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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Hawaii entrant fails to advance in Spelling Bee
She may be out of competition in the 77th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, but the tours of Washington, D.C., may prove acesodyne for Kalama Intermediate eighth-grader Jasmine Siefman.Jasmine failed yesterday to qualify for the third round in the competition, after struggling with a written test that included words like "rijsttafel" (Indonesian midday meal) and "acesodyne" (mitigating or relieving pain).
"It's sad that it's not going to be an opportunity for me next year, but it's a relief that I don't have to worry about it anymore," Jasmine said.
Contestants were given a written test of 25 words in round one, with each word worth a point. While Jasmine earned three points in the second round by correctly spelling "putrescible," which means liable to become putrid, it wasn't enough for her to advance.
Army plans detonation of 3 WWII bombs today
The Army plans to detonate three World War II bombs, the largest weighing 1,000 pounds, in the Makua Valley Military Reservation this morning.A section of Farrington Highway fronting the Makua Valley firing range was to be closed from 6 to 8 a.m. with the blast scheduled to take place just after 7 a.m.
Besides the 1,000-pound bomb, two other bombs, one weighing 500 pounds and the other 100 pounds, will be detonated in the north part of the valley.
State ag inspectors seize 8 illegal animals
State agriculture inspectors found illegal animals -- three snakes and five lizards -- in the past two weeks.Inspectors seized a four-foot albino kingsnake and a 12-inch collared lizard in a Hawaii Kai home on May 21.
Shane Paul Quirk Stowell of Nohili Street told inspectors that an acquaintance gave him the animals in January and has since left Hawaii.
Stowell was issued two citations for possession of prohibited and restricted animals.
A Honolulu Zoo employee found a four-foot albino corn snake and a foot-long kingsnake in a box outside his house on May 28.
The employee took the snakes to the zoo, where officials reported the incident to the Agriculture Department.
Inspectors captured four Madagascar giant day geckos in a Manoa neighborhood after a resident reported them to agriculture inspectors on May 25.
The snakes and lizards are at the Plant Quarantine Branch.
Anyone with information on illegal animals should call the Plant Quarantine Branch at 832-0566 or the PEST hot line at 586-PEST.
UH schedules workshops involving the elderly
The University of Hawaii-Manoa Outreach Program will hold a series of noncredit Saturday workshops in June on elder care, healthy aging and elder law.They will all be 9 a.m. to noon in the Yukiyoshi Room, Krauss 012, on the Manoa campus.
Deborah Jackson, founder of Eldercare Hawaii, will lead two sessions on "Elder Life Strategies," including "The Caregiver Experience" on Saturday and "Planning for the Unexpected" on June 12.
Dr. Lam Nguyen, assistant professor of geriatric medicine in the John A. Burns School of Medicine, will discuss "Healthy Aging" June 19. He will address differences between normal aging and disease, memory loss (when is it Alzheimer's?), medication use, minimizing potential for adverse effects and practical suggestions for staying healthy.
James Pietsch, director of the Elder Law Program in the William S. Richardson School of Law, will lead a session June 26 on elder law. He will cover basics of estate planning.
The fee is $60 for the two Eldercare Hawaii workshops and $30 for each of the others or $100 for all of them.
Enrollment is limited. To register call 956-8400. For more information, visit www.summer.hawaii.edu.
Reshaping the future of public health is topic
"Reshaping the Future of Public Health in Hawaii" is the theme of the Hawaii Public Health Association's annual meeting 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 16 at the Hawaii Convention Center.Pat Wahl, dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health, and a member of the National Institute of Medicine, will discuss "The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century."
Panelists addressing Hawaii's problems will include state Health Director Chiyome Fukino, University of Hawaii-Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert and Susan Forbes, chief executive officer of Hawaii Health Information Corp.
Early registration is requested to assure space. The cost is $60, including a continental breakfast, lunch and conference materials.
For more information, contact Talita Bowen, bowent@hawaii.edu. or Nancy Partika, nancyp@hawaii.rr.com.
Plant sale at REHAB will be held Wednesday
REHAB Hospital of the Pacific's Summer Greenhouse Plant Sale will be 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at 226 N. Kuakini St.A large variety of plants grown by the patients, including native Hawaiian plants and many herbs, will be available, as well as gift baskets and craft items made by the patients.
