O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
CENTRAL
Crash victim tentatively ID'd
The woman killed in a head-on crash Tuesday on the H-2 freeway has been tentatively identified as a 62-year-old Pearl City resident.
The woman has no local relatives, according to the medical examiner's office, and positive identification will have to be confirmed by fingerprints, which have been sent to South Korea.
The woman died at about 3 p.m. Tuesday after her car crossed the center grass medial of the H-2 freeway and collided with a van traveling in the opposite direction.
According to police, the woman was driving a white 1991 Toyota Camry toward Wahiawa just past the Mililani exit when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a white Dodge van driven by a 39-year-old Mililani man.
Air bags in the van inflated on impact, but the driver suffered two broken legs. The man was taken to an area hospital.
A third vehicle in the accident, a 1993 Honda sedan traveling behind the van and driven by a 20-year-old Mililani man, could not stop in time to avoid the accident. The man was not injured.
A 1993 Isuzu Rodeo headed north on H-2 was hit by a tire dislodged from the van, but no one was injured in that vehicle.
Everyone in all vehicles were wearing seat belts, police said. O'ahu's heavy rains Tuesday may have contributed to the accident, police said.
LEEWARD
Wai'anae board head re-elected
Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board chairwoman Cynthia Rezentes was re-elected to lead the group at the board's monthly meeting Tuesday in Wai'anae.
Albert Silva was elected vice chairman, and Patty Teruya was voted secretary/treasurer.
"I try to provide a forum that everybody believes they can be heard in," Rezentes said. "And that their position is as important as everybody else's."
Sunday Paris and Neddie Waiamanu-Nunuha were voted sergeants-at-arms.
All board positions are for one year. The board will reappoint committee chair positions at its July meeting.
WINDWARD
Help sought for family event
Organizers of "A Day on the Bay" are seeking volunteers to help with the family-oriented event, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21 at Kokokahi YWCA in Kane'ohe.
About 150 volunteers are needed for set-up, parking, traffic control, booths, stage help, hospitality and more, said Sharon Hoppner, volunteer coordinator.
Last year, more than 1,500 people enjoyed free family activities, live entertainment, Xtreme Fun, pony rides and sailing, Hoppner said. More people are expected this year and there will be more activities that will require assistance, she said.
Volunteers will receive a free lunch and T-shirt, she said.
To sign up, call Hoppner at 235-7747.
HONOLULU
Hotel workers want job help
Soon-to-be fired employees at Hawaiian Waikiki Beach Hotel testified before the City Council Tuesday to seek its support.
The 274 hotel workers are scheduled for termination June 30, when the New York-based financial services holding company Leucadia National Corp. takes over after hotel owner Otaka Inc. defaulted on an $85 million loan.
The City Council's Policy Committee supported a resolution Tuesday that would ask that Leucadia, subsidiary Hawai'i Venture LLC, and new hotel manager Aston Hotels and Resorts help pay for the terminated employees' vacation time and severance pay, estimated at $1.3 million.
The resolution also asks that the new owner and management team rehire the hotel employees.
If passed by the City Council, copies of the resolution will be sent to the new owners and managers of the hotel.
State highways chief named
The state Department of Transportation has named Glenn M. Yasui to the post of highways administrator, overseeing the Highways Division.
Yasui has worked for the Federal Highway Administration for 37 years and has served as senior transportation engineer/territorial representative for the past five years.
During that time, he was responsible for improving the efficiency and effectiveness in programming, location, design and construction processes of the federal-aid highway program in Hawai'i and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
