Posted on: Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Hawai'i briefs

Advertiser Staff

MAUI

Woman killed in head-on crash

A 41-year-old Kihei woman died after a head-on crash Sunday, when her van crossed the center line of Honoa-pi'ilani Highway and collided with another van heading toward Lahaina.

Police identified the woman as Norma Bentosino. She was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m. yesterday at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Bentosino was driving toward Kihei at 1:20 p.m. when her van, a 1998 green Chevrolet Astro, crossed the center line. A 56-year-old Kahului man was driving the other van, a white 1999 Ford, and had 11 passengers with him.

He was wearing a seat belt but Bentosino was not, police said.

This was Maui County's seventh traffic fatality of 2004, the same number as was recorded this time last year.

HONOLULU

Man sentenced in following boy

A 36-year-old Mainland man has been sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for violating a court order to stay away from a Hawai'i boy.

Ed Kubo, U.S. attorney for Hawai'i, said that Kenneth "Chip" McNeil became close friends with a 12-year-old boy during a visit to Hawai'i in 2001. In early March 2001, the boy's parents terminated McNeil's access to the boy.

In August 2001, McNeil approached the boy at an airport in Houston. His parents got a three-year protective order banning McNeil from contacting their son, Kubo said.

Despite the order, McNeil flew from California to Hawai'i and on May 26, 2002, approached the boy at Mililani Town Center.

McNeil followed the boy, repeatedly asked the boy to talk with him and when the boy refused, he grabbed the boy and his bicycle to keep him from leaving, Kubo said.

Ma'ema'e wins school supplies

Ma'ema'e Elementary School in Nu'uanu has won enough school supplies to fill a Toyota Sienna minivan and a $500 Education Works award certificate for being the top school in Toyota-Hawai'i's "On Board for Education" program.

The program awards $200 in school supplies to teachers and students at the school named by each purchaser of a new 2004 Sienna.

Toyota-Hawai'i has given $227,500 in school supplies to schools this year, the first year of the program. Ma'ema'e received $3,600.

CENTRAL O'AHU

Moanalua High teacher honored

American history teacher Wray Jose has been named Hawai'i's "History Teacher of the Year" by the White House program Preserve America.

Jose, a Moanalua High School teacher, will be honored in August after the student body returns to campus.

This is the first annual award, which goes to one American history teacher from each state and U.S. territory. Winners receive a $1,000 honorarium, a certificate of recognition and a core archive of history books and materials donated in their honor to their schools' library.

A national winner will be selected this summer from the state finalists.

Preserve America is a White House initiative that supports community efforts to preserve America's cultural and natural heritage.