Cargo ship stops in isles after storm

A cargo ship that lost six containers at sea in heavy weather last week made an unscheduled stop at Honolulu Harbor yesterday to stabilize its load before continuing to Guam.

The 730-foot Horizon Hunter was expected to unload several damaged containers and assess potential leaks or spills in them after it docked at the Hawaii Stevedores Inc. terminal.

No crew members were hurt and the ship's hull was not damaged during the Pacific storm, which lasted three days, according to a press release. The ship sailed through sustained winds of 50 mph, which peaked Thursday when 25-foot seas with 30-foot swells led to the loss of the containers stored on deck. Other containers were stabilized with lashing gear.

Horizon Lines is working with the Coast Guard and state Department of Transportation to take precautions to control any potential leaks, the release said.

The vessel operates between the West Coast and Guam.

Boulders in Kalihi to be removed

Work is scheduled tomorrow to remove two boulders that fell behind Kalihi Valley Homes.

A contractor has been hired to move the boulders, one as large as a Volkswagen Beetle, according to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.

The board, with jurisdiction of land behind the homes, hired a geotechnical engineering firm that will oversee the project.

The boulders were dislodged from a ridge and rolled down behind the homes at about 8:20 a.m. Friday.

No work was going on on the mountainside, according to a board official.

UH scope confirms asteroid finding

The University of Hawaii's 88-inch telescope on Mauna Kea has confirmed the discovery of a never-before-seen near-Earth asteroid by the NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, the first of hundreds it is expected to find during its mission to map the sky in infrared light.

The asteroid, designated 2010 AB78, was discovered by WISE Jan. 12.

After the mission's sophisticated software picked out the moving object against a background of stationary stars, researchers followed up and confirmed the discovery with the UH telescope, NASA announced Friday.

The asteroid, now about 98 million miles from Earth, is estimated to be roughly 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter and circles the sun in an elliptical orbit tilted to the plane of our solar system. Because of its tilted orbit, it is not thought to pose any foreseeable impact threat to the planet, NASA said.

WISE, which began its all-sky survey this month, is expected to find about 100,000 previously undiscovered asteroids between Mars and Jupiter and hundreds of new near-Earth asteroids.

KCC offers course for baby boomers

Kapiolani Community College's Kupuna Education Center is offering a new course tailor-made for baby boomers facing retirement.

The noncredit course, titled “;Encore Career Change and Life Transition for Boomers,”; begins Monday.

The college says it is designed for boomers who are looking ahead to a new career, semiretirement or volunteer work. It is taught by Steven Cook, who has 25 years of experience in career exploration and planning.

Course work will include life review, transferable skills assessment, interest inventory, networking, resume writing and interview skills.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Grant to help Hawaiians go to college

HILO » The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has awarded the University of Hawaii at Hilo a $1.2 million grant to help students transition to college.

The grant will go to the Na Pua No'eau program at the university's Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children.

Na Pua No'eau Director David Sing says the 20-year-old program gives Hawaiian students across the state opportunities to achieve and raise their aspirations.

He says it also strengthens the students' knowledge and practice of Hawaiian culture.

Sing says the money will help compensate for a decline in federal funding.

The center has had annual budgets of $3 million, but this year the center will have to rely solely on OHA's $1.2 million grant to operate.