Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin Staff
28-year veteran named Maui fire chief
WAILUKU >> A 28-year veteran of the Maui Fire Department has been named as the new Maui fire chief.Carl Kaupalolo, 54, succeeds Richard Fernandez and will lead the department with 277 employees.
Blake Takayama, the Fire and Public Safety Commission chairman, said Kaupalolo was selected for a variety of reasons, including his overall experience and his ability to work well with the firefighters under his command.
Kaupalolo, a Vietnam War veteran and 1966 graduate of Maui High School, earned an associate degree in management from Maui Community College in 1975.
He was named battalion chief in charge of strategic plans for the department last September.
Named as deputy chief is Neal Bal, 58, who had served as deputy fire marshal of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
State airports' parking free for first half-hour
The state is making it a little easier to say a long goodbye at the airport starting today by offering free public parking for the first 30 minutes at all state airports.Gov. Linda Lingle announced the six-month pilot "kamaaina parking" program yesterday on her weekly radio program.
Under the new program, the first half-hour of parking will be free. The second half-hour will cost $1, and each additional hour or fraction will cost $1. All other parking fees remain the same.
Motorists previously had to pay $1 for the first 30 minutes, and $1 for each hour or fraction after that.
Sierra Club names Gill development director
The Sierra Club's Hawaii Chapter has selected Gary Gill, former state deputy director of the Environmental Health Administration, to serve as director of development."Gary was a natural fit with the Sierra Club," said Jeff Mikulina, director of the Hawaii chapter.
Gill will work to increase the club's funding base, coordinate volunteers and increase public knowledge of the Sierra Club's mission.
Gill, former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control and former city councilman, said he has worked with the Sierra Club most of his professional career to promote care for Hawaii's natural resources.
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[Taking Notice]
>> Stuart Ho has been elected president and chief executive officer of REHAB Hospital at 226 N. Kuakini St.Other appointments include Jim Wo, chairman, and Ron Ho, vice chairman. New board directors are Roger Finnie, Benjamin Kudo, John Komeiji, Glenn Sexton, Dr. Myron Shirasu and Keith Matsunaga.
Elected to the REHAB Foundation's board were Eileen Kauhane Lota, George M. Irion, Dr. William Davis and Fred Trotter.
>> Johnathan Dang and Forrest Richmond, of Saint Louis School, are the Hawaii State Forensics Champions in the debate category, and will represent Hawaii at the national Speech and Debate Tournament in Atlanta this summer.
Saint Louis School scholarship recipients include Mark Blackmon, $1,000; Rayson Kong, $500; Garrett Leopardi, two $1,000 awards and $20,000 to attend Gonzaga University; and Wilson Afoa, $1,000.
>> The following students also have been honored with scholarships and awards:
The Center for Biographical Research of UHM gave cash to Trinh Nguyen, of Aiea Intermediate, and Brittany Bartron, of Kahuku High.
Bishop Museum gave its Mary Kawena Pukui Award to Mai Oseto and Kala Tye, of Waialua Intermediate; Arbie Campuspos, Waipahu Intermediate; Kolea Zimmerman, Waiakea High; and Andrew Abordonado, Roosevelt High.
Native Books Inc. gave recognition awards to Kathryn Moniz and Alorah Kwock, of King Intermediate; Kimberly Fletcher, Waipahu Intermediate; and Honey Aubrey Millon, Mary Ann Baxa and Sheavon Quiogue, Waipahu High.
Arab World and Islamic Resources gave recognition awards to Natalie Austin and Kendall Cross, of Sacred Hearts School in Maui; and Brycen Hiraoka, Marisa Uyehara and Keaupuniokalani Kanahele-Kaliko, Waimea High on Kauai.
Sons and Daughters of the 100th Infantry Battalion gave recognition awards to Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka, of Mililani Middle; Tami Park, Waiakea Intermediate; Brandon Liwa- nag-Luat, Sarah Fong and Jennifer Morika, King Intermediate; Whitney Nekoba, Waiakea High; Robyn Arrington, Waimea High; Mari Takemoto-Chock and Lauren Alicuben, Waiakea High; and Rebecca Wunder, Wendee Murayama and Caine Jette, Maui High.
