O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
LEEWARD
Beautification group to meet
Ho'onani Mau, a newly formed nonprofit organization working to beautify the Wai'anae Coast, will elect officers at its first general membership meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wai'anae Neighborhood Community Center.
The group has named its board of directors and will select the first projects to begin working on next week.
For more information, call Jo Jordan at 696-6009.
HONOLULU
Sale to benefit poverty charity
Helping Hands Hawai'i and the Community Clearinghouse will hold a White Elephant Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 at Pu'uhale Elementary School in Honolulu.
The O'ahu Growers Association will hold a plant sale at the event, and live music will be featured by groups Colon, Mana Ohana and Blue Canoe.
Proceeds will benefit the Community Clearinghouse.
Pu'uhale Elementary is at 345 Pu'uhale Road.
For more information, contact Leslye Sneider at 536-7234.
Lawyer faces tax complaint
A complaint has been filed against Honolulu attorney David G. Bettencourt for failing to file his general excise tax returns for the years 1995-99, according to state tax director Marie Okamura.
Failing to file a tax return is a misdemeanor, and if convicted, an offender could be imprisoned for one year and/or pay a $25,000 fine for each year.
Okamura encourages taxpayers to voluntarily file their tax returns.
The department will generally not initiate a criminal investigation when taxpayers voluntarily come forward to report their failure to file or other omissions, she said.
Crime victims panel filled
Gov. Ben Cayetano recently appointed Les Ihara as chairman of the Crime Victim Compensation Commission concurrent with reappointment to a second four-year term as a commissioner.
Ihara is a retired U.S. Army colonel, president of the Aloha Chapter of The Retired Officers Association and coordinator of volunteers at the Spark M. Matsunaga V.A. Medical Center.
The Crime Victim Compensation Commission was established to aid victims of crime by providing compensation for victims of certain crimes or dependents of deceased victims, and to identify private citizens who suffer personal injury or property damage in the prevention of crime or apprehension of a criminal.
Children need phone-call tips
Honolulu police are urging parents to educate their children about what to do when an adult stranger makes a lewd or inappropriate telephone call.
On Wednesday, a man pretending to be a doctor engaged a pre-teen girl in a sexual phone conversation. Her parents reported the incident to the police.
Honolulu police detective Sheryl Sunia said children are often embarrassed and confused by such phone conversations, and are uncertain as to whether they should tell parents or adults.
Sunia said the old adage of "don't talk to strangers" still needs to be instilled in kids.
WINDWARD
Work to close H-3 tunnels
The state will shut down the H-3 Freeway tunnels for cleaning this and next weekend.
The H-3 Halawa-bound tunnel will be closed from 7 p.m. tomorrow until 7 a.m. Sunday, state transportation officials said.
The H-3 Kane'ohe-bound tunnel will be closed from 7 p.m. July 28 until 7 a.m. July 29.
Health center featured on TV
Waimanalo Health Center, its community garden and children from the area will be featured on "The Adventures of Cookin' with Cutty," at 7 a.m. tomorrow on K-5.
With an emphasis on diabetes, its effects and symptoms, the show features segments on gardening, Hawaiian medicinal plants with Kahuna Ho'ola Kawaikapuokalani K. Hewett and lomi lomi with native healer Keonaona Neilson.
The show was filmed in June. It will be broadcast again at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 18 on NBC Channel 13 or Cable Channel 8.
NORTH SHORE
Kahuku library closed today
The Kahuku Public and School Library will be closed today for the rerouting of a water line.
The book drop will remain open.
The library is scheduled to reopen at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow.
