Every penny of the money raised from the concert will go to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, he said. Organizers are asking for a minimum donation of $25 per person ($5 for children).

The event will run from 3 to 10 p.m. at Harrington's residence at Maka'alae, three miles past Hana. Signs will be posted, and parking will be available on a neighboring lot.

Wailuku man dies in car crash

WAIKAPU, Maui — A 28-year-old Wailuku man died early yesterday morning when the car he was riding in struck a utility pole.

Jeremiah Michael McDougall died at the scene of the 2:25 a.m. crash on Honoapi'ilani Highway a half-mile north of Pilikana Road in Waikapu.

The white BMW sedan was traveling south when it struck the pole, police said. McDougall was in the back seat and was not wearing a seat belt, police said. The driver and another passenger were wearing seat belts. They were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where they were treated and released.

McDougall's death is Maui County's first traffic fatality for this year.

Fire contained after 22 hours

WAIKAPU, Maui — Maui fire crews secured a fire scene early yesterday morning after spending 22 hours battling a smoldering mound of scrap metal and trash at Maui Scrap Metal.

Workers with the scrap metal company continued to break down the mound of baled appliances and old cars while watching for flare-ups, officials said.

The fire was first reported at about 5 a.m. Tuesday. Two fire engine companies remained at the scene until this morning.

Library resumes normal hours

Kapolei Public Library will return to its normal hours today, following completion of repairs to its electrical system.

Last week, the library was forced to cut back its evening hours and had to reduce its services because of a broken main switch circuit breaker.

The replacement part arrived from the Mainland and has been installed.

The library's hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; 1 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays.

Airmen training in Thailand

Eight F-15 Eagles and 70 airmen from the Hawai'i Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron deployed to Thailand on Monday for the exercise Cope Tiger 2005.

The fighters will fly with counterparts from Thailand and Singapore and will join F-15s from the 44th Fighter Squadron out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa for training.

More than 2,100 people are participating in the exercise, including about 620 U.S. service members and 1,500 service members from Thailand and Singapore. The exercise concludes Feb. 4.

Therapist to help tsunami orphans

Olivia Harkins Rodriguez, a clinical therapist at Hawai'i Center for Children, will join one of two teams of mental-health professionals set to depart for Sri Lanka tomorrow and Feb. 4 to help children in orphanages and emergency tsunami relief centers.

Rodriguez was selected by the Association for Play Therapy and its foundation to accompany the teams as part of Operation USA. She also works as a behavioral health specialist at Ka'a'awa and La'ie elementary schools, and as an adjunct instructor at Hawai'i Pacific University.

Extension sought for farm filings

HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island Mayor Harry Kim is asking the County Council for a one-time extension to give farming and ranching operations more time to file for agricultural use dedications for the coming year.

The council on Dec. 8 passed Bill 49 allowing property owners who use their land for commercial agricultural purposes to dedicate their property for such uses for 10-year periods to reduce their property taxes.

The bill was passed after the Sept. 1 deadline to file for commercial agricultural use dedications, which meant many property owners were unable to dedicate their properties in time to receive benefits for the tax year that begins July 1.

To help farmers who wanted to file for the dedications, Kim has now proposed an ordinance allowing the one-time extension for commercial agricultural use dedication for the 2005-2006 tax year.

Commercial agricultural use means the property is used to generate a minimum of $2,000 per farm operation annually.

Contact the Real Property Tax Division's Appraisal Section at 961-8354 or or 327-3542.

Coast Guard aids educational ship

Coast Guard units from Hawai'i and Alaska were dispatched yesterday to aid a disabled 591-foot ship carrying 990 people 800 miles north of Midway.

The Explorer was headed from Vancouver, Canada, to Japan when it was hit by a 50-foot wave that broke bridge windows and damaged bridge controls, the Coast Guard. The ship experienced engine problems, but the crew was able to regain power in two of the four engines, the Coast Guard said.

The crew radioed for help, and the Honolulu-based cutter Jarvis and a HC-130 aircraft from Barbers Point were sent to help the vessel, which was about 1,600 miles from Honolulu. The Coast Guard said the Explorer did not appear to be in any immediate danger and was making its way to Japan.

The 25,000-ton Bahamian-flagged Explorer is used in the "Semester at Sea Program," which is operated by the Institute for Shipboard Education in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. Of the 990 people on board, 681 are students, 113 faculty and staff, and 196 crew members.