Hula Planet:What To Do In Hawaii

Despite increased security at airports following two scares in Detroit, many passengers arriving in Honolulu Sunday said they did not experience any unusual travel delays. The quarantine station at Honolulu Airport is seeing a lot of international passengers arriving with swine flu but no illnesses requiring quarantine or isolation, say Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials. A series of tobacco tax hikes are helping to curtail local sales of cigarettes and cigars. Businesses in Kailua said they have seen a surge in customer traffic since the first family arrived for the holidays. It seems the teachers union, along with blue-collar workers, are dragging their feet in hopes that they can make it to the finish line called the legislative session and make their case before lawmakers that they should not have to take a hit. A whale entangled in fishing gear off of Maui was freed on Christmas Day by rescuers led by the Hawaiian Islands Entanglement Response Team. Whale expert Ed Lyman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary said he believed the team freed the whale of most or all of the material it was dragging, which included an anchor; but that he could not be sure because he didn’t get a chance to look under the animal before it swam away. The Christmas shopping season was a mixed bag for Hilo merchants, some of whom did strong sales, while others are hoping for better business in 2010. As the number of homes in foreclosure grows larger and larger, so do the problems caused by an increasing number of homes sitting vacant, ownerless and uncared for in neighborhoods around Maui. Living in a grass hut, tepee or igloo may not be ideal for most people, but these structures provide the fundamental concepts of sustainable living that have been around “a lot longer than we have,” said architect and sustainability consultant Peter Arsenault.

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1. Whale watchers needed, governor, educators still at odds, fishermen protest, more Hawaii news Anyone who wants to help in this year's whale count can sign up now. Federal wildlife officials were reassessing their work to try to disentangle a humpback whale off West Maui on Christmas Day, and whale expert Ed Lyman said Sunday that he believes the distressed whale will be able to survive its injuries. Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday shot down an agreement between the teachers union and education officials to end most furlough days this school year, saying it was not "fiscally responsible." If the University of Hawaii does not get pay concessions from the faculty union, layoffs and...
2. Surf’s up — way up, humpback whale freed, funeral operator going under, counties struggle with budgets Officials say the big surf has so far caused no major problems on Oahu's North Shore. Wave heights are upwards of 30 feet to 40 feet, with occasional 50-foot sets on outer reefs. Surfers and surf watchers are expected to flood the north and west shores of O'ahu and Maui today in what is being called epic surf that may be the biggest in 40 years. As high surf approaches Oahu, evacuation shelters in Sunset Beach, Haleiwa and Waianae are ready to take in people who live in the danger zones. But on Sunday, not many people were taking...
3. Trains, planes and Superferries, legislative budgets, dead whale and other top Hawaii news of the day The M/V Huakai, the high-speed ferry that never fulfilled its purpose as part of Hawaii Superferry operations last year, will be mobilized for relief duty in Haiti. One of two high-speed catamarans built for Hawaii Superferry is being sent to Haiti to help with relief efforts following the devastating earthquake. A pilot with a Coast Guard C-130 airplane out of Hawai'i who flew into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday said the airport was like "the wild, wild west." Reconsidering a street-level alternative for Honolulu's planned elevated commuter rail line would delay the start of the project by only six months,...
4. El Nino keeps islands hot and dry, civil unions law coming, leadership tiff at BOE, professors fight pay cuts, Mighty Mo is back, more top news With El Nino's influence now in full effect, East Hawaii is experiencing warm, dry weather and heavy vog. And there is little relief on the horizon, according to the National Weather Service. State senators told KITV they expect to approve a civil unions bill shortly after the legislative session starts this month. The "Mighty Mo," the platform for the Japanese surrender in World War II, has returned to its berth in Pearl Harbor to continue serving as a floating national museum. State Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi last night refused to step down from his leadership post after...
5. Superferry may return, more government jobs may be lost, bar owners want smoking back, more news If you thought the Hawaii Superferry issue was gone, you may be wrong. The House Transportation Committee approved a bill yesterday to study a state-sponsored ferry system that would be able to buy at least one high-speed vessel to carry passengers and vehicles between the islands The Army said it plans to look at the environmental impact of basing up to three "joint high-speed vessels" in Pearl Harbor — speedy craft capable of carrying large loads, similar to the defunct Hawaii Superferry's ships. More than 200 state workers who process applications for government assistance programs could lose their jobs,...
6. Honolulu Hale pushing tax hikes, Hawaii renters pay the most, Big Island bans smoking when kids in car, H1N1 hits Maui school, more top Hawaii news A 3-cent increase in the tax on gasoline and a 30-cent hike in the real property tax rate for non-occupant homeowners advanced yesterday as Honolulu City Council members crafted their budget with a wary eye on lawmakers in the state Legislature. After 8 hours of testimony, Honolulu City Council members are still in disagreement over the city budget. At a time when Hawai'i families are weathering pay cuts and job losses, here's more gloomy news: The income needed to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in the Islands rose by nearly $3,000 this year to $64,396 annually — $26,000 more...
7. Obama family snorkles, Big Island land conserved, rat image plagues Chinatown, and more Hawaii news President Barack Obama picked the perfect day to go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. Big Island ranch land that is habitat for endangered native bird species and plants will be protected from development under an agreement between the owners and the Nature Conservancy. Gov. Linda Lingle's aides are expected to meet with education officials this morning to discuss ending teacher furloughs, but the teachers union will not be at the table. An interim replacement for the state's chief elections officer is to be selected by the state Elections Commission. A state judge Tuesday ordered unsealed the State of Hawai‘i portion...
8. Hawaiian Islands Tour $3875 Hawaiian Islands Tour - Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai 12 nights from $3875 pp,do Promo Code:TFGWS The Hawaiian Four Island Tour visit Hawaii's four largest islands: Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii. Pearl Harbor, tropical rainforests, picturesque villages, relaxing beaches, pineapple fields, and volcanoes await you! This tour includes a visit to the Dole Plantation, Volcanoes National Park, the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, the historic whaling town of Lahaina, an authentic Hawaiian luau, a Kona coffee plantation, a cruise up the Wailua River, a visit to visit the famous Fern Grotto, Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial and Downtown Honolulu. Additionally,...