The Maui News:
Marzo claims two national surf titles
By KIM BALL, For The Maui News

Clay Marzo of Lahaina became Maui's first double winner at the National Scholastic Surf Association national championships on Saturday at San Clemente, Calif.

The NSSA meet is regarded as the most prestigious amateur surf meet in the United States.
Marzo, 14, won the Explorer Boy (13-14 years) and Open Junior (13-15 years) divisions, and he did so in convincing fashion. There were 72 surfers in each draw. He surfed four six-person heats in each division, and was first in all eight heats.

Marzo's domination was such that he had the highest heat score. His two-wave score of 18.0 out of 20 in his opening junior's heat tied Kilian Garland of Orcutt, Calif., for the meet's top score. They both won custom bicycles. Marzo also picked up three watches for having three scoring rides over 9.0 during the contest.

''It was really something to watch,'' said Gene Marzo, Clay's father, via phone from San Clemente on Monday. ''He didn't hold back at all. I'm just glad I got to see it.''

Marzo had no special strategy at the Lower Trestles surf venue. He was very familiar with the break, having made an NSSA national final for the fifth year in a row.

''I just wanted to go out there and get two solid waves, two set waves, do big moves, and then surf them all the way through to the inside and not all,'' Marzo said.

In his Explorer final on Saturday, Marzo still needed a 5.0 score with 2 1/2 minutes left in his 20-minute heat.

''I got a left overhead set,'' he said. ''I had a pretty big throw-tail. On the inside, I did a snap and then grabbed my rail and slid backward.''

Then 90 minutes later, Marzo came back to surf the juniors final. Once again Marzo needed a big score with about two minutes left.

''I needed another right, and I got it,'' he said. ''I was trying to be patient and the last one was a good one. I did four snaps, a bunch of snaps, and then a backward 180 thing.''

Still Marzo didn't know if he had won because the announcer quit calling out scores with less than five minutes left in all the final heats. Marzo and the rest of the competitors had to wait until the awards banquet on Sunday night at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott to find out the results.

''When they called my name for the Explorer Boys, I was so stoked. I finally won,'' Marzo said. ''I felt so dizzy. I was tripping out, it was like a dream come true. I just claimed it, too. When I got my trophy, I just held it up.

''Everybody thought I got second (in the Open Juniors) because this kid (Tyler Newton of Kauai) did an air reverse. But I won, I was freaking out, so stoked to win two.''

Other Maui surfers who made NSSA finals included: Ola Eleogram of Hana (2nd-Explorer Men, 4th-O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Open Men); Hank Gaskell of Hana (2nd- O'Neill Airshow, 5th-Explorer Juniors); Dusty Payne of Lahaina (6th-Open Juniors); and Paige Alms of Haiku (6th-Open Women).

SunTrips Offers Roundtrip Airfares Starting From $299 From Oakland to Honolulu and Maui
Wednesday June 30, 11:05 am ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- SunTrips, a division of RCG Companies, (Amex: RCG - News), today launched a July sale for roundtrip airfare from Oakland to Honolulu and Maui with fares starting as low as $299* roundtrip. Travelers may purchase tickets by calling 1-800-786-8747 (1-800-SUN-TRIP) or by contacting a local travel professional.
These special fares are available for 7-night stays. The departing dates from Oakland to Honolulu are July 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 19, and 29 with return dates 7 nights later. The departing dates from Oakland to Maui are July 1, 5, 6 and 8 with return dates 7 nights later.

Prices are valid for selected 2004 dates and new bookings only. Prices may vary according to date of departure, destination and availability and are capacity controlled. Restrictions apply. Prices exclude fees up to $27.60 per person. Prices also exclude September 11th Security Fee of up to $10.00 maximum roundtrip. These prices supersede all previous specials. Flights are public charters operated by North American Airlines and Ryan International Airlines. See SunTrips Participant Form on booking terms and conditions. SunTrips cannot be held responsible for misprints. CA CST# 2071282-40.
About SunTrips

SunTrips was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in San Jose, CA. SunTrips serves more than 180,000 passengers per year. SunTrips offers service to Honolulu, Maui, Kona, Kauai and Costa Rica from Oakland; Cancun, Mayan Riviera, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos from Oakland and Denver; Azores from Oakland and Honolulu from Seattle and San Francisco. Please visit http://www.suntrips.com for more information.

DodgeGlobe.com:
Game Show Network offers trip to Dodge City as sweepstakes contest prize
06/29/04

By Joshua Kinder
Dodge City Daily Globe
Hawaii and Dodge City clearly have very little in common and rarely are mentioned in the same sentence.

But thanks to a new television series on The Game Show Network, "Extreme Dodgeball," the two vacation hot spots are pitted against each other for the grand and first prizes for lucky game show viewers in a new sweepstakes. Second prize winners receive a dodgeball kit, which is essentially a dodgeball and sports bag.

The first prize winner gets to be "Dodge City Deputy Marshall for the day," airfare and accommodations for two at the Boot Hill. The winner and guest are also tentatively scheduled to participate in the Dodge City Days Western Parade.

The sweepstakes, "Get Outta Dodge," began accepting entries June 14 with the debut of the extreme sports show, which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on digital cable channel 227 in Dodge City. Entries will continue to be accepted through Wednesday, with the winner to be announced sometime around the first week of July.

Joel Chiodi of The Game Show Network said the trip to Maui is intended to be the "extreme" vacation and about the trip to Dodge City, "Who wouldn't want to be marshall for the day in historic Dodge City and be in a parade?"

"Having grown up in the Midwest, I know about the hospitality and that the people of Dodge City will welcome them with open arms," he added.

Andy Stanton, director of the Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau said such an opportunity for Dodge City can be considered, "one of the city's 15 minutes of fame."

"This is great publicity for Dodge, to be promoted by The Game Show Network, " he said of the trip, which has an estimated value of $2,196, according to The Game Show Network's Web site. "A lot of times, we in Dodge overlook that we do have world-wide name recognition and that the phrase 'Get the heck out of Dodge' is used all over the world and its something that has come to our advantage every once in a while."

Stanton said he first heard of the promotion about a month ago when a promotions firm, Sullivan Compliance Company, from Burbank, Calif., called and requested video and photographs from Dodge City to use for the GSN sweepstakes.

"From what they told me right at the beginning, they were wanting to come up with anything related to the word, "Dodge," he said. "They were just trying to think outside the box a little bit and came up with Dodge City."

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News

Sunday, June 27, 2004




ASSOCIATED PRESS
The cruise ship Pride of Aloha docked at the Port of Hilo yesterday. It is the first U.S.-flagged cruise ship in nearly 50 years.


‘Pride of Aloha’ docks in Hilo Norwegian Cruise Lines expects
to pump $500 million annually into the state's economy

By Karin Stanton
Associated Press
HILO >> More than 77,000 tons of aloha reached its new home yesterday.

Norwegian Cruise Lines' Pride of Aloha, the first U.S.-flagged cruise ship in almost 50 years, docked before dawn at the Port of Hilo, bringing with it a welcome boost to the state's economy.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye pushed legislation last year exempting NCL ships from a federal law that prohibits foreign-built ships from operating between U.S. ports.

Inouye's wife, Margaret, is to christen the Pride of Aloha, which previously flew the Bahamian flag, in a Fourth of July ceremony in Honolulu.

The same day, the ship begins its regular seven-day cruises with port calls on four islands, including overnight stays on Kauai and Maui. Full-day stops will be made at Kailua-Kona and Hilo on the Big Island.

The inaugural cruise of the 12-deck ship from San Francisco, where the ship was redesigned and refurbished, to Honolulu ushers in a new era of cruising, said Robert Kritzman, NCL executive vice president and managing director of Hawaii operations.

The company plans to station two more ships in the islands by the end of 2007, all offering interisland cruises.

The three ships are forecast to attract 500,000 passengers annually.

Between the crews, vendors and other business opportunities, NCL will support 10,000 jobs and pour $500 million into the state's economy each year, Kritzman said.

That projection includes more than $275 million in expenditures, as well as $199 million in direct and indirect wages and salaries.



ASSOCIATED PRESS
Passengers enjoyed the pool aboard the Pride of Aloha yesterday. The ship was scheduled to call in Kailua-Kona today, and make overnight stops in Kahului, Maui, and Nawiliwili, Kauai, before it arrives in Honolulu on Friday.


The Big Island community welcomes the cruise ship, said Andy Levin, special assistant to Mayor Harry Kim.
NCL offers employment and education opportunities to the local workforce, as well as some $300,000 in passenger spending for each port call, he said.

A group of several dozen native Hawaiian activists protested the ship's arrival in Hilo and police were called when traffic was impeded. Police said no arrests were made and the activists dispersed after a couple of hours.

NCL also is sensitive to the Hawaiian culture, Kritzman said.

For example, he said, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association is helping train crews in Hawaiiana, and Bishop Museum also is involved.

The ship was built in 1999 as the Norwegian Sky. Following its multimillion-dollar refurbishment in San Francisco, it can carry 2,002 passengers in 983 cabins.

The ship replaces the Pride of America, which was to have kicked off the interisland service but was damaged in a storm earlier this year in a German shipyard.

The Pride of Aloha left San Francisco on June 20.

It was scheduled to call in Kailua-Kona today, and to make overnight stops in Kahului, Maui, and Nawiliwili, Kauai, before arriving Friday in Honolulu.

The white ship sports a colorful painted lei streaming along two-thirds of its 853-foot length. It features six restaurants, 13 lounges and bars, a full spa, conference facilities, a wedding chapel and a golf shop.

The towering eight-deck-high glass-domed atrium is adorned with 50-foot-high sculptures and murals painted by island artists.

Donna and Reggie Harrison, New York City residents enjoying their honeymoon, said they were delighted by the Hawaii decor and the cheerful crew, nearly half of whom are from Hawaii.

