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<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, September 24, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: LAWMAKERS EXAMINE ISSUES IN AFTERMATH OF ELECTIONS One Hawai`i senator who played a key role in the state legislature's debate over the same-sex marriage issue was ousted by voters in Saturday's primary election, while another state lawmaker also frequently expressed views on other side of the issue was nearly unseated. Political analysts have culled a number of trends from the election results, not the least of which were anti-incumbent sentiments and single- issue politics. Sen. Rey Graulty, who served as the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, lost his 16th district spot to first-time candidate and fellow Democrat Norman Sakamoto by just over 100 votes. Sakamoto got 4,861 votes, while Graulty got 3,747. Without a Republican or other party opponent running to represent the district, Sakamoto will not have to campaign for the Nov. 5 general election. Graulty was criticized by same-sex marriage opponents earlier this year when he introduced a bill that would have created special domestic- partnership status for same-sex couples. At the time, Graulty had hoped to satisfy same-sex marriage supporters without redefining marriage. He said the bill, which was eventually killed, might have kept the same-sex marriage issue out of the courts. The trial Graulty hoped to affect concluded without legislative influence last week in Circuit Court. After Saturday's election, Graulty said it was clear that same-sex marriage was made out to be the main issue in the race, and that was too difficult to overcome. "I had hoped voters would be able to look at my entire record, and not just vote on a single issue," Graulty said. Sakamoto said he believed same-sex marriage was a primary reason why residents didn't vote for his opponent, but insisted that other issues -- such as the economy and employment -- were also at his campaign's forefront. Meanwhile, Rep. Terrance Tom -- who was a strong advocate for a public referendum for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages -- held on to his seat by a mere 54 votes. Tom captured 2,688 votes in the 47th House District, while opponent Iris Catalani got 2,634 votes. Today, Tom said he heard one message loud and clear: the people of Hawai`i will be voting with their strongest convictions in November. "There are going to be voices heard louder than we ever heard before from the general public to allow the people the opportunity to decide (the same-sex marriage issue)," Tom said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: NORTH SHORE RESIDENTS WANT JETSKIS OUT Citing a accident in which a canoe paddler was struck by a jetski in Haleiwa Harbor, area residents told state officials they want recreational thrill craft banned from waters off the North Shore community. Members of the North Shore Neighborhood Board tonight voted unanimously to pass a resolution that urges Gov. Ben Cayetano to rescind all permits issued for the commercial renting of thrill craft in the harbor. In June, a 19-year-old Waialua man sustained injuries to his head and knee when a jetski rider who had been taunting the other paddlers in his canoe by "spraying" them lost control of his craft and crashed into him. He and other North Shore neighbors testified that tourists are coming too close to shore, and that non-English speaking customers are not getting the proper instruction and warnings on how to operate thrill craft. Only one company, Jetskis Plus, is licensed to conduct business in the area. Over its nine-year history, the company has had complaints and citations for various violations. Steven Thompson, spokesman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, spoke tonight and told residents that some of their concerns are being addressed. As of Sept. 30, Thompson said, customers of Jetskis Plus will no longer be able to ride their thrill craft directly from shore. Instead, a boat piloted by a Coast Guard-licensed captain will shuttle customers to an offshore operating area before they are allowed to operate their jetskis. State law prohibits thrill craft from coming within 200 feet of the shoreline. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: PRISON DOCTOR WANTS INMATES ON MEDICAL PLANS Alan Taniguchi, who signed on as the new head doctor for the state Department of Public Safety's corrections division earlier this year, met with Kaiser Permanente executives today to discuss the feasibility of getting health insurance for Hawaii's 3,000 or so prison inmates. Taniguchi said the state presently spends about $8 million a year in providing medical care to inmates, many of whom have long-term illnesses like heart disease, cancer and AIDS. Under the current system, medical care is administered on a need basis, or when an unexpected problem arises. A more preventative approach, Taniguchi told KHON-TV2 today, would be more practical. "If we had to pay $1,000 in health care premiums for the client, and we would have the hospital services, diagnostic services and so forth covered, it may be cheaper in the long run than having to pay things on a piecemeal basis," he said. Right now, the state is only examining its options, he said. If officials decide to go ahead with a health insurance plan, it would take at least a year to be implemented, Taniguchi said. It would also require insurance companies to submit bids for a contract. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES MORE than 8,500 cable television customers in Hawai`i Kai lost their service last night when vandals climbed to a satellite receiver station near Koko Head and shut off its power supply. TCI, one of two cable companies serving the area, was able to restore service this morning, but some residents with certain brands of cable-signal converters received more channels than they paid for. TCI officials told KHON-TV2 that their network's scrambling system was damaged, allowing some households to view premium cable channels including The Movie Channel and Playboy for free. The problems were worked out late this afternoon... ALZHEIMER'S disease is nearly twice as common in Japanese American men who lived in Hawai`i before 1920 than it is for men living in Japan, according to a report in the latest "Journal of the American Medical Association." The report speculates that Hawaii's natural and cultural environment had a substantial effect on the subjects' susceptibility to the disease, and may shed some light on its currently unknown cause. Exposure to toxic pesticides used on sugar plantations at the time is one possible factor, the report states, as was the high stress experienced in emigrating from Japan... CITING a failure to report damages awarded in a personal injury lawsuit, the state Attorney General's office today filed suit against Lloyd Shimabuku, one of its own investigators and, Gerard Jervis, a Bishop Estate trustee who formerly worked as an attorney in private practice. Jervis represented Shimabuku when he sued an elevator company after he was injured by one of its elevators. The lawsuit said Shimabuku's claim and subsequent settlement was apparently engineered to avoid having to make a required repayment to the state's workers compensation fund... ALANA Dung was released from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle for the second time today, after doctors determined that recent antibiotic treatments were effective in fighting a bacterial infection discovered in the 2-year-old's blood two weeks ago. The girl will still have to report to the hospital every other day for testing and observation for the next month and a half, but if all goes well, family and friends hope she will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving back in the islands... UNEMPLOYMENT in Hawai`i hit 6.5 percent this past August, higher than the national average of 5.1 percent. Other figures released this week show Hawai`i had the second smallest average per-capita income increase in the country. While Americans on average earned 5 percent more this year compared to last, island residents saw paychecks grow by only 2.4 percent. The increase is lower than the current rate of inflation... MAUI police are still investigating how a 13-year-old girl got behind the wheel of her mother's car this morning, after the vehicle careened of a 30- foot cliff in Ku`au, landing upside down in the ocean. The girl was killed in the crash. There was no guardrail along the stretch of road where the accident occurred... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 88/72, Kaua`i 85/71, Moloka`i 87/71, Maui 86/71, Hilo 83/70 CASTS: Partly cloudy, trades to 15MPH; North and West Shore surf to 4 feet. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, September 23, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: MORGADO, HARRIS TO GO HEAD TO HEAD; FASI BACKS MORGADO Honolulu residents will have to wait until November to elect their next mayor, stretching the mayoral campaign season six more weeks. Despite media polls indicating that incumbent Jeremy Harris had enough support to win his re-election outright on Saturday, his two primary opponents -- Arnold Morgado and former mayor Frank Fasi -- took enough votes to send the race to a runoff between the top two candidates. Harris took 49.3 percent of the votes in the mayor's race, less than a percent short of what needed to end the contest this weekend. Arnold Morgado garnered 29.2 percent of the vote, and former mayor Frank Fasi pulled in 20.1 percent. Following through on promises made while the votes were still being counted Saturday night, Fasi endorsed Morgado this afternoon at a joint press conference. "I think it's very very important for the people of the City and County of Honolulu and the state to have a mayor ... who's looking to the future," Fasi said. "Not for our generation, but for our grandchildren. "This man, I think, can do the job best," he said. Morgado, in turn, blasted supporters of the Harris campaign who expressed relief in hearing Fasi had been voted out of the race. "Mr. Fasi's record for the people is one we can all be proud of," Morgado said. "Comments like, 'We're finally rid of Frank, Frank can go home,' are disgraceful and disrespectful." On election night, Fasi called Harris a "con-man" and said he would do whatever it would take to get Harris out of office. He said he will urge the people who voted for him to vote for Morgado on Nov. 5. Morgado said he and Fasi will probably have to invest a quarter of a million dollars or more each in the coming weeks in order to unseat Harris. Leaders of the Harris camp had little to say about Fasi's endorsement except that they weren't surprised. Harris had earlier said he doubted Fasi's supporters would back Morgado, noting that most of his own supporters are former Fasi supporters. In backing Morgado's mayoral bid, Fasi said he has only the public's best interests in mind. "I've got nothing to gain from being involved in this campaign except headaches, getting clobbered, getting maligned, you name it," he said. Despite his loss, Fasi said he's nowhere near being done with politics. "It's probably my last campaign for mayor," he said. "But you never know what's going to happen tomorrow -- who knows, I might decide to run for U.S. senate." Meanwhile, Hawai`i Governor Ben Cayetano said he personally supports Harris, while former Governor John Waihee spent election night at Harris' campaign headquarters as a guest of honor. Both Cayetano and Waihee, however, say they wouldn't mind either candidate as Honolulu mayor, noting that both Harris and Morgado are fellow Democrats. