| PEOPLE MAKING NEWS MILILANI - Stacey Suzui was named marketing officer of Commerical Financing &
Leasing at GE Capital Hawaii...Gavin Ontai won $1,400 for
2nd place in the Continental Open chess tournament in Los Angeles...Nate Adams is on Bradley University's soccer team...Richard Spacek scored a hole-in-one on Aug 13 on the 198-yd 10th hole at
Hawaii CC using a 4-iron....Eric
Chang & Sherman Wong have joined Castle
& Cooke Homes...Gayle
Kahalehau won a Jeep Wrangler in the
Associates' Mililani branch's "Dash for Cash" spring
promotion...Jodie Brede was appointed operations manager of American Savings Bank
at the Town Center branch...Eydie
Shimote graduated from USC with a masters
degree in occupational therapy...Sklyler Goo won 5th place at
the Meadow Gold Dairies 47th annual Healthy Baby Contest...Kaleen Hasegawa & Elise Tsugawa graduated from the University of Hawaii's William
Richardson School of Law...Delores Harris raised $2,040 for
the hawaiian Humane Society's PetWalk...New officers for the Rotary Club of Miliani are Wendell Nekota, president; Vince Dydasco,
president-elect; Donna Abreau, vice president; Laureen Teixeira, secretary; Chiris Calligan,
treasurer; Randall Nitta & Glenn Yoshimori,
sergeant-of-arms ...Harold Ng
scored a hole-in-one on July 20 on the 140-yd
12th hole at Mililani using a 5-wood...Jim Kelly scored a
hole-in-one on July 16 on the 167-yd 2nd hole at Mamala Bay using a 6-iron...Barry Yasuda was awarded a University of Hawaii Regents scholarship...Dan Murakami scored a hole-in-one on July 13 on the 149-yd 7th hole at
Pali using a 7-iron...Ella
Tweedie was awarded a American Savings Bank
scholarship...Stacie Kato was named to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars
at Purdue University...Tabitha
Autele graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy
degree from Unitveristy of Washington...Kristie Gushiken was named to
the National Society of Colegiate Scholars at Colorado State University...Kristyn Kitabayashi & Lindsey Singeo were awarded scholarships from the 2000 Hawaii Rotary
Youth Fofundation...Kristy
Oshita was awarded a $500 Longs Drugs
educational grant...Jamie
Morgan was awarded a 4-yr $40,000 HPU
President's Scholarship...Philip
Au, Ronald Nishihara, & Laura Kodama were
promoted to project manager at Castle & Cooke Homes...the Rotary Club of Mililani Sunrise raised more than $8,000 at its May youth scholarship golf
fund-raiser...Kristi
Desuacido graduated cum laude from the Univ.
of San Diego in anthropology...
Letter
to Editor
NOISE FROM NEIGHBOR'S DOGS IS AFFECTING THIS FAMILY'S HEALTH
by Edward Wagner
For approximately 2 years, my
family and neighbors have suffered from the horrible whining, moaning, crying,, howling,
and barking of a neighbor's 6 dogs. This neighbor has 4 Rotwilers, a Belgin Sheep dog, and
a Bull Mastif on approximately 6,500 square feet of property.
The dogs have made this noise
intermittently for 8 to 10 hours a day as well as general barking noise whenever the
owners have been away from their home. More
recently, I have also had to endure the irritating noise of the owner’s vacuum
cleaner between 5:35 A.M. and 7:30 A.M. almost every morning while I am still in bed. The noise disturbs my rest and sometimes wakes me
up. The owner's attitude seems to be that
they are allowed to have 10 dogs and only have six so what is the big deal?
I spoke to the owner last July and again
in August in an attempt to resolve the problem. The
noise continued. I
sought help from Mililani Town Association, and a warning letter was sent to the
owner. This was the 2nd warning
letter the owner had received since moving to this property from elsewhere in Mililani.
I sought
help from the Humane Society, but they lacked
the resources to do much except verify licenses and talk to the owner They could not spare
the time to wait around and hear the noise directly. The noise continued.
In December, I attended an
aggressive dog bill hearing chaired by Councilmember Rene Mansho whic was attended by
approximately 60 people. I played an
audiotape of the noise and asked for a show of hands from those who felt that the noise
was unpleasant to hear, and 20 to 25 people or one-third of the attendees raised their
hand. I then asked how many of those raising
their hand would like to wake up each morning to that sound, and no one raised their hand.
