O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
CENTRAL
Tripler adding Fisher House
Construction has begun on a second Fisher House on the grounds of the Tripler Army Medical Center.
The building will be used to house family members of those hospitalized at Tripler or those needing outpatient treatment. Most families come from the Pacific region, including Korea, Japan, Okinawa and Guam, the Army said.
The Tripler Fisher House housed 45 families and patients in 2001. The average length of stay is 47 days.
The current Fisher House has seven family rooms. Last year, 75 families had to seek housing elsewhere, the Army reported. The new Fisher House will bring the number of rooms to 15.
NORTH SHORE
Report issued on Kaunala
A final environmental impact statement for the Kaunala Beach Estate project near Sunset Beach has found that the project, for 29 residential lots in a gated community, will have no significant adverse impacts.
North Shore residents have objected to the project at Kaunala, near the popular Velzyland surfing break, saying the city intended to build a park there but did not move to purchase it when it was offered for sale. The project will displace some of those residents.
The environmental statement identified several unresolved issues, including the displacement of residents, development of the shoreline park and visual impacts of the project.
Consultant Wilson Okamoto & Associates Inc. prepared the statement for Kaunala Beach Estate.
The plan is before the city Department of Planning and Permitting.
If the department director recommends approval, the City Council's zoning committee must approve a special management permit before sending the plan to the full council for consideration.
LEEWARD
Group to meet for elections
The 'Ohana Lualualei Ahupua'a will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Ke Ola Mamo (Ma'ili Center) to elect new officers.
The group, which meets on the third Tuesday of each month, will also discuss plans and goals for 2002.
For details, call Louella "Cuddles" King at 668-1110.
Meeting will feature Lingle
Linda Lingle, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Hawai'i, will discuss public education at the Kapolei Rotary Club meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Kapolei High School faculty/staff lounge.
In 1998, Lingle came closer to being elected governor than any Republican candidate since 1962.
She has announced plans to seek the office again next year.
The fee for the meeting, which includes a buffet breakfast, is $7. For details, call Van McCrea at 672-3924 or e-mail at vanmccrea@aol.com.
Nanakuli gas leak causes evacuation
A broken gas line in the Nanakuli area yesterday resulted in the evacuation of five homes and 12 residents.
The Honolulu Fire Department was alerted to a gas leak at 11:48 a.m. at 87-257 Au Young Homestead Road. A contractor who was digging at the rear of a property broke a one-inch underground household gas line that contained liquid propane.
The gas company clamped the line and will return today to permanently fix the pipe.
Residents returned to their homes at about 1 p.m. yesterday.
WINDWARD
Castle High gets donations
KANE'OHE — Two recent donations to Castle High School, including a matching grant with the potential to raise $50,000, will boost education opportunities at the Windward school.
The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation will grant up to $25,000 to the "Principal's Fund" to match individual cash contributions.
This fund is specifically to benefit the students at Castle High School for items not paid for by the state, according to Katherine Braden, vice president and treasurer of the Castle Foundation.
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc. has also contributed $10,000 for educational materials for poor and needy children.
The donation is part of the foundation's Christmas in July program, in which employees can decide where to donate $10,000, said Hank Iida, president of the Castle Alumni Community Association. Sid Tsutsui, a 1981 Castle graduate, chose his high school.
The financing is part of an alumni effort to raise $25,000 for the school, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Learn how to be a stagehand
Windward Community College is offering an opportunity to learn stage production in a new, state-of-the art, 300-seat theater in its Drama 260 course beginning Aug. 27.
Students enrolling in the class will be the stagehands and technicians needed to run the facility, said acting instructor Ben Moffat.
Sandy Riford, an award-winning lighting and set designer, will teach the course.
For details, call Moffat at 237-8156. To enroll, apply through the campus admissions office or call 235-7432.
Motorcyclist dies eight days after crash
A 21-year-old Honolulu man died yesterday after wrecking his motorcycle near Kailua last weekend.
Police said the man was driving south on Auloa Road, a half mile from the intersection of Pali Highway and Kamehameha Highway, at about 3:30 p.m. Aug. 11, when he lost control of his 2000 Yamaha.
HONOLULU
Landlords threaten to destroy building
Police intervened Friday in a landlord-tenant dispute over an alleged building code violation when the landlords threatened to enter onto Kaka'ako property and tear down what they said was an illegal building addition.
Landowners Mary and Harry Piltz said they would be fined $50 a day because their tenant Beverly Harbin failed to get city approval on an office-storage addition on their property at 435 Kamake'e St.
Harbin could not be reached for comment.
A wrecking crew hired by the Piltzes waited on the side Friday as Mary Piltz explained her situation to police, who were called to the property by the Piltzes. The officers discouraged her from tearing down the structure and told her to call Randall Fujiki, head of the city's Department of Planning and Permitting, for assistance.
According to Mary Piltz, Fujiki said the city will not fine them on Sept. 1 as planned, but would extend the deadline.
Correction: A previous version of this story did not make it clear that the landowners called police to escort them onto their property.
