Wailua condominium owners want bike path to go mauka

The cove at Papaloa fronts several beachfront condominium complexes at Wailua.
By LESTER CHANG - TGI Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, Mar 28, 2004 - 01:50:40 am HST

A Wailua couple has recommended the Seashell Restaurant on Wailua Bay be torn down to make way for a two-mile leg of a 23-mile-long, bicycle-and-pedestrian pathway Kaua‘i County officials have proposed from Nawiliwili Harbor to Anahola.

Doing so would open the way for development of the pathway along Papaloa Road in Wailua, instead of on a beach in front of a row of condominium projects lining the bay.

The option is being considered by county officials, said Sonja and Bernie King, residents at the Lae Nani condominiums.

The Wailua Bay View, Hale Awapuhi, and Lanikai, and Lae Nani condominiums are located along the picturesque bay.

The Kings said the long-shuttered Seashell Restaurant should be torn down to make way for the third phase because the structure has become rat-infested since it was damaged by Hurricane ‘Iniki in 1992 and closed since then.

The Seashell Restaurant is part of the old Coco Palms Resort, which also was severely damaged by the winds of ‘Iniki and remains closed. The hotel is now up for sale.

The two-mile section of the bicycle-and-pedestrian pathway is proposed to run along the coast from Lydgate Park to Waika‘ea Canal on the south border of the Pono Kai Resort in Kapa‘a. The section is the third phase of the county's proposed six-phase bicycle-and-pedestrian pathway project that would run north to Anahola, and south to Nawiliwili, eventually.

The Kings voiced their opinion in a letter sent to Kimura International, the Honolulu-based consultant conducting an environmental assessment of the route of the two-mile section.

Richard Weiser, a Princeville resident who is negotiating to buy the Coco Palms Resort, said he has been in touch with county officials to "discuss the right-a-way for the bicycle-pedestrian path in two different areas" by the restaurant.

"In no way does either option call for knocking down the restaurant," Weiser said. "We believe it (the bike path) is very good idea, and we are supportive of it."

Weiser said he is aware of the three options proposed for the pathway around the old restaurant, and supports the concept of the project.

"As far as we are concerned, we think it is a good idea, a great county amenity, and if we can work it out we will," Weiser told The Garden Island.

The Kings voiced other reasons for not having a pedestrian-bicycle path put on the beach.

The couple said Papaloa Cove is home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals, and that as volunteers for a monk-seal program they have worked to help with the recovery of the species.

The Kings said they sometimes have had to block off "quite a bit of lawn that is on state land in order to be 150 feet away (a safety distance) from the seal."

There are estimated 1,300 Hawaiian monk seals living in Hawaiian waters today.

The couple also said they can see "many problems with the path coming so close (to the condominiums by the beach) and the increased traffic with the bike path."

The couple also contend erosion makes the county-owned beach area a questionable choice for the pathway.

The shoreline in front of the Lae Nani condominiums was severely damaged by the huge waves of late November last year, and "there is a lot of erosion," the Kings wrote.

The couple also voiced concerns about heavy equipment being brought to the beach to create the pathway, and the impact of the project on surrounding areas.

The couple also said that should the pathway be put on the beach, "there will be no access for EMT (emergency medical technician) vehicles to reach any injured people on this portion of the bike path."

The Kings said they wouldn't object to placing the pathway on the beach if there were no other options. But, there are other options, they said.

Nancy Nishikawa, a senior planner with Kimura International, said three alignments are being considered.

One would run along the beach behind the condominium projects; a second would run along Papaloa Road; and a third would run northward along a canal behind the old Coco Palms Resort and the shopping centers in Wailua.

No route has been selected, as work on a draft environmental assessment for the two-mile, pedestrian-and-bicycle path is ongoing, Nishikawa.

She said the consultants and county officials welcome public comments in trying to determine the best route.

The Kings also said they also didn't like the idea of the pathway going on a public right-of-way between their condominium project and the Kauai Sands Hotel.

Putting parts of the pathway there would mean having to cut down several ironwood trees, the Kings said.

"A lot of trees have to come down, ironwood and palms trees, to make way for this project," Sonja King told The Garden Island.

A better option would be to have the pathway "connect to the shoreline by going between the Islander on Beach (hotel) and Kauai Sands (hotel)," the Kings said.

The King also wondered whether the proposed two-mile section would be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Nishikawa said it was her impression the proposed 23-mile bicycle-and-pedestrian pathway project has been generally accepted by the community.

A 2.3-mile trail at Lydgate Park has been completed, and progress is being made on another 4.3-mile section along the East Kaua‘i coastline.

The first two phases have moved more smoothly because they have been developed, or are planned to be developed in rural areas with few homes, Nishikawa said.

The proposed third phase has come under more public scrutiny because portions of the pathway would run by residences, Nishikawa said.

"We have received comments from different segments of the community, and some people like the idea of a coastal path, and others don't," Nishikawa said. "We have heard from all different sides."

She said progress is being made on the proposed third phase. "I don't see any reason for any slowdown in moving toward the objective of getting the environmental assessment for this segment," she said.

"The process is doing what it should do, which is to make people aware the project is in the pipeline, to make people aware of various impacts from the project, and to resolve them."

Nishikawa said once the draft environmental assessment for the proposed third leg of the 23-mile county project is published, a 30-day, public-comment period begins.

During that period, a third meeting on the third phase will be held on Kaua‘i, Nishikawa said.

Two earlier meetings on the third phase were conducted, in January and this month, at Kapa‘a Middle School.

Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.

Historic mill plans old-style rice tower
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

HANALEI, Kaua'i — The Haraguchi Rice Mill museum will build a traditional yagura next month — a watchtower to keep away birds.

"In the old days, most every rice farm had one of these towers," said Rodney Haraguchi, president of the foundation that runs the Hanalei Valley museum on rice cultivation.

Yagura were generally 10 to 15 feet high, with a platform on top where someone — usually a kid — sat and watched for birds. They often were placed in the middle of rice fields, and tied with bits of fabric and clanking empty cans extending in all directions, like a maypole. An attendant would pull the strings to frighten birds that attacked the crops.

While wetland taro cultivation dominates the valley flatlands today, rice was the primary crop for a century, until 1961. The Haraguchi Rice Mill includes a restored mill and much of its equipment.

Hawai'i high school and college students and Native Hawaiians are invited to participate for free in the weeklong yagura-building project, which includes meals and camping accommodations. Others will pay $525 for residents and $975 for nonresidents, a tax-deductible portion of which will go to the museum.

Traditional timber framing techniques and local materials will be used, with building sessions conducted by the Fox Maple School of Traditional Building of Maine. School director Steve Chappell, who will oversee the project, said he hopes the program will demonstrate alternatives to imported building materials.

Harvesting and joinery techniques will be taught 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 5 to 9 as parts are built for the 18-foot yagura frame. The tower will be raised on April 10.

For information, visit www.foxmaple.com/kauai2002.html, write to kilauea@aloha.net or foxmaple@foxmaple.com, or call the rice mill at (808) 651-3399.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.

The Maui News:
Prince Kuhio was much loved

Since 1949, March 26 has been a holiday in the islands. The Hawaii Territorial Legislature established the holiday in honor of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole.

The man who became known as the "Citizen Prince" was born on March 26, 1871, at Koloa, Kauai, the youngest of three sons of High Chief David Kahalepouli Piikoi and Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike.
He was educated at the Royal School, set up to educate the children of royalty in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He also studied at Punahou School, set up by Protestant missionaries, during the short time it was known as Oahu College.

Prince Kuhio was known as an athlete, excelling at football, track and as a master of lua, a form of Hawaiian wrestling. His education also included St. Matthew's College in San Mateo, Calif., and the Royal Agricultural College in England. He spent a year in jail for his part in an attempt to restore the monarchy in 1895.

During the years that the islands were a U.S. territory, the islands were represented in Congress by elected delegates whose only political power was the power of persuasion. Territorial delegates had no vote and the governor of the territory was appointed by the president of the United States.

By popular vote, Prince Kuhio was elected as a Republican to Congress where he served from 1903 to 1922. He is credited with persuading Congress to appropriate $27 million for dredging and constructing Pearl Harbor, constructing the Makapuu Point Lighthouse, the Territorial Building in Honolulu and the Hilo wharf. He also is credited with the creation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

In 1919, a little more than a year after the death of Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani, Prince Kuhio introduced the first Congressional resolution calling for Hawaii to become a state.

Prince Kuhio's successful fight to establish the Hawaiian Homes Commission in 1920 was prompted by a desire to get Native Hawaiians out of urban slums and back on the land where they could farm and live.

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole died on Jan. 7, 1922, at the age of 50. He was buried, after the last royal funeral in Hawaii, at the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu on Oahu.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
Kauai landowner admits erosion
A former auto dealer might get
prison time for polluting the ocean

By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.com

Retired auto dealer Jimmy Pflueger pleaded no contest yesterday in Kauai Circuit Court to 14 violations of the state's water pollution laws.
Pflueger admitted he was responsible for not having the required permits when, during a 2001 Thanksgiving weekend storm, a landslide on his North Shore Kauai property flowed into the ocean.
He faces a maximum three years in prison and a $50,000 fine on each count when sentenced Sept. 9.
Mud washed down a hill between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30, 2001, onto a neighboring property and into the ocean because of deep cuts Pflueger made on his Pilaa property, including a cut in the mountain that resulted in a vertical face about 40 feet tall, according to Deputy Attorney General Colleen Chun.
The 13 other charges stemmed from instances in which the Department of Health and neighbors documented soil, silt and debris from Pflueger's property discharging into the ocean between December 2001 and August 2002.
Ben Cassiday, Pflueger's attorney, said the erosion would have occurred even if Pflueger had obtained the permits, 'but the fact that he didn't made him liable and responsible, so we're trying to deal with it.'
Cassiday asked for additional time before Pflueger is sentenced to settle some civil matters with the state and federal government. He said they expect to clear up the remaining matters in the next six months.
'The more that Jimmy does to show that he's responsible and fix any problems in his property, the more the judge will give him credit for taking responsibility and doing the right thing,' Cassiday said.
Chun had objected last week to Pflueger pleading n"

Kauai Condo Prices Skyrocket

(Lihue) -- Condo prices have skyrocketed on Kauai and are now higher than single-family homes. The median price of a condo on the Garden Island rose 85 percent between February 2003 and last month.
It's now 420-thousand-dollars.
That's ten-thousand-dollars higher than the average single-family home on Kauai. Home prices rose 29 percent in the last year. Elsewhere on the neighbor islands, changes in property prices were less marked.
Maui County condo prices were down one percent from last February, to an average of just over 257-thousand-dollars. Home prices in Maui County were up 38 percent to 550-thousand-dollars. On the Big Island, condo resale prices were up 38 percent, to 195-thousand-dollars. And median home prices were up 19 percent to nearly 263-thousand-dollars. "

The Maui News:
Hotel occupancy in January up on Maui

Maui's hotel occupancy rate in January was 77.5 percent, up from 72.4 percent in January 2003.

The rest of the state did just about as well. Hospitality Advisors LLC, which publishes the survey, noted that a year ago a SARS scare in Asia had driven down tourism.
On the other hand, January 2003 included the Pro Bowl, while this year that big draw was in February.

Oahu led the state, just barely, in percentage of rooms sold: 77.7 percent. Hawaii showed a big gain from 64.4 percent to 72.0 percent. Kauai gained even faster, from 65.0 percent to 74.4 percent.

Although occupancy rose everywhere, room rates were more stable.

Maui's were the highest, $194 a night, but that was down a dollar from 12 months before.

Oahu published rates rose $4 to $123, Hawaii's dropped $2 to $164. Kauai's rose a dollar to $181.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR), a better measure of overall business, rose by $8 on Maui to $150.

RevPAR rose $18 on Kauai to $135, rose $11 on Hawaii to $118 and rose $8 on Oahu to $95.

On Maui, luxury rooms (the top category in the five-tier Hospitality Advisors scale) pushed past $300 a night posted rates and reaped a RevPAR of $217.

The difference with luxury rooms on Oahu was dramatic. On Oahu, a luxury room was advertised at $100 a night less, though the difference in RevPAR was not as extreme - only $68.

Detailed statistics for February have not been published, but Hospitality Advisors said Thursday that preliminary results show the statewide occupancy rate topped 82 percent.

US-Surfer-Girl
Shark-attacked surfer Bethany Hamilton returns to water
05:38 PM EST Mar 23
JAYMES SONG

KAHUKU, Hawaii (AP) - With a surfboard tucked under her right arm and securely leashed to her ankle, Bethany Hamilton paused before stepping into the churning Pacific.

She wasn't reluctant to enter the ocean just months after a shark bit off most of her left arm - just the opposite. She couldn't wait to get back in the water. "I pray before I go out," she said.

Bethany, 14, competed over the weekend in the National Scholastic Surfing Association Hawaii Regional Championships on Oahu's North Shore. It was her third competition since the Oct. 31 attack off the North Shore of Kauai, her hometown.

She struggled to catch a wave in choppy one-metre seas Saturday and failed to advance in her division but still managed a smile and a thumbs-up as she came out of the ocean. She did reach the semifinals of the Women's Open on Sunday.

Bethany can't push herself up and paddle out as well as she used to. But balancing while she's on the board is not a problem.

"Once I'm up, I'm OK," she said.

The teen still is enthralled by surfing and would do it everyday if she could.

"I love everything about it, except for when I'm not getting good waves," she said.

Bethany was already a well-known surfer on Kauai's North Shore when the shark attacked her on Halloween morning. She was on her board just off the shore, when the shark bit into her left arm. Fellow surfers saved her, pulling her to shore and using a surf leash as a tourniquet.

Bethany lost more than half her blood and all but 10 centimetres of her arm, but witnesses say she never screamed nor panicked.

Tom Hamilton said his daughter's faith helped her overcome the tragedy. And she has become an inspiration even to those outside the surfing community.

"After a while the attention wears on her, but there's just no way of getting away from it," he said.

Just her presence at a surfing event is an inspiration.

"I would've stopped surfing if that happened to me," 17-year-old surfer Chris Satterfield said. "She's just gnarly.

"She's back out there, and that's super heavy."

Bobbi Lee, director of the NSSA Hawaii region, said Bethany offered extra time to paddle out, but she declined, insisting on being treated like other competitors.

"Every surfer's biggest fear is a shark, and what happened to her is what they fear," Lee said. "But she's also proof to them that life goes on, and you can still do the sport and you can still smile."

Bethany remains a top-ranked surfer in Hawaii. She received a wild-card invitation to compete in the nationals at San Clemente, Calif., in June.

Last year, she placed second in the open division at nationals.

Her father is impressed by his daughter's competitiveness, her attitude and her athleticism.

"People used to call her the Michelle Wie of surfing," he said, referring to the 14-year-old golfing sensation from Honolulu. "That was before she got bit by a shark."

A movie and book about Bethany are in the works, but nothing has been confirmed, her father said.

Bethany always thought she could become a star, she said, "maybe as a surfer, but not this way."

nyjournalnews.com
(Way) above board
By JILL LIEBER
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
(Original publication: March 23, 2004)

PRINCEVILLE, Hawaii — Bethany Hamilton has always been a compassionate child. But since the 14-year-old Hawaiian surfing sensation lost her left arm in a shark attack on Halloween, her compassion has deepened. The first sign of a change occurred four days after the incident, when Hamilton learned that fishermen on Kauai's north shore were talking about hunting down the 13-foot, 1,500-pound tiger shark. From her hospital bed, she tearfully insisted the animal not be harmed.

A few hours later, her empathy surfaced again, during a stress debriefing session with Kai Swigart, a psychologist who is legally blind and who specializes in faith-based Christian assistance. Hamilton told him his loss of sight was far worse than her loss of an arm. She offered to donate money being raised to help pay her medical bills to fund an operation to restore his sight.

And in December, Hamilton touched more hearts when, on a media tour of New York City, she suddenly removed her ski jacket and gave it to a homeless girl sitting on a subway grate in Times Square. Wearing only a tank top, Hamilton then canceled a shopping spree, saying she already had too many things.

"Bethany was always very giving, very loving and very kind, but I've never seen anything like this," says her father, Tom. "She's got more wisdom, I guess."

Adds Swigart: "She told me that she had visited heaven and then had come back to be with her family. Anyone who touches heaven has a serenity, a spirit, a presence that transcends normal human experience."

Most lives would be shattered by such a horrifying event. But Hamilton, a member of the North Shore Christian Church, leader of the Hanalei Girls Surf Team and the No. 1-ranked amateur female surfer in Hawaii when she was attacked, remains unshaken.

