April visitor spending up 14.9%

Visitor spending in April increased 14.9 percent from last year to $895.2 million.
Tourism officials see three reasons for the increase -- inflation, more Mainland visitor arrivals for the Easter holiday and a large convention.
Otherwise, the month followed the usual trend of increased arrivals from the Mainland and fewer from Japan. Japanese visitors outspent Mainland visitors on a daily basis.
Total year-over-year visitor count was up 10.7 percent to 588,215 in April. Tourists stayed an average of 8.67 days and spent $175.50 per person per day, up 2.6 percent from last year.
Visitors from the U.S. West were up 18.1 percent to 266,998. U.S. East and Canadian visitor arrivals increased 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
The Japanese visitor count dropped 5.2 percent to 100,483 arrivals.
For the first four months of 2006, the number of domestic arrivals hit a new high of 1.7 million.
Oahu was the only island to see a drop in visitor spending during the first four months -- down 1.8 percent to $1.7 billion. Maui saw an 24.6 percent increase to $1.2 billion, the Big Island 4.1 percent to $513.2 million, Kauai 9.4 percent to $391.3 million, Molokai 1.3 percent to $10.5 million, and Lanai 38.5 percent to $24.4 million.
The number of cruise visitors increased to 138,219 passengers in the first four months.

Biologists and criminalists try to track down underwater perps

ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Biologists and criminalists are joining forces to develop investigation techniques that work under water to protect coral reefs.
The goal is to improve investigation of reef pollution like the one that happened after a dam burst in Kauai in March.
David Gulko is a coral reef ecologist for the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
He says it's hard to enforce natural resource laws without tools to conduct investigations under water.
Gulko has been put in charge of the effort by the International Coral Reef Initiative, an international body dedicated to protecting coral reefs.
Researchers will present their recommendations to the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium in October in Cozumel, Mexico. They plan to offer a five-day training session for marine biologists from around the world.

SBA loans still available in flood cases

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reaching out to local businesses that suffered flood damage, to make sure owners know about loan opportunities.
Businesses on Kauai or Oahu that suffered rain or flood damage from Feb. 20 through April 2 qualify for Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
FEMA said federal and state representatives would canvass the flood areas Wednesday to spread the word.
Loans up to $1.5 million are available to provide relief from economic injury caused directly by the disaster and to permit a business to maintain reasonable working capital during a recovery period.
Some of the loans are available regardless of whether there was property damage, provided that harm to a business can be clearly traced to the heavy rains and floods.
More than 40 days of rain hit Kauai, collapsing a dam and causing other damage. On March 31, heavy rains on Oahu flooded Kahala Mall. Two stores never reopened and the Kahala movie theaters are still being repaired.

Alternative paradise

By Pama Mitchell
For travelers used to filling each vacation day with as many activities as possible, a tropical resort in Kauai can stop you in your tracks.
You could choose to explore as much as possible of the island's 533 square miles of sheer coastal cliffs, pristine white-sand beaches, verdant river valleys and mist-shrouded volcanic craters.
Or you could flop down poolside and watch the ocean, listen to the wind in the coconut palm trees and sip a Mai Tai.
Let's explore.
Kauai (pronounced "kuh-WAH-ee") was the first of the Hawaii's eight main islands to be populated. It is 33 miles wide and 25 miles long, with cliffs rising 2,700 feet and more than 40 white sand beaches.
Sometimes called "The Garden Island," it has such a variety of microclimates and terrain that you have to go at it by air, sea and on foot to get the full effect. Since well over half the island is not accessible by road, "doing" Kauai definitely requires alternative means of transportation.

Kauai by air
A helicopter can be a scary thing to find oneself inside. Seven of us, including the pilot, are tightly packed into what seems to be a terribly fragile encasement of metal. We're "risking it all" for a birds'-eye views of rugged Kauai.
The chopper hovers over jagged peaks and wild, arid canyons with few apparent level patches of ground upon which an emergency landing could occur. It might take a novice rider a little while to relax. Just trust in the experience of the pilot.
If you're like most, you'll forget your fears and become mesmerized by the almost overwhelming sensory experience of seeing these remarkable landscapes.
Our Air Kauai flight -- operated by one of several reputable companies on the island -- took off from the Lihue airport on the southeast of Kauai and headed west.
First, we glimpsed the southern beaches where our resort was located, on the section of the island that gets the least rainfall. Within a few minutes, the dramatic red and orange hues of Waimea Canyon came into view. Mark Twain called the 3,000-foot canyon "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific," and we were amazed at its vast scale, which includes more than 1,800 acres of state park land that can be explored on foot.
Since most of Kauai receives at least some rain year-round, the Waimea landscape -- and many other areas visible only from the air -- is enhanced by dozens of long, thin waterfalls, some of which fall hundreds of feet into mist-shrouded pools.
The pilot next headed for the northwestside of the island and the famed Napali Coast, where some of the world's sheerest seaside cliffs frame pristine beaches.
After hovering alongside some of the 3,000-foot cliffs for photo ops, the ride culminated in a visit to Kauai's volcanic crater, Mount Wai Ale Ale, known as the wettest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of more than 500 inches. Flying inside the crater brings you to an almost mystical environment, as the copter snakes between the steep, amazingly green crater walls for a peek at hidden waterfalls and misty valleys deep below before lifting out and heading back to base.

