Volunteers Begin 2005's Whale Counts

Volunteers Begin 2005's Whale Counts

HONOLULU (AP) - The first of three annual Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Counts was held Saturday on Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island.

More than 685 volunteers gathered at 63 sites to tally sightings and to document surface behaviors of the endangered species.

Sanctuary officials say that overall, there was an average of eight whales sighted per 15-minute count period.

They say some sites experienced severe weather conditions, especially rainy Oahu, where the count was canceled by midmorning.

The official say the weather-related problems may have affected the tally results.

Two more sanctuary ocean counts are set for February 26th and March 26th.

Scientific studies have shown Hawaii's humpback whale population has been increasing at an annual rate of about seven percent for the past ten years.

Shrieking Frogs Unnerve Hawaiian Island

AP Wire | 01/19/2005 |

Shrieking Frogs Unnerve Hawaiian Island

B.J. REYES
Associated Press

HONOLULU - A tiny frog with a huge shriek has invaded the Big Island and won't shut up. Big Island Mayor Harry Kim is looking for $2 million to begin controlling the spread of the nocturnal coqui frog, a beloved native in Puerto Rico but considered an annoying pest in Hawaii since hitching a ride over in shipments of tropical plants around 1990.

The frogs have been mating easily - and shattering quiet island nights - ever since.

Aside from the noise, the frogs have a voracious appetite for spiders and insects, competing with native birds and fauna. And coqui frogs are adaptable to many ecosystems and breed heavily in Hawaii, experts said.

Kim said the Big Island, the local name for the island of Hawaii, will once again ask Gov. Linda Lingle to declare the coqui frog infestation a state emergency to help clear the way for state financial assistance. The $2 million is needed to launch a combined state, federal and county program to combat the frogs, Kim said. He made his plea Tuesday before state lawmakers, who will consider the request later this year.

Kim said he declared a county emergency in April over the frogs, but the state waited to see if the federal government would offer assistance, which it did not.

Spraying of a citric acid solution on the islands of Oahu and Kauai have curtailed coqui populations there, but limited spraying on Kim's island has done little.

"I think the response from all of us has not been timely enough," he said, noting that experts suggest he focus on controlling the coqui's spread, rather than eradicating it completely.

"I kick myself in the back every day for not getting started more aggressively," Kim said.

More than 150 communities on the Big Island are now infested with the coin-sized frogs, named after their high-decibel "ko-KEE, ko-KEE" chirp.

For Second Consecutive Year...Las Vegas, Caribbean Cruising Rank as Top Destinations: Carlson Wagonlit Travel 2005 Travel Trends Survey

PRNEWSWIRE.COM

For Second Consecutive Year...Las Vegas, Caribbean Cruising Rank as Top Destinations: Carlson Wagonlit Travel 2005 Travel Trends Survey

Extremely Strong Demand for Hawaii, Mexico and Cruising of All Kinds

Authoritative Survey of 398 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate Agencies Also
Reveals Healthy Bookings, Longer Vacations, More Confidence Among Consumers

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates
today announced the much-anticipated results of its 2005 Travel Trends Survey
-- the travel agency powerhouse's most comprehensive survey ever -- which
ranked Las Vegas as the number one domestic destination for the third
consecutive year, while Caribbean cruising was cited as the top international
"destination" for the second year running. The 2005 Travel Trends Survey was
conducted December 1-20, 2004 of 398 Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates and
agents throughout the United States, roughly equivalent to one response per
every two locations.
"Last year's survey was among the first to point toward a dramatically
improved picture for our industry in terms of interest and subsequent
bookings, and this year's results point toward even more stability and greater
interest in traveling, both domestically and abroad," stated Roger E. Block,
CTC, Executive Vice President of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate
Division. "While last year's survey showed 83% of our respondents saying
their bookings for 2004 were even or up over the same time in the previous
year, this year has seen that number increase significantly to 91%."
Perhaps even more significant, Block said, is the number of Carlson
Wagonlit Travel Associates who are entering 2005 optimistically. "When we
asked them what their personal outlook on their business was for 2005, over
88% characterized themselves as 'fairly optimistic' or 'very optimistic' while
nearly 9% more said they were neither optimistic nor pessimistic. That
compares with 85% who told us they were optimistic in 2004 and 11% who
expressed neither optimism nor pessimism. That's quite a harbinger for
success," Block explained.