She opens drink bottles by wedging them between her thighs and twisting open the caps with her right hand. She cuts oranges and peels tangerines by sitting on the floor and grasping the fruit between the soles of her feet. She even wrapped the Christmas gifts she gave to family and friends.

"The list of things she'll have to do differently is long, but the list of things she can't do is very short," says David Rovinsky, her orthopedic surgeon. "The only thing she really can't do is braid her hair."

Hamilton remains oblivious to her physical condition and says she is concentrating on becoming one of the world's best surfers. She competed over the weekend in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) Hawaii Regional Championships at Turtle Bay on Oahu. (She failed to advance.)

"We thought we'd be at her bedside, helping her cope, but she's not suffering," her father says. "Somehow God gave Bethany an amazing amount of grace in this. I am in awe. She never says, 'Why me?' "

Says Hamilton: "This was God's plan for my life, and I'm going to go with it." And go with it she has.

Instead of covering up in shirts with sleeves, Hamilton shows off what remains of her left arm, which she has nicknamed "Stumpy," in tank tops and sports bras. To those seeing it for the first time, she says, "Hey, check it out!"

"She's so cool about it," says her best friend, Alana Blanchard, 14, another of Hawaii's top-ranked surfers. "If she was bummed out all the time, we'd be bummed out."

Coping with destiny

Hamilton isn't too fond of her first prosthetic, which is purely for cosmetic purposes and moves only if she manipulates it. She calls it "Haole Girl," a local colloquialism for a non-Hawaiian, because initially its skin tone was lighter than her tanned skin. It was recently dyed darker.

"You'll see her carrying it over her shoulder like a backpack," says Kim Brady, whose two daughters are surfing buddies of Hamilton's.

"It's a hilarious sight, a real Kodak moment. Bethany has no qualms about her stump. It's as if she's telling everybody, 'Get over it, because I have.' "

Most important, Hamilton has been back in the ocean since Thanksgiving, practicing twice a day and focused on the NSSA national championships in San Clemente, Calif., in June. She was second last summer.

"She wakes me up at 5 a.m. and screams, 'Let's go surfing!' " Alana moans. "She just always wants to surf."

In mid-January, Hamilton finished fifth in the Open Women's division at an NSSA meet on the Big Island. In her next contest, three weeks later on Maui, she failed to make it out of the first heat.

Paddling, Hamilton says, is her biggest challenge. She's using a new, custom-made, 6-foot, 2-inch board, 5 inches longer and slightly thicker than her previous one, making it more buoyant and easier to paddle. Also, Hamilton has attached a strap to the board, 20 inches below the nose. By grabbing this strap, her father says, she is better able to "duck dive" her board under the waves — and pull it through the white water — as she paddles out to the spot where the waves are breaking.

"Bethany is a very driven and inspirational girl," says Rochelle Ballard, one of the world's top female pro surfers, who grew up on Kauai's north shore.

Surprisingly, Hamilton doesn't view herself as strong, driven or courageous. She sees the loss of her arm as her destiny, as a blessing in disguise.

"Bethany sees it as an opportunity that has been handed to her by God," says Roy Hofstetter, a close family friend. "She believes that her arm was taken by the shark so that she would be noticed and that she would help and inspire others."

Adds Hamilton: "I might not be here if I hadn't asked for God's help. I look at everything that's happened as part of God's plan for my life."

Always smiling

Hamilton's life is richer and fuller — and her surfing career more tangible and lucrative — than before the attack.

"She's the most recognized surfer on the planet," says Adam Sharp, vice president of sales and marketing for Rip Curl, a leading surf-wear manufacturer that has sponsored Hamilton for the last five years. About 267,000 have visited her Web site (www.bethanyhamilton.com).

Within days of the attack, the attention had become so overwhelming that Hamilton's father asked Hofstetter, a part-time Kauai resident and a Los Angeles-based entertainment entrepreneur, to act as the family's agent.

"I've had a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week job ever since," Hofstetter says.

Hamilton has taken four trips to the mainland for weeklong publicity tours and several more are scheduled.

She has appeared on "Oprah," "20/20," "Good Morning America," "Entertainment Tonight" and "Inside Edition." She has been featured in People. Her story has been written up in newspapers in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.

ABC news anchor Peter Jennings told Hamilton's father that his daughter was the most sought after interview next to Iraqi POW Jessica Lynch.

She's weighing book and movie deals. She's pondering invitations from Fortune 500 companies to give motivational speeches.

She's sifting through requests for public appearances (at $5,000 a pop) and opportunities for endorsements.

She started the Formula One Grand Prix auto race in Melbourne, Australia, on March 7.

She is scheduled to throw out the first pitch at the Oakland Athletics' season opener April 5, open the Hawaii state legislature in May and surf in a major event in Nicaragua in August.

She'll compete in three pro surfing contests in the United States in the next six months.

She's learning to snowboard, thanks to free trips from resorts and free lessons from top pro riders Tara Dakides and Tina Basich.

And Hofstetter just scored her a more lucrative contract with Rip Curl (which also signed Blanchard) as well as arranged a deal to provide Hamilton her first set of braces, which she'll receive April 7.

"She's already smiling more in interviews," Hofstetter says. "What I'm trying to do is make this 15 minutes of fame into Brand Bethany Hamilton."

Her family is her rock


Hamilton's medical bills, rehabilitation and prosthetic care are being paid for by her father's medical insurance, fund-raisers in the Hawaiian islands and donations made to her Web site or to any branch of First Hawaiian Bank.

As for the opportunities that have come their way because of the tragedy, and the possibility the family could make money from it, her father says, "We want to take care of Bethany. We want to buy her a piece of property on Kauai. We want her to have money if she decides to go to college or if she'd like to start a business.

"But honestly, her mother and I would just as soon this never happened and live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of our lives."

The Hamiltons are a laid-back, blue-collar family, who have put all the time, energy and what little money they could scrape together into their daughter's competitive surfing aspirations. Tom, 55, is a waiter at the Princeville Hotel. His wife, Cheri, 50, works part time in catering there.

Hamilton's two brothers have helped fuel her dreams, too. Noah, 22, is her official photographer. Timmy, 17, is her videographer.

They all love to kid her about being born with salt water in her veins. At 5, she entered her first contest; by 9, she was aiming toward a pro career and had signed a sponsorship deal with Rip Curl that covered entry fees and travel expenses and got her free products.

In the seventh grade, the Hamiltons decided to home school their daughter to better meet the demands of her surfing training. This year she is enrolled in eighth grade online, through Myron B. Thompson Academy in Honolulu, which has allowed her to juggle the demands of being "Brand Bethany" — and the wild, wonderful wave she's now riding.

Hanger Prosthetics has designed (and offered as part of a deal) two prosthetic arms for Hamilton. The cost: $100,000. Hanger's Troy Farnsworth says he can develop a waterproof prosthetic that could be worn to surf and give her the ability to paddle. But she'd need a longer stump on which to attach it, he says. Rovinsky has investigated procedures to lengthen her bone but doubts it can be done.

As always, Hamilton remains undaunted. She has told her father that if having only one arm proved detrimental to reaching the top in competitive surfing, then she'd see about playing soccer.

"She's looking forward to the future," says Steve Thompson, the pastor at North Shore Christian Church. "She's asking herself, 'How can I show the world I still have a life, that I enjoy my life and that my life is filled with joy?' She has an underlying trust that God is taking care of her."

Kauai Garden Island News
KAUAI News

A fresh look at Kaua‘i's geological origins
By CHRIS COOK - TGI Editor

Geologist Chuck Blay of Po‘ipu is one-by-one studying and explaining the geological features of Kaua‘i.

In his newly-released edition of "Kauai's Geologic History - A Simplified Guide," Blay is providing new information on how Na Pali's cathedral-like valleys were formed.

In recent decades geologists surmised that the existing Na Pali coast was formed in great part by large collapses of the coast. Evidence appeared in the late 1980s when advances in sonar gave a clear picture of the ocean bottom off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands.

A recent oceanography cruise that Blay participated in has added a new perspective to the theory, and a return to the belief that the rugged coastline was mostly formed by stream runoff and wave action.

"The stuff on Na Pali is immense," Blay said in an interview with The Garden Island. "I wrote it up as a ‘geocontroversy' and then got to participate in the UH oceanographic research cruise to test it out. The result was mind boggling. Discovering that the cliffs are most likely a result entirely of wave erosion was a huge surprise to me and several other researchers."

Blay also provides new, colorful diagrams created by his son, Rob Siemers. Together the father and son run educational tours of Kaua‘i's natural history, as well as publishing documentation on Kaua‘i's geology through TEOK Investigations, their Po‘ipu-based company.

A significant illustration details the rainfall at Wai‘ale‘ale, the peak on Kaua‘i considered to be one of the wettest spots on earth.

Blay said: "Compilation and statistical analysis of the Wai‘ale‘ale rainfall data is pretty new; at least it presents it in a more completely-documented manner which relates the weather to Kaua‘i's location within the trade wind belt as well as to this island's geography, which is of course a direct result of its geologic history. It also is important to understand the distribution of the island's environmental systems as related to the uneven distribution of rainfall."

Geology buffs will find an update of a map of Kaua‘i that illustrates geological aspects of the island's development.

"I spent a tremendous amount of time on this diagram in order to incorporate as much of the abundant new geologic/oceanographic information that has been generated over the past 20-plus years," Blay said.

The veteran geologist — who has taken up residency on Kaua‘i following years teaching geology and working in the field — also added information that debunks the common belief that American author Mark Twain first referred to Waimea Canyon as "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

"Documenting the stuff about Mark Twain was a lot of fun and might be considered somewhat of a ‘new' discovery," said Blay, who consulted with Anita Manning and Desoto Brown of the Bishop Museum on the issue. Manning's research shows Twain never visited Kaua‘i during his Hawai‘i sojourn in the mid-1860s, and that the reference first appeared after 1900.

Kauai Garden Island News
Most of the Kauai Coffee crop harvested in ‘03 has sold already
First time ever to have grades sold out so early

Harvesting machines bring in the crop at Kauai Coffee Company. The company has fields from Koloa to ‘Ele‘ele.
By PAUL C. CURTIS - TGI Associate Editor
Posted: Friday, Mar 19, 2004 - 04:09:03 am HST


Harvested only a few months ago, nearly all of the coffee from the Kauai Coffee Company, Inc. fields has been sold already, the new general manager reported.

It is the first time in company history that roughly 80 percent of the 2003 harvest has been sold so early in the year, said Donn A. Soares, who was promoted earlier this month.

"To be in that position this early in the year is unprecedented," said Soares, adding that some of the grades of roasted coffee produced in fields from Koloa to ‘Ele‘ele are sold out already.

Last year's harvest brought in 3.3 million pounds of coffee, accounting for over 60 percent of all coffee grown in Hawai‘i.

Kauai Coffee Company is the largest coffee estate in the United States and Hawai‘i. It spans 3,400 acres.

The results for the company this year are encouraging to say the least, Soares commented. In fact, the results could actually propel the company toward its first year ever of profitability.

"Last year, Kauai Coffee operated at a break-even (level)," said Soares, adding that the 2003 results were better than previous years' finishes.

Retail operations, including the Kauai Coffee Visitors Center in Numila and Kauai Coffee Cafe in Port Allen Marina Center, are growing, as are plans for company leaders to roast more of their own coffee on Kaua‘i instead of concentrating on green-coffee sales to other roasters, he explained.

The visitors center gets between 350 and 400 visitors a day, said a spokesperson for Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALEX), Kauai Coffee Company's parent company.

Sales of Kauai Coffee is something Soares knows intimately, as he developed the company's East Coast markets (1996) before moving to the West Coast (1998, as national sales manager) and, ultimately, back to Hawai‘i and Kaua‘i.

Like Frank Kiger, who retains his title as president of Kauai Coffee while also serving as vice president of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company on Maui, Soares has a passion for his product.

"I love Kauai Coffee. I drink a lot of Kauai Coffee," said Soares.

Soares, 37, lives in ‘Oma‘o with his wife Malia, and is an O‘ahu native stoked to be able to return.

"I'm excited to be back in Hawai‘i, and I'm excited to be working with the employees of Kauai Coffee face to face."

There are around 60 regular employees at Kauai Coffee, a figure that swells by nearly twice that amount during harvesting operations, when seasonal workers are hired.

Soares continues to report to Kiger, and at the beginning of this month assumed responsibility for all operating and marketing functions at Kauai Coffee Company.

"Donn has been an integral part of the Kauai Coffee team for eight years, and we are confident that his experience and motivation — in fact, his passion for Kauai Coffee — make him the right person to lead the company to a very successful future," said Kiger.

"Donn has developed a worldwide customer base including 650 roasters on the Mainland, and a network of roasters in seven European countries, and his insights will help us add value to our retail coffee right here in Hawai‘i," said Kiger.

Soares, a Maryknoll High School graduate, holds a bachelor's degree in international affairs from Lewis & Clark College.

A board officer for the Pacific Coast Coffee Association and a member of both the Hawaii Coffee Association and National Coffee Association of America, Soares has lived and breathed coffee for the better part of the last decade.

The switch from marketing of green coffee to roasted products isn't the only new thing at Kauai Coffee Company, Soares said.

In the near future, educational ground tours of the estate will be offered to the public. Those taking the tours will learn how and where Kauai Coffee grows by also visiting the visitors center museum.

More information may be obtained at Kauai Coffee's Web site, www.kauaicoffee.com.

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (A&B), with headquarters in Honolulu, is a diversified corporation engaged in real-property development and management (A&B Properties, Inc.); transportation (Matson Navigation Company, Inc. and Matson Integrated Logistics, Inc.); and food products (Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company and Kauai Coffee Company, Inc.)

Additional information about A&B may be found at its Web site, www.alexanderbaldwin.com.

Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net.

Kauai Garden Island News
KAUAI News
Council urged to battle encroachment of Kaua‘i's beaches
By LESTER CHANG - TGI Staff Writer

LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i County officials may need to take part in the state's certification of shorelines to establish setbacks for beachfront properties on Kaua‘i, and to preserve beach uses, a University of Hawai‘i shoreline expert told county leaders Thursday.

Some residents have complained some Kaua‘i beachfront property owners have planted vegetation and irrigated plants at the high-water mark of the beach, to increase the size of their lots.

Critics also contend such owners have done so as a way to influence the certification of the shoreline, resulting in the loss of beach access and in smaller beach areas for use by the public.

The state constitution says beaches up to the high-water mark, or vegetation line, are public. It appears that some shoreline landowners are planting grass, naupaka and other vegetation in attempts to extend their property lines toward the ocean.

Some landowners say they are merely trying to improve the look of their lots, and protect the lots from erosion.

During a meeting of the Kaua‘i County Council Planning Committee at the historic County Building here, Dr. Chip Fletcher, a UH professor of geology and physics, said county officials' involvement in the certification process is almost a must.

That is because the issue has become heated, and because county officials seemed bent on finding a solution, Fletcher said.

At this point, it appears concerns raised by residents and county officials have fallen on deaf ears at the state level, Fletcher said.

The certification of the shoreline is a state function, but through an agreement between the state and county officials leaders here may be able to have more of a say in that process, Fletcher said.

Kaua‘i County Planning Commission members rely on the certifications to establish setbacks partly to protect shoreline structures from possible damage during tsunamis or by heavy wave action during the winter.

But the "artificial" planting at the beaches, according to one resident at the council committee meeting, has led to a situation where an owner can nearly claim ownership of a public beach, thus depriving the public the right to use it.

The result is private-property lines become obscured, and an unknowing beach-goer could be arrested for trespassing, said ‘Aliomanu resident Bill Young.

Fletcher and Zoe Norcross-Nu‘u, a coastal processes extension agent with the UH Sea Grant program, Sam Lemmo of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, and others were invited by councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, Planning Committee chairwoman, to talk about the issue of shoreline certification and setbacks.

The group also talked about the causes of beach erosion and solutions, including sand replenishment.

Yukimura acknowledged the certification process is the kuleana of the state, but she advocated that county officials not sit still on the matter.

To help get county officials involved in the certification process, Yukimura said leaders of the state Legislature could prescribe shoreline-certification responsibilities to the county.

Legislators also could declare Kaua‘i County leaders have standing in the process, thus allowing officials to work on the certification process, Yukimura said.

"Or the governor could order the (state) Department of Accounting and General Services to make sure the state surveyor follows proper rules," Yukimura said.

She also said that if there are flaws in the certification system, there are points where Kaua‘i County officials can step in.

Council chair Kaipo Asing cautioned that a declaration that a certification of shoreline has not been done properly is no more than opinion or interpretation.

What may be improper to some may be proper to others, Asing said.