Plant sale funds are used for the hospital's horticultural therapy program, allowing patients to care for plants as part of their recovery from strokes, accidents, surgery or other causes.
For more information, call 566-3791.
Prostate Cancer Institute expands Helpline
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute has expanded its Helpline to Hawaii for anyone to obtain information on prostate cancer.The organization is dedicated to educating the public, researching prevention and treatments and improving the health care of men with prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer, which has 230,900 new diagnoses each year, is the most common cancer for males.
The Helpline number is 891-0209, and more information on prostate cancer is available at www.pcrf.org.
Mental illness support group meetings booked
A support group for people who have a relative or friend with mental illness meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room 409, Diamond Head Health Center, 3627 Kilauea Ave.The free, confidential meetings are facilitated by a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker.
For more information, call 733-9260.
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[TAKING NOTICE]
>> Hawaii 3Rs (Repair, Remodel and Restore) has awarded grants worth $213,000 to nine public schools to complete more than $750,000 in repair work with the help of volunteers. The purpose of the program is to reduce the backlog of repair work needed at a significantly lower cost with the help of state and federal agencies, trade unions, businesses, military, community leaders, parent, teachers and students.Recipients of the grants include Webling, Holomua and Wilson Elementary Schools; Aliamanu, Keaau and Mililani Middle Schools; and Baldwin, Kahuku and Radford High Schools.
>> The University of Hawaii School of Architecture has honored City Managing Director Benjamin Lee, FAIA, with the 2004 Ernest H. Hara, FAIA Distinguished Service Award
The award recognizes "outstanding leadership in and service to the architecture profession in Hawaii" and Lee is specifically being acknowledged for "distinguished record of service and his significant leadership role in Hawaii and the City and County of Honolulu," said Raymond Yeh, FAIA, dean of the School of Architecture.
Lee said that that his passion for design excellence, protection of the land and natural environment and commitment to improve the quality of life for our residents can be attributed to the late Vladimir Ossipoff, FAIA, a good friend, mentor and his first employer after receiving his architecture degree from Arizona State University in 1967.
Lee is the sixth recipient of this prestigious award since its inception in 1995.
Mayor Harris, family and friends were present to see Lee accept the award at the School of Architecture commencement last week.
"Taking Notice" also runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffNEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Maui police arrest suspect in bank heists
WAILUKU >> Maui police arrested a man early yesterday suspected of robbing two banks on Maui in five days.Lt. Glenn Cuomo said the 43-year-old man, believed to be homeless, was arrested about 1:10 a.m. while sleeping in a vehicle on Pakele Street near Waiehu Beach Road.
"Charges are anticipated," Cuomo said.
The latest robbery occurred Tuesday at Hawaii National Bank at the Kahului Shopping Center, when a man walked into the bank with a note demanding money, Cuomo said.
He said the other robbery took place when a man, also with a note, walked into the Bank of Hawaii branch at Maui Marketplace in Kahului at about 4:50 p.m. Friday. He said the descriptions of the man in both robberies were similar.
HONOLULU
Parent finds toddler drowned in pool
An 18-month-old boy died yesterday after he was found floating in a swimming pool at a Foster Village home.The child was taken to Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi in extremely critical condition yesterday morning and later pronounced dead.
Police said the child was found by one of his parents at 1027 Kukila St. sometime before 11:32 a.m.
Unattended candle leads to apartment fire
Fire investigators said an unattended candle was to blame for a fire that damaged a McCully apartment yesterday.Fire Capt. Kenison Tejada said the man who lived next door heard the fire alarm shortly before 11:24 a.m. and grabbed a hose to fight the fire.
"He helped it from spreading," said Tejada.
He added that the Fire Department does not encourage people to do that.
The bathroom and part of the bedroom in the walk-up at 735 McCully St. received the heaviest damage, Tejada said.
Damage to the building and contents was estimated at $55,000.
LEEWARD OAHU
Fire destroys house in Waianae Valley
Fire destroyed a vacant house in Waianae Valley on Tuesday night, an official said.The fire was reported at 9:18 p.m. at 85-1516 Waianae Valley Road and brought under control by 9:48 p.m.
About 30 to 35 firefighters fought the blaze. No one was injured.
Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Kenison Tejada said the house may have been scheduled for demolition.
Damage was estimated at $120,000.
The cause was under investigation.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