Top Vacation Destinations: U.S. and International
When asked to forecast the five most popular U.S. destinations for 2004
based on their actual bookings to date, 82% of the respondents named Las
Vegas, securing the city's number-one ranking in the survey once again this
year. Caribbean cruising was the most popular international destination, named
by 83% of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associate experts.

Also noteworthy:
-- Hawaii fares considerably well in the overall rankings of most popular
domestic destinations, with Maui, Honolulu and Kauai each landing in
the top ten (at numbers 3,4 and 9, respectively), and a fourth
destination -- Kona -- reaching the top twenty for the first time, at
number 20. "Hawaii has truly enjoyed a remarkable renaissance among
our best customers seeking an exotic vacation that also provides the
peace-of-mind that comes with remaining within the United States,"
Block noted. "Hawaii now also ranks fifth among the top cruise
destinations that our travel professionals have booked for the New
Year."

-- Similarly, Mexico dominates the survey results among top international
destinations, with five vacation options -- Cancun, Riviera Maya,
Playa del Carmen, Mexico cruises and Cozumel placing in the top ten
(at numbers 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 (tie), respectively). While Puerto
Vallarta drops to number 12, Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos jumps to number
13 overall. "Mexico truly has it all, including sunny beaches with
resorts to match virtually every type of budget," Block stated. "Plus
the value of the dollar and its close proximity to the U.S. make for
an easy, international getaway."

-- Washington DC has made a substantial jump from number 18 to tie with
Fort Lauderdale at number 11; Denali National Park has jumped from
number 18 to number 14. Los Angeles has dropped out of top ten to
number 16 on the domestic list (Kauai replaced it).

-- London remains the top European destination, although it slips a notch
to number 7. Rome jumps into the top ten at number 9, tied with
Cozumel and Aruba (which makes its debut in the top ten). Paris slips
a notch to number 15. "The biggest trend in European vacations comes
in Tuscany, which makes its debut in our top twenty at number 16, tied
with Nassau," Block said. "This confirms the popularity for Tuscany
that we saw reflected in our fall trends survey. To those who have
loved this vibrant region of Italy for years, they're no doubt asking
what took America so long to discover it."

The following lists display the top ten domestic and international
destinations for 2005, compared to the results from the 2004 survey conducted
one year ago.*

Top 10 Domestic Destinations: 2005 Top 10 Domestic Destinations: 2004

1 - Las Vegas, NV 82% 1 - Las Vegas, NV 85%
2 - Orlando, FL 75% 2 - Orlando, FL 77%
3 - Maui, HI 56% 3 - Maui, HI 55%
4 - Honolulu, HI 53% 4 - Honolulu, HI 49%
5 - New York City, NY 33% 5 - Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ 24%
6 - Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ 21% 6 - New York City, NY 23%
7 - Anchorage, AK 16% 7 (tie) - Anchorage, AK 16%
8 - Fort Myers, FL 15% 7 (tie) - Fort Myers, FL 16%
9 - Kauai, HI 14% 9 - San Francisco, CA 14%
10 - San Francisco, CA 13% 10 - Los Angeles, CA 11%


Top 10 International Top 10 International
Destinations: 2005 Destinations: 2004

1 - Caribbean Cruising 83% 1 - Caribbean Cruising 77%
2 - Cancun, Mexico 70% 2 - Cancun, Mexico 71%
3 - Riviera Maya, Mexico 47% 3 - Riviera Maya, Mexico 35%
4 - Jamaica 34% 4 - Punta Cana, D. Republic 35%
5 - Punta Cana, D. Republic 33% 5 - Jamaica 34.5%
6 - Playa del Carmen, Mexico 28% 6 - London, England 28%
7 - London, England 20% 7 - Playa del Carmen, Mexico 27.5%
8 - Mexico Cruising 19% 8 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 20%
9 (tie) - Aruba 17% 9 - Mexico Cruising 19%
9 (tie) - Cozumel, Mexico 17% 10 - Cozumel, Mexico 16%
9 (tie) - Rome, Italy 17%


For the first time for 2005, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates were asked
to name the top cruise destinations they were already booking for the New
Year. The following lists display the top ten cruise destinations for 2005:

Top 10 Cruise Destinations: 2005

1 - Caribbean (Western) 39.2%
2 - Alaska 16.3%
3 - Caribbean (Eastern) 14.1%
4 - Caribbean (Southern) 9.5%
5 - Hawaii 4%
5 (tie) - Mexican Riviera 4%
7 - Europe (Mediterranean) 3.8%
8 - Panama Canal 2.3%
9 - Bermuda 1.5%
10 - Europe (Barge) 1%
10 (tie) - South America 1%
10 (tie) - U.S. Riverboat 1%


Business Outlook and Travel Trends
Carlson Wagonlit Travel's 2005 Travel Trends Survey asked respondents to
identify key 2005 travel trends and to forecast their outlook for business in
the year ahead. The results indicate good news for the travel industry:
consumer confidence in traveling further from home, longer vacations,
rebounding international travel, healthy 2005 bookings, and a sizeable include
in the amount travelers are spending per vacation. The results follow,
compared when possible to the 2004 survey*:

Comparing 2005 bookings so far to your 2004 bookings at this time last
year, which is true?
Our 2005 bookings are up: 67.6% (compared to 45% in last year's
survey)
Our 2005 bookings are even: 23.4% (compared to 38% in last year's
survey)
Our 2005 bookings are down: 9.1% (compared to 17% in last year's
survey)

What is your personal outlook on your business for 2005?
Very optimistic: 36.7% (compared to 31% in last year's
survey)
Fairly optimistic: 51.5% (compared to 54% in last year's
survey)
Neither optimistic nor
pessimistic: 8.8% (compared to 11% in last year's
survey)
Fairly pessimistic: 2.8% (compared to 4% in last year's survey)
Very pessimistic: 0.3% (compared to 1% in last year's survey)

Regarding 2005 bookings to date, what trends have you noticed?

2005 Survey 2004 Survey*
Average length of vacations booked: 6-7 days: 71.1% NA
Clients are feeling more confident about
traveling further from home: 60.2% NA
International travel seems to be on the rebound: 55.9% 54%
Cruising is becoming more popular: 53.1% 66%
Pent-up demand, customers just don't want to wait
any longer: 47.6% NA
Clients are spending more per vacation: 45.6% 32%
Mexico bookings are up over last year: 39% 58%
Customers more confident about safety: 35.2% NA
Renewed consumer confidence in economy: 28.6% NA
Europe bookings are up over last year: 28.5% 21%
Caribbean bookings are up over last year: 25.7% 37%
Customers less concerned about global conflicts: 21% NA
Average length of vacations booked: 4-5 days: 15.8% NA
Domestic bookings are up over last year: 12.8% 27%
Average length of vacations booked: 8-10 days: 12.3% NA
People continue to want to stay close to home: 8.6% 18%
Clients are spending less per vacation: 5.8% 23%


With Carlson Wagonlit Travel, your vacation experience begins with ours.
To find the Carlson Wagonlit Travel location nearest you call 1-800-CARLSON or
visit http://www.carlsontravel.com .
* Survey of 287 Carlson Wagonlit Travel agents taken Oct. 20-Nov. 19,
2003.

Carlson Travel Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Carlson
Companies, Inc. Brands include: Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays,
Results Travel, Carlson Leisure Travel Services and Carlson Destination
Marketing Services. In 2003, for the seventh consecutive year, the Carlson
Wagonlit Travel Associate program was named the top travel business franchise
by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500(R); Franchise Times ranked the program as the
3rd top franchise overall in 2004 for the fourth year in a row.

Ko Olina developer sets sights on Makaha

Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2005/01/04/

Ko Olina developer sets sights on Makaha

By Allison Schaefers
aschaefers@starbulletin.com
Developer Jeff Stone, well known for revving up Ko Olina, is again investing heavily in Hawaii properties.

Stone, who turned the struggling West Oahu property into a growing resort that has generated nearly 2,000 jobs and yielded more $1 billion in investments, has similar plans for Makaha and Kauai.

Commercial development in West Oahu stalled first with the bursting of the Japanese economic bubble in the 1990s, then with Sept. 11, 2001, SARS and the Iraq war, according to Stone, developer of the Ko Olina resort, West Oahu's largest employer.

