Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Hawaiian bones thought to be reburied are found

KEALAKEKUA, Hawaii >> A Kona residential developer has confirmed finding bones from Hawaiian burials in the possession of a consultant after giving court testimony that all such bones had been reburied.

John De Fries, president of the 1,550-acre Hokulia development, ordered a "top-to-bottom review" of all areas under the supervision of Scientific Consultant Services, a Hokulia statement said.

"This announcement follows (Thursday's) discovery by an SCS worker of a box containing burial remains, inadvertently stored in the consultant's locked artifact and curation facility," the statement said.

De Fries informed the state Burial Sites Program and hired off-duty police to provide 24-hour security for the bones.

Hokulia has been locked in court proceedings with the Protect Keopuka Ohana and others who accuse the developer of mistreating Hawaiian burials.

"After three months of contempt hearings, they assured us repeatedly that everything had been restored (reburied)," said Alan Murakami of the Native Hawaii Legal Corp., which represents the Ohana.

The discovered remains included bones up to 10 inches long in paper bags, Murakami said.

He questioned the professionalism of Hokulia's archaeology consultant. The Hawaiian Legal Corp. obtained evidence that the consultant used employees from a temporary labor agency, and at least one wrote field notes saying he heard the voices of Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley, Murakami said.

Marilyn Harris resigns from Board of Education

Marilyn Harris has resigned from the Board of Education citing health reasons, the board chairman said yesterday.

Chairman Herbert Watanabe said he received a resignation letter from Harris about two weeks ago. He said he did not know the nature of her health concerns.

Harris was a "very good and dedicated" member, Watanabe said. "She spoke up and had some very good ideas."

Harris was elected to represent Oahu's Leeward District in 2000 when she was 55 years old and a program director for Healthy Start Waianae. Her term would have expired in 2004.

Watanabe said he has not formally notified Gov. Ben Cayetano of the resignation, which is effective immediately. Cayetano will appoint someone to fill the vacated seat until a replacement is chosen in the November election, Watanabe said.

The vacancy does not change the majority vote of seven needed to approve measures, Watanabe said.

Harris could not be reached for comment.

Memorial service for 55 will be held

Senior citizens who attend programs at the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center will remember 55 recently deceased members at an annual memorial program Monday.

The Rev. Charles Buck, pastor of the Judd Street United Church of Christ, will speak at the 9 a.m. service at the center, 1640 Lanakila Ave. The interfaith services will also include music by Gladys Park's ukulele class and a poetry reading by Patricia Warren.

The center, run by Catholic Charities Hawaii, provides educational, recreational and social programs.

Schools offer SAT preparation classes

Preparation classes for the Scholastic Achievement Test will be offered this summer at several Oahu schools.

The three-week programs, held Monday through Friday, are open to all high school students.

The course is taught by longtime SAT instructor Raymond Karelitz, who has written four books on the subject. Topics include strategies in time management, speed reading, vocabulary building and solving math problems. Tuition is $220 -- except for the Moanalua High School session, which is $200 -- and includes two textbooks, vocabulary flashcards, text materials and a final report card.

For more information or for a registration flier, call 261-6666, 24 hours a day, and leave a name and mailing address. Classes will be held as follows:
>> Aiea High School: June 3-21, 2:30-4 p.m.
>> St. Louis School: June 11-28, 12:30-2 p.m.
>> Mililani High School: June 24-July 12, 2:50-4:20 p.m.
>> Pearl City High School: July 1-19, 1-2:30 p.m.
>> Moanalua High School: July 15-26, 2:45-4:45 p.m.
>> Radford High School: July 15-Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
>> Roosevelt High School: July 22-Aug. 9, 12:30-2 p.m.
>> Kailua High School: July 29-Aug. 15, 2:30-4 p.m.

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Corrections and clarifications >> A Page A1 story and Page A6 photo in Thursday's morning edition gave incorrect first names for "Star Wars" fan Eric Castillo. >> WorldPoint Interactive Inc.'s former attorney is Jim Evers. His last name was misspelled as Evans in the late Friday edition of Hawaii Inc. 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

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Porferio Lopez watched yesterday as firemen investigated a house fire in Ewa Beach that completely destroyed his neighbor's home. Lopez said he and other neighbors sprayed their homes and the fire with their garden hoses. His home and garden suffered some minor damage. For more on the fire, see story below.

