honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, September 12, 2005

HAWAI'I BRIEFS
City identifies drowning victim

Advertiser Staff

spacer

The city medical examiner's office yesterday identified the woman who drowned off Malaekahana State Park Saturday as Rivette Samoson, 49, of Makiki.

Police said Samoson and her daughter were wading to Moku'auia Island, also known as Goat Island, when the tide began rising. Samoson floated away and was later found unconscious by other beachgoers after her daughter went for help.


MAUI

MEETINGS SET ON COUNTY BUDGET

WAILUKU — Mayor Alan Arakawa will hold a series of countywide meetings to gather public comment for the fiscal year 2006-07 budget. Members of the mayor's cabinet will attend the meetings to answer questions.

Arakawa will present his proposed budget to the Maui County Council in March.

All meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Here is the schedule: today, Helene Hall, Hana; tomorrow, Ha'iku Community Center; Sept. 26, Mitchell Pauole Center, Kaunakakai; Sept. 27, Kihei Community Center; Sept. 28, Lahaina Civic Center; Oct. 3, Lana'i Senior Center; Oct. 4, Velma M. Santos Community Center, Wailuku; Oct. 5, Kula Community Center.

Anyone requiring special accommodations such as large-print materials or an American sign-language interpreter should call May-Anne Asuncion at (808) 270-7855 at least six days prior to the meeting date.


HONOLULU

COLLEGE SCIENTISTS WIN RECOGNITION

The Hawai'i Academy of Science has given distinguished science awards to two scientists from the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and one from Chaminade University.

UH-Manoa oceanography professor David Karl received the Distinguished Research Scientist Award for his work in microbial oceanography. Professor Madison Lee Goff, chair of forensic science at Chaminade, was named a Distinguished Science Educator, as was recently retired UH-Manoa botany professor Gerald Carr.

The Hawai'i Academy of Science recognizes individuals who represent outstanding science being done in Hawai'i. For more information, visit www .hawaii.edu/acadsci.

DIAMOND HEAD



LA PIETRA CLASS TOPS NATIONALLY

La Pietra eighth-graders received the highest ranking at the national We the People: Project Citizen program.

Aimed at middle schoolers, Project Citizen promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government.

The La Pietra team, which won the state competition, submitted a project titled "Improve Hawai'i's Recycling System."

The winning team members are Haley Abing, Rachel Briggs, Laila Brown, Ayaka Hong, Amber Keola, Melissa Kim, Emily Schlieman, Sandy Xu and Briony Glearan. Their teachers were Jessica Carew and Leah Schow.


WAIPAHU

FREE STORY TIME FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Preschoolers can visit Waipahu Public Library on Tuesday mornings for free story time and activities from Sept. 27 through Dec. 6. Designed for children 3 to 5 years old accompanied by a parent or caregiver, the 50-minute program will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Call the library seven to 10 days in advance if a sign-language interpreter or other special accommodation is needed. For more information or to register, call the library's children's librarian at 675-0358.


HALAWA

CAMP SMITH WORK TO BEGIN

Construction crews will begin upgrading the Camp Smith fence line today and will block one lane of upper Halawa Heights Drive.

Crews will work from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and construction is expected to last several months. Residents of upper Halawa Heights Drive are being warned that noise will be high during the construction. Construction will begin at the Echo Gate and will continue toward the Main Gate.


DOWNTOWN

QUILTS GOING TO STORM SURVIVORS

The Hawaii Quilt Guild will begin collecting quilts for survivors of Hurricane Katrina today, to be shipped to Houston in October. Quilts ranging from baby, crib, lap and twin size that can be used by anyone of any age are being requested. Aloha or island prints are requested, but not required.

Quilts can be dropped off at the front desk of the Richards Street YWCA during regular business hours until Oct. 12.


STATEWIDE

Writing winner gets trip to D.C.

The Hawai'i Public Library System invites young readers to enter a writing contest that involves writing a letter to their favorite author. The grand prize is a trip to Washington, D.C., for the letter writer and parents.

Readers in Grades 4 to 12 are encouraged to participate in the contest sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores.

Readers must write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Any genre can be selected — fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The Hawai'i Center for the Book will select the top letter in the state on three levels: for children Grades 4 to 6; Grades 7 and 8; and Grades 9 to 12.

The deadline is Dec. 1.

To obtain the required entry coupon go to the Hawai'i State Public Library System Web site at www.librarieshawaii.org and click on the "Letters About Literature" link to print the entry coupon.


EAST HONOLULU

BEACH CLEANUP SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

The nonprofit group Friends of Hanauma Bay has scheduled a cleanup of the beach, the park and a portion of Kalaniana'ole Highway for Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Volunteers are needed and are asked to meet in the park's upper picnic area next to the visitor center. There they will be provided with garbage bags and work assignments.

Hawai'i residents are reminded to bring an ID to avoid the beach access fee.

Groups that wish to participate may call event coordinator Harvey Shapiro at 395-1271. However, advance calls are not required.

The highway cleanup will extend from Keahole Street to the Halona Blow Hole.