Mendelson is named state AARP president
Maeona "Mae" Mendelson, a social work professor and gerontology scholar, has been named the new Hawaii state president of the American Association of Retired Persons, the nation's leading member organization for people age 50 and over.As the organization's top volunteer in Hawaii, Mendelson will co-chair the executive council with AARP State Director Greg Marchildon.
Mendelson has been a college professor and community planner focusing on the issues of aging and the family.
She has concentrated on working for nonprofit groups committed to social change.
She served as director of development and public relations at the YWCA of Oahu, program manager for Elderhostel, and program director and senior planner for the Hawaii Community Services Council.
Currently, she is executive director of the Hawaii Intergenerational Network, and an adjunct professor at Hawaii Pacific University.
Parent-child classes focus on early learning
Windward Families for R.E.A.L. will be holding free classes for parents and their infant, toddler or preschooler starting in September.The classes will be held in Room A-1 of Kapunahala Elementary School, 45-828 Anoi Road in Kaneohe, once a week for about 90 minutes.
Classes include an interactive activity between parent and child; child's play and learning; and a parent discussion and support group on topics such as stress, family issues and child growth and development.
Session 1 runs from Sept. 3 to Nov. 8; Session 2 runs from Dec. 2 to Feb. 21; and Session 3 runs from March 17 to May 30.
For more information or to register, call 233-5656. Families for Resources and Early Access to Learning is a program of the state Department of Education.
Isle group gets funds to protect wild species
HILO >> The Conservation Council for Hawaii has received $6,580 to help protect endangered species at the Puuwaawaa Wildlife Sanctuary in North Kona, the organization announced.The money was granted by the National Wildlife Federation from its "Keep the Wild Alive" Species Recovery Fund.
The Conservation Council will use the fund in conjunction with work by the state Department of Land & Natural Resources, said Karen Blue, the organization's executive director.
The Conservation Council will use the funding for four projects conducted by volunteers for two to three days at a time, Blue said.
The projects include planting endangered species, controlling weeds and building and repairing fences to keep pigs, sheep and goats out of wildlife sanctuary on the upper slopes of Hualalai mountain.
The Conservation Council was one of 10 recipients of funding from the national group out of more than 100 groups that applied.
Isle firefighter pleads not guilty in sex trial
A Honolulu firefighter pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges he fondled two girls, ages 13 and 14, whom he met through an Internet chat room.Trial for Kevin Uhrle was set for Sept. 16 before Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto. Uhrle remains free after posting $20,000 bail.
Catfish season opens Aug. 10 in Nuuanu
Applications to fish catfish at the Nuuanu reservoir No. 4 will be available until Friday for catfish season, which officially opens Aug. 10.Fishermen should obtain a valid state freshwater game fishing license and entry fishing card to receive assignments on Saturdays and Sundays. Entry cards will indicate the date and time fishermen may enter the reservoir, which will be strictly enforced. There will be no make-up periods or refunds.
Applications will be available at the state Department of Land & Natural Resources visitor center/permit counter at 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 130, and from various licensing agents on Oahu. Call 587-0100 for current locations.
The deadline for submitting applications to the DLNR is 4 p.m. Friday. A drawing will then be held to assign fishing dates and times.
All cardholders will be required to show a freshwater game fishing license at the reservoir. Those 8 years old or younger are not required to be licensed but must be accompanied by a licensed, supervising adult.
All cardholders 15 years or younger must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
The bag limit is two channel catfish per license. Any channel catfish 16 inches long or larger must be kept and counted toward the bag limit. Catfish caught by unlicensed anglers 8 years old or younger will be included in the bag limit for the licensed, supervising adult, but the youngsters may obtain their own license to have their own bag limit.
Each fishing day will be divided into two four-hour fishing periods, from 7 to 11 a.m. and from noon to 4 p.m. Warm clothing and rain gear are strongly recommended at the Nuuanu reservoir. For more information, call the DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources on Oahu at 587-0100.
UH receives $1 million for Makua field work
The Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawaii has received $1 million to conserve endangered native plant and snail species in the Makua Training Area on the Waianae coast.The PCSU will cooperate with the Army and the U.S. Geological Survey in an effort to address U.S. Fish and Wildlife concerns about the impact of training activities on Makua, and to reduce any risk to native species.