By sea
We got another good look at the Napali Coast the next day on a five-hour boat tour out of Port Allen, just west of our Poipu Beach area resort. The catamaran cruised up the island's west coast as schools of dolphins occasionally swam beside us, thrilling the 45 tourists on board with their graceful beauty.
After a couple of excursions under natural bridges in the Napali cliffs, we anchored in a calm, shallow, crystal clear water lagoon for snorkeling and scuba diving among turtle and tropical fish, followed by a hearty lunch with Mai Tais before we motored back to port.

By foot
At least two world-class hiking opportunities await you on Kauai, one of which is in the Waimea Canyon area. In addition to the dramatic scenery throughout Waimea Canyon State Park, nearby Koke'e State Park encompasses more than 4,000 acres of heavily wooded, upland wilderness where trails vary from a quarter-mile to more than 10 miles. You can also drive to Kalalau Lookout and marvel at the view over cliffs and gorges to the ocean 4,000 feet below.
The second great hike is on the island's lush north shore. From the southern beach resorts, drive northeast along Kauai's only highway, which hugs the coastline from about 12 o'clock to 7 o'clock on the roughly circular island. (There are no roads along the northwest coast.) When the road ends, west of Princeville, you'll find the trailhead for one of the world's most challenging and rewarding hiking experiences, the 11-mile Kalalau Trail.
It starts with a quarter-mile of rocky, steep climbing and takes several hours to reach the secluded Hanakapi'ai beach. The entire trek is a three-day experience that requires camping along the way. We had time and energy to take on only a small part of the trail, but it was enough to get our hearts pumping and afford us dizzying looks at the beaches we had left behind.

The resort life
After a day of exploration and exertion, it was always comforting to return to the 602-room Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, where we decided to spend our final day on Kauai. The open-air lobby looks through a grand archway at the sun-drenched Pacific a couple of hundred yards down a gentle hill. Built on 50 acres overlooking Keoneloa Bay, the four-story low-rise architecture conforms to the section of Kauai's building code that says, "No buildings can be higher than the tallest coconut tree."
The beautiful landscaping surrounds a private, beachfront saltwater lagoon and the most intricate series of pools -- some connected by slides or waterfalls -- that we had ever seen.
Coupled with a choice of five restaurants and five lounges, most with spectacular ocean views, the resort exerts a powerful force on weary travelers who make it out to Hawaii's westernmost island.
The resort's ANARA (A New Age Restorative Approach) spa offers hotel guests not only a well-equipped workout facility but also guided fitness walks and group classes that range from pilates to yoga and strength training. An hour at the spa in the morning can justify spending the rest of the day lounging under a cabana while consuming tropical drinks.
The adjacent Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course with its oceanfront links has hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf since 1994 and gives guests another delightful way to spend time. The resort sits on scenic Shipwreck Beach, too rough for most swimmers, but a great place to watch skillful local surfers ride the waves.
The resort also has plenty for kids to do. Parents can enroll children in the half- and full-day activities of Camp Hyatt Kauai or just turn them loose around the many swimming pools, where youngsters particularly enjoy the 150-foot water slide. We chatted with Cassie and Tom Nevins of San Francisco, who brought their 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter back for the family's second vacation at the resort. They said they love both the kid-friendly amenities and the range of options for adults.
We also ran into the Nevinses on nearby Poipu Beach at the Beach House restaurant, reputed to have some of the most beautiful sunsets on the island as well as very romantic seaside dining.
It was a knockout setting for dinner, truly a must-see location on the tip of a small peninsula with stunning views of two surfing beaches and tables not more than 30 feet from the water. The reservation book fills up quickly, so book in advance if possible, or settle for watching the sunset over drinks in the Beach House's crowded bar.
On Kauai, even Plan B usually turns out to be fabulous.

Hanalei Bay Resort

Hanalei Bay Resort Resort Vacation Rentals in Princeville, Kauai Kauai Vacation Rentals at Hanalei Bay Resort's 22-acre tropical paradise; where you can rent condo suites overlooking Kauai's beautiful Hanalei Bay.

