The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 3

Island Briefs TT 1 Kauai killings: Police suspect drugs, depression in murder-suicide. A4. HAWAII A3 Obituaries, D12 The Honolulu Advertiser Tuesday, August 15, 1995 City Editor Dan Nakaso, 525-8090 "We wanted to do something useful so (they) decided on building a bus shelter." Gaylene Nikora, following roadside accident that killed her husband, Royal TT iU Lantern festival honors those who died in WWII The annual parade of Japa-" nese lanterns on the Ala Wai Canal tonight will have spe-r cial significance this year. A special 8-foot lantern will help mark the 50th anniver-sary of the end of World War II and will symbolize the theme of the lantern festival the remembrance of World War II dead. The festival of lights gets underway at 5:30 p.m.

with songs, dances, and ceremonial court music near the Waikikir Kapahulu Library. The procession of lanterns, held annually during obon season, will begin around 7:45 p.m. Included will be 35 medium-sized lanterns mounted in a double-hull canoe, and as many as 2,000 small lanterns strung together and towed by the canoe. Roommate confesses hi J. Barry Markowitz photo Outside their Laie home, members of the Nikora family are comforted by friends and family members yesterday.

From left are son Jane (back to camera), wife Gaylene (fourth from left), daughter Harmony and son Jared (back to camera). Laie mourns Royal's loss a bishop, dancer and father Parole chief says repeat killer would be held longer By Ken Kobayashi Advertiser Courts Writer Hawaii Paroling Authority chief Claudio Suyat calls it "real tragic." Suyat said he can explain how 64-year-old Eugene Walter Barrett charged with murdering a woman yesterday managed to serve only about 12 years in prison for slaying two other women. He was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his former girlfriend in 1959 and manslaughter for stabbing his ex-wife in 1972. But Suyat said the parole files do not explain why previous paroling officials released Barrett early from his two prison terms. If a convicted killer with a similar record appeared before the parole board today, the chances of early release would be "slim to none," Suyat said.

The two-time convicted killer is now accused of killing Done-shia "Roxanne" Kastner, 41, with a small-caliber handgun at her Kinau Street apartment Friday. He surrendered to police Saturday at the Columbia Inn and is being held in lieu of $120,000 bail on charges of second-degree murder and a firearms violation. Suyat said parole records show Barrett was released on parole for the 1959 murder in 1967 after then-Gov. John Burns commuted his minimum term. He said paroling officials also released him on parole in 1976 after he served about four years in the manslaughter case.

Suyat said the files do not disclose the reason for the releases or why Gov. Burns commuted the sentence: "I would assume he was doing OK in prison," Suyat said. But Suyat said Barrett would have done a lot more prison time if he had faced today's Hawaii Paroling Authority. He said he didn't want to second-guess his predecessors' decisions, but noted, "In today's atmosphere, that would never have happened." Suyat said prisoners convicted of second-degree murder currently face an average of 25 years behind bars before being eligible for parole. And he said a prisoner convicted of manslaughter who has a prior second-degree murder conviction would serve, as a repeat offender, most if not all 0 tl Eugene Barrett 'Explosive personality' of the maximum 10-year prison term.

According to court files and the police, Barrett knew all three victims. And although he had no romantic relationship with Kastner, he mistook her friendliness for romantic overtures. The court files in his earlier two cases portray a man who had problems with alcohol and what mental -health experts called an "explosive personality." Born in Oakland, Barrett didn't go beyond the ninth grade here at Washington Intermediate School. He served in the Army ard saw combat in Korea, but was given an undesirable discharge in 1955 with a reference, "excessive drinking," according to the court files. In 1959, Barrett was an unemployed house painter when he shot and killed Annie Phillips, 37, at her Mayor Wright Housing apartment.

