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PELE READY FOR NEW FLOW SHOW
Fingers of the "Banana" lava flow headed toward Big Island videographer Jenda Johnson early yesterday, above. With lava having descended "steps" of rock like the one shown here, it has reached flatlands where it will form a pond, based on past indications. "The word is out," said Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ranger Jim Gale, who predicted an upswing in park visitors coming to see the flow at the end of Chain of Craters Road.
A flow of rough aa lava moved toward Big Island photographer David Jordan Sunday at the "Banana" flow, so named because it started near a banana patch. It has since spread over coastal flatlands about a mile from the sea. The location inland from the end of Chain of Craters Road allows the best ground-based viewing of flows since last fall.
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Theft of $3,500 will not deter Kailua's prom
Kailua High School officials said their senior prom will go on despite the theft of $3,500 from prom funds.The theft was reported yesterday morning, and police said it happened sometime over the weekend. School officials would not say what room the money was in except that it was locked.
"The money that was stolen was some of the senior prom money," said Kailua Principal Francine Honda. "The matter is being investigated now. ... I don't want to get into specifics."
Honda said the senior prom will go on as scheduled and will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki on May 15. Although the money was identified as prom money, Honda would not say what specifically the money was to have been used for or why it was being kept at school instead of being deposited in a bank.
"Obviously the money is gone, but whatever the kids have paid for they will receive," Honda said. "The kids will not be missing anything."
Kahuku students advance in contest
WASHINGTON >> Kahuku High and Intermediate School has advanced to the finals of a national competition that tests high school students' knowledge of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.The first round was held Saturday and Sunday in Arlington, Va., with the top 10 teams of 51 nationwide advancing to yesterday's championship round on Capitol Hill.
The two-part championship round was held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The competition, developed and administered for the past 16 years by the Los Angeles-based Center for Civic Education and funded by the federal Department of Education, tests students' knowledge on constitutional issues before simulated congressional committees made up of educational scholars, lawyers, journalists and government leaders.
Each school made it to Washington by winning district and state competitions.
Other schools advancing to the final round include the Maggie Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Va.; Grant High School, Portland, Ore.; Dobson High School, Mesa, Ariz.; Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, Ill.; East Brunswick (N.J.) High School; East Grand Rapids (Mich.) High School; Sparkman High School, Harvest, Ala.; Heritage Christian School, Milwaukee; and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami.
Japanese naval ships to make stop in isles
Three Japanese naval vessels are scheduled to arrive at Pearl Harbor today for a three-day port visit.Crews of the three Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships will lay wreaths at the USS Arizona Memorial, the Makiki Japanese Naval Graveyard, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and the Ehime Maru Memorial.
The ships are the training ship Kashima and two destroyers, the Hamagiri and the Umigiri. They are commanded by Rear Adm. Yukinori Togo.
U.S. Navy officials said the purpose of the trip is to develop Japan's seamanship as well as to broaden mutual understanding and friendship between the countries.
The squadron will leave Pearl Harbor for San Diego on Friday.
Public hearing set for Kauai reserve
The Department of Land & Natural Resources will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow on Kauai to hear public comment on a planned fence project in Kuia Natural Area Reserve.The department proposes to construct five exclosures of 7-foot-high fencing in the southwest corner of the Kuia Natural Area Reserve, which is in the northwest corner of Kauai.
The exclosures would range in size from 4 to 57 acres and total 137 acres of quality native forest with some rare and endangered plant populations.
The fences will create areas protected from feral pigs, deer and goats, thus making them available for rare plants to support their long-term recovery.
The meeting will be at Kekaha Neighborhood Center.
For more information, contact Deborah Ward at 587-0320 or Christen Mitchell at 222-7877.
Alzheimer's workshop to be held in Wahiawa
The Alzheimer's Association-Aloha Chapter will hold a Caregiver University workshop from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Wahiawa District Park, Hale Koa room, on "Alzheimer's Diagnosis: What Now?"The association will present an overview of Alzheimer's disease and cover planning and other issues for a family when a member is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The workshop is free but donations are welcome. For reservations or more information, call the Aloha Chapter at 591-2771.
Straub to pass out free respirator masks
Straub Foundation will offer free respirator masks to the public in recognition of "Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month" at its annual "Breathe with Ease" event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Ward Warehouse.Dr. Jeffrey Kam, allergist and asthma specialist at Straub Clinic & Hospital, and other health professionals will be present to answer questions about those conditions.
One out of every nine visits to a doctor in Hawaii concerns chronic allergies and asthma, according to the Straub Foundation, which advises being proactive and undergoing screening to try to prevent complications.
