Hawai`i News -- 13 August 1996 [Tue]
Prophet Zarquon
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The Net of Light Tuesday, August 13, 1996
Hawai`i News -- Internet Edition Compiled by Ryan K. Ozawa
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Summarized from various island news sources, including independent interviews
and research, radio and television broadcasts and local papers. No material
is duplicated directly unless otherwise attributed. Intended for personal use
only -- please obtain permission from author before redistributing. Aloha!
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Subject: POLICE, FAMILY SIFT THROUGH MURDER-SUICIDE
Honolulu police believe the way a car was parked was what pushed 45-year-old
city accountant Michael Lau to kill two of his Awiki Street neighbors, a
visiting Mililani resident and then himself. Beachwear promoter Randall Kim,
36, his 33-year-old wife Carol, and 33-year-old Terry Nakasone died of
multiple gunshot woods to the head and body.
Police Lt. Allen Napoleon said Lau had apparently been upset many times by
the Kims' children making noise in the yard or visiting friends blocking his
driveway. On Sunday, Nakasone was visiting the Kims with her husband, Myles,
when Lau confronted her about how the couple's car was parked in the street.
After a physical scuffle, Lau approached the Kims' home with a gun in his
hand and shot Randall Kim. Myles Nakasone, thinking his wife was waiting in
the car, fled outside -- warning the Kims' two children away -- and drove to
another home to phone police. His wife was inside with Carol Kim, however,
and died with her hosts.
Cheryl Kawamura, Terry Nakasone's sister, said it's hard not to blame herself
for Nakasone's death. The Nakasones were with Kawamura half an hour before
the shooting, delivering a birthday present. Kawamura said they were all to
go out later that day to play golf. She said she wishes she'd held them back
just a little longer. "I miss her," Kawamura said. "She was just in the wrong
place at the wrong time."
Carol Kim's parents are arriving in Honolulu tonight from Melbourne,
Australia. Her father, Cliff Prior, said his eldest grandson still hasn't
come to understand what happened to his parents. "He said, 'You know what?
Mommy and daddy might be able to pick you up from the airport when you
arrive.'"
Dennis Kamimura, Lau's supervisor at the city Department of Motor Vehicles,
said Lau was an average employee who minded his own business. "He was
meticulous in his work, his desk was always neat," Kamimura said. "Everyone
was shocked that something like this could happen." The department has
arranged for counseling for Lau's coworkers.
Meanwhile, Honolulu police were quick to defend their handling of the
incident. A headline in today's _Honolulu Advertiser_ read: "Were police late
to the murder scene?" Police officials today resoundingly answered in the
negative. The _Advertiser_ article apparently focused on extended transcripts
of phone calls that had been passed on to fire department dispatchers. Those
"medical emergency" calls, police say, were handled much differently than the
intial calls made by neighbors.
Police records show the first report of gunshots came in at 4:57 p.m. The
next call was from Carol Kim at 4:57 p.m., during which she was shot.
According to the department, an officer who was in the area arrived at the
scene at 5:01 p.m., and a second officer arrived 30 seconds later.
"We want to assure the public that whey you call 911 you're going to get a
response," said Maj. Robert Prasser. Police Chief Michael Nakamura said the
_Advertiser_ headline was "misleading," giving residents the impression that
residents "have an inept, bumbling police force." He said: "That's far, far
from the truth."
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Subject: HARRIS CAMPAIGN CLAIMS ANGERS MORGODO CAMP
The television ad is run more frequently than almost any other in the hotly-
contested race for Honolulu mayor: a slab of bologna falls onto a line graph,
the voice-over claiming "election year baloney" and insinuating that Arnold
Morgado was responsible for $7,438,000 in police department budget cuts over
four non-sequential fiscal years during which he served as chair of the City
Council. The ad goes on to say that as mayor, Harris was responsible for
pumping $7,334,000 to the police budget. "It's a bald-faced lie," city
councilmember John Henry Felix said today. "It's misleading, it's not the
truth." Morgado supporters say the math used in the ad only uses three-years'
worth of figures, rather than figures from all seven years Morgado was
council chair. Felix said if the budgets are examined accurately, the City
Council actually added $5 million under Morgado's leadership. "The Harris
administration has been consistent in manipulating the numbers to make the
administration look good, and this is really not in the best interest of the
general public," he said. Officials with the Harris campaign say Felix has it
backwards, claiming the $5 million boost to the police budget is the result
of required union pay-raises outside of Morgado's and the council's control,
or took place after Morgado stepped down as chairman. Meanwhile, the mayor's
race has caused a split between Hawai`i police officers. The television ad is
paid for in part by SHOPO, the state's police officers' union. SHOPO, and
notably it's Honolulu chapter, initially supported Harris but later switched
to endorse Morgado. Officials with the Honolulu chapter have filed a
complaint with the Hawai`i Labor Relations Board, claiming the union's state
leaders helped pay for the ad without the full support of all its members.
