2004
The Hawaii Superferry starts laying the foundation of its business by agreeing to purchase two catamaran vessels. Even the U.S. House appropriates some money for ferry service between Hawaii and Alaska. Late 2004, we begin to hear complaints that of industrialization and congestion on Maui.
2005
Early in the year, the request for an environmental impact statement arises. (more…)
Maui Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza ruled that the Hawaii Superferry would not be allowed to operate until an environmental assessment has been completed. Keep in mind that it could take months to complete these assessments. Based on Chapter 343 of the State’s environmental law, an environmental assessment is required.
To add to that, the operating agreement between the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Hawaii Superferry is invalid and as a result, the vessel cannot use port facilities statewide. Ouch!
Superferry president and CEO John Garibaldi issued the following statement regarding the Maui court ruling today:
“Obviously, we are disappointed. While the ruling is a loss for Hawaii Superferry and our employees, it is a greater loss for the state of Hawaii.” (more…)
With Hawaii Superferry losing more than $650,000 per week you would think that they would hurry it up a bit. But I guess you can’t rush decisions like this, can you?
Forget the fact that a local business is reportedly getting deeper in debt daily and may consider leaving the islands.
Forget the fact that the monopoly on inter-island cargo carriers will resume should the Hawaii Superferry leaves.
Forget that 90% of 300 workers will get laid off if the boat is tied up for the environmental assessment. Just think of all those people who left jobs to support the ferry. (more…)
Several months ago, I had the opportunity to attend a domestic violence seminar at a local church on the Windward side (Kaneohe). The guest speaker, Reverend Al Miles, had just released a book that talked about this issue. There was so much that I got out of that seminar, but with this first piece, I wanted to talk how it all begins.
The statistics:
- 85 – 90% of victims are women
- Over 90% of perpetrators are male
- 3-4% are women perpetrators abusing men
A photo of Kobe Bryant emerging from their first three-hour practice splashes the Sports section of the Honolulu Advertiser.
The LA Lakers will be in Honolulu for the next nine days as they begin their pre-season training. Held at Iolani School gym due to a scheduling conflict at the Stan Sheriff Center, practices are closed to the public. (more…)
Just to let you know, not everyone in Hawaii knows how to do this. Despite Hawaiians being notorious for surfing, tandem surfing requires strength, skill and balance that only the best “watermen” and “waterwomen” have. You’ll have to know how the wave breaks and figure out your body position. As if surfing wasn’t hard enough?!?!
Surfing pioneer, Duke Kahanamoku (1890 – 1968) originated the sport by entertaining thousands of tourists in Waikiki at Queen’s beach. Now, the sport is gaining popularity internationally. Held in places like Australia and Europe, people all over the world are beginning to take notice of tandem surfing.
The International Tandem Surfing Association (ITSA) recently held the finals of their 2007 World Tandem Tour (WTT) at Waikiki. Kalani Vierra and Blanche Yoshida, crowned the 2007 WTT champions displayed phenomenally acrobatic moves that clearly distinguished them above the rest.
Think you’re cut out to try tandem surfing watch this clip on YouTube to see if you’ve got the skills to compete!
tandem surfing, Duke Kahanamoku, Waikiki, International Tandem Surfing Association, ITSA, 2007 World Tandem Tour, WTT, Kalani Vierra, Blanche Yoshida, YouTube
Loving unconditionally is something we all want as a part of our quality of life, but yet sometimes, it seems so far out of reach. Where is this love coming from and where can we find it?
The truth is that it is already within us whether or not we actually use it. Sometimes we just need some help to bring it out.
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole - best known for his song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow” is one of the few Hawaii recording artists to have their music go nationwide. His wife, Marlene, talks about their love in this interview with the Honolulu Advertiser - a local newspaper.
The message may not be too much about Hawaii’s music or about Hawaii’s culture specifically, but you get an idea for the kind of love that can produce such great songs. Check out what she has to say.
unconditional love, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Marlene Kamakawiwo’ole, Honolulu Advertiser
Talk about coming out of the closet! My mother is totally into the Bows even staying up late to watch their games! This woman religiously goes to bed at 9:00 pm (well, because she get’s up at like 3:30am), but for the UH Rainbows, she’ll stay up late into the wee hours of the morning!