The Barbara Bennett Peterson Award in History koa bowl was given to Kelsey Anderson, of Kailua Intermediate, and Jokke Kokkonen, Kahuku High.
"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.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffNEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Musical instrument stolen from parked car
Big Island police are searching for the thief or thieves who stole a three-string dulcimer June 23 from a car at the Parker Ranch Center parking lot in Waimea, South Kohala.Valued at $300, the Appalachian musical instrument is made of wood with a dark brown body and a light brown face. It measures 3 feet 6 inches long, 6 inches wide and 3 inches deep.
Anyone with information should call officer Thomas Fratinardo, of South Kohala Patrol, at 887-3080 or the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.
Callers who wish to remain anonymous should call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
CRIMESTOPPERS
Big Island police are trying to locate this sculpture of an octopus stolen two months ago from the Dreams of Paradise Gallery.
Long arms of the law go after octopus opus
Big Island police are asking for the public's help in locating the sculpture of an octopus stolen two months ago from a Hilo art gallery.The bronze sculpture was reported missing from the Dreams of Paradise Gallery on May 17. Police said the sculpture is engraved with the signature of the artist, David Rudacille, and is numbered "7/99."
Police are asking anyone who has information about the theft or the whereabouts of the sculpture to call the police nonemergency number at 935-3311. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
HONOLULU
Kalihi man is arrested in alleged sex assault
A 62-year-old Kalihi man has been arrested and charged for allegedly sexually assaulting his 16-year-old mentally disabled stepdaughter over three years.The suspect was charged Friday with eight counts of first-degree sexual assault, eight counts of second-degree assault and 16 counts of third-degree sexual assault. He was released after posting $100,000 bail.
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[The Courts]
Judge to say if OHA can sue over telescopes
A federal judge said yesterday she expects to decide next week whether the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has standing to bring a lawsuit forcing NASA and the University of Hawaii to complete a more comprehensive environmental impact assessment of plans to install up to six new telescopes atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island.At issue is whether the state agency can bring the lawsuit on behalf of native Hawaiians who OHA argues would be adversely affected by the $50 million project.
"For native Hawaiians, environmental resources and cultural resources are one and the same," OHA attorney Lea Hong said yesterday during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.
Silas DeRoma, an attorney representing NASA, argued that OHA has not shown specifically how it would be "injured" by construction moving forward.
He argued that if individuals feel they would be harmed by construction, then they should be able to bring separate lawsuits.
Mollway said she did not believe there was any factual dispute over whether OHA was acting on behalf of native Hawaiians who feel they would be affected by the Mauna Kea project.
However, she asked Hong to submit documents detailing the involvement of native Hawaiians in the agency and the makeup of OHA's board of trustees.
Vice principal can be sued, court rules
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected yesterday a former substitute vice principal's claim he could not be sued for taping an 8-year-old student to a tree at Maui's Pukalani Elementary School for misbehaving.The appeals court upheld U.S. District Judge Alan Kay's ruling that David Keala did not have qualified immunity as a public official for his actions in February 1998.
It rejected Keala's motion for a summary judgment in his favor and returned the case to U.S. District Court for trial.
The "John Doe" lawsuit was filed in January 2000 on behalf of the unidentified boy, one of two who were taped to a tree.
The parents of another student, Anthony and Nan Amaral, also filed a complaint in Maui Circuit Court, and a trial in that case is scheduled for July 21.
Qualified immunity protects government officials performing their jobs if their conduct does not violate clearly established statutes or constitutional rights about which a reasonable person would have known.
Deputy Attorney General John Cregor said he was surprised at the appeals court's ruling because in the past few years the U.S. Supreme Court "has said it will not allow the Constitution to be a fount for tort law."
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
