Kauai airport security gets Case's attention
U.S. Rep. Ed Case said he has asked the Transportation Security Administration to look into why some Kauai positions with the new federal agency in charge of protecting airports were filled without being advertised on the Garden Isle.In a press release, Case said he was responding to "inquiries from concerned citizens" after a Star-Bulletin story detailed how four members of former Kauai Mayor Maryanne Kusaka's administration were appointed to TSA posts at Lihue Airport.
Case noted that the only notification of the positions was on the federal Office of Personnel Management Web site. "Few federal jobs at this level become available on Kauai," Case said, "and it is not reasonable to expect that people on Kauai would regularly be checking for a job announcements on the OPM Web site."
Case will be running in the Jan. 4 special election for the upcoming congressional term.
Bush OKs addition to South Kona park
HONAUNAU, Hawaii >> President Bush has signed into a law a bill that adds 238 acres to Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park in South Kona, park Superintendent Geraldine Bell confirmed.Bush approved the addition to the 182-acre park on Tuesday. The main site was a religious complex that offered refuge to wrongdoers and war refugees in ancient times. The bill authorizing the expansion was sponsored by the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink.
Bell said a thorough archaeological survey would be needed to determine how the park will prepare the land for public use.
The land is owned by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, which bought it in expectation that it would be resold to the National Park Service. The park service has $500,000 but needs another $4.1 million, Bell said. An appropriation request will be made to Congress next year, she said.
Speaker to focus on underreported news
Peter Phillips, director of Project Censored, will speak at a Honolulu luncheon Jan. 3 on the need for a free press given the new federal homeland security program.Project Censored serves as a national media ombudsman by identifying and researching what the group says are important news stories that have been ignored or misrepresented in the media.
The luncheon, at the Plaza Club at 900 Fort Street Mall, is sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Honolulu Community-Media Council, Honolulu Weekly and Akaku: Maui Community TV.
The cost is $16 for the salad, soup and dessert bar, or $24 for the full buffet, if reserved in advanced. At the door, prices are $18 and $26 respectively. Make reservations by noon tomorrow by calling Lynette Lo Tom at 524-6441, ext. 26.
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[Taking Notice]
GRANTS
>> A year of fund raising enabled the Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort to give the Maui Food Bank $13,179 this month. The Marriott International hotel also held a Hawaiian blessing for a newly built opelu-style canoe, which symbolizes Marriott's philosophy of having the "Spirit to Serve Our Communities," which have been suffering from the effects of Sept. 11, 2001.>> Compassion in Dying of Hawaii has received a $10,000 grant from the Kosasa Family Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation to support its efforts toward public education on end-of-life issues. The donation was related to an earlier matching grant challenge from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation. CID also received $500 from the Taketa Family Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation in response to the Gerbode challenge.
>> Over 25 members of the Pali, Koolaupoko and Kahaluu Lions Clubs have donated their labor and construction expertise to restore the YWCA Camp Kokokahi site and cabins. As a result, the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation matched their efforts with a $10,000 donation for the project through the Pali club.
Through the Weinberg Friends Program, the Pali Lions have constructed wheelchair access for the Windward Senior Center, installed a computer lab for St. Anthony's School and built a kitchen for the Key Project.
>> The Rotary Club of Ala Moana in conjunction with the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has awarded $10,000 to Hina Mauka for the Teen C.A.R.E. program, a school-based substance-abuse treatment program. Hina Mauka provides prevention, treatment and recovery services and is partially funded by the state Department of Health.
>> The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted more than $423,000 to Hawaii for state and local agencies and emergency management to become better prepared for acts of terrorism and other disasters through President George Bush's First Responder Initiative.
FEMA also will provide $50,000 to Hawaii in 2002 funds to assess Hawaii's Emergency Operations Center.
>> First Hawaiian Bank has donated $25,000 to Kona Hospital Foundation's Campaign for Renewal Fundraising drive for enhanced facilities and services. Current projects include the creation of a radiation therapy unit, updating the medical surgical unit, renovating the emergency department for triage reception, and other improvements.
|"Taking Notice" runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Please send items to City Desk, Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.
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. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULU
H-3 pedestrian fatality ID'd as Kaneohe man
The Honolulu Medical Examiner has identified James Kaliko, 40, of Kaneohe, as the pedestrian who was killed by a pickup truck Monday on the H-3 freeway.Police said Kaliko was walking along the right shoulder of the freeway toward Kaneohe before the John A. Burns Tunnels when a pickup truck veered onto the shoulder and struck him. Kaliko was pinned under the truck and pronounced dead at the scene.
Man sought in robbery of Kalihi bank branch
Honolulu police and the FBI are looking for a suspect who robbed the Kalihi branch of City Bank yesterday just before noon.Police said the suspect entered the bank at 2119 N. King St., walked up to a teller, handed over a demand note and stated he was armed. The suspect was last seen running in the makai direction on Gulick Avenue.
The suspect is described as in his 30s, about 6 feet, about 180 pounds, with a medium build, black wavy neck-length hair and a dark complexion. Police said he was also described as having a heavy body odor, dirty appearance and facial hair.
The suspect was last seen wearing a blue bandana, a dark blue sleeveless athletic shirt, dark blue long pants, a necklace, a large watch on this right wrist and carrying a small black bag over his right shoulder.
Anyone with information may call Detective Taro Nakamura at 529-3382 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300, *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Fire officials probe Keeaumoku blaze
Fire officials are investigating an early morning fire that damaged a storage building off Keeaumoku Street today.The fire was reported at 4:55 a.m. and extinguished by 5:21 a.m. The building, at the rear of 905 Keeaumoku St., is used by Maui Divers of Hawaii, which is on nearby Liona Street, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Police seek suspect in Kaimuki store robbery
Police are looking for a man who robbed Kaimuki Dry Goods at about 8:30 last night.The suspect went into the store and indicated he had a gun, but no one saw it. He then instructed a store employee to empty the cash drawer and demanded money from a customer.
After he received money, he ran out of the store.
Homeless man charged in welfare benefits theft
Police charged a 47-year-old homeless man yesterday with two counts of theft and one count of identity theft for allegedly receiving welfare benefits under the name of a dead felon.Police said Darrell Tenette had been collecting welfare benefits under his own name and under the identity of a 33-year-old convicted felon who died in 1999.
Police arrested Tenette on Tuesday and are looking into whether he was also collecting benefits from another state as well as from Social Security.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Rescue helicopter finds 2 women in Iao Valley
WAILUKU >> A Maui fire rescue helicopter found two women yesterday morning who were reported missing in Iao Valley. Assistant Fire Chief Gordon Cordeiro said the father of the Wailuku women called authorities at 6:32 Tuesday night to report the two missing after they failed to return from a hike.Cordeiro said the women, 32 and 36, who had become disoriented and decided to spend the night in the valley, were found at 6:26 a.m. He said the women were flown out of the valley and were not hurt.
