Defence Department

Hawaii

Protection offered to sacred sand dunes

HAWAIIANS have erected a traditional shrine filled with bananas, taro and ti leaves at the American army missile launching site on Kauai island in order to offer protection to sacred sand dunes.

A military spokesman said permission had been given to erect the shrine after the Reverend Kalco Patterson agreed to hold the dedication ceremony about a kilometre from the Nohili dunes. Hawaiians taking part in the ceremony said the shrine was to protect sand dunes covering an ancient burial site from being disturbed by rockets being fired from the nearby

launching pad.

Defence Department

to relocate operations

THE US Defence Department has decided to relocate 19 finance and accounting operations throughout the Pacific defence command to navy facilities at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye said the consolidation would create 500 new jobs in Honolulu.

Senator Inouye, who is chairman of the defence sub committee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the relocations to Pearl Harbour were expected to begin next year.