Leis honored for giving to community

The Maui News:
Leis honored for giving to community
By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer

WAILEA - Dorvin Leis received the highest annual honor of the Maui Chamber of Commerce, the T.S. Shinn Award, during a program Friday that reviewed the past and future of business on Maui.

Leis, founder of Dorvin D. Leis Co. mechanical contractors, has built up a statewide business that employs more than 200 people while supporting the community in other ways as well. He and his wife, Betty, have donated millions of dollars to charities, and last year they were honored as Hawaii's Outstanding Philanthropists by the Association of Fund-raising Professionals Hawaii.
The Shinn award is named for a well-known businessman and former chairman of the chamber, recognizing individuals in business for the roles they've played in the community.

Later expressing his gratitude for the recognition of the chamber, Leis said it was an honor to be considered in the same league with Shinn. He said he had met Shinn at Shinn's Ah Fook's Super Market shortly after he first came to Maui in 1967 to work on a project in South Maui.

"He was such a gracious person. He met everybody at the door and greeted them," Leis recalled.

"I asked him, 'Can you tell me why the locals don't like Kihei?' He told me, 'That's not true. It's the best-kept secret we have, so nobody will go there.' "

Since then, Leis' company has been involved in a number of projects that have let out the secret. But along with his business success, his support of the community has provided Leis with an array of plaques, certificates and other memorabilia citing his contributions, filling a bookshelf in his Kahului office.

Also during Friday's chamber program, the Aloha Award, which chamber President Lynne Woods selects but does not award every year, went to Barry and Stella Rivers, whose Maui International Film Festival has grown in seven years into a famous international event.

"Cannes, Telluride, Maui is their motto," said Woods in presenting the award.

Barry Rivers said he surprised even himself by counting up the number of people involved in presenting the festival and its year-round activities such as the Celestial Cinema - 53 staff plus more than 200 volunteers.

GAVEL IS PASSED

The 94th annual general meeting of the chamber drew more than 200 people to the Fairmont Kea Lani. Stephen Holaday, a vice president of Alexander & Baldwin and general manager of the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., took over as chairman.

Other officers for 2004-05 are Charlie Jencks, chairman-elect; Woods, president and secretary; and Sharron Courter, treasurer.

Outgoing chairman Steve Williams said the past year had been marked by greater activism by the chamber. He cited two events especially.

One was the first-ever endorsement of political candidates, followed up with a report card on the performance of elected officials, whether they had obtained chamber support or not.

"If we're going to make a stand, we'd better be able to back it up," he said.

The other was the chamber's first ever full-page newspaper advertisement, taken out during the County Council's drawn-out consideration of Makena Resort's application for zoning changes.

Eventually, the resort got its zoning. Williams said the chamber interest was not so much about the zoning but in due process for the applicant. The ad raised the question, "What is fair?"

FUTURE OF BUSINESS

The keynote address for 2004-05 was given by Alexander & Baldwin Chief Executive Officer Allen Doane, who said people may not quite realize how much A&B has changed its business strategy since 1990.

A&B is still in agriculture. In fact, it is the only member of the Big Five - the five plantations that controlled sugar production in Hawaii in the last century - still farming and still under local ownership.

It is the largest grower of coffee in the United States, 3,200 acres on Kauai; and the largest grower of sugar cane in Hawaii.

"We put lots of money into the sugar business. That's different from just about everybody else, and it's paid off."

However, Doane said, in the 1990s, A&B changed its attitude on its biggest fixed asset, 91,000 acres of land in Hawaii.

"We realized our biggest resource wasn't our land. It was the knowledge and experience of our people."

Since then, for the first time in its history, A&B has turned to developing land it had to purchase rather than the land it had inherited from the plantation era.

This has translated into $250 million in investments in Hawaii since 1990, and more than $400 million on the Mainland.

On Maui, it meant buying parcels to develop at Kaanapali. On Oahu, it meant buying land to develop in Waikiki.

A&B still has plenty of land on Maui. Doane says he surprised even himself, when he checked, to learn that just 2 percent is urban.

Most of that is at Wailea Resort, which A&B developed, sold in 1989 and repurchased last year.

Since 1994, A&B has gotten authorizations for an increase of just five acres in the urban zone on this island.

It has increased cane land by nearly 2,000 acres.

But in the 21st century A&B is "focused on acquisitions and investments."

On Maui, those include Napili Plaza, Wailea, and Fairway Shops and the Summit and Vintage residential projects in Kaanapali.

On Oahu, the prize project is Hokua, 247 million-dollar condominiums.

The outlook for Hawaii business is bright, Doane said, in part because the baby boomers are entering their peak earnings years.

"There are lots of people with lots of money who don't intend to give it to a trust."

However, he said, he believes "there is a natural cap on the number of people who are able to

be well-served as visitors to Hawaii. . . .

"We probably won't be at 10 million to 12 million tourists a year." (State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert says Hawaii might get to 7 million this year, which would be a record.)

However, on bad days, Doane said he worries about interest rates, labor, an end to the spike in real estate values, affordable housing, external problems and the price of oil.

He does not expect oil prices to fall, and he described the state's dependence on oil to the exclusion of other fuels as "frightening."

But, he said, "The biggest issue we have over the next two or three years is going to be finding capable employees." He described the state's labor outlook as "a sea change."

Privatization and extension of military housing on Oahu are going to soak up construction workers for five or 10 years to come.

On good days, he said, he considers that the visitor industry is thriving despite the disappearance of almost a million Japanese visitors annually since 1997, the desire of baby boomers to see Hawaii and the stabilizing presence of the military.

And every day, he said, he gives thanks for doing business in a state with Hawaii's climate and beauty, that is part of the United States and which has a population so diverse and accepting.

The chamber also recognized the 2004 winners of Small Business Administration awards:

Ruth Corn as Research Advocate, Sharron Courter as Financial Services Advocate, Clyde and Glenn Hamai as Businessmen of the Year, Cielo Molina as Minority Small Business Advocate and Jeanne Skog as Women in Business Advocate.

Legendary long-distance paddleboarder Larry Capune dead at 61

AP Wire | 05/31/2004 |
Legendary long-distance paddleboarder Larry Capune dead at 61

Associated Press

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Legendary long-distance paddleboarder Larry Capune, who splashed through more than 16,000 miles of U.S. coastline during a series of epic journeys that captured the imagination of surfers everywhere, has died at age 61.

Capune died of cancer Tuesday at his Newport Beach home, according to his twin brother, Marty.

He had made his last, and most difficult, paddleboard trip 17 years ago when he splashed his way east from Chicago to Washington, D.C., traveling the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River between May and October 1987.

Although he covered 4,090 miles on that trip, it was not his longest. That one took place between July 1975 and May 1976 when he paddled from Portland, Maine, to Corpus Christi, Texas, a distance of 4,255 miles.

Capune was one of a kind, said Steve Pezman, co-publisher of the Surfer's Journal, who noted that there have been other great paddleboarders, like Gene "Tarzan" Smith, who paddled from Oahu to Kauai in Hawaii in 1940.

"But no one's done the coastlines of the United States like Larry Capune," Pezman said. "That's an original feat and has never been duplicated."

Capune, a lifeguard and recreational director, was working at Southern California's Carpinteria State Beach when he took his first long-distance journey, 542 miles from San Francisco to Newport Beach, in September 1964.

His motto was, "You can do anything if you think you can."

Not that it was easy. Over the years he reported being bitten by a sea turtle, a bluefish and a dog, struck three times by ships, lost 13 times at sea and hit by a bottle thrown by an irate pier owner who accused him of scaring fish away. One time he delayed a missile launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's central coast.

During a 1972 Maine-to-Miami trip, he stumbled ashore in Massachusetts and, lost and tired, knocked on the door of the Hyannis Port home of President Kennedy's mother, Rose. He was allowed to stay for two days.

Using an 18-foot board made for him by another California surfing legend, Hobie Alter, Capune normally covered 20 to 25 miles a day over eight to 10 hours.

He would travel anywhere from 100 yards to 10 miles off shore, carrying such supplies as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cans of soda and a portable radio in a waterproof pack.

Although he made his last major trip in 1987, Capune continued to paddle four miles a day every day until failing health forced him to stop six months ago.

Best Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Hawaii

Best Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Hawaii

Well respected travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler has recently released their 2000 Gold List of the 500 highest-scoring hotels, resorts, spas and cruise lines in the world. For this sixth annual edition of their annual poll over 26,000 readers took part.

Participants in the poll were asked to rate the facilities in six categories: Rooms, Service, Restaurants, Location/Atmosphere, Public Areas and Activities. Ratings in each category are based on the percentage of participants who rate the facility "excellent" or "very good" in that category. The overall score consists of the average of the scores in whichever of the six categories apply to the facility being rated.

In what is excellent news for Hawaii, the state had the best showing of all fifty states in this latest poll, with over a quarter of the country's top twenty properties. Without any surprise the facilities on Hawaii were all rated very high in the category of Location/Atmosphere with the Manele Bay Hotel on Lanai receiving a 98.5 rating.

All told 24 Hawaii properties made this year's list. The entire 2000 Gold List was published in the January edition of Condé Nast Traveler.

Big Island of Hawaii

While six Big Island resorts made this year's list, the highest rated were the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows which scored particularly well in the categories of Rooms (92.2) and Location/Atmosphere (94.1) and came in with an overall score of 86.3.

Close behind was the Four Season's Resort at Hualalai which scored 86.1 with excellent and consistently strong marks across all categories. Ranked third on the Big Island was the Orchid at Mauna Lani which scored an excellent 84.0.

Kauai

Three resorts on Kauai made this year's list with the Princeville Resort leading the pack with a score of 84.1. With excellent scores in the categories of Rooms (89.2), Service (85.5) and Location/Atmosphere (90.4), there is little surprise that this is the top rated resort on Kauai.

The Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa earned an overall score of 81.7. The third Kauai resort to make this year's list was the Hanalei Bay Resort which posted a score of 72.8.

Lanai

Two Lanai properties make this year's list , both with superior scores across the board. As previously indicated, the Manele Bay Hotel scored an amazing 90.2 with high marks for Rooms (93.8), Service (90.8) Food (86.2) and Location/Atmosphere (98.5). This is the only resort located on the beach in Lanai. The hotel's Ihilani Restaurant received excellent reviews.