In ascertaining whether the shoreline has been property certified, a planner from the Kaua‘i County Planning Department may have to work full-time on one project, as the work is time-consuming, Yukimura said.

So far, only some citizens of Kaua‘i have taken on the task, she said.

Yukimura thanked Kaua‘i resident Caren Diamond for helping to bring the experts to the meeting. Diamond contended it was important for the county officials to enlarge setbacks in cases where they are "20 to 30 feet for shoreline areas."

Diamond said those setbacks aren't enough to provide protection for shoreline homes from large waves during the winter, or from tsunami waves.

County officials should go on jobs with state surveyors, Diamond added. That way, "the county could take part in every single certification that happens here on Kaua‘i," she said.

Kaua‘i Planning Commission Chairman Theodore Daligdig III said he liked the Maui format for establishing setbacks because they are based on scientific data and annual erosion measurements for a property. As a result, the setbacks there will vary from property to property.

Daligdig said it might be prudent for Kaua‘i County officials to follow suit. "The presentation was very, very educational, and I hope it would move us in the direction of Kaua‘i doing something about our setbacks," Daligdig said. "This is good ground from where we can start, yeah?"

Norcross-Nu‘u said the setbacks for shoreline properties on Maui ranged uniformly from 25 feet to 150 feet, depending on the depth of the lot from makai to mauka.

For instance, if a lot is less than 100 feet deep, the setback was set at 25 feet from the certified shoreline. If a lot is 100 to 160 feet, the setback would be 40 feet.

But because of concerns about erosion, Maui County officials last November amended the county's setback rule, prescribing, through a formula, larger setbacks in beach areas that have experienced greater erosion, Norcross-Nu‘u said.

Among planning commissioners who attended the meeting were Randal Nishimura, Lawrence Chaffin Jr., Mike Cockett and Steve Weinstein.

Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro said he wants to see shoreline conflicts minimized, and added that the council will not be adopting an ordinance to establish setbacks.

Kaneshiro said it was his understanding such a change can only happen through administrative rule changes by the county Planning Commission.

Kaneshiro said he appreciated the information presented, and that he and other council members would use it as reference as they work on shoreline-access issues.

Staff Writer Lester Chang may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net.

Hawaii Car Rentals: Kauai, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Big Island; Rental Cars & Auto Hire

Dollar Rent A Car to Waive Fee

Hawaii -
Dollar Rent A Car will soon be waiving the second driver fee on all rentals in the state of Hawaii for reservations between September 1 and December 15, 2004. Although this information has not yet gone out in Dollar's newletter, this special is already available to those making online reservations at SummitPacific.com.

The Maui News:
Honolulu distributor takes over MORRAD

KAHULUI - Kahului-based MORRAD Foodservice will be acquired April 17 by HFM FoodService of Honolulu. The food-product wholesaling companies will maintain separate business names, personnel, facilities and operations, but the combined operation will be the largest in the state.
Both companies are involved in wholesaling and distribution of a range of grocery products including fresh produce and processed food products, industrial and household chemicals and paper products.
Donald Zwade, president of MORRAD, called the deal 'a win-win for both companies. It provides the capital and overall structure to make MORRAD's vision a reality.'
MORRAD was founded in 1978 and operates on Maui, Molokai, Lanai, the Big Island and Kauai. HFM, found in 1964, operates in Hawaii, Guam and throughout the Pacific.
In a press statement, HFM said the two operations are 'highly compatible.'"

The Maui News:
State Junior Olympic boxing makes Maui debut on Saturday
By RODNEY S. YAP, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - The Valley Isle's top youth boxers - from Upcountry gyms to South Maui - will showcase their skills this weekend against the best from around the state in the 2004 USA Hawaii Junior Olympic Boxing State Championships.

War Memorial Gym will be the place to see all the action as boxers ranging from 8- to 16-years-old compete in 18 different weight classes. Saturday's preliminary bouts begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday's finals start at noon. General admission is $10, ringside seating is $20.
Maui has produced its share of champions over the years, including Wailuku Boxing Club's Dat Nguyen six years ago. Last year, however, was arguably Maui's finest showing at the Junior Olympic state championships on Oahu as six fighters earned gold medals and four were eligible to advance to the national competition last June in Alexandria, La. When the group returned to Maui, three of the boxers were ranked among the nation's top 10 in their respective weight classes.

Four of last year's champions are back. Kevin Kaahoohanohano of Wailuku Boxing Club and Kaluka Maiava of Central Maui Boxing Club - two of the island's most promising amateur fighters - are 17 now and too old to compete. But Southside Boxing Club's Thomas Buswell-Ordonez, Central Maui Boxing Club's Chazz Moleta, Wailuku Boxing Club's Keola McKee and Southside's Zachary Masuboy Manangan are all expected to defend the titles they won in Waianae in 2003.

Moleta, a 16-year-old sophomore at Baldwin High School, is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. He is expected to move up in weight from the 106-pound division he competed in last year. Ordonez, 16, is a sophomore at St. Anthony and currently ranked No. 9. He is also expected to move up in weight from the 101-pound division.

In addition to the Olympic fighting, fans will be treated to open fights in various weight classes, featuring men and women from around the state. Oahu's Police Athletic League (PAL) is also scheduled to have bouts Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Gym, starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Bruce Kawano, the chairman of USA Boxing Hawaii, which runs the Junior Olympic program in the 50th state, and Hawaii's lone member on the national board of directors for the U.S. Olympic Committee since 1999, is responsible for bringing the two-day event to Maui.

"The reason I brought it to Maui is because we know it will draw a good crowd and they have good athletes that have shown well in past tournaments,'' Kawano said. "What I'd like to see is the people in charge of the senior (boxing) programs, like the Golden Gloves and the state championships, hopefully follow my lead and bring more events to Maui.''

Kawano said 10 clubs from Oahu are coming, one from Kauai and four from the Big Island. He predicts there will be as many as 60 fighters from Maui alone. Kawano said news of the event coming to Maui did not sit well with the clubs on Oahu.

"My job is to have the best tournament we can have, regardless of where it is held and I'm just doing my job,'' remarked Kawano, who also coaches at Kakaako Boxing Club. "The fighters on Maui have to travel to Oahu all the time, so it's only fair that Oahu fighters have to travel, too."

Kawano said, "Maui boxing has really stepped it up. They have plenty of fighters all around the island, and USA Boxing is the perfect grass roots boxing program for those young fighters just learning."

All 15- and 16-year-old winners automatically advance to Texas for the national championships in June. Winners from Texas are eligible to box internationally and train at the U,S. Olympic Center training site in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Last year Maiava was asked to join the international team to Mexico City but he could not commit because he had to return to Maui to prepare for the start of the Maui interscholastic League football season.

"He was a newcomer, the kind Hawaii typically gets, someone who has enjoyed success having between 5 and 20 fights," Kawano said. "On the Mainland fighters typically fight as many as 100 fights."

In fact, Kawano expects there will be a number of weight classes where fighters may go unopposed. Kawano said unopposed fighters who are 15 or 16 are eligible to advance to Texas.

One such boxer Kawano expects to be unopposed is 15-year-old Keola McKee, who is preparing to fight in the 85-pound weight class. His father and coach, Jeff McKee, doesn't expect Keola to have any competition here. Nevertheless, Kawano said, "In my opinion, and I've followed this kid since he was 5, he'll win the national championship."

Those who have seen Keola McKee box agree his chances of a national championship are good.

The older McKee said he's just happy Maui is getting to host the competition.

"The best place to have it is here," Jeff McKee said. "Maui has more active fighters than anywhere else, so this is the best thing. Kawano is doing the right thing by brining it to Maui."

Kawano said he's brining 97 medals, from first to third, in weight classes beginning from 80 pounds on up to super heavyweight (unlimited).

"This is great for Maui," said the 37-year-old Kawano, who won three Hawaii Golden Gloves titles and state championships at 119 pounds. "It's this kind of competition that really can get a boxer to the next level. Much like the international competition can help a fighter get to the Olympic level."

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Verizon Hawaii co-op floated
Two state lawmakers seek a special hearing as the parent of the local phone company looks for a potential buyer

By Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.com
Concerns over the economic and consumer fallout of a proposed sale of Verizon Hawaii have prompted two state lawmakers to call for a special hearing into whether the local phone company can be converted into a customer-owned business cooperative.

In a draft of a Senate resolution, state senators Carol Fukunaga (D, Ala Moana) and David Ige (D, Waimalu) are asking for a joint information session on the proposed Verizon Hawaii deal by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing Committee and the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.

The senators said they want the committees to study whether Verizon Hawaii can be acquired by the state Public Utilities Commission and be operated as a cooperative venture modeled after Kauai Electric Co., which is partly owned by its customers.

"I think our number one concern is service to consumers and accountability to Hawaii's rate payers," Fukunaga said.

Verizon Hawaii spokeswoman Ann Nishida said the company has no immediate comment on the Senate resolution.

Kauai Electric, which serves about 30,000 customers on the Garden Isle, is the only utility in the state that operates as a business cooperative. Customers who have elected to be cooperative members own a share of the company and receive a portion of its revenues.

The Kauai coop was set up in 2002 when Citizens Communications Corp. sold the local company to Kauai Island Utility Co-op for $215 million.

Verizon Communications Inc. confirmed last month that it has had discussions with several parties about the sale of its local phone units in Hawaii and New York. Verizon stressed that no sale is imminent and that no decision has been made to sell off its Hawaii operations.

Several news reports have identified the Carlyle Group, a Washington D.C.-based private equity firm, as one of several potential suitors for Verizon Hawaii, which could fetch up to $1.5 billion. The resolution referred to offers by Carlyle and a New York-based asset management company, as well as other telecommunications service providers.

Fukunaga said she introduced the resolution after several Verizon Hawaii employees approached her with their concerns about a potential sale to an investment company.

"Utilities should not really be an investment acquisition," said Fukunaga. "They are really here for the public good and we want to make sure we preserve and maintain their quality of service."

The Carlyle Group -- whose executive ranks and advisory boards include former President George Bush, former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci and ex-British Prime Minister John Major -- is one of the world's largest private equity firms with more than $18 billion under management.

In 2002, the investment firm paid $300 million to acquire CSX Lines, which operates West Coast to Hawaii ocean freight service.

GolfDigest.com
According to Courtney...

The star of ABC’s hit comedy According to Jim talks about why she loves to play with girlfriends, her battle with body image and the deal she made with her fiancé. (Hint: It has to do with golf.)

Golf For Women Magazine


When did you start playing golf?
When I was 22. I was on vacation in Hawaii, and I started hitting balls. I loved it. Then I met a guy who was into golf, and I got bitten by the bug.

What's the best part of your game?
My chipping is great. I have a beautiful swing, and I'm good off the tee. My 3-wood is my best club. But I top the ball too often; I had a golfer tell me once that I was way too afraid of hurting the grass. So I need to get over that. But I'm pretty consistent. Even when I was just beginning and I could only hit it a hundred yards, it was a hundred yards straight down the middle.

And the worst part?
My putting isn't so good, because by the time I reach the putting green, I've pretty much lost interest, and I'm ready to move on to the next hole. Besides, there's chatting to be done on the putting green. When I'm by myself on the fairway, I can concentrate. When I'm on the green with my girlfriends, it's all over.

What appeals to you about the game?
I Iove both the challenge of the sport and the social aspect. When I first started, I'd play with my girlfriends every week at Studio City Golf Course, a par-3 course near Los Angeles. But then all my friends started having babies. It really got in the way of my golf game.

Why do you like playing with women?
It's a lot about the chatting.You get to catch up with your friends while you play. With men, it's really all about the golf. The chatting is secondary.

How much do you play?
I don't play as much right now. But I want to get back to it. My dad belongs to Palo Alto Hills [Golf & Country Club]. My stepmother plays twice a week with a group of women at their club. She loves it. Maybe I need to join a club. If I could have a combination book club and golf club, I'd be beside myself. You could golf and talk about books.

What‘s your favorite place to play?
I play a lot on Maui, some on Kauai. It's difficult to find an unattractive course in Hawaii. It's so lush. We don't have that in southern California.

How would you rate your game?
Fun. The more I play, the better I am.




You're engaged to a doctor. Does he play?
Rob [Andrews] doesn't play... yet. He and a group of doctors go cycling at 5 a.m. three days a week. But it's just a matter of getting him out on the golf course. I'm going to kidnap him and take him up to Ojai [Valley Inn & Spa, north of Los Angeles]. I love golf resorts. They usually have a spa, and you spend four hours talking and playing in a beautiful place. What's not to like? Once I get him out there, he'll get it. He does know that he's going to play golf soon. That was our agreement: that I would start to cycle and he would learn to play golf.

What do you like most about your new show?
I love the close-knit family relationship in According to Jim. I love that my character is really happy in her life. She accepts her husband, she accepts what she does in life. There's not a lot of dissatisfaction. I mean, there's momentary frustration with stuff he does, but she's really happy. I admire that.

You were on Melrose Place for five years and Ally McBeal for three. You've talked about the pressure to be thin on those shows....
There was a lot of pressure on Melrose Place to look a certain way, because it was very much a show about "a look." I wanted to fit in with the show; at the same time, I was conflicted about presenting an unattainable image. By the time I got onto Ally, I was working so hard to keep my body a certain way; it took a huge amount of time and energy. I was overexercising and undereating, making myself crazy.

What changed?
My picture appeared with a magazine article about actresses who were too thin and their impact on young women. I went "uh-oh." I started to get support, to talk about it. I wanted to land in a body that was comfortable. I wanted energy. I wanted to go out and play golf and get something at the snack bar. I wanted to be able to have fun. The way I look at it is that I changed my tribe. I changed from the successful dieter's tribe to the woman-struggling-to-have-a-happy-life tribe. It's a better tribe, a happier tribe. We're not as hungry.

Kauai Garden Island News
New phase at Lydgate Park
By Paul C. Curtis - TGI Associate Editor

It is said that a long journey begins with a single step.

Where the Kamalani Pavilion construction project is concerned, that journey begins with a decision before a single step is taken.

Thomas Noyes, Kamalani Pavilion general coordinator and member of the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park, said on the eve of the next community build at Lydgate Park that the pavilion project has been moving down three different paths:

Actual construction of the pavilion, which requires around 40 volunteers per shift. Shifts are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday;

Placement of ceramic fish, carvings, and other decorative elements into the structure, which requires 40 people per shift Wednesday through Sunday;

Constructing fences and other items to mitigate the vehicular-traffic issue at Kamalani Kai Bridge, which requires 10 people working until the fixes are in place.

The third of three paths was one that was assigned to the volunteers as the result of community meetings aimed at getting a community-based fix of the safety issue of continued vehicular access to the beach flowing directly under Kamalani Kai Bridge, where children often play.

Community members came together and agreed to open up an alternative beach-access point for vehicles north of the bridge, erecting fences to separate the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge from bridge users, and then re-open the vehicular beach-access route under the bridge.

The formal part of the community build of the Kamalani Pavilion begins today, Thursday, March 18, and is expected to run until Wednesday, April 7. A blessing is planned for 8 a.m. today at the site.

The building site is just north of the Kamalani Kai Bridge at Lydgate Park in Wailua, and a visitor check-in site has been established near the restrooms at the site of a campsite designated as compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Noyes said.

In advance of today's formal construction start, though, work on the pavilion began in earnest. The site was graded last week, and concrete foundation footings have been poured.

The advanced preparation was to enable architect Bob Leathers, who helped design the pavilion with community input and is something of an expert in community-built projects, and the volunteers, to get right to framing the structure beginning today, Noyes said.

Leathers arrived yesterday.

"A few experienced carpenters are needed on Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19, to get the framing well advanced before the weekend of March 20," Noyes continued.

"Any community-minded carpenters willing to volunteer on one or both of those days should call me at 639-1018, or the YWCA at 245-5959," Noyes said.

"All volunteers will be well-fed and greatly appreciated.

"Since building new fences to separate play areas from the beach-access route under the Kamalani Kai Bridge has been added to the scope of work for this community build, it is essential that large numbers of volunteers come to the build," he added.

With 80 people needed for each shift, and an additional 10 folks needed for the access solution, around 170 people per day are needed, said Noyes, admitting that not that many people have signed up so far.

"We're relying on media presence, word of mouth, and getting off to a good start" as ways of encouraging more volunteers to come out, he said.

"It's nice if they call the Y, because that gives us a clue about the number of people and their specific skills, and allows us to capture their telephone numbers" and other personal contact information, he said.

But it's OK for people to just show up at the build site, he added.

All volunteers of any skill level are welcomed starting today, and every day through the 21-day community build. And all kinds of people with skills other than carpentry are also needed, he said.