HONOLULU

Girl kidnapped from home and fondled, cops say

Honolulu police are looking for a man who allegedly abducted a 9-year-old girl from her bedroom early yesterday morning and carried her outside to a wooded area where he fondled her.

Police said the man fled when the girl's family awakened and started looking for her.

It happened about 1:30 a.m. at a home on Kalihi Street.

Police believe the man entered the home through an unlocked door. Family members were awakened when they heard items in their home being knocked over and a motion sensor light outside turned on.

Family members believed their home was being burglarized and did not immediately realize the girl was missing until they all got up and started looking around, police said. As they were looking for the missing girl, she ran back home, police said. Police believe the girl's abductor was frightened off when the lights were turned on at a nearby residence.

LEEWARD OAHU

Pet dog alerts Ewa man as flames engulf house

Honolulu fire investigators are looking into the cause of a blaze that destroyed the home of two Ewa Beach men yesterday.

Fire officials said one of the men, the 72-year-old owner of the Hanakahi Street house, was at home asleep at the time of the fire along with his Chihuahua, named Little Bit.

"He was awoken by the barking of Little Bit. ... He looked up, saw flames on the ceiling and got out with his dog," said Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. Richard Soo.

The man was treated later for smoke inhalation. Soo also said a female firefighter was taken to St. Francis-West Medical Center, where she was treated for heat exhaustion and released.

According to neighbors, Soo said, the other resident of the home, a 42-year-old man, was seen leaving the house on a bicycle sometime before the fire broke out at 1:35 p.m.

The fire caused an estimated $205,000 in damage to the house and its contents. The American Red Cross is assisting both men, who were left homeless by the fire.

Body found at Keaau was partially burned

Honolulu police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man whose body was found Tuesday in some brush near Keaau Beach Park.

The man was between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall. On the outside of his left leg was the word "MAKAHA" tattooed in old English lettering.

The body was decomposing and partially burned.

Detectives believe the man died less than a week before being discovered.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Vandals sought in blaze set at Puna warehouse

Big Island police said a fire set by vandals destroyed the Nanawale Community Association's warehouse yesterday morning.

Puna police and fire officials said that about 6 a.m., they found the warehouse building, located next to the community association's long house, engulfed in flames. The damage was estimated at $2,000.

Police said there was evidence the fire had been deliberately set, and the Nanawale Community Association has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the fire.

Anyone with information about the fire or the identity of those responsible is asked to call Officer Christopher Ragasa of the Puna Patrol at 966-5835.

Police question witness in case of 2 missing men

Hilo police detectives have questioned a witness in the disappearance of two Puna men who have been missing for more than a week.

Police arrested John McGovern, 18, in the Glenwood area of Puna on an outstanding warrant for contempt of court. After being questioned by detectives, McGovern was released on $50 bail.

Police said McGovern, who had been sought as a witness in the disappearance, was cooperative.

The two missing men involved in the case were last spotted May 8, when they were seen hitchhiking near the scene of a single-car accident in Kau.

The missing men have been identified as Cassidy M. Toole, 20, of a Fern Acres address in Puna, and his roommate, Wesley Alan Matheson, also 20.

Police said the two were believed to have been in a black 2001 Honda Civic LX two-door sedan at about 7 a.m. May 8, when the car ran off the road and into a ditch near the 70-mile marker of Mamalahoa Highway in the South Point area.

The two apparently left the car in the ditch and were last seen being picked up by a red sedan as they were hitchhiking along the highway.

Police said neither man has been seen or heard from since.

Police later found the men's sedan stripped of its tires and rims, gray bucket seats, stereo and battery. Police are seeking information about the whereabouts of either of the missing men, the missing car parts or the red sedan that reportedly picked them up.

Toole is described as being 6 feet 1 inch in height, weighing 152 pounds and having brown hair and hazel eyes.

Matheson is described as being 5 feet 7 inches in height, weighing 128 pounds and having blond hair and hazel eyes. He also has a large tattoo with the word "Matheson" on his back and a tattoo of a mermaid and fairies on one of his shoulders. He reportedly had shaved his head and was wearing strands of dreadlocks.

Anyone with information about the missing men is asked to call Capt. James Day of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Division at 961-2251, the Puna Patrol at 966-5835, the Kau Patrol at 939-2520 or the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.