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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, December 20, 2002

O'ahu briefs

Advertiser Staff and News Services

HONOLULU

Manoa center opens tomorrow

The new $5.78 million multipurpose center at Manoa District Park will have a "soft" opening at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, city officials said.

The center is a joint project between the city and state, but only the city portions of the building are ready to open.

A larger grand opening of the entire 29,712-square-foot facility is set for March.

The state's portion of the building will be used by students at neighboring Manoa Elementary School, but problems with the fire-alarm system and drainage must be addressed before that section can be used.


Man found in water identified

The medical examiner's office identified the man whose body was recovered 700 yards offshore of Kahala Beach Park Wednesday as 74-year-old Kataichi Ninomiya.

He was a shoreline fisherman who frequented the area.


Matsunaga wins engineers' nod

The Operating Engineers Local No. 3 is endorsing Matt Matsunaga for U.S. Congress in the 2nd Congressional District covering rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands.

Matsunaga and 43 other candidates are running in a special election Jan. 4 to fill the late Patsy Mink's seat in the 108th Congress.

The union has about 3,000 members.


Patrick Sterling Top Cop again

Officer Patrick Sterling has earned the Police Department's Top Cop award for the second year in a row, beating out 62 other officers vying for the title.

Sterling, a 10-year veteran of the department, is assigned to the Specialized Services Division. His team, SSD Open, was the team winner.

Sterling had the highest overall score in physical fitness, control and arrest tactics, and firearms.

Officers Nathan Baysa and Ron Taira tied for second place. Third place was also a tie, shared by Lts. Frank Pugliese and Albert Somera.

Members of the overall team winner are Sterling, Baysa, Taira, Brad Beck, Eric Lalau and Brian Valdez.


Disability hero to speak today

Dr. Young-Woo Kang, one of the most dramatic success stories in the history of Americans with disabilities, will speak about "Changing Your Weakness into an Asset" at 10:30 a.m. today at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Art auditorium.

The program is free.

Kang, who was blinded at 12 by a soccer ball and was orphaned soon afterward by the death of his mother, was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be one of 15 members of the National Council on Disability.

Kang also will conduct an educational seminar, "From Bad Luck to a Presidential Appointee," from 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow at the Korean Presbyterian Church, 2122 Merchant St.

Kang is gearing his remarks toward the more than 230,000 Hawai'i residents who live with some form of disability.