Hula Planet:What To Do In Hawaii

What to do in Honolulu/Oahu Memorial Day 2010

National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific (Punchbowl) Whether you’re a visitor to Oahu or an island resident, you’ll find plenty to do this Memorial day in Honolulu. Here are some suggestions of how to honor the day in meaningful ways: Visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific , also known as Punchbowl. This peaceful and somber site is a must visit in my opinion. On Memorial Day, Boy Scouts place a lei on each grave. If you can time your visit for 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 31, you can catch the 61st annual Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony. In addition to the impressive memorial, you’ll also find an tremendous view of Honolulu.Parking will be limited during the ceremony. (See our photo set from various visits to Punchbowl.) See the Arizona Memorial – Though there aren’t any specific events, visiting this memorial is certainly a worthy way to honor Memorial Day. I highly recommend that you get there early in the morning. Be prepared for your visit by reading Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor . Tour the USS Missouri - This retired battleship is also known as the Mighty Mo and also makes a great place to visit to honor the day. See my article with advice for touring the Mighty Mo . See the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor - This museum showcases aircraft that has been important to the US military history. See the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Pearl Harbor – The USS Bowfin was an attack vessel in WWII. The Bowfin was dubbed the Pearl Harbor Avenger. See the annual Lantern Floating Ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park. “The ceremony remembers those who gave their lives in conflict, allows for reflection on the memories of loved ones and dedicates prayers for a peaceful and harmonious future. Just as the waters of the Pacific merge with each ocean, the wish for peace and happiness extends from Hawaii across the globe.” This event will be held Monday, May 31, 2010 at 6.30 p.m. on Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park. For more information see this link. Here’s a short YouTube video describing the significance of lantern floating. © 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 .

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Business secrecy bill advances, Legislature sends fuel tax bill to governor, Save Our Schools ends protest, Hansen’s disease settlement only land…

Listeners swayed and tapped toes to the rhythms of the Royal Hawaiian Band yesterday, enjoying a 174-year-old tradition of free music that some lawmakers say might be too costly to continue. A proposal to keep thousands of complaints filed against Hawaii businesses secret has been resurrected by the legislature this year without one public hearing. The state House and Senate yesterday gave final approval to an increase in the barrel tax and a measure to halt a state plan to close eligibility offices on the Neighbor Islands that help the poor. A bill to drastically raise the state tax on a barrel of oil dribbled out of the Legislature yesterday, but faces an uncertain future. Lawmakers have made a move to block streamlining and layoffs at the Department of Human Services Pau. That's word from the group protesting school furloughs. Members of Save Our Schools Hawaii, or S.O.S., have been camping out at the governor's office since last Wednesday. The past week of heavy rain created a mudslide and serious damage to a footbridge on the "pali trail," which forced the National Park Service on Tuesday afternoon to close the only land route to the Kalaupapa Hansen's disease settlement, which remains accessible by plane or boat. Former Honolulu City Councilman John Henry Felix has agreed to pay a $50,000 administrative fine to settle claims that he violated campaign financing laws, the highest amount ever paid to the state Campaign Spending Commission by a political candidate. Verizon Wireless recently submitted an application to the Hawaii County Planning Department for approval to build a 54-foot cell tower behind Parker Ranch Shopping Center in Waimea. Sticking to his promise in 2008, shortly before leaving office because of term limits, former Maui County Council Chairman Riki Hokama is making his return to politics. A brush fire Wednesday morning scorched some five acres of former sugarcane lands across from the old Kekaha sugar mill.