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: VOTER TURNOUT, OTHER ELECTION RESULTS The state elections office reported that out of about 531,900 Hawai`i residents registered to vote on Saturday, 52 percent, or about 276,260, showed up at the polls. That's somewhat lower than the 66 percent turnout seen in the last Primary Election in 1994. The islands have not seen a turnout greater than 70 percent since 1986. Kaua`i voters had the highest turnout of all counties, with 59 percent participating out of about 29,250 registered voters. Maui County saw the lowest -- out of about 55,800 registered voters, only about 20,450 -- or 37 percent -- punched ballots on Saturday. O`ahu saw a 53 percent turnout, while the Big Island saw 56 percent. Below are more Primary Election results covering some of the more hotly contested races. Note that a semi-official list of all results in all races is now available on the web at http://www.state.hi.us/elect96/ People indicated with a "+" are the winner for their respective parties and will go on to the General Election on Nov. 5. A "++" means they go to the General Election unopposed. MAYOR Jeremy Harris + 94,846 ------------- Arnold Morgado + 56,241 (Nonpartisan) Frank Fasi 38,744 Lillian Hong 1,502 CITY PROSECUTOR David Arakawa + 86,744 --------------- Peter Carlisle + 59,096 (Nonpartisan) Randal Yoshida 41,805 STATE SENATE Suzanne Chun Oakland (D) + 5,451 ------------ Milton Holt (D) 3,397 14th Jonathan Low (R) + 623 15th Norman Mizuguchi (D) ++ 5,048 ---- Diane Ho Kurtz (D) 4,581 16th Norman Sakamoto (D) ++ 4,861 ---- Rey Graulty (D) 3,747 47th Terrance Tom (D) + 2,688 ---- Iris Catalani (D) 2,634 Mike Loftus (R) + 510 Karen Archibald (G) + 52 U.S. HOUSE Neil Abercrombie (D) + 65,732 ---------- Orson Swindle (R) + 29,887 District 1 Richard Thompson (D) 25,904 Nichola Bedworth (Nat. Law) + 458 Mark Duering (N) + 635 District 2 Patsy Mink (D) + 64,371 ---------- Bobby Bunda (D) 33,886 Tom Pico, Jr. (R) + 7,887 F. D. Bollinger (R) 4,705 Nolan Crabbe (N) + 832 James Keefe (L) + 742 Amada Toulon (Nat. Law) + 234 BIG ISLAND MAYOR Stephen Yamashiro (D) + 12,907 ---------------- Lorraine Inouye (D) 9,619 Virginia Isbell (D) 8,090 Jim Rath (R) + 3,121 Keiko Bonk (G) + 824 Gerald Wright (R) 753 Jonathan Adler (N) + 235 Aaron Anderson (L) + 166 -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KIHANO PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL INDICTMENT Former Speaker of the House Daniel Kihano appeared in federal court today where he pled not guilty to charges that he misused campaign funds. Kihano served 22 years in the state legislature before serving the last three years as a senior member of Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration. He retired earlier this year with a $60,000 pension, which is allowed for in Hawaii's controversial "High 3" benefit package for retiring lawmakers. A federal grand jury indicted him on charges of diverting campaign funds for his personal use and under representing his income to the Internal Revenue Service, and also compelling an associate to lie to the jury during its investigation. The investigation covered financial transactions allegedly made between 1988 and 1993, in which Kihano allegedly laundered money through savings bonds and a third party. Kihano today called the charges "ridiculous." "I'm not guilty," he said. "That's it, and that's why we're pursuing the case." Ben Cassiday, Kihano's attorney, said the allegations clearly represent hidden political interests rather than those of the public. "We believe the charges are politically motivated and we're going to fight them with everything we've got," Cassiday said. "We believe we'll win the case." Cassiday said Kihano made a few enemies during his legislative run. "My client ... went against the state of Hawai`i and is a kind of political pariah from the state's point of view," he said. "I think that all resulted in (the investigators) nit-picking through every piece of paper that ever existed in his entire life." Kihano's trial date was set for Jan. 7. He was released today on a $100,000 bond, and has been ordered not to travel out of state. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: POLICE CREDIT WARY NEIGHBORS FOR ICE BUST Three Honolulu residents have been charged with possession of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," with the intent to distribute after a Friday raid of a Pearlridge townhome turned up what federal and local drug agents say was a drug processing and conversion laboratory. 26-year-old Jerilyn St. John and her boyfriend Glen Haraguchi -- both residents of the Harbor Pointe residence -- remain in police custody tonight along with 39-year-old Leslie Hayashida. HPD spokesman Mike Carvalho said a search of the couple's home turned up beakers filled with brown liquid, petri dishes with methamphetamine residue and a gallon-sized container of Acetone. The setup was probably used to turn the methamphetamine into its illegal crystalline form. After searching there, investigators searched a hotel room in the Diamond Head View Hotel it Waikiki, where the two male suspects had allegedly checked into a room the night before the raid. There they found three pounds of methamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine in the refrigerator and sink. "It's a pretty substantial bust," said Sydney Hayakawa, spokesman for the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Carvalho told KHON-TV2 that media coverage of an earlier house fire in Halawa caused by a similar drug lab within helped Harbor Pointe residents determine that illegal activity was probably going on. He gave the public credit for tipping them off. "It's neighbors, it's people that are concerned, people who have witnessed or seen our broadcast following the Crosspointe fire where we advised people of what to look for," Carvalho said. Carvalho said suspicious signs include a strong smell resembling that of nail polish remover and heavy pedestrian traffic to and from the residence. All three suspects face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted on all related charges. The 1-year-old son of the couple, who was also found in the home during the bust, remains in custody of state Child Protective Services officials. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES GRANNY Goose is returning to the islands. President Keith Kim said the company's products can again be found at Hawai`i stores, and if he can capture 25 percent of the local market, he will likely reestablish a plant in Honolulu. After losing nearly $4 million a year and nearly going out of business last year, the snack company -- based in Oakland, Calif. -- closed its island headquarters. Granny Goose, with exports to Asia and distribution in nearly a dozen states, sees $100 million in sales. That's dwarfed by competitor Frito Lay, however, which sees $8.5 billion in sales annually... PAPAYA crops on the Big Island may not be in as grave danger as recently thought, with the announcement today of the development of a virus-resistant papaya plant. Since it first turned up in 1992, the papaya ringspot virus has killed thousands of plants and forced several growers out of business. The DNA enhanced papayas -- jointly developed by scientists at UH-Manoa and Cornell University -- recently got the thumbs up from state agriculture officials, and if other approvals come through, the papayas could be growing by next year and on local grocery shelves by 1998... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 89/73, Kaua`i 86/72, Moloka`i 88/73, Maui 87/73, Hilo 84/71 CASTS: Partly cloudy, trades to 15MPH; North and West Shore surf to 4 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 2:12 p.m.; Low 8:45 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, September 20, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: SECOND ICE LAB MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND IN AIEA Three people are in police custody tonight after federal officials uncovered what they believe could be an in-home drug laboratory used to make crystal methamphetamine, or ice, in a Pearlridge townhouse. Several neighbors had been calling in complaints of a powerful smell resembling fingernail-polish remover coming from the Harbor Pointe residence. Federal drug enforcement agents arrived at about 1 p.m. to investigate. A couple living at the address and a second male were apprehended by police, and a search reportedly uncovered the makeshift lab. The couple's child has been placed in the care of Child Protective Services. Apart from the smell, neighbors didn't see or hear much of the people living in the townhouse. "I'd see her a couple of times and greet her, but she kept to herself and ignored me," Harbor Pointe resident Heather Clark told KHON-TV2. DEA investigators said the residential cluster's security staff found large cans of acetone in the trash. Acetone is a chemical that is a primary ingredient in making ice. The three were questioned by federal officials tonight, but at press time no formal charges have been filed. The discovery comes less than three weeks after a Sept. 7 house fire in Crosspointe -- an upscale residential community in Halawa -- was found to have been caused by an ice lab set up in the kitchen. HPD Sgt. Mike Carvalho said today that the Crosspointe operation was the largest crystal-meth lab ever discovered in the state. A 23-year-old Pearl City man is currently being held without bail in that case, and now faces federal charges that carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years. "Acetone cans were found as well as certain types of alcohol containers," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo. "Certain fingerprints and palm prints of the defendant was located on them." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ARBITRATION FAVORS RAISE FOR POLICE UNION Although a formal finding by an independent arbitration panel will not be released until next week, some members of SHOPO -- the union representing police officers statewide -- are expecting major victory. The union has requested a series of retroactive 'step raises' going back to July of 1995, a five percent partially-retroactive pay raise within one year, and private vehicle allowances of at least $450 a month. In anticipation of the panel's written report favoring SHOPO, Honolulu City Council Budget Chairman Duke Bainum said the city's finances are facing a major blow. "We could potentially be looking at somewhere between $7 million and $8 million dollars additional moneys that have to be found," Bainum said. "And this is on top of a $71 million shortfall that we're facing." Mayor Jeremy Harris told KITV-4 that since the arbitration is binding, the city will simply have to come up with the money. "We don't know what the numbers will be," Harris said. "We're just going to have to tighten our belt and be able to squeeze more out of the budget we've got." The package sought by the union includes two 2.5 percent pay raises, one effective this past July, and one in January of 1997. Three annual step raises are also sought retroactive to July of 1995. Finally, SHOPO wants to keep $450-488 monthly allowances for officers who use their own vehicles while on-duty. Bainum said he is more concerned over what the arbitration panel's findings will mean for other city employee unions that are still in the process of negotiating with the city. If the SHOPO ruling comes down as expected, it will be set a precedent for other unions, he said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: DENTAL INSURER PULLS OUT OF MEDICAL INSURANCE BUSINESS A group headed by University of Hawai`i faculty members has agreed to take over providing medical insurance to 37,000 residents currently signed up with Hawai`i Dental Service Medical. HDS, the largest dental insurance provider in the state, branched into providing basic health-insurance coverage in 1988. Although moderately successful at first, the enterprise fell into debt after borrowing more than $15 million between 1990 and 1994. Under the agreement announced today, the University Health Alliance -- a new organization with roots in another group of UH medical and nursing school faculty -- will take over HDSM's plans. The alliance, operating as a corporation called U-MED -- will only pick up $5 million of the original company's accumulated debt. HDS Medical's 28 full-time employees will be kept by U-MED, and their offices will not change. The switch over date is Oct. 1. U-MED spokeswoman Laura Trosino said essentially the only thing changing is the name. Policyholders will not have to change health care providers and their benefits will not change, she said. "I think they will benefit now that their insurance claims will be directed by physicians, who are very concerned about their health care," Trosino said. In addition to helping both HDS and its customers, the arrangement will also benefit Hawai`i students, Trosino said, explaining that some of U-MED's profits will go toward supporting the UH School of Medicine. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FINAL ARGUMENTS PRESENTED IN SAME-SEX TRIAL Both sides presented their closing statements in the state's same-sex marriage trial today. Despite objections by Deputy State Attorney General Rich Eichor, Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang limited statements to 30 minutes. In his closing remarks, Eichor compared same-sex relationships to incest, prostitution and polygamy. "Until we are ready to accept each of those alternate lifestyles and life arrangements, we cannot accept a same-sex marriage," he said. Marriage encourages men and women to take responsibility for their children, Eichor said, reiterating the state's primary argument: the state's ban on same-sex marriage needs to be maintained for the benefit of Hawaii's children. "There is a mystical bond between a mother, a father and their child," Eichor said. "Perhaps it's biological; perhaps it's psychological; it's probably unexplainable, but it's real." "The purpose of the marriage law is to encourage procreation through male-female marriages," he said. "The purpose of the law is to encourage that men and women take responsibility for their children. "No same-sex couples, as a couple, can have children," Eichor said. Eichor said: "The basic truth is that children need a mother and father influence, a male-female influence, in their home." Dan Foley, lead attorney for three same-sex couples that sued the state in 1991 for the right to marry, answered Eichor's assertions during his closing statement. ""Gay and lesbian parents, and same-sex parents, are as fit and loving as non-gay parents and opposite-sex parents," Foley said. "There is no evidence that the basis of marriage is procreation," Foley said. "A childless marriage is as good and valid under the laws of this state as a marriage with children." Foley likened the case to some states' prohibition of interracial marriage in the first half of the millennia. "Our Hawai`i Constitution puts sex discrimination on the same plank as race discrimination," he said. "This is a case about discrimination against people because they love and are committed to a person of the same