"It's beautiful. It's not overdone or gaudy. It's bright, and colors are so lively," Donna Harrison said. "It put you in the Hawaii mood before you even got here. I really liked the dancers."

Experienced cruiser David Ernstan of Yuba City, Calif., said he most appreciated the variety of activities, good food and the emphasis on Hawaiiana. He and his family often vacation on Maui and were to disembark there tomorrow.

"They've done a good job on the ship," he said. "It's a blessing to see they've embraced so many Hawaiians. They've got the aloha spirit going pretty well."

canada.com - travel
A $2 tour of paradise both charms and exasperates

MATT SEDENSKY
Canadian Press

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Laura Peterson waits inside the doorway of Matsumoto's Shaved Ice while visiting Haleiwa, Hawaii. Halewa is the first stop during a two dollor public bus tour circling the island of Oahu. (AP/Lucy Pemoni)

CREDIT: (AP/Lucy Pemoni)

HAUULA, Hawaii (AP) - How did I end up here? The stifling heat, the sickening motion, a herd of people struggling to keep from falling on each other. It's one of those moments when a traveller would do anything to be home.

I'm convinced I'm in hell, but a glimpse outside to the Pacific reminds me otherwise. I'm riding the public bus on Oahu.

A $2 US tour of a chunk of American paradise, I'll admit, sounds incredible. And it is. At times. At others it seems a never-ending nausea-inducing journey through the roads of Hawaii's most populous island, a jaunt far more restrictive than a car trip, but still an inexpensive link to some of Oahu's storied shores.

The circle-island public bus tour is not an outing that's right for everyone. But it's an experience unlike any other, one whose merits you might consider when planning a Hawaii vacation.

My day begins just after 10 a.m. with all the hope that comes with a morning in paradise - sun beaming, ocean breeze sweeping through. I've lived here more than a year and a half, but with a car the entire time, this is my first trip on Oahu's bus system.

My departure point is Ala Moana Center, the hulking king of commercialism in Honolulu, an open-air mall with brand-name boutiques sure to scare away any bargain shopper. After struggling to understand some bus maps, I await the arrival of No. 52. It shows up 15 minutes late, but I don't mind.

By day's end I'll have travelled a loop, from Oahu's southern shore, through the centre, up and around the northern tip and down the eastern coast. I'll change buses a few times, fork over $2 twice, and finish one of the cheapest possible outings in one of America's priciest getaways.

When I board, the show begins: a chorus of languages and accents as tourists and locals alike pile in.

The bus edges away from Ala Moana, past the open-air state Capitol and toward downtown Honolulu, giving a glimpse of Chinatown before taking to the highway known as the H-1. Some pass the time with a sweetheart, others with a favourite CD.

Tim Schlusener and his wife, Daniela Wolf, have made their way to Hawaii from Stuttgart, Germany. They say they enjoy the bus because they get to people-watch.

"It takes a little more time," explains Wolf, "but we're on vacation, so we have it."

Our driver, Esther Aweau, has been doing this for 31 years. She's back from three weeks of vacation, with a warm smile and homegrown yellow and purple orchids in her hair.

Aweau says sometimes more than half her passengers are tourists.

"I kind of look forward to them catching the bus," she said. "You see their faces light up."

We wind through prim suburbs, fields of pineapple and the centre of the island toward Oahu's North Shore. It takes an hour and 35 minutes before we arrive in Haleiwa, the funky seaside surfer town where we'll break our day.

Haleiwa is laid-back and fun to wander through.

"What's not to like about it?" asks Denise Jacob, taking a break from blowing vases at North Shore Glass, which she runs with her husband, Tracy. "It's so beautiful."

The North Shore Surf and Cultural Museum, a colourful collection of surfboards and other memorabilia, happens to be closed. But nearby, Crossroads, an eclectic mix of art, vintage clothes and regular musical performances, catches my eye.

Surfers have brought more than 200 broken surfboards to the owner, Travis Talamo, this year alone. He transforms each board into art.

"It's got soul," he says. "It's been in the waves."

Nearby, we grab a bite at Grass Skirt Grill, which boasts fresh mahi mahi and ahi as well as salads, burgers and other items. Other choices for dining include Mexican (try Cholos); Thai (Haleiwa Eats opened recently); fast food outlets; and perhaps my favourite island burger spot, Kua Aina, which recently moved into new, roomier digs.

There's plenty more to explore in Haleiwa, including the famed shaved ice spot, Matsumoto's, as well as small surf shops and other stores. But after two hours wandering around, it's time to board the bus again.

The second leg of the journey begins harmlessly enough. We ride along the North Shore, past stretches of sandy beaches and famed surf spots. There are green mountains and blue waters and all seems OK.

A little boy next to me nods to sleep, his head repeatedly coming to rest on my arm. I'm fighting slumber, too, as the vibrations of the bus urge an afternoon nap.

Next to me, a 19-year-old college girl named Emily Bitton happens to have attended a high school in my hometown. She favours hitchhiking over the bus, which she says has passed her by a number of times, but she still thinks it's a decent ride.

"I got to see more of Hawaii on the bus than just walking around," she said. "You always meet interesting people on the bus."

As we head along the coast, the bus keeps filling up. I offer my seat to a Canadian woman, Carole Steffen of Oshawa, Ont., who chose the bus tour for her final hours in Hawaii. She's enjoying it, but laments the difficulty of soaking in the landscape.

"They go pretty fast by anything you want to look at," Steffen says.

Before long, dozens of people are standing and potholes are making it difficult to stay that way. Friendly conversations continue and a lighthearted spirit prevails, but my enthusiasm is fast draining.

I'm being bumped and pushed and the temperature on the bus has steadily risen. I spend most of the two-and-a-half hours of the trip's second leg standing and begin to feel sick. I'm missing the passing scenery because of the crowd and struggling to keep my composure. The adjectives I used earlier in the day - charming and insightful - must be replaced with words like torturous and toilsome. I want out. Now.

Kailua, on Oahu's eastern shore, can't come soon enough. We get off in search of a new bus, No. 57, to follow the shoreline. It requires a short walk along a busy roadway. But the bus arrives soon and it is cool.

Still, my thoughts are focused on getting a cold drink. We ride into town and hop off to grab iced coffees and fresh fruit smoothies.

I feel better. We head back to the bus stop, intent on completing the route.

Our next bus holds just a few passengers. It weaves mostly through suburban neighbourhoods, missing out on one of the most impressive stretches of coastline this island offers.

We hear seals at Sea Life Park, then make our way near Diamond Head and through Waikiki.

We arrive back at Ala Moana too late to catch a glimpse of the sun sinking into the horizon. But as we trek through the grass, its cool blades brushing at my feet, a melancholy sky is painted with strokes of pink and purple.

I feel sweet redemption. It might just be the best part of the trip.

-

If You Go...

Hawaii by bus: Take bus No. 52 from Ala Moana Center. Fare is $2 US for adults; grab a transfer upon boarding. The whole loop should cost no more than $4. A four-day bus pass sells for $20 and is available at all ABC stores.

Route 52 hits many major sites, though it would be difficult to incorporate more than a couple in a day trip. If you get off the bus, you'll have to wait around a half-hour for the next one.

Among the stops along Route 52: The Dole Plantation, a glorified gift shop and snack bar with all things pineapple, as well as a small garden, a train ride through the fields, and a maze that bills itself as the world's largest; Turtle Bay, a resort and popular snorkeling spot; the Polynesian Cultural Center, which offers visitors a taste of Pacific island cultures and a nightly luau; and a multitude of beaches, including Haleiwa Beach Park, Sunset Beach and Kaaawa Beach Park.

You can switch to Route 57 in Kailua if you'd like to ride further down Oahu's eastern coast as you return back to Ala Moana, though staying on No. 52 that crosses over the island is probably a better idea unless you have a specific spot you'd like to hit. There are a number of beaches and Sea Life Park along the way.

For more information: Honolulu's public bus has a Web site at www.thebus.org. Recorded information is available by calling (808) 296-1818.

Good crop weather persists for another week
- 2004-06-29 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

The weekly crop report from the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service finds that a stationary high-pressure system north of the state, by keeping trade winds for another week, has produced enough showers to benefit a broad range of Hawaii crops.

A quick summary shows that most of Hawaii's favorate locally grown fruits and vegetables are doing quite well, including those that suffered during Hawaii's unusually blustery winter:

Bananas: Big Island conditions have been good. Oahu orchards remain in only fair condition due to adverse effects of past stormy weather.
Papaya: Conditions good in lower Puna orchards.
Chinese cabbage: Young crop was making good progress in Lalamilo.
Head cabbage: Oahu supplies light to moderate. Maui's crop continued to benefit from the warmer weather. Production should increase in coming weeks.
Cucumbers: Windward Oahu fields mostly fair-to-good. Central Oahu production was at moderate levels with new fields in good condition. East Hawaii crop in mostly fair to good condition.
Sweet corn: Kahuku fields in Windward Oahu were in mostly fair to good condition. Harvesting is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Kauai's crop was making good progress. Pepeekeo plantings making steady progress.
Maui onions: Warmer weather continues to benefit crops. Young fields are progressing well and expected to produce normal yields in a few weeks.
Manoa lettuce: Moderate supplies expected from Leeward Oahu. New plantings in good to fair condition.
Ginger root: Ample soil moisture and ample sun. Light harvest of young ginger is in progress.

Lingle signs Medicaid reimbursement bill
- 2004-06-29 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has signed Act 148, a bill that delays new Medicaid reimbursement procedures for several years.

The law, formerly Senate Bill 2929, 'Relating to Medicaid Reimbursement,' postpones the effective start date of revised reimbursement methodology for long-term care services from last summer to July 1, 2008.
It also eliminates the sunset provision of critical access hospitals to enable their special designation to continue, the governor's office said Monday.
The governor signed the bill into law Sunday while in Poipu, Kauai. "

Hawaii visitor arrivals up 5% last week
- 2004-06-29 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Howard Dicus

Hawaii welcomed 182,263 visitors by air in the seven-day period through Sunday, or 20,347 more than in the same period last year, according to arrival counts taken by the state. That's a 5 percent improvement.