Coffee and refreshments are offered at 7:30 a.m., and lunch is served daily at noon, for all volunteers.

In addition to the contact numbers above, more information is available at the Web site, www.kamalani.org.

Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).

Kauai Garden Island News
The Irish and Kaua‘i
By CHRIS COOK - TGI Editor
Posted: Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004 - 04:06:12 am HST

Tom Driskill, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, inspects the inner workings of the co-generation power generator at the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at West Kauai Medical Center.

St. Patrick's Day is an auspicious date to recount the unique ways Kaua‘i and Ireland are knitted together.

While no mass immigration of Irish workers ever happened during the 1800s when workers from around the world were recruited to work on the island's plantations, the Irish have played key roles here.

On March 17, 1942, first defenders from the Mainland came ashore at Port Allen to defend Kaua‘i's shores against a Japanese military invasion. Those men where members of the famed Fighting 69th Irish regiment of New York City. The soldiers later left to fight in the South Pacific and other Pacific combat zones of World War II.

Other Irishmen came to Kaua‘i as individuals, and made their way into key positions in government and business. Prominent Irish surnames found recorded in Kaua‘i's history include Moragne and Coney.

The famed Leprechauns, the little people of Irish fame, are sometimes compared to the legendary Menehune of Kaua‘i. The roots of this comparison is likely a turn-of-the-century elaboration on the Menehune legend made by Waimea merchant C. Hofgaard. Hofgaard related the Menehune to the Norwegian brownie, giving a face to the Menehune, according to Christine Fayé, director of Gay & Robinson's sugar mill and plantation tours.

A significant chapter of Kaua‘i history beings with the arrival of an Irish Roman Catholic priest, the Rev. A. Walsh. Walsh came ashore at Koloa on Dec. 22, 1841, and celebrated the first mass on Kaua‘i, according to the text of "Saint Catherine Parish 1887-1987," a book published to mark the centennial year of the Kapa‘a church.

Walsh established a small chapel and school at Koloa, which became the mission of St. Raphael the Archangel, and worked at establishing Roman Catholic missions on the North Shore, founding St. Maxine's at the mouth of the Hanalei River, and St. Stephen's at Moloa‘a.

The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Hawaii offers a way for those of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage in a Hawai‘i setting. The charitable and fraternal organization was founded in Honolulu on March 17, 1955, and is best known for its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Hawai‘i-style.

"From the Emerald Isles to the Hawaiian Isles" is a motto of the group, which traces its roots to the first Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which was formed in Philadelphia in 1771. Membership information is available on the Internet at webtaylor. com/fsons.

Editor Chris Cook may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or ccook@pulitzer.net.

Discount Car Rentals Available on All Islands. Hawaii Car Rentals

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
Surfer has run-in with shark
By Associated Press

(Hanalei-AP) -- A surfer reported a close encounter with a shark off Kauai's North Shore today.

Bruce Orth says he was straddling his surf board while waiting for waves in Kalihiwai Bay near Hanalei when a shark came under him and nipped his board.

Surfers in the area estimated the shark to be about eight feet long.

Orth says he quickly swam to shore as lifeguards closed nearby beaches and posted shark warning signs. He was not injured.

Kalihiwai Bay is not far from where teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm in a shark attack October 31st.

On January first, 2002, teenage body boarder Hoku Aki lost part of his leg while body boarding in murky water near Kauai's Brennecke Beach on the South Shore.

(Copyright 2004 by the Associated Press. All right reserved.) "

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Agriculture train planned for Kauai's Kilohana Plantation

Associated Press
A new train planned for Kilohana Plantation in Lihue would not only give tourists a glimpse of a vestige of Kauai's sugarcane past but also a view of the crops that represent the evolution of the Garden Isle's agriculture industry.
The Kauai Planning Commission recently approved the permits for Kauai Kilohana Partners' proposed 2 1/2-mile Kauai Plantation Railway.
The name was chosen to reflect sensitivity to Kauai's agricultural past and to island residents, said Fred Atkins, general manager of Kauai Kilohana Partners.
'We are using farmers from different parts of the island and we want the community to embrace this,' he said. 'Old-timers want to volunteer. We want to make it for the community first and the visitors will find it.'
One hundred years ago, sugar trains on Kauai brought tons of cane to island mills for processing. But then sugar plantation owners began using cane-haul trucks because they were cheaper to operate and allowed for flexibility.
The Kauai Plantation Railway train system will transport passengers through 102 acres of the Kilohana Plantation and adjacent agricultural lands in Puhi.
Along the way, passengers will get to see crops that represent the evolution of Kauai's agricultural industry, from sugar cane and taro to bananas, papayas and guava.
Also on display will be rambutan, cocoa and chermoya, newly emerging tropical crops on Kauai.
A former cane field near Kukui Grove Village West has already been cleared for planting some of the crops that passengers will be able to see from the train.
Hundreds of exotic fruit trees, an acre or two hybrid coffee, and possible taro crops are planned.

Baptiste Proposes Kauai's First 100 Million Dollar Budget

(Lihue) -- Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste has proposed a $103.2 million dollars operating budget for the next fiscal year.
This is a six percent increase over this year's $97.4 million dollar budget. If approved by the County Council, it would be the first time the county's budget has exceeded $100 million dollars.
Baptiste also proposes a $16.6 million dollar capital improvement budget, down from about $19 million dollars last year. The mayor said that more than half of the operating budget increase consists of uncontrollable costs such as salaries and benefits.
In the years after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the county deferred many expenses such as equipment and vehicle replacement and building maintenance. Baptiste says the county is having to catch up now, but will try to spread out the costs as much as possible. "

Taro production hits record low
- The Honolulu Advertiser - Hawaii's Newspaper
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer



The production of taro is at an all-time low, and the state is struggling to combat threats to the industry from two pests: the apple snail and the disease known as taro pocket rot.

The apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, arrived in Hawai'i in 1989 to be sold as escargot.

The low taro supply — which also resulted from storms and flooding in the past year — has not yet affected the stock of poi on supermarket shelves. That could change with the approach of summer, when graduation parties and other events drive up demand.

"Part of the problem was weather related," said Eric Enomoto, treasurer for poi processor HPC Foods Ltd. "We did have some cold, rainy weather conditions and flooding that did have an additional effect on the crop yield."

But among the persistent problems, experts rank the apple snail — Pomacea canaliculata — as a major culprit in the current crop decline. In the past few years it has become a problem in previously uninfested Hanalei, the heart of taro cultivation in Hawai'i.

Farmer Rodney Haraguchi, whose farm is the state's largest and supplies more than half its taro, was not surprised to hear about a state report that crop yields for 2003 had dropped 18 percent from the previous year.

"I predicted that it was at least 20 percent, so that sounds right," Haraguchi said.

The report, issued by the Hawai'i Agricultural Statistics Service, put last year's taro production at 5 million pounds; the previous low, reached in 1997, was 5.5 million pounds. Urbanization has driven down harvests from a high of 14.1 million pounds in 1948; more recently the decline has resulted from pests and diseases, according to the report. Median production in the past decade has been about 6.1 million pounds.

Levi Maon, a buyer for the Daiei store chain, said availability has kept up with the poi demand, although the supply of other related items — laulau and taro leaves, for example — is not abundant. And Charin Tomomitsu, HPC sales and marketing director, said that so far the taro used in production has been of acceptable size, not the stunted, storm-damaged produce of a year ago.

"With the weather we've been having, it's hard to say whether later growth will be affected," she said.

The infestation of apple snails dates back almost 10 years and various tactics have been used to keep the pest in check — everything from releasing ducks into the fields to dine on the snails to powdering the crop with copper sulfate, a pesticide, for brief periods.

Both methods have had some success, said University of Hawai'i snail expert Robert Cowie, but it's limited: Prolonged use of chemical pesticides is barred in wetland areas such as taro fields because they can leach back into the environment, and the duck brigades can do some damage to the crop themselves.

Most recently, Haraguchi had been working with Harry Ako, a UH molecular bioscience researcher, on a pilot project to harvest the snails for sale as escargot in restaurants. The idea is more to avert taro crop losses than to make a profit from the snails themselves, Ako added.

But a year ago, the renewal of the project's federal grant was declined and Haraguchi has been in a holding pattern to keep the snails under control. The only way to do that is to devote half the time of one laborer to doing nothing but picking the snails, Ako said, who added that the infestations around the island have been curbed before but always recur.

"It looks like we shouldn't celebrate and get happy when we control it, that these are a constant problem and need constant pressure to keep them in check," he said.

Moreover, Cowie said snail harvesting to control the pests runs the risk of tempting non-farmers to start propagating snails, which can reproduce at an astronomical rate: Two snails can result in a population of millions after a year.

"My stand is, I think it's incorrect to promote a pest," he said. "Someone who doesn't have snails in their area will think they can grow them, saying, 'They're never going to escape from our facility,' but they will."

Baby snails are a millimeter in diameter and can travel easily, Cowie said — on birds, through wind, and hidden in the taro leaf sheaths that are then replanted in new fields.

Researchers are also weighing ways of controlling the plant rot that plagues crops throughout the state. UH plant pathologist Janice Uchida said the disease has been traced to a newly identified species from the genus Phytophthora, which can be controlled through pesticides.

But again the problem is that continual pesticide use is barred in fields where runoff into streams and the ocean is such a risk. So organic approaches — such as drying out the taro field and tilling in a cover crop that can compost and kill some of the microscopic pest — are being researched, she said.

Some progress is essential, said Haraguchi, if the taro farmer is to stay in business.

"If we don't keep this in check," he said, "I don't see how we can survive."

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.

THE SLACK KEY LADY:
An Interview with Cindy Combs
[12 March 2004]
by Jamie O'Brien


Cindy Combs

Cindy Combs is known as the Slack Key Lady, and not without good reason. Of the 30-plus albums released by Dancing Cat Records, the leader in documenting ki ho'alu music today, only one has presented the solo playing of a woman. And that woman is Cindy Combs.

Yet, the Slack Key Lady is not even Hawaiian. Her parents come from Oklahoma and she was born in San Diego; it was not until she was 10 years old that the family moved to the Islands. "My dad was in the navy," she says of her family's earliest connection with Hawaii. "He was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked."

Soon after her sister was born on Oahu, the family moved to California and along came Cindy. When her father retired from the military, the family chose to live initially in the Canary Islands. "I remember one day particularly, hearing this Hawaiian music on the radio in the Canary Islands and my mom started singing along with the last verse. I was staring at her, going 'Mom, how do you know the words to this Hawaiian music?'" It was then that Combs learned about the family's experiences in Hawaii. The conversation might also have rekindled the call of the Islands, as the family soon after moved to Honolulu. That was 1963.

The first instrument Combs began to learn was accordion in San Diego. She still has two instruments (a diatonic button accordion and a piano accordion) and plays a little: "In fact, we had a jam just the other night -- we were playing Hawaiian music." On starting school as a fifth grader in Hawaii, "the first thing they did was pass out ukuleles and I was just in heaven... I loved ukulele and that Christmas, my folks got me a beautiful Martin. And that summer, I'd go to the Y and take ukulele lessons. That was my first stringed instrument."

Her next step on the road to becoming the Slack Key Lady came two years later. "When I was 12, my mother joined a record club and so she asked me if I wanted to get a record." Combs chose three: Bobby Rydell, Cher and Joan Baez. "Joan Baez just rocked my world. I got a guitar and her songbook and chord charts and started to play away."

The worlds of folk and Hawaiian music came together in 1971. "I'd just been playing out professionally; it was the summer after I graduated from high school. I saw the ad in the paper." Keola Beamer, already an established name in ki ho'alu, was starting a new class.

"I went along once a week for six weeks. There were about seven people in the class and I was the only girl. He would hand us the tablature, play the tune and then we would grope along with it. He'd send us home and say, 'come back next week and play it for me.' And I just loved it. I would get that piece memorized."

Although Beamer was a tremendous influence on her playing, Combs also had the good fortune of being able to see such seminal greats as Sonny Chillingworth and Gabby Pahinui perform. "And then of course, there was Jerry Santos and Robert Beaumont... They formed a group called Olomana and I played slack key on their first record. Jerry was a great influence in helping me learn songs. He knew a lot of Hawaiian songs and had a great record collection."

When asked to describe her particular style, she laughs: "Slack jazz!" This reflects her diverse tastes and her willingness to listen to a wide variety of musicians. "A lot of it comes from listening to the radio and some of the older groups which did... I don't know how to put it, it was jazzy, the arrangements and chords and harmonies."

Her approach attracted the attention of George Winston, who then recorded her 2001 release Slack Key Lady, the first by a woman in the Dancing Cat series. It also enabled her to join Cyril Pahinui and Dennis Kamakahi on the prestigious Slack Key Festival Tour in 2004, which traveled from Alaska to California, across the Midwest and then into the Mid-Atlantic region. These two landmarks show that Cindy Combs has joined an exclusive band of worthy performers and has now become a noted ambassador of Hawaiian music and culture.

Combs lives in Kauai. She had been going back and forth to the island since 1971. "Finally, in '85, I went over permanently, got married, started a family and have been there ever since." She presented a radio program for nine years. "But that station went the way of so many others. It got bought out by a conglomerate and became computerized. I was phased out."

Currently, Combs is program director for the Rainbow Academy. "[It's] under the wing of the Storybook Theater of Hawaii, which is a non-profit organization... I've just hired teachers for an after-school program in a newly renovated building. There's a TV and recording studio in there. We'll have after-school programs for kids, but also classes for adults, people of all ages, so they can learn hands-on TV, radio, all kinds of media, computer graphics and then theater arts, dance, circus juggling, magic, painting, drawing, set design, puppet making, puppetry, all these things."

But music is still the main pulse in her life. "Right now, I play three nights a week with my Hawaiian trio at the Plantation Gardens Restaurant and Bar in Poipu; that's with John Emery on ukulele and his son, Eli, who plays upright bass. We do all traditional Hawaiian music. On Friday nights, I play at the Hanapepe Café; that's solo, mostly slack key guitar, lots of instrumentals, but I do throw in some contemporary music and my own compositions. And then Saturday nights, I'm at Hanalei Bay Resort on the North Shore in the Happy Talk Lounge that overlooks Hanalei Bay. It's just a beautiful outdoor vista. We do Hawaiian music usually on the first set, some more in the second, and then mix it up with contemporary things."

Along with her music, Rainbow Academy work and family, Combs appears to be living life to the full and enjoying it. She currently has many projects bubbling on the back burner, ranging from a possible new album to prospective tours. In spite of a cold and in spite of coming face to face with falling snow for the first time in her life on the slack key tour, she laughs a lot: open minded, always looking on the bright side and responding effervescently to everything coming her way.

Once, when talking to her about how she was absorbing and interpreting Hawaiian slack key music, Keola Beamer said to her, "Cindy, you should have been a local girl." It would appear that a few years later that is exactly what Cindy Combs has become.

Alien insect attacking Guam's native flora
- guampdn.com

The king sago is a dominant member of Guam's urban landscape and is currently under attack by a newly introduced insect pest.

Guam's king sago plants are under attack by a newly introduced scale insect that has been killing plants in Florida and Hawaii for years.

"We began noticing an outbreak of a very small white insect called 'scale' on these plants a few months ago," says Aubrey Moore, an entomologist studying invasive insects with the University of Guam. "Some plants were so heavily infested that it looked like they were covered with white spray paint."

At that time, the largest population of the pest was found in the Tumon area and in Barrigada Heights.

This new insect pest is a nightmare for landscape managers, and recent developments indicate it will likely become an ecological nightmare.

The first of these developments occurred two weeks ago when the university received positive identification of the insect pest.

"We learned that the scale outbreak on Guam is due to two species not previously detected on Guam -- the Asian cycad scale and the Magnolia white scale," Moore says.


The white scale becomes so dense on the lower side of king sago leaves that the leaves appear to be covered with a white crust.
Both of these scale insects have been serious pests on king sago in the Florida and Hawaii landscapes for years.

The Asian cycad scale can kill a mature plant within a year of the initial infestation in the Florida landscape. Without intervention, the lovely king sago that dominate the commercial and residential landscapes on Guam are at risk of death.

Residents and tourists already have seen hundreds of attractive king sago become unsightly. Some king sago look like dead stumps because landscape managers trying to cope with the alien pest have pruned away the entire leaf crown.

Observations from Florida and Hawaii indicate that Guam's own native fadang is known to be highly susceptible to this alien insect pest as well. Fadang is a cycad species that inhabits Guam and surrounding islands, and is closely related to the king sago.

"We have been growing plants of Guam's native cycad for many years," says Jody Haynes, cycad biologist for Montgomery Botanical Center in Miami, Fla. "Because the Asian cycad scale was accidentally introduced to the Miami area prior to 1996, we have been able to observe the interactions between this insect and Guam's cycad plants for many years."