Kauai's other standout resort is the Lodge at Koele which came in with an equally impressive overall score of 88.1 with excellent marks for Rooms (92.1), Service (86.8), Food (89.5) and Location/Atmosphere (93.0).

It's clear that for the discriminating traveler who really wants the best in Hawaii, these resorts on Lanai are hard to beat.

Maui

The island of Maui claims nine of Hawaii's top twenty-four resorts which should be no surprise.

The top rated Maui resort is the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea which had an overall score of 86.4, the highest rated Hawaiian property outside of the island of Lanai. With excellent scores in the categories of Rooms (93.6), Service (89.7), Location/Atmosphere (89.7) and Activities (82.1), the Four Seasons is clearly the overall best choice on Maui.

Close behind are two Maui resorts, the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua which scored 84.4 and the Grand Wailea Resort, Hotel and Spa which came in with a score of 84.3.

Oahu

Rounding out the top resorts in Hawaii are four on the island of Oahu. Leading the way is Halekulani located on the beach at Waikiki. One of Waikiki's less known hotels to most travelers, this is one of Hawaii's most highly rated destinations. In addition to it's superb 85.3 overall score from Condé Nast Traveler, Helekulani is the only Hawaii property to also receive AAA's Five Diamond rating in both the lodging and restaurant categories.

Two of the other Oahu resorts making this year's list are equally less well known. The Kahala Mandarin Oriental scored an impressive 81.4 and the Ihilani Resort and Spa a fine 77.0.

Rounding out the best Oahu properties is the world famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the Pink Palace of Waikiki, which scored 74.3 in this year's survey.

Rooms Service
Kea Lani Hotel, Suites and Villas, Maui (95.2)

Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai (93.8)
Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai (90.8)
Four Seasons Resort, Wailea, Maui (89.7)

Restaurants Location/Atmosphere
Lodge at Koele, Lanai (89.5)
Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai, Big Island (87.0)
Manele Bay Hotel, Lanai (98.5)
Kea Lani Hotel, Suites and Villas, Maui (97.6)

Activities Spa Program
Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island (86.2)
Renaissance, Wailea Beach Resort, Maui (84.2)
Grand Wailea Resort, Hotel and Spa, Maui (87.6)
Ihilani Resort and Spa, Oahu (73.0)

COLA increases pending for Honolulu, Maui military personnel

COLA increases pending for Honolulu, Maui military personnel
- 2004-05-31 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Cost of living allowances will rise July 1 for U.S. military personnel stationed on Oahu and Maui.

An E5 stationed on Oahu with 8 years of federal active service and three dependents will see an increase of about $45 a month. An O3 with the same tenure and family will see $61 dollar.
No COLA change is scheduled for service members stationed on the Big Island and Kauai, according to the U.S. Pacific Command's Manpower, Personnel and Administration Directorate.
The U.S. Pacific Command, in a recent report on the pending increase, quoted a local personnel officer as saying that local military personnel effectively got the increase for themselves by taking the time to properly log their shopping patterns in a form used to research COLA adjustments. "

Visitor numbers up statewide in April

Visitor numbers up statewide in April
- - Maui News

By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer


HONOLULU - A boom in paradise weddings and a resurgent Japanese tourism are driving the Hawaii visitor industry to new levels.

In April, total arrivals in the islands were up 14.4 percent to 548,684, although Maui County did not take part in the gains.
Maui island was down slightly, less than 1 percent, to 178,630. Molokai and Lanai, both in the midst of a months-long slide, were down substantially - Molokai's count was down 28.6 percent to 5,431; and Lanai's was down 33.0 percent to 6,330.

Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau, says the stagnation in numbers is largely due to problems of interisland air lift - Japanese travelers are having a difficult time reaching Maui County.

Year-to-date figures bear this out. Maui's domestic traffic is up 2.3 percent for the first four months, down 21.0 percent internationally.

This is striking, since in April Oahu's overall count was up 19.2 percent to 334,965, with international traffic up 45.6 percent to 131,091.

Hawaii's interisland carriers have been struggling with costs and have rationed their schedules. This has improved revenue but also means that comparatively few seats fly empty.

This is especially a problem for Japanese groups, says Vencl, who need to find 20, 30 or 40 seats on one interisland flight.

"They don't travel FIT (free and independent traveler)," she said.

The fact that Japan's Golden Week holidays, a peak period for travel, occurred in April also was a factor in the overall state figures, but didn't do anything for Maui.

Matthew Hart, executive vice president for resorts on Lanai, says the decline there - 32.4 percent for the first four months - is partly real, partly a difference in databases.

Overall travel to Lanai is down this year, he says, primarily because of a decline in group business (but hardly any of that had been Japanese).

His own records show a decline for rooms sold in April of 7 percent, not 33 percent.

"There are a couple of databases," Hart says.

His internal records and independent hotel occupancy figures would tend to show that both Lanai and Maui are doing better than the headcounts of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

The state counts are based on voluntary surveys of airline passengers, at least for domestic travel.

Thus, Smith Travel Research, which surveys occupancy, shows Maui island ahead of the next busiest island in occupancy by several percentage points.

Another hint that Maui's experience may be better than the headcount suggests is the length-of-stay number.

For domestic visitors - close to 90 percent of Maui's trade - Maui visitors stayed an average of 7.46 days in April.

These travelers increasingly fly direct, avoiding the interisland seat problem. The direct flights also are cutting down the proportion of visitors who hop from one island to another.

Single-island visits were up on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Hawaii.

For domestic travelers, besides Maui only Oahu had an LOS greater than 7 in April, and it was 7.01.

Kauai's visitor count last month was 83,223, up 5.6 percent. Hawaii's was 102,829, up 5.5 percent.

As for weddings, DBEDT says 88,000 couples came to the state to be married so far this year.

The governor's tourism liaison, Marsha Wienert, cited both growth in cruise ship traffic and the wedding business as reasons for the increased numbers.

The 88,000 weddings represents a 26.4 percent increase over the same period in 2003, she said.

"Hawaii's cruise industry remains strong and we are especially pleases by the increase in average daily spending," she said.

The 50,349 cruise ship visitors accounted for 3.1 percent of the total visitor count.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com.

Hawaii's Hanauma Bay tops annual rankings

Mercury News | 05/30/2004 | Travel Notes
BEACHES

Hawaii's Hanauma Bay tops annual rankings

Hanauma Bay on Oahu, Hawaii, took the No. 1 spot in the 14th annual Top 10 beaches rankings by Stephen P. Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.

The rest of the Top 10: 2. Fort De Soto Park, Fla.; 3. Ocracoke Island, N.C.; 4. Caladesi Island State Park, Fla.; 5. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.; 6. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii; 7. Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, Fla., 8. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.; 9. Cape Florida State Park, Fla.; 10. Coronado Beach, Calif. Details: www.drbeach.org.

AIR TRAVEL

Little risk to fetus seen for occasional fliers

Occasional airline travel by pregnant women generally poses little risk of radiation exposure to developing fetuses. But pregnant pilots, flight attendants, air marshals, couriers and frequent business travelers can receive radiation exposures that exceed current recommendations if they do not modify their work schedules, according to a current commentary in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

At airline altitudes, cosmic radiation levels are greater than at sea level because the Earth's atmosphere absorbs much of the radiation before it reaches the ground. Expectant women may calculate their radiation dose on a trip-by-trip basis using software available from the Federal Aviation Administration that's accessible at http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov./cariprofile.asp.

SUMMER TRAVEL

Most Americans have upcoming trips

Three out of four people in the United States plan to travel this summer, according to a recent survey conducted by Yahoo! Travel and Harris Interactive.

Each houshold will spend an average of $1,756 on its trips, including transportation costs, accommodations, food expenses and entertainment. That amount differs little among various household sizes.

Those anticipating spending the highest amounts for summer travel are college graduates ($2,163) and respondents earning $75,000 a year or more ($2,359).

Also, men plan to spend more than women on summer vacations this year ($1,983 vs. $1,152).

Cruising down, spending up

Kauai Garden Island News
Cruising down, spending up

Cruise ship visitors to Hawaii spent about $105 per person per day so far this quarter, up from $90 this time last year.

Kauai led the state with nearly $6 per person in "shore spending."

Indeed, the average daily spending by cruise visitors was up 17 percent statewide.

"They're getting off the ships and not just shopping but going on tours before they shop," said Sue Kanoho, executive director of Kauai Visitors Bureau. "The activities have been aggressive in trying to do tours."

The bad news is that nearly 10,000 fewer visitors came to Kauai on cruise ships, dropping nearly 22 percent this quarter, from 58,708 to 49,567.

The dip in cruise visitor numbers was primarily due to several smaller ships with less passenger capacity that toured the islands in the first quarter. In addition, there was only one Hawaii-home ported ship compared to two Hawaii-based cruise ships in first quarter 2003.

Most of the visitors coming to Hawai'i for cruises are from the Eastern region of the Mainland. Nearly a quarter are from the U.S. West region and the rest are from other markets.

Visitors from the U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada, and Europe spent more compared to those who came during first quarter 2003. The average daily spending by those from the U.S. East was the highest at $112 per person, followed by visitors from Canada ($106 per person), Europe ($100 per person) and the U.S. West ($87 per person).

Kauai is bracing for the low season for cruising. That's because it's typical for cruise lines to reposition their ships in places like Alaska and the Carribean this time of year.

But the cruise business will get a boost this summer from the addition of a Norwegian Cruise Line ship "Pride of America," scheduled to sail seven-night inter-island cruises in Hawaiian waters beginning in July.

"It's going to be a whole other ballgame because we are going to have another home-ported ship," said Marsha Wienert, the governor's tourism liaison.

The ship is the first U.S.-flag cruise ship to be built in nearly 50 years, and will have a crew made up entirely of U.S. officers and crew.

Meanwhile, the Pride of Aloha, currently called the Norwegian Sky, is scheduled to begin Nawiliwili trips June 30. According to reports from This Week magazine of Kauai, Pride of Aloha will enter Nawiliwili June 30, July 1, July 5 and July 6.

Law affirms identity of Niihau shell leis

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Act 91, a bill signed into law yesterday, prohibits jewelry from being labeled "Niihau" if it is not made mostly with shells from the island of that name. Rhonetta Tate of Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii models two sets of Niihau shell leis.


Law affirms identity
of Niihau shell leis
New standards on craftsmanship
and materials must be met

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


By Mary Vorsino
mvorsino@starbulletin.com
Lei lecturer Pamela Dow thinks Niihau shell leis are treasures, deserving of a "special place of honor" under the law.