Domestic arrivals were 3 percent below year-before levels for the days June 21-27, something not expected at this normally busy time of year. But a closer examination of the numbers finds that the downtrend was confined to one island.

The Big Island got more than 1,000 extra visitors and Maui got almost 3,000 more. Kauai was up slightly. In brief, the neighbor islands got the usual healthy increase in mainland visitor traffic. The decline came on Oahu, where domestic arrivals slipped below the 85,000 mark.

International arrivals were much improved, with more than 34,000 Japanese visitors, a 40 percent year-to-year improvement, and more than 4,000 visitors from other foreign countries, which may not sound like many but is far above the 2,400 who came last year.

Domestic arrivals in the period (last year in parenthesis):

Oahu: 84,706 (85,441).
Maui: 33,984 (31,089).
Big Island: 9,328 (8,280).
Kauai: 7,207 (7,095).
International arrivals in the period (last year in parenthesis):

From Japan: 34,218 (28,608).
From other countries: 4,027 (2,401).
Reach Howard Dicus at hdicus@bizjournals.com.

Kauai Vacation Rentals - Hawaii Vacation & Kauai Travel Information

Pride of Aloha sails from Kona to Maui
- 2004-06-28 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

The Pride of Aloha, a five-year-old cruise ship formerly known as the Norwegian Sky, has arrived in the Hawaiian Islands for permanent service on interisland cruises, bearing passengers from San Francisco.

They will be the last to board the Aloha anywhere but in Hawaii for a long time. The former Bahamian-flagged ship is now U.S.-flagged, has a mostly Hawaii-resident crew, and will be deployed here for cruises that pay port calls only in Hawaii.

The Aloha arrived in Hilo on schedule Saturday, and Sunday visited Kailua-Kona, where there is no dock big enough for cruise ships so passengers are ferried ashore by launch. This week it will visit Kahului, Maui, and Nawiliwili, Kauai, before doubling back to Honolulu.

A brief cruise originally planned for late in the week has been called off to give the crew some time to rest. Instead the Aloha will be christened and launched on its first interisland cruise July 4, taking the place of the Pride of America, which isn't ready.

A lengthened and modernized version of an incomplete vessel commissioned by American Classic Voyages before that company collapsed into bankruptcy after 9/11, the Pride of America was nearly ready to sail when it sank in a gale at the shipyard dock in Bremerhaven, Germany, this past winter. The water at the dock was so shallow that only the bottom three decks were submerged, but they contained the engines and much of the electrical wiring. The repairs, including a great deal of custom work, will not be done until spring of next year.

The Pride of Aloha is plan B. It was originally scheduled to enter service this fall as a second vessel in interisland service. When the Pride of America became unavailable, NCL moved up the timetable. The 853-foot ship has six restaurants and a wedding chapel.

It is roughly tied with Hilton Hawaiian Village for the title of biggest hotel in the state.

SCOREGolf - Travel -

Island Paradise
Brent Long


Kauai rose above sea level some five million years ago. The remnants of her volcanoes are majestic mountains sometimes shrouded in clouds, sometimes pouring forth white ribbons of waterfalls. The most northerly, first populated and geologically oldest, Hawaii's Island of Discovery is a recreational paradise, a land of legends or a seductive romantic retreat — whatever you'd like it to be. It's also home to several wonderful tropical resorts and nine golf courses, including two outstanding designs by Jack Nicklaus and four Robert Trent Jones Jr. creations.

Set high upon a bluff overlooking Hanalei Bay and the lush valley below, elegant Princeville Resort is fit for royalty and anyone looking for a luxurious oceanside getaway in one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

Robert Trent Jones Jr., the designer of the 18-hole Prince Golf Course and the 27-hole, three-nine, Makai Golf Course, has said, "In all the world, I never expected to find a more spectacularly beautiful place to build a golf course than Princeville." And he's not exaggerating. Princeville Resort is a golfer's paradise. Since opening in 1990, the Prince Course has been consistently chosen among the top golf courses in the United States and is Hawaii's top-rated layout. After a tough first hole, the front side of this course proves to be very playable as it winds through tropical jungles, waterfalls, streams and ravines. Perched 100 feet above the fairway on the 12th tee, the Prince starts to reveal why it's considered the most challenging course in Hawaii. Golfers are asked to launch a ball into a jungle-lined fairway while also dealing with the ever-present tradewinds. The second shot on this 385-yard, par 4, requires accuracy to a green that is set in an amphitheatre of natural ferns and tropical foliage with a stream guarding both sides and the back of the green. The good news? There are no bunkers. From there, the Prince, with a course rating of 75.3 and a slope of 145 from the back tees, offers a series of golf holes that are truly unforgettable.

Just a short distance away is the friendlier 27-hole Makai course. Play has been known to back up on No. 7 Ocean, a 157-yard, par 3 over an ocean gorge, as visitors watch pods of humpback whales jump and breach in the blue Pacific Ocean from December to February. Even if you're not playing the championship tees, walk back to observe and enjoy a 180-degree view Kauai's north shore. Taking its name from the series of lakes integrated throughout the holes, The Lakes nine heads out in the opposite direction and works its way back to the ocean cliffs. The Woods, the inland nine, features rock-garden-style bunkers and views of the mountains with towering waterfalls.

Kauai Lagoons Golf Club is home to two of four Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses in Hawaii, and within 10 years of opening the Kiele course in 1988, 30 new golf courses were built on the islands. The dramatic Kiele Course, easily Nicklaus' best in Hawaii, weaves along imposing ocean cliffs, lush valleys, and 40 acres of freshwater lagoons. He begins with a short, wide-open par 4 and gradually tightens the noose, finishing with three semi-island greens. Each hole is named for an animal, depicted in a marble statue at the tee. Nicklaus saves the 'Golden Bear' until the 13th hole, a 207-yard par 3 over the crashing surf below to a diagonal green. The course's signature hole is No. 16, a 330-yard, par 4 that requires a leap of faith down to a hidden oceanside green that can be easily reached with a solid drive and a lucky bounce. Be warned — it's easier to land in the Pacific.

The Kiele course's companion, the Mokihana course, opened a year later. This Scottish style links course features more open fairways and fewer forced carries. Set in the heart of Kauai Lagoons is the resort's hotel, the Kauai Marriott. Basking along the white sand beach of Kalapaki Bay, this stellar family oriented resort and beach club offers guests a world of endless activities, including the largest pool in Hawaii and affordable restaurants. It's a five-minute drive from Lihue Airport, which connects tourists to all other island flights as well as Hawaii's main hub in Honolulu.

Nearby, Puakea Golf Course has been considered one of the best nine-hole golf courses in the U.S., but that changed this summer. A recent injection of cash from billionaire and America Online founder Steve Case, who purchased Puakea and the 22,000 Grove Farm Properties in 2000, has allowed architect Robin Nelson to complete his design that first opened in 1997. Set in the lush landscape adjacent to where the movie Jurassic Park was filmed, the new 18-hole, 7,200-yard championship course will be a daily fee facility.

Backed by lush emerald mountains and sculpted from rolling plateaus eight stories above the Ocean waters, golfers will find Poipu Bay Golf Course nestled along Kauai's south shore. At Poipu Bay, nature and renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. have conspired to create a stunning venue, with breathtaking views that make it difficult for any golfer to stay focused on his or her game. Consistently rated as one of the top-10 courses in Hawaii, this 7,043-yard, par-72 ocean-links course, covers 210 seaside acres and when the wind blows, it really heats up. Poipu Bay's par-4, 510-yard 16th hole was dubbed "the Pebble Beach of the Pacific" by Trent Jones Jr. for its sprawling run along the rugged coastline. Play is downhill and downwind from an elevated tee with both the dogleg-left fairway and green sloping towards the ocean. The green is Poipu Bay's largest and its most undulating, and is guarded by three bunkers stretching from the right to the back of the green. It's certainly one of the top three golf holes on the island.

Within an easy walk of the course, visitors will find the sensational Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa, which offers convenient stay-and-play packages. Situated on 50 acres of manicured grounds and surrounded by glorious white sand beaches, the resort features a labyrinth of 607 rooms in wings that are no higher than the tallest palm tree. The serenity of one of the world's top tropical resorts connects seamlessly with convenient business facilities, an award-winning spa and fitness centre, to its six restaurants and six lounges, a river pool, waterfalls, 15-foot water-slide, freshwater pool and a salt-water lagoon. Do drop by Dondero's restaurant for an exceptional evening meal featuring regional Italian cuisine followed by a visit to Stevenson's Library, a hopping library bar with nightly jazz entertainment.

The Hyatt plays host to The PGA Grand Slam of Golf that will be played for the 10th time at Poipu Bay from Dec. 15-17 and this year will see Mike Weir join the field. The winners of each year's four major championships — The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship — are the only players invited to play for the $1 million purse.

For tourists who enjoy a variety of courses, there's the Kauai Golf Challenge that allows golfers to play a round of golf at the island's top three courses: The Prince Course at Princeville Resort, Poipu Bay Golf Course and the Kiele Course at Kauai Lagoons.

On the island, three courses are popular with the locals. Jones' fourth design at Kiahuna Plantation, a 6,366-yard layout is tougher than one might expect given its shorter distance, Wailua Golf Club, at 6,981-yards is the top-rated public course on the island and Kukuiolono Golf Course is a 2,981-yard nine-holer.

AP Wire | 06/26/2004 |
Teen surfer competes in California after shark attack

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Bethany Hamilton, the 14-year-old surfer who returned to the waves just months after losing her left arm in a shark attack, doesn't look for special treatment from other surfers and doesn't seem to get any.

