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POSTED: Wednesday, May 27, 2009

$2M creates scholarships at 2 UH campuses

The Bernard Osher Foundation is donating $2 million to establish permanent scholarship programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and UH-West Oahu to help students return to school to complete their first undergraduate degree.

The endowments of $1 million for each school will fund Osher Re-entry Scholarships starting this fall for students who have been away from school for five or more years, show financial need and are ideally between the ages of 25 and 50. Students also need to show academic progress and a commitment to completing their degree.

The scholarships had been offered for the past three years through annual donations of $50,000. To date, the foundation has contributed more than $5 million to the UH system, including funding for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UH-Manoa.

Book-signing to memorialize Roh

The public is invited to sign a book of condolence for the late former president of the Republic of Korea.

The book will be available for signing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Korean Consulate, 2756 Pali Highway.

President Roh Moo-hyun died Saturday.

A public funeral will be held Friday at Roh's hometown of Bonghwa, Kyungsangnamdo, South Korea.

Grant helps programs for victims

Hawaii will receive a $1,047,877 federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help sustain victim services programs and criminal justice agencies that are directly affected by the recession.

The money will also be used to enhance support services and outreach programs for victims.

Army Reserve adds Fort Shafter site

The Army Reserve in Hawaii plans to open a $17 million, two-story administration building at its facilities at Fort Shafter which will house two of its units.

San Juan Construction of Montrose, Colo., is heading up the new building project, which will be the home of the Pacific Army Reserve's 1984th Hospital and 657th Area Support Group.

The building will house three classrooms, two laboratories, office space, an information technology center, a family support center and a reference library.

City to replace lights in Hawaii Kai

The city will spend more than $2.4 million to replace 176 street lights on Lunalilo Home Road in Hawaii Kai.

The first phase of the project involves 144 street lights from Kalanianaole Highway to Koamano Street. The remaining 32 lights are from Koamano Street to Hawaii Kai Drive. The job will be completed in March.

Annual book sale starts June 20

The Friends of the Library of Hawaii will hold its 62nd annual book sale June 20-28 at the McKinley High School cafeteria, 1039 S. King St.

More than 100,000 used books will be on sale. Cookbooks, mystery novels, history books and children's books as well as rare, out-of-print volumes are among the books that will be available. Proceeds will go toward supporting libraries throughout the state. The following is a book sale schedule:

» June 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. (members' preview sale)

» June 20 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (opening day)

» June 21 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

» June 22-25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

» June 26 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

» June 27 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (all books are 50 percent off)

» June 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (all books cost 50 cents)

Comments on waste-water site sought

The federal government is accepting public comments regarding a proposed permit for waste-water disposal in Lahaina.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency permit would allow Maui County to continue to dispose of treated waste water in porous rock that is deep underground, but it requires more steps to protect the environment than the existing permit.

The Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility disposes of 3 million to 5 million gallons of treated waste water daily through four injection wells that send fluid deep underground.

The facility reclaims about 1 million gallons daily for reuse by a nearby golf course and pineapple fields.

The plant conducts secondary treatment on domestic waste water.

The EPA is accepting comments through June 23. Visit www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-permits.html.