Now, the state agrees.

Under a bill Gov. Linda Lingle signed into law yesterday, Niihau shell leis will receive much the same protection as is given Kona coffee and other Hawaii-made products.

Act 91 prohibits jewelry from being labeled "Niihau" if it is not made mostly with shells from the island of Niihau.

The law also says Niihau shell leis must be strung within the state, and stipulates that Niihau shell leis be made with at least 80 percent of Niihau shells and labeled with the Niihau shell percentage content.

Dow, owner of Forever Kauai and Waimea General Store in Kekaha, testified in favor of the law in March.

Reached by phone yesterday, she called the law "a giant step forward."

"We have brought awareness," said Dow, who also sells the leis at Na Mea Hawaii and Native Books & Beautiful Things stores in Honolulu.

Dow said Niihau lei makers spend years collecting rare-colored shells, and the retail value of Niihau shell leis can run from $125 to $25,000.

"I am hoping that everyone will realize that Niihau shell art ... is separate from all other shell art," she said. "There is room in the art world for all of it; we just need to realize and accept the integrity of the Niihau shell art."

The state Office of Hawaiian Affairs is also in favor of the law, and said in a recent news release that not only are the "shells scarce -- with the collection of enough of some colors and types of shells taking years to make one lei -- but the craftsmanship of these special lei takes much skill, precision, patience and dexterity."

The bill was introduced by Rep. Jon Karamatsu (D, Waipahu-Waikele), who hoped with the new requirements to protect local business owners and prevent fraudulent sales.

Mets Send Down Yates, Call Up Feliciano

Mets Send Down Yates, Call Up Feliciano
- Mercury News: Bay Area news, technology, jobs, cars & real estate

NEW YORK - The New York Mets on Tuesday sent right-hander Tyler Yates to Triple-A Norfolk, where he will begin the transition from starter to reliever.

Yates (from Kauai, Hawaii) earned a spot in the rotation during spring training but was sent to Norfolk on May 9 after going 1-4 in six starts. He was recalled Friday to start in place of the injured Al Leiter, and gave up four runs in just 4 1-3 innings against Colorado.

The Mets noticed that the velocity of Yates' pitches dropped off considerably during games and felt that he would be better able to take advantage of his 94-95 mph fastball coming out of the bullpen.

"He got an opportunity to see how it was to start," New York manager Art Howe said. "Now he knows what we have to focus on and he agrees. ... There is a real upside to the bullpen for him."

While Yates gets used to the rhythms of pitching on consecutive days out of the bullpen in Norfolk, the Mets purchased the contract of left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano from their top minor league club, where he was 2-2 with a 6.30 ERA in 15 appearances.

Because the Mets have two days off this week, they will not need a fifth starter until Monday.

In other minor league news, Mets second baseman Jose Reyes was scratched from his rehabilitation start for Class A St. Lucie with a sore lower back.

Reyes has been out since spring training with a strained right hamstring and just returned to action Friday. The Mets said his hamstring is fine, and his back will be reevaluated on Wednesday. He's listed as day-to-day.

Ricky Gutierrez, meanwhile, has cleared waivers and opted for free agency. Gutierrez was designated for assignment on May 13 after batting .175 in 24 games.

He started 14 games at second base, but Danny Garcia took over that job on April 29. The Mets acquired Gutierrez from Cleveland on March 28 for a player to be named.

Four TV series aren't enough -- let's make our own movies

Four TV series aren't enough -- let's make our own movies -
2004-05-26 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Hollywood is in love with Hawaii again, with four Hawaii-based TV series now in production. But two women who facilitate TV and movie shoots in the island think we may be ready to take this to the next level -- an indigenous film industry.

"I believe that cultural life is the heartbeat of any locale," says Judy Drosd, chief of the new Arts, Films and Entertainment Division at the state's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. "It is a magnetic force that provides excitement as well as a sense of cohesion and community."

For years Hawaii has used financial incentives and logistical support to attract film shoots. The state got an unexpected boost in the dangerous days following 9/11 when producer moved international shoots to Hawaii's exotic backdrop. Now Drosd suggests it's time to shoot higher.

"Ultimately, arts and culture define the personality of a place," says Drosd, a former film producer herself who was an executive for HBO before moving to Hawaii. "Film arts, fine arts, performance arts, design, and all varieties of entertainment are significant economic drivers in any community in which they are allowed to thrive. They create their own work force and generate considerable revenues." Drosd was the film liaison for Kauai for 10 years during which the county got more than $68 million in film-related revenues.

Drosd will speak about the matter this week at the monthly luncheon meeting of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association. So will Donne Dawson, director of the Hawaii Film Branch. The meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Plaza Club, 900 Fort Street Mall, 20th floor. Admission is $35 with a $10 discount for HVCA and Hawaii Technology Trade Association members and University of Hawaii faculty, and a $15 discount for students. For information: (808) 262-7329.

Maui hotels enjoy highest occupancy

Maui hotels enjoy highest occupancy
- 2004-05-25 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Maui hotels continued to enjoy the highest occupancy rate in the state at 80.9 percent and average daily rate of $198.21 in April.

Maui hotels reflected a statewide recovery trend, according to the Hawaii Hotel Flash Report released Tuesday by Hospitality Advisors LLC.
The statewide occupancy rate was at 74.1 percent, up 7.7 percentage points from last April. Average daily rate was $154.25, up 3.6 percentage points. The increase is over 2003 numbers which had dropped dramatically due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and Iraq war.
Oahu hotels reported 71.4 percent occupancy rate (62.8 percent in April 2003) and average room rate of $119.28 (up from $113.63). Waikiki hotels specifically reported 72.6 percent occupancy rate (63.1 percent) and room rate of $117.63 ($112.32).
Big Island hotels saw a 70.1 percent occupancy rate (63.9 percent) and room rate of $172.07 ($166.60).
Kauai reported 76.2 percent occupancy rate (68.6 percent) and room rate of $180.94 ($169).
Oahu's upscale hotels gained 22.8 percent to achieve $83.57 in revenue per available room compared to 18.3 percent gain to achieve $189.41 statewide. "

Princeville Restaurant in Kauai

Mercury News | 05/26/2004 |
Denise Larussa and Ryan Morgan
Denise Larussa and Ryan Morgan were married May 15 at St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica in San Jose by the Rev. Gregory McGivern.
Denise Larussa Morgan, 28, was born in San Jose, and is the daughter of Samuel and Pamela Larussa of San Jose. A 1993 graduate of Leland High School, she earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from St. Mary's College in Moraga in 1997. She is a Realtor for Intero Real Estate in Los Gatos.
Ryan Morgan, 29, was born in Martinez and is the son of Dennis Morgan of Pleasant Hill and Lonnie Morgan of Martinez, and the stepson of Bonita Morgan of Pleasant Hill. He earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology-business in 1997 from California State University-San Luis Obispo, and is an engineer at Analog Devices in San Jose.
The couple were introduced to each other through mutual friends at a Cinco de Mayo festival in Los Gatos five years ago. The groom proposed to the bride at sunset at the Princeville Restaurant in Kauai, Hawaii, on their three-year anniversary. Because of the excitement of the proposal, neither of them could eat a bite of the five-course meal they had ordered.
They are honeymooning for two weeks in Bora Bora. They own a home in Almaden Valley in San Jose."

Starwood considering more time shares in Hawaii

Starwood considering more time shares in Hawaii
- 2004-05-25 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Buoyed by the success of its time-share resort on Maui, Starwood Vacation Ownership will seek county permits to build another 258 villas on a neighboring 14-acre lot.

'Our time share is the most successful we've done,' said David Matheson spokesman for Starwood Vacation. 'Our first phase was sold out before we completed construction and our second phase is going to be sold out before we open next year.'
Matheson says Hawaii remains a priority for Starwood. The hotel chain will have plans next month on proposed time shares at Princeville Resort on Kauai and is considering putting up more of them at the Sheraton Kauai.
The chain started on its first time-share project on Maui with the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. The first phase was 103 villas and at completion the resort will have 280 villas. To sell the units, the chain opened additional sales offices at Princeville and at the Sheraton Waikiki. Most of the unit buyers continue to be mainland vacationers with a good mix of Japanese as well, Matheson said.
He wouldn't divulge how much the company plans to invest in Hawaii, but noted that project costs in Hawaii tend to be higher than the mainland."

Hawaii new jobless claims are low

Hawaii new jobless claims are low
- 2004-05-25 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Low as the unemployment rate in Hawaii may be, it may actually go lower, and even in a worst case scenario is not likely to rise much when graduating students enter the work force.


The new figure, 3.6 percent, covers the month of April. But fresher figures from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, covering the week ending May 15, show only 1,232 new applications for unemployment, the lowest number of the year to date.

Here's the breakdown of new applicants that week:

Oahu: 700. (Waipahu: 317. Honolulu: 293. Kaneohe: 90.)
Big Island: 267. (Hilo: 185. Kona: 82.)
Maui: 142. (Wailuku: 122. Molokai: 20.)
Kauai: 75.
The total count of Hawaii residents receiving jobless benefits, which ranged from 9,300 to 10,000 from January through April, fell to 8,783 on the week ending May 8 and was 9,409 on the week ending May 15, still one of the year's lower counts to date.

Here's the breakdown of total unemployment benefit recipients:

Oahu: 5,300. The Waipahu office, whose count fell below 2,500 only once before late April, was 2,279 the week ending May 15, the lowest level of the year-to-date. The Honolulu office counted 2,260 and the Kaneohe branch has 761.
Big Island: 1,755. Hawaii County unemployment, which is closer to the mainland rate than the other counties, is concentrated on the eastern side of the island. The Kona office reports 639 jobless benefit recipients but there are 1,116 reporting to the Hilo office, and that's actually the highest count for that office so far this year.
Maui: 1,214. This figure includes a count of 135 jobless benefit recipients on Molokai, fourth highest count of the year. Molokai has ranged from 95 to 144 people collecting unemployment since the year began.
Kauai: 488. Garden Isle unemployed since the year began have ranged from a high of 617 one week in January to a low of 434 one week in April.
Hiring has been strong this year in the tourism and service industries, as well as in health care. A few signs that there are more jobs to come:

The Transportation Security Administration this month announced it will hire an additional 50 airport security screeners in Hawaii.
The Carlyle Group announced Friday it will acquire Verizon Hawaii. Making it an independent phone company will create jobs to do administrative work now done on the mainland.
Norwegian Cruise Line, which has hired hundreds for ramped-up interisland cruises, anticipates needing still more employees later in the year when an additional ship comes into Hawaii service.
Several local technology companies have each been hiring smaller numbers of extra people, for a combined increase of dozens of positions in high-tech operations in the islands.