Hamilton was in Southern California this weekend to compete at Trestles, one of the region's best-known surfing spots. She advanced Friday to the open semifinals Saturday.

Spectators and competitors applauded each time she rode a wave at the amateur event sponsored by the National Scholastic Surfing Association.

But Hamilton's mother said other surfers don't cut her daughter any slack.

"They don't treat her special," Cherie Hamilton said. "They all want to win. It's very competitive."

Bethany Hamilton, who has surfed since she was 8, was paddling off Kauai's north shore with a friend and the friend's father in October when a 15-foot tiger shark grabbed her arm.

At Trestles, just south of the Orange County line, the Hamilton family directed reporters to talk to Hamilton's agent, Roy Hofstetter, who kept news media away from the teenager because the family had just signed a book deal.

But Bethany Hamilton said in a statement that Trestles is one of her favorite spots.

"Surfing brings me the vibe it's all good," she said.

Is The Mongoose On Kauai?
By Doug Porter
Since the late 1800s when the mongoose was introduced to the other Hawaii islands, Kauai and Lanai have been mongoose free.

The mongoose was introduced to Hawaii by sugar cane farmers hoping to control rats (which arrived earlier as stow-a-ways on the first tall sailing ships to reach the islands). Unfortunately, the mongoose proved a disaster when it turned out they also had an appetite for Hawaii's ground nesting birds and eggs. While making no noticeable dent in the rat population, several species of Hawaii's ground nesting birds have become threatened or extinct. The nene - or "Hawaiian goose" nearly became extinct due to mongoose predation. Mongooses also wiped out Newell's shearwaters on Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island.

So how did Kauai avoid getting the mongoose? In 1883, 72 Jamaica mongooses were loaded onto a ship and sailed to the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. Later, offspring of these animals were released on Maui, Molokai and Oahu. The story goes that Kauai was spared the pest because a dock worker, bitten by a caged mongoose bound for the Garden Island, kicked the cage into the water. To this day, Kauai hosts no mongooses...Or does it?

From time to time there are mongoose sightings on the Garden Isle. Last February a mongoose was spotted on Kauai by a "credible" witness prompting the state to quickly set traps to catch it.


Mongooses imported from India have decimated populations of seabirds.

Several new projects aim to curb predators, and more baby petrels have survived since a program began in the nesting areas at Haleakala National Park on Maui.

Officials asked that if residents see a mongoose on Kauai, to call the Kauai Invasive Species Committee at 246-0684.

Hawaii' cop show to debut in August
- 2004-06-23 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Nina Wu

The pilot of NBC's new Honolulu cop show, "Hawaii," is set to debut on Aug. 30, according to producers. The hour-long series will then air regularly on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m.

"Hawaii." whose original working title was "Pearl City," includes a main cast of six, including Kauai actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Capt. Terry Harada.

NBC has ordered 13 episodes.

Crews have set up shop at a large warehouse in Mapunapuna, where they also plan to build a sound stage.

Creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin claims his team was the first to scope out Hawaii for a new television series. Now Fox's "North Shore," which debuted two weeks ago, and ABC's "Lost" are also filming their T.V. series on Oahu.

"From our point of view, this show is original," Eastin told PBN. It is inspired, in part, by the legacy of "Hawaii Five-O," but will be a show reflecting the post-Sept. 11, 2000, era.

"Hawaii" will be a cop show where the laid-back officers have a sense of humor. Instead of the usual gritty, urban setting, Hawaii will offer a refreshing, tropical backdrop.

"Cops are real people," Eastin said. "They laugh when it's appropriate."

Eastin said he got a phone call from Chris Conti, NBC Entertainment's senior vice president of drama development, as he was sitting on a beach in Kauai.

Conti had seen police pull over a suspect and was hit with a flash of inspiration. He asked Eastin: "Hey, would you be interested in doing a Hawaii cop show for us this year?"

The Maui News:
Air ambulance plan workable

If you think of it in Mainland terms, Maui County is a small town spread over four islands. With a population of only 134,000, government services are necessarily a juggling act, trying to balance financial resources with need.

With something like 10 percent of the population new to Maui in the last 10 years and with many of those newcomers arriving from cities boasting populations of a million or more, sometimes there is a kind of shock that Maui doesn't offer what was available routinely "back home."
The 11th-hour criticism of the state-county air ambulance service could be an example of that kind of newcomer shock. Simply put, the air ambulance service is far from optimum but the need to add some 10 minutes to response time is beggared by the fact that the helicopter will be a lifesaver for individuals who would otherwise have to spend an hour or more in an ambulance that might have taken an hour or more to get to the patient.

The timing of the criticism is open to question. The air ambulance plan has been a hot topic for some two years. Only a hermit or someone who consciously ignores all possible news sources could have missed noticing what the plan was and how it was coming together.

Many old-timers remember the days in which a need for emergency medical attention involved calling the hospital to make sure a doctor was in the emergency room and then using personal vehicles to get the patient to the hospital. It wasn't until the 1980s when ambulances and crews were stationed at strategic points around the island and 24/7 staffing of the hospital emergency room became routine. In the 1990s, a private air ambulance operation failed after two years because small towns don't generate the amount of regular revenue needed to offset the expense of the equipment and the staffing.

The emergency helicopter on track to begin operations on Aug. 1 is a definite improvement in emergency medical service across Maui County's four islands. If it can be improved in the future, so be it, but last-minute sniping, perhaps orchestrated as a political maneuver, is not only uncalled for, it is counterproductive.

Kauai golf course marks anniversary
- 2004-06-22 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

One of Hawaii's newest golf courses will mark its one-year anniversary in July with month-long events and special deals.

The Puakea Golf Course on Kauai will hold a celebration tailored to families with children that will include long-drive and putting contests.
In addition, four golfers will be able to play for the price of three between July 1 and July 14 at the 18-hole golf course. Also, a free round of golf is being offered in a closest-to-the-hole contest.
The Puakea Golf Course is celebrating, among other things, being nationally recognized. For example, in-flight magazine of American Airlines ranked it as one of the top-10 new courses in the country. "

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News-
Woman pleads guilty to adoption scheme
The Kauai resident faced visa fraud and laundering charges

By Peggy Andersen
Associated Press
SEATTLE >> A Kauai woman accused of fraud in arranging American adoptions of Cambodian children pleaded guilty to federal charges yesterday.

Lauryn Galindo, 52, of Hanalei, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud, conspiracy to launder money and "structuring" -- purchasing $30,000 worth of cashier's checks in amounts under $10,000 to avoid federal bank-reporting requirements.

At issue are 18 adoptions -- among hundreds in which Galindo was involved since the early 1990s -- arranged between 1997 and 2001.

Galindo represented the children as orphans when she knew they had "at least one living parent," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lord said.

Other facts -- names, dates of birth, relatives and physical characteristics -- also were misrepresented to U.S. officials, the plea agreement said. The money-laundering charge concerns more than $153,000 in wire transfers to Cambodian accounts from adoptive parents.

Children in the 18 adoptions were identified only by initials in court documents.

Galindo and her sister, Lynn Devin, of suburban Mercer Island, Wash., ran the now-shuttered Seattle International Adoptions. Devin pleaded guilty in December to falsifying documents to obtain U.S. visas for Cambodian children. She is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 6.

Cambodia is one of the world's poorest nations. The United States and some other Western nations began barring international adoptions from Cambodia in December 2001.

Among those who used Seattle International Adoptions was actress Angelina Jolie, who adopted a little boy named Maddox.

There is no evidence that the actress did anything wrong or that the boy was not an orphan -- one of several hundred Cambodian children adopted by Americans each year until the ban.

The U.S. government plans to take no action that would jeopardize the residency status of Cambodian children in the United States who were adopted through the agency, U.S. Attorney John McKay said in a statement.

Galindo entered the plea because "she wants to move on," federal public defender Jay Stansell said after the hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler.

At her scheduled Sept. 24 sentencing, Galindo could face as much as 20 years in prison, but federal public defender Colin Feiman said he anticipates a "significantly lower" sentence.

The decision will be up to U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly.

At sentencing, "we look forward to putting the case in the context of her life's work," Stansell said. "We want people to know who she is and what this work was."

He declined to elaborate but said some adoptive parents might testify.

Galindo and Devin have agreed that all illegal profits they made through the adoption agency will be forfeited, McKay said.

Galindo did not speak to reporters.

"There are a million things she'd like to say, but we won't let her," Feiman said.

Theiler scheduled a hearing for tomorrow on a defense request to allow Galindo to go to Thailand and Cambodia on a seven- to 10-day mission before sentencing. Stansell said Galindo wanted to make the trip as a volunteer "for the sole purpose of humanitarian work."

"She wanted to be doing something good for the community," he said.

Prosecutors want her to stay in Hawaii or Washington state.

While the plea agreement requires forfeiture of property acquired as a result of the crimes, Galindo, currently unemployed, will be allowed to live in her Hanalei home and use her Jaguar until she reports to the Bureau of Prisons, the document said.

Galindo turned herself in in January.

Neither she nor Devin is in custody.

The first two counts covered by the plea were in a Seattle criminal information, and the third in an indictment from Hawaii. The charges followed a two-year federal investigation.

KPUA Hawaii News -
Enforcement program sees increase in seat belt use

By Associated Press

(Honolulu-AP) -- Officials say the recent statewide enforcement program has seen an increase in seat belt use, giving Hawaii the distinction of being the first state to reach a 95 percent usage rate.

The state Department of Transportation, which coordinated the effort, says a statewide survey found all four counties improving over last year's belt use, led by Maui County at 97 percent, the Big Island at 96 percent, Oahu at 94 percent and Kauai and 93 percent.

Transportation Director Rod Haraga says for a state that already has an extremely high seat belt rate, the increase this year is a great achievement.