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[TAKING NOTICE]>> Jen H. Chahanovich, director of respiratory and rehabilitation services and medical transport at Kapiolani Medical Centers, has been named as the American Association for Respiratory Care's 2003 Management Specialty Practitioner of the Year.The award is given annually to a section member who best represents excellence in respiratory care management.
>> Indiana University student Evangeline Chang, of Hawaii, is the first recipient of a $2,500 award from the IU Foundation's Anniversary Scholarship Program.
Chang is studying violin and planning a career in ophthalmology.
She said she was inspired to attend Indiana University by her former violin teacher and the concertmaster of the Honolulu Symphony, both of whom are IU alumni.
She maintains a 3.92 grade-point average, helps younger students with music, co-founded a youth group at her church and provides respite care for those caring for Alzheimer's patients and others.
>> Dr. Jean Hankin, professor and researcher emeritus of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, has received the American Society for Nutritional Services' highest honor.
The national professional organization named Hankin a Fellow at a recent meeting in Washington, D.C. She is the first person from Hawaii to receive the distinction.
Hankin, who retired in 1998 as a nutrition researcher and professor of public health, is recognized internationally as a pioneer in development of dietary assessment methods in multiethnic populations.
She led development of a dietary questionnaire with pictures of portion sizes in the early 1980s for cancer research studies. She also developed an extensive food composition table to analyze results.
These tools are being used in a Multiethnic Cohort Study of Diet and Cancer with 215,000 participants in Hawaii and Los Angeles.
>> Eight University of Hawaii-Manoa faculty and two doctorate students will participate in the UH-Peking University Exchange Program in Beijing this summer or in spring 2005.
They are Roger Ames, a professor of philosophy; Ronald Brown, director of the Center for Chinese Studies; Shana Brown, an assistant professor of history; Sen-dou Chang, a professor of geography; Chung-ying Cheng, a professor of philosophy; Eric Harwit, an associate professor of Asian studies; Margaret Lee, a clinical professor of surgery; Giovanni Vitiello, an associate professor of Chinese Eastern-Asian language and literature; Xing Fan, a theater major; and Andrew Lambert, a philosophy major.
"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 staffHONOLULU
Murder charges are filed in death of homeless man
Police have charged a 21-year-old homeless man with second-degree murder in the death of another homeless man whose body was found floating in Honolulu Harbor on April 26.According to a court document, a witness told police that he saw Faitele Faitele Jr., who he knew as "Bow Wow," beating Reuben Kimura and then throwing him into Nuuanu Stream the night before Kimura's body was found.
The witness told police that he and two other men helped Kimura, 25, out of the stream and then left Kimura and Faitele in Aala Park, according to the document. The next morning, the witness told police that Faitele told him he had thrown Kimura back into the stream after his rescuers had left, the document said.
Faitele was described as having spider-web tattoos on the backs of both hands and a tattoo of a spray-paint can character on his left calf.
The cause of Kimura's death was listed as drowning, but he also had head injuries, according to the document.
Police arrested Faitele on Friday and charged him Sunday. He was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Fugitive wanted in domestic cases
A fugitive who failed to appear in court on burglary and domestic violence warrants is being sought by Honolulu police.
The suspect was identified as Sun Pangorang, 19. Police said Pangorang frequents Waianae and Wahiawa, is 5 feet 3 inches tall, about 140 pounds, and has short black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.
Anonymous calls may be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Suspects are sought in Salt Lake car arson
Police are looking for a suspect or suspects who used a Molotov cocktail to set a car on fire outside a Salt Lake home early Sunday.A 26-year-old Salt Lake man awoke to the sound of an explosion outside his home at 2:45 a.m. and saw his car on fire, police said.
The man heard a vehicle speed away but could not see it, police said. Police said the fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived. Police said patrol officers found parts of a bottle, which they believe contained an accelerant, on the ground below the driver's door of the car.
Police asking help on robbery suspect
Police are asking for information regarding a suspect they believe has robbed five banks since last summer.The suspect's latest target was the Liliha branch of First Hawaiian Bank at 1420 Liliha St. just before 6 p.m. April 30. Police said the suspect entered the bank, went directly to a teller, stated he had a gun and demanded money. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect fled the scene.
Police believe the same suspect robbed the McCully American Savings branch on April 22, the Central Pacific Bank Kalihi branch on April 17, the American Savings Bank Liliha branch on April 5 and the Hawaii National Bank airport branch on Aug. 1.
The suspect is described as in his late 40s to early 50s, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a heavy build, black hair and a tan complexion. He was last seen wearing a Washington Redskins baseball cap, sunglasses, a gray-and-white T-shirt and jeans.
Anyone with information about this case may call Detective Derrick Kiyotoki directly at 529-3436. Anonymous calls may be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