My mom,
now 91 years old, and I visited the Wahiawa Police station one Saturday in January
to seek help. We were told that the police were not going to sit around and listen for
noisy dogs. However, I could call 911 as much as I wanted and possibly make the officer on
duty mad enough that he might sit and wait until he heard the dogs and issue a citation.
After my neighbor, who has owned
a German Shepherd for at least 18 years, and I submitted written statements to the Humane
Society, the owner was given a warning on February 12. But the noise continued. A $25.00 citation was subsequently given on April
1 or 2 only after we made additional oral complaints.
The noise continued.
I never felt that 911 should be
used for anything but life threatening situations, but on Sunday morning, March 12, I was
so frustrated that I called 911, held my phone outside the back door to record the noise
and was told that the police would do nothing, but a patrol car
would be sent anyway. The noise continued.
I spoke to the Mililani Post Master, John Galera on September 22, and
one of the mail carriers. They are quite
familiar with these dogs from previous experience and will not go near the owner’s
house to deliver a package. A note is left in the mailbox for the owner to pick up the
package at the Post Office.
In mid May, out of sheer desperation to get help from anybody who would
listen, I spent 3 days capturing the noise on videotape.
One day’s session started around 7 A.M. and ended at 6:45 P.M. The day
after delivering copies of the tape to various individuals, my
neighbor and I received a subpoena to appear in Wahiawa District Court on June 1 because
the owner had refused to pay the $25.00 fine. The
owner was found guilty and ordered to pay the fine. MTA sent a 3rd warning
letter. The noise continues.
There has been a modest but unsatisfactory improvement from my yard
side, but my neighbor who is closer to the
dogs said that the noise is still bad. Some
dogs appear to be inside the house so the noise is muffled a bit.
I believe that the dogs should
be removed from the property immediately! The noise
may be music to the owner’s ears, but it has been very stressful for us, and my pulse
and blood pressure are elevated for the first time in my life”. Dog owners seem to be
immune to the sound of their dogs just as an unprotected automotive paint specialist
becomes immune to the smell of paint fumes; both are unhealthy situations.
Our quality of life has been compromised, and we feel like we are
living behind a dog kennel. We cannot enjoy our yard.
We should not have to close our doors and windows just to hear the TV, read
the paper, listen to music, or take a nap. As I see it, the only equitable solution to this problem island wide is to
restrict the number of dogs allowed on a property by zoning code. Various
condominium/homeowner associations have set the precedent by limiting the number of dogs.
It is now the City and County of Honolulu’s turn to do the same. Public Health is of paramount importance and must
take precedence over those who would oppose such a change in the law. Mr. Spock in Star Trek’s Wrath of Khan made
the same point when he said “The needs of the many outweigh the
needs of the few or the one”.
Quoting from the League for the Hard of Hearing WEB page, William H.
Stewart, former U.S. Surgeon General, stated, “Calling noise a nuisance is like
calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people
everywhere”. Studies have correlated
noise with physiological changes in sleep, blood pressure, and digestion."
Noise in our
community must be treated as a serious threat to our health. I ask that we work together
to decrease unnecessary noise in Mililani and preserve the quality of life that we cherish
so much here.Thank you.
MILILANI ADVANCES IN PONY WORLD SERIES
MORENO VALLEY, CA - July 31,
2000 - Mililani advanced to the PONY World Series by winning the West Zone championship in
the Mustang Division (9-10 year olds) at Moreno Valley, California.
Mililani, came out of the loser's bracket, needing defeat Pacific Grove
(CA) twice in order to advance to Irving, Texas, the site of the PONY World Series.
In the first game, Mililani crushed the previously undefeated Pacific
Grove team, 12-0. In the following game, Mililani built an early lead and, with Dustin
Antolin on the mound, closed out Pacific Grove, 10-3. Mililani will play the Caribbean
Zone champion in the first game of the PONY World Series on Wednesday. The tournament will
crown its national champion on August the 5th.
Mililani began the tournament against Agoura (CA) and was convincingly
defeated 14-4. Facing elimination, Mililani battled back conquering Corona (CA), 13-3. On
Saturday, Mililani defeated Sandy (UT) 11-6 and in a rematch game with Agoura (CA),
narrowly won, 8-7. In the semifinal game, Mililani cruised past Palmdale (CA), 11-1.