During the well-publicized ``click it or ticket'' program, police statewide issued three-thousand, 169 tickets.

Hawaii's 95 percent usage this year eclipsed national leader Washington State's 94-point-eight percent last year."

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
Kauai farm recalls alfalfa sprouts
By Associated Press

(Kapaa-AP) -- A Kauai farm is recalling packages of alfalfa sprouts that were grown from seeds that may potentially be contaminated with salmonella.

Rainbow Garden Kauai says it's recalling its one-pound- bulk and four-ounce packages of alfalfa sprouts labeled ``Rainbow Garden Kauai Alfalfa Sprouts.''

The Kapaa farm is working with the U-S Food and Drug Administration on the recall.

The voluntary recall is a precautionary measure for any of the sprouts grown from this particular seed lot, which has been implicated in recent salmonella outbreaks in Oregon and Washington. Fourteen people in those states fell ill from the disease.

Customers who purchased the sprouts are urged to return them to the store where they bought them for a full refund.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News-
Kauai officials receive first pay raise since ’95
By Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.com

LIHUE >> The Kauai County Council gave the mayor, county department heads and deputy directors their first salary increases since 1995 yesterday.

The pay raises will cost the county an additional $150,000 a year. The money already is included in the budget for the fiscal year that will begin Thursday.

Mayor Bryan Baptiste's pay will increase to $80,000 from $73,118, a 9.4 percent increase.

The largest increase will go to the director of the Liquor Control Department. The pay for that position will jump to $72,000 from the current $55,000, a 31 percent increase.

At a public hearing on the pay raises, several members of the Liquor Commission made a passionate plea to the County Council for a major increase, arguing the liquor director's salary has been less than the deputy directors of other departments.

Most major department heads will be paid $75,000 instead of the $69,371 they now receive, an 8 percent increase.

Even with the raise, several Council members said the pay for the county engineer, who heads the Public Works Department, might not be enough to attract qualified applicants. The position has been vacant for two years and is being run by a deputy director who is an attorney.

The Council has suggested changing the County Charter, which currently requires the director's position to be filled by a registered civil engineer.

There was no public opposition to the pay increases, but Councilman Joe Munechika gave a speech defending them and said the Council was simply following what the county Salary Commission had recommended.

Hawaii hotel occupancy 68.2%
- 2004-06-18 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Hawaii hotels were more than two-thirds full in the seven-day period June 6-12, Hospitality Advisors LLC reported. The 68.2 percent occupancy level came with higher room rates on all islands.

With Japanese visitor traffic rebounding from last year's depressed springtime levels, the occupancy rate was 19.8 points better than the same week last year.

But it was actually slightly less than the 69.4 percent occupancy rate nationwide for the same seven days, Smith Travel Research LLC reported. Hawaii hotels are usually fuller than the mainland rate. Hotels were 67.9 percent full in Orlando and 76.7 percent full in Los Angeles the same week.

Around the islands:

Oahu: 79.6 percent, 27 full percentage points better than last year due to the improving Japanese arrivals, with room rates up 9.5 percent to almost $129 a night on average.
Maui: 77.9 percent, 5.3 points better than last year, with average room rates up 4.4 percent to nearly $193 a night.
Kauai: 81.2 percent, 10.9 points better than last year, with room rates up 11.6 percent to about $190 a night.
Big Island: 68.2 percent, up 29.7 points from last year, with rates up 10.4 percent to abiut $141 a night.

Liberal talk radio hits Hawaii
- 2004-06-16 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Several Hawaii stations have begun broadcasting Air America Radio programming, a mix of liberal-slanted shows that target President George W. Bush.


KUMU-AM 1500 in Honolulu, KAOI-AM 1110 on Maui and KQNG-AM 570 on Kauai, all owned by Maui-based Visionary Related Entertainment, began broadcasting select Air America shows last week.

KUMU plays Al Franken's "The O'Franken Factor" Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and repeats it from 5 to 8 p.m. Franken has loudly voiced criticism of Bush and is the most visible of Air America's disc jockeys.

KUMU also will broadcast "The Randi Rhodes Show" from Air America weekdays from 8 to 11 p.m. and there is limited Air America programming on the weekends as well.

KAOI and KQNG will broadcast Franken's show from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, though they will not be carrying Rhodes' show.

Visionary President John Detz says they will wait to see how audiences respond to Air America programming before adding anymore of it. He added that the new programming will add balance to the stations, which carry both locally and nationally based shows.

"We do everything very carefully and to a large degree we've got some very successful programs that are running and we just are going to keep an eye out on how Air America is working," he said.

© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

First gay radio program to air next month
- 2004-06-16 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
by Jerome Tabar

Hawaii's first gay radio program on Kauai has plans to expand across the state as gay businesses snapped up sponsorship and advertising on the show before news of its launch reached the media.

Lambda Aloha, a lesbian-gay-bisexual-transsexual education, advocacy and research organization announced Tuesday the launch of "The Gay Agenda" on KQNG AM 570 on July 2.

"Businesses on Kauai that have relied on a gay clientele" are interested in advertising on the show, said Martin Rice, Lamda Aloha treasurer and co-founder.

"There is a large gay market that is underserved that generally has more disposable income than the regular population and is extremely loyal to its businesses."

The first guests on the show, Lambda Aloha Chairman Dan Griesmann and Rice will speak about the 11-year history of Lambda Aloha. "It's going to be information sharing -- not name-calling," said Griesmann. "We are not out to reinvent the wheel or shake up the world or offend anybody."

Lambda Aloha contracted six shows for the next six months, which will probably increase to two shows a month depending on the demand, Rice said. Initially the show will air on the first Friday of every month from 11:05 to noon.

Later shows will include "queer-positive news," guests Robin Nusbaum of the Safe Schools Coalition, Carolyn Golojuch from PFLAG Oahu and Skip Burns of Equality Hawaii as well as call-ins from listeners.

One gay business, 80 Percent Straight Inc., advertises on Oahu radio stations and expressed interest in the new show when it comes to Oahu. "As long as it something that has a positive representation of the gay community, I'm sure we would be interested," said Eric Nakayama, manager of 80 Percent Straight Inc.

Jack Law, Wave Waikiki and Hula's Bar & Lei stand owner, said he would also advertise his gay-friendly nightclubs on the radio show if it proves a success on Kauai.

The support gay businesses would give the radio program shows gay businesses are an economic force not to overlook, Law said.

© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

Ohio News Now:
Seal recovering after operation
Honolulu-AP --

An operation to remove a fish hook from the esophagus of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is being called a success.
The five-and-a-half-hour procedure was performed today in Hawaii.
Veterinarians say if the five-inch circle hook hadn't been removed, it may have penetrated farther into the seal's body and killed him.
The hook was located but couldn't be removed yesterday during a two-hour exploratory procedure.
The 20-year-old seal was found on Kauai last week with fishing line trailing from its mouth. Fifteen feet of line and a leader were removed from the seal Friday after it was flown to Oahu for treatment.
Officials hope the 500-pound seal can be released in a few weeks."

Hawaii makes list of America's cleanest beaches
- 2004-06-15 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Two of Hawaii's shorelines made Organic Style magazine's list of the cleanest beaches in America.

In the June 2004 issue, Waianapanapa Beach in eastern Maui, along with Kilauea Point on the northeastern shore of Kauai were named for their pristine waters and minimal development.
Top-ranking beaches were Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, along with the central Oregon coast.
Swimming in water with high levels of microorganisms can cause skin, ear and eye infections, according to the report. Children and the elderly are particularly prone to getting sick from polluted waters.
Beach ratings are available at 866-WE-BEACH.
Organic Style is a magazine published by Rodale Inc., focusing on quality of life and healthy living. "

Hawaii gas stays high, but Washington predicts national decline
- 2004-06-16 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Howard Dicus
The U.S. Department of Energy predicts gas prices nationwide will fall about 20 cents a gallon over coming months. In Hawaii, though, prices remain at or near their highest levels ever.

Energy Information Administrator Guy Caruso told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday that "barring any unexpected supply disruptions" his agency was "cautiously optimistic" that pump prices would "continue to ease over coming weeks and months," to a national average price of $1.82 a gallon for self-serve regular.

The national average peaked May 26 at $2.05 4/10 and stood at $1.98 Tuesday as Caruso testified. Hawaii, as usual, was a different story, not only because of its price differential, which can be partially explained by transportation and land costs, but also because of the tendency of island prices to keep pace with most uptrends but not as many downtrends.

Around the islands, AAA does a daily retail price survey in three locales. These are average self-serve regular prices posted for Wednesday morning:

Honolulu: $2.24, down 1.4 cents from the record high of May 28.
Hilo: $2.38 3/10, a new record high.
Wailuku: $2.63 9/10, down three cents from the record high of June 3.
Prices actually vary considerably in Hawaii. On the Big Island, for example, Kona prices are far above Hilo averages. And the Wailuku average does not begin to approach the prices in more remote parts of Maui. Prices are usually at or above Wailuku levels on Lanai, Molokai and Kauai as well.

Average prices imply that some stations charge less, and that, too, is true, sometimes counterintuitively. The first gas station one encounters on driving into Waikiki from Honolulu is not an especially expensive one, for example, and one of the lower-priced stations in Hilo is the last one before car rental drop-off at the airport.

In the global news background in advance of Wednesday, the price of New York benchmark crude fell most of the way to $37 a barrel, nearly $5 less than the peak reached earlier this month. Traders seemed to be thinking about supply and demand again -- and there is adequate supply with OPEC pumping more -- after weeks of ignoring that in favor of fretting about terrorists might do. What terrorists have actually done is to mount a series of successful attacks on refineries and pipelines in the Middle East without making a dent in overall supplies.

Reach Howard Dicus at hdicus@bizjournals.com.

