HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Arson suspected in house fire
Advertiser Staff
Police arson and Fire Department investigators returned to a home on Ho'opi'o Street in 'Ewa Villages yesterday morning to try to determine what caused a fire that destroyed the home Wednesday afternoon.
The fire began about 4:30 p.m. and spread quickly through the two-story, single-wall home where a couple believed to be in their 50s and their two adult children lived. No one was home when the blaze broke out.
Fire spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane said Wednesday there were indications that the fire was "suspicious in origin."
Public records list the owners of the home as Arturo and Florentina Pascual.
Damage was estimated at $450,000.
EAST HONOLULU
FORUM TO DISCUSS KAISER SCHOOLS
The Kaiser complex of schools — Kamiloiki, Koko Head and Haha'ione elementary schools, Niu Valley Middle School and Kaiser High School — will host an education forum from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow at Haha'ione Elementary school cafeteria.
Parents, teachers, students, community members and businesses are urged to attend to discuss how to make the schools better. Call Rep. Lyla Berg, D-18th (Kahala, 'Aina Haina, Kuli'ou'ou) at 586-6510.
KAUA'I
LYDGATE POND CLEARED OF DEBRIS
WAILUA — County officials have reopened the swimming pond at Lydgate Park after the clearing of driftwood and other debris washed into the coastal pond during recent rains. County Engineer Donald Fujimoto said that most of the clearing was done by volunteers.
O'AHU
CARTOONIST TO VISIT LIBRARIES
Greg Evans, creator of the "Luann" comic strip, which appears daily in The Advertiser, begins a 10-library tour tomorrow.
Evans, named the National Cartoonist Society's "Cartoonist of the Year" for 2003, will visit O'ahu libraries through Oct. 8.
The schedule:
Call Hillary W. Chang, young-adult librarian at McCully-Mo'ili'ili, at 973-1099.
NORTH SHORE
OUTREACH EVENTS TO AID RESIDENTS
Two October Back to School outreach events designed to assist North Shore pregnant women and other residents who may qualify for free QUEST and Medicaid health insurance are being provided by Hawai'i Covering Kids Kahuku Local Project, which operates under the auspices of the Kahuku Hospital.
The first event, "Parents with Teenagers," will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Kahuku High School Project GRAD Carnival at the Hau'ula Shopping Center.
The second event, "Parents with Young Children," will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Brigham Young University-Hawai'i Jubilee on campus.
Project staff at both events will provide information on Med-QUEST's application process and answer questions. For more information, call 293-9221, ext. 360 or 387-9217.
KAHALA
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS AT MALL
Free and anonymous mental health screenings will be offered at Kahala Mall Monday as a part of National Depression Screening Day.
The services are being provided by the University of Hawai'i College of Education in partnership with the Rehabilitation Association of Hawai'i, the Mental Health Association in Hawai'i and United Self-help Inc.
Screenings will be conducted from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at Kahala Mall, Center Court, for depression, manic depression, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Call Dr. Brenda Cartwright at 956-4386.
WAIKIKI
UH PROGRAM MARKS 35TH YEAR
The University of Hawai'i Marine Option Program will celebrate 35 years of experiential ocean education and service learning at the Elk's Lodge in Waikiki from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21.
Tickets are $30, or $15 for Marine Ocean Program students from the program office at 956-8433 or e-mail Jeff Kuwabara at manoamop@hawaii.edu.
STATEWIDE
FUNDS TO SUPPORT INJURY PREVENTION
The state Department of Health will receive $120,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support injury and violence prevention and control efforts.
According to the CDC, 11 Hawai'i residents die from an injury, 160 are hospitalized and nearly 1,200 more are treated in emergency departments on a weekly basis.
DOWNTOWN
POWWOW EVENT AT THOMAS SQUARE
The American Indian Pow Wow Association's 31st annual event takes place this weekend at Thomas Square. Competitive dancing, drumming, singing, arts and crafts, and food will be featured from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. The event is free to the public.
Among the highlights this year will be a Native American -style wedding tomorrow and a "giveaway" on Sunday by a Native American who is a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who will show his gratitude to his family, friends and the community for their support during his recent tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Volunteers, including those without experience with powwows, continue to be sought. For information, call the American Indian Pow Wow Association at 734-5171 or Native Winds at 734-8018.
The public also is invited to the sixth annual Native American Flute and Storytelling Concert at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Center for Hawaiian Studies, 2645 Dole St., Honolulu.
The free concert is sponsored by the powwow association, the Hawaiian Studies center and Native Winds. For more information, contact Native Winds at 734-8018.