Sci-Fi Channel movie to film on Kauai

LIHUE » Roger Martin-Corman, the son of Hollywood "B-movie" king Roger Corman, is scheduled to shoot a movie on Kauai for the Sci-Fi Channel.
The movie, with a working title of "Primeval," is about a genetic experiment gone awry, and is set to star Brad Johnson, Bianca Lawson and Kelly McGillis, of "Top Gun" fame, Kauai officials said yesterday.
It's scheduled to start shooting May 27, with production likely to take five weeks. And they're looking for local talent.
Up to 20 speaking parts, including a significant role for a male graduate student and work for about 75 extras will be available, Kauai officials said.
"We're looking for people with some acting experience, but it's not absolutely necessary," said Amanda Nugent, production manager for the movie.
They're looking for women, ages 18 to 30, with a flair for the dramatic who don't mind being eaten by an alligator, and eccentric men with lots of energy are ideal candidates, she said.
Those interested in applying for a part can send an e-mail to Nugent at amanda.nugent@ yahoo.com.
The last film shot on Kauai, another sci-fi thriller partially filmed on Kauai last year, "Komodo vs. Cobra," is scheduled to have its premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel on May 23.

Go! Sets New Low Inter-Island Fare

The inter-island airfare wars are heating up again. Beginning June 9, Go! Airlines will launch its new inter-island service.

The airline is advertising $59 roundtrip weekday flights to the Big Island, Kauai and Maui. Both Hawaiian and Aloha quickly matched that deal.

But all tickets must be purchased by May 22 and are good from June 9 to September 30.

Back in March, Go! announced one-way fares of $39, which was also matched by Hawaiian and Aloha.

Exposing Hawaii's Hideaways

Sunset hour on Kauai's north shore is a magical moment for anyone who knows how to get to the remote location. That used to be mostly locals, but these days it's mostly tourists, and lots of them.
"Dramatically increased on a Saturday and Sunday," said resident Ben Halpren. "There used to be parking all the way up the street."
The once-secret spot in Princeville is called Queen's Bath. The man who actually brags about giving away the secret is author Andrew Doughty.
He agreed to talk with KGMB9 only if we didn't show his face so he can continue to do his undercover restaurant and tour reviews.
Doughty moved to Kauai in 1993.
"I first came to Hawaii as a tourist and fell in love with the place," Doughty said.
A year later, he published "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook - Kauai Revealed." Since then, he's put out books on all four major islands.
They are wildly popular, winning fantastic reviews for their color pictures, detailed maps and straight-forward advice. Doughty says he's gotten more than 80,000 fan letters from tourists.
"It's been great," said Karen Mitchell, a tourist from Colorado. "There's a lot of information in it that I wouldn't have known."
But what about locals?
"To be honest I really haven't had negative responses," Doughty said.
"I disagree with that," said Lulani Arquette with the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. "There is a negative response, but I don't think people know what to do about it."
Arquette says across the state her members feel betrayed, specifically by Doughty's books.
"There is that sense of pain and then outrage accompanied by a lot anger, because you feel out of control," she said. "There's nothing you can do about it. This publication is out there already."
"I don't understand it," Doughty said. "This information is everywhere. This information is in all the guidebooks. It's in the free stuff you pick up."
Doughty's right about that, but also at least partly responsible. He admits he's personally revealed about a dozen spots that hadn't been published.
His books are also the number-one selling Hawaii series in the world. He wouldn't tell us how many he's sold, but the books are so influential, Doughty once got a seven-page scolding from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Tesoro to acquire Kauai Petroleum

Tesoro Corp. has agreed to purchase Kauai Petroleum Co. Ltd., a privately held company based in the Garden Isle.
As part of the agreement, Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) will acquire the company's four retail locations, its trucking assets and a product terminal at Nawiliwili.
"This acquisition reflects our continued interest in expanding our operations where we have market synergies," said Bruce A. Smith, chairman, president and CEO of Tesoro Corp. "Since the island of Kauai is the fourth-largest fuel market in Hawaii and has the fastest growing jet fuel demand, we believe this acquisition will provide another strategic outlet for our gasoline and jet fuel production from our Kapolei refinery on Oahu."
The San Antonio, Texas-based Tesoro expects to close the purchase by the end of June, following its due diligence and approval by shareholders.
It plans to keep current employees, pending the successful completion of background screening and pre-employment checks.

Hotel occupancy leads U.S

Hawaii hotels, the fullest in the nation during the first quarter, saw room revenues climb 8 percent from year-before levels to more than $832 million.
"Despite the heavy rain and tragic floods that hit Kauai and the state overall, Hawaii nonetheless continued to be a strong destination," Hospitality Advisors LLC President Joe Toy said.
Hospitality Advisors surveyed 143 properties representing more than 47,000 rooms, roughly four-fifths of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the state. It released its findings Monday:
ADR -- average daily rates -- rose more than 12 percent.
Revpar -- revenue per available room -- rose by about the same percentage to more than $154 per day.
"Not only did Hawaii lead the nation in hotel occupancy, but it also was second only to New York City in achieving the highest ADR and revpar," Toy said.
This happened despite visitor arrivals down 0.5 percent from the same quarter last year.
The state's four operating counties generally showed little change in occupancy levels. The biggest change was on Kauai, where occupancy fell about 4 percent but room rates rose more than 4 percent.
Parsing hotel demand by market tier, Hospitality Advisors found that luxury hotels captured most of the increase in room demand while other tiers eased slightly.
Hospitality Advisors also issued specific figures for March that showed slipping demand, including a 7.8 point decline in occupancy on Kauai, which it attributed to rain fallout. But it also should be noted that the Easter travel weekend moved from March to April this year.

