Hawaii author wins national prize

  The American Folklore Society has awarded a book by the late Nona Beamer its 2009 Aesop Prize for Children's Folklore.

“;Naupaka”; tells of a time when romance blossomed between Naupaka, a kind and beautiful Hawaiian princess, and a handsome and gentle commoner called Kaui.

It's published by Kamahoi Press, which is part of Bishop Museum Press.

The Bishop Museum said yesterday that the Aesop Award Committee praised the book's bilingual storytelling. Caren Keala Loebel-Fried illustrated the story.

“;Auntie Nona”; was a noted authority on Hawaiian culture and matriarch of the musical Beamer family.

She taught Hawaiian culture at Kamehameha Schools for 40 years. She also took over her mother's hula studio and taught hula in Waikiki for 30 years.

Kaneohe-bound H-3 lanes to close

The Kaneohe-bound lanes of the H-3 freeway will be closed between the Halawa Interchange and the Halekou Interchange from 7 tonight until 7 a.m. tomorrow for tunnel cleaning and maintenance work, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Motorists are advised to use alternate routes.

Makapuu work to be done at night

The state Department of Transportation will switch work on its retaining wall stabilization project at Makapuu to mostly nights, after hearing complaints from the community about the disruption of Kalanianaole Highway closures.

The exact times have not been set yet, but the work will be mostly done Sunday through Thursday nights. During the work, Kalanianaole Highway will be closed between the upper Makapuu Lookout parking lot and the Makapuu Beach Park parking entrance, so motorists will have to use alternate routes such as Pali Highway.

The work had originally been scheduled for daytime, but people complained that it would disrupt travel to and from the Hawaii Kai and Waimanalo areas, and businesses in those areas.

The $7.8 million project includes construction of a rockfall barrier, rehabilitation of a retaining wall, slope stabilization, pavement reconstruction and installation of electrical cables and conduits, according to the department, which announced the schedule change Thursday night at a community meeting in Waimanalo.

The project starts Nov. 29 and lasts until the morning of Dec. 4, stops during the holidays and resumes in January.

It is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2010, with road closures completed by August, transportation officials said.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Flood victims on Kauai can get tax relief

Kauai real property owners who suffered damage from the recent flooding could be eligible for disaster tax relief, according to a Kauai County news release.

Claims can be filed over damage caused by floodwaters that overflowed the banks or walls of a nearby river or stream.

Parts of Kauai got up to 17 inches of rain last Friday and Saturday. The Hanalei River and several streams in the northern and eastern parts of the island overflowed their banks. More than a dozen people were evacuated.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. issued a disaster declaration on Wednesday.

The county is still working on a damage estimate. Damage due to insufficient drainage, runoff or ponding along with personal and other nonstructural property including crops are not eligible, the county said.

Claims forms are available at http://www.kauai.gov and at the Kapule Building at the Lihue Civic Center.

For more information call 241-4224.