"We've gone through a long, arduous stall where world events and economies caused a lot of projects not to get off the ground," Stone said last year. "Now, we have some really progressive groups moving forward, and we are just starting to see the turnaround."

The resort, which contributed $4 million to the state's economy four years ago, was on track to finish 2004 with a $30 million contribution, Stone said.

Now, Stone plans to revitalize tourist zones by applying his master plan concept to Makaha and Kauai's Princeville region.

West Honolulu Investments LLC, of which Stone is managing partner, recently bought the Makaha Valley Country Club in West Oahu from Nitto Hawaii Co.

"We've always believed that Makaha Valley had great potential to be an economic foundation for local residents and the Leeward coast in general," said Stone.

Hawaiian Land Development Corp., owned by Stone, also is a minority investor in this year's purchase of Honsador Lumber.

The Stone-controlled Princeville Associates LLC announced in July it would buy the 9,000-acre Princeville Resort on Kauai. The Princeville acquisition includes the 252-room Princeville Hotel, two golf courses, the Princeville Tennis Club and Pro Shop, Princeville Health Club and Spa, Princeville Shopping Center and other land holdings on Kauai's North Shore.

With the new purchase, Stone said he expects to make substantial improvements: build housing units for employees, increase jobs and provide a strong base of work for the construction industry.

But Kauai residents are uneasy about plans for additional development on the largely rural North Shore.

"In short, our goal is to play a pivotal role in supporting Kauai's economy," Stone has said, adding that the Princeville Resort's undeveloped master plan was an attractive part of the deal.

Aloha Airlines parent company files for bankruptcy protection

Aloha Airlines parent company files for bankruptcy protection

04:15 PM EST Jan 03
HONOLULU (AP) - The parent company of Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday, becoming the fifth U.S. commercial carrier currently operating under court shelter from creditors.
The move came less than a month after Aloha announced it would lay off a dozen top managers and freeze 35 vacant management jobs because of rising fuel costs. 'It will be business as usual as we move forward to complete the restructuring of our company,' stated David Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive, who took over Nov. 14 as head of Aloha Airgroup Inc., replacing Glenn Zander.
Aloha Airlines recently reported a $6 million loss for the third quarter, its fourth quarterly loss in a row.
Banmiller said Aloha hopes to emerge from bankruptcy as quickly as possible.
Its regional rival, Hawaiian Airlines, is expected to emerge from bankruptcy reorganization next month. "

Local doctor recalls tsunami that hit Hawaii

Local doctor recalls tsunami that hit Hawaii

Asia quake sparks memory of 1957 disaster

By Madelyn Pennino
Intelligencer Journal

Published: Dec 31, 2004 9:22 AM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Flying over the northern Hawaiian island of Kauai in a helicopter on March 9, 1957, a young surgeon, Dr. Charles Winter, watched a tsunami swallow village after village, spitting back only twigs and branches.

Winter, now an 83-year-old retired orthopedic surgeon and Lancaster resident, looks back on that fateful day and recalls the strange emotion that swelled within him as he watched from above.

"I was scared. I was raised not to be scared. There was nothing left. It was like firewood. I saw bridges washed away and 100 tons of concrete being lifted up," Winter said. "All the villages were missing. It looked like a knife cutting through the masonry."

Seeing footage of the devastation from the tsunami that steamrolled Asia Sunday brings back pointed memories for Winter.

"I feel so sad when I see some of the pictures," Winter said. "The devastation is so much worse."

The tsunami Winter witnessed formed after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan and traveled hundreds of miles to Kauai, thrashing portions of the island with water hurtling at speeds of more than 600 miles per hour. As he watched, waves up to 52 feet high engulfed the island.

Winter, who was a resident surgeon at a hospital in Kauai, volunteered to assist victims in the tsunami's immediate aftermath. A U.S. Marine Corps helicopter flew him into the heart of the devastation.

Winter said he will never forget the last words a Marine pilot said to him before dropping him off at the remains of a village. "He said, 'I will pray for you that there are no secondary waves because you will have no place to go.' "

And with those ominous words in mind, Winter began mending the broken bones and fractured bodies of men, women and children who were caught in the churning waters of the tsunami.

There was no secondary wave, and Winter did not encounter any fatalities. But Winter said many people were injured by debris while trying to escape the rushing waters.

"Almost everybody living in the lowlands lost their homes and businesses," he said.