FEMA Opens Recovery Centers on Oahu and Kauai

(KHNL) - Disaster Assistance and Recovery Centers opened Tuesday on both Oahu and Kauai. It's the latest efforts to provide assistance in the wake of the March floods. But so far only a trickle of flood victims have come in looking for help from the government.
Damage from flooding in February, March and early April could exceed $50 million dollars. As a result, Governor Linda Lingle requested the disaster declaration last month. Kerry Smith is among the dozens who have applied for federal assistance.
"I'm here to see what they can offer. Basically the roof was tore up. It was the roof that sustained all the damage. Living here and seeing the end result of 45 days of rain it was, you know I'm in the military, it was pretty upsetting to see homes and areas a lot more damaged than mine," says flood victim Smith.
"Anyone who sustained damage in these counties, in these areas, are able to apply," says Ken Higginbotham of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
During the period between February 20th and April 23rd, severe storms caused flooding, landslides and mud slides across the state. Oahu and Kauai were the hardest hit.
"The rain was definitely something threw everyone off."
Picking up the pieces may take awhile.
"Hopefully not to long because I have a lot of stuff to take care of," says Smith.
If you were affected by the floods, you can call toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) from 5am to 6pm.

Husband: Wife regained consciousness after one son's rescue

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) _ The husband of a woman who tried to save her two sons from the rough waters off the island of Kauai says she momentarily gained consciousness before she died.
Jennifer White of Gunnison died yesterday.
On Saturday, the 32-year-old pulled her eight-year-old son, Aaron White, out of the ocean when a strong current swept him away.
She was injured and had to be rescued herself when she went back in the water after her nine-year-old son, Tyler White. He's still missing.
Chris White says his wife awoke long enough to know two of her children had survived.
He says maybe she went to be with Tyler so he wouldn't be alone.
Rescuers stopped actively searching for Tyler yesterday. They were also looking for a 17-year-old boy who also went missing on the same day in a separate incident.

Hawaii prepares for ferry service on the islands

Mark Niesse, Canadian Press
Published: Monday, May 08, 2006
HONOLULU (AP) - Without passenger boats, bridges or tunnels linking the islands of Hawaii, the state's four island counties in some ways are as isolated from each other as they are from the mainland.

That may change when the Hawaii Superferry, a four-storey catamaran, begins running from Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, to Maui and Kauai in a little over a year. A second boat connecting Honolulu with the Big Island is expected to start service in 2009.

"This is like the coming of the jet age. It's a new transportation mode," said John Garibaldi, president of Hawaii Superferry. "How much of the beauty of Hawaii do you experience from 20,000 feet in the air?"

Over the past several decades, other boat services have tried to provide a viable alternative to commercial airliner service to move people around the islands, but every effort has failed.

The latest ferry service was originally scheduled to start this year, and it still has a long way to go before its new July 1, 2007, launch date. Even if the $235 million US project starts then, it's unclear whether it will be able to turn a profit.

Environmentalists, lawmakers, farmers and lawyers stand in the way.

Some are worried that the Superferry project is being rushed without researching traffic effects on each of the islands, without planning to prevent humpback whales from being struck by the big boats, and without protecting against invasive species such as biting ants spreading across the islands.

"We're not being given the whole story. The shortcomings are being glossed over," said Lucienne de Naie, chapter leader of the Hawaii Sierra Club. "We need to get real and examine these things. All we're getting is shiny promises and platitudes."

The Superferry is expected to start service with one boat the length of a football field offering daily service from Honolulu to Maui and Kauai. It will carry up to 900 people and 250 cars at one-way fares of $42 per person and $55 per vehicle.

The ferry will travel up to 64 km/h, with a trip from Honolulu to Maui taking about three hours, compared with about 40 minutes by plane. The shortest trip, from Honolulu to Maui, would be about 165 kilometres. The Honolulu-Big Island line would be the ferry's longest voyage at about 260 kilometres.

Plans for the Superferry have been moving along at an uneven pace for several years.

In a rush to take advantage of federal funding, a downtown Honolulu ferry terminal was completed in 2003. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta visited the unused terminal two years ago and called Hawaii's ferry plan one of the nation's most ambitious and forward-looking transportation projects.

Construction of the first boat is 75 per cent complete in Mobile, Ala., and the state began construction this month of floating ramps to load and unload cars at each port.

Past ferry services have never lasted long, said Panos D. Prevedouros, a University of Hawaii professor of civil and environmental engineering.
"They had issues with the waves. . . The ride was choppy and the demand was low," he said. "The current project is different. This is a full-sized ferry that can transport hundreds and hundreds of passengers at a low price."