Today, the UH Rainbows face UNLV at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. With a current (2-0) record this season, UH is making a great start. A couple of weeks ago, there was video clip posted on this site that talked about the Bows stopping the performance of their “haka” dance. Well, that was incorrect!
I just read in the paper today that they are continuing to perform the pre-game ritual (they did it at last week’s game against LA Tech). On top of that, they are now being penalized for doing the “haka” – they received a 15-yard penalty at LA Tech’s game and they expect the possibility of being penalized today as well. Ok, UH as long as you win!
No matter what the Bows are going to do, my mother will be there in full support! Maybe this season, we’ll actually go to a game.
I just read in the paper this morning that Wal-Mart is going to use a new slogan, “Save Money. Live Better.” They’re leaving “always low prices” to add a more personal touch to their advertising campaign. After more than 19 years of “always low prices”, it’s probably time for a change and Wal-Mart is well prepared to do just that.
Wal-Mart has really become a part of family life for many people. Much like McDonald’s endearing connections with families, Wal-Mart has the potential to have that same type of connection with household goods. That’s still in the shaping, BUT this new campaign slogan will certainly help form those connections.
Check out these video clips from Wal-Mart! I think the idea is “catchy” and will definitely impact the hearts of families!
Wal-Mart Save Money. Live Better.
Wal-Mart Road Trip Commercial
Wal-Mart Cars Commercial
Wouldn’t it be cool if Wal-Mart personalized commercials by locale? For example, seeing a Hawaii themed commercial would be cool, don’t you think?
Wal-Mart, walmart, save money live better, always low prices, McDonald’s
Here’s the low down on the Superferry’s new policy on “whale avoidance”.
Vessel Design:
1. Vessels have hulls the minimize the area that can strike whales
2. Vessels use water-jet propulsion; not propellers to eliminate cutting whales
3. Vessels have the ability to turn, slow and stop quickly to avoid marine mammals
Operations during Whale Season:
1. Avoid waters less than 600 feet deep when possible
2. Slow speed of boat to 25 knots or less in that depth
3. Take routes that avoid whale-dense areas
Staff and Equipment:
1. Two dedicated whale lookouts in addition to bridge crew
2. Image-stabilized binoculars, laser range/bearing finders, night-vision systems, front-facing cameras on each hull
Maneuver Procedures:
1. Actively seek and identify whales ahead of the vessel
2. If a whale is sighted within 500 meters, change course until the minimum distance of 500 meters is kept
3. If whale appears suddenly in the path of vessel, execute emergency maneuvers to avoid whales while considering vessel and passenger safety
With all this in place, people are still saying that this is not enough to ensure that whales will not be hit during operation. As it stands, during the past whale season, there were six vessel-whale collisions from other vessels that run during “whale watching” season. The fisheries recommend slowing the vessels to 13 knots. Additionally, the Department of Transportation has research that shows that whales hit by boats at 17 knots are 90% fatal.
Some of the prime areas that you can spot whales in the islands are on the south east shores of Oahu and on the south shores of Maui. Apparently, Hawaii is a calving ground for humpback whales. As a result, juvenile and whale calves are more likely to get hit because they spend a lot of time at the surface of the water.
This is a great first step by the Superferry to protect the whales, however, it is by no means the end. There’s still the people factor involved. They’ll have to train their teams to be involved in the process and that can take time despite any policy created.
Photos courtesy of NOAA via pingnews.
Hawaii superferry, whale avoidance policy, whale watching season, oahu, maui
So what do we do here? Body surfing! Well, I don’t body surf. I don’t even swim very well, BUT many people here do!
Check out what it’s like with this YouTube clip.
The heartbeat of Hawaii is more than just a thought. It encompasses much more like lifestyle, feelings and the Aloha Spirit. Just as any city has its own special flavor that makes it unique, the heartbeat of Hawaii describes the uniqueness of our island home.
Why is this important? Because it tells you what the people of Hawaii are like. What are their concerns? What are their passions? What influences them to do what they do?
We are a modern Hawaii. The grass huts and girls in grass skirts aren’t really around anymore. They’ve given way to concrete high rises, hybrid automobiles and all the modern facets of urbanization. There’s a Starbucks in just about every town on Oahu and soon, we’ll be seeing Walgreen’s.
