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POSTED: Monday, March 29, 2010
                       

This story has been corrected. See below.

 

 

Thousands seek extra roles on Maui

KIHEI, Maui » Thousands of people turned out on Maui for a chance to appear in the Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston movie “;Just Go With It.”;

Maui Film Commissioner Benita Brazier said more than 3,000 people showed up Saturday at Kihei Charter School to apply to be extras in the film. Some people said they stood in line for nearly three hours before being called for their chance.

Movie officials have said they need “;hundreds”; of people to act as resort patrons sitting around a pool, enjoying a luau and eating in restaurants.

Officials say most extras will be paid $100 for 10 hours of work, but those cast in special roles, such as hula dancers and “;bikini girls,”; will get more.

The movie is scheduled to begin shooting next month for four to six weeks in Wailea.

Groups protest the 'tradition' of cockfighting

Animal rights groups are protesting a resolution before Hawaii lawmakers supporting the recognition of cockfighting as a cultural activity.

The House Tourism, Culture and International Affairs Committee will consider House Resolution 199 at 9:30 a.m. today.

The measure, introduced by Reps. Roland Sagum, Gilbert Keith-Agaran and Joey Manahan, says cockfighting is the national sport of the Philippines and a “;cherished tradition in many cultures throughout the world.”;

But Humane Society spokeswoman Jacque LeBlanc says it is a cruel crime.

Cockfighting is a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $2,000 and a year in prison.

The resolution does not have the force of law, and would not legalize cockfighting. Still, the Humane Society of the United States, the West Hawaii Humane Society and the Windward Ahupuaa Alliance plan a rally outside the hearing room.

 

Arizona renovation limits boat access next month

Boat access to the USS Arizona Memorial will be curtailed next Monday to April 14 during construction of the replacement visitor center at Pearl Harbor.

Pile driving near the boat dock and the theater building will require moving 90-foot concrete piles through the air, the National Park Service said. Restrictions are needed for safety.

The new visitor center and all other Pearl Harbor historic sites, including the USS Bowfin, will remain open during that time, a news release said.

Dedication of the new facility is scheduled for Dec. 7.

 

Isle-based cutter takes up South Pacific patrol duty

A Honolulu-based Coast Guard cutter is in the South Pacific on a two-month mission to help island nations enforce international fishing regulations.

The 378-foot cutter Jarvis arrived in Apia, Samoa, on Friday.

The ship and its crew are due to work with law enforcement from French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Australia.

Commercial fishing is an important part of the economies of these small island nations, so cracking down on illegal fishing is an important part of protecting their resources.

On the way to Western Samoa, the Jarvis boarded a number of vessels, under its own authority and in cooperation with an embarked representative of Kiritibati. The crew found a number of safety and fisheries violations.

 

Marine monument gets new deputy superintendent

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument has a new deputy superintendent.

Capt. David Swatland most recently served as chief of response for the Coast Guard's 14th District in Honolulu.

He is due to supervise program managers for education and other initiatives at the marine protected area encompassing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

A Coast Guard Academy graduate, Swatland has been a fixed-wing and rotary aviator and has worked in law enforcement and search and rescue for the Coast Guard.

Papahanaumokuakea is nearly 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park and was created in 2006 by President George W. Bush.

 

Family room at Maluhia to be dedicated to doctor

The Maluhia long-term care nursing home will dedicate a newly renovated family room to Dr. Clifford B.G. Chang as part of a Doctor's Day celebration at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The retired physician was Maluhia's medical director from 1995-2005. He was a general surgeon from 1964 to 1994.

He will speak during the ceremony about the importance of family visits for patients in a nursing home setting.

Maluhia's new room provides a comfortable place for family members and friends to visit at the Alewa Heights nursing home.

Community groups and hospital volunteers who helped with the development, funding and furnishing of the renovated room will be recognized, as well as physicians who serve the home's residents.

“;This is a chance for us to recognize the outstanding and caring community partners that our nursing home has been privileged to have and a great reason to celebrate this ongoing collaborative effort to continuously improve long-term care,”; said Vince Lee, Maluhia chief executive officer.

Maluhia is one of 12 facilities operated by the Hawaii Health Systems Corp.

 

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Kauai runway done ahead of schedule

LIHUE, Kauai » The U.S. Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai has completed repair work on a runway ahead of schedule.

Officials say the project, which was finished last week, is the first U.S. Navy project completed in Hawaii using federal stimulus funds.

U.S. Navy Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky says it ensures the facility on the west side of Kauai will remain “;mission-ready”; for the next 25 years.

He says the $20.7 million project was completed within budget and ahead of schedule. It was not expected to be finished before Sunday.

The work involved cutting into the existing runway and taxiway, resurfacing with new asphalt concrete pavement, sealing existing cracks and re-striping.

 

               

     

 

 

CORRECTION         » In an earlier verstion, the fourth item above incorrectly stated that the 378-foot cutter Jarvis arrived in Apia, Western Samoa.