Some state legislators have questioned Superferry officials over how they will be able to compete with the soon-to-be four interisland airlines, which recently offered $39 one-way promotional fares.

Superferry officials argue that they will cater to a different kind of customer than the airlines, and that they don't believe the low airfares will last. Regular airfares range above $72 one-way.

One of the keys to the Superferry's success is its plan to allow vehicles onboard with the passengers.

Families wouldn't have to check in their luggage, farmers could load their produce in vans and school buses could bring children on field trips, said Terry O'Halloran, who recently filled a job as public affairs director to help improve communications with critics of the project.

"The interisland ferry is going to connect the islands in a way we haven't ever seen before," he said.

But the Superferry may yet run adrift.

Several lawmakers have threatened to withhold $10 million in harbour improvements because they say the Superferry hasn't adequately addressed some residents' concerns. A lawsuit on appeal to the Hawaii Supreme Court seeks a lengthy environmental review process before the ferry can proceed with its plans.

"Like anything else, you're never going to make everyone happy," said Warren Watanabe, president of the Maui County Farm Bureau and a member of a Superferry advisory panel. "From my perspective, I think they are putting forth their best effort to get everything resolved."
© The Canadian Press 2006

Pali Ke Kua in Princeville

Pali Ke Kua Pali Ke Kua in Princeville, Kauai Pali Ke Kua features: condos with spectacular ocean and golf course views, swimming pool, on-site restaurant, walking distance to the Princeivlle Hotel, and access to secluded north shore beaches.

The sun comes out on Kauai, but the rain left its mark

After what everyone on Kauai was calling 40 days and 40 nights of rain, Easter time on the Garden Island resurrected the sun -- good news to both residents weary of downpours and mainlanders anxious about their summer vacations. I spent seven days and eight nights traveling around Kauai in mid-April, taking stock of what residual damage visitors might notice, and was relieved at how little there was.

Outside of Kilauea town, where a burst dam caused flooding that killed seven people March 14, the highway once again had a lane open in each direction, although signs slowed the traffic to 15 mph for a brief stretch. The ingenious Kamalani Playground and the main swimming lagoon at Lydgate Beach Park, which had been closed because of rain-related sewage overflow, were busy again with children and snorkelers, respectively. The Kauai Marriott's sprawling pool, briefly inundated with red mud in March from a buried creek that suddenly resurfaced, was as inviting as ever.

But nature had also inflicted a few wounds that clearly needed more time to heal.

During my Easter visit, the flood-muddied waters near Kilauea Bay were not the only ones raising concern among locals. In front of the Marriott, Kalapaki Beach -- which health authorities had closed briefly -- still had a noticeable brown stripe along the shoreline, dissuading some swimmers. Some of the sands around the Kamalani Kai Bridge and the keiki lagoon at Lydgate remained closed due to contamination, while enough plant debris bobbed in the main lagoon to make me wonder why the snorkelers bothered.

The waters of famous Poipu Beach on the south shore were cleaner, but half the parking lot was inundated. Hanalei Bay, Anini Beach and Salt Pond State Park also showed, to a lesser extent, the murky effects of rain-driven runoff. Fortunately, the sun was starting to evaporate Poipu's broad puddles, while beach watchers believed a few days of big waves could clear out the lingering debris.

Time alone won't clean up the first floor of the Marriott's Ha'upu Tower, a victim of the pool flood. Not knowing anything about the damage, friends of mine staying on the tower's second floor the week before Easter found their room's musty scent unbearable and asked to be switched to another room. (The hotel wisely put them on a higher floor.) The Marriott already had a major parking-lot reconstruction project in process when I last visited in December, which the heavy rains have hardly expedited.

But one thing island communities know how to do is pull together. Lydgate's Hawaiian-themed Kamalani Playground, for example, was built by 7,000 volunteers in 1994; thousands more returned in 2000-01 to create the mazelike Kamalani Kai Bridge. Many also donated their time for an Earth Day park cleanup as well as in the immediate aftermath of the heaviest rains, and are now busy planning expanded sports fields, a new arts pavilion and a campground (for details, see www.kamalani.org).

Helping hands: I stumbled across another example of lokahi and laulima (unity and cooperation) -- and some California connections -- on Kauai not far from the scene of the fatal reservoir flood.

Anyone who's turned off the highway into Kilauea to head to the lighthouse or Kong Lung Shopping Center has passed tiny Christ Memorial Church, a native stone building in a small churchyard with crumbling tombstones. Inside the Episcopal church, consecrated in 1941 on a former Hawaiian Congregational Church site, are beautiful stained-glass windows made in England, and a locally hand-carved wooden altar. The doors are usually open during daylight hours so visitors may pop in for photographs (or prayer, although the former seems more common).

Unfortunately, the little church's roof, the stained-glass window behind the altar and the altar itself are all in need of repair, and the small congregation (currently seeking a rector) can't afford the upkeep on its own.