Barrett said he had been drinking and didn't recall the shooting. But witnesses quoted him as saying, "She deserved ML? "When jilted by her," (he) could not take the jolt," the court file said. After his release from prison, Barrett got married in February 1971, but Roberta Ululani Barrett obtained a divorce in November 1972. The following month, Barrett stabbed his 25-year-old former wife with a kitchen knife at his Cooke Street residence. Barrett was charged with second-degree murder, but later pleaded guilty to a lesser manslaughter offense.

He was sentenced to a 10-year term. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Claudio Suyat of Hawaii Paroling Authority and a veterans parade in Waikiki on Sept. 2. Officials don't know yet whether Clinton will attend further events Sept.

3 or how long he will stay in the Islands. Clinton last visited Hawaii in November 1994 for about three days to vacation following a trip to Jakarta to attend an Asia Pacific Economic Conference. Before coming to Hawaii, Clinton will leave the capital's stifling heat, deficit deadlines and televised inquisitions for the mountain air of Wyoming. to Nuuanu killing A man charged with mur-I dering his roommate report- edly has confessed to the crime. Luis Castillo told police he killed Boyd Petrie during an argument on Thursday in the Nuuanu boarding house where they lived, according to court papers filed yesterday.

Castillo, 43, said he pushed Patrie, 63, and the victim hit his head on a piece of wood, the court papers revealed. Castillo then told police he placed a plastic bag over Pe-, trie's head to keep blood from spilling. He is being held on 000 bail. Castillo originally told police he returned home to find his roommate with a plastic bag over his head, but was arrested Friday after an autopsy discovered blood on his clothes and a wooden board. City outlines rules for property tax refund Low-income elderly home-downers on Oahu may be eligible for a partial refund on their property taxes, the city reminds residents.

The deadline to file a claim is Oct. 30. To qualify for a refund, homeowners must be age 55 or older, have a total household income of less than 000 and have a property-tax bill exceeding 5 percent of in-. come. For more information, call 523-4555.

Or visit a satellite city hall, or Honolulu Hale room 114, or community booths at Ala Moana Center Sept. 27 and Windward Mall Oct. 4. Back-to-school traffic off to small start The first ripple in the back-. to-school traffic woes appeared yesterday when about 1,000 St.

Louis School 000 students returned to classes. But the tsunami will come next Monday and Sept. 1, when more than 50,000 University of Hawaii and community college students return to classes and nearly 183,000 public school students join the morning commute. Thus, "Beat the School Jam IX," was announced yesterday by state transportation officials. The annual campaign encourages commuters to shift their workday a bit earlier or later; carpool; bicycle or walk to work; or ride TheBus.

Staff and wire reports HP' UIPUI Tane, 17, so Royal canceled a planned summer vacation to help in his son's project. "We wanted to do something useful for the project so Tane and his father decided on building a bus shelter," Gaylene Nikora said. The couple also have a son, Marcus, 19 who is in Japan on a two-year Mormon Church mission and a daughter, Harmony. Royal was also the bishop of Jiis Mormon Church ward, the First Ward of Laie. Royal was known to teens in the church as the "Cool Bishop." Hyran Smith, 41, a boyhood friend of Royal, said, "He was such an unassuming man who loved sports and loved his family." Gaylene recalls that Royal was always taking children into their home when they needed some help, but that Royal especially enjoyed spending time with his children.

I i i I Advertiser file photo for sale. paid, Chan said, The number of rooms, archi- tectural plans, time frame for reopening, all are dependent on the insurance proceeds," he said. itiiiiifc ih lir-- The Nikora family in a recent portrait: Back row, from left: sons Tane, Jared and Marcus. Front row: Gaylene, Harmony and Royal Nikora. By Melissa Kallstrom Advertiser Staff Writer 'Tf AIE Gaylene Ni- I kora yesterday said I I she was mad when 1 1 ma she awoke Saturday and found that her husband, Royal, and two of their sons had left at dawn to do an Eagle Scout project without her.

