Lederer and Christina Liu, specialists in radiation oncology at the Queen's Medical Center, have been named by Ladies Home Journal among "The Best Doctors for Women Coast to Coast." An article in this month's issue of the magazine cites the Queen's doctors as two of the top specialists in radiation oncology and treatment of breast cancer.

A directory is presented of the nation's top doctors in three women's health fields: obstetrics and gynecology, gynecological oncology and breast cancer.

Castle Connolly, publisher of the consumer guide "America's Top Doctors," asked local physicians across the country to identify highly skilled, exceptional doctors.

"Their commitment is remarkable, and we are honored to have them part of the treatment team here at Queen's," said Genine Gorman, manager of Queen's Radiation Oncology Services.

Distinguished UH alumni to be awarded

Seven outstanding University of Hawaii alumni will be honored May 14 at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.

This year's alumni award recipients are:

>> Warren Haruki, president of Verizon Hawaii.

>> Kevin Hughes, leading developer of the World Wide Web and member of the World Wide Web Hall of Fame.

>> Daniel Lau, founder and chairman of the board of the Finance Factors family of companies.

>> Kurt Osaki, chief executive officer and founder of Osaki Design Inc.

>> Donna Tanoue, former chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

>> Alan Wong, world-renowned chef and owner of Alan Wong's Restaurant.

The UH Alumni Association will also present the 2002 founders' Lifetime Achievement Award to former Sen. Hiram Fong, the first Chinese American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

The cost is $65 per person, or premium tables can be purchased for $1,500, $2,500 and $3,500.

The deadline for reservations is tomorrow.

For more information, contact the UHAA office at 956-ALUM (2586) or visit www.hawaii.edu/uhalumni.

Commission appoints August to Maui court

The Judicial Selection Commission has selected Joel August for Maui Circuit Court judge to fill the vacancy created by Judge Artemio Baxa, who retired in December.

Kim Murakawa, the governor's press secretary, said Gov. Ben Cayetano didn't pick Baxa's successor within 30 days from a list of candidates forwarded by the commission. She said it was an oversight by the governor, and the commission then made the appointment.

August's appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Since 1980, August has been a partner with Lowenthal & August, emphasizing torts, medical malpractice, land use and criminal offense. He is currently a hearings officer with the Maui County Planning Commission. August served seven years as a per diem judge and was also a Peace Corps volunteer. August served as a Hawaii State Bar Association president.

3 isle residents indicted for Social Security fraud

A federal grand jury indicted three Hawaii residents yesterday for fraudulent use of Social Security benefits.

Karllton Kalani Gorai, Anna Marie Freede and Rodney Peter Kahana continued to receive disability auxiliary and survivors benefits from Social Security intended for the welfare of their children even though they no longer had legal responsibility for the children's welfare, U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo said.

According to Kubo, Gorai faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Freede and Kahana face a maximum punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.

Rheumatologist to speak on lupus

The Hawaii Lupus Foundation's quarterly membership meeting will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. May 4 at the Beretania District Park, 1290 Aala St.

Only foundation members may attend the meeting, but the public is invited to a free talk from 10:45 a.m. to noon on "Environmental Factors and Lupus."

The speaker will be Dr. Jeffery S. Fong, rheumatologist at the Queen's Medical Center and a member of the Hawaii Lupus Foundation Medical Advisory Council.

For more information, call 538-1522 or, from the neighbor islands, 800-201-1522.

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Corrections and clarifications >> The U.S. Department of Defense spent $1.29 billion in procurement contracts in Hawaii in 2001. A Page A3 story Tuesday said incorrectly that it was $1.95 billion. Also, state officials clarified that while Hawaii received $9.7 billion in federal funds last year, not all federal funds are counted in calculating the gross state product. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Missing woman believed to have been in Honolulu

KAILUA-KONA >> Big Island and Honolulu police are looking for a missing South Kona woman believed to have been in Honolulu on April 14.

She was identified as Penelope "Penny" Medeiros, 54, of Captain Cook, the self-employed owner of a business called Aloha Flowers of Essence.

She was last seen by family members in Kona on April 8.

Medeiros is described as a British citizen who speaks with a British accent.

She is 5 feet 10 inches tall, 140 pounds, and has light brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information about her is asked to call Detective Nancy Haitsuka in Kona at 326-4227 or Officer Joe Self in Honolulu at 529-3064.

38 arrested for drugs in California and Hawaii

Maui police and the FBI arrested 38 people in Hawaii and California yesterday in a federal drug case that stretched from the West Coast to the South Pacific.

The arrests were the result of a joint 16-month investigation into what the FBI called "the large-scale importation and distribution of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine in Hawaii, California, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia."

The FBI said that before yesterday's arrests, law enforcement officials had seized $250,000 and more than seven pounds of crystal meth.

The FBI described four suspects arrested on Maui, three arrested on Oahu and four arrested in California as suppliers and primary distributors.

Numerous federal agencies in the United States -- including the IRS, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Customs Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms -- teamed with police departments in Hawaii and California and the Hawaii Air National Guard during the investigation.

The Australian federal police were also involved.

The FBI and Maui Police Department were scheduled to hold a news conference this morning to release more details of the case.