Enter Laurel Lemons, a jeweler from Covina (Los Angeles County) who moved to Kauai about two years ago. She's not Episcopalian, but something about the picturesque place of worship spoke to her -- "It was just so pretty," Lemons says -- and she wanted to help.

What she came up with benefits the church, her fellow artisans and even Kilauea, often given short shrift by tourists busy heading to the lighthouse or nearby Secret Beach. Lemons created a Thursday craft fair on the lawn and porch of the parish hall, just across Kolo Road from the church. The artisans pay a fee for their tables, which goes to the church repair fund; the vendors, primarily from the north shore, get another venue for their wares, and the town gets another reason for a detour.

I visited on the craft fair's first day after several weeks of being rained out, when some of the usual vendors were at another show on Oahu, but the handful who were there displayed distinctive, high-quality work that you'd be unlikely to find in Hilo Hattie's or a hotel gift shop.

Teena Manes of Aloha Shells designs ornaments and wall hangings using the translucent capiz shell, with images of marine life courtesy of Wyland; Mary Felther makes glass, coral and shell necklaces and earrings, and covers small boxes with locally collected shells; Kirsten Westrip crochets leis and jewelry. But I confess I had the most fun browsing through Denise Tjarks' handbags, in vintage aloha, mod and contemporary fabrics. (Can't make it to Kauai? You can see some of her kicky wares at denisetjarks.com.)

Tjarks recently moved from Honolulu to Kauai, but she has a Bay Area connection, too. It's not the kind most of us would want: She recently spent five months in Palo Alto with her husband, who was receiving bone-marrow transplants at Stanford University Hospital. But, she says, "We love San Francisco -- they'd encourage us to get out of the hospital whenever he could and we would just drive around the city, which is beautiful."

I had my own beautiful drive to attend to -- we were heading north to meet friends in Hanalei -- so sadly, I didn't have time to linger over Lemons' table of jewelry or those of the remaining vendors. But I'm grateful that they're supporting one of Kauai's architectural treasures, and I hope other visitors will support them.

The craft fair takes place 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. most Thursdays. For more about the church, which also has a thrift shop, visit www.episcopalhawaii.org or call (808) 828-1825.

Guided by voices: Lenore Horowitz of Atherton also wanted to help visitors and residents of Kauai when she first published her "Kauai Underground Guide" in 1980, giving a portion of the proceeds to children's charities on the island.

Based on the experiences of her family of six (including daughter Mirah, now a co-author) and feedback from renters of their Lae Nani vacation condo, Horowitz's guide is in its 17th edition (Papaloa Press, $12.95). That has meant nearly $100,000 so far to Kauai nonprofits, she says.

The 2004 "Underground" guide is more upbeat and family-oriented than the wisecracking, adventure-oriented "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed," by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman (www.wizardpub.com), but as with the latter, you can get updates online (see www.explorekauai.com). Unique to the Horowitz guide: a five-song CD sampler by noted Hawaiian singer-songwriter Keali'i Reichel. Look for both guidebooks in stores or online.

Hilton headed: In other Kauai news, the former Radisson Kauai Beach Resort near Lihue is getting a $14 million makeover of its 350 rooms and 25-acre grounds, in anticipation of its becoming a Hilton Hotels property this summer. The improvements include new beds, decor and high-speed wireless Internet access in the rooms, and waterfalls, a lava tube slide and a grotto whirlpool spa among the resort's four pools

WAVY.COM - Tonga says tsunami warning system failed

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga Officials in Tonga say a tsunami warning system failed to alert officials after a massive earthquake rocked the sea floor not far from the island nation.
The warning was issued for Tonga and for places as far away as Alaska after the magnitude seven-point-nine quake. Authorities in New Zealand went briefly to high alert. But Tonga says it never got word.
The deputy director of Tonga's National Disaster Office tells The Associated Press the system that should have passed on a warning from a monitoring station in Hawaii malfunctioned. He says Tonga received a notice of the alert cancellation, but not the initial warning.
The alert was lifted after scientists recorded an ocean wave from the quake of less than two feet."

ABC News: Tsunami Warning Lifted After Tonga Quake

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga May 3, 2006 (AP)— A powerful earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, prompting tsunami warnings for as far away as Fiji and New Zealand. But the warning never reached Tonga and was lifted after a tsunami of less than 2 feet.

There were no reports of injuries from the quake or tsunami, and a Tongan official said a few broken windows were the extent of the damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu lifted its warning for all areas within two hours. It said there was no data indicating that the 4:26 a.m. earthquake generated a giant wave.

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake, classified by the U.S. Geological Survey as "major," struck about 95 miles south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 1,340 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. It occurred 20 miles beneath the sea floor.

A warning said it was possible a tsunami could strike Fiji within two hours of the quake and then, an hour later, New Zealand.

But in Tonga, Mali'u Takai, deputy director of the Tonga's National Disaster Office, told The Associated Press a system that should have passed on a tsunami warning from the monitoring station in Hawaii malfunctioned.

