HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Group says toy donations down
Advertiser Staff
HILO, Hawai'i — A nonprofit program that collects toys for needy youngsters reports that donations are lagging this year.
Magin Patrick, executive director of Christmas Wish Program Inc., is trying to gather enough toys for 585 children who live in homeless camps and shelters, in shelters for battered women or elsewhere in poverty. The program survives mostly on donations of cash and toys collected at shopping centers.
Volunteers will be at the gift-wrapping booth of the Kona Borders Books from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Sunday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 13 For information, call (808) 982-8128, or visit www.ChristmasWishProgram.org
WINDWARD
Mormon project nearly complete
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Hawai'i Reserves Inc. are wrapping up a $5.5 million renovation project on Hale La'a Boulevard, the front entrance to Brigham Young University, Hawai'i and the Mormon temple, which includes a meditation garden, blue-rock walls, a roundabout, new lighting and extensive landscaping.
The president of the church, Gordon B. Hinckley will dedicate the project at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Canon Activities Center.
The projects mostly on the boulevard and at the front entrance of the university took about 14 months, said Rob Wakefield, director of university communications.
Utility wires were buried on Hale La'a. Blue-rock walls and palm trees line the road. A new roundabout was placed at Hale La'a and Naniloa Loop.
Man still fighting for Waikane land
Legal maneuvers continue over Waikane Valley land once owned by Raymond Kamaka and his family.
Recently a federal judge denied Kamaka's motion to dismiss a lawsuit that resulted in the condemnation and purchase of his property that was once used for live-fire target practice by the government.
Kamaka's attorney, James Ireijo, said he will file another motion to set aside an order that included Kamaka in the settlement even though Kamaka never signed the document nor received any money.
The Kamakas leased their land to the military during World War II for target practice with the understanding the land would be cleared of ordnance once the lease expired. Although a cleanup took place and the land was returned to the family, Kamaka found more ammunition on the land and asked for further cleanup. Instead the military declared it couldn't do the restoration well enough to make the area safe for humans so the land was condemned in 1989.
Kamaka refused to settle, but his family did. In September the issue surfaced when the U.S. District Court asked Kamaka to return to court to decide what to do with some $60,000 being held for him. He decided to once again try to fight for the return of his land. Ireijo is helping him for free.
HONOLULU
Task force arrests fugitive
A man on the U.S. Marshal Service's Top 10 list of most wanted fugitives for Hawai'i has been taken into custody.
Daniel Pahia was arrested Sunday at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children, the U.S. Marshal's office said yesterday. The arrest was made by the Hawai'i Fugitive Task Force and police.
Pahia was taken to the federal detention center near Honolulu International Airport pending an appearance in federal court on drug charges.
The task force had been tracking Pahia since September, when he was indicted on two counts of possessing with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine, they said.
Case to speak at Rotary meeting
Congressman Ed Case will be the speaker at the next Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu meeting at 7:15 a.m. Thursday at The Plaza Club, 900 Fort Street Mall, 20th floor. Call Jennifer Bowers at 543-3512.
Writer to share lunch memoirs
Author Shirley Tong Parola will talk about her experiences sharing Hawaiian plate lunches with people around the world at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Waikiki Community Center, 310 Paoakalani Ave.
Parola traveled to the Mainland, to Saudi Arabia and Turkey sharing plate lunches and teriyaki meals with people and wrote a cookbook-memoir.
Call 923-1802.
Jamba proceeds to help center
A portion of the opening day's proceeds from the new Jamba Juice store in the Outrigger Reef Hotel Friday will benefit the Waikiki Community Center.
The center, at 310 Paoakalani Ave., provides child care and senior programs, classes ranging from dance and language to Scrabble and kickboxing, and serves as a home for several nonprofit and self-help groups, a thrift store and an emergency food pantry.
Jamba Juice will also have Hawaiian entertainment and crafts for the opening.