Mililani is managed by Terry Derby, Jr. The
coaches are Ty Sing Chow and Lester Ventura. Team members are: Dustin Antolin, Kylen Cadiam, Kevin Curd, Kanalu Demello, Ryan Demello,
Travis Derby, Michael Gonzalez, Donovan Ladao, Richard Mariano, Joshua Miekel, Jared
Nagai, Waylen Sing Chow, Darren Sonobe, Darby Ventura and Jay Yoshizawa.
The players and coaches are members of the Central Oahu Youth Baseball
League (COYBL) which plays its games in Mililani. Earlier this summer, the all star Pinto
baseball team (ages 7-8) won the state championship.
Update: After winning the West Regional, Mililani went on to the
Pony World Series in Irving Texas and finished fourth over-all in the country. See http://www.goibba.org/index.html.
STILL SEIZING THE MOMENT, EVEN AFTER A
CENTURY OF LIFE
from Honolulu Advertiser
AUGUST 6, 2000 - To Sarah M.
Armstrong, life has been full of unexpected surprises.
But living to 106 years old? Well, that’s not what stands out in
her mind.
In her daughter’s cozy home in Mililani Mauka, Armstrong
reminisces about going to school in Scotland, touring the
country to sing in operettas and traveling around Europe. Bobby Darrin’s "Beyond
the Sea" drifts onto the lanai from the living room, providing the perfect whimsical
accompaniment to Armstrong’s tales.
"We lived a very exciting life, I tell you," she says, her
blue eyes seemingly fixed on a particular memory in her mind. "Never a dull
moment."
She has been blessed by the pope, lived through two world wars and
fondly recalls the time her husband received the military cross from King George V at
Buckingham Palace.
Armstrong has soaked up all life has to offer, and that, she said, has
kept her youthful in spirit and mind.
"Live an active life, and you’ll live as long as me,"
she said with a smile.
Reading and writing fill her days now. She writes to more than 50
family members and friends, from Pittsburgh to
Australia. Without fail, Armstrong reads The Advertiser cover to cover, often engaging her
daughter and son-in-law
in conversations about current events. She continues to follow the Pittsburgh Pirates and
Steelers, and reads up on
all the professional golfers.
"That keeps her up-to-date," said Nona Minami,
Armstrong’s daughter, with whom she now lives. "You know, things
were very different 100 years ago. If she didn’t keep up, she’d be in a state of
shock."
Minami said her mother has remained healthy because of her nutritious
diet, healthful habits and lots of walking.
Though Armstrong says she’s never been sick - not even a headache
or stomachache in her life - she is hard-of-hearing in both ears. She has acute
osteoporosis with scoliosis. Still,
she remains articulate and sharp, and her memory, though long, is vivid.
Put her life in perspective: She was born in 1894, the same year as Norman
Rockwell, Dashiell Hammett and e.e.
cummings. Grover Cleveland was president then, and cancer only caused 4 percent of U.S.
deaths. Hawai‘i had just been annexed by the United States.
During her lifetime, Albert Einstein formulated his theory of
relativity, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was formed, Sigmund Freud wrote
"Introduction to Psychoanalysis," the
stock market crashed twice and penicillin was discovered.
Armstrong, born in Scotland in 1894, lived a simple life with her seven
brothers and sisters. She met her husband,
Alexander, at school. Though they grew up together in a small town outside Glasgow, he
never asked her out until
they were 17. He was leaving to be a ship engineer and he wanted to see her before he
left. "That was our first date," Armstrong said with a girlish laugh.
World War I started and she was sent to work as a payroll clerk at a
shipyard. Alexander left to serve in the British
Army, and their engagement was put on hold.
She and Alexander were reunited after the war. They married in 1923 and
had two girls. In Scotland, she was an avid golfer, but when the family immigrated to the
United States five years later, she gave it up to be a housewife. They lived in Ohio and
then resided in Pittsburgh for nearly 30 years.
After her husband died in 1971, Armstrong lived alone until she was 97
years old.
"She did her own cooking, caught the bus herself, went to the
market and church," Minami said. "She’s amazing."
Minami, who has been living in Hawai‘i for more than 50 years,
brought her mother to live with her and her husband
nine years ago. Armstrong fell in love with Hawai‘i, especially with the
Islands’ fruits.
"I think travel is an education in itself," said Armstrong,
who wishes she could roam France again and visit her nephews in Australia. She stopped
traveling only at age 100, when she developed some trouble walking on her own. She has
been
using a walker for just four years.
Though she says she probably won’t leave the Islands,
Armstrong’s mind continues to travel through her memories.
"I’ve had a great life and seen so many things," she
said. "But I haven’t seen it all yet. I still want to see more."
