Posted on: Wednesday, June 30, 2004
O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff
LEEWARD
Five hurt in head-on crash in Wai'anae
Five people were injured, two seriously, in a head-on collision last night on Farrington Highway fronting Wai'anae High School.
Two people in one car, a 48-year-old man and his 46-year-old woman passenger, were taken by Army medevac helicopter to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition. Police said they were in a car that collided with another car shortly before 6:40 p.m.
Three men, two 20-year-olds and a 23-year-old, were in the second car and were in stable condition last night at Queen's. Police closed all but one lane in each direction of Farrington Highway while they conducted their investigation last night. Traffic was backed up for miles.
'Ewa Beach run Saturday
To encourage healthy living and fight drug use, a group of 'Ewa Beach residents will host the first Get Healthy Ewa Beach Project walk/run at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Calvary Church West Oahu on Fort Weaver Road.
Because of the Fourth of July weekend, organizers are encouraging participants in the 1- or 3-mile walk or run to wear red, white and blue.
The first 50 people will receive free flags and free blood-pressure tests.
HONOLULU
High rise condo fire in Waikiki
Firefighters battled a blaze last night at the Big Surf Hotel at 1690 Ala Moana Boulevard that drew hundreds of onlookers into the streets and snarled Waikiki traffic.
The 10:56 p.m. fire broke out in a unit on the 17th floor and was quickly brought under control, but not before many people had to evacuate the building.
There were no reports of injuries. The cause was not known, and there was no damage estimate.
Firefighters blocked off the 'ewa bound lanes of Ala Moana Boluevard.
Umialoa Sexton was in his unit one floor below the fire. "I heras glass breaking and smelled plastic burning," he said.
Then he looked up and saw smoke billowing out of the windows on the floor above him.
"It was huge," Sexton said.
Orchid growers sue over new rule
Hawai'i orchid growers are challenging a new federal rule that allows potted orchids from Taiwan to be imported into the United States.
The Hawai'i Orchid Growers Association filed a lawsuit June 4 against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the same day the federal rule known as "Q-37" took effect.
Orchid growers say the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is overlooking the fact that potted plants imported from Taiwan could carry pests and diseases that cannot be controlled by chemicals currently registered with the U.S. government.
"In that medium," association president Walter Moe said of potted plants, "is a host for all kinds of terrible pathogen, insects, what have you, that could come into the United States."
The 151-member group says in its suit that the rule change allowing the imported orchids is to accommodate Taiwan's government, which in conjunction with Tainan County, is financing a $2.06 billion orchid project that hopes to produce more than 31 million orchids a year by 2008.
A motion for preliminary injunction will be heard in September in Washington, D.C.
Night roadwork on Kalakaua
Some lanes of Kalakaua Avenue at Kapi'olani Boulevard will be closed for repaving today and tomorrow between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Motorists will be detoured by off-duty police officers.
The southbound lanes of Kalakaua Avenue at Kapi'olani will be repaved tonight; the northbound lanes, tomorrow night.
Man arrested in bank robbery
A 46-year-old Kalihi man was arrested yesterday in connection with a May 7 bank robbery and police believe he also may be responsible for six other bank jobs.
The man was arrested at about 9 a.m. in Salt Lake and booked on one count of first-degree robbery.
Police said he is suspected of robbing the Kapahulu branch of First Hawaiian Bank on May 7.
Charges were pending last night.
Police said the man is a suspect in the May 5 robbery of American Savings Bank at the Kamehameha Shopping Center; the April 30 robbery of First Hawaiian Bank in Liliha; the April 22 robbery of American Savings in McCully; the April 17 robbery of Central Pacific Bank in Kalihi; the April 5 robbery of American Savings in Liliha; and the Aug. 1, 2003, robbery of Hawai'i National's airport branch.
Food Bank honors National Guard
The Hawai'i Food Bank will honor the Hawai'i National Guard for its role in Hawai'i's homeland security and active duty in Iraq at the ninth annual Patriots Celebration banquet Friday.
The banquet will take place in the Coral Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., dinner at 7.
The event is open to the public at $200 per person. Hawai'i National Guard members in full uniform and their spouses pay $60 each. Veterans, active-duty military in full uniform and their spouses pay $100 each. Tables of 10 are available at $2,000 to $10,000.
Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the hungry in Hawai'i. Call 836-3600, ext. 228, for tickets and information.
Leadership nominees sought
The Mediation Center of the Pacific, an organization that offers third-party dispute resolution outside of court, is seeking nominations of Hawai'i individuals and businesses who are "natural collaborative leaders."
Those selected will be recognized at the second annual Celebration of Natural Collaborative Leaders dinner Nov. 5 at the Kahala Mandarin hotel.
Mediation Center director Tracey Wiltgen said those honored should "have a talent for helping others when problems or conflicts arise ... there is a natural 'problem-solver' in every organization."
Last year's honorees included Sen. Sam Slom of Small Business Hawai'i, and employees from Young Brothers, Outrigger Enterprises, and Nordic Construction. Call 521-6767 for nomination forms.
CENTRAL
Woman sought in bank robbery
A woman with a pistol robbed the Waipahu branch of Central Pacific Bank yesterday, police said.
At 1:45 p.m., the woman — described as being in her 30s, 5 feet 2, between 160 and 180 pounds, wearing sunglasses, a white T-shirt, black jeans, and a black backpack — confronted a teller with a silver and black pistol, police said. She was last seen running in the direction of the Leeward Drive-In.
Anyone with information may call Detective Gordon Makishima at 529-3383. Anonymous calls may be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
EAST HONOLULU
Hanauma to get cleanup July 11
The Friends of Hanauma Bay needs volunteers to help with a beach, park and highway cleanup from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 11.
Volunteers meet at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve's upper picnic area, next to the visitor's center.
They will be given trash bags and cleanup assignments at that time.
Groups interested in helping should call the event coordinator at 395-1217. Individual participants may just show up; no call necessary. Residents should bring a picture ID to avoid paying the beach access fee.