gender." Foley said: "The defendant has a heavy burden to justify this discrimination. The defendant has the same burden the Commonwealth of Virginia had in attempting to justify its ban of interracial marriage." After today's proceedings, both Eichor and Foley said they expected to win the case. Antoinette Pregil, one of the plaintiffs, said she was happy with Foley's representation. "I feel good about the way things have gone and I'm confident the judge will rule in our favor," she said. Pregil's 19-year-old daughter Leina`ala said she never had any problems being raised by a lesbian couple, and that she didn't think the state's argument had much merit. "There's nothing really different," she said. "It's just like with a single mother and you have a step-parent -- it's just like having two mothers." Both sides now have until the first week of October to submit legal briefs in which they can highlight key points made during the two-week non- jury trial. Chang isn't expected to hand down his ruling until three or four weeks after that. Regardless of Chang's decision, both sides have vowed to appeal should they lose. Many expect the case to eventually make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES BLACK sludge dumped off Lualualei Naval Road in Nanakuli has military and state officials wondering: what is it and who put it there? The substance -- stretching across nearly a quarter-mile -- was dumped last night by a white flatbed truck, according to one witness. The first officers to report to the scene experienced dizziness, prompting hazardous material specialists to take over. The dumping took place right next to a "no dumping" sign... MEGAN Ward, a Kaiser High School graduate and rising Hollywood star, has a major role in a new NBC series called "Dark Skies." Ward has appeared in other television shows, including "Party of Five," and in the movie "Encino Man." Her father Wayne Ward, an acting coach in Honolulu, told KHNL-8 that she made it all on her own: "We didn't connect her to anyone ... Everything comes from Megan." The series premiers tomorrow, Sept. 21. NAVY officials announced today that the USS Chicago, a Los Angeles Class attack submarine, will make Pearl Harbor its new home-port. After ongoing renovations are completed on the vessel where its currently stationed in San Diego, the submarine is expected to be in the islands by June of next year... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 88/72, Kaua`i 85/71, Moloka`i 87/73, Maui 87/73, Hilo 83/70 CASTS: Partly cloudy, trades to 15MPH; North and East Shore surf to 4 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High --:-- p.m.; Low --:-- a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, September 17, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: CARLISLE, YOSHIDA SPEAK OUT ON T-SHIRT VENDOR, CAMPAIGN LAWS With four days left to the Primary Election, two candidates running for outgoing City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro's job are saying what they would have done differently. A third candidate, meanwhile, is backing up two recent decisions Kaneshiro made. Peter Carlisle, Randal Yoshida and David Arakawa will be on the ballot this Saturday, but only one has the current administration's stamp of approval. Last week Kaneshiro endorsed Arakawa as his favored successor. Both Yoshida and Carlisle today criticized Kaneshiro's record on two issues: T-shirt vendors recently barred from Waikiki and other city property, and allegations that some candidates for city office have violated the campaign spending law. In both cases, Kaneshiro refused to take action. Kaneshiro has said he feels the campaign spending law -- which in part prohibits contractors receiving city jobs from supporting city campaigns -- may be unconstitutional. "Even though the campaign spending law has questions about it, we'd still do our best to abide by it because it is the law," Carlisle told KHON-TV2. "If there's something wrong with the law, you get an appellate court to make that determination," he said. "You don't sit there and you become the legislature by deciding what laws you will enforce and what laws you won't enforce." Arakawa, however, said Kaneshiro did the right thing. "As the prosecutor, your duty is to look at the law and enforce it -- if you believe that it is constitutional or it's a valid law," Arakawa said. "If it's not, your duty is to try and change that law," he said. While Yoshida said he felt the campaign law was too broad and needed to be clarified, he said he agreed with its intent. Meanwhile, his stance on the T-shirt vending case was firm. "(Under) the T-shirt vending law there's no question in my mind that I would prosecute," Yoshida said. "The law was on the books -- in my view it was very very clear." Said Carlisle: "I would have prosecuted the T-shirt vendors in a blink." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CHILDREN OF LESBIANS GROW UP NORMALLY, PSYCHOLOGIST TESTIFIES A person's sexual orientation plays little or no part in how well- adjusted their children are, according to the plaintiffs' second witness in the state's same-sex marriage trial. ""Far more important than household composition or the sexual orientation of the parents is the actual quality of parenting and care the children receive," said University of Virginia psychologist Charlotte Patterson. Patterson presented the results of two recent studies she conducted, the first focused on children born to or adopted by lesbian parents, and the second focused on both heterosexual and homosexual couples that conceived children through sperm banks. She said her research -- involving over 100 families studied between 1990 and 1995 -- found children raised by same-sex parents still develop an understanding of traditional gender roles. "The girls played with dolls and the boys played with trucks," Patterson said. The factor that has the greatest affect on a child's adjustment and stress level is the degree of inter-parental conflict, she said. Patterson said the children of lesbian parents in her study reported stress more frequently than those of opposite-sex parents, but the levels of stress observed were still well within what is considered normal for their respective age groups. The data may also suggest that children of lesbians don't experience more stress, but instead are simply more secure in bringing up and discussing their feelings, she said. During cross-examination by Deputy Attorney General Rick Eichor, Patterson conceded that the people she used for her research were not representative of average American families or mothers. "(They were) above average in income and education relative to national norms," Patterson said. After today's proceedings, Eichor blasted Patterson for presenting "a manipulated snapshot of an ideal lesbian community." "She's not going to give a straight answer," Eichor said. "She's not going to give me the time of day because she understands that the answers that are honest and straightforward would hurt her case." Eichor said Patterson was clearly biased in favor of same-sex marriage. "She's very much invested her lifetime in this cause, in this movement," Eichor said. Dan Foley, lead attorney for the three same-sex couples that have sued the state for the right to marry, later criticized Eichor for his hostile treatment of Patterson in the courtroom. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES AFTER his bank robbery attempt failed yesterday, a suspect left a present that prompted Maui police to evacuate a two mile radius around it. An unidentified man, now in custody, tried to rob Bank of Hawaii's Kihei branch, located inside a Star Market supermarket, at about 2:30 p.m. Before fleeing the scene, police say, he left a black metal box decorated with a red light and an antenna. The shopping center and surrounding area was cleared while bomb specialists were flown in from Honolulu. Traffic on South Kihei Road was reportedly backed up for two miles. Investigators determined more than four hours later that the box only contained a bag of dirt... ALANA Dung, a 2-year-old leukemia patient that captured the hearts of thousands of Hawai`i residents earlier this year, is eating much more and is doing well as antibiotic treatments continue. It has been nine weeks since Dung received a bone-marrow transplant, and her most recent blood tests show no sign of disease. She was released from a Seattle hospital last week, but was readmitted the next day after an earlier test showed signs of a possible infection. Her family is still hoping for a Thanksgiving homecoming... KENT Stone and Wayne Hunt were found guilty today of attempted murder. The court determined Hunt, in an ambush arranged by Stone, shot Erin Chock in the face in June of 1995 while he was sitting in his truck parked near the Wilson Tunnel. Stone allegedly owed Chock $6,000 from an earlier drug deal. Chock lost one eye and some motor coordination as a result of his wounds. The sentencing for Hunt and Stone is scheduled for Nov. 27... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 88/74, Kaua`i 87/73, Moloka`i 89/74, Maui 89/74, Hilo 85/72 CASTS: Partly cloudy, trades to 25MPH; North Shore surf to 6 feet. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High --:-- p.m.; Low --:-- a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, September 16, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: MARRIAGE MEANS STABILITY FOR ALL COUPLES, WITNESS SAYS Society, as well as same-sex couples, could benefit by allowing homosexual marriages, a Mainland sociologist testified today. University of Washington researcher Pepper Schwartz was the first witness called to the stand by attorneys for three same-sex couples who sued the state for the right to marry in 1991. Schwartz said her research has found very little difference between what opposite-sex and same-sex couples value in a relationship. "Most wanted love, loyalty, affection and trust," Schwartz said. Allowing same-sex couples to marry would not have a negative impact on society or the institution of marriage, Schwartz said, adding that the resistance expressed by opponents today is similar to the outcry over interracial marriages in the early 20th century. "I think there's always dis-ease and tumult when things change," Schwartz said. Homosexuals do make good parents, Schwartz said, creating homes and families that are just as secure as opposite-sex couples. She said making marriage available to everyone would be beneficial to society, because it encourages people -- especially parents -- to stick together. "It institutionalizes that relationship," she said. "You've promised to do this forever, even when things get tough." "The striking difference is that married couples have an advantage that keeps them together longer," she said. Scwhartz is the author of several books focused on opposite-sex and same-sex relationships, including "American Couples," which scrutinized the durability and satisfaction levels reported by several thousand couples. The book was based on data compiled over the course of 10 years and is considered one of the most definitive studies of its kind, she said. Since then, Schwartz said, there is already more monogamy and stability in same-sex relationships, due in part to the AIDS epidemic. The state, which presented its case last week, hopes to prove that it has a compelling interest in banning same-sex marriages because they could put children at risk. Schwartz said she was skeptical of the state's assertion that children are universally better off when raised by their biological parents. In cross-examination by Deputy Attorney General Rich Eichor, Schwartz said she was not advocating that children should be "forced" to live with people other than their mother and father. After the day's proceedings, Eichor said Schwartz's testimony was irrelevant because it focused on couples instead of children. Attorney Dan Foley, representing the plaintiffs, said the basis for the state's case is too narrow. The debate should not be limited to one simply of children, Foley said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: PEARL CITY PURCHASE A DEAL, FASI MAINTAINS Mayoral candidate Frank Fasi today rebuffed accusations by Mayor Jeremy Harris that his campaign ads are misleading. With five days left before the Primary Election, campaign claims and complaints are flying fast and furious in the Honolulu mayor's race. Last week, Harris said a Fasi television ad is turning what may have been a financial bungle into an accomplishment. In 1991, the ad says, Fasi secured a piece of Navy property Pearl City in exchange for land considered part of the Aloha Stadium site. "He's under the impression somehow that the city was given the land underneath the stadium as part of the deal he negotiated," Harris said. "The city wasn't given the land underneath the stadium, the state owns the land underneath the stadium." "He's nitpicking," Fasi responded. "It's very difficult in a television commercial to get everything in in 30 seconds." Fasi maintains the $109 million Pearl City purchase -- approximately $21 per square-foot -- was a great deal, and an example of his business savvy. "The people of the city and county of Honolulu, people of the state of Hawai`i, have now got a piece of property that -- if they advertise it properly -- I believe can right now get offers as much of $500 million." Meanwhile, the Navy is using the funds to build a causeway between Ford Island and odd parcels of Aloha Stadium land; land that Fasi said will become commercially viable as a result. At a press conference today, Fasi presented official deeds and testimony from a real estate analyst to back up his claims. Fasi also faulted the Harris administration for not being aggressive enough in seeking buyers for the Pearl City property. To date, the city has received only one unspecified bid, which it rejected. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: "DEATH MASK" USED IN MURDER TRIAL A plaster likeness of a murder victim's face appeared in Circuit Court today, as prosecutors hoped to demonstrate how she died during a kidnapping and failed extortion attempt two years ago. The question is whether Garreth Graham should be convicted of murder or manslaughter in the death of Ming Li Chang, whom he kidnapped, tied up and put in the trunk of her own Mercedes in 1994. Graham had hoped to extort several thousand dollars from Chang's husband, a prominent Honolulu doctor. Chang was found dead by police later that day, and prosecutors contend she was suffocated by tape placed over her mouth and nose. However, Graham claims he never intended to kill Chang. The defense argues Chang's suffocation was partially the result of her taking Seldane, a sinus medication, which weakened her respiratory system. "It's my opinion that she suffocated when her mouth and nose were included by the tape bindings," testified Vincent DiMaio, an expert witness called by the prosecution. He placed the actual tape recovered by police over the "death mask" to illustrate his point. The defense argued that there is no clear evidence the tape -- which was found partially pulled down towards the victim's chin -- covered both her breathing passages. There are several possible explanations as to how Chang suffocated, the defense argued. Previously, Graham's attorney said it was possible her breathing was restricted because the rope and tape Graham used to bind her torso was too tight. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 86/72, Kaua`i 84/71, Moloka`i 84/71, Maui 85/72, Hilo 81/71 CASTS: Sunny, trades to 25MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, September 13, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: STATE RESTS CASE IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TRIAL Having a mother and father is a significant way to raise children with the fewest barriers to their development, testified the state's last witness in its defense of a law banning same-sex marriages. Thomas Merrill, a practicing Honolulu psychologist, also conceded that there has been no substantial scientific study that shows homosexuals cannot raise healthy children. Merrill was the last witness for the defense, and Deputy Attorney General Rich Eichor said he is confident the state will win the case. "I don't think we could have ended it on a better note," Eichor said. "I feel very good about it." "We closed the case the way we began it -- talking about children, explaining why they need their mother and father," he said. Dan Foley, lead attorney for the three same-sex couples who sued the state for the right to marry five years ago, said the state's case has been flawed from the beginning. "There is no good reason, much less a compelling one, to deny marriage licenses to law abiding, tax-paying citizens because of their gender or to punish their children because these parents happen to be gay," Foley said. Foley pointed out that every one of the defense's witnesses admitted that there is no reason gay people shouldn't have the right to adopt and raise children. If citizens can have children through adoption, he said, there is no basis to deny anyone the right to marriage. Yesterday, Richard Williams, a psychology professor with Brigham Young University, said that nine prominent studies on the children of gay and lesbian parents were biased in favor of legitimizing same-sex families. However, during cross examination by Evan Wolfson -- assistant attorney for the plaintiffs -- Williams admitted that there is no substantial evidence that say gays and lesbians could not be fit or loving parents. Williams said he was personally morally opposed to homosexuality, and under Wolfson's questioning, also said he doubted the legitimacy of sociology as a science and the concept of evolution. "He came into court not for scientific reasons, but because of a personal ax to grind," Wolfson told the _Honolulu Star-Bulletin_. "(Wolfson) doesn't like Dr. Williams because he's a Mormon from BYU," Eichor said in response to Wolfson's accusations. Eichor described Wolfson's comments "classic religious bigotry," and said Williams testimony was indeed unbiased and objective. He said the state's case is one of common sense. "Where do we draw the line?" Eichor said. "Next, people will sue to have three wives or to marry their sister." The prosecution will begin presenting its case on Monday. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: A&B SHUTS DOWN KAUA`I SUGAR PLANTATION It was never the biggest, most productive or successful sugar plantation in Hawai`i, but McBryde Sugar on Kaua`i was among the oldest. Today, the last harvest of McBryde sugar cane was hauled in, and many of the company's 275 or so employees are wondering where they are going to go. "A lot of us thought that we were going to retire here," said Carlito Pasion, Jr., who delivered one of the last truckloads of raw sugar to the processing center. "Everybody thought that." McBryde trucks traversed the dry Kaua`i fields slowly, decorated with Hawaiian floral arrangements, horns blowing at every turn. A sign on one read, "Aloha `oe McBryde, 1889 - 1996." "The function, the strength of the company, we though this was going to last forever," Pasion said. "But I guess not. Nothing lasts forever." McBryde -- a subsidiary of A&B Hawai`i -- has been an integral part of the small town of Koloa since the cane fields were first planted over a hundred years ago. When the sugar industry began to decline over a decade ago, McBryde held out while more prominent plantations bowed out. "It was very difficult," said A&B Hawai`i president Allen Doane. "A&B realized in the early 1980's that sugar just didn't have a long term future here, so we spent the last 10 years or more trying to do something about it." Doane said even in its best year, McBryde lost A&B $4 million. While Kaua`i sugar has been hurting, A&B's other operations are picking up. Its sugar plantations on Maui are still turning a profit, and the company recently expanded its coffee farms. A&B also recently announced plans for diversified agricultural farms, and former McBryde workers are being given first consideration for leases. Few can afford to make the jump. KITV-4 reports that barely a third of those losing their jobs today have found employment elsewhere. The sense of loss is more than a financial one, however. "I just love the job," driver Rose Nordmeier said. "The people, friends... leaving them all behind." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CONSTITUENTS GET BULLET SHELLS IN MAIL Over 9,500 Honolulu residents opened up their mailboxes this week and found, enclosed in a campaign brochure for state Sen. Rey Graulty, a letter, a ruler and a two-inch bullet casing. The letter was on stationary for the Hawai`i State Teachers Association. The ruler, HSTA president June Motokawa said, represented Graulty's commitment to education. The bullet represents how he "stood up to the powerful gun lobby" and fought for gun control. "Will you stand up for (Graulty)?" the letter asks. "Please join us in the fight to protect this good man." The harmless, spent gun prop surprised, shocked and scared many in the 16th senate district. Motokawa told the _Honolulu Advertiser_ that using the bullet casing was "ill-advised." Yesterday she said she regretted including them in the campaign mailing, and expressed hopes that her "lapse in judgment" wouldn't hurt Graulty's bid for reelection. The bullet casings have caused a stir among residents of the 16th district, which includes Moanalua and Salt Lake, and some have called it "inappropriate" and "distasteful." Graulty apologized for disturbing some voters, the _Star-Bulletin_ reported, but defended the strategy by saying he needed to reach people who have been desensitized by violence on television. "Bullet casings -- even if they're empty -- are unpleasant. They're grim," Graulty is quoted as saying. "But violence is grim and unpleasant." Graulty cited polls by local media that show most voters list crime and gangs as the most important issues to them. He also said the reaction was worth it, explaining that he defines his campaign primarily on his outspoken stance backing gun control. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CITY BIDS FOR FORMER CHINATOWN BAR, VIDEO SHOPS Federal officials confirmed today that the city has offered over $2 million for a Chinatown property that was seized earlier this year in a drug investigation. Three Smith Street businesses -- a bar and two adult video stores -- were shut down after their owner failed to heed several warnings that illegal drug activity was being conducted on the premises. The city hopes to obtain the property and use it for a new police substation and a community service center. Federal authorities must still accept and review other bids for the half-block lot. U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said: "Even if we didn't get a dime in a forfeiture on this, it would've been a success because we stopped the drug dealing we stopped the criminality that was going on." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CANOY WILL REMAIN IN HALAWA Saying it would breach the trust of the community, a circuit court judge today rejected the early-release request of convicted child molester Jesse Canoy. Canoy, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison earlier this year for sexually molesting five teenage girls over a two year period, told the court he wanted to seek counseling. Since he is in protective custody at Halawa prison, Canoy is not allowed to utilize counseling services available to other inmates there. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 85/73, Kaua`i 86/72, Moloka`i 85/73, Maui 88/73, Hilo 83/71 CASTS: Sunny and clear, trades to 20MPH; North and South shore surf to 3 ft. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 4:50 p.m.; Low 10:54 a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, September 11, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: GUARDIAN ANGELS PROPOSE 1-10, WAIKIKI PATROLS Two members of the recently-formed Tokyo chapter of the Guardian Angels yesterday told Waikiki residents and business leaders that an independent local safety patrol can help fight rising crime in the dense, bustling tourist district. The speakers also urged the city to set up a special phone number, 1-10, as a way to contact police in an emergency. In Japan, 1-10 is similar to the 911 in the U.S. Despite a heavy police presence, property crime in Waikiki has been rising, with more purse-snatchings and -- recently -- purse slashings being reported. The group's members said the Guardian Angels provide one model of community self-policing that works. "It's not the Guardian Angels of New York City coming to Honolulu to patrol," clarified Tokyo member Keiji Oda, "It is the local people who want to do something better, who want to make it better." One Waikiki resident, who relocated to the islands from New York, had reservations about a similar group forming in Hawai`i. "They've been shown to be an intimidating factor in the community, not so much a deterrent to crime," Rene Kaerton told KHON-TV2. Kaerton said the Guardian Angels are little more than a well-organized gang. HPD spokesman Forrest Broome said that its own citizen patrols are working and becoming more effective. "They key difference is that the Guardian Angels have a 20 year reputation and they're recognized," he said. After the current patrol group has been at work for a few years, its members will be just as recognizable on Waikiki streets as are the Guardian Angels and their red berets, Broome said. The Waikiki community is looking into a number of crime-fighting strategies, including an "Aloha Patrol," Broome said. Such a patrol would consist of several unarmed volunteer residents armed with cellular phones. The Guardian Angels spoke on the invitation of the Waikiki Improvement Association at a luncheon yesterday at the Sheraton Waikiki. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: STUDENT JOURNALIST, POLICE UNION SUIT HEARD The Hawai`i Supreme Court yesterday began hearing arguments over whether a public employee's right to privacy can override the public's right to know. It was three years ago that the University of Hawai`i chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists sued the police union, SHOPO, for the names of police officers facing disciplinary action. The department wouldn't disclose how many employees were the subject of an internal investigation, but the number is believed to be between four to 80 officers. Last October, a Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of the police union, backing SHOPO's argument that confidentiality was part of each police officer's contract. The student group's subsequent appeal brings the case before Chief Justice Ronald Moon. Meanwhile, the state Legislature tightened up the wording of its mandatory disclosure law to cover only those officers who were dismissed, and not those suspended or under investigation. The change in the law is not retroactive, however, and predates the SPJ lawsuit. The student group still wants the names of the officers first withheld in 1993. "It seemed to me that the court was disturbed by the fact that the collective bargaining law does not specifically say that police officers have a right to privacy in their disciplinary records," said SHOPO attorney Michael Green. "But [the law] specifically allows us to bargain the terms and conditions of employment. And the heart of a term and condition of employment is a right to privacy." Attorney Jeff Portnoy, representing the journalism students, disagreed. "It is just not conceivable that a public employee union can bargain away the rest of our rights to government information," Portnoy said. Moon has not said how long he will take to rule on the case. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MAYOR, PROSECUTOR CANDIDATE SPENDING As of the second of three spending reports required during this election year, incumbent mayor Jeremy Harris has the largest remaining campaign war chest, now more than three times larger than that former mayor Frank Fasi. All three major candidates hoping to claim City Hall have just over a week in which to bolster their campaigns, before the primary election Sept. 21. If any candidate in the nonpartisan race capture more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be no need for a run-off election on Nov. 5. In the two week period preceding the filing deadline yesterday, Mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado spent the least -- $120,964. Harris invested twice that -- $233,905. Fasi, meanwhile, spent most of his remaining funds -- $159,571. Candidates in the race for City Prosecutor also had to disclose their spending (see chart). +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | H O N O L U L U M A Y O R | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Frank Fasi Jeremy Harris Arnold Morgado | -------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Raised $802,644 $849,602 900,135 | | Spent 774,041 747,188 806,914 | | Balance 28,613 102,443 93,221 | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | C I T Y P R O C E C U T O R | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | David Arakawa Peter Carlisle Randal Yoshida | | Raised $141,838 $156,832 $210,381 | | Spent 137,831 152,672 $209,839 | | Balance 4,007 4,158 547 | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Source: Campaign Spending Commission Reports, Jan. 1 to Sept. 6. | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES INTERNET access will be available through GTE Hawaiian Tel as of next month, the company announced this week. The telecom company is following the lead of competitor AT&T, which unveiled internet services on the Mainland earlier this year. GTE's unlimited access account will be priced at about $20 a month, undercutting the $30 a month plan currently provided by the state's largest internet service provider, Hawai`i Online. Another package offers five hours a month for about $9, with each additional hour billed at about $2. To promote its internet program, GTE will set up two computer terminals at Ala Moana Center where the public can browse the web or check e-mail... GST Communications, a telecom company based in Washington state, is looking to enter Hawaii's local telephone service market. GST is affiliated with internet service provider Hawai`i OnLine. The company is negotiating with GTE Hawaiian Tel -- currently the only company offering dial-tone phone service -- to use its existing limited private fiber-optic and data lines to carry regular phone calls. The plan requires GTE to support part of the infrastructure until GST can expand its own network. The Public Utilities Commission is expected to review the plan within the month... HOME prices in Honolulu are the lowest they've been in eight years, according to the latest report from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. The median price of single-family homes sold in August was $330,000, a drop of over 7 percent from the previous month. The drop isn't likely due to a weak market, either, as the number of sales was the year's high. Nearly 2,500 homes were up for sale last month, the largest inventory in ten years, or since such figures were tracked by the board. Low interest rates were also credited... AFTER several years of hosting a mostly empty berth, Pearl Harbor is again a premier stop on a luxury cruise ship's regular route. The Seabourn Pride, operated by Seabourn Cruise Line of San Francisco, will make Hawai`i the grand finale of its 10-day South Pacific tour. The ocean liner left Mexico on Sunday carrying over 100 passengers, each of whom paid nearly $6,000 to be on board. The cruise will sweep past Waikiki and the Arizona Memorial next week, after stopping through Kona on the Big Island, Lana`i and Kauai... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/73, Kaua`i 83/74, Moloka`i 87/73, Maui 89/74, Hilo 83/72 CASTS: Partly cloudy, winds to 30MPH; North and East shore surf to 4 ft. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 4:19 p.m.; Low 10:13 a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, September 10, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= [ Here's a semi-double issue; I might not publish an edition tomorrow. -ed.] Subject: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TRIAL OPENS Legalized same-sex marriages -- would they be for better or worse? At the same time that question was tackled at the national level today (see related story), a long-anticipated trial began in the islands to determine if Hawaii's four-year-old ban is unconstitutional. In opening statements, Deputy Attorney General Rich Eichor -- repre- senting the state -- argued that the traditional view of marriage should be upheld, especially because it would be in the best interests of Hawaii's children. That justification is flawed, prosecuting attorney Dan Foley responded, adding that the ban discriminates against both same-sex couples and the children the state says it wants to protect. In 1993, the Hawai`i Supreme Court found reason to find the state's law prohibiting same-sex marriages unconstitutional, unless it could show a compelling interest to deny them. The state began presenting its case today, in a non jury trial before Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang. Eichor said he will demonstrate why the state law against same-sex marriages should stand. "The marriage law merely seeks to put the odds in favor of the child," Eichor said. "The health, the safety and the welfare of children demand we do this because children have but one opportunity to grow up. "The people understand that the optimal development of children is most likely to occur if those children are raised by the mother and father," he said. Procreation is one of the main reasons for the institution of marriage, Eichor also argued. Foley, an attorney representing three same-sex couples who sued the state for the right to vote in 1991, questioned Eichor's statements. "Couples who are unwilling or unable to procreate can and do marry in the state of Hawai`i," Foley said. "The evidence will show there are married couples without children, and there are gay and lesbian couples with children." The state position is a discriminatory one, he said, because it can unfairly punish children based on the status of their parents. "Today in Hawai`i, a law-abiding, tax-paying couple of same sex with children cannot marry," Foley said. "A convicted murderer serving life in prison can. "What this court has to decide is whether the reasons put forth by the defense justify denying same-sex couples the same choice other couples have in this state and take for granted." The first witness in the trial took the stand today for the defense. "Optimal development is best served for most children by being raised in intact families by their mothers and their fathers," said Kyle Pruett, a practicing child psychologist at Yale University. Pruett said he has counseled same-sex couples who are raising children, and has encouraged many to expose them to traditional role-models. "They should bring the opposite gender into the daily life of the child -- not just weekends or over the summer -- so the child would have the opportunity in a loving context to attempt to identify, to explore, the opposite gender," he said. Pruett said there has been very little research into same-sex childrearing. During cross-examination by the prosecution, Pruett also conceded that being gay doesn't disqualify a couple from being good parents. When asked if gay individuals, lesbian individuals or same-sex couples can be good parents, he responded each time: "Yes they can." After court adjourned for the day, one of the six plaintiffs behind the case said he was satisfied with Pruett's testimony. "We're just happy that it started," Joe Melillo said. "It started off real well." Tomorrow the state is expected to introduce another expert witness to discuss the sociological impacts of legalizing same-sex marriage. The entire trial is expected to last about two weeks, although Chang may take up to three months to render a decision. Either way, the losing side is expected to appeal his ruling to the Supreme Court. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: SENATE PASSES MARRIAGE ACT, KILLS DISCRIMINATION BAN Two bills related to gay rights came before the U.S. Senate today, and Hawai`i senators Dan Inouye and Daniel Akaka voted on the losing side for both. After a heated floor debate, the senate voted 85 to 14 to pass the Defense of Marriage Act. The act sets a federal definition of "marriage" as a union between a man and a woman, and also says states will not be required to recognize same-sex marriage licenses issued by other states. "I regard this bill as a mean spirited form of Republican legislative gay bashing cynically calculated to try and inflame the public eight weeks before the Nov. 5 election," Sen. Ted Kennedy said before the vote. The act was advanced in part because of the same-sex marriage trial now underway in Hawai`i. Ninia Baehr and Genora Danzel, two of the plaintiffs in the Hawai`i case, were in Washington today to argue against it. The legislation now goes to Pres. Clinton, who has indicated that he will sign it into law. A second bill advancing equal-rights for gays was also killed in the senate. The bill, introduced by Sen. Kennedy, would have prohibited job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It was defeated by a one-vote margin. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: PLANS FOR LEEWARD GOLF COURSE APPROVED The Honolulu City Council Zoning Committee today gave final approval for a multi-million dollar golf course in Lualualei. After hearing opposition from area residents and farmers, the committee added additional requirements. Under the agreement, the Japanese developer agrees to establish a $2 million community foundation and also guarantee local residents use of the course. Committee Chair John DeSoto said most of the differences have been worked out. Some of the opponents' fears and accusations were unfounded, he said. "If it was somebody else, it wouldn't be any problem," he said, "but because its (developer is) Japanese we have all these things that are being projected in there that some groups are very opposed to." Some people say they're still not satisfied. "Given that we're the biggest farming area producing to feed the island of O`ahu, I think the idea of having a golf course there is utterly ridiculous," said Leeward resident Georgette Meyers. The plan now goes to the full council for approval; the vote is expected later this month. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: "DATE RAPE DRUG" SEIZED AT AIRPORT State narcotics officials today announced one of the largest seizures of the drug rohypnol, otherwise known as "roofies" or the "date rape drug." Airport officials detained a couple arriving from Bangkok when the woman was found carrying an illegal taser gun -- a handheld electric-shock device. The 20- year-old woman and her 47-year-old male companion, both of Florida, were found to be carrying about 30 tablets of the illegal drug. When they were detained by authorities, they attempted to destroy evidence by ingesting the tablets. The male suspect was the first to feel their effects. "We could hardly book him because we had to hold him up in front of the camera, his body was so limp," state narcotics spokesman Keith Kamita said. "The girl was starting to lose powers of controlling bodily functions." Kamita said it is a rare seizure, as illegal use of the drug in the islands has been relatively limited compared to cases on the Mainland, which are being reported more and more frequently. Rohypnol, a sedative said to be ten times stronger than valium, has no taste when dissolved in fluids. Used recreationally for its relaxing effect, amnesia is also one of its known side effects. If it is dropped into a cocktail, it can incapacitate victims almost totally, making them vulnerable to sexual assault. