Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff

CENTRAL O'AHU

Sewage spills in Waipahu

Raw sewage overflowed yesterday from a manhole at the Waipahu Cultural Garden and Plantation Village after a defective joint clogged a 12-inch sewer line.

A city Department of Environmental Services sewer maintenance crew was notified at 11:28 a.m. and responded to the scene at 94-695 Waipahu St. at 12:10 p.m., officials said. The crew stopped the spill at 4:08 p.m. after they flushed grease from the defective section of the line.

An estimated 1,105 gallons of raw sewage spilled onto the grounds of the park and soaked into the soil. The crew cleaned and disinfected the area, officials said.

Workers cordoned off the spill site and posted warning signs to keep people away from the contaminated area.

Another open market slated

Central O'ahu will get another People's Open Market starting June 1, with low-cost produce and other local products sold from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sundays at Asing Community Park, 91-450 Renton Road.

The Royal Kunia Open Market will change its hours to facilitate the Asing park site. The new Royal Kunia hours are 9:30 to 11 a.m.

The new location will be the city's 25th open market. For 30 years, independent vendors have sold their goods at city-owned sites. The city operates open markets every day.

For more information, contact Ned Yonemori at 522-7088.

HONOLULU

Sand Island Bridge lanes to reopen

The town-bound lanes of the Sand Island Bridge will be reopened tomorrow, after being closed yesterday for repairs.

In the meantime, traffic in and out of Sand Island is being directed onto contraflow lanes on the two lanes that normally carry traffic onto Sand Island, said Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

Welders are patching several holes — the biggest measuring a square foot — on the metal grate of the bridge's roadway surface. The holes are a result of "wear and tear," Ishikawa said.

"We're just doing this as a safety precaution," he said.

The contraflow has affected people going to Sand Island State Recreation Area, the Coast Guard station and other tenants.

Police Week begins today

The Honolulu Police Department will observe Police Week today through May 17 with the following public events:

• The city will make an official Police Week proclamation at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Ala Moana Centerstage.
• A memorial service will be held for Honolulu police officers who were killed in the line of duty or while working at HPD, with a special tribute to officer Glen Gaspar. He was killed in March while trying to arrest a wanted felon. The ecumenical service will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Holy Family Church.

In ceremonies closed to the public on Tuesday, the department will recognize its 2003 Police Officer of the Year, Reserve Officer of the Year, Police Parent of the Year and Civilian Employee of the Year.

On Wednesday the department will honor employees who marked 25, 35 and 45 years of service to the city, as well as its Citizenship Award recipient.

National Police Week began in 1961 after Congress passed a joint resolution signed by President John F. Kennedy. The Honolulu Police Department began celebrating the national observance in 1968.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Program lists jobs online

HILO, Hawai'i — Forty-five employers have signed on to a new online job-listing program run by the Career Center at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo.

There is no charge for companies to place job opportunities on the Web site, which also lists employment-related events such as interview workshops and career fairs.

Employers can log on to the "online job listing service" link and create their own account by providing information such as point of contact, address, phone number and type of industry. Once they apply for an account, Career Center Director Norm Stahl said he'll check to make sure the employer is legitimate.

Stahl said he'll provide one-day approval, and after that, employers are free to post their openings for jobs in Hawai'i or elsewhere.

Stahl said he'll still take job listings on paper, "but this gives (employers) far more visibility."

The Web site can be found at career.uhh.hawaii.edu.