AP Wire | 06/14/2004 |
Behind Boxer in fund-raising, Jones is ahead in personal wealth

ERICA WERNER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Republican Senate hopeful Bill Jones may lag Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer in campaign fund-raising, but he appears to outdo her in personal wealth, new reports show.

Jones has assets totaling $6 million to $27.3 million, while Boxer's assets total $1.1 million to $5.3 million, according to annual financial disclosure forms for senators and Senate candidates made public Monday.

The reports, which all 535 members of Congress must file each year, use wide dollar-figure ranges to describe assets and income sources, so it is not possible to say precisely how much a candidate or lawmaker is worth. The reports released Monday cover 2003.

Jones, a Fresno rancher and former California secretary of state, has struggled with fund-raising in his campaign to deny Boxer a third term. As of the most recent reporting period he had just over $200,000, while Boxer had $5.9 million.

Jones lent himself $350,000 for the Republican primary in March, and the reports released Monday suggest he could dip into his personal finances again for the general election.

"We will have the resources necessary to compete in November," said spokeswoman Valerie Walston, while declining to say whether Jones would use his own money.

Jones' largest single asset was 4.8 million shares in Pacific Ethanol Inc. of Fresno, worth between $5 million and $25 million.

The candidate recently drew criticism for that investment because it would allow him to benefit personally from some of the policies he advocates, including support for the President Bush-backed energy bill that would increase ethanol use.

In response Jones pledged to put the holdings into a blind trust if he's elected and to disclose in speeches his interest in the company.

The value of the stock has risen since the report was filed, and Jones' shares in Pacific Ethanol are now worth between $25 million and $50 million, Walston said.

Jones also reported pension income of $112,127 from his years as secretary of state and a state legislator. His other holdings include a Washington Mutual bank account containing $250,001 to $500,000, and various farm and cattle holdings.

He had significant debt, owing between $1.1 million and $2.4 million to banks, lending groups and other entities.

Some of Jones' money is newfound wealth - his share of a $140 million settlement approved last year for landowners in the Westlands Water District who claimed poor drainage damaged their land.

Boxer's largest asset was a blind trust valued between $1 million and $5 million, which she created in 2001 after controversy over disclosures that she and her husband, Stewart Boxer, held stocks in energy companies involved in California's energy crisis.

Boxer also reported investing $1,001 to $15,000 with her husband in a San Mateo venture capital partnership, Technology Funding Partners. Boxer has been a strong ally of the venture capital industry's fight against requiring companies to count employee stock options as an expense.

Salaries for Boxer and other senators in 2003 were $154,700; they rose to $158,100 this year. Boxer also got a pension of $3,665 from her years as a Marin County supervisor.

California's senior senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, once again reported extraordinary assets for herself and her husband, Richard Blum, the chairman of a merchant banking firm.

She and her husband jointly own the partnership that owns the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, as well as a condo in Kauai worth $250,001 to $500,000, and a condo in Tahoe City worth $500,001 to $1 million. She also is the beneficiary of several trusts, including a blind trust valued between $1,000,001 to $5 million.

Blum's holdings are extensive and complex, and in 2003 they included ownership through his firm of $1.1 million to $5.2 million of stock in Perini Corp., a Massachusetts construction company with contracts for Iraq rebuilding work.

Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for Blum Capital Partners, said that in 2003 the firm owed about 24 percent of Perini's shares, but has since reduced its investment to about 13 percent.

Perini also was awarded a contract by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians last month to build a new casino for the San Bernardino County tribe.

48-day voyage on a small ship opens up a big world
By Jennifer McLarty
Victoria News

VICTORIA * When Chenoa Marshall first climbed aboard the Pacific Grace, she was acutely aware of its size.
While the wooden schooner is an impressive 140 feet long and 22 feet wide, it can suddenly feel very small when bounding through the Pacific Ocean - no land in sight.
Add a six-person professional crew and 22 sailing trainees to the hobbit-sized bunks below deck, and you've got what most people would call a floating nightmare.
But for Marshall, who completed a 48-day voyage from Hawaii last weekend, one "small" boat has opened up a very big world.
"In the beginning I was claustrophobic, and I was concerned about how I was going to deal with that. But then the boat grew, just like the people grew. It became my world and it didn't feel small anymore. It felt safe and filled with an amazing sense of community," said Marshall, a 24-year-old university student from Ontario.
"You have all these different people, who at home wouldn't have hung out together, all of a sudden living in close quarters and getting along. The experience has reinforced my confidence in myself - in how I see myself - and how I deal with other people.
"It's something I'll treasure forever."
Creating an environment for personal growth is exactly the point of SALTS, the Sail and Life Training Society, which runs programs in both Canada the United States.
The non-profit Christian organization brings approximately 2,000 young people aboard its two tall ships every year - the Pacific Swift and the Pacific Grace, a replica of the Grand Banks fishing schooner The Robertson II.
Trainees get a chance to see the world, while experiencing all aspects of sailing from helmsmanship and navigation to maintenance and galley chores. The microcosm of shipboard life, and the cooperation it demands, also forces participants to put aside their differences and learn from each other in a makeshift society afloat on the sea.
"The greatest thing they'll take away from here is the community they've built. The boat becomes a safe place for people that they've had a hand in creating," said Pacific Grace skipper Tony Anderson, as he guided the ship into Victoria's Inner Harbour Sunday afternoon.
The schooner's arrival marked the end of her nine-month inaugural offshore voyage that stretched nearly 17,000 nautical miles across four stages - Victoria to Mexico, Mexico to Costa Rica, Costa Rica to Hawaii, and Hawaii back home.
"The highlight is seeing a kid come off here and realizing in their own life, 'I'm on a different tack here.' They have a chance to discover the person they can be."
Anderson came to the program himself by taking a road less travelled.
Twenty-three years ago, while working on a biology degree at the University of Victoria, he volunteered to help refit some of the boats being used in SALTS' programs.
He's been involved ever since, putting aside his studies for a life of helping young people realize their potential.
"It's my passion," said Anderson, who was joined by his six children and wife Bonice during select stages of the nine-month trip.

Hawaii's retail gas prices stay high as crude prices ease
- 2004-06-14 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Crude oil prices have fallen about 10 percent in recent days, and wholesale fuel prices are also lower, but Hawaii gas prices are still very close to their all-time highs logged in May.

The daily retail price surveys by AAA are based on the last credit card receipts of the day at gas-and-go stations in three Hawaii locales:

Honolulu: $2.25 2/10. A month ago it was $2.11 and a year ago it was less than $1.97. The current price is just two tenths below the all-time high registered on May 28.
Hilo: $2.36 9/10. A month ago it was less than $2.24 and a year ago it was less than $2.12. Higher blends are now above $2.50 a gallon in Hilo, where prices are much lower than on the Kona side of the Big Island.
Wailuku: $2.65 6/10. A month ago it was less than $2.42 and a year before, before imposition of an additional five cent per gallon local gas tax, it was about $2.26. Premium is over $2.85 in Wailuku, where prices are much lower than those to be found in Hana, or on Lanai, Molokai or in parts of Kauai.
In the news background, Indonesian Energy Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, the current president of OPEC, says "unpredictable" factors like terrorist attacks on pipelines continue to affect oil prices more than actual supply and demand. Hawaii gas prices remain near all-time highs as a result.

"There will be an increase in demand of 2 million barrels a day as we enter summer, but we will increase production," Yusgiantoro said after OPEC ministers voted to raise their production ceilings to 26 million barrels per day. "We hope (prices) will go down again but it depends on the effects of non-fundamental factors because those are unpredictable."

U.S. analysts have generally made the same point, that there is adequate supply to meet demand, but trades are bidding more for contracts for future delivery of oil in case terrorists, whose repeated attacks on oil supplies have had only minor effects, somehow manage to achieve greater disruption.

Expensive crude oil has put pressure on the airlines serving Hawaii. One of the locally-based carriers, Hawaiian, now buys fuel in Japan because it is cheaper to buy it there and ship it here than to buy it from Hawaii refiners. This decision should be of interest to Chevron Texaco and Tesoro Petroleum, owners of the state's two refineries, who refine more jet fuel than gasoline here.

The Maui News:
Kamehameha brought peace

King Kamehameha Day, a holiday in the islands since the late 19th century, celebrates the man who brought a unified, stable government to the islands, ending hundreds of years of warfare between chiefs competing for land and power.

A fierce warrior in his youth and an uncompromising ruler early in his reign, Kamehameha became known as a wise ruler, one who was believed to have been supported by the gods, a belief based on what happened in 1790 to a Big Island rival.
After a battle with Kamehameha that ended with both sides withdrawing, Big Island rival Keoua was marching with his army back to Kau across the high slopes of Kilauea. The volcano exploded, showering the army with cinders and clouds of poisonous gas. As many as 400 of Keoua's warriors were killed, leading many Hawaiians to believe Kamehameha had the support of Pele. The warrior chief had earlier been given custody of the war god Kukailimoku.

After conquering the other islands, using Western sailing ships and cannon, Kamehameha completed the unification begun by force of arms in 1790 with diplomacy in 1805 by convincing Kauai's ruler Kaumualii to recognize his overall authority.

Throughout his reign, Kamehameha modified the old ways of governing to fit new conditions brought about by increased foreign influence. He gave individual chiefs latitude in governing their lands but named his own governors to each of the major islands except Kauai and had the final word on any dispute. The main thrust of his foreign policy was to strengthen ties with Great Britain and keep other powers from establishing a foothold in the islands.

Kamehameha had a vision for the islands and that vision was partly shaped by the arrival of Europeans beginning in 1778 when Kamehameha was about 30 years old and high in the ranks of the alii on the Big Island. The development of fur trade between North America and China made the islands an attractive midway supply and rest area. As early as 1789, certain Spanish and British officials were making official reports back home suggesting their countries annex the islands.

Kamehameha's reign ended peacefully with his death at the age of about 63 on May 8, 1819, at Kailua on the Big Island.

