Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
CENTRAL O'AHU
Lingle declares Robert Lau Day
Gov. Linda Lingle has declared today Robert Lau Day in honor of the homeschool student from Mililani who placed first among all sixth-graders at the 2002 National K-12 Chess Championships in Atlanta in December.
Lau will be honored at 5:15 p.m. today at an awards ceremony after the 4x4 President's Day Team Interscholastic Chess Tournament at 'Aliamanu Middle School.
The victory in Atlanta made Lau the state's first national chess champion of any age, according to a press release from the office of state Rep. Guy Ontai, R-37th (Mililani, Waipi'o).
Lau is a member of the Mililani Chess Club and the Homeschool Chess Team.
HONOLULU
Genetic crops to be discussed
A group of organizations opposed to genetic engineering of food crops will sponsor a talk Thursday by Luke Anderson, an activist and author of "Genetic Engineering, Food and Our Environment."
The event, sponsored by Kahea — The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, Down to Earth, and the Hawai'i Genetic Engineering Action Network, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park.
For information, e-mail alohahawaii1@aol.com.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Hawai'i County official named
Peter Hendricks has been named deputy managing director of Hawai'i County, focusing on West Hawai'i affairs. He is replacing Peter Young, who was picked by Gov. Linda Lingle to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Hendricks, a Waimea resident, is a retired information specialist for the DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources, and serves on the county Police Commission and on the board of the Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District.
Woman killed in crash identified
Police have identified a 66-year-old woman who died Saturday after a traffic accident on Maui as Virginia M. Clemmens of Makawao.
Clemmens, who was driving a 2000 Mazda, had an 8-year-old boy in the car with her at the time of the accident. The child received minor injuries, and was treated then released Saturday from Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Clemmens stopped her car at the intersection of Makani Road and Haleakala Highway, police said, but failed to yield to oncoming traffic as she accelerated across Haleakala Highway.
A 26-year-old woman driving a 1996 Jeep was Kula-bound on Haleakala Highway and broadsided Clemmens' vehicle.
The jeep driver and her 25-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries.
Volcano-viewing road re-opens
Park rangers re-opened Chain of Craters Road yesterday, allowing volcano viewing to once again become the hottest activity on the Big Island.
Visitors can park at the end of the road and hike three-fourths of a mile to watch lava flow down coastal cliffs and into the sea.
Firefighters from across the state and from California conducted "burn outs" before re-opening the road to stop lava-ignited wildfires from endangering visitors.
More burn outs may be necessary as a finger of lava advances toward a coconut grove.
Meanwhile, about forty firefighters, mostly from the Mainland, continue to work in the rain forest to control wildfires there.