Despite the modernization of Hawaii, the heartbeat lives on. That’s something that is timeless. It brings back feelings of nostalgia, but at the same time leaves you with a feeling of awe when you walk through the doors of Ko’olani.
Think you have a clue to what the heartbeat of Hawaii is all about? Tell me about it. I’d love to hear from you!
What is the Heartbeat of Hawaii? Is this one of those vague questions that really has no answer?
While the clip you’ll see below doesn’t take place in Hawaii, is this what is the “heartbeat of Hawaii”?
Just what is the heartbeat of Hawaii and what does it mean to you?
This was surely an eventful morning for my kids and me. They just finished making their breakfast when we heard it. Zzzzzt! Everything shut down - power outage. As many people do, I went outside to see what was going on. Like that’s going to tell me anything?!? Why do people do that anyway? After a few seconds of looking around, I went back into the house wondering if I forgot to pay my bill.
Meanwhile, my kids on the other hand, are grinning cheek to cheek. “Does this mean we don’t have school today?” Terror struck me! I have a deadline to meet today. There’s no way I’m going to make it if they stay at home. My kids begin to talk amongst each other planning their day at home. Cheerful chattering fills the room.
As a mom, I’ve got to take control of the situation! Super Mom! Yeah, that’s me. After all I owe it to them to not let their hopes get too high on this one. There’s no way they can stay home today.
Nervously, I search for the electric company’s hotline number. “Please let this not be about my bill!” Anxiety fills my heart. Okay, here’s the phone number. As I listen to the recording, I hear power outages are reported in my area! Yippee! I’m on cloud nine now. There really is an outage. Now I have to figure out what to do with the kids.
Slowly, I approach them and sit. “You know boys, sometimes schools have generators that keep the school running.” My older son quickly replies, “I don’t think our school has that.” I know by now that I’m bumming their trip. “Let’s just see what’s going on in school. We’ll drive by and if no one is there, we’ll leave.” Silence. They know exactly what that means. Slowly, they pick up their bags and head towards the car.
As we approach the school it seems as though it’s business as usual. My older son tells me that his classroom door isn’t open yet as a subtle way of saying that I’m not in the clear. As they get out of the car, I tell him that he can call me if the school shuts down. He mumbles, “yeah” and walks off without saying goodbye. Okay. He’s not happy. My younger son is oblivious to everything at this time. He can stay at home or be in school. He’s just happy to be doing something. Okay, at least he’s not mad. I’ll make it up to my older son tonight. We’re eating at Curry House for dinner - his favorite place.
Well, the power was back on within an hour – thank goodness HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company) was on it. I still don’t know what exactly happened, but at this point, it doesn’t matter because I’ll meet my deadline and the kids are in school. Problem solved. Life goes on despite power outages.
Yup! Today’s the day we celebrate being admitted as a State of the Union. How did we spend it? It’s was a holiday for some. Well, I worked today – it’s a holiday only for some employees. For the private sector folks, it’s a normal day in Hawaii. Happy Admissions Day Hawaii!
But I did find out the Dog the Bounty Hunter did not get released from his bond. It remains intact by a U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren. This was for capturing Andrew Luster in Mexico three years ago. I’d be kind of curious to find out why he wasn’t released. I also found out he wrote a book, “You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.” Interesting…
I also did come across an article on the web saying that Hawaii was not really a state of the union. Also, interesting… I guess that’s something that could be pursued, but compared to Dog the Bounty Hunter’s story, Dog wins out.
Like I said Happy Admissions Day Hawaii!
About Honolulu, HI focuses on the people who make experiencing Hawaii better! Hawaii, with its exquisite beauty and charm, is an excellent place to visit and an excellent place to live. In this blog, you’ll find out about Hawaii local events, Hawaii’s great dining and shopping as well as the latest news about what’s going on in Hawaii, but you’ll also find that this Hawaii blog is a lot about the people that you’ll meet everyday. You’ll also find useful Hawaii resources for locals and visitors alike. Have fun and get to know Hawaii by getting to know the people of Hawaii!
Honolulu, HI Author(s)
» Coreen-Nishijo
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