Posted on: Thursday, October 7, 2004
HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Skate park to be ready by Nov. 1
Advertiser Staff
Construction of a skateboard park at Manana Community Park in Pearl City will be completed by Nov. 1, City Councilman Gary Okino said.
Okino told an audience at Monday night's Pearl City Task Force meeting that opening ceremonies will be held next month. Work on the skateboard park's 30-stall parking lot will also be finished by Nov. 1, Okino said.
The outdoor volleyball and basketball courts at the park, at the corner of Waimano Home Road and Kuala Street, opened Sept. 13.
Wal-Mart is reviewing four bid proposals from contractors to build its new 140,000-square-foot store on its 20-acre site across the street from Pearl City Highlands Center. Donohue M. Fujii of the engineering consulting firm of Austin, Tsutsumi & Associates said it may take between two and three weeks to review the bids, which were opened last week.
Once a contractor is named, Wal-Mart can determine a timetable for construction work, which is expected to take a year to complete, Fujii said.
The Mililani Town Association is looking for candidates to fill three vacancies for three-year terms on its board of directors.
Candidates should be members in good standing with the association and be willing to attend monthly board meetings and serve on standing committees. Ballots will be mailed in March to members with results of the election announced March 17.
Candidate application forms can be picked up on weekdays at the MTA office at 95-303 Kaloapau St. from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or be downloaded from www.mililanitown.org.
Candidates can also call 623-7300 to have applications mailed to them.
The deadline for filing candidate applications is 10 a.m. Dec. 30.
The Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Homers, TDs, Kills and Cheers," a kick-off mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at The Ocean Club.
Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona will help induct the organization's new board of directors at the event, which will be focused on spreading the word about the chamber and its benefits to the community.
Founded in 1974, the organization strives to encourage and promote the interests of Native Hawaiians engaged in business and the professions.
Advance tickets are $25 for nonmembers, $20 for members. Admission at the door will be $30 for nonmembers, $25 for members.
For more information, contact Dirk Soma, program committee chair, at 843-3527 or disoma@ksbe.edu.
A review will begin today of signatures rejected on petitions seeking to include independent candidate Ralph Nader on Hawai'i's presidential ballot.
The review is expected to take at least a couple days, said Rex Quidilla, spokesman for the state Office of Elections.
Under an agreement worked out last week, the Office of Elections will review nearly 1,500 rejected signatures in the presence of a Nader campaign official. If there is disagreement on the validity of a signature, it will be flagged for further review and a final decision by Chief Elections Officer Dwayne Yoshina.
The Nader campaign was required to submit 3,711 valid signatures. The state Office of Elections' review of the petitions showed Nader came up 587 signatures short.
Proceeds from the first Keolu Elementary Technology Fun Run/Walk on Oct. 29 will be used to purchase five laptop computers, a server and additional computer software for the school's anticipated technology lab.
Pupils from kindergarten through sixth grade are seeking $5 pledges for every lap completed on a school course.
Monetary donations will be used to purchase prizes for pupils. Checks made payable to Keolu Elementary School can be mailed to 1416 Keolu Drive, Kailua, HI 96734. For further information, call Kalei Mahaulu at 266-7818.
HILO, Hawai'i — U.S. Marine Corps units that have been training at Pohakuloa Training Area will be departing in convoys between the training area and the Kawaihae docks for the rest of the week.
The convoys of military vehicles will include High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles — better known as HMMWVs — and 5-ton and 7-ton trucks.
One convoy of 66 vehicles that will depart the training area at 8:30 a.m. today; 30 vehicles will depart at 8:30 a.m. Saturday; and 34 vehicles at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
Some vehicles may be towing trailers, and motorists are advised to drive with care.
Four Democratic and two Republican state lawmakers are being recognized for supporting good government legislation by the nonpartisan Hawai'i Pro-Democracy Initiative.
The six legislators were recognized for forming the bipartisan Legislative Good Government Caucus in January 2003 and proceeded to sponsor legislation on ethics, elections, open records, public access and campaign finance reform, according to Robin Loomis, president of the organization.
The six are: Sens. Les Ihara Jr., D-9th (Kapahulu, Kaimuki, Palolo), Gary Hooser, D-7th (Kaua'i, Ni'ihau) and Gordon Trimble, R-12th (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Downtown), and Reps. Hermina Morita, D-14th (Kapa'a, Hanalei), Cynthia Thielen, R-50th (Kailua, Mokapu) and K. Mark Takai, D-34th (Pearl City, Royal Summit).
Ihara and Hooser were given special recognition for their advocacy in the Senate on key political reform legislation, Loomis said.
Wal-Mart bids under review
Town board seeks candidates
Hawaiian group to host mixer
State to review Nader signatures
Run will benefit Keolu school
Military convoys to be on the road
Group honors state legislators