"We didn't get a warning, we only got a cancellation. Nobody got a warning through the emergency satellite system in our meteorological office," Takai said. "Judging by the location of the epicenter we would have been caught out without any warning at all because of the system's malfunction."

Takai's comments raised troubling questions about protections in place for inhabitants of the sparsely populated islands scattered thousands of miles across the earthquake-prone region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says its first alert went out 16 minutes after the earthquake but it was not received in Tonga because of a power failure there.

Gerard Fryer, the center's acting director, said "there was problem in Tonga where there was a power outage and they didn't get our initial message."

He said the center needs to work with Tonga to correct the problem. He said he did not know whether the power failure was caused by the earthquake.

Pacific Islands: PINA and Pacific

Wednesday: May 3, 2006


The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled its statewide tsunami advisory at 7:39 a.m. today, reports The Honolulu Advertiser.

Based on all available data, there was no tsunami threat to Hawai'i, the center said.

Some coastal areas could still experience small sea level changes and strong and unusual currents that could begin as early as 11:33 a.m. and last several hours.

Barry Hirshorn, a staff geophysicist, said a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Tonga at 5:27 a.m. Hawaii time appeared to generate a localized tsunami "about a half-meter" high near Tonga.

He said that experts at the center have concluded there is no tsunami damage threat to Hawaii and have not received any reports of damage in Tonga or elsewhere.

The temblor, classified by the U.S. Geologic Service as a "great" quake, struck 95 miles south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 1,340 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. It occurred 20 miles beneath the sea floor.

A police officer in Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, said there were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami. Another officer in Neiafu, 180 miles to the north, said the quake was felt for about 90 seconds.

"It was strong but not long," duty constable Salesi Baongo said. Asked whether the tsunami warning had been received, Baongo said, "No, we haven't heard about it."

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was not known whether the quake generated a potentially deadly giant wave. It issued the warning for Tonga, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis-Futuna, Fiji.

A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, but the warning center said the earthquake, based on historical records, was not sufficient to generate a tsunami damaging to the Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada, and Alaska. Some areas may experience small sea-level changes.

KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire - Tsnunami warning lifted after earthquake

KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire - Tsnunami warning lifted after earthquake: "NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga (AP) - A tsunami warning has been lifted for the South Pacific.

The warning was issued after a magnitude 7.8 quake rocked the ocean bed 95 miles south of the island nation of Tonga. A tsunami warning was issued for New Zealand, some 1,300 miles away.

The warning was lifted after a tsunami of less than two feet was recorded.

An American visiting Tonga told CNN that some stuff had fallen out of shelves and had broken in her hotel kitchen but everything seemed pretty much intact.

A reporter who drove through the city saw no damage to buildings, but inside buildings he could see bookshelves that toppled over. Power in the city was out for about two hours after the quake. "

Tsunami threat subsides after quake : Mail & Guardian Online

A small tsunami was generated off the Pacific islands of Niue and Pago Pago following an 8.0-magnitude quake in Tonga, but the threat to New Zealand and Fiji was subsiding, United States monitors said on Wednesday.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, which issued a warning following the 8.0 temblor that struck at 4.26am local time on Thursday (3.26pm GMT on Wednesday), said a half-metre tsunami welled up in the Pacific but that it did not appear to be destructive.

Earlier, monitors had issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand and Fiji.

There were few early reports of injury or damage in Tonga, although a hotel guest hurt his leg when he jumped from a third-floor window.

"He was the only tourist injured. He jumped from his room, maybe he was afraid," said William Vea, the night receptionist at the Pacific Royale hotel.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had called on New Zealand and Fiji to take immediate action against a possible giant wave caused by the quake.

The epicentre was 155km south of Neiafu island and 160km north-east of Nuku'Alofa, the main island of Tonga, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake was recorded 16km below the Earth's surface, a relatively shallow distance that increases the likelihood of a tsunami.

"We have a tsunami warning for Fiji and New Zealand and for the rest of the Pacific we have a tsunami watch," said Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre oceanographer Nathan Becker earlier on Wednesday evening. "That means a tsunami is likely and New Zealand and Fiji should take the appropriate action."

There was no immediate evidence a tsunami had been generated, although the scale of the quake suggested there was a strong possibility. Becker stressed that it was not known whether a tidal wave had formed or what the expected magnitude of any such tsunami would be.

"We are determining the situation as we have an earthquake with the right conditions to produce a tsunami, but we don't know yet whether one was generated," Becker explained.

The quake was the largest recorded by the USGS since an 8,6 temblor off the Indonesian island of Sumatra in March 2005.