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MILILANI BIRTHS MILILANI - Cody Tatsuo Kakia Shiroma, born July 9 to Lori Ann & Wesley Shiroma...Dakota Dwayne Burbridge, born June 10 to Wendie Joy & Patrick Burbridge...Janel Alviar, born June 7 to Chris & Jimmy Alviar...Donavon Ka`uokalani Ugalino, born Mar 28 to Lanan Raposa & Joel Ugalino...Christopher Michael Hotchkiss, born Feb 13 to Vanessa Cole & Kenneth Hotchkiss...Bryson Yasuo Shishido, born April 5 to Cynthia & Eric Shishido..Dominique LeilaniBaduria, born April 28 to Lisa & Donald
Baduria...Zachary Noah Duropan, born May 4 to Gina &
Ruben Duropan....
MHS
STUDENT SCHEDULES, PICTURE TAKING, & REGISTRATION FOR NEW STUDENTS.
MILILANI HIGH SCHOOL - The
2000-2001 student schedules & id picture taking will be available in the cafeteria
from 9am-1pm on Jul 31 for seniors, Aug 1 for juniors, & Aug 2 for sophomores. On Aug
3, schedules can be picked up in the gym by freshmen & new students from 7:30-8am,
with assembly in the gym from 8-9am, & picture taking in the cafeteria from 9am-2pm.
Clases begin on Aug4.
Fee payments are being accepted by mail. Parents may mail checks with a
self-addressed envelope to MHS, 95-1200 Meheula Parkway, Mililani Hawaii 96789. Indicate
student’s name, grade, & fees being paid. Receipt & athletic book (if
ordered) will be mailed.
Fees are as follows: Student Body - $8. Class Dues - $8. Optional
Yearbook - $37. Optional Athletic Book - $20. PTSO Membership - $10 per adult member.
Voluntary parent bulletin/information - $5. Voluntary student planner - $5.
Registration for new students will be held thru July 14 from 8am-12noon
in the reistrar's office.
MILILANI
SELECT GOLD - TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS!
MILILANI, HAWAI`I - The
Mililani AYSO Select Gold #1 U-12 girls captured 1st place in the recent Rainbow
Tournament held at Kapiolani Park.
They capped off their dream season by winning their pool play,
advancing to the play-offs. In the semi-finals against Newbury, Mililani came back from a
0-1 deficit at the half to beat Newbury 4-1. In the championship game, they defeated Aiea
by the score of 2-0.
Their dream season began with the Mililani girls taking 1st place in
the Windward Classic, then going all the way in the Kirk Banks Tournament. The regular
season mirrored their tournament record of being undefeated. Mililani's offensive punch
complemented their virtually impenetrable defense: they outscored their opponents in all
three tournaments as well as the regular season 103 to 4.
Players include: Kylie Ah Choy, Crystal Ah Sam, Kelcie Ama, Marisa
Belaski-Farias, Chelsea Deptula, Cami Kageno, Taryn Kishimoto, Tracy Kusaka, Carrissa
Oshiro, Brianne Rivera, Kristi Sagara, Shannon Tamura, Jordan Weeks, Kelly Ann Wert, Jamie
Yatsushiro.
The team is coached by head coach Lynette Kishimoto & assistant
coach Mike Umeda.
Online Political Advertising
ANOTHER FIRST FOR MILILANI
MILILANI,
HAWAI`I - Mililani Interactive is offering advertising space to persons running for
elected office.
"We're offering advertising space at the cheapest rate possible,
as low as $7 a month for a banner ad," said a Mililani Interactive spokesperson.
"Our low-cost rate is not a gimmick. Our goal is to encourage persons seeking elected
office to advertise online. We believe the Internet is an effective way to complement the
traditional methods of getting campagin messages across to voters."
Presently, ad space is available only on the government/politics
pages of Mililani Interactive. To reserve a space, contact editor@opihi.com.
REGISTRATION
FOR MILILANI MEN'S MAKULE SOFTBALL LEAGUE
An organizational meeting will
be held on July 21 at the Mililani District Park multipurpose building at 7pm.
The season runs from Aug 28 thru Nov 17. Open to men 40 years and
older, games are played at the Mililani District Park on Mon, Wed, & Fri evenings -
first game is at 7pm; second game is at 8:15pm.
For more info, call Paul Herr at 956-8276 (days) or Art Neff at
623-4367 (evenings).
Teams must pay a $25 non-refundable deposit to reserve a slot.
