Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
WINDWARD O'AHU
Makapu'u lanes open ... for now
Both lanes of Kalaniana'ole Highway at Makapu'u Point will remain open as work continues on a project above Makapu'u Beach to protect traffic from falling rocks.
A crew is operating along the ridge to anchor the protective mesh to the hillside.
However, motorists can expect single-lane closures in the middle of the month, said Glenn Yasui, highways division administrator for the state Department of Transportation. Contraflow will be in effect during that period, Yasui said.
The contractor also expects to periodically close both lanes on the day when more wire mesh is delivered to the site, he said.
The contractor has until April 24 to complete the project, Yasui said.
HONOLULU
Traffic affected by air delivery
Kuhio Avenue between Kalaimoku and Lewers streets, along with Kai'olu and Launiu streets between Kuhio and Ala Wai Boulevard, will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon today while a helicopter delivers construction supplies to the top of the 25-story Four Paddle condominium in Waikiki.
Traffic will be redirected around the work site as a precaution, said Keri Vedder of the W.E. Denison Corp.
The 23-year-old building is having work done on its air-conditioning system and the major components must be delivered to the roof, Vedder said.
Manoa Board meeting tonight
Among the topics to be discussed at the Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting at 7 tonight at Noelani Elementary School will be resolutions to honor the late Gladys Brandt, support for implementing a new 311 non-emergency phone service and support for the "bottle bill" passed by lawmakers.
The board will also hear reports from government and community groups and introduce candidates for the upcoming board election.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
UH plans forum on biotech use
The University of Hawai'i's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources will hold a daylong forum on biotechnology in agriculture Saturday at the King Kamehameha Hotel in Kona, Hawai'i.
The sessions will include speakers from the industry, academia, the organic farming world and government regulators. They will discuss genetically modified organisms in the Islands, with specific discussions of food safety and environmental concerns.
The free event will run from 8:25 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.; lunch is $10. Today is the registration deadline. For more information or to register online, visit www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/GMO. Information is also available at county agricultural extension offices on all islands.
"The purpose of this forum is to inform the public of the current state of affairs on the use of biotechnology in agriculture so that people can make decisions that are right for them," said UH researcher Ania Wieczorek.