These observations indicate that Guam's fadang is as susceptible as the king sago to being attacked by this scale.

"This may be the first time an alien pest has the potential to wipe out a native species of cycad," says Greg Holzman, former curator of cycads for the National Tropical Botanical Garden on the island of Kauai. "If a Guam cycad plant becomes infested with this scale and nothing is done, the plant will die quickly."

The Asian cycad scale migrated to Oahu about five years ago, undoubtedly on king sago nursery plants that were imported from Florida. Holzman observed the death of a 10-year-old fadang plant on Oahu shortly after the plant became infested with the new scale pest.

Perhaps the most distressing observation about the identification of this new insect pest is that its introduction to Guam was completely avoidable.

I wrote an article about this scale insect in the Pacific Daily News on Feb. 13, 2000. In that article, I pointed out the threat to Guam's fadang population and suggested that local nurseries and landscape companies stop importing king sago nursery plants voluntarily as the only sure plan for keeping this cycad-killing insect out of Guam's environment. But the avoidable has become the inevitable, and the inevitable is now poised to threaten one of our own native plant species.

Thomas Marler is a professor with the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Guam.

New York Daily News - Sports -
Yates catching wave for Mets

By ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

PORT ST. LUCIE - Tyler Yates was surfing off the island of Kauai after completing his season with Class-A Visalia five years ago, when he turned to his father, Gary, and said, "This is a pretty easy life for me right now.
"Work at night, surf during the day and then play ball for five or six months of the year and get paid for that," said Yates, whose winter routine included busing tables at the same five-star restaurant that employed his father. "I wasn't about to complain to anybody about it."

Yates, a native Hawaiian, still finds time to surf during the winter, driving his truck 45 minutes to a secluded beach on the west side of the island. And while his elbow threw him a curveball that made his ascension in the Mets' organization difficult, Yates is on the verge of establishing himself as a big-league starter ... or maybe reliever.

While Scott Erickson and Grant Roberts lead the race for the final spot in the rotation, Yates has impressed and should be part of the Mets' staff in some role this season, even if he begins at Triple-A Norfolk. His mid-90s fastball and hard slider make him an ideal candidate to close games, but to guarantee innings, the Mets have used him in a starting role since he returned from Tommy John surgery.

"I would probably say I'm better off starting, because I don't go out there for one inning and blow it all out and the next couple of innings I'm tired," Yates said. "I'm a guy who can go out there for six or seven innings and throw with the same velocity I did in the first inning."

Yates, 26, vividly recalled the June 2002 pitch that set back his career a year. Releasing a fastball, he felt a burn through his fingers, like "a big stinger in your shoulder that you get when you play football." Yates disregarded the sensation and threw another pitch. The radar gun in right-center field at Norfolk's Harbor Park registered 100 mph, and Yates walked off the mound, headed for surgery.

"This year it's night and day how amazing my arm feels," said Yates, who was scratched from his last appearance because of a hamstring strain but threw a bullpen session last night and may pitch tomorrow.

Before hurting his arm, Yates compiled a 2-2 record with a 1.32 ERA and six saves at Norfolk in 2002. He would have made an appearance in Flushing last September, but he broke a finger punching a water cooler while with the Tides last year.

"It was a stupid mistake and it cost me some money and it cost me some time that I can't ever get back," Yates said. "I'm a guy that doesn't show emotion on the mound. I try to keep everything in, never show anybody that I've been defeated or anything like that. ... I come in and I just saw the water cooler and I hit it and I was like, 'You're an idiot for doing that.' It was a lesson learned with a pinkie, but it was also a lesson learned just to like, 'Why show anybody that you've been defeated?'"

So much for all surfers being laid-back.

"You guys think a lot of surfers are mellow," Yates said. "A lot of them are pretty crazy. There are some guys out there that if you get in their way, they let you know about it."

Kauai Garden Island News
Kauai Food Bank paper bag drive starts


Kelsey O'Connor, a student at Wilcox Elementary School and niece of Dr. Bob Long, happily staples envelopes to bags for the Kauai Food Bank's 10th annual spring healthy food and fund drive.
By PAUL C. CURTIS - TGI Associate Editor
Posted: Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 - 04:02:19 am HST


NAWILIWILI — With costs of housing, rents, utilities, gas, medical care, insurance and food all soaring on the island, families with expenses rising faster than incomes can keep up find themselves in binds.

The Kauai Food Bank provides a critical safety net so that families don't have to choose between paying the electric bill or buying food for their children, said Judy Lenthall, executive director.

The food bank continues to feed roughly 6,000 Kauaians a month, half of them children and 25 percent of them elderly, she said.

And 2003 "was a big year for food distribution," with 9,000 people fed in November of last year, and 7,500 in December. In January of this year, 5,500 people enjoyed food from the food bank.

So is the backdrop for the 10th annual healthy food and fund drive of the food bank, again with a goal of gathering 20,000 pounds of food and $20,000 in donations.

For every $1 donated, food bank officials through connections with the Hawaii Food Bank and America's Second Harvest can purchase $16 worth of food.

Bags for placing non-perishable food items in, and envelopes for check donations, are including in today's issue of The Garden Island, and were distributed in yesterday's Island Shopper.

The drive runs through Friday, April 30, and food may be dropped off at any county fire station, or the Nawiliwili food bank warehouse. Checks may be placed in the postage-paid envelopes and dropped in the mail.

But the burden of raising $20,000 doesn't all fall onto the shoulders of Kauaians. Once again this year, multi-millionaire Alan Shawn Feinstein of Cranston, R.I. has pledged to match dollar for dollar a certain portion of cash donated to the food bank during the drive.

For the past six years, he has been giving away $1 million a year to agencies across the country helping to fight hunger.

Why?

"Because we were each put here on earth to do what we can to help those in need," he said.

"We do get money from him every year," Lenthall said.

This year, he is even donating money to schools which raise the most money and collect the most donated food for the food bank, based on school size (per-capita). Each Kaua‘i schools has the chance to win $1,000 in the drive.

Local businesses are getting involved, too. Operators of Curves for Women, a health facility, will waive the normal registration fee for women who bring in bags of food, Lenthall said.

Volunteers with the Rotary Club of Kauai, and family members and friends, stapled 10,000 envelopes to bags at the Lihue Neighborhood Center, in the record time of two hours.

It was so much fun that some of the young ones suggested an un-stapling party so that they could then re-staple the envelopes to bags, Lenthall said with a chuckle.

In the works, pending a successful grant-writing application, is a Kids Cafe, to be established at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii-Waimea.

It will offer healthy snacks to youngsters after school in the structured setting of the Waimea clubhouse near Waimea High School, where there is room in a fenced-in, grassed area for the children also to grow some of their own food, she said.

Officials at the Kauai Children's Discovery Museum will assist with establishment of educational programs including nutrition programs, mentoring, and instructing the young ones on how to build and use a solar-powered oven.

Hunger, or not eating right, Lenthall concluded, leads to health problems which lead to employment problems and other problems down the line.

For more information, please call 246-3809.

Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net.

The Maui News:
Finance panel cuts funding for state's hospital system
By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - In what seems to be an annual ritual, the state Legislature is once again trying to slash funding for the state hospital system, threatening essential services at Maui Memorial Medical Center and other facilities.

"We hate to talk in these terms of reducing services, but we're going to have to look at taking some drastic action if the funds are not approved," said John Schaumburg, chief executive officer at Maui Memorial, on Tuesday. "Health care is so important we don't like to be put in the position of thinking about cutting services, but if we can't afford to do something, we can't afford to do something."
As part of its version of the state's supplemental budget, the House Finance Committee has recommended chopping $11 million of the $31 million requested by Hawaii Health Systems Corp., the umbrella organization that oversees Maui Memorial and 11 other small hospitals and clinics around the state. Unless there's a last-minute amendment on the floor Thursday when the full House will vote on the budget, it's doubtful the original amount will be restored. After that, it will be up to the Senate to consider the entire request when the bill crosses over.

Schaumburg and other HHSC officials are understandably worried.

"It's even more critical than in previous years that we be fully funded," said Kelley Roberson, chief operating officer for HHSC. "This year, there's no fat, less give and no options."

Sen. Roz Baker, who is the Senate Health Committee chairwoman, was aghast at the House cuts, saying, "That's cutting into the bone . . . That's just not acceptable."

She said she is discussing the HHSC budget with the leaders of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and believes that the cuts can be restored "but maybe not all of the funds."

"I can't believe that there are Neighbor Island legislators who don't understand that they are cutting services," she said, pointing out that the hospitals and medical centers on the Big Island, Maui, Lanai and Kauai are all affected.

"We're going to see massive service cuts on the Neighbor Islands," she said, if the funding is not restored.

Communities that could be impacted by the cuts are being asked to contact their lawmakers in both the House and Senate. In Maui County, Maui Memorial, Lanai Community Hospital and Kula Hospital are included in the network.

Last year, the Legislature allocated nearly $32 million to HHSC, but that covered only the first year of the two-year budget, forcing officials to return this session for supplemental funds. Of the $31 million proposed this year, HHSC has been mandated by the state to pay $20 million for increases to the Employee Retirement System. Roberson said he didn't know if it was "coincidental or intentional" that the amount approved for HHSC is the exact amount that must go to the retirement fund.

Roberson said HHSC worked closely with the office of Gov. Linda Lingle and the administration's Department of Budget & Finance before submitting its request. Lingle included the full $31 million in her budget.

"We actually wanted more than that," said Roberson. "These figures are based on the best case scenario for everything: best case for revenues, best case for reducing expenses and best case for collections."

Roberson said the system had to make up for $45 million in losses last year because of low reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid and Med-Quest that failed to cover the costs of the care provided.

Another $17 million was lost because of indigent patients who couldn't pay.

The $31.5 million request represents a subsidy of about 10 percent of HHSC's projected $300 million budget.

Many public hospitals on the Mainland receive state subsidies of 25 percent.

Schaumburg said it's important to remember that the hospitals serve not only residents, but visitors, as well. Communities across the state will be impacted if services must be cut, he said.

"It affects our family and friends on Kauai and the Big Island, too," he said. HHSC was created by the Legislature in 1996 to reduce the chronic losses suffered by the 12 hospitals and clinics when they were under the state Department of Health's tangle of red tape.

Many of the HHSC facilities are in rural areas far from urban centers, while Maui Memorial is the only acute-care hospital on the island.

Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.

The Quiksilver/Roxy Pro

SURF: Chest high, bloated and sluggish with the occasional racetrack
EVENTS HELD: Women's to the Final, the rest of Men's Round Three
NATURE'S CALL: Give me a break: I'll still make your legs burn
PREDICTED: Another carnival in Brazil today; a 2004 Quik Pro champ tomorrow

"It's funny," says Richie Lovett, staring out at the fat, mushy rights formerly known as the Superbank. "It's as if the legendary sandbar was just a myth."

Could it really be? Are we really facing a mediocre end to the most anticipated 'CT season opener of all time?

Well, when there are dual Men's/Women's 'CTs going on, there's only one way to find out: send out the girls. The women always get the green light when the Men and the organizers are on the fence, something the girls have reluctantly grown to accept. "Heck, at least this spot's surfable," said Keala Kennelly earlier in the event. "At spots like Bells, they throw us out in stuff that isn't fit for human consumption. We surf in dog food conditions."

It might not have been prime-cut Superbank, but it was far from dog food today. Steady offshores, a light mist and the occasional lined-up right made the girls more than willing to chuck on a jersey and take on the Bank. After all, if the contest weren't on, they would have been "practicing" in the same lineup anyway. The only difference: it would have been filled with no less than 200 surfers, goat-boaters and the odd kneeboarder picking up the scraps.

With the coast cleared, Jacqueline Silva won this year's Roxy Pro, her first win since the 2002 Billabong Pro in Maui. The smooth, calculated regularfoot from Florianopolis, Brazil threw up two big hacks on her first wave against fellow finalist Rochelle Ballard, earning an 8.6. After her coach, Bira Schauffard, paced the shoreline, touched the water and made the sign of the cross, Silva followed up with two more scores in the 6-point range, sealing the year's first victory. "All our work. . .all our work has paid off!" said Schauffard, tilting back his head toward the sky.

Silva winning may be big news, but the ones who didn't win is even bigger news. Eight days ago, after current world champ Layne Beachley put a damper on Lisa Andersen's 35th birthday celebration by beating her in the round before the Quarters, Rochelle Ballard made a prediction about her next opponent: "I'm gonna take Layne," she announced.

"Especially if it's barreling," added her friend Kennelly with a wicked grin. "You just watch."

The veteran Kauai girl didn't forget her prophecy. And heck, it wasn't even barreling. Not only did she fend off Layne in the quarters, she beat Australia's next female world champ, Chelsea Georgeson, in the quarters. Georgeson has a mean backhand. She moved up to Tweed Head from Sydney a year ago, and has invested her skills in the Superbank. But somehow, on this inconsistent day, she failed to find just a 2.9 in the final nine minutes. "I guess I just fell asleep out there," she said.

Count on Beachley and Georgeson to make up for their missed opportunities at Snapper in the coming events. And unlike the past couple of years, they'll have plenty more chances to do it: the Women's 'CT is stacked with 10 proposed events this year. "Suddenly," said CT surfer Prue Jeffries, "we have a real tour with no time to think about anything else."

The men know all about those stacked schedules. Today, at the end of Round Three, 29 surfers are now sucking up a poor finish and thinking ahead to the even fatter rights of Bells Beach. A few observers were wondering if the Men's competitors complained about competing today at the Superbank. The answer? Not even. They're posting nines, they're surfing waves equivalent to a good day at Lower Trestles and it ain't getting any better. As Phil MacDonald says: "No complaints here -- we have to surf."

In retrospect, MacDonald is probably wishing he made more of a stink. Because as the last heats of Round Three unfolded this afternoon, it became clear that Silva's win was just the beginning for Brazil. First came Guilherme Herdy, stealing a lead back from Luke Egan in the final minutes to take the win. "You can never give up," said Herdy. "Just keep hitting it til the horn sounds."

Neco Padaratz followed up with one of his "emotional small rights" wins against MacDonald, and the streak continued. Victor Ribas shocked Richie Lovett with some of the best wave selection of the contest, prompting former pro Mitch Thorsen to cry out: "The Superbank's come back. . .but just for Victor!" And in the last heat, Paulo Moura convincingly outsurfed an out-of-rhythm Damien Hobgood.
In fact, the only male Brazilian who lost today was Raoni Monteiro, a solid regularfoot who had the misfortune of drawing a surfer who might as well be his own country: Taj Burrow. Taj's fizzle at the end of last year certainly hasn't affected his popularity or his drive. The man's a master of his own image, hiring his own production crews for exclusive photo shoots, going larger than life in the latest Globe movie and putting off a star quality like no other 'CT surfer.

Plus, his surfing backs it all up. Taj broke his hand while hitting a punching back about six weeks ago, but the month out of the water may have even helped. On one wave today, he pulled of a speed-float-to-foam-climb combo that went down as the most technical surfing of the day. And he did it on a 6'1" JS squashtail with the saying: "Loose Lips Sink Ships" across the bottom.

"What's with the phrase on the bottom of your board?" SURFING asked Taj.

"Oh, it's just something we've been working on," he replied in a vague, "secret project" kind of way.

"Some deeper meaning behind it?"

"Maybe," he smiled.

Here's the thing: Superbank or no Superbank, the contest will finish tomorrow. Taj has Kelly in his path; and on the other side of the draw, Parko, Dean Morrison, CJ Hobgood and Andy Irons will have to sort things out. And as soon as it unfolds, we assure you: there'll be plenty of loose lips from the SURFING camp. -- Evan Slater

Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile Round Three (1st>Rnd4; 2nd=17th receives US$4,225)
H10: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 15.66 def. Luke Egan (Aus) 13.84
H11: Michael Lowe (Aus) 15.7 def. Darren O'Rafferty (Aus) 13.77
H12: Neco Padaratz (Brz) 17.0 def. Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 7.4
H13: Taj Burrow (Aus) 17.0 def. Raoni Monteiro (Brz) 14.7
H14: Victor Ribas (Brz) 17.4 def. Richard Lovett (Aus) 12.23
H15: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.4 def. Nathan Webster (Aus) 13.46
H16: Paulo Moura (Brz) 15.34 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.43

Roxy Pro presented by Boost Mobile Final Results
1st - Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 14.94 - US$10,000
2nd- Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 11.9 - US$6,000
Semi-finals (1st>final; 2nd=US$4,000)
SF1: Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 8.5 def. Chelsea Georgeson (Aus) 8.4
SF2: Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 16.27 def. Melanie Redman-Carr (Aus) 8.6
Quarterfinals (1st>Semifinals; 2nd=5th receives US$3000)
QF1: Chelsea Georgeson (Aus) 14.0 def. Samantha Cornish (Aus) 10.5
QF2: Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 10.16 def. Layne Beachley (Aus) 9.46
QF3: Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 12.67 def. Laurina McGrath (Aus) 11.1
QF4: Melanie Redman-Carr (Aus) 14.83 def. Maria Tavares (Brz) 11.43

Kauai Garden Island News -
Hanalei bed and breakfast conversion,
YMCA plans, and railroad on Tuesday agenda

By LESTER CHANG - TGI Staff Writer
Posted: Monday, Mar 08, 2004 - 05:21:21 am HST

Proposals to use a former Japanese Buddhist mission building in Hanalei as a bed-and-breakfast operation, to build YMCA buildings envisioned for 10 years and to operate the first commercial railroad on Kaua‘i since the mid-1950s top the Kaua‘i County Planning Commission meeting agenda for Tuesday, March 9.

