Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
A double rainbow provided a stunning backdrop for Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Grant Kaye Saturday morning as he photographed the "banana" lava flow headed toward the sea.
The flow kicked up a glowing slab of crust as it sped past observatory volunteers Dominique Richard, left, and Kevin Stuart, and staff geologist Kaye. The flow, named for an upland banana patch where it first broke to the surface, was about 1,000 feet from the sea.
Hokule'a crew hopes for break in weather
The crew of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a was waiting until at least this morning to set out on their 1,200-mile journey through the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands."It's dead calm right now in Hanalei Bay," Bruce Blankenfeld, a navigator and sailmaster aboard the Hokule'a, said by phone yesterday morning.
The canoe and its crew of 12 have been waiting in Hanalei Bay in Kauai since Friday to leave.
"There's no wind right now. It's really a huge problem," said Blankenfeld, adding, "It's totally overcast."
He said the crew has been closely monitoring the weather and that two cold fronts have thwarted their departure.
Pearl Harbor warships headed to sea for duty
Two Pearl Harbor-based warships will leave the islands this week heading for the opposite ends of the globe.The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell with its crew of more than 330 sailors was to leave today for the western Pacific to participate in a naval exercise with Thailand, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia.
Tomorrow, the guided-missile frigate USS Crommelin, commanded by Cmdr. Don Hodge, will leave for the Naval Forces Southern Command area to participate in anti-drug activities in South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Secondhand smoke tied to heart attacks
Residents with heart problems or a history of heart disease are urged by the state Health Department to avoid secondhand smoke, based on new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC cited a study published in the British Medical Journal documenting a 40 percent drop in the number of hospital admissions for heart attacks during six months in 2002 when an indoor smoking ban was in effect in Helena, Mont.
However, the number of heart attacks rose to its previous level after the law was struck down in court.
Hawaii Health Director Chiyome Fukino said: "This new research increases the urgency to re-examine the state's workplace smoking statute. Employees shouldn't have to choose between their job and their health."
The CDC has estimated that secondhand smoke causes an estimated 35,000 deaths a year in the United States from heart disease.
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[TAKING NOTICE]
>> University of Hawaii President Evan S. Dobelle received the 2004 Distinguished Citizen Scholar award from the University of Massachusetts last month, the University of Hawaii external relations office announced.The recognition is awarded annually to an individual who has been a public intellectual and an agent of change, combining critical analysis of social issues with creative and strategic action in pursuit of the common good.
Dobelle was presented with the award at the Sixth Annual Citizen Scholars Recognition Ceremony at the UMass Lincoln Campus Center. He was recognized for his innovative public-private partnerships for neighborhood revitalization and his strong commitment to the liberal arts, research and technology.
The Citizen Scholars Program is a two-year academic service-learning program for UMass undergraduates.
Previous Distinguished Citizen Scholars include former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich; Nadinne Cruz, former director of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University; and Pennsylvania Sen. Harris Wofford, former CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
>> Mental Health Kokua has received $525,000 from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to help purchase properties for residential services in Hilo and on Maui.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, State of Hawaii and Maui County also have provided funding for property purchases and renovations for the agency's community-based mental health services.
>> The top four winners in the Japan-America Society of Hawaii's first Japan Wizards Competition were Iolani and Punahou schools and McKinley and Roosevelt high schools. The four teams, which include three students and their adviser, will go to Japan this summer. The Wizards contest is designed to motivate high schoolers to learn about the Japanese culture outside the classroom and to develop research and teamwork skills.
>> The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific has appointed Raleigh S. Awaya as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the nonprofit hospital.
>> Four students from the Lahainaluna Pacific and Asian Affairs Council Club won the 2004 Hawaii Academic WorldQuest Competition. The team consists of Jason Bilog, Audrey Chihara, Kaylen Kadotani and Ray Velasco, who received a grand prize trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the World Affairs Councils of America's National Academic WorldQuest Competition.
>> Setsuko Alatini, of Pearl City High School, participated in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Nursing in Boston, joining more than 200 outstanding students across the nation.
"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 staffLEEWARD OAHU
Attack with two-by-four disrupts wedding party
Police arrested a 20-year-old Waianae man after he allegedly swung a piece of lumber at wedding guests over the weekend.Police said the man arrived uninvited at the wedding on St. John's Road in Maili on Saturday.
Police said members of the wedding party confronted the man, who then went to another house where he grabbed a two-by-four piece of lumber.
The suspect returned to the wedding party and assaulted at least two guests, police said.
He was charged with second-degree assault.
CENTRAL OAHU
Family of 5 rescued from trail in Koolaus
Firefighters searching on foot early yesterday found a family of five, including three children, who were lost on a trail in the Koolau mountains near Wahiawa.When firefighters reached the family at 12:50 a.m., they gave them water and snacks, and dressed the children, ages 5, 8 and 12, with extra clothes to keep them warm.
None of the family members was injured, according to Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Kenison Tejada.
About 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the father called 911 and reported that he and his family were lost.
He put the family's location at two miles into the trail at an elevation of about 700 feet.
Tejada said the man waited until after dark to call for help, and his cell phone battery was dying, making it difficult for ground crews to locate the family. The family had set out on the trail at the end of California Avenue in Wahiawa sometime between noon and 2 p.m., Tejada said.
Tejada recommends lost hikers call before darkness falls to facilitate a search.
HONOLULU
HFD blames Kalihi fire on child with matches
Fire investigators determined that a 4-year-old child playing with matches in the bedroom caused a fire that gutted a one-bedroom apartment at 1516 Haka Drive in Kalihi at about 7:46 Sunday night.The fire left three people homeless and caused $20,000 damage to the building and $5,000 to its contents. No one was injured.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