TSA is hiring more than 50 screeners

TSA is hiring more than 50 screeners
- 2004-05-24 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

The Transportation Security Administration is hiring more security screeners at Honolulu, Kona, Lihue and Pago Pago, after finalizing a list of staffing changes at airports nationwide.

What TSA described in its original announcement as "modest adjustments to a workforce that has already functioned for the last six months at the congressionally mandated cap of 45,000 full-time equivalents" created 53 new screening jobs in Hawaii, where no airport is losing positions.

"Items of consideration include forecasted air travel, hours of operation, baggage screening areas, checkpoint lanes, types of equipment and screener standard operating procedures," TSA said.

Details:

Honolulu International will gain 35 screeners, going from 613 to 648. Kona International will gain 15 screeners, going from 93 to 108. Kauai's Lihue International will gain 3 screeners, going from 78 to 81.
Maui's Kahului International will hold at 145 screeners, and Hilo International will hold at 51 screeners. Molokai Airport will keep its eight screeners. Lanai Airport will keep its one screener.
Saipan will hold at 50 positions. Guam will go down 19 positions, from 144 to 125. Pago Pago International in American Samoa will go up two positions from five to seven screeners.

Bankoh gives car, money to borrowers

Bankoh gives car, money to borrowers
- 2004-05-24 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

In a loan promotion, Bank of Hawaii gave $1,000 to 12 local residents this past weekend at Ala Moana Center. And one them also won car.


Ana Char of Waimanalo got the randomly-selected key that started a Servco Lexus ES 330 sedan.
Char commutes around Makapuu Point daily to her job in Kapahulu.
She and the other 11 winners were chosen at random from applicants for home equity loans or lines of credit from Feb. 26 to March 28.
The others: James Bobholz, Harrell Carr, Ana Lanaro, Cynthia Lum, Veranica Matagi, Chris Nakagawa and Roger Woodring from Oahu; Robert Egge and Maggie Gerber from the Big Island; Fe Harp from Maui; and Renato Luna from Kauai. "

Surf's Up for H.S. Athletes in Hawaii

Surf's Up for H.S. Athletes in Hawaii
Associated Press

WAILUKU, Hawaii - Surf's up for Hawaii's high schools. Riding the waves was made an official high school sport Thursday by the state Board of Education, convening on Maui. The decision whether to have a surfing team will be up to each school.

Before voting 9-0, board members heard about an hour of testimony mostly in favor of sanctioning the sport.

Despite its history as the birthplace of surfing, Hawaii had never allowed recognized interscholastic high school surfing teams because of concerns over safety, cost and liability.

"I want my 16-year-old son to have the chance to surf at home for his high school," said longtime Maui surfer Snake Ah Hee.

Public school students now compete in surf meets as members of clubs, but they can't use their schools' names. The new policy will allow such clubs to be official school teams.

The public school Oahu Interscholastic Association has not taken a formal position, but Executive Secretary Dwight Toyama said athletic directors have concerns about potential liability. The private school Interscholastic League of Honolulu has opposed surfing, also citing the liability issue.

That issue led the state Attorney General's Office in 2002 to recommend against surfing as an official sport. Opponents argue that surfing involves an unpredictable environment, including waves, sharks and collisions with other surfers.

An average of about four shark attacks are reported each year somewhere around Hawaii's more than 200 miles of shoreline.

Bethany Hamilton, then 13, lost her left arm when she was attacked by a shark Oct. 31 on Kauai's North Shore. She returned to surfing competition in early January, placing fifth in her age group in the Open Women Division of a National Scholastic Surfing Association meet in Hawaii.

Outrigger adds more Hawaiian artifacts

Outrigger adds more Hawaiian artifacts
- 2004-05-21 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

The locally-owned Outrigger hotel chain has added more museum-quality Hawaiian artifacts to its flagship Outrigger Waikiki hotel, pursuing a policy that a more authentic cultural experience is good for guests, employees and the state.


The $20 million renovation of the 530-room hotel was planned around such artifacts, and there are now two dozens such items on display, many on loan from private collectors, galleries and museums from both Hawaii and the mainland.

"The oldest items are three large wooden fish hooks and an octopus lure, all of which date back prior to Captain James Cook's arrival in 1778," Outrigger said in updating the project Friday. "Other rare items include several kapa pounders, koa wood daggers, wooden bowls, a stone poi pounder from Kauai and two very hard-to-find women's hair combs made from wood and turtle shell during King Kalakaua's era."

Many of the items will remain on permanent exhibit, Outrigger said, while a series of additional items will be rotated through on a quarterly basis under the themes of weapons, canoes, stone items and fishhooks.

"This exquisite collection represents the very heart of this hotel," said Kimberly Agas, operations VP for Outrigger's Waikiki Beachfront Division. Agas, who is part Hawaiian, personally assisted in the acquisition of the items. "This entire display reflects the rich history and beauty of the Hawaiian culture, which is exactly what we want our guests to experience."

Items on loan were obtained by private collectors Caroline and Don Yacoe of Honolulu. Many of the artifacts came from their private collection and through relationships with various galleries, including the Fortess Collection of Honolulu, Honolulu Academy of Arts Lending Collection, Deroche Gallery in San Francisco and the Kamuela Museum on the Big Island.

"One of the rarest items in the exhibit is a whale tooth necklace worn only by Hawaiian Alii (royalty)," Caroline Yacoe said. "I don't think you could put a value on such a special piece. It's absolutely magnificent and extremely rare."

The items are on display in a massive 20-foot long, five-piece display cabinet, which is actually a testament to Hawaiian art history. The cabinet and two koa wood tables were specially designed by Jan Yamamoto and inspired from actual pieces created by the finest cabinetmakers to Hawaii's Royal family -- John Joseph Halstead, Wilhem Fischer and F.N. Ostremba. The pieces were crafted by Honolulu artisan James Ferla following designs that can be seen reflected in pieces on display at Iolani Palace and Bishop Museum.

The 18-month renovation of the Outrigger Waikiki is mostly done. All guestrooms, corridors, meeting rooms, public areas and the lobby are refurbished; a new restaurant opens next month to complete the project.

Gas tops $2 in 30 states; new highs for Honolulu, Wailuku

Gas tops $2 in 30 states; new highs for Honolulu, Wailuku
- 2004-05-21 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

When you top your tank, you eventually run out of room, but there is no sign yet of a top to the retail gasoline market, with new highs in Hawaii and more than half the states above $2 a gallon for the first time ever.


AAA retail price averages for self-serve regular in three Hawaii locales:

Hilo: $2.31 5/10.
Honolulu: $2.20 5/10.
Wailuku: $2.59 9/10.
Outside of these areas, prices can be higher still. Many stations on the Kona side of the Big Island are charging $2.54 and more.

On Molokai, which has only two stations, Kalamas was charging $2.62 a gallon and Rawlins was charging $2.66 a gallon according to Molokai residents.

In Hana, at the end of Maui's longest scenic road, expect to pay more like $3 a gallon for regular.

Transportation costs are higher for gasoline sold on Molokai, Kauai and Lanai, and for gasoline that is trucked farther from barge ports on neighbor islands. Property values for the land beneath gas stations can also have an effect.

But neither these factors nor taxes cover more than a fraction of the increase in price since this time last year. Pricing formulas in the oil industry are based on percentages rather than dollar amounts, which means that profit margins in dollar terms grow as crude oil prices do.

Statewide averages from AAA Friday:

1. California: $2.34 7 /10.
2. Oregon: $2.30 4/10.
3. Hawaii: $2.29 3 /10.
4. Nevada: $2.28.
5. Washington state: $2.28.
6. Arizona: $2.14 9/10.
7. New York: $2.14 3/10.
8. Wisconsin: $2.10 3/10.
9. Connecticut: $2.09 8/10.
10. Rhode Island: $2.09 1/10.
11. Illinois: $2.08 9/10.
12. Michigan: $2.07 7/10.
13. Alaska: $2.07 3/10.
14. Idaho: $2.07 1 /0.
15. Maine: $2.04 4/10.
16. North Dakota: $2.04 3/10.
17. Massachusetts: $2.03 9/10.
18. Delaware: $2.02 7/10.
19. Montana: $2.02 7/10.
20. Nebraska: $2.02 6/10.
21. Utah: $2.02 2/10.
22. Pennsylvania: $2.01 9/10.
23. Indiana: $2.01 7/10.
24. Minnesota: $2 7/10.
25. Colorado: $2 6/10.
26. Maryland: $2 6/10.
27. Florida: $2 5/10.
28. West Virginia: $2 5/10.
29. South Dakota: $2 3/10.
30. Ohio: $2

Maui Land & Pine invests in Hawaii Superferry

Maui Land & Pine invests in Hawaii Superferry
- 2004-05-20 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Maui Land & Pineapple Co. has invested $1 million in Hawaii Superferry Inc., the company that intends to operate interisland ferries.

The equity funding will help the ferry operator complete its initial round of financing, said company CEO John Garibaldi. Hawaii Superferry plans to start operation in 2006 with daily service between Honolulu and the islands of Maui, Kauai and Hawaii.

"We are compelled to support Hawaii Superferry at this crucial stage in the company's development," said David Cole, chairman, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pine. "We believe Hawaii Superferry has the potential to dramatically enhance interisland commerce."

Hawaii Superferry's business plan calls for operation in two years using multi-hull vessels that can carry passengers at half the cost of interisland airfare, with lower decks that carry cars and trucks. The ships ordered for Hawaii use will be built with reinforced lower decks to allow commercial trucks to drive on board in any lane.

Hawaii seed industry a $50 million business

Hawaii seed industry a $50 million business
- 2004-05-19 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Howard Dicus
Hawaii agriculture has gone to seed, but in a good way. For the 2003/2004 season, the value of the Hawaii seed industry hit a record $50.5 million, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture reports.


That's up 5 percent from the 2003 season. And over the last 10 seasons the value of the state's seed industry has grown at an average annual rate of 20 percent, based on reported operational budgets.

