Neighbor Island briefs
Advertiser Staff
High winds cause Maui power failure
KAILUA, Maui — With darkness falling across the rugged East Maui coastline, Maui Electric Co. crews were still hacking their way through a hau forest last night to reach broken equipment that caused an hours-long power failure.
High winds that buffeted the island throughout the day caused an insulator atop a 55-foot pole in remote Kailua near Ha'iku to fail at 11:18 a.m. As a result, a conductor fell to the ground, said MECO Operations Superintendent Herb Glassen.
The initial power failure affected customers along the 50-mile stretch of Hana Highway from Ku'au to Hana. Power was restored within an hour to the Ku'au and Ha'iku areas, but was not expected to be turned back on for the 300 customers living from Peahi to Hana until 8:30 p.m. or so, Glassen said.
A helicopter was used to spot the trouble site and a crew of 13 MECO workers were using chain saws to chew their way through the forest, he said. It took two hours to make a 100 foot swath, and there still were 50 feet to go at 6:30 p.m., according to Glassen.
"All spirits are high and they're going like gangbusters," he said.
Once the crew reaches the site, a helicopter will be used to hoist the conductor for re-installation by linemen perched atop the pole, Glassen said.
Information sought in disappearance
Big Island detectives have renewed a request for information relating to the disappearance of a 36-year-old woman in 1998.
Michelle Gloria Adam was reported missing from her home in Miloli'i Beach Lots, South Kona, by her husband, Richard Louis Adam, on June 17, 1998.
He told police he last saw his wife leave home June 13 in her 1997 Toyota Celica. Two days later, Adam said, he found the car parked at the couple's second home in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision of Ka'u.
In January 1999, detectives reclassified the missing-persons case as a murder. They conducted a search for remains but failed to turn up any evidence.
Richard Louis Adam now lives in Lancaster, N.H.
Michelle Adam was described as 5 feet 1, 85 pounds, with a slim build and long straight brown hair and brown eyes. Call Kona police at 326-4646, the police emergency number at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 in Kona or 961-8300 in Hilo.
Hawaiian Home agency faces suit
HILO, Hawai'i — Five Hilo residents and two businesses have filed suit against the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for damage they suffered during the Nov. 1-2 flooding.
The residents, along with Restaurant Osaka Inc. and Ace Contracting, assert the state was forewarned of the unsafe conditions and failed to maintain the drainage canal in Pana'ewa that separates the plaintiffs' properties from DHHL lease lots.
The storm caused at least $70 million in damage islandwide.
The suit was brought by Honolulu attorney Jared Kawashima. He said the state should have known the canal and the dike could not sustain heavy rains.
The suit also said the canal remains in disrepair and could cause further damage.
DHHL head Ray Soon declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Ranchlots project ready for sale
WAIMEA, Hawai'i — Pu'ukapu Ranchlots east of Waimea has been completed. The 10-acre development includes 16 home sites for Parker Ranch employees and eight other residential lots and two commercials lots that will be sold at market value.
The sixteen employee lots, ranging from 12,000 to 19,000 square feet, were provided at cost as part of late Parker Ranch owner Richard Smart's continuing land benefit program.
It is the first employee housing project on the ranch in 15 years, according to Riley Smith, vice president of project management for the 225,000-acre ranch that was established in 1847.
Proceeds from the market-priced lots will be used to finance roadway, utility and lot improvement costs.
Parker Ranch is a nonprofit operation managed by trustees who provide money to four beneficiaries: Parker School, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, North Hawai'i Community Hospital and the Hawai'i Community Foundation.
Hilo traffic scheme altered for strike
HILO, Hawai'i — Hilo's one-way traffic patterns are being cancelled because of the public school teachers strike, police said. Sgt. Randy Apele said the one-way pattern that is in effect from 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays has been halted, leaving the two-way pattern in effect until school resumes.