HAWAIIAN KAJUKENBO TOURNAMENT RESULTS
MILILANI, HAWAI`I - Hawaiian Kajukenbo.participated in the Kajukenbo
Self-Defense Institute 50th Anniversary Tournamanet held July 1 & 2 at the Pacific
Beach Hotel.
Results were: Tayszia Iverson - 2nd
Kumate; Amanda Iverson - 4th Kumate; Aaron
Nakazato - 3rd Kenpo Kata; Aaron Payomo - 1st Kenpo
Kata & 2nd Chinese Kata; Ann Uruu - 3rd Kenpo Kata; Misha Vidad - 1st Kumate; Jonah Lewis -
1st Chinese Kata, 2nd Kenpo Kata, & 2nd Japanese Kata; Travis
Gomez - 1st Kenpo Kata, 1st Japanese Kata, & 3rd Kumate; Niki
Whalen - 1st Kenpo Kata & 2nd Chinese Kata; Shane Coelho
- 3rd Kenpo Kata, 3rd Japanese Kata & 3rd Kumate; Thomas
Whalen - 1st Kenpo Kata, 1st Chinese Kata, & 1st Kumate; and Noel Araki - 1st Weapons Kata.
Letter to Editor
PRIVATE SECURITY SERVICES MAY BE GOOD FOR MILILANI
by Paul J. Watson
The July 2000 Mililani News
had an article which stated that at the last MTA Annual meeting several homeowners
suggested that the MTA retain the services of a security firm to patrol the entire
Mililani community. The MTA's response was that engaging a private
security service would require a substantial increase in the assessment fees now
being paid by members. What will be the increase in fees? Has the MTA solicited feedback
from all the homeowners in Mililani on this important suggestion for the security and
safety of homeowners and their family and protection of property against theft?
Before tabling the suggestion, I think the MTA should solicit feedback
from all homeowners just as the MTA did for the new billing statement. The issue of
safety/security is far more important than the new billing statement. The MTA could send out a questionnaire to all homeowners soliciting input on
the suggestion of private security service for the entire Mililani community. The
questionnaire should include estimated amount homeowners will have to pay for the security
services.
Many homeowners are currently paying for security
services equipment and/or has a dog for security/protection while at home and away
from home at work, shopping, visiting, eating-out and on vacation. Security service for
the entire Mililani community may result in some or most homeowners paying less for
security and a decrease in the number of annoying barking dogs in the community. A security service would result in decrease in burglaries/less barking
dogs, make the community a more safer/attractive place to live which will result
increased valve of homes for resale.
What kind of protections do Mililani homeowners get from the Honolulu
Police Department (HPD)? Does HPD patrol the Mililani community, if so, how many units
patrol Mililani? If HPD does not patrol Mililani, why not? This information could be
included in the questionnaire sent to homeowners to solicit input on private security
services.
Letter to Residents
MENOR PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR MAUKA AMBULANCE FACILITY
by State Senator Ron Menor
Dear Mililani Residents:
Thank you for the opportunity
to share my views on this issue.
I am glad to hear that the City and County of Honolulu is proceeding
with plans for an ambulance facility in Mililani Mauka. Given the growth that is occurring
in the Mililani Mauka area, I believe that the opening of such a facility is justified. As
a strong believer in citizen participation in Government, I am also pleased that the
involvement of concerned citizens is helping to make this project a reality. You can rest assured that I will exert my best efforts to obtain funds for
staffing from the Legislature once the facility is built.
If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact my
office.
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX OFFERS MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION
CLASSES
MILILANI LEARNING CENTER -
AUGUST 2000 - University of Phoenix, Hawaii is offering Microsoft Windows 2000
certification tracks for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSEs).
Prospective students can find out more at free seminars to be offered
in August and September at 6 p.m. Dates are as follows: Wednesday, August 23, Wednesday,
September 6 and Wednesday, September 13.
The new tracks raise the standards of certification by including
performance-based exams, adaptive testing techniques and emphasizing troubleshooting. The
Windows 2000 track also requires design skills for security, network infrastructure or
directory infrastructure. Candidates with at least one year of experience implementing and
administering a network operating system will likely be the most successful in passing the
exams.
Courses are offered twice a week for four hours to give students ample
time to digest the material; courses are taught in a state-of-the art computer lab by MSCE
certified instructors. In addition, the University of Phoenix uses an academic-based model
to further enhance the learning process.
For more information on the University of Phoenix's MSCE program for
Windows 2000, or for a course schedule, please call 536-2686.