Meetings on the proposals are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. at the Lihu‘e Civic Center.

The biggest project involves the proposal by Kauai Kilohana Partners to operate a 2.5-mile "excursion railway system" on the grounds of the Kilohana Plantation and on former cane lands.

The railway project would unfold on 103 acres mauka of Kaumuali‘i Highway in Puhi.

The leaders of Kauai Kilohana are seeking commission approval for a special permit, a use permit and a Class VI zoning permit.

If the permits are approved, the project will provide residents and visitors a glimpse of Kaua‘i's past when the types of trains proposed for use in the railway system were used to haul cane from the fields to mills between the late-1800s to the mid-1950s.

The leaders of Kauai Kilohana have talked with business interests in the Philippine Islands to buy locomotives once used on O‘ahu.

The locomotives were sold and transported out of the state when sugar companies on O‘ahu shut down train systems in the 1940s and 1950s, and began using cane haul trucks because they were cheaper to operate, and allowed for flexibility in sugar cane operations.

Parts of the train proposal call for the creation of a train depot, an engine shop and a market for "historic crops" like sugar cane, bananas, papayas and guava and new crops that are in demand today as well. They include rambutan, cocoa and chermoya.

Historic buildings also would be used to house some of the planned improvements.

Across the street from the proposed train project, leaders with the YMCA of Kauai are seeking county permits to build a YMCA facility in phases on about 4 acres on mauka lands near the intersection of Kaumuali‘i Highway and Nuhou Road in Puhi.

YMCA leaders said the facility would allow the organization to enhance its services to the community.

In addition to the construction of recreational facilities, for which YMCA members would pay to use, a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool is planned.

The final proposal that could be up for action by the planning commission involves the formal use of what was the oldest Japanese Buddhist mission building on Kaua‘i as a bed-and-breakfast operation.

The building is located at the eastern edge of Hanalei town, and is owned by Yuichi and Kelley Sato.

Their request for permits marks the first tine in many years anyone has sought government approval for a bed-and-breakfast operation.

Six years ago, many people ran such operations without proper county permits.

Those people didn't want to go through pubic hearings, and risk having the proposals rejected by the planning commission due to public protests.

The bed-and-breakfast operations are not vacation rentals, but longtime residents have said both bring in visitors that dramatically alter the neighborhood feel of communities.

In written testimonies sent to the county, some residents said commercial use of the former temple is appropriate because the property is surrounded by business.

Others said the project is needed to provide an alternative to vacation rentals and hotel rooms.

In other written testimony to the county, one resident voiced concerns that businesses have opened up outside the commercially-zoned uses of Hanalei town and that commercial uses have sprung up on the east end of town and have spread and expanded over the years.

The resident said it is not known whether the commercial uses and activities have county permits, and that the situation concerns her.

The building that the Satos want to formally use as a bed-and-breakfast operation was constructed in 1901, and was part of the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission in Kapaia.

The building was placed on State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1977 and 1978, respectively.

Although the building was used for temple-related social and recreational events for many year, it was slated for demolition in the mid-1980s, according to county documents.

Church leaders had decided this course of action was needed to make way for a new educational building on the grounds of the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission site, located makai of Kuhio Highway in Kapaia.

The building was subsequently relocated to Hanalei town and has been used as a home in recent years.

Out of respect for the history of the building, the Satos, for their project, said they have decorated the house in Japanese style, including using bamboo beds, Asian-style prints and kimonos.

For their proposed project, the Satos said their bed-and-breakfast operation would accommodate six guests, two in each of the three bedrooms in the two-story, four-bedroom and two-bath home.

The couple plans to live in one of the rooms.

24fps Productions and Air Sea Land Productions Complete Two 1-Hour Documentaries for VOOM's Rush HD Network

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (Mar. 10, 2004) -- 24fps Productions and Air Sea Land Productions, Inc. have wrapped final production on two breakthrough high definition documentaries, On a Single Breath - The Extreme Sport of Freediving, and FreeFlight.

The two one-hour programs, produced for VOOM's Rush HD Network, explore the outer limits of extreme sports, from the underwater world of freediving to the untested horizons of free flight in paragliders and ultralights.

Green-lighted in early November, the production of the documentaries were shot entirely in high definition, and encompassed locations in Kona and Kauai, Hawaii, Miami, Florida and Aspen, Colorado. The programs are currently in heavy-rotation on Rush HD. For program listings, please visit www.voom.tv



On a Single Breath followed the quest of 52-year old Annabel Briseno as she attempted four world records in one week. As the week unfolds it becomes clear that a world record in free diving is a precarious agreement of mind, body and sea that sometimes collapses violently.



In FreeFlight, the philosophy of maximizing the pilot's connection to the heavens by minimizing the aircraft fuels an incredible visual experience along the cliffs of Hawaii and the altitudes of Aspen. The host, a conventional pilot, was treated to the most thrilling flights of her life by stripping away the airplane and experiencing flight in a new and intense way.

'It was an incredible feat to pair these captivating stories with such stunning visuals,"

SunTrips Announces New Non-Stop Roundtrip Air Service from San Francisco and Seattle to Hawaii

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2004--SunTrips(TM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Flightserv, Inc. ("Flightserv"), announced today an agreement with American Trans Air to offer year-round daily, non-stop air service, effective March 8, 2004, from San Francisco, CA, and Seattle, WA, to Honolulu, HI.

Various vacation packages and fly-drive programs are available for Honolulu. Six-day packages, which include roundtrip air, airport transfers and accommodations, start at $620 from San Francisco and $645 from Seattle.*

In addition to the new American Trans Air service, SunTrips(TM) will continue to offer its public charter Hawaii service, operated by North American Airlines, from Oakland to Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

SunTrips(TM) is owned by Flightserv, a wholly owned subsidiary of RCG Companies Incorporated ("RCG")(AMEX: RCG). For more information and reservations, please call SunTrips(TM) at 1-800-SunTrips (786-8747) or visit www.suntrips.com.

* Package prices are per person based on double occupancy. All prices may vary according to date of departure, destination and availability and are capacity controlled. Prices exclude fees up to $27.60 per person and mandatory government taxes and fees up to $10.17 a day, depending on car rental agreement, payable directly to Alamo Rent-A-Car. Prices also exclude a September 11th Security Fee of up to $10.00 maximum roundtrip. Not responsible for errors or omissions. See Participant Agreement for details.

About SunTrips

SunTrips(TM) (www.suntrips.com), based in San Jose, CA, was founded in 1976 and serves more than 220,000 passengers per year. SunTrips(TM) is owned and operated by FS SunTours, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flightserv, one of the premier packaged leisure and vacation tour operators in the United States. Flightserv is a wholly owned subsidiary of RCG Companies Incorporated.

About RCG Companies Incorporated

RCG Companies Incorporated (www.rcgcompanies.com) is focused on delivering to its shareholders rapidly growing, relatively low-risk revenues, along with increasing earnings per share. The majority of RCG's revenues are currently derived from its wholly owned travel service segment, Flightserv, which delivers leisure and vacation travel packages under the SunTrips(TM) and Vacation Express(TM) brands, together making Flightserv one of the largest leisure travel tour operators in the United States. RCG is also involved in the technology services sector, through its wholly owned software and information technology services segment, Logisoft Corp.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Interisland time-share air service seeks travelers

By Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.com

Maui-based helicopter company Aris Inc. plans to launch an airplane time-share program it hopes will attract travelers who are looking for faster and more convenient interisland air service.

Aris Inc., which runs Air Maui Helicopters, formed a separate company called Air Partners Hawaii for the venture. It plans to charge $33,000 each to 10 buyers for an ownership share in its first Aero Commander 500 twin engine executive aircraft.

While similar services have been offered on the mainland for years, there are no others available in Hawaii, said Steve Egger, president of Aris.

"The concept of fractional ownerships or partnerships has been around for a long while," Egger said.

The aircraft was picked for its suitability to short interisland hops.

"We wanted a twin engine, fairly fast and we wanted it to be what we call cabin class. It can hold four people in club seating in the back in a separate compartment," he said.

While Greg Kahlstorf, president of Maui-based Pacific Wings, does not discount the idea of a plane time-share program, he wonders if there will be enough interest for such a service in Hawaii.

"It's definitely a niche product and you can buy a lot of round trips on Pacific Wings, Aloha and Hawaiian for $33,000. But having said that, there is a niche market for every product. It just a matter of how creatively you can market it.

"It also boils down to how those who are buying it plan to use it and how you balance demand during peak periods," Kahlstorf said.

Apart from the $33,000 initial ownership stake, there is a monthly management fee of $2,000, which covers crew and fixed costs. And $350 is charged per occupied flight hour, which covers aircraft expenses including fuel, maintenance, overhauls and cleaning.

Eggers said he has had some inquiries, mostly from those who do business on several islands. With cutbacks in neighbor island flights, he said, interisland travel can be especially difficult for people who need to visit multiple islands in a single day.

"Going from Maui to the Big Island and Kauai is an all-day affair now," he said.

If he gets enough interest, Eggers said he would like to have aircraft based on all islands. "Eventually we'd like to see at least five aircraft with a couple on Oahu at least," he said.

Air Partners Hawaii will begin sales Monday for the initial Maui-based aircraft.

Inventory stats measure changing Hawaii visitor accommodations

Howard Dicus
Oahu has 50.2 percent of all the hotel rooms in the state; Maui has 23.6 percent. The Big Island has twice as many B&Bs as any other island. Kauai has by far the most timeshares.

Those are some of the interesting details in the annual report on visitor accommodations, released by the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

The term "hotel rooms" is actually not broad enough. The report counts regular hotel rooms, condo-hotel units, regular condos that are rented to visitors when not in use by their owners, B&Bs, timeshares, hostels, and even individual homes that are rented to visitors.

First news reports on the annual study contained the headline statistics: total visitor units rose 0.3 percent last year to 70,977, of which 68.7 percent were hotel rooms or suites, 23.6 percent were condo/hotel properties, and 2.8 percent were re individual vacation unit properties. B&Bs and hostels accounted for less than 1 percent of the statewide total.

But far more interesting than those bottom line figures were the deep details, the differences between the islands, and the historical perspective which the report also provided.

Maui County: up 3.3 percent to 18,578 units. The story here is expansion. Though Maui capacity peaked above 19,000 units in 1992 and 1993 before slipping slightly, it has now regained most of the slippage, and has about the same number of rooms that Oahu had in 1970. For comparison, in 1965 Maui had only 1,231, did not top 5,000 units until 1974, and hit 10,000 units in 1980. Maui now has only two fewer hotels than the Big Island almost 2,000 more hotel rooms. Maui visitor units are concentrated in on the West Maui coast from Lahaina north, with more than 9,600 units, and in the Kihei-Wailea area, with more than 7,300 units. In both cases those units are divided roughly equally between regular hotel rooms and condominium hotel units. Accommodations in other areas of Maui are measured in hundreds, not thousands, as is the case on both Lanai and Molokai, which have fewer than 700 units between them.
Kauai County: up 3.1 percent to 7,257 units. Kauai first topped 7,000 units in 1988 but fell back below 5,000 units in 1993 before rebuilding inventory after Hurricane Iniki. Kauai first topped 1,000 units in 1967. Kauai leads the state for timeshares; it has 35 percent of the 4,762 timeshare units statewide, and five times as many individual vacation units as Honolulu has. The Lihue, Kapaa and Princeville areas all have more than 1,000 visitor units of all types but the Poipu area has more than 2,300 units.
Big Island: up 1.9 percent to 9,478 units. The Big Island has three times the hotel capacity it had in 1970, but that's fewer rooms than Waikiki had in 1965. The Big Island fell into third place behind Maui in 1975. The Big Island leads the state for bed and breakfasts, with 61 individual B&Bs offering 265 rooms -- more than double 30 B&Bs with fewer than 100 rooms on Kauai, and even fewer on the other islands. The Big Island has 10 hotels apiece in the Kailua-Kona and Kohala-Waimea areas, and just under 4,000 units in both areas, compared to 7 hotels and fewer than 1,000 visitor units in Hilo. The Volcano area has 4 hotels, 14 B&Bs, several other kinds of visitor accommodations, and a total of 206 available units at 32 properties.
Honolulu: down 2.2 percent to 35,664 units. Oahu was the only island to see capacity diminish. It happened as hotels converted rooms to condominium units or apartments for residential use. Oahu has had more than 30,000 units since 1979 and peaked just above 39,000 units in 1986. Oahu capacity rose one third in the 1970s. In 1970, Oahu had only 18,000 units. Oahu has only 14 bed-and-breakfasts and 13 of them are on the Windward Side.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Hotel room gains skip Oahu

By Dave Segal
dsegal@starbulletin.com

Hawaii's hotels and resort condominiums began the year fuller than they were a year ago, but a downturn in Japanese arrivals continues to hurt Oahu's occupancy levels.



Statewide occupancy rose 3.65 percent to 75.54 percent from 72.88 percent in January 2003, according to the latest monthly survey from PKF-Hawaii.

But a 9.4 percent decline in Japanese visitor arrivals in January took its toll on Oahu as occupancy levels on the island slipped to 76.20 percent from 77.07 percent. It was the only one of the five islands surveyed to report a decline.

In Waikiki, the occupancy level dropped to 76.46 percent from 77.43 percent although Waikiki properties off the beach and without restaurants posted the highest occupancy level of any statewide at 84.98 percent.

Economist Leroy Laney said he wasn't surprised by the numbers.

"It's kind of a continuation of what we've seen in the past," said Laney, chief economist at First Hawaiian Bank and a finance professor at Hawaii Pacific University. "Waikiki and Oahu, in general, tend to be affected more by the Japanese market, and the Japanese market continues to be weak. The mainland market has held up better and continues to be stronger."

U.S. West arrivals were up 0.8 percent in January from a year earlier while U.S. East arrivals rose 6.7 percent. Overall, total arrivals slipped 1 percent in January from January 2003.

All of the neighbor islands showed occupancy gains, with northern Kauai posting the biggest increase of any statewide region with a 34.33 percent rise to 70.28 percent from 52.32 percent a year earlier. For the entire Garden Island, occupancy increased to 73.68 percent from 63.92 percent.

An executive for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., which manages the Princeville Resort in north Kauai, said the facility enjoyed one of its best Januarys in history.

"We were able to increase groups and also grow individual travelers," said Keith Vierra, senior vice president and director of operations for Starwood, which owns or manages 15 properties in Hawaii. "February looks equally as good."

Vierra said tourists have changed what they want in a vacation destination since 9/11 and Kauai has been a beneficiary.

"People are more interested in environmental and spiritual bonding and in being more romantic," Vierra said. "In past years, it was more sun-and-surf-type customers. But since 9/11, there has been a major shift. People believe rain brings beautiful waterfalls and waterfalls bring back memories and special feelings."

Vierra said that bonding experienced has broadened the reasons for traveling.

"It's greatly helped Kauai because Kauai is a green island and is known more for its hiking and natural beauty rather than getting a tan on the beach," he said.

Among other islands, Maui had the fullest occupancy at 78.48 percent compared with 73.82 percent a year earlier. Molokai increased to 73.26 percent from 65.74 percent and the Big Island increased to 71.46 percent from 64.17 percent.

Laney said the statewide increase in occupancy is another sign that Hawaii's economy is rebounding. "Tourism is coming back and joining some of the other robust sectors of the Hawaii economy," he said.

"In 2002 and 2003, and going back prior to that, construction, lower interest rates, home sales and auto sales were the big underpinnings of the state economy. Tourism started to come back in '03 and we're starting to see that same kind of trend into '04."

The statewide average daily room rate increased in January to $159.39 from $158.23 a year ago with three of the islands, including Oahu, showing gains.