On December 26 2004, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck off the Indonesian province of Aceh, unleashing a tsunami that killed 220 000 people around the Indian Ocean, most in Aceh. -- AFP

Chron.com | Magnitude-8.0 Quake Strikes Near Tonga

Chron.com | Magnitude-8.0 Quake Strikes Near Tonga: "By RAY LILLEY Associated Press Writer
� 2006 The Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand � A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, and a tsunami warning was issued, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
A warning said it was possible a tsunami could hit Fiji and New Zealand. Police in Fiji and Tonga said there were no signs of impact from a tsunami.
Speaking about the time a wave was forecast to reach the islands, police spokesman Mesake Koroi in Fiji's capital, Suva, said there had been no immediate reports of a tsunami.
A police officer in Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, said there were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami.
Another officer in Neiafu, 180 miles to the north, said the quake was felt for about 90 seconds.
'It was strong but not long,' duty constable Salesi Baongo said.
Asked whether the tsunami warning had been received, Baongo said, 'No, we haven't heard about it.'
The temblor, classified by the USGS as a 'great' quake, struck 95 miles south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 1,340 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. It occurred 20 miles beneath the sea floor.
The U.S. National Weather Service warned that a tsunami could strike Fiji as soon as 1:13 p.m. EDT Wednesday and New Zealand by 2:21 p.m. EDT Wednesday.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was not known whether the quake generated a potentially deadly giant wave. It issued the warning for Tonga, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis-Futuna, Fiji.
A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, but the warning center said the earthquake, based on historical records, was not sufficient to generate a tsunami damaging to the Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada, and Al"

Earthquake hits Tonga, tsunami warning issued�|�Reuters.com

Earthquake hits Tonga, tsunami warning issued�|�Reuters.com: "LONDON (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 8.1 hit the Tonga islands, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Web site said on Wednesday and a tsunami warning was issued for Fiji and New Zealand.
The warning said it was not known if a tsunami had been generated by the quake but that any such wave would hit Suva, Fiji, at 1713 GMT and Gisborne, New Zealand, at 1821 GMT.
A warning was also issued for Hawaii in the United States but no destructive threat was seen, according to the Pacific Tsunami Center.
'It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation. An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami,' said the Pacific Tsunami Center said.
The earthquake was at 1526 GMT, said the Web site monitored in London. It was not immediately clear what damage it caused but a report on Sky Television said it was felt in several islands. A resident of Tonga told Sky he felt tremors lasting over 30 seconds.
The earthquake struck 95 miles south of Tonga's Neiafu island and 1340 miles north east of Auckland, New Zealand, USGS said.
The Tonga islands are an archipelago east of Australia and north east of New Zealand.
An earthquake in December 2004 off Indonesia caused a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed more than 200,000 people in several countries."

Major quake reported near Tonga; tsunami warning issued for Fiji, New Zealand

Major quake reported near Tonga; tsunami warning issued for Fiji, New Zealand: "BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near Tonga in the South Pacific, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A tsunami warning was issued for the Pacific basin, including Fiji and New Zealand.
The tremor, classified by the USGS as a 'great' quake, struck about 150 kilometres south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 2,150 kilometres north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. Officials said it occurred at a depth of 16 kilometres.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the tsunami warning but said it was not known whether the quake actually generated one of the potentially deadly giant waves.
A tsunami watch was issued for all other areas of the Pacific basin except for Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California."

NZ tsunami warning cancelled | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz

NZ tsunami warning cancelled | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz: "New Zealand has been removed from the list of countries under threat of a tsumami after an earthquake measuring 8.1 hit the Tonga islands on Thursday.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) Web site had earlier issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific Rim including Fiji and New Zealand.

A tsunami warning was initially issued for Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand but that has since been amended.

It's still not known if a tsunami has been generated, but warnings are still in place for Tonga, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Wallis Futuna and Fiji.
There were initial fears that any tsunami created by the quake would strike Gisborne after 6am.

Gisborne civil defense authorities were making preparations for a possible tsunami strike.

The earthquake was at 2:26am (NZ time), said the Web site monitored in London.
It was not immediately clear what damage it caused but a report on Sky Television said it was felt in several islands.
A resident of Tonga told Sky he felt tremors lasting over 30 seconds.

The earthquake struck 95 miles (155 km) south of Tonga's Neiafu island and 1340 miles (2145 km) north east of Auckland USGS said.

An earthquake in December 2004 off Indonesia caused a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed more than 200,000 people in several countries."

Kauai's Hamura's Saimin will be honored in 2006

Located in a small side road in downtown Lihue, and as famous for the collection of gum under the formica counters, as the fresh noodles and chiffon pie, Hamura's Saimin is about to enter national spotlight as a featured restaruant on May 8th.

The James Beard Foundation will feature Kauai's homegrown Hamura's Saimin restaurant along with eight other restaurants selected to be featured in the America's Classics segment of its prestigious awards show on May 8 in New York City. The restaruant opened in 1951 and remains an island icon for Kauai oldtimers, and a destination for visitors seeking authentic Hawaii experiences and ono local grinds.

The award is given for excellence and "preserving America's culinary heritage and diversity" at what many consider the "Academy Awards for chefs."