The seed industry employs 262 full-time and 683 part-time employees mainly on Kauai, Molokai, Oahu and Maui. This doesn't count nearly 500 regularly visiting professionals, who stay an average 9 days spending about $175 a day.

More than $50 million is a lot of money for an industry that doesn't use a lot of space: 4,080 acres, a record amount representing a 5 percent expansion from the previous season.

Most of these seeds are not sold. They are a product of ongoing research or will be further propagated before sale. Still, seed outshipments are expected to rise 10 percent to a record 6.4 million pounds in the 2004 season.

Corn account for more than 95 percent of seed acreage and 98 percent of all seeds shipped. You may be surprised to learn that about 85 percent of all the corn fields in the state are grown strictly for their seed.

In 2002, Hawaii farmers harvested a record 610 acres of sweet corn for fresh consumption. But local seed operations harvested nearly five times as much, 3,400 acres, in the 2002/03 season.

What makes Hawaii seed central is its year-round growing environment. Whatever researchers can develop in Iowa, they can do here faster. Seed companies are busiest in Hawaii from October to January when much of the seed-growing U.S. mainland is snowy or frigid. The 5 percent of activity not devoted to corn is devoted to soybeans, cotton, sunflower, wheat, and a few others.

"By the 2007/08 season," said Don Martin, director of the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, "Hawaii's seed companies intended to expand plantings by 25 percent to over 4,800 acres, augment its workforce by over 10 percent, and increase total expenditures to $65 million."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the development of crops is in large measure the story of the development of seeds. Genetic improvements by plant breeders, and this predates genetic engineering, gets much of the credit for the fourfold improvement in cotton yields and the sevenfold improvement in corn yields per acre since 1930.

So farmers tend to buy seed rather than using what they get from their own crops. In the 15 years from 1982 to 1997, the amount of soybeans grown from purchased seed rose from 55 percent to 81 percent; of cotton, from 50 percent to 78 percent.

USDA says U.S. farmers use more than 6.5 million tons of seed annually for major crops, a $5.7 billion business and about a fifth of the global seed market. The next two players are both Asia-Pacific nations, which together spend about the same amount. China is second at $3 billion and Japan is third at $2.5 billion.

Reach Howard Dicus at hdicus@bizjournals.com.

Big Island businesses bring electric sticker shock relief to Kauai

Big Island businesses bring electric sticker shock relief to Kauai
By Ken Hupp - 67AM KPUA News

(Ken Hupp-KPUA) A Kauai business owner has turned to a Big Island sun-based system for relief from high electricity rates.
The King Auto Center in Lihue has received permission from the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative to energize its new 25-kilowatt solar electric system.


The new system will fulfill a portion of the dealership’s demand for electricity, allowing it to purchase less power and actually sell any surplus electricity to the utility.

"I can't believe I'll actually be looking forward to my next few power bills!" quipped owner Charlie King. "We want to do our part to support forms of clean, alternative energy. With our high electric rates, this kind of investment pays for itself in a relatively short amount of time," said King.

The system was sold and engineered by ProVision Technologies, Inc. of Hilo, with the installation provided by Island Energy Solutions, Inc. of Kailua.

"We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this project. There has been a high level of cooperation between King Auto, Island Energy, KIUC, and ProVision," said Douglas Bath, Vice President of ProVision Technologies. "I expect many more solar electric commercial applications due to supportive new incentives recently adopted by the state legislature."

(Copyright 2004 67AM KPUA News / New West Broadcasting Corp.)

Veggie crop conditions improve across Hawaii

Veggie crop conditions improve across Hawaii
- 2004-05-18 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Most Hawaii vegetable crops are coming along nicely, while disease is a concern in some of the state's banana and papaya orchards, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture reported Monday.

Crop weather was mostly good last week but heavy showers drenched the Big Island's southeastern Ka'u districts from Kapapala Ranch to Naalehu and caused flooding that closed portions of Hawaii Belt Road last Tuesday.

Rain that day washed out some sloped ginger root fields in Hamakua. "Farmers complained about being flooded out for the third time in the year," said Don Martin, head of the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service. "Wet conditions resulted in an increase in disease incidence in some young ginger fields."

Black Leaf Streak disease incidence remained higher than normal in East Hawaii banana orchards, though increased spraying was reducing disease damage. Severe disease damage was noticed in orchards not sprayed. Windward Oahu banana orchards remained in mostly fair-to-poor condition due to disease infections and the adverse effects of the past months' wet, windy weather. Bunchy top disease continued to infect windward and central Oahu fields, forcing growers to continue roguing trees and spraying for aphids. Spraying for other diseases continued.

Warm and sunny conditions have been beneficial for papaya fruit development. Young orchards made fair to good growth in the Opihikao and lower Kapoho areas. Black spot disease incidence remained high in most areas. PRV incidence remained high in the Pohoiki orchards. Most Big Island orchards are in fair condition. Kauai orchards were making fair progress as some operators experienced growing problems in new locations. Orchards on Oahu were still recovering from previous months' rains.

On Maui, frequently overcast and showery weather for several weeks have militated against consistent crop growth usually seen during this time of the year. Persistent rainfall has been beneficial for some crops, and for pastures. Head cabbage production is improving though not as much as usual for this time of year. The picture is also questionable for Maui onions. Many onion fields got too much rain, raising questions about the size of the crop.

On Kauai, the sugarcane harvest was interrupted last week due to inclement weather. Thursday was a no burn day due to lack of winds. Early morning rain on Friday stopped harvesting because of muddy fields.

On Oahu, after a rough winter for low-lying crops like cucumbers and lettuce, crop weather is a lot better now and production is increasing. Conditions are also better for Kahuku sweet corn.

Genuine Niihau shells have lasting quality

The Star Bulletin:


GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Rhonetta Tate of Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii models two styles of Niihau shell leis. The three strands of pink Niihau kahelelani shells are sewn poepoe -- rope -- style, and sell for $6,500. In the longer lei, Niihau kahelelani and larger white momi shells are sewn lokelani style. The three strands sell for $3,500.

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

The real deal
Genuine Niihau shells have lasting quality

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

By Nadine Kam
nkam@starbulletin.com
If Pamela Ka'ilikini Dow could turn back time, she might have added marine biologist credentials to her resume long ago. Then she certainly would have conducted the experiments to prove once and for all that the Leptothyra verruca, or pinhead-sized wart turbans that live in the waters surrounding Niihau, have evolved differently from those residing elsewhere around the Hawaiian islands.

Is it real?
Ni'ihau Shell authentication:
Bishop Museum: Noon to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow

Na Mea Hawai'i/Native Books: At Ward Warehouse, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

The difference may mean little to the average beach-goer picking up a few pretty shells here and there, but for the dozens of women who create Niihau shell jewelry, it could mean no less than life or death for the cottage industry.

Dow is not aware of any research that would prove her theory, but based on anecdotal observations of the women who work with the shells, and her own experiences, backed by environmental assessments and reef studies, she's concluded that Niihau shells hold their color over time and are less prone to deterioration than shells found elsewhere in the islands.

"If people are selling shells that are not Niihau, and the shells' properties and characteristics change, (the buyer) at some point in time can make the assessment that all the shells from the state are compromised," she said. "That would be a terrible mistake, and not necessarily true of Niihau shells."

Because of the limited access to Niihau shells, they can cost thousands of dollars, depending on size, and Dow -- who runs the Kauai gift shops Forever Kaua'i and Waimea Canyon General Store, and whose "Forever Ni'ihau" line of shell jewelry is carried at Na Mea Hawai'i/Native Books at Ward Warehouse -- says she's heard dozens of stories in which buyers were duped into buying imposter shells.

Most recently, a woman showed her a lei that she had purchased for $1,800, which, because it was not actually made of Niihau shells, did not have the same market value, according to Dow. This is subjective because there is no legal standard for the shell industry to date.

"My heart sank for a lot of reasons," Dow said. "First, I feel badly when I have to be the bearer of bad news. But when I saw that, I realized there are people in the marketplace who don't really understand the repercussions or harm that does."

Dow and a group of Niihau women have been traveling from island to island for five years on a mission to educate consumers and to stress the importance of keeping Niihau shell lei craftsmanship separate from all other forms of shell jewelry, just as Kona coffee has an identity separate from other islands' coffee products.

She gained more support when, unknown to her at the time, legislative bill HB2569 was introduced earlier this year to ensure accurate identification of Niihau shell products. The bill was unanimously passed by the House and Senate this session, and is awaiting the approval or veto of Gov. Linda Lingle.



COURTESY NAI'A ULUMAIMALU WATSON
Tiny Niihau shells are technically Leptothyra verruca.

Jon Riki Karamatsu, 41st District Representative, said he recognized the potential for fraud, particularly with the growth of Internet sales, and introduced the bill to protect buyers. If the bill is passed, the Department of Agriculture will be called upon to work with those in the industry to set standards for identification.

"Enforcement will take some time, but the main thing is to get it on the books so consumers can be confidant in knowing what they are getting," Karamatsu said.

Getting ahead of the law, Dow and four Niihau artists will be Honolulu for a week to authenticate and document Niihau shell lei brought to them at Bishop Museum today and tomorrow, and Na Mea Hawai'i/Native Books at Ward Warehouse Wednesday through Sunday.

She stresses that the event is not an appraisal, so no dollar value or market price will be given. Owners will, however, receive written verification for each lei, confirming that all shells are from Niihau, the shell names and lei design.

It's easy to see how the Niihau shell industry could become a victim of its own success. Niihau's history of private ownership meant that the isolated indigenous Hawaiian population became keepers of the craft of Niihau shell lei-making.

The mystique of the Forbidden Island was transferred to the turbans, especially the tiniest gemlike shell known as kahehelani ("pathway to heaven").

"In the Niihau way of thinking, the shells are considered gifts from the sea. Their feeling about the shells is different from yours or mine or people on the outside," Dow said. "The respect for this art is passed on from generation to generation. They're very proud of this heritage."

As the reputation of the shells and Niihau artisans has grown, so have a legion of imitators making do with other shells. They've found a willing clientele in buyers who wonder who's to say that Niihau and Kauai shells don't mix it up in surf and sand, landing on any old shore --the way bottles could reach our shores bearing messages from Japan and other points around the globe?