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Subject: TWIN ISLAND INFANTS SHARE CANCER THREAT
A pair of identical twins born two months ago have both developed tumors on
their brain stems, their life-threatening condition keeping the family on
edge while intriguing medical scientists. Alana and Alyssa Hazelwood have
both had repeated surgical procedures to remove part of the tumors, but they
begin growing again within a matter of days. Doctors say such tumors cannot
be completely removed without taking brain tissue with it. Researchers with
the Johns Hopkins Institute are saying that it's probably the first time
brain tumors have been found in identical twins at birth. "This is extremely
rare," said Kelly Woodruff, a doctor at Kapi`olani Medical Center. "This has
never happened before in medical history." Alana's condition is more serious,
and she is currently on a respirator in intensive care. Alyssa is undergoing
chemotherapy, but may need more serious radiation treatment. The girls'
father, Jim Hazelwood, said at first he and his wife thought they did
something wrong. "I asked, 'Why has this happened? We have no history of
it,'" Hazelwood said. "They did checks on it -- It's just a random change in
chromosomes that caused it." Even if the tumors are eventually eliminated,
doctors say there's a strong chance the girls will be permanently disabled.
So far, hospital costs have hit $72,000. With limited insurance, and mother
Gina Hazelwood vowing not to return to work until her daughters are healthy
again, the couple is struggling financially. Jim Hazelwood's employers have
started a trust fund to help: The Alyssa and Alana Cancer Fund, c/o Sonitrol
Security, P.O. Box 17928, Honolulu, Hawai`i, 96817.
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Subject: NO FLAW FOUND IN H-3 FREEWAY DESIGN
A state investigation determined that heat expansion caused four 60-ton
girders to collapse at a H-3 construction site in Halawa Valley last month,
and not any flaw in the freeway's structure or design. Construction has been
halted since the July 27 accident. State Transportation Director Kazu
Hayashida said today that one of the girders expanded, straining against
concrete supports and buckling. The girder twisted and knocked three others
off the incomplete bridge. No workers were seriously injured. Hayashida said
the girders were only temporarily secured, and were to be locked into place
with tensional wiring. "Apparently they could have done a better job in
trying to get freer movement," he said. "They'll be putting another steel
plate underneath so they can move against each other with less friction."
Work is expected to resume within the month, Hayashida said, and despite the
two-week setback contractor Kewit Pacific Construction is expected to
complete work on the H-3 on schedule, by the end of 1997.
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Subject: BITS AND PIECES
CLEAN-UP efforts continue on Kaua`i after a 1,800-gallon gasoline spill
yesterday morning. Central Petroleum Co. has hired an unnamed environmental
company to help remove gas from underground wells and waterways near
Nawiliwili Harbor, and Rice Street and area beaches remained closed today.
According to company officials, the gas leaked from a flexible hose at a gas
station, but only 50 gallons made it into the ocean. So far, 600 gallons have
been extracted from test wells around the station. Health officials say the
cleanup is expected to last the rest of the week...
STUDENTS from families who speak limited English will be the benefactors of a
federally funded state program to improve the state's language education
program. Nearly 1,000 students from O`ahu, Kaua`i and Maui will participate
in either the Kilohana or Menehune program, which is geared to fortify the
English skills of students who speak Samoan, Ilokano or Tagalog as a first
language. The amount of the federal grant, secured by Sen. Daniel Inouye, is
yet to be determined by Washington lawmakers...
HEATING problems in a cockpit windshield forced a Hilo-bound Hawaiian
Airlines DC-9 jet to return to Honolulu on Monday. Flight 102 departed for
the Big Island at 5:30 a.m., but were only a few miles off O`ahu when the
problem was detected. Airline officials said the problem was a minor one. All
138 passengers aboard the plane were put onto a later flight, landing in Hilo
just over an hour behind their original arrival time...
BIG ISLAND police have opened a homicide investigation over the death of 17-
year-old Glen Guerrero, a Puna resident. Guerrero's was found shot in the
head at about 4 p.m. yesterday off Keeau Armory Road near Keeau Park. Family
and friends said he had gone to the area to meet someone at about noon, and
investigators are currently looking for that individual. Presently, police
have made no arrests and have no suspects, and have not recovered a weapon...
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Subject: KA `UPENA ALMANAC
TEMPS: O`ahu 85/73, Kaua`i 84/72, Moloka`i 83/71, Maui 88/71, Hilo 83/70
CASTS: Sunny, some rain, trades to 20MPH; North, east shore surf to 4 feet.
WEDNESDAY'S TIDES: High -:-- p.m.; Low -:-- a.m.
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