"He used to just let me sleep," she said. "He knew I needed the rest." Then came terrible news: A speeding car careened off Kamehameha Highway and plowed into her family members, who were building a bus-stop shelter along the highway. Teen-aged Sons 'fane and Jared and a fourth builder, Waha Elkington, 58, escaped with minor injuries. But Royal Nikora, 43, sustained severe head injuries and died that night at The Queen's Medical Center. Yesterday, more than two dozen family members and friends gathered at the Nikora home on Wahinepee Street to comfort the family and tell stories about Royal, a city bus mechanic who was remembered as a generous person.

More relatives were on their way from New Zealand, where Royal was born, Australia and the Mainland. "My husband was probably the most kind and loving person I know. He never raised his voice in anger, and he always had a smile on his face," Gaylene Nikora said. Wiping tears from her eyes. She was asked if she is angry about the accident.

"No, I'm not going to hold It against her," Gaylene said, referring to the car's driver, a person the family knows. Police yesterday said they were continuing a negligent-homicide rence Chan, president of Wailua Associates, the firm through which Park Lane owns the property. Coco Palms has been one of Kauai's classics. It is set in an old coconut grove, surrounding a lagoon. It has a cluster of thatch-roofed accommodations and no buildings higher than two stories.

The hotel is famous for touches like the huge shells that form its bathroom sinks, and for being the site of Elvis Presley's marriage scene in his movie, "Blue Hawaii." "Coco Palms is not for sale," Chan said. "It is our intention to reopen the hotel and to do It as soon as we possibly can." The hotel and its insurance IN: 1 959 Sentenced to 1 5 to 50 years in prison for murder of ex-girlfriend Annie E. Phillips, 37, mother of five. OUT: 1967 Released on parole after Gov. John Burns commutes minimum term to 8 years.

Discharged from parole in 1971. IN: 1973 Sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter in stabbing death of ex-wife Roberta. Eligible for parole in 1976. OUT: 1976 Released on parole. Discharged from parole In 1982.

NOW: Aug. 1 4, 1 995 Charged with 2nd-degree murder in shooting death of Doneshia "Roxanne Kastner at her Kinau Street apartment. investigation into the accident, although no charges had been filed against the driver, a 30-year-old Laie woman. Sgt. David Talon of the Traffic Investigation Division said police had ruled out alcohol as a factor, but were looking into whether the woman was driving too fast.

The accident occurred about 6:25 a.m. on Kamehameha Highway, one mile south of Pualalea Street. It seems just about everyone in Laie knew Royal. Husband. Father.

Brother. Son. Uncle. Bishop. Mechanic.

Dancer. He came to Hawaii from New Zealand as a young man to dance at the Polynesian Cultural Center and attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii. There he met Hawaii native Gaylene, and they married and had three sons and a daughter. Becoming an Eagle Scout meant a lot to No. 2 son lift 't.

Coco Palms owner says it's not carrier, Aetna, are holding arbi- tration proceedings to establish the extent of damage and amount of insured loss. The ho- tel can't proceed with plans un- til It knows what it will be Source: Court flies; chairman Owners vow to reopen historic Coco Palms Clinton arriving Aug. 31 for V-J Day ceremonies Advertiser Staff and News Services President Clinton is on his way. Clinton is expected to arrive in Honolulu Aug. 31 for ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.

He'll attend several events the following two days, including a Joint Service Review at Wheeler Army Air Field on Sept. memorial services at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl; a wreath-laying at sea aboard the carrier USS Carl Vinson, By Jan TenBrnggencate Advertiser Kauai Bureau LIHUE, Kauai Owners of the Coco Palms, one of the oldest and most famous of Kauai's resort properties, say they're committed to rebuilding and reopening the property once hurricane insurance claims are settled. Their statement was issued to quell rumors that Park Lane Hotels might be prepared to take insurance proceeds and abandon the property. "We don't want Kauai to think we've given up on Coco Palms There is nothing we'd like better than to get it settled and move forward with plans to reopen the hotel," said Law.