City asks to alter streams for rail line

The state water commission is due this week to consider an application from the city for permission to alter channels in four Oahu streams to accommodate a planned commuter rail line.

The city has applied to alter the stream channels for Waiawa Stream Tributary and the Kapalama, Moanalua and Nuuanu streams.

The city wants to finish building the 20-mile elevated rail track in 2019. The rail line will run from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center and include 21 stations.

The Commission on Water Resource Management has put the permit application on the agenda for a meeting scheduled for Wednesday at the Department of Land and Natural Resources boardroom.

Panel taps KCC to train APEC helpers

The Hawaii Host Committee for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation has selected an Oahu college to train volunteers and workers for November’s conference in Honolulu.

The committee said Thursday that Kapiolani Community College will be responsible for training those who will interact with delegates and attendees of the APEC 2011 Leaders’ Week.

More than 20,000 are expected to attend, including leaders of the 21 APEC economies, ministers, business leaders and media representatives.

About 1,200 volunteers are needed for roles such as greeting guests at the airport and escorting them on shuttles. Volunteers are to be trained in areas including customer service and Hawaiian culture.

Archaeologist investigating Navy site

The Navy says an archaeologist is monitoring Pearl Harbor land it plans to develop to see whether any Native Hawaiian remains and artifacts might be buried there.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii said Thursday its first staff archaeologist, Jeff Pantaleo, is leading the monitoring, which began last week.

The State Historic Preservation Office has designated the site at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as critical for Native Hawaiian remains and artifacts. That requires the Navy to ensure that new construction won’t disturb anything buried at the location.

Californian dies in pool at waterfall

 A 35-year-old male visitor from Irvine, Calif., drowned Sunday afternoon at Kipu Falls on Kauai, the county said in a news release.

According to witnesses, the man jumped off the top off the falls into the pool below at about 2:05 p.m. He was swimming toward the shore when he went underwater and did not resurface.

Firefighters and rescue specialists recovered his body from the bottom of the pool at about 3:05 p.m.

His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Hurricane drill utilizes volunteers

Maui County authorities held a hurricane response drill Saturday using specially trained community volunteers, the Maui News reported.

Teams of trained police, firefighters, medics, trauma psychologists and volunteers gathered on the campus of Maui High School for the exercise.

Professionals worked alongside members of the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, made up of "willing and able" community members who have undergone at least 30 hours of medical and emergency training, said exercise director Alan Pascua.

CERT is always looking for more volunteers, said Lee Mainaga, Maui Fire Department fire services chief.

There are CERT teams stationed in Central Maui, Kihei, Lahaina and Upcountry.

In a disaster, volunteers are taught to first see to the safety of their own families, then contact one another via a phone and email tree. If communications are knocked out, they meet at a pre-established rendezvous point, such as a church.

“It’s really exciting, and it’s also about being prepared and wanting to save your neighbors,” said schoolteacher Andi Christi, part of the Upcountry team.

2 talks on termites

Julian Yates and Kenneth Grace of the University of Hawaii will conduct free public seminars on how to prevent and control termite infestations Thursday and July 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at McKinley Community School for Adults. Registration is required. Call 594-0540.