Honolulu Star Bulletin
Median home price on Maui sets record
Mainland buyers drive a sizzling
market for neighbor isle resales

By Dan Martin
dmartin@starbulletin.com

The median resale price of a single-family home on Maui shot to a startling $620,000 in May, a record high and a 66.4 percent gain over the previous year's $372,500, as deep-pocketed mainland buyers that have driven neighbor island real estate markets kept digging deeper and deeper.

The robust growth may have been magnified by sharply lower sales volume on the inventory-depleted Valley Isle. There were 87 single-family homes sold in May -- one of the lowest monthly totals in a year -- compared with 140 in May 2003, and prices may have been skewed by a number of million-plus sales in exclusive areas such as Sprecklesville that pulled the median figure higher.

"You're going to have blips and bumps in a tight market like this," said Terry Tolman, executive director of the Realtors Association of Maui.

"The whole pond is so small that any fish is a real big fish."

Still, the figures gave brokers pause.

"Wow. Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Realtor Fred Haywood said when told of the numbers.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Haywood handled a number of the Sprecklesville sales in May that went for upward of $1.4 million, and offered some advice for any kamaaina who are considering selling.
"I think they should be very careful. They may not be able to afford anything else here," he said.

Maui condo prices also climbed year-on-year, hitting a median $276,000 compared with last year's $222,500, a 24.3 percent gain. Volume was slightly lower in May at 164 units sold compared with 188 a year earlier.

The median price is that at which half the prices are lower and half are higher.

Prices on Kauai and the Big Island surged as well. A single-family home on Kauai fetched $472,000, a 27.7 percent gain over May 2003's $370,000. Condominium prices there gained 26.4 percent to $381,000, up from last year's $302,000.

There were 62 single-family homes sold on the Garden Island, up from just 46 last year. But the number of condos sold dropped to 36 in May from 62 a year earlier. Again, inventory seemed to be a key factor.

"There are just as many people out there looking, but we're down to nothing to sell," said Ken Kubiak, broker-in-charge with Century 21 All Islands in Kilauea on Kauai.

Brokers said the investors and second-home buyers, primarily from the mainland, who have seized neighbor island markets by the throat during the last couple of years appeared unfazed by the recent rise in interest rates.

"Most of the people we deal with are those investors who come out and pay cash, and they don't seem worried about rates at all," Kubiak said.

Kauai has been a prime example of the strength of the investment influx by mainlanders enamored with the less urbanized neighbor islands.

Despite its far smaller economic base, Kauai's median home prices have climbed far higher in the current price boom than Oahu's, which were a median $445,000 for single-family homes and $195,000 for condos in May.

On the Big Island, single-family home prices grew 26.7 percent to $307,261 from $242,500. Condo prices there leapt 62.8 percent to $280,000 from $172,000. Single-family sales were up 25 percent to 224 from last year's 179, while condo owners sold 89 units, up 15 percent from last year's 77.

Robert Cheesbrough, a partner in broker-developer the Prestige Group LLC, said sales in higher-priced West Hawaii areas such as North Kohala and Waikoloa were still strong but that buying was also beginning to spill over into the Hilo area.

"Compared to the rest of the island, Hilo is beginning to look like a good land value," he said.

Cheesbrough said he expects the market to stay strong for about another year as members of the aging baby boom generation begin to inherit billions from their parents.

"They're generally immune to market swings, and they'll remain the main demographic for some time," he said.

Hawaii sees big gains in visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy
- 2004-06-11 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Prabha Natarajan

A steady steam of visitors from Japan and the U.S. mainland boosted hotel occupancy to 73.4 percent for the week of May 30 to June 5.

That was a 20.7-percentage-point increase from 2003, according to the Hawaii Hotel Flash Report from Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research, released Friday.

A 17.4 percent increase in visitors arrivals -- 49.1 percent more Japanese and 10 percent more American -- contributed to 20,000 more visitors in Hawaii during the week.

This helped Hawaii report much higher occupancy rates for the week ending June 5 than the national average of 61.2 percent, which was down 4.1 percentage points from last year.

Hawaii hotels charged more this week.

Room rates on average were at $157.02, up 5.4 percent from last year.

Maui again led the islands in occupancy with 75.1 percent. Oahu reported 73.9 percent, Kauai 71.9 percent, and the Big Island 59.5 percent.

Average room rates were highest on Kauai at $184.90, a 11.4 percent increase from 2003. Maui was a close second at $180.44. Big Island hotels charged an average of $142.47 and Oahu hotels remained the cheapest at $125.55.

Hawaii hotels did much better than comparable markets during the week.

Los Angeles hotels reported 66.4 percent occupancy, down 1.5 percentage points from last year, and charged $89.34, down 1.7 percent from last year.

Orlando hotels reported 64.4 percent occupancy, up 6.6 percentage points, and charged $84.08, up 3.1 percent.

San Diego hotels reported 66.1 percent occupancy, down 8.6 percentage points, and charged $103.68, which was down 0.1 percent from last year.

Kauai Marriott forms wedding department
- 2004-06-11 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club created a special department to take care of all the details of weddings for its guests.

The hotel, which hosts 200 weddings annually, has put together a staff of six to take care of putting together a wedding.

The wedding department includes George Liechty, the hotel's director of food and beverage; Christopher Tang, director of event planning and operation; Silvia Gama, senior event manager; Michiru Umezu, event manager; and event assistants Doreen Carvalho and Kari Villabrille.

"The department is basically a one-stop shop for clients to get everything done," said Simon Jongert, the hotel's general manager.

The resort also added a bakery on property to create specialized offerings for weddings.

The 51-acre Kauai resort hopes to establish a strong presence in the wedding and honeymoon market, a lucrative business for local hotels.

Kauai Vacation Rentals at Hanalei Bay Resort.
By Doug Porter

If you’re looking for a nice relaxing vacation on Kauai, Hanalei Bay Resort is the place for you. Not ostentatious, this place has the casual elegance and feel of a Hawaiian plantation. Located in Princeville, overlooking beautiful Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s north shore, Hanalei Bay Resort offers breathtaking views of the ocean, mountains, waterfalls, and Bali Hai Sunsets. In fact this location was where they filmed Roger’s and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.”

Accommodations at Hanalei Bay Resort are spacious and comfortable with condo hotel rooms, and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condo suites. Guest can play tennis on eight tennis courts or swim in either of the resort’s two swimming pools. The Bali Hai Restaurant and Happy Talk Lounge are both located here. One of the Kauai’s most lovely beaches is right below the resort. For more information, please visit www.SummitPacific.com

Travel Video Television News:
Beach doctor releases US top ten beaches

His parents took him to a beach when he was six. He was naturally wowed by the biggest sandbox in the world in front of him. Introduced to water, he began to like every activity related to seawater like boating, fishing, and needless to mention, eating seafood. “When I was a child my parents took me to the beach quite a lot, usually to Myrtle Beach, the outer banks, sometimes to Panama City. Luckily, I got to see a lot of beaches,” said Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach).

How a native of Charlotte, North Carolina ended up prepared for such a career is a big question, to which he replied that as a child in his hometown, he had the biggest sand box “. . .which made me fall in love with sand. I had a sandcastle as huge as I was. On the block, kids knew me as the sand king.”

Landing on his magic 10 are four beaches in Florida, where Dr. Beach currently works in oceanography. Need you ask why the favorites? Leatherman said, “I lived in Maryland, and for the first seven years I spent at the University of Maryland in D.C. no beaches in Maryland made it to my top 10. Back then, I had rated a lot of Florida beaches for the top 10. If you look at the past list, there had been a number of Florida beaches I had listed when I was in Maryland. Now that I am here in Florida, if you look at the past winners, there had been fewer in this state,” he said. He now thinks he must have become more critical of Florida seas.

Tom Flannigan, spokesperson for the Visit Florida, the state’s official source for travel planning, is thrilled the state got many mentions this year. “As far as credibility, it is certainly a highly-publicized list. But as Leatherman is a disinterested party with no axe to grind in connection to any destination, it gives him a degree of credibility.” He is seen at the beaches, all over the place and is able to make objective assessments as to which beaches are beach-goers must-see.

Dr. Beach works as the director for the Florida International University’s laboratory for coastal research in Miami. “Being an academic, he has an objective list of criteria he uses to judge the various beaches,” explained Flannigan. “Look over his beach picks in his previous years and the beaches are everywhere.”

Hanauma Beach on Oahu is Dr. Beach’s grand slammer this year. “Hawaii beaches are phenomenal. I have people thinking every top 10 beach should be from Hawaii.” But Dr. Beach cannot have all Hawaii beaches on the annual dossier even if he had to; the list is for swimming beaches which have to be safe.

Leatherman’s contestants have been called “deserving” by some, his list has yet to prove a tourism generator, in terms of influence.

Said Rex Johnson, chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority: “We don’t have any statistics showing the effect of Dr. Beach’s list but Hawaii perennially ends up with honors on various best beaches polls. We are very happy when we are selected by Dr. Beach, or Conde Nast, or any one else for that matter.”

But what does the doctor of beaches think about Hawaii’s beaches in general?
“Most beaches in Hawaii have big waves. Waimea is where the surfing competitions take place and may not be safe. By now, it is probably ok. I had been swimming there in July when it was flat as a pancake.” Waimea has been voted off the American idol of beaches because in the winter, the doc said there are waves 20 to 30 feet high, making it too dangerous. “Hawaii waves are big and very powerful compared to that of the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast, which have only ripples.” Sandy Beach, some distance of Oahu’s Hanauma Bay, is a very dangerous one according to Leatherman. Toss in the unsafe shore breaks which local kids ride, they can get themselves killed easily by breaking their necks.