Oahu's average rate rose to $112.18 from $108.40, with the rate on Waikiki increasing to $113.96 from $110.72.

The Big Island's average rate increased to $204.91 from $203.69 and Molokai jumped to $97.78 from $86.77.

Maui, which has the highest average price, saw its daily rate fall to $218.14 from $225.21 and Kauai dropped to $156.66 from $166.31.

The statewide revenue per available room, a financial indicator for hotels, rose 4.4 percent to $120.40 in January from $115.32 a year earlier as all the islands showed increases. Maui rose to $171.20 from $166.20. The Big Island increased to $146.43 from $130.70. Kauai rose to $115.43 from $106.31.

Oahu grew to $85.48 from $83.55, with Waikiki increasing to $87.13 from $85.73. Molokai rose to $71.63 from $57.04

This ferry is similar to the two 340-foot catamarans Hawaii Superferry plans to use for passenger, car and freight service between Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island starting in 2006.

The Maui News: Ships to ply channels swiftly, to carry people, cars, cargo - - Maui News
Ships to ply channels swiftly, to carry people, cars, cargo
By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer

KAHULUI - The differences that are supposed to make the Hawaii Superferry the next revolution in interisland transportation are out of sight of the passengers - an all-aluminum welded hull and high-endurance diesel engines.

Maui got its first look at what the passengers will see Monday when a slightly smaller version of the proposed ship docked at Pier 3 at Kahului Harbor.
They saw a slab-sided, twin-hull vessel that is designed to get vehicles aboard fast, get them to another port cheaply and entertain their owners while doing so.

The two ferries are expected to begin daily service between Honolulu and Kahului late in 2006. The company is billing itself as the "H-4," and Hawaii Superferry Chairman Tim Dick said Monday the ferry has the potential to drastically improve the overall economy of the islands.

Dick, an engineer and dot-com millionaire, says similar ferries have already done so in the Canary Islands, a place much like Hawaii in size, climate, population and tourism.

The Canaries had no fast ferries until a few years ago, says Dick. Three big Austal ferries went into service in 2000, another in 2001, another in 2003 and another is expected this year.

That's twice as many as the promoters had originally projected, but Dick says a repeat visitor to those Atlantic islands can see where the growth is coming from. "It's been incredibly helpful" to the local economy, he says. "There is more agriculture, you can see more fields getting planted, it's creating agricultural growth."

He expects something similar could happen here. For example, with daily high-speed ferry service, Big Island ranchers, who have most of the dairy cows, could get their milk to Oahu, which has the dairies, and then onto trucks and onto the ferries to distribute a perishable product quickly to the other islands.

It would require some rethinking by the dairies, he says. They would have to obtain refrigerated trucks - the Superferry can carry 24 semis at a time - but he thinks they would go for it.

He projects that eventually cargo will provide 60 percent of the Superferry's business, although initially the company is predicting 60 percent from passengers. With daily service and easy loading, he can see the Superferry turning into a "door-to-door courier service."

Instead of separate islands, "we would become one state," he said.

Passenger prices are projected to be about half interisland airfare, and customers will be able to drive on a car for about the same price as themselves.

In other words, a couple could travel from Maui to Oahu and take their car for about the same price as flying - but without the expense of renting a car or taking a taxi at the other end.

The passenger capacity will be 900; with two ferries operating round trip, the capacity would be about the same as that of 18 Hawaiian or Aloha jets.

The ferry's promoters claim overall travel time will not be greatly different, once airport security and hassle are taken into account.

Exactly how passengers will get aboard at Kahului is under study. Scott Cunningham, Maui County district manager of the state Harbors Division, says the state is "very supportive" of the ferry idea but does not yet know how the shore-side operations will be set up.

Cramped Kahului Harbor will present the greatest difficulties. Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kawaihae, Hawaii; and Honolulu are comparatively simple in comparison.

Once it is decided which pier - both Pier 2 and Pier 3 are under consideration - the ferry docks at, the cars will be marshaled somewhere, possibly outside the harbor area.

Then they will drive on across a stern ramp six lanes wide.

The drivers will head for the bow, then peel off left or right to park in the hangar deck, which is the size of a football field.

That will position them to drive right off at the other end.

"Really, what it's all about is organization," says Dick. A whole load of 280 cars (or 24 trucks and 200 cars) can be boarded in 30 minutes.

Once aboard, the customers will climb two flights of stairs (there's an elevator for disabled passengers) to a spacious, enclosed promenade deck.

This will include three restaurants (probably a coffee and juice bar, a plate lunch palace and a fancier "taste of the islands" eatery), a children's play area, business center, shops and plenty of observation areas.

Most seating will be similar to airlines' but with more legroom.

The vessel will be able to accommodate laptop computer users, although cell phones will lose their effectiveness about three miles from shore. Therefore, the ships will have phone booths, with satellite phones.

The outdoor sun (and smoking) deck will be a brisk environment. The ship will move through the water at 35 knots, or about 40 miles an hour.

Dick says there are almost 50 of these huge, fast, Australian-designed ferries in service worldwide, with a perfect safety record. The U.S. Marines use one on a 1,100-mile route between Okinawa and Yokohama.

Down below, in remarkably clean engine rooms, lie the engines - four 11,000-horsepower, 20-cylinder diesel engines that drive four 300-kilowatt generators.

The generators power pumps that push water through huge, steerable gates that serve the function that propellers and a rudder do in most ships. At flank speed, each gate passes an Olympic-size pool full of water each second.

The engines, from Detroit Diesel Off Highway Systems, can push the ship over the waves at a remarkable rate. The somewhat smaller Spirit of Ontario I that called at Kahului Monday is said to be the fastest big ferry in the world, capable of 48 miles an hour and designed to cruise at 44 mph.

The Hawaii Superferry, intended for the open ocean, will not go quite that fast, says Dick, although it has so much in reserve that it can keep up its design speed on just three engines.

Engine rooms of diesel-powered vessels are usually filmed in diesel oil. Not so with Spirit of Ontario, even after crossing the Pacific.

Don Thornburg, president of Ocean Frontier on Kauai, who represents Detroit Diesel, says the reason is double-walled, high-pressure injector lines.

The engines also have carbon-fiber drive shafts, instead of steel. Their behavior is monitored through more than 100 sensors, and the engines are designed to run an almost incredible 24,000 hours before major rebuilds.

The company expects to operate 16 hours a day, which would mean more than four years between engine tear-downs. Since the ships can maintain speed on three engines, it should be possible to operate day in and day out for years without stopping for engine maintenance.

That does not mean the ferry will sail every day, says Dick. There are occasions when waves breaking across harbor entrances will keep the ferry at home, but it is designed to operate in most weather.

The whole thing is so high-tech, according to Dick, that the Jones Act does not affect the cost: $75 million per ship.

They will be built in Alabama in a joint venture between Austal of Perth, Australia, and Bender Industries, an American shipyard.

For traditional steel ships, construction in U.S. yards, which is required by federal law for ships trading between domestic ports, is much more expensive than in foreign yards.

However, says Dick, not even the best foreign yards can manage the intricate welding and other advanced techniques required by the Austal design.

For all that, the designs are more than 10 years old and well-proven, Dick says. Leading edge, not bleeding edge, is the company's watchword.

The last attempt to introduce high-speed interisland ferries to Hawaii - SeaFlite - failed because the then-unproven technology could not stand up to Hawaiian conditions.

According to Dick, Austal ferries have coped with seas as bad as Hawaii's in the English Channel, the Baltic and other rough seaways.

At cruising speed, the four engines will consume about three tons of diesel per hour. "It sounds like a lot," says Dick, but it is much less fuel than jet planes would use to move the same traffic.

Other considerations for a ferry service include disposal of wastewater and avoiding humpback whales.

The company is hoping that the state will build pump-out stations and holding tanks at Pier 19 in Honolulu for wastewater.

If the state doesn't, the ferries will install onboard treatment plants, and the effluent will be discharged outside the 12-mile limit.

Avoiding whales will require new technology, now being developed.

According to Dick, professor Joe Mobley of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu has tested a radar that had zero failures in picking out whales. In a test off Oahu, with aerial surveillance to check the background, the system identified all the whales present and did not misidentify anything else in the ocean as a whale.

Dick says the ferry will be rerouted during whale season to avoid the shallow waters where the whales congregate. That will add about half an hour to the usual time between Honolulu and Kahului, planned for 2 1/2 hours.

Some other maritime ventures announced for Hawaii have never gotten their feet wet for lack of financing, but Hawaii Superferry says it has most of the $150 million it needs in place and expects the rest by the end of this year. The Federal Maritime Administration is backing the venture with loan guarantees on the ship construction.

Once in operation, each ferry will require a crew of 27, and the company as a whole expects to build up to a staff of 300.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business
Big Isle, Kauai home prices keep soaring
The median sale price of Kauai condominiums jumped nearly
85 percent last month

By Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.com

Homes sales on the Big Island and Kauai continued their New Year's upward trend with price increases in both single-family homes and condominiums.

Single-family home sales and prices on the Big Island continued to move ahead in February with 163 homes sold during the month and a median price of $262,650, according to the Hawaii Information Service. That marks an 18.8 percent increase from a median price of $221,000 a year ago, when 145 homes were sold.

There were 71 condominium sales on the Big Island in February, four fewer than the previous year.

But condo sales prices showed no sign of a slowdown. The median price last month was $195,000, almost 38 percent higher than the previous February.

Big Island real estate agent Gary Davis, of Clark Realty in Waimea, said he believes more sales would occur if not for inventory shortages.

"Homes are coming on the market and being picked up real fast. The one thing putting a damper on even more sales are the people who would sell but have little inventory to choose (for a replacement property) from so we are seeing more remodeling," Davis said.

Kauai home prices and sales volume showed increases in both single-family homes and condominiums last month, although condominiums were clearly the hot ticket with prices pushing ahead of single-family homes.

There were 45 single-family homes sold on the Garden Isle in February, 32 percent more than the 34 sold in the previous year, according to the Hawaii Information Service. Sales prices for homes in the month rose just more than 29 percent to a median of $410,000 from $317,500 last year.

There were 47 condominium sales, up nearly 68 percent from 28 sales the previous year. Condo sales prices jumped ahead of single-family home prices, rising to a median of $420,000 -- almost 85 percent above the previous year's median of $227,253.

Kauai Garden Island News:
Visitor arrivals increase on Kaua'i
By BARRY GRAHAM - TGI Business Editor
Posted: Sunday, Mar 07, 2004 - 04:14:43 am HST


ALL ABOARD? - On Kaua'i, 13,361 cruise-ship visitors came to the island in January 2004, an 18.8 percent decrease from the same time last year. The Statendam could help boost visitor arrivals in the next few months.

Available data in the most recent state Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) report indicated that visitor arrivals by air from the domestic market continued to increase in January 2004 compared to the same month last year.

'We are pleased to see steady growth in visitor arrivals from our primary U.S. market,' Marsha Wienert, state tourism liaison, said. 'Arrivals increased across all U.S. regions. It is also encouraging to see the improvement from our MCI visitor segment, which has continued to grow since July 2003.'
Additional preliminary January 2004 visitor statistics:

Total air visitors: A total of 512,186 visitors came to the islands during the month, slightly down by 1 percent from January 2003.

On Kauai, the number of total arrivals was 74,292, 11,100 of which were international visitors.

'I think that when comparing Kauai's numbers to the other Counties, we're holding up pretty well when looking at statewide trends,' said Margy Parker, executive director of the Poipu Beach Resort Association.

Total visitor days numbered 5.3 million, with an average length of stay of 10.39 days.

Domestic air visitors: Domestic arrivals rose 2.8 percent to 342,415 visitors throughout the state.

The average length of stay was 11.66 days. Arrivals from the U.S. market, which accounted for 90.1 percent of all domestic visitors, r"

Kauai Garden Island News:
KAUAI Sports
Irons brothers win Expression Session Down Under

SNAPPER ROCKS, Aus. -- Reigning two-time world champion Andy Irons of Hanalei landed a huge frontside 'Alley-Oop' to take out the Best Aerial section, adding another $1,000 to his bank account in the Foster's men's Expression Session Saturday.
WCT newcomer and younger brother Bruce made up for his round two loss in the Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile main event, winning the Best Maneuver category for his aerial 360.

The event took place following the postponement of the World Championship Tour event, and allowed surfers an opportunity to make use of available swell that, despite onshore northerly winds and difficult four- to five- foot surf, attracted a large beach crowd who were witness to some incredible surfing.

'I just dropped into the wave and it wedged up really nicely for an air section,' said Andy. 'I went up for the alley-oop and spun out of it really quickly. I was pretty stoked to pull it off.

'Expression Sessions are awesome, especially with conditions like we had. Everyone was doing huge airs and big turns, so it's exciting to watch,' he added.

Andy, who will surf against Floridian C.J. Hobgood in the fourth round of the Quiksilver Pro, started things of with the huge air.

Bruce followed later, busting his 360 on a solid section.

'Extra money and Expression Sessions are fun,' said Bruce. 'You go out there and just do what you want. I definitely didn't want to let him (Andy) take it all. I knew he already had the best air, so I just went for a variation move and was stoked to win a spot.'

Australian Tom Whitaker also picked up $1,000 for the Best overall ride.

TheHawaiiChannel -
Kauai Hopes To Lure More Visitors In 2004
Officials Hope To Top 2003 Record
POSTED: 12:43 pm HST March 4, 2004

HONOLULU -- Kauai tourism officials are looking to improve upon a strong 2003 record. Members of the Kauai Visitors Bureau talked about those plans in their annual meeting Thursday.
The bureau wants to keep advertising in major travel magazines this year.
Visitor numbers stayed up last year, helped in part by direct flights from the mainland, according to the bureau's executive director.
'We actually did a very, very good year. Our length of stay was up to 7.44, so that was good for Kauai, and visitor expenditures were up. So, we did well. We're very happy,' said Sue Kanoho of the Kauai Visitors Bureau.
The bureau's plans continue targeting families and golfers in this year's marketing. It's also developing a new, interactive CD to promote Kauai as a place for conventions and meetings."

American to fly SFO-Maui, add flights to Kauai
- 2004-03-05 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

American Airlines will begin seasonal nonstop service from San Francisco to Maui on June 10, its first ever nonstop link between the two points.

The largest airline also announced Thursday it will increases its service from Los Angeles to Lihue, a corridor served only by it and United.
'With our new nonstop to Maui, and more service to Lihue, American is making it easier and more convenient to see and experience all the wonderful things that Hawaii has to offer,' said Mike Nozaki, American's general manager in Hawaii. 'American knows that Hawaii is the ultimate dream destination for many people, and we stand ready to make those dreams come true.'
American will fly the San Francisco-Maui route with one daily round trip, using Boeing 757 with 22 first-class seats and 166 seats in the main cabin. The service, which will run through Sept. 7, will leave San Francisco at 5:50 p.m. and arrive Kahului at 10:02 p.m. The return is a red-eye.
Service from Los Angeles to Lihue will increase from the current one daily flight to one daily and four weekly flights on April 4. Then on June 10, an additional weekly flight will be added, bringing American to one daily and five weekly flights in this market. The regular flight leaves Los Angeles at 5:25 p.m. and gets to Kauai at 8:14 p.m. with a red-eye return. The extra flight will leave LAX at 10:40 a.m., arrive Lihue 1:30 p.m., and return in the late afternoon. "

- 2004-03-04 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Hawaii Superferry shows catamaran ferry

Hawaii Superferry, the company that plans to run interisland ferry service by 2006, has brought to the islands a boat similar to the kind it will sail, and plans tours across the state.

The Spirit of Ontario I, a massive catamaran similar but not identical to a pair of ships commissioned by Hawaii Superferry especially for local ocean conditions, arrived Wednesday in Honolulu.
It's a big enough to hold hundreds of cars, but not quite as big as the vessels commission by the company, scheduled for delivery in 2006 and 2008.
Invited guests will tour the boat Saturday night at Aloha Tower before the Spirit sails to Kauai for a Sunday afternoon public viewing at Nawiliwili Harbor. Another nighttime sail will take it to Maui for an afternoon public viewing at Kahului Harbor, then the same thing will happen in Hilo on Tuesday. "

TheHawaiiChannel - KITV 4 News -
Island Air Sale Delayed - Airline Plans To Add Flights
POSTED: 2:45 pm HST March 3, 2004

HONOLULU -- Aloha Airlines' planned sale of its commuter line Island Air is being delayed at least one month. Both sides had wanted to complete the sale to Gavarnie Holdings LLC by March 1.
However, Island Air President Neil Takekawa told KITV 4 News the sale is taking longer than expected, so Island Air has delayed its plans to hire more staff and put more planes in the sky.
The new owners of Island Air planned to add six new interisland routes for the Big Island and Kauai. Island Air services some of Maui County's smaller airports, including Kapalua and Kaanapali on Maui, Hoolehua on Molokai, and Lanai City on Lanai.
In the meantime, Aloha Airlines' pilots' union has filed a grievance against Aloha, saying any code-sharing with Island Air would break a union agreement by allowing lower-paid Island Air pilots to serve the same airports as Aloha.
Aloha Airlines refused to comment on the grievance."