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MORGADO CRIES FOUL OVER HARRIS BROCHURE Under state law, no campaign activities -- from sign-waving to pamphlet- passing -- can take place within 200 feet of a polling place. Part of City Hall is already set up for absentee voting, and mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado today claimed supporters of incumbent mayor Jeremy Harris have been passing out a brochure within view of its voting booths. "I am greatly concerned that the campaign brochure of Mr. Harris has been distributed to the absentee voters as they filed in to cast their ballots," Morgado said today. Morgado said he is filing a formal complaint with the Campaign Spending Commission for the alleged violation. The brochure in question is a biography of Harris, tracing his life from birth through college and marriage with photos and anecdotes. A spokeswoman for the Mayor's office said today that no one was sent to hand out the brochures, and that they aren't normally placed anywhere near where the booths are set up in City Hall. They are usually distributed by the city's Office of Information, she said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ALANA BACK IN HOSPITAL Two-year-old bone marrow transplant recipient Alana Dung enjoyed less than 24 hours of freedom yesterday when signs of an infection required her to return to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle today. Before she was released to outpatient care yesterday, a routine blood test was taken. The sample this morning showed traces of bacterial growth, prompting doctors to order her back into the hospital. She will have to remain at the center for at least a week while she receives intravenous antibiotics. Nurses and family say the girl is still doing well, and she officially remains in satisfactory condition tonight. Her return to the hospital is not expected to affect the Dungs' island homecoming, scheduled for late October. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FEDS CITE COMPANY FOR BILKING MILITARY A federal judge today ordered a waste disposal company to pay nearly $4 million for overcharging the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps for its services. U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said about 20 percent of the judgment will go to a competitor who filed the initial complaint and helped in the investigation. Refuse, Inc. was accused of filing inflated claims for dump fees and collection services performed for military facilities between 1990 and 1992. The company did not contest the allegations. Red River Service Corp. is the competing company that will be one of the beneficiaries of the judgment. Most, if not all, of the remaining money will be refunded to the military, Alm said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: SETTLEMENT PROPOSED IN POLICE HARASSMENT CASE After authorizing $500,000 to go towards defending nine different police officers in a sexual harassment case, the Honolulu City Council tonight gave preliminary approval for a $1,100,000 settlement. Former police officer Clarissa Barta filed suit in 1993, alleging that the all-male contingent of officers at the department's airport police station regularly harassed her, forced her to watch sexually-explicit videos and subjected her to job-based sexual discrimination. If the settlement is given final approval by the council, the case will have cost the city at least $1.6 million. That figure may go up, however, after final legal fees are tallied. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- LATE BREAKING NEWS: The result of the Native Hawaiian Vote is now scheduled to be announced tomorrow. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco today nullified its order to block the announcement after it reviewed a last- minute appeal filed Monday morning. The vote result was originally scheduled to be announced that day in a ceremony outside Iolani Hale. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/72, Kaua`i 82/72, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 84/72, Hilo 82/70 CASTS: Sunny, some afternoon rain, winds to 25MPH; North Shore surf to 4 ft. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, September 9, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= [ Note to readers: Sorry, only one story; We're shorthanded at work. -ed. ] Subject: SOVEREIGNTY VOTE RESULT DELAYED Islanders will have to wait at least a week longer before hearing the final results of the Native Hawaiian Vote. The announcement of the results -- in limbo until a restraining order was lifted last Friday -- was scheduled today. That plan was thwarted by last-minute appeal filed this morning. Leaders of the Native Hawaiian community, including Nation of Hawai`i leader Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele and representatives of the Hawai`i Sovereignty Elections Council, gathered with several dozen supporters on the lawn in front of Iolani Hale to hear the result. Word of the appeal came down less than 40 minutes before the announcement was to be made. The appeal was filed on behalf of Harold Rice, one of four people who have filed lawsuits in federal court to invalidate the vote. Rice, a Caucasian, has sued to participate in the vote, which only polled those of Hawaiian ancestry. "We're all disappointed the process has been delayed," said HSEC attorney John Van Dyke. He said the Hawaiian people have no time to lose. "The election council has another responsibility," Van Dyke said. "If the vote is positive, they are required to provide for the next stage which is planning for the event that will develop the options for the Native Hawaiian nation." "It's unfortunate that (Mr. Rice) has chosen again to delay the voice of the Native Hawaiian people," Hayden Aluli, HSEC attorney, said. Rice's action, filed at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, is against last Friday's ruling by federal judge David Ezra, in which he determined the state's involvement in the vote process was constitutional. Nearly 85,000 ballots were sent to Native Hawaiians around the world earlier this year, asking them if they wanted to elect delegates to participate in a convention to propose a system of self-governance. that alleging that the vote is fundamentally unconstitutional. Although the official announcement of the vote is delayed indefinitely, there has been some hinting on the part of its organizers that the overwhelming result is `ae, or yes. ""We stand firm," said HSEC member Sol Kahoohanohano, one of only two people who know the result of the vote. "We are going to come through, we are going to be victorious. "These are just a few more steps that we have to go through to claim our victory -- and it is a victory for the Hawaiian people," he said. KHON-TV2 reported today that Kahoohanohano has already begun soliciting people to help with the next phase of the council's mission should the vote's answer be affirmative: electing convention delegates. Poka Laenui, appointed as one of the observers in the ballot-counting process, has also reportedly said the vote is in favor of initiating the convention. Despite the embargo on the official numbers, Laenui told the Associated Press, it was obvious at a glance that there were more yes votes than no votes because the ballots were color coded. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES ALANA Dung was released from the hospital today, less than eight weeks after she checked in for a life-saving bone-marrow transplant operation. The two year old will now get to live with her family in their temporary home in Seattle near Lake Washington. If her immune system continues to improve, she may be able to return to the islands by Thanksgiving. Today is her father's 44th birthday... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 86/73, Kaua`i 83/72, Moloka`i 86/74, Maui 89/73, Hilo 86/72 CASTS: Sunny, some clouds, trades to 25MPH; all shore surf to 3 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 2:52 p.m.; Low 8:14 a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, September 6, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TRIAL OPENS TUESDAY When three same-sex couples sued the state for the right to marry in 1991, the couples barely knew each other, let alone what would become of their case. Nary a word of the lawsuit made headlines outside of the islands. As their case finally goes to trial next Tuesday, however, few people in the country haven't heard about it. Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang will preside over Baehr v. Miike, in which the state has been sued to demonstrate a compelling interest for its 1994 ban on same-sex marriage. If the state fails to present a convincing case, it will no longer be able to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Since gays and lesbians are a protected class in Hawai`i (as well as in a few other states), marriage will become one of many other opportunities -- such as seeking housing or employment -- that cannot be denied to residents on the grounds of sexual orientation. Where Hawai`i once made headlines that contained words like "surfing," "coffee" and "beaches," now terms like "epicenter" and "ground zero" are turning up. Widespread media attention has prompted 15 states to ban same-sex marriages, hoping to override a Constitutional mandate that requires states to recognize marriage licenses issued by other states. Yet in May, Colorado's ban was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis of equal rights. The hurricane of activity in state legislatures also led the nation's Congress drafting the Defense of Marriage Act, which Pres. Clinton has said he will sign. Locally, the case has inspired countless studies, polls and editorial columns. Opponents of same-sex marriage say groups on the Mainland will call for a boycott of Hawai`i if its legalized. Gay rights advocates, however, say the opposite -- that Hawai`i will become the definitive tourist destination for gay and lesbian couples, bringing the state millions more in tourism. The state, however, is expected to base its case on the issue of child- rearing rather than economics. Children are best off with their biological parents, the defense will argue, and children raised by married gay couples will be at a disadvantage. The state will have a vast body of data and studies to draw from, its justification well supported by most experts. Some prominent child rights' advocates, however, have urged caution in assuming "biological is best" for America's children. When Chang enters the courtroom May. 10, Court TV will be there. So will CBS, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Blade, and at least a dozen other local and Mainland media agencies. Several local organizations also expect to provide news of the trial over the internet. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin's web site will feature online updates, as will Island Lifestyle Magazine and the Hawai`i Equal Rights Marriage Project (see below). Estimates on how long the trial will last vary, but one thing is certain: six people -- Tammy Rodrigues and Antoinette Pregil, Ninia Baehr and Genora Dancel and Pat Lagon and Joseph Melillo -- may or may not be able marry, but their court case will be far more memorable than a wedding. HAWAI`I WEB SITES PROVIDING OR PLANNING COVERAGE: ------------------------------------------------- Honolulu Star-Bulletin http://www.starbulletin.com/ http://starbulletin.com/specials/samesex.html (background) Hawai`i Equal Marriage Rights Project* http://www.tnight.com/hermp/ Island Lifestyle Magazine* http://www.tnight.com/ilm/ Ka `Upena Kukui http://www.aloha.net/~prophet/kaupena.html * The links on the main pages for both these groups currently contain improperly resolved URLs, making their sites difficult to navigate. I've notified the respective webmasters and hope this will be fixed soon. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FEARY IN CUSTODY AFTER ATTACKING WIFE Mackey Feary, local entertainer and former member of the contemporary Hawaiian music group "Kalapana," is in police custody today after allegedly attacking his estranged wife. Feary, 41, was booked yesterday morning for spouse abuse, robbery, criminal property damage and the promotion of dangerous drugs. Officers at the Pearl City police station say Feary also attempted to commit suicide yesterday in his prison cell, and briefly had to be taken to Pali Momi medical center for treatment. Feary and his 36-year-old wife Dana, currently separated, happened to be at the Waimalu Shopping Center late Wednesday night. Police say Dana Feary refused her husband's demand for money, and locked herself in her car. Mackey Feary allegedly used his car to block his wife's car, then used a hammer to smash her front windshield. Police say he then used his car to ram hers several times. "He could've killed me," Dana Feary told KHON-TV2. She tried to flee from her car, but Mackey Feary grabbed her and started to choke and slap her, witnesses say. When officers arrived at the scene, Mackey Feary was holding his wife's purse; police discovered drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car. Dana Feary said drug abuse caused her husband's behavior. "I really really pray Mackey gets help," she said. "Because he's an entertainer -- and he's a very good entertainer -- he has a lot of people who are always willing to cover for him, pick him up, or look the other way." Mackey Feary had pled guilty to abusing his ex-wife in 1992. He and Dana Feary have been married 2 years. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: COLLEGE GUIDE GOOFS ON UH STATS Time Magazine's special issue out last week, "The Best College For You," made what its editors are calling its worst-ever error by making 16,222 University of Hawai`i-Manoa students disappear. The publication, produced in conjunction with the Princeton Review, incorrectly reports that the state's flagship UH campus has a student population of 3,579, 93% of whom are African American. In reality, there were 19,800 students enrolled in 1995, and less than 1 percent were African American. "We should all be taken out and summarily executed," a Time spokesman told _The Honolulu Advertiser_. UH officials weren't too distressed by the error, noting that most of the campus' students come from the islands. The guide lists 1,200 colleges nationwide, using information purchased by the Princeton Review from another collegiate index maintained by Wintergreen-Orchard House. A spokesman for the Princeton Review said the error was most likely made on their side, but couldn't immediately explain how. The college guide was the first newsstand effort by the Review, which otherwise focuses on producing test preparation materials. Company officials said that the guide can't be recalled or republished, but that its online edition (www.review.com) would be corrected. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES INSTEAD of touching down at Honolulu International Airport, the Supersonic Concorde will be stopping on the Big Island during its next three around-the- world flights. County officials are calling the switch of island stopovers a "coup," one that they hope will help boost the international visibility of their island. The Big Island's office of the Hawai`i Visitors Bureau is taking credit for talking Intrav, the flight's charter agency, to make the change. Kailua-Kona will be the first of eight stops for the Concorde's circuit, which includes Beijing, Kenya, New Zealand and Australia. The 24-day global tour costs over $50,000 per person... AFTER widespread criticism of a proposal finalized last week, the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission has scheduled one more public hearing on Sept. 17. The plan, as it was to be forwarded to the governor for approval, was to convert parts of the military base into a commuter airport, and using other areas for drug-treatment facilities, homeless shelters and public parks. Displeasure was quickly expressed by residents and city and state officials, all of whom had hoped some space would be set aside for a variety of other uses including a low-security prison, a racing park and a sports center... THIEVES aren't just stealing pocket change anymore; they're reaching out and taking the whole phone. According to officials with Hawaiian Tel, at least a dozen pay phones on O`ahu have been stolen over the summer, and sometimes the whole phone booth is being taken too. Phone company officials say they are baffled, noting that phone's collect relatively little money and that the phones themselves are completely useless after they're disconnected. Each phone, however, costs nearly $1,000, they said. Phones have turned up missing in Kalihi, on the North Shore, at UH and at Kapi`olani Community College... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 85/73, Kaua`i 82/71, Moloka`i 84/73, Maui 85/71, Hilo 83/70 CASTS: Sunny, evening showers, trades to 20MPH; North Shore surf to 3 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 1:13 p.m.; Low 8:15 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Thursday, September 5, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: POLICE CAMERAS IN CHINATOWN CONSIDERED A network of video cameras aimed along streets and sidewalks in Chinatown could discouraging thieves and drug dealers from operating in the high-crime district, according to a feasibility study completed recently by Honolulu police. Earlier this year, HPD sent two officers to see similar neighborhood surveillance systems already in use in New Orleans, Baltimore and Washington D.C. Officials say they were impressed. "If the criminal element knows that cameras are out there monitoring the public streets, basically that alone should deter them from their activity in this Chinatown area," said a spokesman for the downtown police station. Police say residents frequently complain of drug transactions being made out in public -- sometimes in broad daylight. Incidents of blatant criminal acts occur because, even with intense foot and rolling patrols, officers can't be everywhere at once. Cameras make that possible, they say. This year alone, according to police, at least 500 felony arrests have been made within a fourteen-block area bordered by Bethel and River streets and N. Beretania and N. King streets. Those high-crime blocks have long been the concern of the Mayor's Downtown Task Force, which last year initiated the camera study. The proposal was presented at a meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Board tonight. While some members of the board fully support the idea, others said that it could be seen as invading the privacy of law-abiding citizens. HPD representatives conceded that it is yet unclear whether video recordings from the cameras could be used as evidence in court. Another concerned raised was that the cameras would simply send the crime to another neighborhood. The camera network currently envisioned for the "red zone" would cost $250,000 to install, officials say, but they say the strategy has more than paid off in other cities. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HARRIS HOLDS OUT ON FOUR-YEAR PLEDGE Incumbent Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has again insisted that he isn't planning to run for governor in 1998, but refused to sign a pledge saying so. Members of mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado's campaign today presented the media with a five-foot tall posterboard that read: "I hereby pledge that if elected Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu in 1996, I will serve my full four-year term and not seek any other office." The signatures of Morgado and former mayor Frank Fasi appeared at the bottom, but the space above Harris' typed name was empty. "It's just a gimmick," Harris said. "I'm not going to sign a pledge about something two years in the future." Supporters of both Morgado and Fasi have hinted that if Harris is elected mayor this year, he will turn his back on the city when a chance to replace Gov. Cayetano comes around in two years. Asked if he would rule out the possibility, Harris said, "No, I won't, but I have no intention to [run]." Morgado aide Bill Meheula, who spearheaded the pledge project, said he was disappointed. "His intention is not good enough," he said. "We need his pledge." Meheula also accused former governor John Waihee of supporting Harris because he wants Harris to push Cayetano out of office. "That's ridiculous," Harris said. Fasi's signing of the pledge is ironic, Harris added, pointing out that Fasi left the mayor's seat mid-term for an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1994. Harris also noted that Morgado left the City Council this year to run for mayor. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BROTHERS ATTACKED BY DOG IN KAHANA VALLEY A five-year-old Kahana Valley boy remains in guarded condition tonight at Queen's Medical Center after a neighbor's pit-bull attacked him. Andrew Livingston's 9-year-old brother also sustained minor injuries after he tried to pull the dog away. The attack took place at about 3 p.m. today in its owner's yard. "He (Andrew) looked kind of bad," Noel Livingston, the boy's aunt, told KHON-TV2. "There was a lot of blood all over his shirt." Livingston sustained bites to the right side of his neck, face and head and a dislocated left shoulder. The 1-year-old dog was always confined to the yard by an "invisible" electronic fence, its owner told police, but Livingston was bitten because he was on their property and startled the dog. The Livingstons' children and the son of the dog's owner are good friends, the owner said, and Livingston was walking up to visit when the dog attacked. Andrew's parents have not yet said whether they will press charges. Humane Society officials took the dog away this afternoon. "He'll most likely be put to sleep," said society spokeswoman Denise Laconte. "If the owner requests it we'll have to put it to sleep, but we won't put it out for adoption." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: WOMEN INMATES REPORT MOVES TO SQUALID CONDITIONS Prison officials today confirmed media reports that inmates from the overcrowded Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua were shuttled to a downtown cellblock two nights a week for two weeks, where they were reportedly forced to spend the night in unclean conditions. Some of the women claim they had to sleep on soiled sheets on mattresses spread on the floor. The Alakea Street facility's walls appeared to be smeared with excrement, and the place smelled of urine and vomit, they said. The inmate population at WCCC averages 20 percent over its legal capacity, and some allege the temporary transfers may have been to conceal the prison's overcrowding problem. Gregg Takayama, director of the state Department of Public Safety, denied those claims, saying the overcrowding has been a well-known problem for months. Takayama was unable to explain why the moves took place, however. A lawyer with the ACLU told _The Honolulu Advertiser_ that the inmates would have been better off sleeping on the prison floor than in the foul-smelling, unmaintained sheriff's cellblock. Now that the matter was brought to his attention, Takayama said, he will look into alternative lodgings for any displaced inmates, such as at halfway houses. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/74, Kaua`i 84/73, Moloka`i 85/74, Maui 88/73, Hilo 85/71 CASTS: Sunny, some showers, trades to 20MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 12:27 p.m.; Low 7:45 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, September 4, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: POLICE CAMERAS IN CHINATOWN CONSIDERED A network of video cameras aimed along streets and sidewalks in Chinatown could discouraging thieves and drug dealers from operating in the high-crime district, according to a feasibility study completed recently by Honolulu police. Earlier this year, HPD sent two officers to see similar neighborhood surveillance systems already in use in New Orleans, Baltimore and Washington D.C. Officials say they were impressed. "If the criminal element knows that cameras are out there monitoring the public streets, basically that alone should deter them from their activity in this Chinatown area," said a spokesman for the downtown police station. Police say residents frequently complain of drug transactions being made out in public -- sometimes in broad daylight. Incidents of blatant criminal acts occur because, even with intense foot and rolling patrols, officers can't be everywhere at once. Cameras make that possible, they say. This year alone, according to police, at least 500 felony arrests have been made within a fourteen-block area bordered by Bethel and River streets and N. Beretania and N. King streets. Those high-crime blocks have long been the concern of the Mayor's Downtown Task Force, which last year initiated the camera study. The proposal was presented at a meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Board tonight. While some members of the board fully support the idea, others said that it could be seen as invading the privacy of law-abiding citizens. HPD representatives conceded that it is yet unclear whether video recordings from the cameras could be used as evidence in court. Another concerned raised was that the cameras would simply send the crime to another neighborhood. The camera network currently envisioned for the "red zone" would cost $250,000 to install, officials say, but they say the strategy has more than paid off in other cities. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HARRIS HOLDS OUT ON FOUR-YEAR PLEDGE Incumbent Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has again insisted that he isn't planning to run for governor in 1998, but refused to sign a pledge saying so. Members of mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado's campaign today presented the media with a five-foot tall posterboard that read: "I hereby pledge that if elected Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu in 1996, I will serve my full four-year term and not seek any other office." The signatures of Morgado and former mayor Frank Fasi appeared at the bottom, but the space above Harris' typed name was empty. "It's just a gimmick," Harris said. "I'm not going to sign a pledge about something two years in the future." Supporters of both Morgado and Fasi have hinted that if Harris is elected mayor this year, he will turn his back on the city when a chance to replace Gov. Cayetano comes around in two years. Asked if he would rule out the possibility, Harris said, "No, I won't, but I have no intention to [run]." Morgado aide Bill Meheula, who spearheaded the pledge project, said he was disappointed. "His intention is not good enough," he said. "We need his pledge." Meheula also accused former governor John Waihee of supporting Harris because he wants Harris to push Cayetano out of office. "That's ridiculous," Harris said. Fasi's signing of the pledge is ironic, Harris added, pointing out that Fasi left the mayor's seat mid-term for an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1994. Harris also noted that Morgado left the City Council this year to run for mayor. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BROTHERS ATTACKED BY DOG IN KAHANA VALLEY A five-year-old Kahana Valley boy remains in guarded condition tonight at Queen's Medical Center after a neighbor's pit-bull attacked him. Andrew Livingston's 9-year-old brother also sustained minor injuries after he tried to pull the dog away. The attack took place at about 3 p.m. today in its owner's yard. "He (Andrew) looked kind of bad," Noel Livingston, the boy's aunt, told KHON-TV2. "There was a lot of blood all over his shirt." Livingston sustained bites to the right side of his neck, face and head and a dislocated left shoulder. The 1-year-old dog was always confined to the yard by an "invisible" electronic fence, its owner told police, but Livingston was bitten because he was on their property and startled the dog. The Livingstons' children and the son of the dog's owner are good friends, the owner said, and Livingston was walking up to visit when the dog attacked. Andrew's parents have not yet said whether they will press charges. Humane Society officials took the dog away this afternoon. "He'll most likely be put to sleep," said society spokeswoman Denise Laconte. "If the owner requests it we'll have to put it to sleep, but we won't put it out for adoption." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: WOMEN INMATES REPORT MOVES TO SQUALID CONDITIONS Prison officials today confirmed media reports that inmates from the overcrowded Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua were shuttled to a downtown cellblock two nights a week for two weeks, where they were reportedly forced to spend the night in unclean conditions. Some of the women claim they had to sleep on soiled sheets on mattresses spread on the floor. The Alakea Street facility's walls appeared to be smeared with excrement, and the place smelled of urine and vomit, they said. The inmate population at WCCC averages 20 percent over its legal capacity, and some allege the temporary transfers may have been to conceal the prison's overcrowding problem. Gregg Takayama, director of the state Department of Public Safety, denied those claims, saying the overcrowding has been a well-known problem for months. Takayama was unable to explain why the moves took place, however. A lawyer with the ACLU told _The Honolulu Advertiser_ that the inmates would have been better off sleeping on the prison floor than in the foul-smelling, unmaintained sheriff's cellblock. Now that the matter was brought to his attention, Takayama said, he will look into alternative lodgings for any displaced inmates, such as at halfway houses. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/74, Kaua`i 84/73, Moloka`i 85/74, Maui 88/73, Hilo 85/71 CASTS: Sunny, some showers, trades to 20MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 12:27 p.m.; Low 7:45 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, September 4, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: SELF-DESCRIBED BATTERED SPOUSE CONVICTED OF MURDER A Circuit Court jury rejected the defense of a man who claimed he killed his wife in a rage after suffering for months as a victim of spouse abuse. Richard Star, 39, was found guilty of second-degree murder Tuesday for the July 1994 death of his 40-year-old wife, Cynthia. Cynthia Star's body, wrapped in a surfboard bag, was pulled from Keehi Lagoon. This week's verdict comes in Star's second trial, after a deadlocked jury led to a mistrial being declared last summer. The original trial, before an all-male jury, couldn't resolve whether Star could be convicted of manslaughter instead of murder. As in the earlier trial, the defense claimed Star was abused by his wife, and fatally strangled her in defense while suffering from extreme emotional distress. Prosecuting Attorney Chris VanMarter said it didn't take long for the mixed-sex jury to see through Star's story. "This was a case of cold blooded, premeditated murder," VanMarter said. "We're especially pleased that the jury rejected the defendant's claim of being a battered spouse." Susan Arnett, Star's attorney, said the case isn't so clear cut. "We understand that [the prosecution] feels that way but we believe the evidence indicated something else,' Arnett said. "We'll see what happens now in appeal." Star, who had been free on $90,000 bail, was immediately taken into custody after the verdict was read. Star will be sentenced in November, and could face life in prison with the possibility of parole. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: SUSPECT SOUGHT IN RAPE OF WAIKIKI JOGGER A 28-year-old woman out for an early morning run along the Ala Wai jogging path last week was sexually assaulted and thrown into the Ala Wai Canal. She swam to shore and contacted police. The suspect attacked the woman near the canoe storage areas adjacent to Ala Wai Elementary School shortly after 4:30 a.m. Thursday. "When she approached the Ala Wai Canoe Club, she was grabbed from behind, knocked to the ground, her clothes were taken off and she was sexually assaulted," said Lt. Wayne Fergerstrom. "After the suspect assaulted her, he picked her up and threw her into the Ala Wai Canal." Although the jogging path, which runs a circuit of the canal, was recently realigned and improved by the city, lights haven't been installed along the stretch where the attack occurred. Fergerstrom said the victim did the right thing by screaming throughout the attack, but because of the area and time of day, no one was around to hear her cries. She said the suspect probably threw the woman into the canal out of frustration over her screaming. After climbing out of the canal, she recovered most of her clothes and called for help. Police believe the suspect fled with the victims keys and panties. HPD released a sketch of the suspect, described as a man in his 20s or 30s, bald and clean shaven, about 6-feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. Police consider the suspect dangerous, but say there have been no recent reports of assaults by someone fitting his description. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Suspect: SHOOTING SURVIVOR TAKES STAND Being shot in the face is like having a speeding Mack truck hit you in the head, Aaron Chock testified yesterday. Chock was sitting in his truck parked near the Wilson Tunnel last year waiting for 20-year-old Kent Stone, a drug partner for 4 years. Instead, Chock said, 19-year-old Wayne Hunt drove up, pointing a shotgun out the window and firing. "The last thing my eye saw was him, the gun in his hand, shooting, before it died," Chock said. He managed to drive himself 3 miles to a gas station in Kaneohe, struggling to keep awake. "I figured if you close your eye, you're going to die," he said. "I just didn't want to die." He spent a month in a coma, and is still partially paralyzed on the left side of his body. He may still lose his remaining eye to an infection. Chock said Hunt owed him a $6,000 drug debt, and his attorney claims Hunt tried to kill him rather than pay up. Hunt is charged with the shooting, and Stone is being charged as an accessory for setting up the alleged ambush. In comments to the jury, defense attorneys said that shootings happen all the time in the drug business. The defense maintains that neither Hunt nor Stone were anywhere near the Wilson tunnel the day of the shooting. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors have agreed to grant him immunity from any future charges regarding his drug dealings with Stone. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES RAINFALL in the country's wettest city has been unusually low this year, prompting Hawai`i County officials to advise its residents to reduce their water consumption before stricture measures become necessary. Hilo has seen record high temperatures and five fewer inches of rain than usual so far for 1996. If they don't comply with the request to stop car washing and reducing laundry loads and toilet use, officials say, residents in Hamakua, North Kohala and North Kona may lose their water meters. Agricultural lots, meanwhile, have been told to limit their irrigation to the early morning and late evenings... RESIDENTS registered to vote in record numbers this year, according to state officials. An aggressive sign-up campaign, including drive-through registration at the State Capitol, helped push the number of registered voters in Hawai`i to over 530,000 -- a 13 percent increase from the primary election in 1994. The increase is due in part to revised rules allowing registrations to remain valid for two election terms rather than one. With an estimated 750,000 people in the islands eligible to vote, this year over 70 percent of them are registered to vote this September... EIGHT-FOOT surf proved too formidable for a group of 12 canoe paddlers en route from Kawaihae on the Big Island to O`ahu. Coast Guard rescuers reported to where the swamped canoe flipped, about 17 miles south of the southeast shore of Maui, immediately airlifting two paddlers to Kahului. Four were then transported by boat to Kihei. The remaining six paddlers resumed their journey to Kihei in the canoe, escorted by a Coast Guard vessel. The paddlers had just left a racing event off the Big Island, and hoped to stopover on O`ahu before returning to their home port on Maui... ELEVEN fuel-storage sites in Honolulu were fined last week by the Environmental Protection Agency. An inspection earlier this year found violations at UH-Manoa's motorpool garage, the Navy's submarine filling station and at several Texaco and Unocal 76 gas stations. According to EPA officials, problems included failing to conduct regular tests and inaccurate inventory practices. The facilities were cited under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The fined organizations have a month to pay a total of $3,400 in fines... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/74, Kaua`i 85/74, Moloka`i 85/73, Maui 89/72, Hilo 85/72 CASTS: Sunny, some showers, trades to 20MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 11:34 a.m.; Low 7:04 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, September 3, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha! ============================================================================= Subject: AIRLINE GROUNDING LEAVES PASSENGERS SCRAMBLING Four airplanes were forbidden from leaving the islands under a decree issued by the Federal Aviation Administration yesterday morning, and about 1,300 passengers who were supposed to ride them to the Mainland were stranded as well. Flights from Honolulu and Maui to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose were canceled, and airline officials managed to place only a few passengers on other carriers. Frustration and tension peaked as night fell, by which time a line of passengers holding now-useless Rich International tickets stretched out to the curb. The airline eventually put most of them up in hotels for the night. This morning, Hawaiian Airlines announced that it would provide a special chartered flight to carry 300 of the stranded passengers to San Francisco. By noon today, fewer than 200 others had made it out on another airline. While Rich International employees continued looking for seats for on other airlines this morning, many of the remaining 800 or so passengers continue to search for their own way to California. Those who are unsuccessful may be looking at spending another night in Hawai`i. Citing maintenance problems, sloppy recordkeeping and lax equipment tests discovered during a federal inspection last week, the FAA ordered Rich International Airways, a Florida-based airline, to suspend all flights immediately, effective 10:40 a.m. Monday. Rich International complied, but in a statement issued last night, airline president William Meenan insisted that his company has never cut corners on safety during its 27-year history. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HEROINE BECAME VICTIM IN STREAM RESCUE An autopsy is to be performed today in the drowning death of a 50-year-old woman who fell into a swollen Palolo stream on Saturday after safely pulling a child from the raging waters. Gail Ledoux, a friend and her 9-year-old son were hiking along Waimao Stream when the boy apparently fell in shortly after 4 p.m. Ledoux -- hanging onto a rope -- ventured into water at least 8 feet higher than usual to rescue the boy. After pulling the child to safety, however, Ledoux apparently lost her grip on the rope and was quickly swept downstream. Rescue crews searched the area until nightfall. Ledoux's body was found the next morning about a mile downstream, near the entrance to the hiking trail. Ledoux was a cafeteria worker at Iolani High School. Family members yesterday criticized 911 dispatchers and county rescuers, claiming that more than two hours had passed from when the call for help was made to when officials arrived on the scene. Their claims were refuted today by the fire department, who said phone logs show the first call coming in at 6:30 p.m. -- not at 4:30 p.m. as family members claimed. A rescue team stationed in Palolo was on the scene seven minutes later, they said. Ledoux's husband, meanwhile, said rescuers wasted valuable time by searching up the stream from its end, rather than heading down from where she fell in. Fire officia