Hula Planet:What To Do In Hawaii

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 several board members called for his resignation. Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi was criticized by fellow board members Thursday who claim he has not kept them in the loop on important issues. The University of Hawai'i faculty union on Thursday filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, asking a state court to stop UH President M.R.C. Greenwood from unilaterally imposing salary reductions for UH faculty. A reduction in the cost of caring for Hawaii's senior citizens is creating controversy. The Federal Transit Administration raised concerns last fall that the cost of Honolulu's new commuter rail line could outpace the revenue the city has lined up to pay for it. The board of the state public housing agency selected a replacement yesterday for the agency's executive director in spite of some pleas from community members to keep the popular chief. State labor officials confirmed Thursday that hundreds of hotel workers on Maui will be laid off. State cutbacks have led to the recent loss of 10 staff members at the Kaua‘i District Health Office, according to state Department of Health spokesperson Janice Okubo. Hiring freezes, early retirement incentives and greater use of rainy day funds are among the ways some governments deal with budget emergencies. A newly formed mainland company is hoping to purchase Kona Blue Water Farms Inc.'s offshore operations. The latest trend in renewable energy often looks like a remote-controlled airplane - with a man-sized propellor - mounted on top of a flagpole, but it is as quiet as two people talking in a coffee shop and costs about as much as a used car. Passengers aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Mainland flight that was disrupted by an unruly flier arrived on Maui more than five hours late Wednesday night, tired and happy to finally be on the Valley Isle.

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Air travel smooth, smoking down, whale finally freed, First Family vacations, unions drag feet, more news

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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Lucky we live Hawaii, Legislature hiring, but not partying, DUI checkpoints going up, more news

The holidays give us the opportunity to count our Hawaiian blessings. Where else in the U.S. but in the makai areas of Hawaii can a person harvest pineapples, citrus, mangoes, papayas, bananas and avocados throughout the year and in the mauka areas, enjoy apples, plums, strawberries and pears. Hawaii's recession and sputtering economy have claimed another victim: the state Legislature's opening day celebration featuring lavish parties, floral and musical presentations, and guest lists that choked both chambers. The legislature needs more than 300 employees to work during the legislative session next year. The House and Senate hire extra employees for the session every year, but this year is different because of the bad economy. State harbors officials plan to increase user fees statewide to finance $618 million in repairs and improvement at harbors on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. The Hawaii State Teachers Association said yesterday that teachers are willing to go back to the classroom on furlough days if they are paid to do so, calling into question a portion of Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to restore 27 "furlough Fridays" beginning in January. About 5.5 million tourists visited Hawai'i in the first 10 months of the year, putting the state on track for an annual visitor count of about 6.5 million. Stimulus funds of $35 million have paved the way for a new road on the Big Island. Hawaii is full of extreme sport enthusiasts from big wave surfing to skydiving. One activity that is growing in popularity is base jumping, but it's also extremely dangerous. Six Hawaii Community Correctional Center employees have filed a complaint against the state and their labor union, charging that both violated the collective bargaining agreement in the aftermath of the closing of Kulani Correctional Facility. The search for the successor to Chancellor Rose Tseng is beginning, with seven months remaining before she steps down. Free taxi rides will be offered for the first time to West Hawaii residents as part of county efforts to make the roads safer from drivers who have had too much holiday spirits. Kaua‘i Police Department officers have promised stepped-up efforts to try to make this holiday season free of deaths on the road. A West Hawaii surfing group is poised to file a lawsuit and request a cease and desist notice against the county and a condominium complex for work on a seawall in Kailua-Kona. The Maui County Council Land Use Committee put off a decision on the Hanzawa's Variety Store rezoning Monday, and committee members asked everybody to "cool down." An October letter from the state Historic Preservation Division to the county in support of the makai route for the multi-use path factored into Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s decision Monday recommending the multi-use path on Wailua Beach, a county spokeswoman said Tuesday.

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