Tag Archive | "holiday"
Top Oahu Festivals to Plan into Your Hawaii Vacation
If you’re hankering to go to Oahu, but not sure when to go, perhaps you’d like to go during one of the many excellent festivals. To help you, I’ve created this handy dandy list of Oahu festivals – which mixes in input from the nice folks at the Oahu Visitor’s Bureau, plus my opinion. Honolulu Festival
Continue reading...Strike looms as Hawaii teachers nix contract, former Gov. Cayetano to run for Honolulu mayor, new stamp bears aloha, new doors stymie Capitol…
Friday, January 20, 2012
Gov. Abercrombie at aloha shirt stamp unveiling (courtesy photo (c) Ricky Li) New aloha shirt postcard stamps depicting Hawaii's beauty and spirit were unveiled Thursday at the main post office at Honolulu Airport. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii public school teachers voted against a six-year proposed contract Thursday, leaving in place a months-long labor dispute with the state. Associated Press. Teachers overwhelmingly voted down a proposed six-year contract Thursday that would have tied wage increases to performance starting in July 2013. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii teachers delivered a stunning message Thursday. By a 2-1 margin, they rejected a proposed six-year deal that had the unanimous backing of union leadership. Civil Beat. Members of the Hawaii State Teachers Association have rejected a proposed six-year contract with the state. About 9,000 of the 12,500 teachers, counselors, and other covered by proposed deal voiced their opinion by voting at polling places around the state Thursday. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii's public school teachers voted overwhelmingly against a proposed contract 67 to 33 percent. KITV4. "The message is clear, they do not want this contract.
Continue reading...Obama ending vacation, same-sex couples wed, Department of Education holds back $34M, Cayetano ponders Honolulu mayoral race, Tripler to fill Oahu…
Monday, January 2, 2012
The 2012 New Year will ring in several new State measures, including Hawaii’s civil unions law. Other measures include a law that provides workplace protections for domestic or sexual violence victims, a law that allows for anonymous filings in a court of law, as well as several new insurance provisions. Hawaii Independent. President Barack Obama and his wife and friends dined at Nobu's Waikiki tonight on the eve of the first family's departure. Star-Advertiser. Same-sex couples make it official as civil unions become legal in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Four Hawaii same-sex couples celebrated civil unions just after midnight Sunday at a party in east Honolulu. Civil Beat. Final decorations are going up at a Hawaii Kai home to celebrate as four local couple’s say "I do" in the state's first civil union's ceremony. KITV4. Public schools and state Department of Education offices tucked away $34.2 million last fiscal year to carry over into this one, as they tried to build up rainy-day funds or save for textbooks, electronics and other purchases, a new report to the state Legislature shows. Star-Advertiser. A special commission that the Legislature created to oversee the distribution of federal stimulus funds has found a mixed bag of results. Tribune-Herald. Though Native Hawaiian eighth-graders have shown improvements in reading and math proficiency, they continue to lag behind their non-Native Hawaiian peers, a new study finds. Star-Advertiser. Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday released more than $63.7 million for capital improvement projects, including $16 million to build student housing at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Pacific Business News. Nearly three years after the Hawaii Superferry suspended its operations, state Rep. Joe Souki hopes to restart discussion about an interisland ferry system with legislation he introduced earlier this year. Maui News. State Roundup for Jan. 2. Associated Press. Innovators and leaders in Hawai`i’s technology sector have been working for more than a decade to bring kama’aina home. The focus is on keeping some of Hawai`i’s best and brightest closer to home. Hawaii Public Radio. Oahu Will former Governor Benjamin Cayetano become Mayor Cayetano in 2012? Hawaii Reporter. Tripler Army Medical Center has agreed to become a trauma center for the treatment of nonmilitary residents on Oahu, providing relief to the Queen's Medical Center, which is the only civilian trauma center on Hawaii's most populated island. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu's special events coordinator has resigned, after an investigation revealed numerous violations of city ethics policies. KITV4. Honolulu fire officials say there were no severe fires started by fireworks New Year's Eve and dispatch calls were down slightly from last year, but they still saw a significant number of illegal aerials. Hawaii News Now. What's open and closed for the New Year holiday. KHON2. Hawaii Occupy Hawaii Island Protesters Gather Near Pelosi's Vacation Resort. Hawaii Reporter. New Year's came and went without a single fireworks-related incident reported in West Hawaii to the Fire Department, as of 11 a.m. Sunday, said West Hawaii Battalion Chief Reuben Chun. West Hawaii Today. Maui Gov. Neil Abercrombie released more than $63.7 million for capital improvements projects, including $7.5 million for Maui projects. Maui News. Maui Visitor Spending, Arrivals Continue Growing. Maui Now. Kauai As the new year was about to begin, council members and Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. reflected on achievements and challenges of the old year and looked ahead to 2012. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Aloha Friday Photo: “Big As A House” Poinsettia Edition