On dangerous sharks in Hawaii, the Doc said to keep in mind that the surfers, who swim far offshore are the ones who get attacked. “I don’t know of low-water swimmers who had been attacked. Tiger sharks are deep-water creatures unless they are lured into shallow waters - as in one incident in Maui two years ago when a 12-foot tiger shark followed a dead fish left drifting off to shore by a fisherman.” When the water is turbid such as in Kauai where volcanic soil is deep red - when it rains, earth runs off the sugarcane fields, into the river and out into the water- waves are chocolate-looking. “And the Hawaiian kids still surf there,” said Leatherman in awe.

Nevertheless, the rating made the tropical island proud. “Kauai is pleased to be recognized in the top ten beaches in Dr. Beach. It is always an honor to be included in his prestigious list,” said Sue Kanoho, the Kauai Visitors Bureau chairman.

Hanalei Beach in Kauai is crescent-shaped and shallow. Usually calm, it can get different type waves in different times of the year. Dr. Beach gave few points to the jetty where people can relax and explore. “At the end of that pier is where people go for scuba diving and snorkeling and watch sea turtles, which usually swim far offshore. But the problem is, sea turtles are the staple diet for tiger sharks! Swimming in Hawaii is not dangerous unless you go farther out in the deeper waters to surf or dive,” Leatherman warned.

Florida beaches are, by and large, safer and don’t have any hazards like big waves and dangerous rip currents, according to Beach. He, however, pointed to one scary fact-- Smyrna Beach has had some nasty shark attacks. “2001 was the year of the shark,” Beach said.

Further, he mentioned that rip currents are typical of Florida beaches. “Those beaches do not make it to my top 10. Fort Lauderdale has nice beaches but has rip current conditions in the winter months of January to March. In May, there had been winds of up to 15-20 miles an hour every day, which pumped up the ocean. About five people drowned,” Dr. Beach reported.

The problem he said is that the beaches are hard to patrol. After lifeguards leave at 5:00pm, people still swim. “Rip currents are a big criterion in my assessment, counting heavily and factoring in my analysis. Beaches on my 2004 shortlist, such as Cape Florida on the tip end of Key Biscayne have neither rip currents nor waves, and are great for swimming, but not surfing, of course.”

The honor is a one-time affair for the beach on Dr. Beach since there are 650 recreational beaches in the US and another thousand minor ones. He said,
“If I did not replace or disqualify the national winner, I could not give other beaches a chance. Once a beach becomes the national winner, it gets so much press and so much attention; we need to get something new to people every year.”

Johnson added, “Any advertising you would get about good beaches only heightens Hawaii’s overall brand. Does it bring us more customers? We don’t know. Combined with all the rest of the accolades Hawaii gets, it is difficult to measure how such a list will directly affect us. It is great to have them but we are known as a beach destination. Who knows anything changes just because Conde Nast or Dr. Beach says Hawaii has great beaches. Everyone knows that Hawaii is a tourist destination with beautiful shores.”

“To our way of thinking, it is incredibly free promotion and helped considerably to influence traveler’s decisions,” said Flannigan. From that aspect, he does have influence which we have not been able to quantify as yet. The various chemical composition of the various sands he finds - is that going to help people make a decision? The criterion he uses seems to be more consumer-friendly.” Flannigan could not ascertain a need for a more scientific grading other than what Dr. Leatherman already has – a 50-point grading system. He is ranking based on solid criteria and features the average person would be looking at.

In order to see the direct impact of his list on tourists coming to the aforementioned beaches, Flannigan said it would entail an extensive and expensive comprehensive survey of visitors not only to Florida, but also to the coastal areas. As to what factors visitors used as consideration in choosing the specific beach destination, there are just hundreds factors that contribute to people’s decision when it comes to itinerary.

Beach has gone back to most of his national winners. Some are still superb; but if an event, such as a shark attack, leads to a downgrade, he said he will let the public know. “Poipu Beach had been hit very hard by hurricane Nicky in 1992, which knocked it off the list for a while. A resort had been built which made it regain its place on the list about three years ago.”

History of hurricane or erosion, pollution problems becoming more apparent get Dr. Beach alarmed. For instance, “Lanakai Beach had an erosion problem which moved it southward. Land-owners had problems with it although it had been a national winner,” he said with a plan to make a back-up list (of downgrades, perhaps?).

On the beaches, he is considered a ‘mystery shopper’ and conducts his own evaluation. His list, not only, fundamentally serves to reward beaches for a lot of their good natural qualities but also recognizes good pro-active management that gives people the ultimate beach experience. National Healthy Beaches Campaign, his new baby, recognizes all the good-quality beaches, not only the ‘standard’ sandy ones, but also coldwater and pristine stretches. He said the campaign is dedicated to promoting balance between recreational use of the nation's beaches and maintaining the environmental quality and safety of this prized resource.

When asked if he’d entertained the notion of being an international beach doctor some day, celebrity Mr. Leatherman replied: “I am working on it right now. There are still plenty to see here.”

So, which beaches made Dr. Beach’s grade besides those already mentioned? Here is a list of Dr. Beach’s Top Ten US Beaches:
1. Hanauma Bay, Oahu, HI - National Winner
2. Fort De Soto Park, FL
3. Ocracoke Island, NC
4. Caladesi Island State Park, FL
5. Main Beach, East Hampton, NY
6. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, HI
7. Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, FL
8. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, MA
9. Cape Florida State Park, FL
10. Coronado Beach, CA

eTN Florida
author: Hazel Heyer

ContraCostaTimes.com
Aloha Airlines To Add Flights

Aloha Airlines said it will offer five Hawaii-bound flights a day this summer from the Oakland International Airport. Beginning today, Aloha added Kauai to its non-stop Hawaii line-up. The airline will add a second daily non-stop to Honolulu beginning July 2."

Inman Real Estate News -
Alexis McGee makes most of real estate foreclosure
Real Estate Connect Speaker Profile
Friday, June 11, 2004

Inman News

Alexis McGee, president of Foreclosures.com
Alexis McGee, president of Foreclosures.com, will speak at Real Estate Connect, presented in San Francisco July 28-30.

Panel at Connect: Mortgage Track – Breakout 4: Default management—innovations in property disposition

1. What are your current or childhood nicknames?

Lex, Lecco, and my favorite…Sexy Lexy

2. Which daily newspaper do you read and which section of the newspaper do you read first?

I love to read online during a break at work. My favorite news sites are: TheStreet.com, CBSMarketwatch.com, Inman.com, Bizjournals.com, Sacramentobee.com, Foxnews.com.

3. What's the most unusual thing you've ever packed in a suitcase?

Many years ago, when we were under a "tight budget," we still vacationed in Hawaii. Our way of saving money was to not spend $7 per cocktail. So, our compromise was to pack our blender and rum from Costco, and buy local fruit from roadside stands.

4. What kind of music do you listen to?

Depending on my mood, it's R&B, World Beat, disco or Smooth Jazz. Our kids (ages 9 and 6) love to do the YMCA with me.

5. What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?

We love our home of 14 years. It was new in 1990 and "Cape Cod" ranch-style on a street with all great neighbors and kids. We just found our "dream lot," which is very remote, has an old oak forest, a year round stream and pond, and is only 1 mile from work and school, at the end of a dead-end street. We will be building a "Greene & Green" Arts & Crafts home next year, and can hardly wait!

6. Where did you spend your last vacation?

New condos on Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. We try to make it to either Poipu Beach or the Big Island's Kohala Coast at least twice a year. We are beach people and with young children at home, there is nowhere else we would rather be as a family.

7. What professional accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

My "Rookie of the Year" award for Grubb & Ellis Commercial Real Estate brokerage. They first hired me as their "research coordinator," as I didn't "fit their mold" to be an Investment Agent (i.e. Male X-Xerox Sales People). Even though I had just completed my BS in Real Estate Finance at ASU, they only paid me a whooping $800/month. While I was asking my "research questions" to apartment owners, I also slipped in some "more questions" Those questions led to an interview for a major listing of three large apartment complexes in Solano County, Calif., and Grubb & Ellis had no agents working that area. I got the $6 million exclusive listing, along with the official promotion to "Investment Specialist." Next came the $150,000 commission check and my "rookie award." It was great to prove them all wrong!

8. What personal accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

My marriage of 20 years to college sweetheart Tim, and our two young children. Tim and I both started Foreclosures.com in 1992. We make a great team at both home and work. It's hard to imagine how either of us would be without each other. We just fit together perfectly.

9. What worries keep you awake at night?

Nothing. I am not a worrier. I am a list maker. The best solution for folks who stay up worrying is to keep a pad of paper near them at all times and write those thoughts down! Once you have them written, you can work on getting them done. I can get so much satisfaction for crossing things off my list!

10. What lesson did you learn in the last year?

This is not new to me, but it is the lesson I seem to remind my kids (as well as my clients) of every day: "Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you."

11. What is your favorite technology device or software application?

Small digital cameras (I keep mine in my purse) are so handy for those "quick kid shots." Plus, Web sites that you can upload your pictures to share with friends and family.

12. What is your opinion of Inman News?

I love it and read it daily!

13. What was the best gift you ever received from or gave to someone else?

My sister and I planned our parents' surprise retirement party. They owned and operated a beauty salon for 50 years in New York and then Arizona. We invited all their friends, old-time clients, and of course we flew in to Arizona to join in on the fun. They were so surprised and thrilled. It was the best gift we ever could have given them.

14. What was your top New Year's resolution and have you kept it so far?

Take more time off and play with the kids. Yes, we have 12 weeks on the schedule now for time off this year. God bless our loyal and hard-working staff at Foreclosures.com. With their average length of employment at more than 8 years with us, they make our time away from work a reality!

15. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning person. I get out of bed running! Watch out!

16. What is your worst vice or bad habit?

Not turning off the lights. But rather than listen to my mom say, "So, do you own stock in the electric company?" I went out and bought utility stocks. Yes mom, I still leave on the lights…guilt free now.