O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
CENTRAL
Zoo program set in Waipahu
The Waipahu Public Library will hold a special zoo program for children at 1:30 p.m. June 27 at the library, 94-275 Mokuola St.
Children will be able to see and touch items such as a zebra pelt, a bear skull and an elephant's foot during the free program, "A Walk on the Wild Side."
The program is presented by the Assistance League of Hawai'i and volunteers from the Honolulu Zoo.
For more information, call 675-0358.
Cancer events called success
Hundreds of volunteers, campers, cancer survivors and their families turned out for Central/Leeward Unit's Relay for Life Events, held last month at Kapolei Regional Park and Wai'anae High School.
The events, planned and coordinated by volunteers in both communities, were a big success, organizers said.
At Kapolei, about $33,000 was raised, and at Wai'anae, in only its second year, almost $20,000 was raised.
Five females arrested in Wahiawa assault
Two 18-year-olds, two 16-year-old and one 17-year-old, all female, were arrested Friday evening for breaking into and damaging a Wahiawa girl's home and assaulting her.
The suspects allegedly called and threatened the 16-year-old victim Friday afternoon, then drove to her house and smashed a window before two of them entered through the back door.
The females assaulted the victim and fled when police arrived. All of the suspects were found a couple of blocks away and arrested.
Police arrest teen in stadium robbery
Police arrested a 16-year-old Salt Lake boy Friday in connection with the April 7 knife robbery of several boys at the Aloha Stadium parking lot.
The suspect faces six counts of first-degree robbery.
LEEWARD
Alcohol in parks to be discussed
An open discussion on the consumption of alcohol in public parks will be held during tomorrow's meeting of the Wai'anae Coast Neighborhood Board's Parks and Recreation Committee. The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Wai'anae Neighborhood Community Center.
Representatives from the police department, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the city Liquor Commission are expected to attend.
The committee also will discuss the need for a comfort station for campers at Makua-Ka'ena Beach Park.
Meat packer to give speech
Joe Azzaro Sr., president of Palama Meat Co., will discuss the company's new Kapolei meat-processing, packing and distribution facility at the Kapolei Rotary Club meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the Kapolei High School faculty/staff lounge.
Palama Meat, Hawai'i's largest meat-packing business, opened its $8 million food-processing plant last month on 4.2 acres of Campbell Estate land in Kapolei Business Park. With new products, the company expects to expand its business base by $25 million by 2006.
The 90,000-square-foot facility, on Lauwiliwili Street across from the Kapolei fire station, is three times the size of Palama Meat's old packing plant on Waiwai Loop near Honolulu International Airport.
The fee for attending the Rotary event, which will include a buffet breakfast, is $7. For more information, call Keola Lloyd at 674-3167.
HONOLULU
Drive seeks school supplies
Fire stations statewide will begin collecting school supplies tomorrow for the Ready to Learn project.
Ready to Learn hopes to supply more than 25,000 needy children with 5 million sheets of folder paper, 246,000 crayons, 60,250 pencils, 75,000 portfolios, 59,000 ounces of glue, 55,000 composition tablets and 55,000 pens. The project also will accept money.
The material can be dropped off at fire stations till July 1.
Supplies also can be donated at Oceanic's Family Fun Day on June 30 at the Bishop Museum and at CenterStage Ala Moana on July 7.
Ready to Learn is a partnership between Sen. Dan Inouye, his wife, Maggie, and Helping Hands Hawai'i, a nonprofit organization.
For more information, call 841-4593, or visit the program's Web site at www.readytolearnhawaii .org.
More spending on keiki urged
The state needs to invest more in educational and mental health programs for children under 5, according to a study by a children's advocacy group.
The Good Beginnings Alliance reported that only about 9 percent of the total spending on children in 1999 went to children in preschool and younger. Spending for children in kindergarten through high school was $20 for every $1 spent in the years before kindergarten, the study showed.
Early education has a critical impact on children, the report said, and investments need to start as soon as children are born. Money spent early could prevent high remedial expenditures later in life, the report said.
The study was conducted by Good Beginnings Alliance and Hawai'i Kids Watch.
The alliance is a nonprofit group that promotes and coordinates policies and programs that place a priority on a child's first five years.
Pedestrian's injuries prove fatal
A 50-year-old male pedestrian who was struck by a van on Ke'eaumoku Street Tuesday died early yesterday morning.
The pedestrian was crossing Ke'eaumoku Street near Liona Street in the 'ewa direction at 10 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a 1991 white Mazda van traveling south, police said.
The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center, where he died at 3:50 a.m. yesterday.
Police said speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash. The 38-year-old male driver was not arrested.
State to try to sell Marks land again
The state will make another attempt to auction the Marks Estate in Nu'uanu.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources granted the Department of Transportation authorization to sell the property.
The state has been trying to sell the property at 3860 Old Pali Road since 1996. There were no bids at a public auction in March 2000. The upset price was $3.25 million.
The property was the home of Alfred Lester Marks and his wife, Elizabeth McCandless Marks.
The state bought the property for $625,750 in 1956 because the Pali Highway project cut through the original 17.75-acre Marks Estate.
WINDWARD
Police seek man in Kane'ohe robbery
Police are seeking a man who robbed a Kane'ohe convenience store early yesterday morning.
A man entered the 7-Eleven store at 45-620 Kamehameha Highway just before 2 a.m. He was carrying a handgun and had a white-T-shirt covering his face.
The suspect took an unknown amount of money from the cashier and fled.
