Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Farrington High hosts a forum on education
An interactive forum featuring a range of opinions on educational reform will be held at Farrington High School Auditorium 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow.Participants include Pat Hamamoto, schools superintendent; Randy Roth, representing Citizens Achieving Reform in Education; Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D, Salt Lake-Foster Village); Rep. Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City-Palisades); a Students First representative; Roger Takabayashi, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association; Catherine Payne, Farrington High School principal; and members of the Hawaii State Parent Teacher Student Association and the Board of Education.
They will discus various bills pending in the state Legislature that would change the centralized public school system.
Pearl City library will close for renovations
Pearl City Public Library will close for renovations today through Saturday, but its book drop will remain open.The renovation involves replacing floor tile.
The library is scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Walk to help increase funding for education
About 80 business and government leaders will join forces to support public education by taking part in the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association's Leadership Walk at noon tomorrow in downtown Honolulu."Our goal is to encourage people to get behind the effort to achieve excellence in our public education system," said Ernest Nishizaki, vice president of Kyo-ya Co. Ltd. and chairman of the 2004 Visitor Industry Charity Walk.
"The effort is nonpartisan," he said. "We have no political ax to grind. We realize that many good people are looking for solutions to increase public education funding and ways to spend the money more effectively."
This year's Visitor Industry Charity Walk on May 15 will raise funds to support public education as well as other social and community needs. The leadership walk is a prelude to that event.
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., and the group will set off shortly after noon for the state Capitol and Washington Place. Each walker is contributing $100 to participate.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffLEEWARD OAHU
The driver of a stolen Acura Integra that crashed into a Pearl City home last week was released from police custody yesterday pending further investigation.
Driver of stolen auto released from custodyHonolulu police said 25-year-old Daniel Morte was released on his own recognizance by a judge.
Morte and passenger Kevin Urata crashed into a home at 895 Hoomoana St. on Wednesday. Urata died in the crash.
Morte turned himself in the following day and was arrested for suspicion of failing to render aid, negligent homicide and auto theft.
Police are continuing to investigate whether a pickup truck that was recovered on Friday was linked to the crash. Morte earlier told police that he crashed into the home because he was forced off the road by another vehicle.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
