UH is rated 5th best surfing college

The University of Hawaii is ranked fifth in a list of the top colleges in the nation to catch waves.

The Web site surfline.com named the University of California-San Diego as the nation's top surf school.

It said the university's proximity and access to surf, most notably Black's Beach, its nationally ranked surf team, “;surf classes and collection of surfing professors and alumni put it at the top of the list.

UH was cited for its “;biking distance to the lefts at Publics,”; its surfing alumni and surfing professors.

Under Animal House/Party Factor, the Web site said, “;They sell beer on campus and you can even use your meal card for it.”;

UH was also noted for its international business classes, law school and art program.

UCSD was followed by UC Santa Cruz, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara. After UH came University of North Carolina at Wilmington, University of Rhode Island, Pepperdine University, Humboldt State University and the Florida Institute of Technology.

www.surfline.com

Feds grounding 2,800 Bell copters

Federal safety officials are grounding 2,800 Bell helicopters in a search for improperly installed bearings that could cause the co-pilot controls to malfunction, but Hawaii companies are only minimally affected.

Officials want operators of three types of helicopters to conduct a visual inspection of a bearing in the co-pilot cycling controls and replace the part if it was improperly installed. Helicopters include Bell models 407 and 427, and the 206 A, B and L series.

An emergency airworthiness directive is issued when the potential condition could pose an immediate hazard, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said yesterday.

Bell Helicopter spokesman Greg Hubbard said the company discovered the problem last week when trying to deliver a new helicopter. An investigation found that the bearings had not been put in their proper place during the manufacture.

Several helicopter businesses in Hawaii have Bell Helicopters that require the emergency air worthiness inspection.

Paradise Helicopters president Calvin Dorn said his firm was aware of the Canadian airworthiness report and had conducted the inspections before the FAA directive was issued yesterday. Dorn said the inspection of three Bell 407s found no problem.

$42M expected for Hawaiian homes

Revenue bonds being issued next week are expected to bring in more than $42 million for building new homes for Native Hawaiians.

The bonds were announced Saturday by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Hawaiian Home Lands Director Micah Kane said the department's high financial ratings allowed it to borrow more money that will go directly into home construction.

Payments of $3 million per year will cover debt service for 30 years. The payments were approved by the OHA Board of Trustees last summer.

The bond issue was made possible by state legislation authorizing up to $100 million in revenue bonds.