Dow said many assume a flat channel exists between the islands, but because each land mass represents a mountain peak, that flow between shores doesn't exist. The coastal environment is unique to each island, and Niihau is blessed with a limited population, no industry and no river runoff that would damage the coral bed habitat of the turbans. As a result, Niihau shell artisans inherited an unspoiled ecosystem "uninterrupted by man," Dow said, which might explain the superiority of the Niihau shell.

Dow saw her first Niihau shell jewelry in 1958, when she says her parents were lucky enough to travel to the Forbidden Island. Before they returned with hundreds of loose shells, she had never seen such variety in color, including chocolate browns, rosy pinks, sunny yellows and moss greens.

"The colors never changed as far as I can remember, and that has always impressed me," she said. "Of course if you leave it out in the sun, it's going to fade, but with reasonable care we have not seen that change."

If care is not taken now to protect the Niihau shell, its fate could be similar to the low-end puka shells once found in abundance on Oahu, but rarely seen today, although plastic imitators fill Waikiki tourist shops.

"At any one time there's only been 200 people on Niihau, and that's all who have been interacting with that environment," Dow said. "And as long as that continues we'll continue to see those beautiful shells on that shoreline."

TV shows boost isle economy

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
TV shows boost isle economy

Two series get the OK to start filming, and a third is likely to be approved next week


By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com
Two down and one to go.

NBC announced yesterday that it has ordered 12 episodes of "Hawaii," its Oahu-based police drama. Add that to the filming of 12 episodes of Fox Television's hotel series "North Shore" and network spending in Hawaii is likely to be in the tens of millions of dollars this year.

Each NBC and Fox episode will cost between $2.1 million and $2.4 million, so final figures will be $50 million to about $60 million. Furthermore, if ABC approves its castaway drama "Lost" for 12 episodes, which sources say is likely, there will be at least an additional $24 million in spending here.

The three series would spend more than $70 million this year, more than any year in state history. Television expenditures last year 2003 were just $2.5 million.

In 1998 when another NBC show, the short-lived "Wind On Water," and "Fantasy Island" filmed in Hawaii, there was about $28 million in TV series spending.

It's possible that the shows could be canceled before the 12-episode deals are completed, which would mean less spending.

ABC's announcement on "Lost" is expected by Monday. Sources said executives like the show and are considering it as a midseason replacement in January.

A TV series provides steady employment for crew and consistent spending over a longer period of time than a feature film production.

Hawaii Film Office manager Donne Dawson called the NBC decision "more fantastic news for the state because it will keep our industry people working, and bring tremendous amount of positive exposure for the islands."

Jeff Eastin, "Hawaii's" executive produce and writer, said filming will begin on Oahu July 12 and continue through November. Pre-production will begin next week when some production executives arrive to organize set building and hire at least 80 crew.

"We're very happy," Eastin said. "The pilot came out really phenomenal, looks incredibly beautiful.

"We showed the pilot to the network almost a week early because we were so happy with it. Based on that and their reaction, we pretty much knew ... we would be picked up."

NBC is considering premiering "Hawaii" in late August on a Monday night, Eastin said.

The state is working with the network to locate a building for its sound stage and offices. NBC had leased the Hawaii Film Studio for the pilot but relinquished it to Fox when "North Shore" was approved. Fox Television is filming 12 episodes of its hotel drama "North Shore" through September.

When cameras start rolling in July, it will mark the first time since 1998 that two network series will be filming in Hawaii at the same time.

"Hawaii" stars Michael Biehn, Sharif Atkins, Eric Balfour, Ivan and Kauai resident Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Tagawa, who is in Vancouver, B.C., filming "Elektra" with Jennifer Garner, was notified by Eastin yesterday about the approval. Tagawa's last regular series appearances were in 1996 on "Nash Bridges."

On "Hawaii" Tagawa plays Capt. Terry Harada, who will appear in six of the 12 episodes.

"Part of my character is being the kindergarten cop, keeping track of the younger cops," Tagawa said. "And a lot of the cops are renegades ... I try to keep them all in line."

The show, originally called "Pearl City," then "Hawaiian Blue," is about a a diverse team of Honolulu detectives.

The last series to film on Oahu was "Baywatch Hawaii," which was canceled in 2001 after two seasons.

Maui Driving Examiners Upset With Blame For Failures

TheHawaiiChannel - KITV 4 News -
Maui Driving Examiners Upset With Blame For Failures

Examiners Say County Cut Back On Positions

POSTED: 3:14 pm HST May 14, 2004

HONOLULU -- Driver's license examiners on Maui said they plan to file a union grievance against their bosses because they say they are being wrongly blamed for high failure rates and long waits for road tests.

On Maui, it seems everyone knows someone who is mad at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Maui residents often struggle for weeks to get an appointment for a road test. The county blames high demand due to the end of the first six-year license cycle. However, veteran examiner and union shop steward Keala Han said over the years the county has cut back from nine examiners to five, leaving examiners overworked and angry.

The other issue is a high failure rate of 63 percent on Maui. That's twice as high as the Big Island or Kauai. The county said the examiners are too strict and are using outdated standards, but Han said the examiners are only following the law. She said the road test route is challenging because it includes several speed limit changes, like school zones, that drivers often miss.

"Many of our applicants disregard the speed limit," Han said.

She also said young drivers, who have taken drivers' education, may not be getting the 50 hours of practice with parents the law requires.

"If the parents don't take them out, of course they are going to fail," Han said.

Maui's finance director Keith Regan said Friday his examiners have often used their union, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, to block changes even when they were for their own good. He said they are doing that now with the latest grievance, but the examiners say Regan's public statements are affecting their work.

Regan said the examiners should use fair judgment during road tests instead of just rigidly following every rule. He said he's asking the state to help come up with more consistent standards. Some on Maui wonder if examiners are taking out their frustration on drivers.

"Is anything like that happening? Because you said people are unhappy?" KITV 4 News reporter Daryl Huff asked.

"Absolutely not. Because we are concerned about the people going out," Han said.

Previous Stories

Nakashima finishes in tie for fourth

The Maui News:
Nakashima finishes in tie for fourth

WAILUA, Kauai - Baldwin's Kelly Nakashima saved her best round for her final appearance in the David S. Ishii Foundation Girls State Golf Championships at Wailua Golf Course on Thursday.

The senior fired a 76 to finish the two-day event with a 153, good enough to tie for fourth. Nakashima, who had the fourth-lowest round on Thursday, received the sixth-place medal as the tie was broken by the scorecards.
''I could have done better,'' Nakashima said. ''I missed two really short putts that I could have made and finished tied for third. I was disappointed in that but other than that, I'm glad I finished really high in my last state tournament.''

Nakashima carded a 77 on Wednesday in the first round and was four shots off the lead in eighth place.

She got off to a good start on Thursday, shooting a 37 on the front nine.

''My game was pretty steady until the back nine,'' Nakashima said. ''I had one pretty bad hole where I had a double bogey.''

Nakashima finished the second nine in 39.

''I thought I would finish fifth when I finished,'' she said. ''I didn't think that one of the girls would drop so much.''

Britney Choy of Leilehua won the individual title with a 147, carding the lowest round of the day on Thursday with a 74. Mari Chun of Kamehameha, who was tied with Choy for the first-round lead with a 73, shot an 80 to finish tied for fourth with Nakashima, Whitney Ueno of Hilo and Miki Ueoka of Kauai.

Kauai captured the team title a 460. Waiakea was second at 472. Baldwin took fifth at 494.

Jayna Shimomura was the next Baldwin golfer at 166. The other Baldwin scores included Kelli Nakano at 175, Kaitlen Miyajima at 176, Mari Miyamoto at 179 and Michelle Horikawa at 194.

Jenna Felechner of Lahainaluna finished with a 174 while teammate Breena Troy had a 194.

DAVID S. ISHII FOUNDATION GIRLS STATE GOLF

At Wailua Golf Course, Kauai.

Honeymoon In Kauai

Gail Marie Emel of Juneau and Jay Everett Thompson of Gardner, Mass., were married April 11, 2004, in Lake Tahoe, Nev.

The bride is the daughter of Julie Ann David and Burdette Layton Emel. She is a graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School and is employed as an administrative assistant for the state of Alaska.

The groom is the son of Ralph Fales Jr. and Martha Lee Sweeney. He is a graduate of Montachutt RVT School and is employed as a warehouseman/delivery driver for Office Plus.

Women of honor were Julie Ann David and Martha Lee Sweeney. The man of honor was Burdette Layton Emel.

The couple spent their honeymoon in Kauai, Hawaii, and will make their home in Juneau.

Hawaii hotel occupancy 69.3%

Hawaii hotel occupancy 69.3%
- 2004-05-14 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Hawaii hotels were a little less full last week. Statewide occupancy fell from 71.1 percent to 69.3 percent, though that was still 9.3 points better than the same time last year.


Hospitality Advisors LLC reported that average room rates were up 4.8 percent compared to year-ago levels.

Smith Travel Research LLC reported that the national occupancy rate for the same period, the seven days ending May 8, was 60.9 percent, up three points from the same time last year, the occupancy in Los Angeles was 68.3 percent and in Orlandoi was 63.4 percent.

Around the islands:

Oahu: 66.7 percent, up 14 points from last year when Asia-Pacific travel was still in low gear and there were few Japanese visitors to Hawaii. Room rates were 5.2 percent higher but still bewlow $131 a night on average.
Maui: 77.8 percent, up 6.1 points, with room rates up 3.7 percent to an average $183.56 a night. The West Coast visitor wave to the Valley Isle continues.
Kauai: 73.1 percent, up 1.2 points, with room rates up 3.4 percent and getting closer to $176 a night.
Big Island: 60.4 percent, up 6.5 points, with room rates up 2,1 percent to more than $139 a night on average. Though this is the smallest of the four year-to-year increases, Big Island rates have often run below year-before levels in recent months.

Native Hawaiians to March in Boston for Hawaiian Independence

Native Hawaiians to March in Boston for Hawaiian Independence

Aloha March Scheduled in Seat of American Revolution This Weekend

HONOLULU, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Descendants of the Hawaiian Kingdom want their independence back and will bring that message to the Boston area Sunday, May 16th as Native Hawaiians and their supporters stage an Aloha March.

With the theme "Free Hawai'i," participants will spread the word on the Hawaiian sovereignty movement and the goal to return the islands to an independent nation status. Marchers will also express their opposition to a federal recognition process designed to restrict and ultimately extinguish Hawaiian rights and land claims against the US.