Friday, December 23, 2011
Most of us on the mainland will purchase a poinsettia this time of year for the holidays. We typically care for the small plant indoors for a few months. Then, we’ll thank the plant for its display before sending it on the compost. That’s why it’s so surprising for us visitors when we see large poinsettias bushes growing outdoors in Hawaii. Around this time of year in Hawaii, you’ll see outdoor poinsettia bushes
Continue reading...Kauai’s 15th Annual Festival of Lights
Monday, December 19, 2011
Kauai's Historic County Building in Lihue The Garden Isle of Kauai is all aglow for the Christmas season with their annual Festival of Lights . In its 15th year, Kauai Festival of Lights was created by the community to continue a local tradition that was started more than 50 years ago by Auntie Josie Chansky , a folk artist born and raised on Kauai. For nearly 40 years, Auntie Josie opened her home to neighbors, strangers, tourists – everyone and anyone. People just started showing up on her lawn and then at her door. They wanted to see all the Christmas folk art decorations that she created and displayed on the outside and inside of her home. Auntie Josie’s home became known as “The Christmas House.” Generations of families began making “The Christmas House” part of their holiday traditions to see favorites such as a Christmas tree made of 7,500 green toothpicks, wreaths formed from egg cartons, table decorations constructed with seed pods, and a chandelier fashioned from wire coat hangers. Auntie Josie transformed these humble materials into sparkling treasures. Christmas ornament crafted from a SPAM can. With the grief and passing of Auntie Josie’s husband in 1996, she realized she didn’t have the strength to put up all the decorations herself, Auntie Josie held a garage sale. Luckily, the loss of the “The Christmas House” to the community was recognized and her entire collection was saved by a community member and donated to the County of Kauai. Festival of Lights was born and continues to be run by community volunteers with funding by the County of Kauai, Office of Economic Development, Hawaii Tourism Authority, individuals and private businesses. 2500 toothpicks were used to create this Christmas tree ornament. The Festival of Lights’ treasures have expanded to also include “ Kauai-style ” decorations crafted by local volunteers. Many of the additions are crafted with recycled materials. Festival of Lights runs through December 24at the historic Kauai County Building at 4396Rice Street in Lihue . Visitors can enjoy the Christmas decorations within the Historic County Building between 6:00-8:00 p.m. every Friday-Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, please contact 808-639-8564 or email friends@thefestivaloflights.info . All photos courtesy of the Festival of Lights. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Hawaii preps for Obama ohana, Kauai residents sue Pioneer GMO seed corn company, Abercrombie to release cautiously optimistic budget, union woes…
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Kilauea lava flows into sea USGS courtesy photo Volcanologists on Tuesday mapped the newest ocean entry from the ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano. Tribune-Herald. Kailua residents began bracing for the possibility of a fourth consecutive Christmas visit from President Barack Obama and the first family as activity picked up Tuesday around the beachside compound that's come to be known as Obama's Western White House. Star-Advertiser. Cautiously optimistic. That's the tone Hawaii taxpayers can expect when Gov. Neil Abercrombie releases his budget update Monday. Civil Beat. The National Transportation Safety Board recommendation Tuesday that all states should ban drivers from using any cellphones, including hands-free devices, would be "drastic" and a tough sell in the islands where county restrictions already exist, a key Hawaii lawmaker said. Star-Advertiser. The Legislature passed an anti-bullying law this year, but it wasn't in time to keep Hawaii out of a federal report that names the state as one of four without such a statute. Star-Advertiser. For the last five months the Hawaii State Teachers Association has been making its case before the Labor Relations Board — and in the media — that Gov. Neil Abercrombie violated collective bargaining law when he unilaterally implemented a new contract on teachers in July. Civil Beat. Hawaiian Telcom workers have rejected the company's latest contract offer. Associated Press. State roundup for Dec. 14. Associated Press. Oahu Skies over Oahu are expected to clear this morning as a storm system that prompted a flash-flood watch Tuesday moves to the east, the National Weather Service said. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has approved First Wind and Hawaiian Electric Co.’s plan to construct a 69-megawatt wind farm on the North Shore of Oahu that will be the largest wind-energy project in the state. Pacific Business News. CBS's executive producer for the television series Hawaii Five-O, Peter Lenkov, issued an apology on Tuesday, December 14, 2011, on behalf of the Hawaii Five-0 production unit, to "veterans and members of the Greatest Generation Foundation whom we unintentionally offended when our events coincided." Hawaii Reporter. Local Nisei soldiers who received the coveted Congressional Gold Medal in Washington D.C. last month, will be honored during several celebrations in Honolulu this weekend. KITV4. The city auditor found the city's Emergency Medical Services operation spent $15.7 million in non-holiday overtime costs between fiscal years 2008 and 2010. KITV4. Hawaii Although still without a contractor to clean its dry wells and drainage culverts, Hawaii County safely "weathered" recent rains that drenched much of the island. Tribune-Herald. A reward of up to $30,000 is being offered for information leading to charges against the person or people who destroyed 10 acres of papaya trees in Kapoho this summer. Tribune-Herald. Federal Justice Officials Ignore Questions About Hawaii Pot Minister. Civil Beat. The low bidder for the next phase of the Kaloko Housing project is protesting its disqualification, its president says. West Hawaii Today. Maui Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees left the replacement of former member Boyd Mossman in the governor's hands, after they were unable to reach a decision on the appointment Monday. Maui News. The origin of a fire that knocked out 911 emergency service and caused other communications problems Sunday was unknown Monday, but a Hawaiian Telcom spokesman said all service was restored by 3:15 a.m. Monday. Maui News. Kauai On behalf of more than 150 Waimea residents, attorneys on Tuesday filed a lawsuit in Fifth Circuit Court on O‘ahu against Pioneer Hi-Bred International, a DuPont company. Garden Island. Photovoltaic systems will be installed at 15 Kauai schools at no cost to the State. KHON2. A handful of bills recently introduced by the Kaua‘i County Council may jolt the county’s main revenue generator — real property taxes. Garden Island. An anonymous letter from a county employee takes aim at what is described as marijuana use during the workday by employees who never seem to come up for random urinalysis testing. Garden Island. Lanai When a former employee who became one of David H. Murdock’s most avid supporters sat down with the billionaire owner of Lana'i in July, she created quite a stir among residents when she wrote Murdock was contemplating selling the island. KHON2.
Continue reading...Special Places to Celebrate New Year’s Eve on Hawaii’s Big Island
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
If you’re going to Hawaii’s Big Island for New Year’s Eve, you’ll find festive celebrations that will surely create a memorable evening. Here are some of the top places to welcome in 2012 from the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. * Mauna Lani Bay Hotel’s beachside restaurant CanoeHouse will offer a lovely five-course dinner from 5:30pm until 10pm. (Use this link and scroll to last page to see the menu.) From there, festivities will move poolside for a midnight champagne toast and fireworks. Pricing is $180 per person plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call (808)881-7911. * Fairmont Orchid hosts a New Year’s Eve dinner and party including a dinner and dessert buffet, hosted bar, Hawaiian arts and crafts, moonlit canoe rides, Polynesian fire spectacular, dancing, midnight champagne toast and masks. This celebration will go from 7pm to 12:1 am. Tickets for the dinner and show are $200 plus tax for adults and $125 plus tax for guests under 21. For reservations and more information call (808)885-2000. * Mauna Kea Beach Hotel will offer dinner, entertainment and fireworks. For reservations or more information call (808) 882-5810 . * Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort invite you to ring in the new year at their special New Year’s Eve Luau. The evening includes a luau feast with an imu ceremony plus a countdown of New York’s midnight, which will be at 7pm Hawaii time. The luau begins a 5pm Hawaii Time and goes until 8pm. Pricing is $88 for adults and $40 for kids. Call (808)886-6789 for more information and reservations. * Hilton Waikoloa Village will host a New Year’s Eve celebration from 7pm to 1am in the Monarchy Grand Ballroom. The celebration includes specialty dinner stations, gourmet coffee station, two drinks per person, party favors, midnight champagne toast, midnight countdown, balloon drop and entertainment. Pricing is $129 per adult, $89 for teens and $49 for children ages 5 to 12. Tax and gratuity are additional costs. Reservations are required. Call (808) 886-1234 Extension 54 to reserve. See this link for more information .