The 1957 tsunami left 250 people homeless and caused more than $5 million in damage. Still, Winter said, the people of Kauai remained strong.

"Hawaiians are stoic," he said. "They said, 'God did this. There's nothing much we can do.' They are different people. They don't get excited."

Born in Magdeburg, Germany, Winter attended Frankfurt Medical Center. He aspired to become a citizen of the United States and used the U.S. Army to expedite his citizenship.

Winter enlisted in the Army and served as a battalion sergeant in the 40th Tank Battalion, a special attack unit stationed in Kauai, from 1953 until 1955. When his enlistment ended, Winter chose to stay in Kauai to serve his surgical residency.

When the tsunami hit, he did not hesitate to enter the low-lying areas and assist victims. "These people were poor, and there was no government aid," Winter said.

As Winter tended to injured villagers, he got a firsthand look at the extent of the destruction.

"I had seen hurricanes before," Winter said. "But this (tsunami) was so rare, so unusual."

Winter spent the day the tsunami hit caring for patients until a fleet of doctors arrived. Later that evening, he returned to the hospital.

Though his time with the victims was brief, Winter vividly remembers four decades later how the crashing waters swept away entire communities.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. It's something I knew I'd never forget."

Floods close roads on Hawaiian island of Kauai

USATODAY.com

Floods close roads on Hawaiian island of Kauai

By Jan Ten Bruggencate and Suzanne Roig, Honolulu Advertiser

NAWILIWILI, Hawaii — An island-wide New Year's Day downpour on Kauai caused flooding in every island community, closing roads, causing landslides, backing up cesspools and rendering many parts of the island impassable.

No one was injured and the rain had ended by Sunday with both Sunday and Monday forecast to stay dry.

Steady rain on Saturday also soaked Oahu, where Honolulu is located, but not enough to cause significant problems.

The Kauai deluge spawned a series of vast sinkholes near the lobby and main parking lot of the Kauai Marriott Resort Saturday afternoon.

Visitors Lou and Joan Wakley, of Sandy, Utah, said they believed their gold rental car was the first to fall into the Marriott sinkhole.

"I parked it back-end-in about 12:30, right about where the hole is," Lou Wakley said. The trunk of a gold-colored car was visible in the hole, nose down and almost entirely covered in mud. The sides of the sinkholes were severely undercut, and resort officials said it was too dangerous to get near enough the edge to confirm the car's ownership.

Joan Wakley, who has relatives on Kauai, was philosophical.

"We always have memorable vacations," she said.

Preliminary surveys suggested that an underground culvert had failed near the hotel lobby, and that gushing water eroded the soil under the hotel's road and parking system. One sinkhole near the resort's entrance sucked in a large banyan tree and several coconut trees. The others ate parked cars.

The rushing water damaged an underground sewer line, and some sewage was believed to be making its way to the sea with the underground storm flow. Hotel officials posted Kalapaki Beach with no-swimming signs.

Residents of several flooded areas on the island expressed concern to authorities about contaminated floodwaters, from overflowing septic systems and cesspools.

The county opened its neighborhood centers as emergency evacuation shelters in Kapa'a and Waimea, although no official evacuation was ordered. County public information officer Cyndi Ozaki said no one took advantage of the shelters.

At some Waimea Valley properties the floodwaters threatened homes only when big-tired trucks drove by in knee-deep water, creating wakes that washed against homes and other buildings. In Waimea and Waipouli, some residents were reported using boats to travel on flooded roads.

The island's belt road and many smaller roads were intermittently closed by rock slides, mudslides, cascading water flows and fallen trees and other debris. A boulder the size of a Volkswagen fell on Kuhio Highway east of the Kalihiwai Bridge.

Streams and rivers flooded all over the island. The stretch of highway between the Hanalei Bridge and Hanalei town was closed for several hours at midday. Public works officials were inspecting bridges after reports one or more could have been damaged when trees carried by floodwaters crashed into them.

Civil Defense chief Marshall said there was no damage estimate yesterday afternoon. He said repairs to erosion and sinkholes at the Marriott were expected to be the single biggest financial loss from the flooding.

On Windward Oahu, steady rain created spectacular waterfalls in valleys and off steep cliffs, but no rockfalls or mudslides were reported.