By Susan Kreifels, Star-Bulletin Honolulu's gay and lesbian community is going more public with the opening of a new information center on Beretania Street. At first volunteers will run the center, which organizers hope to keep open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The center will include office spaces, a community library, a reading and coffee area, meeting spaces, and a community information center. Last week Gov. Ben Cayetano signed the new fees into effect, more than doubling the cost of a 30-day stay at the Halawa facility over the next four years. Funding changed from general to special funding, which means the quarantine facility must generate enough revenue to cover its expenses.
Quarantine is necessary to keep the state rabies-free, government officials say.
For 30-day stays, the fees will increase in four steps over the next four years, said Ann Takiguchi, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture. At that time fees will be reviewed. Agriculture officials said the total number of animals coming to the station has increased. But only half of the number of animals are there at any given time compared to earlier years before the state shortened the quarantine stay from 120 days to 30 days for animals that meet quarantine requirements. Income is not meeting costs, despite cutting 10 full-time caretakers.