The city will dedicate a new skatepark at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Mililani District Park.

The 10,000-square-foot facility with ramps and benches is the first one to be built in Central O'ahu.

Contractor PER Inc. worked on the $453,000 project for 5 1/2 months. Future work will add lighting at a cost of $98,000.

Architects for the project were Pacific Inc. and skateboard consultant Chad Hyakumoto. Hyakumoto and others will demonstrate skateboard techniques at tomorrow's event.

Another skatepark to be built in Central O'ahu in the near future will be at Manana Community Park. Area skateparks in the planning stage include Village Park, Waipahu and 'Aiea-Pearl City, and at Central O'ahu Regional Park and Wahiawa District Park.

WINDWARD

Language class for teachers

Windward Community College has scheduled the 2002 Hawai'i TESOL Conference for March 2, covering such topics as techniques, sociopolitical action and theory relating to the participants: teachers of English to speakers of other languages,

Presented by alumni of the University of Hawai'i-Manoa College of Education, the departments of second language studies, European languages and Asian studies and other institutions, the conference will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and includes lunch.

The cost is $18 for members, $20 for nonmembers, $15 for full-time students and $15 without lunch.

HONOLULU

Sunset event goes ethnic

Honolulu's Sunset on the Beach at Queen's Surf in Waikiki will celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival and coincide with the Japanese Heritage Fair tomorrow, followed by a Presidents Day party on Sunday.

Sunset on the Beach will run from 4 to 9 p.m and will include live music, radio deejays, contests, prizes and a selection of menu dishes presented by local restaurants. The heritage fair is being held in adjoining Kapi'olani Park.

The beach event will feature "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi," on the 30-foot screen at the beach. The movie will be preceded by a Japanese short film.

On Sunday, "The American President," a Rob Reiner film starring Michael Douglas, will be shown.

For information call 523-2489 or 923-1094.

Hunting fee revisions set

The Board of Land and Natural Resources has approved new tag and permit application fees for certain hunting activities.

The new fees are in effect through the 2002 hunting year and the 2003 hunting year, which begins July 1, 2002, and ends June 30, 2003. The state expects the fees to generate $225,000.

For the hunt seasons that require a permit or have a lottery process to select participation, a per-person permit or lottery application fee has been established. Tag fees are now in place for hunts requiring specific tags, such as for axis deer and mouflon sheep on Lana'i and black-tailed deer and goats on Kaua'i.

Residents will pay between $5 and $10 per tag or permit and nonresidents $20-$50 per tag or permit.

The board also approved an increase in the fiscal 2003 Hawai'i Wildlife Stamp from $5 to $10. The stamp is required to validate the 2003 hunting license and to hunt game birds and mammals between July 2, 2002, and June 30, 2003.

For more information, check the Web site of the Department of Land and Natural Resources at www.state.hi.us/dlnr/chair/pio/pionr.htm.

Vehicle auction March 15

The U.S. Marshals Service will auction off 11 seized vehicles including a 2001 Mercedes SLK 230, a 1993 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a 2000 Toyota Spyder MR-2, beginning at 10 a.m. March 15 at the Aloha Auto Auction, 1001 ahua St. in Måpunapuna.

Prior to the sale, about 70 Navy cars and trucks will be auctioned and the General Services Administration will sell 15 vehicles from its fleet.

Interested buyers can inspect the seized vehicles at the auction site from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14 and can register as buyers from 8 to 10 a.m. March 15.

For more information, call 448-2067.

UH president talks to Rotary

University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle will talk about the future of the university at the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunset meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Waikiki Yacht Club.

The meeting includes dinner, which costs $18.