HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Committee OKs firefighters' raise
Advertiser Staff
HILO, Hawai'i — Members of the Hawai'i County Council gave preliminary approval yesterday to firefighters' raises that are expected to cost the county $4.12 million in additional wages and fringe benefits over the next two years.
Firefighters were awarded the 8.24 percent raises over the next two years by an arbitration panel last month. The council's Finance Committee agreed yesterday to appropriate money for raises for 404 Big Island firefighters.
The two-year statewide firefighters' contract would grant four 2 percent across-the-board raises, and also include pay increases based on longevity for each rank, and $350 per month incentive pay for firefighters assigned to desk jobs.
The raises still need to be approved in two votes by the full County Council before they go to Mayor Harry Kim for consideration.
'EWA
Workshop set on Kalaeloa plan
The Hawai'i Community Development Authority is developing a five-year (through 2010) strategic plan for Kalaeloa and has scheduled a community workshop tonight at Kapolei Middle School cafeteria, 91-5335 Kapolei Parkway, to gather comments and input from area residents.
The workshop is from 7 to 9 p.m.
In stressing the importance of the workshop to the strategic plan, HCDA executive director Daniel Dinell said: "We're resetting the course and setting the compass direction. If you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter what you do. We need to set a course for the future."
Among the key factors that pose uncertainties for land use and redevelopment of Kalaeloa: the acreage available for future development and the possible basing of an aircraft carrier strike group at Pearl Harbor, along with the probability that the carrier's air wing will be stationed at Kalaeloa.
Dinell said the strategy will have to involve two-track planning on issues such as the carrier strike group.
For information about the workshop, call the Hawai'i Community Development Authority at 587-2870.
HONOLULU
Flight disrupted; man charged
A 31-year-old California man whose behavior caused a flight from Kaua'i to San Francisco to detour to Honolulu on Monday has been charged with interfering with the airline crew, the U.S. attorney's office said yesterday.
Raymond Cassidy became disruptive when he was refused alcohol, the office said.
Cassidy became argumentative, stood up, refused to sit down and at one point removed his shirt and became confrontational with the flight attendants.
He also violently pushed one attendant's hand away, causing her to fear his behavior, the federal prosecutors said.
After Cassidy was arrested in Honolulu, the plane resumed its flight to San Francisco.
"Safety to our passengers and to the crew is our No. 1 priority and we will never tolerate this type of behavior," U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said.
STATEWIDE
Fund drive seeks used cell phones
The Recycle for Special Olympics program is looking for used wireless phones to be refurbished and recycled to raise money to provide sports training and competition to Special Olympic athletes. For each phone recycled through the program, Special Olympics will receive $1 to $100.
To recycle your outdated phone, visit www.specialolympics.org/recycle.
