HAWAI'I BRIEFS
City buses will sell newspapers
Advertiser Staff
Starting Monday, you'll be able to buy a newspaper on some city buses.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann yesterday announced the start of a three-month demonstration project that will allow commuters on 24 selected morning express buses to buy a copy of the Honolulu Advertiser from a rack as they board.
Under the pilot program, The Advertiser will fill the newspaper racks on buses each morning and collect revenues. The city will receive no revenue and will incur no expenses, Hannemann said.
If the demonstration program is successful, the city will consider establishing a competitive bid process to select a vendor to provide newspapers on buses in the future.
"If we decide we want to make it permanent, then we can find ways for the city to earn revenue from the program," Hannemann said.
STATEWIDE
VOLUNTEERS ASKED TO COUNT WHALES
Volunteers are needed to help count whales on O'ahu, Kaua'i and the Big Island for the annual humpback whale marine sanctuary's statewide ocean count Jan. 28, Feb. 25 and March 25.
The count will take place from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at 65 locations. The count helps researchers look at population, distribution and behavioral trends.
For information on O'ahu call 397-2651 ext. 253; Kaua'i, 246-2860; and the Big Island, (888) 55-WHALE, ext. 253. Or visit www.hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.
MANOA
DEFENSE OFFICIAL TO ADDRESS GRADS
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, a Leilehua High School graduate, will be the commencement speaker at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's commencement ceremonies on Sunday.
Taguba, now the deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs readiness, training and mobilization, was the officer assigned in 2004 to investigate and write the report on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison by U.S. soldiers.
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to take part in the ceremonies at 9 a.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center on the Manoa campus.
Taguba, who came to Hawai'i with his family from the Philippines when he was 11, is the second Filipino-American to attain the rank of general in the U.S. Army.
Odeelo Dayondon, a graduating senior in business and marketing, will represent the class of 2005 as a student speaker at Sunday's ceremony.
PAPAKOLEA
DIPLOMA PROGRAM OFFERED AT CENTER
A free adult high school diploma program will be offered early next year at the Papakolea Community Center.
The Papakolea Competency-Based High School Diploma Program will begin Feb. 6. Classes will be from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The program is approved by the state Board of Education and will award high school diplomas to graduates.
For information on attending, call Pat Holmes at 843-3529 or Koa Amona at 843-3524.
BIG ISLAND
SIX RESCUED FROM FISHING VESSEL
HILO — Six people were airlifted safely from a longline fishing vessel that ran aground on the rocky Puna coastline between Pohoiki and Kapoho early yesterday morning.
The Sky Sun, a 68-foot fishing boat, was carrying 8,000 pounds of fish and 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but no fuel was leaking yesterday, according to U.S. Coast Guard and Big Island fire officials.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Brooksann Anderson said the Coast Guard is monitoring the grounded vessel about two miles south of Cape Kumukahi.
"Especially since there's so much fuel on board, we definitely want to keep an eye on it," she said.
Boat Capt. Jong Pak, four crew members and an observer from the National Marine Fisheries Service were airlifted to shore by helicopter shortly after the accident was reported at 5:09 a.m., fire officials said. There were no injuries.
Fire officials attributed the grounding to human error.