Aloha Spirit Infuses Rookie With the Mets
By LEE JENKINS

Published: March 2, 2004

ORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., March 1 — At the Poipu Beach Broiler, on the south side of Kauai, Hawaii, the customers ask about Tyler Yates and remember the hurricane.

Every day at spring training, Yates demonstrates why he is the most intriguing candidate to become the Mets' fifth starter, and he shows that his surgically repaired right arm is back to full strength.


Kauai, the island he calls home, has also undergone reconstruction.

The Poipu Beach Broiler, owned by Yates's father, is bustling with locals who are now converted Mets fans. But not so long ago, every restaurant on the island was empty.

In September 1992, Yates was entering Kauai High School, less concerned with the velocity on his fastball than with the roof over his head. When Hurricane Iniki hit the island of 55,000 residents with 150-mile-an-hour winds on Sept. 11, it took with it the roof over Yates's house and many of the family's belongings. It left the 15-year-old Yates without a permanent home.

"Our house was completely trashed," Yates said. "We had to keep moving and keep switching neighborhoods. Every time we got a new house, it seemed like there were leaks or there had to be maintenance. It took 10 years for Kauai to come back."

Yates, 26, recalls in vivid detail the day of the hurricane, how he stood in the kitchen after the roof was ripped off, and how he gazed into a sky that was filled with his neighbors' possessions. At one point, someone else's roof flew into Yates's house, all but destroying his parents' bedroom.

When he thought the worst had passed, he went outside to check on friends, but he was clocked by another gust that threw him into a nearby bush.

He hustled back inside and spent the rest of the night in the living room, which was still covered by a piece of roof, but had been swarmed by mosquitoes.

For the next week, Yates and his family had no running water or electricity. Then, slowly, they started piecing their lives back together. As Yates talks about the rebuilding years, he invariably refers to what he and fellow Hawaiians call the Aloha spirit.

"That means everybody pulls together and helps one another," he said. "In tough situations, you have to be there for others and you have to rebound."

He found his refuge on the field. Every fall, Yates muscled aside opponents on the offensive and defensive lines for the Kauai High football team. In the spring, he blew away batters and became the island's baseball player of the year in his senior season.

At 6 feet 4 inches and 220 pounds, Yates still looks more like a lineman than a pitcher. Through the minor leagues, he stomped around the mound after a bad pitch and unleashed his fury with every fastball.

"He's a big guy with big stature," said the Mets' pitching coach, Rick Peterson, who was with the Oakland A's when they shipped Yates to New York in the David Justice trade. "He's got great mound presence."

Yates was among the Mets' top pitching prospects in 2001, with an earned run average of 1.32 at Class AAA Norfolk. During a home game against Rochester, Yates worked himself into such a frenzy that he reached 100 m.p.h. on the radar gun.

Immediately after releasing the pitch, he felt a burning in his right arm and dropped to one knee.

Yates said he knew that he had torn ligaments. He had Tommy John elbow surgery, and almost two years later, he has learned he can't test his limits on every pitch.

"There are times he cares a little too much," Mets catcher Vance Wilson said. "He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and if he misses, he looks disgusted with himself. He's really worked on that."

Of the six pitchers auditioning for the fifth spot, Yates may have the lowest profile, but he has the most velocity, the highest intimidation factor and perhaps the greatest potential.

Last season, Yates struck out almost a batter an inning in the minors, using a curveball and a changeup for the first time.

During the Mets' first intrasquad game Monday — the first time Manager Art Howe saw Yates pitch to batters — Yates went one inning, inducing a pop-up from Mike Piazza and giving up a softly hit single. The only pitcher to produce more buzz was Scott Kazmir, considered the organization's best prospect, who was equally impressive.

Although Yates is aiming for the majors and New York, he sometimes misses the laid-back lifestyle of Kauai, where he returns every winter. When he's not at his father's restaurant, talking baseball with the locals, he is at his favorite surfing spot, called Shipwrecks, about three miles from his mother's house in Koloa.

Yates says his pitching arm has been strengthened by his countless surf sessions. Paddling through the Pacific Ocean, he can work out his elbow, and riding back to shore, he can enjoy an unobstructed view of an island paradise that has managed its own inspiring comeback.

INSIDE PITCH

DAVID WRIGHT, a minor league third baseman who is the Mets' top position prospect, was 3 for 3 in the intrasquad game with a two-run home run. JOSÉ REYES, the starting second baseman, also hit a two-run homer. KAZUO MATSUI said much of the pain in his lacerated right middle finger had subsided.

Kauai Garden Island News:
Irons Bros. and kids join forces at Hanalei

By TGI STAFF
Posted: Sunday, Feb 15, 2004 - 04:06:12 am HST
HANALEI - Back-to-back, two-time Association of Surfing Professionals world champion Andy Irons made a public appearence Saturday.

Irons won the ASP title in December with a decisive win over six-time world champion Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Florida at the Pipeline Masters.
Irons, and his brother Bruce Irons, who is also one of the top pro surfers in the world, hosted their annual 14-under youth surfing contest at Pine Trees along Hanalei Bay Saturday morning and afternoon.

The Irons brothers grew up at Hanalei and surfed the beachbreaks at Hanalei themselves while attending Hanalei School.

Billabong surfwear, Andy Irons' major sponsor, helped underwrite the day of action for the Kaua'i kids.

The brothers head off soon for the first ASP contests of the New Year, in Australia."

Kauai Garden Island News -
Oscar party makes for a festive Kilauea afternoon
By TGI STAFF
Posted: Monday, Mar 01, 2004 - 05:11:43 am HST


Oscar partygoers at the Kilauea Theater enjoyed a bar-b-que pot luck and attempted to guess who would win Oscars later in the day.

An Oscar party hosted by the Kilauea Theater's Damon Marc raised funds Sunday for the Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay's plan to construct a firefighting and rescue equipment building in Hanalei.

The Oscar party included a live broadcast of the awards show on the big screen at the theater, and a contest with prizes for those who came closes in guessing the winners of Oscars during the day.

It was the night of the "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" at 76th annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Top winners according to an Associated Press report included:

Best Picture: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Actor: Sean Penn, "Mystic River." Actress: Charlize Theron, "Monster."

Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins, "Mystic River." Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger, "Cold Mountain."

Director: Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

Cinematography: "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."

Marc said a preliminary tally showed that the probable winner at Kilauea was Gwen Squyers of KKCR radio on the North Shore.

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
Big Island faces possible gas tax hike
By Associated Press

(Hilo-AP) -- Big Island motorists would pay even more for gas under a proposal from Mayor Harry Kim.

Kim wants to boost the gas tax by six cents a gallon. The county currently pays eight-point-eight cents a gallon.

The increase would put the Big Island more in line with other counties.

Honolulu drivers pay a gas tax of 16-point-five cents a gallon. In Maui County, the rate is 18 cents, and Kauai County charges 13 cents.

In addition, the state imposes a 16-cents-a-gallon gas tax.

Kim says the increase would raise another five-point-one (m) million dollars a year for the county highway fund. And it would bring in one-point-six (m) million dollars annually for expanded bus service."

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
SARAH KAILIKEA / 1911-2004
Hawaiian cultural icon defended giant tree

By Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.com
LIHUE >> Aunty Sarah Kailikea will be buried at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Lihue Cemetery in what may be one of the largest funerals in the history of Kauai.

A living connection to Kauai's history and a cultural icon in the Hawaiian community throughout the state, Aunty Sarah died Feb. 25 at age 93 at the Big Island home of kumu hula Coline Kona Kaualoko Aiu, her favorite student.

"She died peacefully in a grove of coconut palms she had given to Coline 10 years ago," said her son Malcolm. "When she became ill, she wanted to spend her last days with Coline so she could share her wisdom with her one last time."

Malcolm Kailikea said he expects many people to attend the funeral.

Until Christmas, Aunty Sarah worked in her yard every day. "She was out there with a pick and a shovel and mowing the lawn as always," her son said.

But a few days later, she became ill, suffering from congestive heart failure and later a stroke.

Born in 1911, Aunty Sarah was a genealogist, a hula master, a chanter, a composer and, as her son described her, "a walking encyclopedia on Hawaiian culture. She had a photographic memory and she was a very gifted teacher."

She was a student of both David Bray and Mary Kawena Pukui. On Kauai, her birthplace and lifelong home, she was best known as the feisty and articulate protector of the immense Chinese banyan tree, the largest in Hawaii, that grew in her back yard.

The tree was planted some time between 1890 and 1895 by Grove Farm founder George N. Wilcox near what was then his summer home in Nawiliwili. At one time it was the centerpiece of Menehune Botanical Gardens, a tourist attraction operated by Aunty Sarah and her husband, Melvin, who died in 1989.

In 1976, she led a fight to have the county declare it an "exceptional tree," which gave it legal protection from damage by neighboring property owners. She returned to the County Council and Planning Commission many times to defend the tree, which kept growing onto adjoining property.

"It's my baby," she said in a 1999 interview with the Star-Bulletin. "Feed it and it just grows and grows."

The tree stands 110 feet high and 250 feet wide, covers two acres and has more than 1,000 air roots. The botanical gardens were closed in 1992 after Hurricane Iniki and it has not been available to the public since then. A fire in 2000 destroyed a portion of the tree, but it has since recovered.

The Kailikeas also operated Luau Garden and it was through Aunty Sarah's authentic shows and storytelling that she taught Hawaiian culture to visitors. In 1995, the Kauai Museum bestowed upon her the title of "A Living Treasure."

She is also survived by son Melvin Jr., daughter Lei Christensen, brothers Norton and Joseph Malina, three grand children and four great-grandchildren.

- 2004-03-03 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Storms do fresh damage to macadamia trees and other crops

Howard Dicus
Damaging storms, which began to pound the islands last Thursday and continued through the weekend, have destroyed or damaged some macadamia nut and coffee trees and harmed others crops, from Maui onions to Oahu greens, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture reports.

The weekly crop weather report disseminated Tuesday covers last week's conditions and does not include wind, rain or flood damage taking place this week, but still shows the storm system has been bad news for some farmers.

"Although all islands were affected by the storm system, the heaviest damage to agriculture occurred on Oahu and Hawaii islands," said Don Martin, director of the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service. "Preliminary statewide estimates of dollar losses to agriculture were estimated at between $1.5 to $2 million."

A lot of that, Martin said, is severe damage and tree losses to macadamia nut orchards in the Honomalino area of south Kona caused by a suspected tornado/water spout late Friday night. One farm lost nearly 2,500 trees.

Tree losses to coffee and macadamia orchards in central Kona from strong winds were not as severe but leaf stripping was bad enough to affect yields later in the growing season.

Macnut tree losses were also reported in the Ka'u district, to mostly younger, not yet bearing orchards, although the full extent has not been determined yet.

Kona coffee farmers reported up to 30 percent damage to mature trees. The news came just as Starbucks was announcing that for the first time in seven years it will offer Kona coffee in its 4,000 shops nationwide. Kona coffee production is only 0.02 percent of world coffee production in the best of times. Coffee growers weren't uniformly slammed by the storms, though: the rains were beneficial to Kauai coffee orchards and should trigger the flowering that leads to next season's crop.

On Oahu the heavy rains created havoc with vegetable and melon growers.

"Crops were underwater," Martin said, "or field conditions so muddy that farmers were unable to enter fields to carry out planting and harvesting operations. It will be several days, provided there are drier conditions, before farmers can get back into their fields."

On Kauai, heavy mountain rains caused the Hanalei River to overflow on Thursday night and inundate some adjacent taro fields, but drained so quickly that farmers could still do some harvesting.

On Maui, the first days of the storms did not do serious crop damage. The Maui onion crop remained in marginally fair to poor condition due to past weeks' rains. Low production is expected to continue from older and developing fields due to wet conditions. Crop loss estimates from January's rains ranged from 35 percent to 60 percent depending on field location and cultural practices prior to the storm.

Reach Howard Dicus at hdicus@bizjournals.com.

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
Kauai band selected for Tournament of Roses

By Associated Press

(Lihue-AP) -- A Kauai band has been selected to march in next year's Tournament of Roses Parade.

The Kauai All Island Ku Kilakila Band includes about 250 high school and middle school musicians and hula dancers.

It's the first time a band from Kauai has been selected for the annual New Year's Day parade in Pasadena, California.

Last year, a band including members from throughout Hawaii marched.

The parade is seen by about 80 (m) million people nationwide and 350 (m) million people across the globe.


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) "

- 2004-03-01 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
While mainland vehicle sales fall, Hawaii sales rise

Howard Dicus
Hawaii new vehicle registration, excluding rental fleets, rose 17.6 percent in 2003 to 62,712 units. National registrations fell 2.1 in 2003, the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association reports.

The figures also show that U.S. automakers have almost 56 percent of the total car and light truck market nationwide, but less than 31 percent of the Hawaii market.

Big Three car sales rose 2.7 percent in the islands, but Korean car sales rose 5.4 percent, European car sales rose 6.7 percent, and Japanese vehicle sales rose 9.9 percent.

One thing is the same here and on the mainland. Light trucks, including pickups, SUVs and vans, account for more than sales than regular automobiles. Nationwide they make up 56.3 percent of consumer vehicle sales; here, 56.6 percent.

Here is the Hawaii market share held by major automakers during the fourth quarter:

1. Toyota, 23 percent.
2. Ford, 11.2 percent.
3. Honda, 11 percent.
4. Nissan, 11 percent.
5. Chevrolet, 5.8 percent.
6. Dodge (Daimler Chrysler), 5.2 percent.
7. Mazda, 4.9 percent.
8. Lexus, 2.8 percent.
9. Volkswagen, 2.1 percent.
10. BMW, 1.8 percent.
Toyota had the two most popular cars (Corolla and Camry) and most popular truck (Tacoma) while Honda had the number three and four cars (Civic and Accord.)

Other brands, lower in the overall rankings, nevertheless showed significant sales growth in 2003. Infiniti G35 sales tripled last year to put this model in 12th place. Mini Cooper sales doubled, putting it 13th. Mazda 6 sales quadrupled to place it 15th. Sales of the Honda Pilot doubled to place it 15th among light truck sales.

Sales fell 10 percent or more during 2003 for the Mazda 3, Ford Ranger, Nissan Xterra and Volkswagen Jetta.

Here's how 2003 new car sales broke down by locality:

Oahu: 44,013, up 16.2 percent from 37,878 in 2002.
Big Island: 7,841, up 23.7 percent from 6,338 in 2002.
Maui: 7,584, up 21.7 percent from 6,232 in 2002.
Kauai: 3,273, up 14.2 percent from 2,866 in 2002.
Island preferences differed. Honda was much more popular on the Big Island than elsewhere, accounting for a quarter of all Big Island sales in 2003. Ford trucks were twice as popular on Maui as elsewhere and accounted for almost a third of all Maui light truck sales. Volkswagen had only half the market share on Kauai as it had on the other islands.

And a few loose notes:

Every Hummer gets noticed, but only 82 were sold to consumers in Hawaii last year.
Mini Cooper sales, 238 in 2002, rose to 477 last year.
More than 300 Jaguars a year are sold in Hawaii.
Hawaii consumers bought 436 Volvos and 168 Saabs last year, well above 2002 sales figures for either brand.

---

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Hawaii new jobless claims rise
- 2004-03-01 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Layoffs stemming from the concrete strikes are beginning to show up in Hawaii's new claims for unemployment compensation, though not at the levels expected in the next week or two.

For the week ending Feb. 21, the Hawaii Department of Labor & Industrial Relations counted 1,461 new jobless claims, and 9,818 total claims.

That was 131 new claims from the week before. But Maui and Kauai actually reported fewer new claims. On Oahu, most affected by the Teamsters strikes against Hawaiian Cement and Ameron Hawaii, new claims rose by 114 to 969.

Total jobless claims on Oahu barely rose at all at the Honolulu office but rose 120 to 920 at the Kaneohe office, and rose 216 to 2,629 at the Waipahu office, which would serve most construction workers affected in the early stages of the walkout.

Builders and subcontractors say they laid off scores of workers last week and will lay off more this week; claims are typically filed in the following week and reported the week after that.