HAWAI'I BRIEFS
OHA helps fund homeless effort
Advertiser Staff
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will contribute up to $1 million to help the Lingle administration's efforts to fight homelessness along the Wai'anae Coast.
The Wai'anae area has among the highest concentrations of Native Hawaiians in the state. OHA officials said about 4,000 homeless people live in Leeward O'ahu, and that as many as 70 percent of them are Native Hawaiian.
The funding, approved last month by OHA trustees, is expected to go toward more permanent village cluster developments in the area.
KAKA'AKO
FIRE STATION CLOSES FOR REPAIRS
The Kaka'ako Fire Station on Queen Street is closed for repairs and upgrades for at least six weeks, according to Fire Department officials.
Thirty firefighters will move for the duration of the repairs, with Engine 9 firefighters going to the Central Fire Station and Tower 9 firefighters to the Kalihi Kai Station.
The repair and improvements include asbestos removal and kitchen renovation.
KALIHI VALLEY
PUBLIC CAN QUIZ CANDIDATES
Candidates for the City Council and state House will appear tomorrow night at a forum sponsored by the Kalihi Valley Neighborhood Board. The meeting will include opportunities for the public to ask questions and voice concerns.
The event will be at 7 p.m. at Kalihi Valley District Park. The board's next regular meeting will be at the same site at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13.
KANE'OHE
GIRL ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED ON BASE
A 27-year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with the sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl.
Police said the girl told officials at her school that she had been sexually assaulted at a home at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i at Kane'ohe. The school notified the girl's parents and police were called.
The man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree sexual assault.
MCCULLY
ARREST MADE IN DATE STREET CRASH
The driver of a convertible Ford Mustang involved in a one-vehicle fatal traffic accident last week was arrested in connection with a negligent-homicide investigation but released the same day pending further investigation, police said yesterday.
The 32-year-old man was arrested at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, police said.
The driver and another man were headed west on Date Street about 4:15 a.m. Thursday when the car they were riding in hit a parked pickup truck near Mahiahi Street, flipped, spun and skidded upside down on the street, police said.
The driver initially was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition with head, body and leg injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt, police said. He was thrown almost clear of the car, which landed on his legs, pinning him to the street, police said.
His 23-year-old passenger, David Joshua of Honolulu, was wearing a seat belt. He suffered massive head injuries and died before Honolulu firefighters could remove him from the accident scene, police said. An autopsy completed Thursday determined the cause of death was blunt force to the head and neck.
WAIKIKI
LEARN TO USE LESS ELECTRICITY
Darren Kimura, chief executive of Energy Industries, will discuss how to avoid wasting money on electricity, at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Waikiki Community Center, 310 Paoakalani Ave.
Kimura says that every year, Americans waste $13 billion in energy — about $150 per household. He will present low-cost and no-cost ideas on how to lower utility bills.
Call the center at 923-1802 to reserve a seat.
WEDDING CHAPEL PLANS ON AGENDA
A Tokyo-based bridal company will present its plans for a $2.9 million wedding chapel at the Waikiki Neighborhood Board meeting at 7 p.m in the Waikiki Community Center.
The Good Luck International Corp.'s proposed two-story Arluis Wedding Chapel would be at Kuhio Avenue and Kai'olu Street. The company needs a Waikiki Special District permit for the project, which requires making a presentation to the neighborhood board and submitting an environmental assessment to the state.
MAUI
COUNTY FAIR TICKETS ON SALE
WAILUKU — Discounted presale tickets for the Maui County Fair, Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, are on sale through Sept. 15.
Adult passes are $3 ($4 at the gate) and passes for children ages 5 to 10 are $1 ($2 at the gate). Keiki 4 and younger are admitted free.
Passes can be purchased at American Savings Bank branches; the Maui County Fair trailer at the War Memorial Gym parking lot in Wailuku; Pacific Radio Group, 311 Ano St. in Kahului; and The Coffee House in Azeka Mauka, Kihei.
KIHEI ELEMENTARY TO GET HEAT RELIEF
KIHEI — Kihei Elementary School will get relief from hot weather with the release of $2 million in state funds to complete the design and construction of air conditioning systems at six classroom buildings and 12 portable buildings.
Water lines and electrical systems will be installed for the new cooling systems. Gov. Linda Lingle previously released $2.4 million for the project, which is scheduled to be completed by September 2007.
The Kihei campus, in arid South Maui, is atop the Department of Education's priority list for air conditioning.
Lingle also released $250,000 to design, build and equip a portable classroom at King Kamehameha III Elementary in Lahaina. Construction is scheduled for completion by May.
BIG ISLAND
COQUI CONTROL CLASS PLANNED
NA'ALEHU — The Coqui Frog Working Group will provide a free frog-control class from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Na'alehu Community Center.
The class will discuss strategies to prevent frog infestations, to eradicate existing populations and to organize efforts to keep the frogs out. Topics include the coqui life cycle, chemical safety and spraying techniques.
Attendees will receive a voucher for free 35-pound bags of hydrated lime, used to kill the frogs.