"While folks in the islands may differ about the use of Makua, we all want to see the valley protected. Support from the Army will allow us to work together to find the best ways to care for these species," said PCSU leader David Duffy.
The project will use fences and other measures to protect 25 plant species in the wild. Seedlings also will be raised in nurseries and planted later in locations safe from disturbance and alien mammals that eat the plants.
Alvin Yoshinaga and Nellie Sugii of the Lyon Arboretum will store seeds and tissue of the endangered plant species so that they can be preserved and reintroduced.
Michael Hadfield of the UH-Manoa Zoology Department will continue research on ways to use walled enclosures to protect endangered native land snails from rats and other predators.
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More than 25,000 elementary students in 62 schools took part in the state Department of Health's 2002 School Recycling Challenge and collected more than 1.5 million aluminum cans in February. [Taking Notice]
In the large-can category, winners were Mililani Mauka Elementary, first; Moanalua, second; Pearl Harbor, third. In the medium category, Pearl Ridge, first; Lincoln, second; Ka'ala, third; Royal, honorable mention. In the small category, Waikiki, first; St. Michael's, second; Pearl City, third; Palisades, honorable mention.
On the neighbor islands, winners were Honaunau School, Hookena, Kilauea and St. Theresa.
>> Classroom helper Nicole Yoshida is the winner of the Mililani Uka Elementary School 2001-2002 Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. Jennifer Okamoto, playground equipment fund-raising chairperson, has received the Glenn Hamamura Volunteer of the Year Award, for raising more than $150,000 for the equipment. Due to her efforts, the school was the first in the state to have its new playground completed.
>> Recently promoted to the rank of Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America were Curtis A. Whitaker, Brett M. Iwamoto and Scott T. Sakamoto of Kaneohe.
>> Radford High School student Natasha Hubner was honored as the grand-prize winner of the statewide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Poetry Contest. More than 300 students in the state took part in the contest, sponsored by the Maui-based International Peace Poem Project.
>> Former Gov. George Ariyoshi received the Charles Reed Bishop Medal, and the late Myron "Pinky" Thompson, the Robert J. Pfeiffer Medal, for their lifetime commitments to Hawaii and its people at the fourth annual Bernice Pauahi Bishop Awards dinner, sponsored by the Bishop Museum.
>> The Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind Division of the state Department of Human Services has recognized General Services Administration (GSA) Hickam as the 2001 Outstanding Employer, and Jeffrey Morganstein of Pearl City as the Outstanding Rehabilitant for the Central Section. Hickam and Goodwill Industries have formed a cooperative venture for employment training and placement. Morganstein, who has renal (kidney) disease, is a terminal operator at the GSA Hickam Office.
>> Recipients of the 2002 Kapolei Outstanding Achievement Awards are state Sen. Brian Kanno, community service; Alice Ransil, education; Jeffrey R. Stone, entrepreneurship; Historic Ewa, environment; Shad S. Kane, lifetime service.
>> Angel Pilago, a wetland conservationist from Kona, has won the 2002 National Wetlands Award for Outstanding Wetlands Program Development. Founder and executive director of Kohanaiki Ohana, Pilago played a key role in a legal victory to maintain traditional fishing and gathering rights in the Anchialine ponds and wetlands in Kohanaiki. The victory led to a new state law requiring cultural impact statements as part of environmental impact statements.
|"Taking Notice" runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Please send items to City Desk, Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.
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>> Gordon R. Hilton is with the Hawaii Medical Service Association. A Page E3 item in Sunday's Hawaii Inc. mistakenly reported he worked for the Hawaii Medical Association. Corrections and clarifications
>> Pohai Ryan is one of many elected directors on the Board of Directors of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association Oahu Region. A biographical tag line after her column on yesterday's A10 editorial page identified her as the director of the board.
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.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULUCity crews rescue dog from Manoa ridge trail
Honolulu fire rescue crews carried a 115-pound Rottweiler down the Kolowalu hiking trail yesterday.Fire officials said the dog suffered heat exhaustion after hiking the trail with its owners and began throwing up water when it tried to drink.
Fire officials said the trail, which connects with the Waahila Ridge Trail above St. Louis Heights from the end of Woodlawn Drive in Manoa, was too steep for the owners to do anything but call for help.
"We just wanted them to be safe," said Capt. Kenison Tejada.
"They probably would have gotten hurt if they tried to carry the dog down."