The Aloha Marches of 1998 and 2000 in Washington, DC brought unprecedented national and international media coverage to the plight of Native Hawaiians.

"Our native brothers and sisters will march with us in solidarity," remarked Al Ku'ahi Wong a Boston resident, Native Hawaiian expatriate and president of Wahi Ku Moku, the Boston Hawaiian Club. "We expect Hawaiians from all over the area to support this Aloha March."

While Native Hawaiians have struggled for decades to regain the lands and political rights of their predecessors, the movement achieved national attention in 1993 when Congress and President Clinton passed the "Apology Bill" (US Public Law 103-150,) admitting US participation in the illegal act of war against the Hawaiian Kingdom.

"We want real change now, not more spare change," states Kai'opua Fyfe of the Kauai-based Koani Foundation, Aloha March sponsor. "Can you imagine losing your land and self-governance, and 111 years later still striving to get it back?"

The Aloha March will begin Sunday at 1 PM at South Station and finish at the State House, where there will be a variety of activities. Local Native American tribal leaders have been invited to participate. Marchers are encouraged to wear native dress.

For more information, call (808) 822-7643. Or visit www.freehawaii.info.

Brothers sink Aussie dream

News24
Brothers sink Aussie dream
09/05/2004 11:12 - (SA)


Hawaii - Team Chalupsky, Oscar and Herman, made a big splash at the second annual Steinlager Kauai World Challenge, a 55km relay race on the scenic island of Kauai on Saturday.

The race offers $20 000 in prize money, the largest purse for a paddling event in Hawaii. This year for the first time the race featured a handful of top international surf ski paddlers in the field of 109 teams.

The race calls for each member of the two-man squad to alternate during the four-stages along the coast. Dean Gardiner and Dave Kissane of Team Australia, and South Africans, Oscar and Herman Chalupsky, the pre-race favourites, were dead even at the end of the second leg.

Younger brother Herman held a two boat lead over Dave Kissane, the winner of the popular Men's Health Racing Series, and handed off to Oscar, the 10-time Molokai Champion. Halfway through the race, the hot, windless conditions that racers endured early in the race, turned worse, when the wind picked up in strength and blew uncharacteristically in the paddlers face.

The elder Chalupsky struggled to find his rhythm during his first 8km leg and handed off to Herman in a virtual dead heat with his long-time rival Gardiner, who won nine World Surf Ski Titles, second all-time to Chalupsky. Ten minutes into his 20km pull, Herman gapped Kissane and never looked back. Unbeknownst to Oscar, Herman had handed him a nearly insurmountable nine-minute lead.

Morale boost

Gardiner, fresh off a big win at the World Cup ski race in Cape Town last month, finished 13 minutes behind Team Chalupsky. The winning duo from Durban finished in four hours, 10 minutes, nearly 40 minutes ahead of the third place team from Hawaii.

"The relay format is unique since you have no chance to talk to your fellow paddler," said Oscar Chalupsky. "Since I had no idea how much of a lead I had over Gardiner I went as hard as I could."

Chalupsky battled to sight the finish in the 3m swells and was only able to relax when he saw the cheering mob at the finish.

Said Herman Chalupsky: "It was a great event. I enjoyed the relay format and while I was expecting a tough battle with Kissane it was a great morale boost heading into Molokai."

The 55km race from the island of Molokai to the island of Oahu across the legendary Molokai Channel is considered the unofficial world championship of open ocean paddling.

Edited by Tisha Steyn

Paddlers slog through Kauai race

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
ANTHONY SOMMER / TSOMMER@STARBULLETIN.COM


More than 100 teams of one- and two-paddler outrigger canoes and surf skis (canoes without an outrigger) started the 34-mile relay race from Wailua Beach to Salt Ponds Beach on Kauai Saturday morning. Billed as the largest canoe and surf ski race in the world, the Second Annual Steinlager-Pahio Resorts Kauai World Challenge drew many top paddlers from Hawaii, California, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Rarotonga.

Paddlers slog through
Kauai race
Less-than-optimal conditions make
for a grueling contest

By Anthony Sommer
tsommer@starbulletin.com
LIHUE » "Tough, brutal and ugly" was one participant's description of strong winds that tortured more than 200 paddlers for all but 10 miles of Saturday's 34-mile Steinlager-Pahio Resorts Kauai World Challenge Race.

Kauai World Challenge
Winners in the Steinlager-Pahio Resorts Kauai World Challenge Race:
Aaron Napoleon and Kea Paiaina, from Oahu, placed first overall in the single paddler men's category. Napoleon came in first last year as well, with a different partner.

Mike Judd and Tapa Worthington came in second overall in the men's category.

Lisa Curry-Kenny, former Australian Olympic kayak team member and winner of the 2004 Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay, and Robyn Saultry dominated the women's category, finishing in 5:52:01. Lauren Spalding and Cherisse Kelii came in second in 5:56:26.


Coming on the heels of the Molokai Challenge, the Kauai World Challenge drew 101 teams from Hawaii, California, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Rarotonga, paddling from Wailua Beach on Kauai's East Shore to Salt Pond Beach on the West Shore. The race was a relay, with each paddler (or pair of paddlers in the doubles) driving the boat in two of the four legs of the race.

Among the all-star competitors was Lauren Spalding, of Maui, who learned last week that she had been chosen as a member of the U.S. Olympic Kayak Team that will compete in Athens this summer.

The roster for the second annual race also included Chris Maynard and Michael Murray, ranked as Australia's two best paddlers, on the same team. Lisa Curry-Kenney, a former Australian Olympian, led another team.

But the wind dominated the race. Last year, the best teams finished the same course in just over three hours. This year's top teams finished in between four and five hours, and paddlers were scattered over miles of ocean. Spalding, whose boat finished second among the female crews, arrived at Salt Pond Beach in just under six hours.

The last paddler came in 7 1/2 hours after the start of the race.

"The poor soul, I don't think his strokes were more than 2 inches," said event publicist and former paddler Jenny Fujita. "He was completely done in."

Tranquil conditions at the start were disappointing to many of the paddlers who try to position themselves to surf as many waves as possible to gain speed.

The first relay change came at Hanamaulu, still in calm water. But as the racers reached the Lighthouse at Nawiliwili Harbor, the second switch took place, and paddlers got a large south swell that had not been present only an hour before.

Despite the swell, the wind remained calm on the third leg until they passed Kipua Kai. Then an unseasonal northwest wind hit them. The farther they went, the worse it became.

Throughout the last two legs, paddlers not familiar with the Kauai coast pulled alongside the media photography boat, and all asked the same question: "How far?"

In one case, the response was, "The next point."

The paddler said, "Oh, that's right ahead."

"No, the next point after that."

"Oh."

Landing at Salt Pond Beach through a ragged surf was the final challenge. A few canoes flipped end over end. But there were no casualties and everyone finished the race. Some of the stronger paddlers took their boats over to a shower and washed them off. But many were too tired and just pulled their boats up on the beach.

Kauai World Challenge
Winners in the Steinlager-Pahio Resorts Kauai World Challenge Race:
Aaron Napoleon and Kea Paiaina, from Oahu, placed first overall in the single paddler men's category. Napoleon came in first last year as well, with a different partner.

Mike Judd and Tapa Worthington came in second overall in the men's category.

Lisa Curry-Kenny, former Australian Olympic kayak team member and winner of the 2004 Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay, and Robyn Saultry dominated the women's category, finishing in 5:52:01. Lauren Spalding and Cherisse Kelii came in second in 5:56:26.

Hokule`a crew hopes for break in weather

Hokule`a crew hopes for break in weather

Star-Bulletin Staff
citydesk@starbulletin.com

The crew of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hoku le'a was waiting until at least this afternoon to set out on their 1,200-mile journey through the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
The wind has not been favorable, according to a spokeswoman for the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
The canoe and its crew of 12 have been waiting in Hanalei Bay in Kauai since Friday to leave.
Navigator and sailmaster Bruce Blankenfeld said by phone yesterday that the crew has been closely monitoring the weather and that two cold fronts have thwarted their departure."

Neighbor Islands Go Crazy

starbulletin.com/2004/05/11/
Neighbor Islands Go Crazy

Mainland investors generate a
near frenzy in real estate sales

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


By Dan Martin
dmartin@starbulletin.com
An $895,000 condominium might not seem like a bargain, but it was to Tim Markison.

The patent attorney in Austin, Texas, plunked down that much for a three-bedroom unit in Kapalua, Maui, that he's going to use only a few weeks out of the year. And he's happy he did.

"Before we even closed, an identical unit down the hall sold for $100,000 more," said Markison. "I call that good timing."

That Markison considered his condo a steal illustrates the amazing dynamic that continues to drive neighbor island real estate activity.



With an erratic stock market offering little enticement to mainland investors, they continued to pile into Maui, Big Island and Kauai real estate -- favored over urbanized Oahu by paradise-seeking malihini. April marked more buying at prices that make many locals cringe.
It's a trend that neighbor island brokers say is intensifying before an expected interest rate increase this summer.

Condo sales were up 29.9 percent to 203 units on Maui in April compared with April 2003, according to home resale data from the Realtors Association of Maui. The sales rate was the highest for any month since the recent market run-up began in the late 1990s.

On Kauai, condo sales grew 70 percent to 51 units sold, while Big Island sales increased 31.6 percent to 100 units, according to data from Hawaii Information Service.

Single-family home sales saw similar growth, up 28.5 percent on Maui to 117 units and up 29.6 percent and 24.7, respectively, on Kauai and the Big Island.

Earlier this year, Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa said 90 percent of home purchases on the island were by out-of-state buyers.

"They're coming in droves," said Dave Lucas, a broker with C&H Properties on the Big Island. "People are bailing out of mainland assets in huge numbers."

Lucas said many of his clients, particularly Californians, have reaped so much on the sales of their mainland real estate that they "don't even flinch" at paying the prevailing sky-high prices for a slice of paradise.

On Maui a condo fetched a median $310,000 in April, up 24 percent from $250,000 a year earlier, while single-family home prices increased 14.4 percent to $500,000 from $436,739. The Big Island saw comparable price increases.

Kauai saw the most price growth, with condo prices jumping 48.2 percent to a median $389,000 from the previous April's $262,500. Single-family homes on the Garden Isle commanded $477,500, a gain of 46.3 percent from the year earlier's $326,495.