PRICE
WAS LAST HOPE FOR HAWAI`I IN TRIALS
from Honolulu Star-Bulletin
AUGUST 16, 2000 - Hawaii's absence from Olympic swimming will reach 28
years.
And NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines said he doesn't see any excuse
for it.
After former UCLA and Mililani High School swimming star Keiko Price
failed to make the women's 50-meter freestyle finals at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in
Indianapolis last night, Hawaii's chances to place a swimmer in Sydney ended.
The last time a locally born and raised swimmer earned a berth for the
U.S. in the Olympics was 1976 (Chris Woo) and the last year that a swimming medal was won
by an isle swimmer was 1968.
The next time Hawaii swimmers will have a chance to qualify for the
Olympics will be at the 2004 trials for Greece.
"It's baffling to me not to see more Hawaiian swimmers vie for
position (at the trials)," said Gaines, a three-gold medal winner in 1984 who lived
here in the 1990s.
"You're talking about a state where swimming is a way of life. If
Lindsay Benko from Elkhart, Ind., can make the Olympic team (200-meter backstroke,
200-meter freestyle), there's no reason why swimmers from Hawaii can't. It is
disappointing. You just have to figure out a way to get more kids in Hawaii interested in
swimming instead of surfing."
Gaines, speaking by phone from Indianapolis, said that learning how to
swim was mandatory when he was going to school in his native Florida.
"You had to swim to survive," he said.
He said that when he lived in Hawaii, he had helped Hawaii Kai
Elementary make swimming part of its curriculum.
"That's where you have to start," he said, noting that
mandatory swim classes would be a good idea for Hawaii. "What can it hurt? I don't
see the harm in it."
Price swam a personal record but failed to make the finals of the
women's 50-meter freestyle last night. She finished in 25.75 seconds, bettering her
previous personal record of 25.93.
"I saw Keiko's swim tonight and I was really saddened by it,"
said Gaines.
"Here's Keiko Price, one of the best sprinters in the world, and
it just so happens that she's faced with swimmers better than her. You can't sugar-coat
it. She just got beaten by better swimmers. Even if she made the finals, she's not going
to beat Dara Torres or Amy Van Dyken. But neither is anyone else in that race."
Torres (24.93) and Van Dyken (25.11) led the eight-swimmer field into
the finals.
In her only other event, the 100-meter freestyle, Price also made it as
far as the semifinals. But she finished last among 16 swimmers at that stage on Sunday.
Price was elated at setting a PR, but she said that's it for her
swimming career.
"I feel kind of weird right now because it's the last meet I was
ever going to do," she said in a phone interview from her hotel room. "It's kind
of a bittersweet feeling. I don't think it has sunk in yet."
Price, 22, who graduated from UCLA in the spring, said she'll stick to
her retirement
decision, "Unless months down the road I have a really strong urge to come
back."
She said she's leaving the sport without regrets.
"I'm definitely not depressed at all," said Price.
Two other locally raised former prep stars competed in the trials.
Former Punahou and Auburn swimmer John Flanagan, a successful ocean
swimmer, finished 27th yesterday morning in the 1500-meter freestyle.
"He swam his personal best by about five seconds," said
Gaines. "It was sort of an
after-thought for John because he really came here to swim the 5-K they're having the day
after trials, to try to make the national team in that event. I think if distance swimming
ever became an Olympic sport, you might see Hawaii really do something."
Flanagan's younger brother, former Punahou and Florida State sprinter
Kevin Flanagan, earlier finished 44th in the 50-meter freestyle prelims on Monday and 51st
in the100-meter freestyle prelims on Saturday.
Former Stanford All-American Sabir Muhammad, who had been residing and
training in Hawaii since last year, failed to qualify in either of his two events.
The athlete who many expected to become the first African-American on
the U.S. Olympic swim team, carried the highest profile of anyone who flew in from these
shores.
Muhammad, who appeared as a guest actor on "Baywatch Hawaii"
last spring, finished last in the 100-meter freestyle final on Sunday night. On Monday
night, he failed to make it through the semifinals of the 50-meter freestyle, his best
event.
"He just ran into some guys who were on fire," said Gaines.
Five University of Hawaii swimmers also failed to qualify.
Jeff Stanford missed out in the 100- and 50-meter freestyle events.
Melanie Zauder and Morgan Hoesterey didn't make it past the prelims of the 100-meter
breast stroke.
Lori Thomas and Sarah Watchorn tried and failed in the 50-meter
freestyle.
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