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<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, November 15, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: CLINTON ARRIVES IN HAWAI`I, TO STAY AT BELLOWS Pres. Bill Clinton is in town, but sightings will be scarce as no official engagements have been scheduled for his weekend visit. Shortly after 7 p.m. tonight, Clinton and his wife stepped out of Air Force One at Hickam Air Force Base. The couple is here for a three-day island vacation that White House aides said will be strictly rest and relaxation. Despite the heavy rains that have drenched Honolulu for the last several days, those among the group on hand tonight said the Commander in Chief was adamant about one aspect of his visit. "He was talking about golf," City Managing Director Bob Fishman told KHON-TV2. "There's no question about it." "What he and (former) Governor Waihee were talking about was that he would play in the rain, and that it doesn't stop him," Fishman said. Clinton passed on a helicopter ride to his private cottage at Bellows Air Force Base, instead opting for a presidential motorcade. Although rain began pouring down as he left the airfield, Fishman said he didn't know whether Clinton had been formally briefed on the flooding and other storm damage on O`ahu. Gov. Ben Cayetano is expected to ask Clinton for emergency federal aid this weekend. Fishman said there's lots of time, adding that city and state officials are still trying to gauge the extent of the damage caused by this week's almost constant deluge (see related story). The Clintons will be staying in one of the military cabins near Lanikai, and the public beaches in the area will be closed through the weekend. An offshore Marine patrol has also been established off Waimanalo. Although sightseeing isn't necessarily on the schedule, the First Family will be escorted around the island by several residents. Students and staff at the University of Hawai`i were among many groups approached earlier this week to serves as drivers for the presidential motorcade. The president is expected to leave on Monday to attend an international economic summit in the Philippines next week. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FLOODING WOES CONTINUE, GOVERNOR SURVEYS DAMAGE Heavy rain continued to fall on O`ahu today, worsening flood conditions in several areas and prompting health officials to issue warnings. Residents have seen at least $1.7 million in property damage as a result of the severe weather, and flooding has caused nearly $10 million in damage to public property. The estimates come from civil defense officials, who today issued only a preliminary islandwide damage estimate. The numbers do not include state property, nor areas currently inaccessible because of flooding. With more stormy weather expected over the weekend, officials said, the figures will likely rise when Honolulu finally has a chance to dry out. Earlier this week, Mayor Jeremy Harris said he is prepared to declare a city emergency. Meanwhile, Gov. Ben Cayetano may ask Pres. Clinton tomorrow to declare parts of O`ahu disaster areas. Before Cayetano met Clinton at Hickam Air Force Base, he toured some of the hardest-hit areas today -- including Makaha Valley Towers, the site of a massive mudslide that threw cars against the building. Councilmember John DeSoto, who represents the Leeward area, accompanied the governor on his visit. "I've lived here my whole life, and I've never seen anything like this," DeSoto said. "When you see waterfalls on this side, we know we're in trouble for sure." As many as 30 cars are still buried under several tons of mud and boulders, which state crews began hauling away today. Work also continued on a drainage channel running the length of the complex, which officials hope will divert runoff away from the high-rises. If the rains continue, there may be a need to evacuate residents from the complex, Cayetano said. Flooding was particularly severe in Haleiwa today; so much so that O`ahu Civil Defense has set up a command post in the area and the state Department of Health is warning the public to keep away. Of greatest concern, officials said, are the widespread reports of sewage spills and cesspool overflows. Fire department crews have been working for several hours to pump water out of the overflowed area, and health officials have sampled the water to test it for dangerous bacteria. High surf has kept many north- and west-facing beaches closed, and city administrators have closed all Honolulu golf courses at least through Sunday. Rainfall records for the month of November have been broken in just over a dozen days of wet weather. More than 15 inches of rain has been recorded at Honolulu International Airport since the General Election. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: STUDENT JOURNALISTS WIN POLICE UNION LAWSUIT The Hawai`i Supreme Court today ruled that the police department must disclose the names of officers facing disciplinary action or dismissal. The decision is being hailed as a victory for the University of Hawai`i chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists, which sued SHOPO, the state police officers' union, for the names in 1993. "The student journalists at the university have taken on Goliath and struck him down," Jeff Portnoy, attorney for the student group, told _Ka Leo O Hawai`i_. Portnoy said the decision is a win for both SPJ and the public. At the heart of the dispute was a state law requiring disclosure of the records of public employees involved in disciplinary action. SHOPO maintained that only the names of officers ultimately discharged should be made public. After SPJ filed its lawsuit, the state legislature passed a measure in 1995 exempting police officers from the public disclosure law. Portnoy said the ruling affirms the public's right to know and the importance of keeping government offices under public scrutiny. As a result of today's ruling, Portnoy said, SHOPO must release the names of any officer disciplined between 1991 and 1995 within 45 days. The attorney for the police union, however, said the scope of the ruling is far narrower. SHOPO attorney Michael Green said the union only needs to disclose the names of four officers. "The supreme court had the right and power to order the disclosure of a lot more than four," Green told KITV-4. "If he (Portnoy) calls that a victory, it's a sad victory." Green said the ruling is a disservice to the people who risk their lives to insure the public's safety. "I can't believe the only way to deter police misconduct is to embarrass or humiliate a policeman and his family," he said. Representatives from other public employee unions said they're watching the case, noting that the privacy of its members was traditionally considered a part of a negotiated contract. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/71, Kaua`i 81/69, Moloka`i 81/71, Maui 80/69, Hilo 79/70 CASTS: Some showers, 15MPH trades; 10-foot surf on north, west shores. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 8:19 a.m.; Low 3:57 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Thursday, November 14, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: RAINS BRING WAI`ANAE MUDSLIDE, MORE WORRIES The residents of Makaha Valley Towers went to bed last night listening to the hiss of Oahu's third straight day of heavy rains. Shortly after 2 a.m., they got a rude awakening. After hours of heavy erosion, several tons of rocks and boulders came thundering down the mountainside, barreling through the condominium's upper parking lots, flipping and burying dozens of cars. No one was injured in the mudslide, which also carried boulders into the lobby of one building and filled the pool with debris. "We looked out the window, and there were cars coming down the street upside down," said Tom Kammer, who lived on the fifth floor of one of the towers. "It was just a huge blast and a huge noise and a giant roar," said Janet East, another resident. "It was like a plane crash -- chunks of the mountain coming off the mountain, smashing all the cars up against the building," East said. "The cars are rippled like potato chips." The mudslide slammed against the first two floors of several 600-unit buildings in the complex, although only a handful of apartments were damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Resident Bacilio Gomes, who lives on one of the lower floors, said she looked out her window and saw the hood of a car. "It was a big roar," Gomes said. "The mountains just pushed all the cars on top of each other, right up to our apartment." Emergency crews worked through sunrise to dig a channel behind the buildings to divert the water coming down from several new waterfalls that have developed since the heavy rains began. "Surf's up at Makaha Towers," East said. In fact, the surf was up all along the North Shore. Residents and witnesses reported enormous waves, including one wave said to have been 30 feet tall. Veteran waveriders said it was the largest set they've seen in over a year. The high surf, predicted to remain between 10-20 feet through the next 24 hours, prompted parks officials to close all North Shore beaches. In Wai`anae, only a few miles away from the morning mudslide, heavy surf brought on by the severe weather caused a section of Farrington Highway to collapse near Makaha Beach. Road and lane closures were reported all across the island, including along Kamehameha Highway near Haleiwa, the H-1 freeway near downtown and several spots along Pali Highway. Sewage overflows were reported in Kailua, Pearl City and Kalihi. A combination of rain and surf buried parts of Sunset Beach under 3 feet of water, and flooding at the Wailua Fire Station forced fire and rescue crews there -- already busy helping area residents battle floodwaters -- to temporarily relocate to higher ground. In Kane`ohe, a 24-year-old Aumoana Place resident said he was lucky to be alive after he fell into a sinkhole that had developed in his front yard overnight. The man said he was walking to his car when he fell into the 18-foot deep hole this morning. His mother, who heard his cries for help, came to the rescue with a ladder. As of this afternoon, nearly 3,200 residents are said to be without phone service. Officials with GTE Hawaiian Tel said the rain has flooded several underground cables, and said it may be up to a week before service is restored. In all, as much as 4 inches of rain fell on various parts of the island in the last several hours. The storm, which is currently concentrated over O`ahu, has prompted safety officials to issue a flood advisory for the southern half of the island tonight. The National Weather Service, meanwhile, said the rain and thundershowers will probably continue, a second distinct storm system expected to hit Honolulu on Saturday. Gov. Ben Cayetano has put the Hawai`i National Guard on alert, and is expected to ask Pres. Clinton for emergency aid during his three-day island visit, which begins tomorrow. Meanwhile, civil defense officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been notified, and could begin surveys tomorrow. Most of the neighbor islands escaped heavy storm damage in this latest deluge, although Kaua`i saw 25-foot surf and closed beaches along the Garden Island's north-facing shores. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: ALANA BACK IN HAWAI`I, FAMILY GIVES THANKS After spending nearly four months at a hospital in Seattle, 2-year-old Alana Dung is back in Hawai`i in time for Thanksgiving -- exactly as her family had hoped. Dung and her family arrived at Honolulu International Airport today, 119 days after she received a life-saving bone-marrow transplant at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "We're really happy to be back," said Stephen Dung, the girl's father, thanking islanders for their unprecedented support over the last few months. The girl's plight inspired about 30,000 island residents to come forward and register with the Hawai`i Bone Marrow Registry earlier this year. Although the latest blood tests performed prior to her release showed no sign of infection, Stephen Dung said the ordeal is far from over. "She has to do blood draws every week," he said. "If those are normal, then it goes to every other week; then once a month; then every other month." "Even though she looks good -- she's fine, she's grown -- it's a day-by- day, hour-by-hour thing," he said. "She's still a little tender yet." Adelia Dung, Alana's mother, said the first priority is getting her daughter back into the regular routine at home. ""The key thing is just try to help her now get back to normalcy and living a normal 2-year-old life," she said. Alana's parents said there are some changes to be made. Adelia Dung said doctors have advised that the girl be kept away from other children and out of the sun to avoid the return of a rash she suffered last month. "She has to wear sunscreen all the time," Stephen Dung said. "We even bought some sun-precaution clothes for her." In addition, he said, their entire house in Pearl City had to be disinfected before their arrival, adding that the next few months will see a lot of hand-washing and extra careful food preparation. Alana Dung is still on medication, and doctors said it could take up to a year before her immune system is functioning normally. Provided there are no problems, she will return to Seattle for a full check-up next November. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: CAYETANO PROPOSES SHORTER PAYROLL LAG Prompted by demands for a pay raise from the state teacher's union, Gov. Ben Cayetano this week presented what he hopes is an even more enticing payroll lag proposal to union officials. Cayetano said implementing a payroll lag, which delays certain paydays for state workers, is vital to determining exactly how much the state has to spend on salary increases and other pressing needs. "We have proposed to the unions that, rather than a ten day payroll lag, they consider a five day payroll lag," Cayetano said. The move would save the state $47 million in one year, he said. To date, however, unions representing public school teachers and faculty at the University of Hawai`i have strongly opposed the payroll lag. They contend that the governor cannot implement any such plan without getting their approval first. Union officials said the payroll lag qualifies as a significant change to members' salaries and benefits, and cannot be changed. Describing the payroll lag as a way of reducing overpayments, Cayetano has maintained that state collective bargaining laws do not require union negotiations. In order to save the $47 million Cayetano is hoping for, the payroll lag would have to be implemented within three months. His plan now goes before the Hawai`i State Labor Relations Board, which will decide whether negotiations are called for. A decision is expected sometime within the month. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 82/72, Kaua`i 79/69, Moloka`i 80/70, Maui 79/69, Hilo 79/71 CASTS: Some showers, 20MPH trades; 8- to 12-foot surf on north, west shores. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 8:12 p.m.; Low 2:57 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 13, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: PERMANENT LEGALIZATION OF PEPPER SPRAY ADVANCES The Honolulu City Council today unanimously voted to support a bill that would permanently legalize the sale and possession of pepper spray. The approval comes despite statistics that show the chemical irritant, sold for self-defense purposes, was used to commit about 100 separate crimes since it first appeared on store shelves last summer. The bill, which now goes to a final vote next month, will indefinitely extend an 18-month trial legalization of pepper spray on O`ahu which expires in a few weeks. The trial period was implemented to allow law enforcement officials to determine whether legalizing pepper spray would be used more in defense or in committing crimes. During that time, police officials said, reports of criminal use of pepper spray far outnumbered those of incidents where crimes were prevented. Although the Honolulu Police Department has been keeping track of pepper spray use, it has not taken an official position on legalization. Despite the numbers, several residents who turned out for today's council meeting said the advantages of legalizing pepper spray far outweighed what they said were isolated incidents of abuse. "For me, the bottom line is that you have some chance against aggression if you have it (pepper spray) on you," said Allyn Bromley, a Honolulu resident who testified in favor of legalization. "If you don't have it on you," she added, "I feel you're more open to violence." Representatives from women's groups and gun clubs also spoke in favor of keeping pepper spray available to the public. Even if pepper spray is used in committing a crime, some residents said, they would rather be attacked with chemicals rather than more dangerous weapons. Before the vote, councilmember John Henry Felix said anyone opposed to legalization is missing the point. "They focus on the minuscule number of wrongful cases, while not considering that each time a woman has her pepper spray in her hand while she walks through a dark parking lot, she feels more secure," Felix said. Council Chairman John DeSoto said his daughter carries pepper spray. Councilmember Donna Kim said she also carries the spray. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FORMER OFFICER CONVICTED IN EXOTIC DANCER CASE After only one day of court proceedings, a Circuit Court judge today convicted a former police officer of tampering with evidence collected in a prostitution sting last year. Former Kaua`i police officer Randall Machado, however, was found not guilty of charges of sexual assault which were also levied against him. Machado was on trial for one charge of tampering and three for fourth- degree sexual assault. Machado is the first person to face criminal charges in the case, which centers around the events following the arrest of exotic dancer Monica Alves last September. Alves testified yesterday that police officers at the Lihue Police Station took her into a watch sergeant's office after she was taken into custody, where she said they fondled her and forced her to pose with them in explicit photographs. Prosecutors said the officers took Polaroid photos of Alves, who was forced to pose nude and wearing handcuffs and a police hat. Alves also testified that Machado followed her into a restroom and watched her as she used it. While Machado did not take the stand, his attorney did not deny that the fondling and picture-taking occurred. The defense maintained that Alves willingly participated in the incident. "This is not a case of denying any touching," said William Feldhacker, Machado's attorney. "The question of this case is whether it was consensual or not." On the stand, however, Alves said she did not give her consent, and said she was terrified during the ordeal. In addition, Alves testified that she later discovered that Machado was a distant cousin of hers. While Kaua`i Judge George Masuoka dismissed the assault charges, he convicted Machado for tampering with evidence -- specifically the Polaroid photos of Alves that were allegedly taken. Machado earlier admitted to viewing the photographs, but they were later destroyed. Testimony in the non-jury trial also revealed that Alves has already received a $250,000 settlement in her case against Kaua`i County. Although attorneys for the county and Alves had agreed to keep the amount of the settlement confidential, it was revealed in court yesterday. Machado's sentencing is scheduled for later this month. The tampering charge carries a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and a year in prison. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: COUNTERFEIT KONA COFFEE STING DETAILS REVEALED Last week's raid of a California packaging plant was the culmination of a three year investigation by federal investigators into a $20 million operation that sold coffee beans from Central America as Hawai`i grown. Law enforcement officers arrested Michael Norton, co-owner of the company, and have charged him with fraud and money laundering. U.S. Customs officials this week told KITV-4 that Kona Kai Coffee, the company targeted in the sting operation, managed to sell more than three million pounds of coffee beans from Panama and Costa Rica to several unwitting companies, including Hills Brothers, Starbucks and Gloria Jean. The counterfeit beans were also imported and sold in the islands. While searches were conducted in Berkeley, officials also converged on Kona Kai's Big Island warehouse last week, but no arrests were made. The re-bagging operation seems to have been limited to the California facility, according to investigators. Bob Regli, head of Kona Kai Farms Hawai`i, confirmed today that the company's island office is still open. The integrity of Kona coffee has been a top priority in the outfit's 17 year history, he said. Even so, customs officials said they have not yet concluded their investigation of the island operation. Lion Coffee President James Delano said the case will undoubtedly lead some to question the genuine Kona product, but said any company that buys its beans directly from a Big Island farm would have no reason to worry. "I think their big business was reprocessing the coffee in California, so it is companies that bought it on the mainland that got in trouble on this," Delano said. According to the U.S. Customs department, the California operation was fairly elaborate, arranged to make sure no employee saw the entire procedure of bringing in and unpacking the foreign beans and putting it into bags stamped "Made in the USA." The investigation was reportedly initiated after a disgruntled former employee went to federal officials and served as an informant. The Central American beans have a market value of about $2 a pound, investigators said, and Kona Kai Coffee was selling them for four times as much -- the upper-end price range for genuine Kona coffees. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES HONOLULU police today arrested three people they believe to be behind what they describe as an "island-wide burglary ring." Lt. Alvin Nishimura said ring members specifically targeted island businesses, gaining entry by studying and disarming a variety of security alarm systems. Officers raided a home on Hio Street and recovered several items including computer equipment, safes and tools -- all believed to be stolen. Unspecified drugs were also found on the premises. Arrested were Rick Chung, 40, Desiree Gomes, 19, and 36-year-old Derek Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick is the only one facing burglary charges. Investigators said they are still looking for two other suspects... HAWAIIAN students should not have to pay to attend the University of Hawai`i, according to a student group at the school's Manoa campus. Members of Kalai Po held a rally today to protest the unavailability of tuition waivers to native Hawaiians. Because the UH campus sits on ceded lands, the group said, waivers are the least the system could offer to Hawaiians as restitution. Rally organizers said even if all 1,500 or so students of Hawaiian ancestry at UH-Manoa were allowed to attend tuition free, it would not make up for the losses suffered by the islands' indigenous people... FEDERAL officials said a man held up the Mo`ili`ili Star Market branch of Bank of Hawai`i today after he told the bank manager that he had a pipe bomb. The suspect entered the supermarket at about 4 p.m. and revealed an object that looked like a PVC pipe, according to the FBI. He escaped with an unspecified amount of cash, and is described as a Caucasian man in his mid 50s. The same man is suspected in three other robberies committed since September, including one in Kihei and in Salt Lake... REMAINS of a humpback whale washed up off Diamond Head this morning. While there was less of the carcass and more of a smell, Coast Guard officials believe it is the same dead whale that turned up in Honolulu Harbor earlier this week. Although the cause of death is not known, marine biologists said foul play was probably not a factor. The Coast Guard towed the remains ten miles offshore, and expected it to be carried out to see. The severe storm conditions, however, apparently brought it back to O`ahu... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 78/71, Kaua`i 77/72, Moloka`i 81/70, Maui 84/71, Hilo 83/69 CASTS: Some showers, gusty trades; 6- to 8-foot surf on north, west shores. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 6:44 p.m.; Low 1:55 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, November 12, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: ISLANDS HIT BY HEAVY FLOODING, HIGH SURF The heavy rains that drenched O`ahu on election day have returned a week later with a vengeance. Interisland flights were diverted, roads and schools were closed and beachfront homes were destroyed in an ongoing winter storm that has lingered over the state for the last three days. Flooding has been reported in neighborhoods spanning from Kaua`i to the Big Island, and a Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Kaua`i and O`ahu. More than six inches of rain fell in Kane`ohe in the last 24 hours, and Weather officials say the wet conditions will last through tomorrow. On O`ahu, the heavy rains caused a section of Kapi`olani Boulevard to collapse, and in Kailua, officials at a private school on Kainalu Drive are still working to keep classrooms from flooding. Fire Department officials said floodwaters have submerged the athletic field at Redemption Academy, and are now beginning to encroach on a classroom building. At Honolulu International Airport, a Hawaiian Airlines jet arriving from Las Vegas skidded several yards on the because of the wet surface. Although the DC-10 overshot the runway, it safely stopped and turned back. In addition, two other Hawaiian flights leaving O`ahu for Kaua`i were turned back this morning because of the severe weather, and Aloha Airlines reported having to cancel flights. Last night, low visibility prompted Federal Aviation Administration officials to divert at least four overseas flights scheduled to land in Honolulu. One local tour company gave a refund to several dozen visitors who were scheduled for a one-day Kaua`i tour. The people who live on the Garden Isle, however, had more to worry about than lost visitor dollars. The world's wettest spot lived up to its name this weekend, today's deluge prompting officials to cancel classes at Hanalei School at midday. Problems didn't come from the sky alone, however. Huge 15- to 20-foot waves pounded Kauai's north shore, and several homes at Haena were severely damaged by the high surf. The foundations of the beachfront properties have been badly eroded by nearly three days of rough waves, and one Kuhio Highway vacation home was pulled into the ocean. House moving was also seen on the Big Island, when one Hilo home was moved several yards by the pounding surf. In addition, Hawai`i County Civil Defense officials ordered an evacuation of more than 100 beach campers yesterday, and said most beach parks would remain closed today. Honolulu park officials yesterday kept Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve closed for a second day, after waves began breaking inside the normally peaceful snorkeling spot. High surf is expected on the north-facing shores of all islands at least through tomorrow. Thunderstorms are now hovering over the three-island Maui County, according to the National Weather Service, but they are expected to head to the northwest tonight, bringing more downpours to O`ahu and Kaua`i. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MICHAEL JACKSON TO BRING HISTORY TO ISLANDS In what will be his first solo show in Hawai`i and the only U.S. stop in his international expedition, pop icon Michael Jackson will make concert history in Honolulu on Jan. 3. Tickets go on sale Saturday for the show, which its promoter describes as the biggest concert ever to come to the state. "I think of any show I've ever done, I feel more excited about this one than any other," said Tom Moffatt, whose outfit -- Tom Moffatt Productions -- is responsible for bringing the gloved one to Hawai`i. Even after working with Elvis, Elton John, the Eagles and the Rolling Stones, Moffatt said, "this is the most exciting show I've ever been associated with." Hawaii will host final performance for Jackson's current "HIStory" tour, which follows the release of his latest album by the same name. It is Jackson's first appearance on American soil in seven years. Moffatt said the concert will be huge -- literally. All told, it will take three cargo planes to bring the 350 tons of equipment for the show to the islands, Moffatt said. He said a tour staff of over 150 people will enlist the aid of local laborers to set everything up. The 20,000-square-foot stage will be the largest one ever assembled at Aloha Stadium, Moffatt said. Construction is set to begin the day after Christmas, he said, less than a week before Jackson arrives on New Year's Day. While Moffatt said the concert will also be among the most expensive events he's promoted, it's expected to gross at least $2 million. Despite the large dollar signs involved, Moffatt said he is under orders from Jackson himself to keep ticket prices affordable. Ticket prices will range from $20 to $65 -- considerably less than other recent concerts, Moffatt said. Anticipating a run on tickets, an eight-ticket purchase limit has been set for the concert. With fans expected to camp out at the Aloha Stadium box office overnight, Moffatt said a system will be set up to guarantee the fair distribution of the show's 36,000 available seats. Even if island residents don't pack the stands, Moffatt said, a sell-out is still a possibility because of Jackson's international popularity. Moffatt said he is especially optimistic about the response from Japanese fans, and said he has already started promoting the show overseas. "I've got some of the radio stations in Japan holding ticket giveaways," Moffatt said. "I expect a lot of people will be coming in to see Michael Jackson in Hawai`i." Whether its sold out or rained on, however, Jackson's Jan. 3 performance will be the only one. Moffatt said Jackson and his entire crew plan to leave the islands the next day. But although Jackson has been dodging the American press as of late, Moffatt said he doesn't expect the performer to spend his three-day island visit in hiding. "He doesn't want to be in an isolated hotel," Moffatt said. "He likes to look out and communicate with his fans." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MAUI COUNCIL LOOKS TO FILL MORROW'S SEAT The Maui County Council held a special meeting today to discuss the replacement of a councilman who died earlier this month. Hana Councilman Tom Morrow was killed along with four others in a Nov. 1 plane crash on Moloka`i. Morrow was re-elected posthumously by Maui voters last Tuesday. The county charter states that the council must appoint the successor in the event of a member's death. Officials said today's meeting, the first official one since Morrow's death, was called to review ideas on how the selection should be made. Technically, the council must make two selections -- one to complete the remainder of Morrow's current term, and one to serve the full two-year term granted by Tuesday's election. Morrow's son, Daniel, has already announced that he would like to be one of the candidates to inherit his father's council seat. While candidate selection for the current term is expected to be made by next week, officials said the matter of the upcoming full term has the council stumped. Council Chair Alice Lee, who set up the meeting, said a special election would be one possibility. Councilmember Wayne Nishiki said a special election would put the decision in the hands of the people where it belongs, instead of under the control of the council's nine members. The idea, however, got a thumbs down by the county's legal adviser. "The county council does not have the authority to call a special election," P.J. Schmidt, Maui County Corporation Counsel, told KITV-4. State officials said today that such an election -- which must include voters throughout the three-island county -- would likely have a low turnout, and could cost as much as $200,000. The council is expected to make its final decision in January. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BODY DISCOVERED NEAR ARIZONA MEMORIAL A man's body turned up in Pearl Harbor this afternoon, and police officials are now trying to determine if murder is involved. Two Navy sailors headed home from work this afternoon spotted the man's nude body floating in the water fronting the Arizona Memorial. Lt. Allan Napoleon said the body shows signs of "unusual injuries," but added that HPD will not open a homicide investigation until an autopsy can be performed. Until then, police officials said their efforts will concentrate on identifying the body. So far, Napoleon said, missing persons reports have turned up no matches. There were distinctive tattoos on both arms, including the name "Wayne" on the man's right bicep, Napoleon said. Although the man's ethnicity is likely Asian, he said, it's hard to be certain. The body has apparently been in the water for at least a day and was badly decomposed, according to investigators. Police are also looking into the possibility that the body could have washed into Pearl Harbor from Halawa Stream overnight. Although tours at the Arizona Memorial continued until the exhibit's normal closing time this evening, park officials kept visitors away from the boat landing. Police also blocked off the pedestrian bridge under which the body was first spotted. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES PIG farmers and hunters in Hawai`i are being advised to take extra health precautions after two Big Island residents contracted a severe swine-borne disease. The state Department of Health has issued an alert warning anyone who handles pigs about brucellocis, a bacteria carried by swine that can lead to symptoms ranging from fevers to liver infections in humans. Health officials are encouraging pig handlers to were gloves and eye protection and to cook meat thoroughly. The department said there have only been five cases of brucellocis infections statewide in the last 25 years... AFTER installing metered parking stalls along the makai edge of Kapi`olani Park last year, the city is now considering a plan that would allow residents in nearby condominiums to rent some of them by the month. Councilman Duke Bainum has proposed a measure that he said is needed to assuage the safety concerns of his Waikiki constituents. Kalakaua Avenue residents must now use parking stalls on the opposite end of the park to avoid meters, Bainum said, but crossing the park at night could be dangerous given problems with homeless people and youths loitering in the area after dark... BLASTING the Turtle Bay Hilton for the recent termination of its 10-person landscaping staff, members of the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen Union yesterday picketed at the North Shore hotel's entrance. While ILWU officials claim the firings are part of an effort to weaken the union, hotel executives said the move was allowed for under the union's current contract. The workers were terminated as a cost-cutting measure, hotel officials said, noting that its new subcontractor arrangement is more economically sound... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 80/73, Kaua`i 80/72, Moloka`i 83/70, Maui 85/70, Hilo 80/70 CASTS: Heavy showers; Surf to 10 feet on North, East and West shores. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 5:39 p.m.; Low 12:53 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, November 8, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: EWA STILL DIGGING ITSELF OUT AFTER TUESDAY FLOODS Three days after a winter storm dumped nearly 12 inches of rain on Central O`ahu, residents are still cleaning up homes and assessing the damage. Ewa farmers are reporting thousands of dollars in losses after floodwaters carried off their crops and topsoil, and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is now looking into whether emergency aid will be needed. Several Honolulu homes are still without phone and cable service. Gray skies and scattered showers are still falling across the island today, and rain is thought to be a factor in a seven-car accident on the Likelike Highway. The damage was heaviest along Fort Weaver Road and Farrington Highway, where area residents said rainwater -- rushing along roadways like a river -- was nearly 3 feet deep at one point. Alfred Respicio and said his home was flooded, and that its been nearly impossible to turn the tide of mud and water still surrounding his home. "All you can see is all mud," Respicio told KHON-TV2. "We have been cleaning house three, four times a day." Neighbors said they practically had to use boats or surfboards to get into and out of their homes. Others said old cesspools built when the area was a plantation village have now turned into sinkholes, swallowing parts of their backyards. At Aloun Farms, owners have tallied up nearly $300,000 in damage so far. Some of the farm's melon crop was found miles away, and much of the topsoil purchased to cover more than 850 acres has washed away. Nearby, the staff of a pig slaughterhouse said they spent all Tuesday night trying to keep their animals from drowning. "The pigs were every which way trying to keep their heads above water," Norman Oshiro, manager of the Hawai`i Food Products slaughterhouse, told the _Honolulu Advertiser_. Oshiro said five inches of mud now covers the floor of his facility. Many Ewa farmers said they are holding the state partially responsible, claiming they did not install adequate drainage systems when the roads were overhauled several years ago. State Department of Transportation officials said they are investigating the complaints, but said the entire area is in a low-lying area and has always been prone to flooding. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: STATE MULLS FISHING LICENSE, FEE The state Department of Land and Natural Resources today unveiled a proposal that would require island off-shore fishing enthusiasts to obtain a license and pay a fee. The plan is specifically targeted at the more than 75,000 visitors who come to Hawai`i to take sport fishing charters, officials said, but it will also affect residents. The proposal stems from concerns that the populations of several fishes are being depleted, according to department director Mike Wilson. "I think we've come to an era in Hawai`i where fishermen understand something has to be done or else there won't be fish left for people to enjoy," Wilson said. Under the DLNR proposal, which has not yet been finalized, fishing permits would be valid for a week and cost $10. Wilson said the money will go toward restocking and preservation efforts as well as public education programs. Island fishing charter operators, however, said the added cost will hurt an already floundering industry. Charter operators already pay a $120 fee for each outing. Opponents of the plan said that while other states have license fees, they are offered on a day-to-day basis and are also less costly. Those states are also more supportive of charter companies, they said. The plan, which will go to public hearings if it receives preliminary approval next week, would not affect people who fish from shore or piers using poles or throw nets. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES SMOKERS in Hawai`i may be becoming an endangered species. According to a nationwide survey by the Centers for Disease Control, Hawai`i has the third lowest percentage of smokers in the country. In 1995, only 17 percent of island adults were regular smokers. State Department of Health officials say that represents a decline of 10 percent since 1985. Only Utah and California were ranked lower. Utah, with its 13 percent rating, has held the lowest rate for four years. Local authorities point out, however, that smoking among minors has been on the increase, as high as 30 percent in some studies... DECEMBER 31 will mark the last day of business for the Waikikian, one of the Oahu's most familiar hotels. Aston, the hotel's owner, bought it only two years ago for $27 million. The company said it spent an additional million or so to renovate it and repair decades of termite damage. The Waikikian, however, has not turned a profit since 1994. Although the independently operated Tahitian Lanai Restaurant will remain open, operations at the Ala Moana Boulevard hotel will end with the year. Aston officials said they will try and relocate its staff to other hotels under its management... CLIFFORD Uwaine, now under investigation for spending money left over in his campaign treasury after a failed bid for public office in 1986, announced his next campaign yesterday. Uwaine requested that his treasury remain open for his bid to be a delegate at the state Constitutional Convention, which was voted on by Hawai`i residents on Tuesday. Election officials are still unsure whether the convention was authorized by the vote, however, as state law is unclear as whether blank ballots should be counted as "no" votes. The state Campaign Spending Commission said its investigation into Uwaine's campaign expenses will continue despite his announcement... FEDERAL authorities in California said they are looking to prosecute a Berkeley resident who allegedly sold coffee beans falsely packaged as being grown on the Big Island. Investigators said the man and his company, Kona Kai Farms, made as much as $5 million by importing coffee beans from Central America and selling it as a Kona brand. Kona coffee beans carry a price tag about four times higher than that of beans from Mexico and Central America. The company and its owner now face court action and several fines for unfair trade practices and false advertising... DESPITE a recent death-threat leveled against a Big Island helicopter company, the Drug Enforcement Administration this week vowed that it will continue using helicopters to spot and kill illegal marijuana plants. The anonymous caller said he represented residents of Ka`u and Oceanview and that they would shoot down DEA helicopters if they flew over their property again. Officials say the program, initiated in 1987, leads to the destruction of up to 500,000 marijuana plants each year. Air surveys were stepped up last month after investigators reported an increase in the number of plantings... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 81/69, Kaua`i 80/68, Moloka`i 82/70, Maui 84/70, Hilo 80/69 CASTS: Clear and cool, trades 15MPH; North and East shore surf to 3 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 2:39 p.m.; Low 9:31 a.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Thursday, November 7, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: MAUI PILOT WAS FLYING LOW, INVESTIGATORS SAY The twin-engine Piper Seneca that crashed on Friday night, killing all five aboard, was flying unusually low moments before plowing into a mountain range, federal investigators said yesterday. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that the pilot, Maui Democratic Party Chairman Robert McCarthy, had his pilot's license revoked for a year in 1990. Two days into an investigation that is expected to take up to a year, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board yesterday examined the plane's recovered engines and parts of its fuselage. Rich Parker, the NTSB's lead investigator for the crash, said interviews conducted yesterday indicate that the plane was cruising low enough for several Moloka`i residents to prominently notice the sound of its engines. "We have some very reliable witnesses in the area that were attracted to the aircraft by the sound of the engines," Parker said. "They used words like strong, loud, throaty engine power as the aircraft flew low over their residences." "He (McCarthy) was very low," he said. "The witnesses estimated the height of 2 pine trees, which would be approximately 200 feet in that area." Parker also said records of McCarthy's last radio contact with the Maui airport indicate the crash took place shortly after 7 p.m., about an hour earlier than previously thought. "It appears that there was radio contact from the pilot to Maui approach control three or four minutes before the crash where the pilot requested service for landing at Kahului," he said. Meanwhile, FAA officials today said McCarthy's pilot's license was revoked six years ago for illegally falsifying his credentials. In 1990, McCarthy was grounded for presenting illegitimate credentials indicating that he was certified to pilot commercial flights when he was not. McCarthy's license was reinstated a year later, however, and his flying record was otherwise unmarred. "He was in good standing," Parker said. "He had a valid license for the (Friday) flight." Investigators have not yet determined whether McCarthy was flying by visual markers or the plane's instruments. McCarthy was not registered to fly instrumentally, but an initial investigation found the plane's flaps in a position that would indicate the plane was not in the process of climbing at the time of impact. That could mean McCarthy didn't see the Wahiawa Valley mountain range ahead of him, investigators said. In addition to McCarthy, 38, the crash killed Maui councilman Tom Morrow, 58, Alfred Deloso, 64, and Mitchell and Suzanne Katz, 39 and 38 respectively. All five were on their way back to Maui after attending a Democratic Party rally on Moloka`i. Morrow won the election to keep his Maui County Council seat posthumously on Tuesday. His replacement will be chosen by the council when its members' terms officially commence in January. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FALLEN OFFICER REMEMBERED, POLICE CHIEF SPEAKS OUT Dozens of Honolulu Police Department officers stood alongside family and friends of Sgt. Arthur Miller as the ashes of the 19-year police veteran were laid to rest today. Miller, remembered by colleagues as the "centurion" of Hawai`i Kai, died Oct. 27 after falling 35-feet from a H-1 Freeway viaduct near the airport in a scuffle with a 17-year-old driver. Colleagues praised Miller for his devotion to protecting his island home, describing him as a man with both initiative and imagination who would be difficult to replace. After a private morning memorial service, Miller was inurned at O`ahu Cemetery this afternoon. The 50-year-old patrol officer is survived by his mother. After remaining silent for nearly two weeks, Police Chief Michael Nakamura today made his first public statements about Miller's death. Nakamura blasted the local media for their coverage of the story, alleging that reporters mischaracterized the police department's response and handling of the case. "You know, regardless of the circumstances involved, there was a death of a human being," Nakamura told KITV-4. "I would have expected more sensitivity on the part of the media." Although the victim in the case was a police officer, he said, the police department did not compromised the integrity of its investigation in an effort to have charges filed against Kamehameha Schools senior Gabriel Kealoha. Kealoha allegedly pushed Miller off the freeway, but his attorney, Hayden Aluli, said the teen was acting in self defense. Medical reports later showed Miller was legally drunk at the time of the fight. Aluli said the police department might not be able to handle the case objectively, and called for an independent investigation. Nakamura said that wouldn't be necessary. "I've reviewed it, he said. "I don't see any evidence that investigators acted improperly." "If I had any inclination that the detectives did not act objectively or impartially, I would seriously consider having an outside agency come in and investigate," Nakamura said, "but I've done my checking and I don't find any situation where there was a breach of the integrity of the investigation." Nakamura said he also took issue with reports claiming the police department was specifically pushing to have the juvenile court system waive its jurisdiction over Kealoha. "It's not something that we 'vowed to do,'" he said. "The police have nothing to with the waiving the juvenile -- it's in the hand of the prosecutor, and in this situation it would be almost automatic." Kealoha was charged with second-degree murder for Miller's death. A hearing later this month will determine whether he will be tried as an adult. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES COMPLAINING that precinct staffers at several polling places islandwide failed to give out Office of Hawaiian Affairs ballots, one candidate defeated in the race to represent the Big Island on the OHA Board of Trustees is considering calling for a recount. Incumbent Hawai`i County Trustee Moniakeala Akaka lost her seat to Hannah Springer by 72 votes. Akaka said many Hawaiians may have not gotten ballots at polling places, which may have affected the outcome of Tuesday's election. Yesterday, elections officials said they would investigate if Akaka officially lodges a recount request. Statewide, Springer netted 15,439 votes, while Akaka won 15,367. Akaka came in second in all counties except Maui, where she finished third... ALMOST two years after HPD officer Joseph Alejado allegedly beat a suspect held in police custody, a federal grand jury this week indicted him for civil rights violations and obstructing justice. Alejado, assigned to the Pearl City substation at the time, was charged with beating police suspect Sam Tupuola, according to U.S. Attorney Steven Alm. Alejado then allegedly urged other officers to refuse to cooperate with the federal investigation. If convicted on both counts, he faces up to $500,000 in fines and 20 years in prison. Three other officers have also been convicted on related charges... MURDER will be the charge levied against two Kalihi teenagers arrested last month for the beating death of 17-year-old Palama resident Sam Talo. George Agemoto and Jedediah Kekumu, ages 18 and 19 respectively, were ordered to stand trial yesterday for the fatal Oct. 19 beating. Talo's death is believed to be gang related, one of two October murders tied to rivalry between residents at two O`ahu housing projects. Agemoto and Kekumu are allegedly members of a youth gang based at Mayor Wright Housing, while Talo is said to have been a member of a gang from Kuhio Park Terrace... BROKEN down by district, Mayor Jeremy Harris -- re-elected on Tuesday over challenger Arnold Morgado -- picked up most of the votes taken by former Mayor Frank Fasi when Fasi was bumped from the race in the primary election. According to figures from the state Office of Elections, Harris took more than seven times the number of Honolulu precincts than Morgado did. Only one of the precincts where Fasi dominated in September went to Morgado in the general election; the rest defaulted to Harris. Harris was most strongly backed by Kunia, Waipahu, and Kalihi residents, while Morgado did best in Aiea and Pearl City -- the area he represented as a city councilman... PRESIDENT Clinton's much-touted Hawaiian vacation is still on, but a little further off than originally planned. Originally scheduled to land in Honolulu on Tuesday, America's First Family is now expected to arrive in Hawai`i on Friday. White House officials said the delay is to allow Clinton a few days to recuperate from his victory over Bob Dole on Tuesday. The president's island itinerary for the week-long visit is blank, officials said, and Clinton is not expected to make any official appearances. Exactly where he and his family will be staying on O`ahu has not yet been disclosed... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/72, Kaua`i 82/71, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 88/71, Hilo 84/71 CASTS: Afternoon showers, northerly trades 15MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 9:21 a.m.; Low 5:12 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, November 6, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: GENERAL ELECTION BRINGS LANDSLIDES, UPSETS In what was one of the wettest election days in recent memory, 67 percent of O`ahu registered voters braved flooded homes, closed roads and power outages to get to the polls (see related story below). 271,781 Honolulu residents yesterday voted to keep a number of incumbents -- including their mayor and two U.S. representatives -- but threw out a number of candidates as well. Statewide, voter turnout was 68 percent -- high compared to other states, but considerably lower than what state election officials were expecting. Below, several shorts on the more prominent races, followed by a rundown of the raw numbers tallied in the 1996 General Election. --[ HONOLULU MAYOR ]--------------------------------------------------------- After a two-year endeavor in the city's top seat, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris was elected to his first full term last night, defeating challenger Arnold Morgado by a margin of nearly 37,300 votes (or 34 percent). Harris' victory comes despite the many endorsements lined up behind Morgado's campaign, including Gov. Ben Cayetano, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and former mayor Frank Fasi. "Some big guns were leveled at us," Harris said yesterday, but credited a grass-roots effort -- bolstered by neighborhood boards, small business and various unions -- with helping him come out on top. Despite his loss, Morgado said his campaign was responsible for making many issues, such as an understaffed police force and a tight city budget, a priority this election year. "I think it's very telling that we deserve better, and I think our message on the issues did get out," Morgado said. He said the public was simply not ready for change, adding that Harris was reelected because of "what he hasn't done wrong" rather than on his accomplishments. Before the final tallies were in, Fasi said Honolulu voters would be making a mistake by keeping Harris in office. "Jeremy Harris didn't do anything," Fasi said. "He just picked up where I left off, finishing the job I started." Harris succeeded Fasi in 1994 when Fasi made an unsuccessful bid for Hawai`i governor. Meanwhile, Cayetano said he would work with Harris, but warned that the mayor will be under a watchful state eye. "The next year and a half with Jeremy is going to be prove 'um time," Cayetano said. "He's going to have to prove that he can do the job." "I think before he thinks about anything else, I'm sure that he's going to try and do a good job," he added. Critics have continued to accuse Harris of harboring hopes for a challenging Cayetano for the governor's chair in two years, and Harris was asked again last night whether he would serve out his entire four-year term as mayor. "My intention is to be mayor," Harris said. "I'm not going to sign any pledges, but I don't have any plans to run for governor." --[ HONOLULU CITY PROSECUTOR ]----------------------------------------------- Honolulu voters chose Peter Carlisle to succeed City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, reversing his second-place finish to David Arakawa in the September primary. Carlisle won 132,576 votes yesterday (50.7 percent) compared to Arakawa's 120,239 (45.9 percent). Carlisle based his campaign on his years of experience, conviction record and strong criminal sentences. Arakawa stressed a number of endorsements -- including one from SHOPO, the Honolulu police officers' union -- and a good relationship with several law enforcement offices. "We don't have a lot of political insiders," Carlisle said last night. He too credited a grass-roots effort for much of his success. "It has not been what I would call a conventional campaign," Carlisle said. "I'm very happy for the people who put so much effort into it." Despite the prominent backing Arakawa received, Carlisle said today that he anticipated no problems working with the system -- and SHOPO. "I've always had an excellent relationship with the police chiefs and higher-ups in the police department, and with the working detectives and the patrol officers," he said. "The union was never the entity that I had that much to do with in the first place." Union officials, meanwhile, said they'd be able to work with Carlisle. "SHOPO, the Honolulu Police Department and the prosecutor's office I'm convinced all share a common goal," said union spokesman Ola Souza. "I don't think that it's too far fetched that we can't use that as a starting point." SHOPO president Ray Ancheta said he was eager to meet with Carlisle, adding that union members are encouraged by his conviction record. Among his top priorities upon taking office, Carlisle said, was reforming the juvenile justice system and strengthening Honolulu's murder statutes. Carlisle also announced yesterday that he planned to keep most of the current staff at the city prosecutor's office, recognizing them for their experience with the system. --[ U.S. HOUSE ]------------------------------------------------------------- Democratic incumbent Neil Abercrombie will return to Washington to represent Hawaii's city dwellers, after defeating Republican candidate Orson Swindle. Abercrombie won 86,732 votes (48.5 percent) compared to Swindle's 86,732 (44.7 percent). Abercrombie's victory wasn't as overwhelming as most expected, however. In the Sept. 21 primary, Abercrombie took well over twice the number of votes Swindle did in the race to be the candidate for their respective parties. Recent media polls showed Swindle narrowing the gap, and on Tuesday Swindle was only 8 percent short of toppling Abercrombie. The race was close enough for Swindle to predict a win after the second election night printout. "They're on the verge of getting whipped right now," Swindle said. Despite his eventual defeat, Swindle said he will likely run to capture the house seat a third time. Patsy Mink, meanwhile, easily recaptured the job of representing the islands' rural communities. Mink garnered 109,179 ballots, or 60.3 percent of the vote, outpacing Republican challenger Tom Pico's 55,729 votes -- a 30.8 percent showing. --[ STATE LEGISLATURE ]------------------------------------------------------ There were a number of close calls and more than a few upsets in the many races for state house and senate seats. The Hawai`i Republican Party claimed several victories in the state house, increasing the number of GOP representatives from seven to 12. They also celebrated one key victory in the state senate -- ousting Ways and Means Committee Chair Donna Ikeda. Ikeda, a Democrat and 22-year legislative veteran, was beaten by Republican challenger Sam Slom, a small business advocate. Slom took 12,191 votes (60 percent) in the 8th district, while Ikeda received 7,312 (36.1 percent). Ikeda said her loss wasn't too much of a surprise. "These things are bound to happen," she said. "When you have as high of a position as I do, you have to make some tough decisions." "I have no regrets," Ikeda said. Ikeda blamed her loss on an anti-incumbent sentiment among voters, as well as an aggressive attack campaign levied against her in the last few days prior to the election. Ikeda said she didn't have enough time to respond to the accusations, and said she'd like to congratulate her critics on their strategy. "They did a good job of slamming me," Ikeda said. In the state house, Republican candidate Samson Aiona narrowly defeated incumbent Jim Shon in the 24th district. Aiona, who frequently criticized Shon for supposedly supporting same-sex marriage, got 3,428 votes (47.7 percent), while Shon took 3,428 (46 percent). Island Republicans also lost some seats, however. Sen. Mike Liu lost his 24th district seat to Democratic challenger Marshall Ige. Ige amassed 8,149 votes (48.2 percent) to overpower Liu's 8,082 (47.8 percent). Liu's fellow Sen. Whitney Anderson also saw a close call. Anderson's 8,078 votes (48.7) was only two percentage points more than those won by Democratic challenger Jackie Young, who had 7,891 votes (47.8 percent). --[ MAUI COUNTY ]------------------------------------------------------------ In a victory characterized by Maui residents as a final tribute to a great community leader, late Councilman Tom Morrow won in the race to be East Maui's representative in the City Council. Morrow, 58, died with four other Maui County leaders in a Friday plane crash on Moloka`i. Morrow got 19,435 votes, while Republican challenger Sam Kalalau garnered 12,732 votes. With his posthumous re-election, the council will appoint a Democratic successor to serve Morrow's two-year term in his stead. Meanwhile, the late Alfred DeLoso -- whose name also was on Tuesday's ballot -- lost to Republican incumbent Alan Arakawa in the race for the Kahului seat. Arakawa won 19,199 votes, compared to DeLoso's 13,082. DeLoso, 64, also died in the plane crash. This election was to be his first foray into city politics. Arakawa told the _Honolulu Star-Bulletin_ that his re-election was a "hollow victory." He commended DeLoso for his 30 years of service to the community. Signs were posted at all Maui County polling sites informing residents of the two candidates' deaths. --[ THE NUMBERS ]------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. PRESIDENT (Hawai`i Only) * Bill Clinton/Al Gore D 205,012 Bob Dole/Jack Kemp R 113,943 Ross Perot/Pat Choate RF 27,358 Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke G 10,386 Harry Browne/Jo Jorgensen L 2,493 John Hagelin/Mike Tompkins NL 570 Howard Phillips/Herbert Titus T 358 U.S. HOUSE, District 1 * Neil Abercrombie D 86,732 Orson Swindle R 80,053 Mark Duering N 4,126 Nicholas Bedworth NL 1,295 U.S. HOUSE, District 2 * Patsy Mink D 109,178 Tom Pico Jr. R 55,729 Nolan Crabbe N 7,723 James Keefe L 4,769 Amanda Toulon NL 3,564 HONOLULU MAYOR * Jeremy Harris 146,034 Arnold Morgado 108,746 HONOLULU CITY PROSECUTOR Peter Carlisle 132,576 David Arakawa 120,239 HAWAI`I COUNTY MAYOR * Stephen Yamashiro (D) 19,807 Keiko Bonk (G) 16,659 Jim Rath (R) 11,724 Aaron Anderson (L) 393 Johnathan Adler (N) 391 -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: HOMES FLOODED, RESIDENTS EVACUATE ON ELECTION DAY O`ahu residents were voting by flashlight yesterday when a torrential downpour, which dropped nearly 12 inches of rain, knocked out power to nearly a quarter of Honolulu homes and polling sites. Shortly after statewide polls were scheduled to close yesterday, Gov. Ben Cayetano issued a decree that they would remain open an hour later, to 7 p.m., on O`ahu only. "Because of the havoc the weather conditions have caused, many people have not been able to get to the polls," Cayetano said. He said the extra hour would allow Honolulu residents held back by the rain a few extra minutes to make it to polling sites. At one point, Cayetano said, polling sites in 17 precincts were without power. One had been flooded and had to be moved, he said. The lights were out at Kalihi Uka Elementary, where polling officials eventually took booths outside or positioned them against cafeteria windows to afford voters enough light to see their ballots. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for all of Central O`ahu, the area hardest hit when the early afternoon storm burst over the island, and stood until 8 p.m. A Flash Flood Warning remained in effect until 8 this morning. flooded homes and closed roads. Thunderstorms loomed over Waiana`e for most of the afternoon, and heavy flooding prompted civil defense officials to close Farrington Highway -- the main road into and out of the area -- for two hours. Severe conditions in Ewa led to the evacuation of 200 residents from about 50 homes, most of them along Renton Road. Residents said it was the worst flooding they'd seen in the area for more than 30 years. In fact, lives were nearly lost when one Ewa family's truck got stuck in a washed out access road just off Renton Road. A sinkhole apparently opened up under their vehicle, swallowing it within a matter of seconds. The truck's passengers managed to escape without serious injury moments before the truck sank. The sinkhole, measuring nearly 20 feet across and at least 60 feet deep, apparently developed over the site of a former water pumping station for the old Ewa Sugar Mill. Area residents said the underground tunnels scattered around the area are at least 70 years old. Only the rear bumper of the Dodge Ram pickup was visible at the bottom of the hole this afternoon. On election night, the heavy rain was a popular topic during political interviews. Mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado, like many who were hoping to win last night, chided broadcasters for asking everyone whether they thought the weather was hurting their campaigns. "I think everyone got wet," Morgado said. "Our opponents played on the same fields as we did." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 83/72, Kaua`i 82/71, Moloka`i 85/73, Maui 86/72, Hilo 81/70 CASTS: Heavy rains to continue through Saturday; all surf flat to 1 foot. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High 1:22 p.m.; Low 7:40 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Monday, November 4, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: MAUI LEADERS DIE IN MOLOKA`I CRASH Five prominent Maui residents were killed in a plane crash Friday, leaving Hawai`i Democratic Party leaders mourning alongside the victims' family and friends. Maui Democratic Party Chairman Robert McCarthy, 38, was the pilot of the twin-engine Piper Seneca airplane, which crashed into an East Moloka`i mountain range while en route to the Kahului airport on Maui. Maui City Councilman Thomas Morrow, 58, council candidate Alfred Deloso, 64, Maui Democratic Party Secretary Mitchell Katz, 39, and his 38-year-old wife Suzanne were also on board. Their bodies were recovered from the crash site Saturday morning. All five had just attended a pre-election rally on Moloka`i, and McCarthy -- a licensed pilot who purchased the plane only a months ago -- was shuttling the others home, according to Democratic leaders. The plane took off from Molokai's Ho`olehua Airport sometime after 8 p.m. Friday, reportedly in rainy conditions. The Coast Guard reported detecting its emergency signal at about 9 p.m. FAA controllers on O`ahu confirmed the signal half an hour later. Although the Coast Guard determined the position of the signal to be somewhere on Halawa Ridge that night, helicopter crews could not see the crash site. Rain and cloud-cover delayed the rescue effort until Saturday morning, when a Maui County rescue helicopter spotted the wreckage in a thick forested area near Pu`uhoku Ranch, at about the 800-foot elevation. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the crash. One of the main questions investigators have is whether McCarthy was piloting under Visual Flight Rules or entirely by the airplane's instruments. FAA officials said yesterday that McCarthy never file a request for an instrument-guided flight. "If he was on a visual plan, the pilot had a lot of latitude," FAA spokesman Tom Rea said. "He determines how he flies, when he flies and where he goes." Today, NTSB officials said their preliminary investigation indicated that pilot error may have been a factor in the crash. The plane's flaps were found in cruising position, according to NTSB investigator Richard Parker, indicating that McCarthy was not making any attempt to climb moments before impact. The cruising speed of the aircraft is 170MPH. With heavy rain as a possible factor in the nighttime crash, the pilot may not have seen the mountains, the _Star-Bulletin_ reported today. Investigators, meanwhile, are still trying to nail down some of the specifics of the crash. "The control tower at Moloka`i was closed at the time, so we don't have an exact record of the departure," Rea told KITV-4. "And Maui did not receive any radio contact from the crew to indicate that there was any problem." The investigation continues tomorrow with aviation officials planning to reassemble the plane's wreckage on the valley floor. Its engine and instruments will also be studied. NTSB officials said the investigation will likely take several weeks. The five who were killed were remembered by colleagues at weekend events. Although a Democratic rally scheduled for today has been canceled, party leaders are considering a memorial gathering later this week. Maui Mayor Linda Lingle said the crash is one of the worst tragedies to hit the island's mostly rural community. Lingle said McCarthy was a generous man who frequently volunteered his piloting services to shuttle people back and forth across the three-island county. U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, who was at the Friday night rally attended by the five island leaders, said the death of her peers was a "calamity." Friends described Mitchell and Suzanne Katz as energetic people who quickly became involved in the community after moving to Maui from New York two years ago. Morrow was a 10-year veteran of the city council, and was expected to win re-election tomorrow. The election would have been Deloso's first, after years of service in various Maui youth programs. Because Morrow and Deloso's names will still be on the ballot, notice will be posted at polling places informing voters of their deaths. If they nevertheless win their respective races the Maui County Council will appoint representatives from their respective parties, as stated in the County Charter. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FORMER STATE SENATOR FACES SPENDING PROBE State officials are curious as to how Clifford Uwaine has been spending his campaign money -- specifically, a $8,800 treasury surplus he reported when he last ran for public office ten years ago. Uwaine, a former state senator, was convicted in 1986 for committing voter fraud four years prior. In September, Uwaine requested the Campaign Spending Commission close his treasury with a "reimbursement" check for $759 sent to himself. The commission deferred his request, and has now asked Uwaine to clarify a number of discrepancies found in his campaign spending reports. According to campaign records, 17 separate payments were made to Uwaine from his campaign treasury between 1990 and 1995, most of them annotated simply as "reimbursements." Other expenditures include three separate Christmas parties, a computer printer and refreshments from Costco. Mark Yamashiro, Uwaine's campaign treasurer, told _The Honolulu Advertiser_ that he believed the expenditures to be legitimate. Several contributions to charity and non-profit community groups were also made, but commission officials said those are allowed for under state law. If the 17 various disbursements -- ranging from $155 to $925 -- are found to be in violation of campaign spending laws, commission officials said Uwaine faces a $1,000 fine for each. Uwaine's $8,800 surplus was left over after his 1986 bid for a seat on the Board of Education was disqualified. He had been convicted earlier that year for committing voter fraud in 1982. He was sentenced to a 90-day prison sentence and received 5 years probation in his third trial. Uwaine maintained throughout that he was innocent of charges that he tried to collect illegal voter registrations to help a friend win a state house seat in 1982. Uwaine, now a union executive, could not be reached for comment. In an Oct. 29 letter, the commission has given him until next week to respond to its inquiry. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: NEWSPAPER PHOTOGRAPHER KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN Carl Viti, 52, was bicycling in Wahiawa on Sunday when a car struck him from the rear shortly after 10 a.m. Viti was a 13-year veteran photographer for _The Honolulu Advertiser_. According to police, the driver and several other motorists quickly stopped to render aid the scene of the accident, located along Kamehameha Highway near Wheeler Field. Witnesses said the driver told the others that he would go for help, but never returned. Viti was flown by Army helicopter to Queen's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead two hours later. Investigators have asked for the public's help in finding the driver who hit Viti, described by witnesses as a local male in his 20s, 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. The car is described as a blue mid-80s model Honda, and police said the vehicle's windshield was shattered on the right side. Under Hawai`i law, the suspect in the fatal crash faces a 10-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine. Viti is survived by his wife and a 5-year-old daughter. After graduating from the University of California, Viti served several years in the Peace Corps. He worked as an English teacher in Micronesia and got his first photography job in Guam. He worked for the Associated Press for two years in California before joining the _Advertiser_ staff in 1983. Colleagues said Viti received several photojournalism awards, and friends remembered the San Francisco native as a man who loved his job. "He was the consummate professional as a photographer," newspaper reporter Greg Ambrose told the _Star-Bulletin_. "All his pictures had warmth and centered around the human element." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 84/72, Kaua`i 82/71, Moloka`i 85/72, Maui 88/71, Hilo 84/71 CASTS: Afternoon showers, northerly trades 15MPH; North Shore surf to 4 feet. TUESDAY'S TIDES: High 9:21 a.m.; Low 5:12 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, November 1, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: TEACHERS' CONTRACT EXPIRES, NO STRIKE YET Although the contract for Hawaii's 12,000 public school teachers officially expired at midnight last night, the state teachers' union said today that it will not call for a strike... provided renewed talks come up with a satisfactory settlement. Union officials met last night with Minoru Kumurain, the state's chief negotiator, and Charles Toguchi, who was recently sent to the bargaining table by Gov. Ben Cayetano. Although Kumurain refused to comment on the particulars of the state's latest offer, he said he has the best interests of everyone in mind. "I'm going to put everything I can into getting a settlement that's going to be fair to the teachers as well as the state," Kumurain said. The state's contract with the Hawai`i State Teachers Association had already been extended five times. The HSTA board of directors voted earlier this month to let the current extension expire. Union officials said today that teachers do not want to strike, but added that they may have no other choice if things don't improve within the next several weeks. "I cannot impress upon everyone the anger and the frustration our teachers are feeling," HSTA President June Motokawa told KITV-4. "Again we do not want to strike but we must have a satisfactory settlement." Under state law, the union can call a strike vote after giving notice ten days in advance. Such a settlement, HSTA officials said, should include a 14 percent salary increase. According to the union, Hawai`i ranks 51st in the nation in public school teacher salaries after cost-of-living adjustments. Although Gov. Cayetano has said he believes teachers deserve a raise, he maintains that the state doesn't have the money. Today, the HSTA ran a full-page advertisement in local newspapers calling for public support to "improve public education in Hawai`i." "Our students are precious to us and we want to do everything we can to help them achieve their potential," the ad states. "To do this, however, Hawaii's public school teachers must push for improvement in several areas." In addition to insufficient pay, the ad cites inadequate facilities and student resources, adding that teachers put in at least 20 additional hours of work outside of school hours without overtime compensation. The ad also states that teachers spend an average of $1,000 of their own money each year to purchase supplies and materials which the state currently does not provide. While negotiations continue, the union has also launched a petition and letter writing campaign. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MORGADO AD RILES HARRIS, WAIHEE Five days before the General Election, a television ad by mayoral hopeful Arnold Morgado has Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris and former governor John Waihee crying foul. According for attorneys for both, the ad implies that their clients are trying to avoid subpoenas issued in an ongoing investigation of campaign contributions. The ad, which began running yesterday, asks: "The question is this: What are Harris and Waihee hiding? What is it that they don't want us to know?" The dispute stems from a controversial law that forbids people who have been awarded city contracts or permits from supporting candidates for city office for two years. Morgado has filed a lawsuit claiming the law as unconstitutional, and Harris and Waihee were among many people subpoenaed to provide depositions. Lawyers for Harris and Waihee filed what they called routine requests to postpone the court appearances, but they said the ad makes it sound like they filed the motions to specifically postpone them until after election day. Bill McCorriston, appointed to represent the city in the lawsuit, said yesterday that Morgado knew that the deposition dates they requested conflicted with the schedule for Harris, Waihee and their attorneys. McCorriston alleged that the scheduling conflicts were staged by the Morgado campaign specifically for the television ad. But Morgado's attorney, Colleen Sakurai, maintained that the ad was factual, and would not say whether it would be recalled. At a press conference yesterday, Waihee said he was disappointed in the tactics Morgado was using, saying the ad "takes campaign dirty tricks to a new low in Hawai`i." "I have known Arnold Morgado for a long time as a friend," Waihee said. "I have asked him to pull the ad because it's blatantly false, and I hope he'll do the honorable thing." Bruce Voss, Waihee's attorney, said if the ad is not withdrawn, legal action will be taken against Morgado. The Harris campaign recently claimed Morgado violated the campaign contribution law, forwarding a complaint against Morgado alleging that Dennis Mitsunaga, a contractor who was awarded a city bid, was playing a key role in his campaign. The complaint was originally made by the Hawai`i Carpenters Union, which is endorsing Harris. Sakurai yesterday compared Mitsunaga's support of Morgado to Waihee's recent support of Harris. Sakurai said Waihee's involvement with Harris' campaign, albeit unofficial and non-financial in nature, is equally inappropriate. Waihee currently serves as legal counsel to GMP and Associates, another contractor that has also received city contracts. Waihee served as the company's director until this past summer. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FALLEN OFFICER SAID TO BE DRUNK, LAWYER SPEAKS OUT Arthur Miller, the 50-year-old Honolulu police officer who died after allegedly being pushed off a freeway viaduct, was legally drunk at the time, according to a local television station. KITV-4 reported yesterday that an unnamed HPD official said that Miller's blood-alcohol level well exceeded the legal limit. Police, however, have not yet officially released the test results. Investigators are still trying to determine what led to the Sunday confrontation between Miller, a 19-year police veteran, and 17-year-old Kamehameha Schools senior Gabriel Kealoha. Kealoha has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly pushing Miller off the freeway. Hayden Aluli, Kealoha's attorney, has repeatedly claimed that Miller was drunk and belligerent, and that Kealoha was acting in self-defense. Meanwhile, Miller's attorney yesterday responded to claims by the officer's ex-wife that he was violent and frequently confronted with her teenage son. Tamra Kipu, who divorced Miller in August, went public earlier this week with court papers and a current temporary restraining order, alleging Miller was a heavy drinker who had a grudge against teenagers. Don Wilkerson, her attorney, said Kipu wanted to testify on behalf of Kealoha out of concern that the Miller's character would be inaccurately represented by the prosecution. Kipu told reporters she felt bad for Kealoha, and that she believed Miller's death was an accident. Mike Worsham, Miller's attorney, responded today by saying Kipu's claims were being made out of jealousy. Miller divorced Kipu, Worsham said, because she constantly accused him of being unfaithful. He said most of Kipu's claims were without merit. "Arthur's use of alcohol never seemed to be an issue in the divorce," Mike Worsham, Miller's attorney, told KITV-4. "There was never an allegation that he abused Mrs. Kipu's teenage son by another marriage." "This is all new," he said. "I represented Arthur in those complaints, and it was my understanding that they were determined to be unfounded. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FATHER ISSUES PUBLIC APOLOGY FOR SHOOTING The father of a boy charged with attempted murder in a drive-by shooting apologized for his son's actions, asking for forgiveness and expressing hopes of keeping peace in the neighborhood. Amos Naone said his 16-year-old son, Amos Jr., is one of five people who were arrested for the Saturday incident, which took place after a police- sponsored dance in Papakolea and left at least two women injured. Both father and son appeared at a special meeting of the Papakolea Community Association Wednesday night. There, The boy's father said he knows the incident has stirred fear and anger among residents. "I bring my apology, my regret, my remorse to lay down at your feet," he said. "I want to heal the wounds in the hopes that this doesn't escalate into further problems." Naone said it is his son who is charged with firing the gun. The problem, Naone said, is that young people often believe that violence is the only way to settle things. "Might never makes right," Naone said. "Right makes right." Association President Puni Kekauoha accepted Naone's apology, and asked that his neighbors do so as well. "I ask you to look into your hearts," Kekauoha said to an audience of about 40 people. "We are a forgiving people; we are a loving people. "We accept and we forgive you," he told Naone. "I pray that everyone in the community will do the same." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES CONSTITUTIONAL concerns have prompted city officials to reconsider a proposal that would implement workplace searches in an effort to prevent workplace violence. Under the original plan, an employee's locker, desk, car and e-mail would be subject to search if authorities had reason to suspect misconduct or the presence of a contraband weapon. The Hawai`i Government Employees Association, however, objected, claiming the right to reasonable privacy could be violated. HGEA spokesman Guy Tajiri said the city will rework the search policy and resubmit it for union review in the next few months... AFTER the $85-million First Hawaiian Tower is auctioned off Dec. 17, creditors will still not fully recover the $110 million owed after its developer, Bishop Street Associates, declared bankruptcy in 1993. A California bankruptcy court recently postponed the auction of the Fort Street high-rise, originally scheduled for this week, after creditors expressed concern that Hawaii's sluggish real-estate market would bring in low bids. Although creditors said they wanted to wait until the economy improves, state economists said the market will probably remain flat through 1999... BIRDS native to the islands now have their own place of refuge. The Keahou Bird Conservation Center was dedicated this week on the Big Island. The center is devoted to restoring the populations of Hawaii's 70 or so remaining native species -- including 30 that are currently on the federal endangered species list. Hawai`i is said to have once been home to at least twice as many unique species of birds. Conservation officials say the state-of-the-art facility will turn the tide of forest bird extinction... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 85/73, Kaua`i 83/71, Moloka`i 87/73, Maui 89/71, Hilo 85/70 CASTS: Sunny and clear, trades 15MPH; North Shore surf to 6 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High 9:21 a.m.; Low 5:12 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Thursday, October 31, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: UH FACULTY RALLY, CONTEMPLATE STRIKE University of Hawai`i faculty members gathered today to haunt the conscience of Gov. Ben Cayetano, declaring that the state can no longer neglect higher education in Hawai`i. Hundreds of faculty, students and other supporters turned out for a noontime rally organized by members of the 3,200-member faculty union. The University of Hawai`i Professional Assembly, which has been without a contract since June 1995, said the rally was to commemorate the first anniversary of the 5,000-strong "Death of Education" march to the state Capitol last Halloween. UHPA Executive Director J.N. Musto said union members will vote in December on whether or not to strike. If so, Musto said, the strike would probably begin Jan. 13 -- the first day of spring classes at UH. Musto said Gov. Ben Cayetano has failed to give higher education its due respect, and as a result, the university and its students have suffered. The union has been without a contract since June 1995. "Faculty have dropped in relative salary rankings compared to those at peer institutions," Musto said, adding that the state has refused to offer a raise during negotiations, which began over 700 days ago and have been stalled for six months now. In addition, Musto said, UH has fallen from being among the top 50 research institutions in the nation to near the 100th. The state Legislature recently cut university funding by nearly one- third, or $100 million, in the last year, Musto said, adding that the General Fund allocation will likely be cut again next year. On top of everything else, he said, the university has lost 227 faculty members statewide in the last year alone. "It's obvious why faculty morale is low," Musto said. The quality of a UH education is declining, rally organizers said. Prior to today's rally, UHPA urged members to stage "Teach-Ins" during their classes to make students aware of the issue. Instructors were asked to spend a few minutes in each class to have students discuss whether things at UH have improved from a year ago. The resounding answer, rally organizers said, was no. Although tuition was been raised by 50 percent this semester, they said, there are still fewer courses, larger classes and fewer student services. "The very future of the University of Hawaii is at stake," John Radcliffe, associate executive director of UHPA, wrote in an open letter to faculty members. According to Radcliffe, a strike may be the only way Gov. Cayetano will get the message. "Having dealt with the Cayetano administration for two years now, we know that the only response that he recognizes is confrontation," Radcliffe stated. "Without a credible strike threat, the union has no means of breaking the impasse." Acknowledging that only UHPA members, not its administrators, can authorize a strike, Radcliffe wrote: "It is my personal belief that faculty at UH might as well not be unionized, might as well beg for mercy, if it refuses to stand up for itself in this particular environment." According to UHPA, the contract dispute extends beyond the issue of faculty salaries. In fact, UHPA said, it proposed a contract that did not call for a salary increase, instead making allowances for future raises that would be tied to state revenues. That offer was refused. Much of the disagreement between union and state negotiators, Musto said, comes from the union's assertion that a contract cover non-salary related issues, such as language clarifying intellectual property rights and the tenure evaluation process. The union is planning a second rally next month, to be staged at Washington Place -- the governor's residence across from the State Capitol. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: FALLEN OFFICER'S EX-WIFE STEPS FORWARD, 911 TAPES RELEASED The ex-wife of a police sergeant who fell to his death on Sunday has come forward to offer testimony in the case out of concern for the Kamehameha Schools student charged with his murder. In August, 37-year-old Tamra Kipu divorced HPD Sgt. Arthur Miller, 50, ending a six-year marriage that her lawyer claims was marred by drinking problems, stalking and death-threats. Don Wilkerson, Kipu's attorney, said Kipu wants to testify on behalf of 17-year-old Gabriel Kealoha, who has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly pushing Miller off a freeway viaduct during a confrontation. Wilkerson said while Kipu was sad to hear about Miller's death, she was worried that the prosecution would fail to accurately represent the kind of man Miller was. "She's not being vindictive," Wilkerson told _The Honolulu Advertiser_. "When she fist heard about his death, her first thought was, 'Was he drinking?'" "I've been thinking about the boy and all the negative publicity and I just felt I had to say something," Kipu told reporters yesterday. "I don't like what happened and I think it was an accident." Hayden Aluli, Kealoha's attorney, has maintained that Miller -- who was off-duty and out of uniform at the time -- was drunk and "belligerent" with Kealoha. Kealoha was only acting in self-defense, Aluli said, and regrets that Miller was killed. Aluli has not said whether he will call on Kipu to testify. Wilkerson, who represented Kipu in her divorce, said Kipu told him Miller had a demonstrated grudge against teenagers. "She said that (Miller), whenever he saw someone wearing a bandanna or a hat on backwards, he would presume he was a gang member," he said. Wilkerson said Miller's hostility against teens was also exhibited at home in his attitude toward Kipu's son. He said Kipu felt the public needs to know what might have led up to Miller's fatal scuffle with Kealoha. "She was afraid that they may have misjudged this young man, based on the relationship that he had with her teenage son, " Wilkerson said. Wilkerson helped Kipu obtain a restraining order against Miller earlier this year. The order was extended through June 1999 after their divorce became final. In her petition to the court, Kipu wrote that Miller stalked her and threatened to kill her if she ever left him. Kipu also wrote that she felt HPD wasn't investigating the matter thoroughly because he was a fellow officer. Meanwhile, HPD today released recordings of five 911 calls made by people who witnessed the freeway confrontation, all of which seemed to implicate Kealoha as the aggressor. "I saw two cars stop, one right behind the other," one caller said. "I noticed that the moke -- he looked like a Hawaiian but I'm not sure if he was for sure, but he was dark skinned -- tried to grab the white guy by the throat and then throw him off the highway, down into the lower level onto Nimitz." "The guy was fighting with him," another caller said. "I drove by and saw him push the guy and he fell off the damn freeway, down two stories to the ground -- I'm sure he's dead or hurt." HPD officials also denied claims that they neglected to release the recording of a sixth call, which reportedly described a high-speed chase between Miller and Kealoha that preceded the confrontation. An anonymous caller to a local radio station said she reported the chase, and was concerned that it could have painted Miller as the aggressor. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: POLICE SUSPECT GANG ACTIVITY, STEP UP PATROLS Trick-or-treaters will be scarce tonight in two housing projects as rumors of potential gang violence are keeping doors locked and Honolulu police out in force. HPD has tripled the number of patrol officers covering both Mayor Wright Housing and Kuhio Park Terrace in the hopes of discouraging gang members from both projects from clashing. A police helicopter and SWAT team units have also been mobilized to watch over the areas tonight. Police officials said there have been reports that a Kuhio Park gang, comprised primarily of Farrington High School students, may be planning to retaliate for the recent beating deaths of two of its members. The suspects arrested and charged for those murders are members of a rival gang at Mayor Wright, several of them students at McKinley High School. According to HPD, police patrols have also been increased at the two schools as well as in the downtown area. The primary objective, HPD officials said, is to maintain a high profile. They said officers are also keeping watch for specific individuals that they believe may be planning some type of violence. Increased security will also be the order of the day tomorrow at a football game scheduled between McKinley and Farrington. Increased security at Aloha Stadium will be fortified by Honolulu police. Concerns over gang activity already prompted school officials to reschedule the game to begin two hours earlier. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES ALTHOUGH the number of visitors to the islands increased by 2 percent last month compared to 1995, the average length of an island vacation has decreased. According to figures released today by the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau, the average number of days visitors spend in the state has dropped by 1.2 percent in September, marking the thirteenth straight month of decline. Statewide, 525,000 people came to Hawai`i last month. Visitor figures for the Big Island continue to rise after the recent addition of direct flights between Kona and Japan, while O`ahu and Maui saw a slight decline. Maui officials said they suspect their lower numbers may be a direct result of the new direct Kona-Japan route... HAVING already raised over $6 million in donations from the state and several banks, the USS Missouri Association yesterday kicked off its official fundraising drive to secure the additional $1 million or so needed to make the Pearl Harbor relocation of the World War II battleship a reality. After over five years of concerted effort by local veterans groups, the Navy recommended in August that the Missouri would find its final berth in Hawai`i. The association plans to turn the ship into a sister exhibit to the USS Arizona memorial. U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye was recognized yesterday for his part in bringing the battleship to Honolulu... LESS than a month after construction began, prison tents on the grounds of the state's Waiawa Correctional Facility were dedicated yesterday. The tents will bring 50 additional beds and a home for a drug rehabilitation program at the minimum-security facility. The structures were touted by Gov. Ben Cayetano as a quick and affordable way to alleviate prison overcrowding. Cayetano said the tents, which are part of a $10 million plan to add an addition 700 beds to O`ahu prisons, were built in three weeks at a cost of less than $200,000. Cayetano recently announced his goal of adding 1,000 beds statewide, provided the funding is approved by the state legislature... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 88/73, Kaua`i 83/71, Moloka`i 86/72, Maui 89/71, Hilo 85/70 CASTS: Some showers, trades to 20MPH; North and West shore surf to 5 feet. FRIDAY'S TIDES: High 8:22 a.m.; Low 4:20 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Tuesday, October 29, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: TEEN CHARGED, FACES ADULT TRIAL IN OFFICER'S DEATH Honolulu police last night formally charged a Kamehameha Schools senior with second-degree murder in the weekend death of 50-year-old HPD Sgt. Arthur Miller. A family court judge today released Gabriel Kealoha, 17, into the custody of his mother, at least until a Nov. 29 hearing where city prosecutors hope to convince the court to try Kealoha as an adult. Police believe Kealoha pushed Miller off a freeway overpass during a Sunday afternoon confrontation. Miller pitched over a 3-foot guardrail and fell 35 feet to his death. However Hayden Aluli, Kealoha's attorney, maintains that Miller was the aggressor, telling reporters that Kealoha said the off-duty officer's breath "reeked of alcohol." Although investigators are still awaiting the results of Miller's blood- alcohol tests performed on Miller, police officials confirmed today that there was an empty can of beer near his car and several unopened cans in his vehicle's trunk. Kealoha pulled over in an attempt to avoid Miller, who was driving erratically, Aluli said. He said since Miller was in civilian clothes and had no police light on his vehicle, his client didn't even know Miller was a policeman until long after being taken into custody. Aluli said Miller was "belligerent" and claims his client acted in self defense. Miller, who joined the force in 1977, was remembered today by fellow officers as a man who tried to see the best in everyone. Miller's mother, Elaine Jackson, told the _Honolulu Star-Bulletin_ that her son was a natural peacemaker who would never pick a fight and was always quick to try and talk people down from becoming violent. While Kealoha awaits his next hearing, Aluli said remembering the incident will likely become a punishment in itself. "He's going to live the rest of his life knowing that a man lost his life that day," Aluli said. "It's such a tragic event," he said. "He's carrying a huge burden." According to Aluli, Kealoha feels a great deal of guilt for Miller's death, adding that it is their hope that the public doesn't pre-judge him at least until all the facts come out. Aluli describes Kealoha as a "Straight-A" student who would not turn to violence in any circumstance. HPD said he has no prior criminal record. Friends and family said Kealoha actually helped fight crime in his Nu`uanu neighborhood. Earlier this year, they said, Kealoha thwarted an attempted car theft in a neighbor's yard and was hailed by police as a hero. Police are still looking for more eye-witnesses. According to Lt. Allen Napoleon, statements taken to date have been inconsistent in reporting exactly what happened that afternoon. Meanwhile, Aluli said he will probably ask the court to initiate an independent investigation. He said he is concerned that police investigators may not be able to remain objective when investigating the death of one of their own. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: STATE NURSES AWARDED SIX PERCENT RAISE A three-member arbitration panel yesterday awarded Hawaii's 1,200 or so public health nurses a salary increase that will amount to a raise of about 6 percent over the next nine months. State nurses are members of Unit 9 of the Hawai`i Government Employees Association, the union which represents most civil servants in the islands. The binding ruling in favor of the union comes after six months of hearings, which were initiated after an impasse was declared in the negotiations earlier this year. Although at the time Gov. Ben Cayetano said the state could not afford salary increases for any of its employees, yesterday's announcement asserts that there is indeed enough money in the state's coffers to cover the specified raise. Cayetano has refused comment on yesterday's announcement until he's had more time to review the numbers and consider their feasibility, according to officials at the governor's office. The panel awarded state nurses a 2 percent raise retroactive to July 1, and another 2 percent raise in the summer of 1997. Altogether, Unit 9 employees should see 6 percent more take-home pay by the end of next year. In addition to the governor, the raise must also be approved by the state Legislature and -- in the case of nurses at county facilities -- the city council. Russell Okata, the union's executive director, said HGEA officials voted to forfeited the union's right to strike last year in order to take advantage of recent legislation providing for independent and binding arbitration. The decision seems to have paid off. Several white-collar units went on strike for 12 days in 1994, crippling several state offices -- including some at University of Hawai`i campuses. Union officials said the state's ability to provide salary increases is the most notable part of the panel's ruling. Earlier this year, similar arbitration ruled in favor of a 7.5 percent raise for police officers and firefighters. As in the case of Unit 9, the panels determined Hawaii's city governments could afford the salary increases despite resistance from various city councils and mayors. With arbitration rulings still pending for three other government employee units -- and initial hearings scheduled for three others -- HGEA officials said they are confident this week's victory for state nurses will set a precedent and carry over into other deliberations. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY, RESIGNS After voluntarily resigning from the Honolulu Police Department on Friday, 36-year-old vice officer Alfredo Villanueva Jr. pled guilty yesterday to accepting $15,000 to conduct background checks for Honolulu's infamous Frank Moon drug ring. Although the indictment of the man who Villanueva said bribed him was dismissed, the 15-year HPD veteran now faces a $250,000 fine and a five-year federal prison sentence for taking the money in 1993. Villanueva said in court that he accepted the money from his friend, Parson Iosua, who was allegedly acting on behalf of Moon. Villanueva said Iosua asked him to use police computers to help Moon determine which out of an undisclosed list of potential business partners were trustworthy. In exchange for the bribe, Villanueva said, he returned Moon's list with marks beside the names of those with questionable criminal histories. "It's a sad day for me; it's a sad day for the police department," U.S. Attorney Steven Alm said at a press conference. "I think it's a statement of how widespread the Frank Moon organization was." Jonathan Burge, Villanueva's attorney, said his client simply wants to pay for his mistakes and move on with his life. Burge said Villanueva was an honest officer who got caught up in organized crime. His client willingly takes responsibility for his mistakes, Burge said. In a plea agreement submitted earlier this month, Villanueva agreed to resign from the police department and acknowledged that his crime is at least worth a $15,000 fine -- the amount of the bribe. His resignation from the force is effective Nov. 6. Villanueva, who is married with three children, is free on a $150,000 bond until his sentencing in March. District Court Judge David Ezra will decide then whether to accept Villanueva's plea agreement. Moon was convicted of running a major cocaine and crystal methamphetamine ring in 1994. Iosua was initially indicted for his involvement with Moon, but all charges were dropped. Federal authorities refuse to comment on that case. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 87/73, Kaua`i 84/71, Moloka`i 86/72, Maui 90/72, Hilo 86/71 CASTS: Some showers, trades to 20MPH; North and West shore surf to 4 feet. WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High 6:49 p.m.; Low 2:12 p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Friday, October 25, 1996 Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition By Ryan Kawailani 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: CURB O`AHU CRIME OR LOSE VISITORS, CONSUL WARNS Japan's top official in Hawai`i has beseeched top island officials to do something about crime in Honolulu, warning that all it would take is one heavily reported crime against a tourist to send Oahu's visitor industry into a tailspin. In a letter to Mayor Jeremy Harris, Japanese Consul General Kishichiro Amae called for a more aggressive stance in the battle against what he described as an increasingly visible rise in crimes against visitors. "I would like to ask you, Mr. Mayor, to prioritize the patter," Amae states in the letter, copies of which also went to Gov. Ben Cayetano, City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and Honolulu Police Chief Michael Nakamura. As an example, Amae cited the drop of Japanese tourism and investment in the Philippines when crimes against Japanese visitors were brought to light. Although crimes against visitors are not a new problem, Amae's said his letter was prompted by a Sept. 23 gunpoint robbery of three Japanese businessmen at a golf course in Makaha. Describing the visitor industry as "stagnant," Amae stressed that the crime problem is a serious threat to Hawaii's economy. "I'm not pessimistic about the future," he said, but added that something must be done -- and sooner rather than latter. "We agree wholeheartedly with Counsel General Amae," City Managing Director Bob Fishman said today. He said the city has already taken action on the Makaha incident. "We've been working with the neighborhood around that golf course, and we've identified some of the security weaknesses," he said. The police department has increased the number of patrols in the Makaha area as well as in Waikiki, Fishman said. He said new bicycle patrols in Waikiki have also been very effective. Fishman also said, however, that the city has several barriers to overcome in fighting crime. "We need to make it very difficult for criminals," he said. "The problem we have is petty crime -- the problem we have is we can't take petty criminals off the street for very long because there's no place to incarcerate them." Although Amae said he understood the state's ongoing troubles with prison overcrowding, he urged that the city look into the "implementation of innovative solutions" to the crime problem. Some city officials have proposed one possible "innovative solution" -- a Honolulu volunteer citizen's patrol. "We know the situation is serious," said City Councilman Andy Mirikitani, who is backing a bill before the City Council that would initiate a citizen patrol program. "This will help to restore Oahu's image as a safe tourist destination, particularly at a time when O`ahu is so dependent and reliant upon Japanese and other visitors," Mirikitani said. The proposed Honolulu citizen's patrol is modeled after one in place on Maui, he said, where volunteers patrol popular tourist spots in cars donated by rental car companies. The patrol met some opposition at recent public hearings, however, as HPD officers expressed concern that training a citizen patrol force would tax police resources and take needed officers off the streets. The council is expected to vote on the proposal on Nov. 13. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: MAUI JUDGE PIONEERS ROADSIDE PENANCE While the law forbids cruel and unusual punishments, one Hawai`i judge has taken a simply unusual approach to teaching criminals a lesson. Like anyone else in an election year, residents on the island of Maui drive past a variety of sign-holders when commuting to and from work. But some signs aren't there to get votes of support. "Beware -- I rip off cars," reads one. "I will not steal again," reads another. A third: "Mother of seven -- done in by drugs." The signs, made especially for those who hold them, are the work of Maui Circuit Court Judge Boyd Mossman. He said he believes putting criminals "on the street" may be more effective than putting them behind bars. "My hope is that it will be more effective than a person having sat in jail for 90 days," Mossman said. Mossman stresses that roadside penance isn't so much a sentence rather than a voluntary act he makes available to people convicted of crimes who want to avoid jail time. Public atonement is an option only to those convicted of non-violent crimes -- such as burglary, drug possession and auto theft -- or those that would otherwise face a jail sentence of a year or less, he said. Public atonement allows people time to spend with their families, he said, adding that he can still follow up with a jail stay if he feels the defendants aren't sincere in their apologies. "They got themselves in a predicament, I gave them an option to get out," Mossman said. "Now they're getting out of it -- and hopefully they'll never get back in it." To date, Mossman said he has heard few complaints over his brand of alternative sentencing. He said: "I couldn't really think of a better way for someone to be accountable to the public than to go and stand out there and say, 'Here I am, I did it, I'm sorry.'" "I don't look at it as humiliation," Mossman said. "I think embarrassment is a closer term." In addition to being a way to rehabilitate criminals, Mossman said his sentences also carry a message for everyone else. "When these people are out holding signs, I'm hoping the public will recognize that it's not only young, long-haired unemployed people that commit crimes," he said. Mossman said the public needs more exposure to justice. In Honolulu, City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro lauded Mossman for his ingenuity. "I think whenever you have anything creative, that's good," Kaneshiro told KHON-TV2. "You should be creative." "I agree with it," Kaneshiro said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO KEEP TRANSIT AUTHORITY Honolulu residents will decide on election day who will be in charge of running the O`ahu bus system -- an independent agency or the mayor. The two candidates hoping to win the mayor's seat that same day have taken opposite sides on the issue, which will be settled by voters along with seven other proposed amendments to the Honolulu City Charter. Since reports of government corruption culminated six years ago with the theft convictions of seven city bus drivers, the Honolulu Public Transit Authority has run Honolulu's award winning bus system and its beleaguered sister program, the Handi-Van. Problems experienced by the latter have prompted the City Council to propose dissolving the HPTA, a move which they say will save as much as $300,000 currently going to an administration some say isn't needed. "The HPTA largely was a response to the corruption," said Councilman John Holmes, who serves as the chair of the transportation committee. "I think it was an overreaction, he said. "We've now had a chance to see it work, and it's not working properly -- so why put up with it?" It was a charter amendment vote that originally formed the HPTA. Incumbent Mayor Jeremy Harris said he supports the elimination of the transit authority, calling the switch to the independent agency a move in the wrong direction. "We shouldn't back up," Harris told KITV-4. "We shouldn't move backwards in this whole transportation process." With the proposed elimination of the HPTA, Harris said: "We have made a step toward progress." Harris has said he frequently hears complaints about the Handi-Van and bus system, and that he has to tell residents he can't do anything and that they have to call the authority. "The people that run the bus should report directly to the city," he said. "It'll put the accountability for the bus system directly where it belongs -- on the mayor and on the City Council." Mayoral candidate Arnold Morgado, however, contends the initial reasoning behind the HPTA is still valid. "I think the Honolulu Public Transit Authority did accomplish taking the politics out of managing the bus system," Morgado said. "You don't have politicians running the system -- you have experts running the system." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: OHA TO FUND HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced today that it will fund half the five-year cost of running the highest Hawaiian language educational track in the state. Earlier this year, the University of Hawai`i-Hilo won approval from the Board of Regents to establish a master's degree program in the Hawaiian language, the campus' first graduate program. OHA has committed $300,000 to the graduate program, and the rest of the funding will come from UH. Without the help of OHA, university officials said the Hawaiian language program would not have gotten off the ground. "This is a program that would have probably lain on the table for some time if the university had to find all of the money right now," said UH President Kenneth Mortimer. The announcement is being heralded as a first-of-its-kind partnership between UH and the state's foremost Hawaiian agency. "The investment that we're making today is a bargain, and it's an investment that's long overdue," said OHA Chairman Clayton Hee. "I wish we could do more." UHH officials said the graduate Hawaiian curriculum will be taught entirely in the Hawaiian language, and cover everything from literature to music to mythology. With OHA's support, Mortimer said students will be able to take their first classes towards the new master's degree next Fall. To date, there are a dozen students prepared to enter the program. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: BITS AND PIECES HOTEL occupancy across the state has fallen for the fifth month in a row, according to a private consulting firm. According to PKF Hawai`i, Island hotels on average reported 75 percent occupancy last month, two percent lower than last year. Meanwhile, the average nightly price for a room rose six percent to $120. When broken down by island, only Hawai`i County numbers went up. Hotels on the Big Island saw an unprecedented 40 percent increase in occupancy over 1995, which industry officials say is largely due to direct airline flights from Japan to Kona that began earlier this year... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 85/72, Kaua`i 83/72, Moloka`i 84/73, Maui 85/73, Hilo 83/72 CASTS: Sunny, evening showers; trades to 15MPH; North shore surf to 4 feet. SATURDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- p.m.

<> ----------[ K A ` U P E N A K U K U I ]---------- <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Net of Light Wednesday, October 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: POLICE CITE PROSTITUTION, BRIBERY IN MASSAGE PARLOR RAIDS Six Honolulu massage parlors were raided simultaneously this morning, culminating a seven-month investigation into alleged prostitution, bribery and practicing unlicensed massage. In all, at least two dozen women ranging in age from 26 to 52 were arrested in the 10 a.m. raids, all conducted in the Ke`eaumoku-Kapi`olani district mauka of Ala Moana Shopping Center. Honolulu police also seized a number of files and other items from the businesses, including customers' names, telephone numbers and receipts. Investigators say the items will be used to bolster ongoing money-laundering and racketeering probes. Eleven women were arrested for prostitution, and eight were arrested for bribery. Twelve women, most of them owners or partners of the various businesses, were also arrested for providing unlicensed massage. Only one of the businesses raided today had a valid license to provide masseuse services. Police officials say the bribery arrests come after the women offered undercover officers $50,000 in bribes over a seven month period in the hopes of convincing police to cut back on enforcement activities or giving them advance warning of future investigations. Most of the businesses advertised "Oriental relaxation therapy" or "body shampoos," but HPD investigators said today the services offered were far less mysterious. "In the process of getting a massage -- in the process of being shampooed -- sex is in fact offered for a fee; therefore we have prostitution," said Maj. Mike Carvalho of the HPD narcotics vice division. "We have investigated at least 20 locations," he added. "This has gone on at each location." Because such illegitimate massage parlors have only recently set up shop, officials said, their aggressive -- and sometimes provocative -- advertising caught the eye of many O`ahu residents. "We received complaints from the general public, and information and complaints from customers, that a number of massage parlors had sprung up around the Ke`eaumoku area," Carvalho said. "As we investigated these complaints we found a number of these -- not all -- were fronts for prostitution," he said. The investigation was conducted jointly by state and city law enforcement agencies. The State Regulated Industries Complaints Office got involved after HPD notified them that most of the massage parlors did not have necessary state approval to practice massage. The businesses raided were Magic Hands and Rainbow Relaxation Therapy on Makaloa Street; Aloha Stress Free on Ke`eaumoku Street; Oriental Stress Free on Kalakaua Avenue; TLC on Kapi`olani Boulevard; and Greenfield Metro Massage on South King Street. State officials say both Magic Hands and Rainbow Relaxation Therapy have two prior citations for operating without state licenses, and today's raid will earn each a $5,000 fine. Each of the remaining businesses will be hit with a first-offense fine of $500. The fines, however, are independent of the bribery and prostitution felony charges, which could carry prison terms. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: STUDY FINDS HAWAI`I TOPS ON TWO COUNTS While Americans still consider Hawai`i the most appealing destination for their "beach vacations," the islands are also number one when it comes to choosing a "touring vacation," according to survey unveiled today. Many people think it's too expensive to visit, the survey also found. Longwoods International, a Canadian firm, polled a random sample of nearly 2,000 Americans to divine the things they most associate with Hawai`i. The study, commissioned by the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau, was part of a larger, 200,000-person survey. The HVCB had previously drawn from Longwoods International research to engineer their most recent promotional campaign, which highlights the cultural diversity of the state as well as its scenery. The most recent findings of the agency, the result of a three-year effort, is expected to give the bureau even more direction in its efforts to bring in tourism dollars. Although HVCB officials expected Hawai`i to top the list of vacation spots for beach-lovers, the state's ranking among those looking to tour a region is seen as a new hotpoint to focus on. "Some people don't just plunk themselves down on a beach," Longwoods International representative Bill Siegel told KITV-4. "They're there to sightsee through a region -- in (Hawaii's) case it would be island hopping." HVCB spokesman Richard Kelley said the finding was an eye-opener. He said: "I think it's a little like an 'Aha!'" "I think people had this in mind, but we've never really focused on it," Kelley said. "Too often we've been focusing on the beach." One impression that the HVCB may have to work on changing is Hawaii's reputation of being rough on the pocketbook. "Sure you can spend $50 a person for dinner, and you can do all sorts of things that are very expensive," Kelley said. "But there are thriftier ways of getting around the islands and I think we need to bring that message to the forefront." Longwoods International's research found that people who'd actually been to the islands generally had a better impression of the cost of a Hawai`i vacation. "We feel that the people who have actually visited Hawai`i will give you a very positive comment on price," Siegel said. "It's the people who haven't been here for a while who don't know." -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: DISABLED ADVOCACY GROUP PLANS WEEKLY LAWSUITS Six years after the federal Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, there are still many businesses nationwide that have yet to meet its requirements. In Hawai`i, one group said today it will wait no longer. Claiming that several Honolulu health-care providers have failed to make their offices accessible to the disabled, the Protection and Advocacy Agency of Hawai`i has filed fifteen lawsuits against their respective property owners. Among the businesses named in the suit are the Aiea Shopping Center, the Aiea Shopping Plaza and the Aiea Medical Building. In its lawsuits, the group states that the businesses do not provide enough handicapped parking spaces and do not have required wheelchair ramps. "If you have a disability and you attempt to enter a building or a business that is not accessible, there might as well be a 10-foot brick wall," said agency spokesman David Rammler. The health-care providers will not be the last to hear from the agency, he said. Each week, the group will file fifteen lawsuits against a different set of businesses, Rammler said. Among the businesses the agency plans to site are retailers, restaurants and convenience stores, he said. The lawsuits ask that the businesses bring their facilities into compliance with the ADA within 90 days. -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- DESPITE facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly burning his 3-year- old son in a tub of boiling water two weeks ago, 24-year-old Ronald Betts, Schofield Barracks soldier, will be spared a prison stay while he awaits his January trial. Family Court Judge Dan Kochi yesterday granted Betts a supervised release after his defense argued he needed to work to earn a salary to avoid being a financial burden on his family. City prosecutors, however, said Betts was a flight risk and posed a danger to the community. His son Tavelle is now in Texas recovering from his injuries, including serious burns to 30 percent of his body. If convicted Betts faces life in prison. Because of the age of his victim, prosecutors say, Betts minimum sentence for an attempted murder conviction would be 15 years... CELEBRATION was unfortunately fleeting for friends and family of 2-year-old leukemia patient Alana Dung. Many members of her family remain with her in Seattle, now more than two months after she received a vital bone-marrow transplant. On Monday, doctors said she had recovered enough to finally return to her Pearl City home, far sooner than the pre-Thanksgiving date her family was hoping for. Last night, however, the girl developed a fever. Although doctors said her temperature returned to normal today, her family has decided that they will not return to the islands until they can be sure no infections have developed... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC TEMPS: O`ahu 83/70, Kaua`i 82/70, Moloka`i 83/72, Maui 83/71, Hilo 82/70 CASTS: Mostly sunny; trades to 25MPH; North shore surf to 5 feet. THURSDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- p.m.

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