Mark Sheehan, a property broker and board member of the sustainable-development group Maui Tomorrow, said the spiraling market has pushed the shortage of affordable neighbor island housing to "beyond a crisis," noting that Kauai and Maui home prices are now far higher than Oahu, even though the latter has more job opportunities for locals.

Sheehan estimated 4,000 to 5,000 affordable homes are needed on Maui, blaming mainly big resorts and developers that promised to build affordable housing units as a condition of their development permits.

"Many have just flat refused and it hasn't been enforced," he said, estimating that the undelivered affordable units number around 3,000.

But signs are emerging that things might be leveling off. Roy Sakamoto, president of Sakamoto Properties on Maui, said he has seen more available inventory recently as some homeowners try to lock in profits from the recent price run-up.

"A lot more owners seem to be capitalizing on the rising market, so the market may be peaking as people get out," he said.

Even so, sellers had little trouble finding buyers in April. Condos and single-family homes spent a median 78 and 111 days, respectively, on the market on Maui, both near historic lows.

For rich malihini like Markison, it was a no-brainer. His Kapalua condo has now already gone up more than a stock market investment would have, plus he and his family have a home in paradise.

"We love Maui, and going there once or twice a year for three to four weeks wasn't cutting it," he said.

Hawaii led in hotel occupancy in first quarter

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
Hawaii led in hotel occupancy in first quarter

By Associated Press

(Honolulu-AP) -- Hawaii had the highest hotel occupancy rate among the nation's top 25 markets in the first quarter of this year.

Hospitality Advisors says Hawaii's average occupancy rate in the three-month period was 80-point-one percent, up from 74-point-three percent the same period a year ago.

Miami was second at 76-point-six percent. Last year, Hawaii came in second behind New York.

The March occupancy rate in Hawaii was 80-point-seven percent, up seven-point-one points over last year. Maui led the March occupancy with 83 percent, followed by Kauai at 81-point-eight percent, Oahu at 80-point-two percent and the Big Island at 77-point-five percent.

(Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)"

Niihau shell experts to confirm lei authenticity

Niihau shell experts to confirm lei authenticity
- 2004-05-04 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Niihau shell experts to confirm lei authenticity
A Niihau shell lei expert from Kauai will offer authenticity consultations of the creations through written verification at the Bishop Museum and Native Books from May 17 to 23.


Pam Kailikimi Dow and four other women from Niihau will offer their services at the Bishop Museum and Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse.

"It's purely verification," said Dow. "Retailers or vendors creating these leis have kind of mislead the public to a certain extent -- I have no idea if it's intentional or personal ignorance on their part. They are calling them Niihau shells when they are not from the shores of Niihau."

The characteristics of Niihau shells are very different from those found on Molokai or Kauai, said Dow. Since the island is closed to the public, the coral beds remain pristine and shells are allowed to form with unique characteristics.

Through examinations, the five women will confirm that all shells in the leis brought to them are from Niihau, and offer the names and designs of each shell. No market price or dollar value will be included.

The goal of the workshop is to reinforce House Bill 2569, a pending state bill that would ensure the accurate identification of authentic Niihau shell products to protect the public from false representations.

Dow is the owner of Forever Kauai & Waimea Canyon General Store in Kekaha. She has made it her personal mission to educate others about the importance of preserving the authenticity and integrity of Niihau shell leis.

Many craftspeople are beginning to mix other shells into the prized leis because of its potential retail value and the scarcity of Niihau shells.

The price tag of Niihau shell lei can range from $125 to $25,000, depending non the rarity of the shells.

Dow believes the leis are worthy of the same protections as other Hawaii products, including Kona coffee. If a lei is not 100 percent made from Niihau shells, then the pending bill would prohibit it from being labeled as a "Niihau shell lei."

"I believe that preservation is partially dependent on the integrity of the lei artisan as well as those in the retail industry," said Dow. "In recent years there has been a lot of confusion about the authenticity and origin of many shell lei on the market ... and justifiably so."

The Niihau shell authenticators will be at Bishop Museum on May 17 and 18, and at Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse from May 19 to 23.

English's creativity helps work force bill to advance

English's creativity helps work force bill to advance
- - Maui News
By MARK ADAMS, Staff Writer

HONOLULU ­ Maui Sen. J. Kalani English spent weeks during this year's legislative session looking for ways to fund the state's Emergency Environmental Work Force. He finally had to resort to a little creative financing.

English had hoped to nail down $1.5 million to hire employees through the Research Corp. of the University of Hawaii to continue the fight against invasive species. Money proved tight as the last days of the session wound down and remaining fiscal bills competed against each other for a shrinking pool of dollars, but English kept the bill alive as he looked for a solution.
What he ended up with is a bill voted out of conference committee on Friday that adds the EEWF to the Hawaii Revised Statutes as a permanent entity. And it gives the new Hawaii Invasive Species Council permission to use a portion of the $4 million it is being given to fund the emergency workers, if needed.

The conference committee report says it's the Legislature's intent that the work force program "be funded through moneys allocated to the council to fulfill its important legislative mandate against the proliferation of invasive species." The bill goes to the floor of the Legislature for a final vote next week.

English said melding the work force with the HISC gives the council a strike team that can respond to emergencies if needed. The council has no direct authority to hire employees, but the measure allows it, through the Research Corp., to employ workers and send them out in the field on a regular basis to help with eradication efforts, the senator said. However, deployment will be the council's call.

Senate Bill 2134 states the role of the EEWF is to "provide labor to assist the counties . . . with eradicating invasive species throughout the state, including miconia, coqui frogs, fire ants and other invasive species populations."

Kauai Rep. Hermina Morita was a member of the conference committee and complimented English on his final solution to the problem, saying it was a creative way to get around the financing problem.

The Research Corp. will be required to submit an annual report to the Legislature on how EEWF members were used.

The work force was English's brainchild and was first established as a job-creation bill after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States created a significant drop in tourism numbers.

EEWF members were quickly put to work in East Maui eradicating mosquito-breeding areas. Mosquitoes carry dengue fever, and a recent outbreak of the disease threatened tourism on Maui, particularly in Hana where residents and visitors were hard hit.

Members of the Environmental Work Force have been given a major share of the credit for potentially saving the state millions of dollars that would have been lost if dengue fever had gotten a tighter grip on the islands.

On another environmental issue Friday, English won last-minute conference committee approval of a bill that cuts in half the amount of state tax charged for biodiesel fuel.

The state currently collects about $22,000 a year in biodiesel fuel taxes, English said, and the Legislature is willing to accept half of that to encourage the production and use of the fuel.

Senate Bill 1239 now goes to the floor of the Legislature for a final vote next week.

Housing prices expected to rise even more

Housing prices expected to rise even more
- 2004-05-03 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Oahu's housing prices are expected to go only one way -- up -- in the next few years, according to economists speaking at the Hawaii Economic Association's annual conference Friday.

Sales in 2004 will exceed last year's while prices will continue to increase, according to Harvey Shapiro, market analyst for the Honolulu Board of Realtors.

Growing demand, low interest rates and a very limited inventory are all contributing factors, according to Shapiro.

He noted the following real estate trends:

Residential sales expansion has occurred for the past 27 quarters.
Properties are selling significantly faster. In 2003, single-family homes sold in 26 median days compared to 45 days in 2001 (from the listing date to contract date). Condos sold in 42 median days in 2001 compared to 27 median days in 2003.
Price appreciation continues.
Consumers are paying premiums above the asking price. In 2003, 18.2 percent of buyers paid more than the asking price, compared to 11.2 percent in 2001 for single-family homes. In 2003, 10.4 percent paid a premium, up from 8.9 percent in 2001.
Inventory remains low -- even lower than at any point during the height of the Japanese bubble from 1989-1990.
The median sales price in Oahu reached a record $420,000, up 20 percent from $350,000 in 2003 -- with the highest prices in East Oahu.

The Leeward side has the lowest median price for a single-family home at $339,000, but also experienced the highest jump. In 2003, the median price for a single-family home on the Leeward side was $278,500.

The picture also looks bright on neighbor islands, according to market consultant Paula Harris of the Harris Company.

Resort homes are booming all along the Kohala coast and from Waikoloa to Waimea Bay on the Big Island. High-profile celebrities are also boosting the cache of homes on the north shore of Kauai, while the inventory of condominiums remains tight.

Realtors on Maui -- which is experiencing a rise in prices -- are taking their clients to Molokai for comparison shopping on lots and homes. The available lots are practically gone.

Meanwhile, the landscape of Oahu is changing with an influx of high-rise condominiums in Kakaako.

Aloha to fly Oakland to all four counties this summer

Aloha to fly Oakland to all four counties this summer
- 2004-05-04 - Pacific Business News (Honolulu)

Aloha Airlines has announced plans for extra seasonal service from the San Francisco Bay Area to Hawaii, including flights to Lihue.

With the start of daily nonstop service to Lihue, Kauai, next month, and a second daily nonstop to Honolulu in July, Aloha will offer five flights a day to Hawaii from Oakland International Airport.
Aloha's seasonal Oakland-Lihue service begins June 17. Flight 475 will depart Oakland at 11:30 a.m. and arrive Lihue at 1:53 p.m. The return flight is not a redeye, but leaves Lihue at 3:35 p.m. and gets to Oakland at 11:31 p.m. This service is scheduled through Sept. 6.
Beginning July 2, Aloha adds a second daily flight between Oakland and Honolulu. This one starts from Hawaii and returns after a quick turnaround in California. Flight 444 will depart Honolulu at 8:45 a.m. and arrive at Oakland at 4:46 p.m. Flight 443 will depart Oakland at 6:05 p.m. and arrive in Honolulu at 8:28 p.m."

State seeking to evict tour boat operator from Kauai river

KPUA.net - KPUA Hawaii News -
State seeking to evict tour boat operator from Kauai river:

By Associated Press

(Lihue-AP) -- The state is seeking to evict a tour boat operator from the Wailua River on Kauai.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources says Waialeale Boat Tours owner William Sonny Waialeale has not paid 35-hundred-dollars monthly rent for the use of state facilities since November 2000. The state says he owes a total of 108-thousand-dollars.
The state moved in March to terminate his lease.
However, Waialeale was still running tours yesterday and said he would be running them again today. He has been running boat tours to the Fern Grotto, a state park, since 1968.
Waialeale, as a Native Hawaiian, contends that the state does not own the river, the marina or the Fern Grotto. He has refused to pay rent or take his boats off the river. "