Continue reading...Grand Gingerbread Village On Display In Waikiki
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
An amazing gingerbread village is on display at Waikiki’s Sheraton Princess Kaiulani . It’s so dreamy and beautiful, I’d like to move into this village. Wouldn’t you? Sheraton Princess Kaiulani’s Chef Bauer, Pantry Chef Amie Tungpalan, Executive Sous Chef John Hightower and the Engineering Department estimate that they spent over 750 hours designing, constructing and setting up the final art piece. The village stands over 14 feet high and over 24 feet wide. It’s constructed with 225 gallons of icing, 140 pounds of dark chocolate, 50 pounds of white chocolate, and 70 sheets of gingerbread. Chef Bauer created this village to imitate the holiday spirit of quaint mountainside villages of his native country Germany. His creation includes medieval churches, bell towers, train stations, a carousel and a skating rink. Bauer does add a touch of old Hawaii too, with iconic structures including the Kawaihao mission church, the Moana Surfrider and last year’s addition, the Iolani Palace which alone took over six weeks to build. This year, Bauer includes the Aloha Tower as the latest addition to the historical gingerbread landmark creations. ( Source ) This gingerbread village will be on display in the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel lobby through January 2. Here’s a short video that shows photos of the village. (Email subscribers: click here to access the video .) © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Clinton addresses Hawaii APEC, Obama on his way, teacher’s union loses court case, military beefing up, council redistricting maps completed on Oahu,…
Friday, November 11, 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (c) 2011 Sen. Will Espero APEC Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provided the first public comments from a high-ranking official at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, saying America's prosperity is tied to the region and pledging stepped-up economic, diplomatic and military emphasis in the East. Star-Advertiser. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday vowed to expand U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific by building trade ties, reinforcing alliances and continuing to press for democratic reforms in authoritarian nations like China and Vietnam. Associated Press. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday portrayed this week’s meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum here as but the first step in the Obama Administration’s strategy to put new emphasis on America’s diplomatic, economic, and military posture in this region. Civil Beat. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that the United States would expand its role in the Asia-Pacific region. Pacific Business News. Rains held off in rainy Manoa Valley for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 50-minute address on what she called “America’s Pacific Century.” Hawaii Reporter. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the East West Center yesterday. Hawaii Public Radio. Determined to deepen relations with Asia, President Barack Obama is pouring nine days of valued time into a diplomatic mission away from Washington while Congress struggles toward a crucial budget deadline and a doubtful outcome. Associated Press. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Thursday urged China to continue allowing its currency to strengthen, a move that could translate into increased spending by the growing number of Chinese visitors to Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. The European economic crisis is the central challenge to global growth, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Thursday. Pacific Business News. As catastrophic floods overwhelm Thailand, preparation for such disasters and providing relief in their aftermath were prominently discussed today at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Honolulu. Hawaii Reporter. The private-sector side of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation starts today in Waikiki, but registration for the APEC CEO Summit appears to fall short of expectations and past summits, according to the full list of participants. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii politicians and business leaders urged attendees of the Asia-Pacific Business Symposium Thursday to form relationships that will transcend beyond the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this week. Star-Advertiser. In APEC's Shadow: The Pacific People's Economy. Civil Beat. About 1,800 journalists from news organizations throughout the Asia-Pacific region are in Honolulu this week to cover APEC.
Continue reading...Oahu Hotel Deals: Free nights, meals, room upgrades
Friday, November 11, 2011
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Monday, January 23, 2012
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