Posted on: Friday, March 28, 2003
Hawai'i briefs
Chevron closing gas station
Citing state laws, lease issues and poor sales, Chevron Hawai'i announced to its employees Tuesday that it will close its Waimanalo gas station at the end of the month after operating there for more than 30 years.
It will be the fifth station Chevron has closed in the state in the past six months, said Albert Chee, Chevron spokesman. All five Waimanalo employees will be offered positions at other Chevron stations, Chee said.
Chevron, which took over operation of the station two years ago, has been searching for someone to assume the dealership, Chee said, adding that the lease for the property expires in September.
He said that by closing now, the company will have time to meet requirements for shutting down a station by the time the lease ends.
Chee cited several state laws that played a part in the decision to close, including the gasoline price-cap law, which will take effect in 2004. He said the law makes it difficult to negotiate a lease because no one is sure how the cap will affect business, so no one wants to enter into a long-term lease.
Lions project on Sand Island
Members of several O'ahu Lions Clubs will sponsor a cleanup and repair project at Sand Island State Recreation Area from 8 a.m. to noon tomorrow.
The Lions are also holding a food drive that day for the Hawai'i Food Bank, and donations will be accepted.
To volunteer, find the club's tent at the park to be assigned specific duties or work area. Workers should bring gloves and wear sturdy clothing.
UH internships available
Students have until Tuesday to apply for an environmental internship offered by the University of Hawai'i Hawaiian Internship Program, which recruits undergraduates of Native Hawaiian ancestry and other Hawai'i students.
The program primarily serves Native Hawaiians, a group underrepresented in environmental agencies that make decisions affecting Hawai'i resources. However, it has expanded to also consider other Hawai'i students dedicated to island culture and environment.
Students majoring in natural sciences or agriculture are encouraged to apply for the summer internships. Packets are available online at www2.Hawaii.edu/~uhintern (follow links to UH-HIP). Or contact Sharon Ziegler-Chong in Hilo by e-mail, ziegler@hawaii.edu, or by phone, (808) 933-0706.
Community meeting tonight
The economic development of the Kalihi-Palama-Chinatown areas will be discussed at a public meeting at 6 p.m. today in the Farrington High School cafeteria.
The meeting will discuss an initiative to solve problems in the low- to moderate-income area, said Dean Masuno, economic development coordinator for the Pacific Gateway Center and program manager.
For more information, call Tehani Kupau at 845-3918.
Police crack down on off-road vehicles
HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island police are planning a crackdown on people who use off-road vehicles on public streets.
Maj. David Kawauchi, commander of East Hawai'i Field Operations, said police have received numerous reports of all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes illegally using public roads and highways. Residents complain the vehicles are tearing up dirt and gravel roads.
Kawauchi said patrol officers will focus on the areas most cited by public complaints, particularly on Government Beach Road (Route 137) between Honolulu Landing and the "Four Corners" area of lower Puna, near the communities of Wa'a Wa'a, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Hawaiian Parks and Kapoho.
Fire destroys Big Island home
Fire officials are unsure what started a fire that leveled a Hawaiian Ocean View Estates home Wednesday night, doing an estimated $40,000 damage.
A county fire engine arrived at the house at about 10:10 p.m. to find the 400-square-foot single-story home burned and collapsed. Volunteer firefighters also were on the scene.
Fire officials said the 10 occupants of the home on Iolani Lane between Aloha Boulevard and Coconut Drive escaped without injuries, and the American Red Cross was contacted to find temporary shelter for them.
Drug arrest made in Niu Valley
A Kuli'ou'ou man and his girlfriend are facing federal drug charges after law enforcement officers reported finding them with about 4 pounds of heroin in their pickup truck at Niu Valley Shopping Center on Wednesday.
Phillip Andrew Nico and Marian Elizabeth Darrell were named in a criminal complaint filed yesterday in federal court.
According to an affidavit filed in the case, Nico flew to San Diego on Sunday, purchased the heroin, mailed a box to his Hawai'i address from a Federal Express office and returned on Tuesday.
The parcel was intercepted and a federal agent disguised as a FedEx driver delivered the parcel to Nico on Wednesday, the affidavit said.
It said undercover agents followed Nico and Darrell to the shopping center and waited for them to open the box, at which point they were arrested.
Traveler indicted in 'air rage' case
A man from Sri Lanka who allegedly threw his headset at and struck a flight attendant March 14 while traveling from Los Angeles to Manila aboard a Philippines Airlines jet has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that could result in up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Porastus Chanda Sri Dissanayake, 26, was arrested on charges of interfering with a flight crew. He was taken into custody when the plane made a refueling stop in Honolulu.
U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo Jr. said said all incidents of "air rage" will be taken seriously.