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Thousands "Just Go With It" and audition, Hulihee Palace opens years after earthquake, cockfighting debate in Legislature, man gets 20 years…

Ringed rice coral appears strikingly modest for a species that is caught in the struggle over greenhouse gas emissions. Failing to implement “common-sense measures” and neglecting to secure an incidental take permit to help mitigate the deaths and injuries to rare native seabirds led conservation groups to file a lawsuit last week against Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, court documents show. State lawmakers are again looking to raise the barrel tax on petroleum products to finance food and energy security programs, but this year there is a twist: most of the new revenue could initially help reduce the state's budget deficit. About 200 Chinatown residents gathered at the Sun Yat Sen Cultural Center on Kukui Street yesterday to show their opposition to a proposed city project for chronically homeless people. Thousands of people turned out in Maui for a chance to appear in the Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston movie "Just Go With It." The prospect of being an extra in the upcoming Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston movie "Just Go With It" drew people like locusts Saturday to the Lipoa Center in Kihei. It was a tribute to a trailblazer. A distinguished crowd turned out in downtown Honolulu Sunday afternoon to celebrate the life of the late congressman and broadcaster Cec Heftel. Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, but the practice continues in Hawaii. State lawmakers on Monday are expected to consider a resolution that recognizes the cultural, financial and historical aspects of the activity without making it legal again. Animal rights groups are protesting a resolution before Hawai‘i lawmakers supporting the recognition of cockfighting as a cultural activity. The Hawaii County Council will be sharpening its pencils next week, as the Finance Committee goes line-by-line over Mayor Billy Kenoi's spending plans for the fiscal year that starts July 1. It's an age-old problem: You move into a new place, and none of your old stuff looks right in it.Hawaii County's solution: Spend another $400,000 on furniture and window treatments on top of the $24.6 million already spent to renovate the County Building on Aupuni Street. New energy-efficiency building standards Hawaii County plans to start enforcing in May will be expensive, possibly unnecessary and may outlaw common home designs, says Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason. An Ocean View man convicted of manslaughter for shooting and killing an intruder was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison. Shoes and slippers lined Hulihee Palace's entryway Saturday as residents and visitors meandered about the 172-year-old royal vacation home taking in its history and beauty for the first time since the museum closed its doors to the public more than three years ago. With the housing market still wobbling like a Front Street reveler on Halloween, West Maui continues to have a glut of market-priced homes. Jean Souza, the Kaua‘i programs coordinator for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, said she received a call from Kaua‘i police dispatch reporting calls of a whale being born in the harbor. Hawaii is in a position to develop as a model for holistic care in the new health care reform movement, says Shirley Otis-Green, a national authority on palliative care.

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Hawaii Vacation Deals & News for March 4, 2010

Here’s the latest batch of Hawaii deals on the horizon. * Maui’s Kapalua Villas resort condominiums are on sale with Outrigger Resorts, the new property management company. You can book a 1-bedroom fairway-view villa for $199 plus a $25 resort fee per night. With this rate, you’ll also receive $150 resort credit. This deal is valid for travel dates through December 21, 2010. For more information on this deal, click here. Kapalua is a Maui fabulous resort that we absolutely love. * The 2010 Hawaii Entertainment Book is on sale for 50% off plus free shipping through March 14th. The sale price is $17. Click this link to read more and order your book . As we have previously discussed, the Hawaii Entertainment Book can quickly pay for itself if you are going to Oahu. To review that discussion, see this post, Hawaii Entertainment Coupon Books – Worth the price? * US residents, don’t forget to enter the One Million HawaiianMiles Sweepstakes . Speaking of Hawaiian Airlines, you can sign up for a 10% off e-certificate that you can apply towards flights booked by March 14, 2010 for travel dates valid through December 15, 2010. . * My blog pals at The Right Blue described their experience with Hawaii’s major tsunami warning over the weekend. It’s a captivating read. * Lately, I’ve enjoyed reading a blog for the National Parks of the Pacific Islands that covers all kinds of interesting history and facts about the national parks of Hawaii as well as other Pacific islands. Check it out here . © 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 .

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Visiting Thurston Lava Tube

Did you know that on the Big Island of Hawaii. you can

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NFL Pro Bowl 2008 National Anthem Chinooks Flyover Hawaii

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Monk seals in peril, NOAA grant to aid marine research, PUC in dispute, honked horn sets off deadly McDonald’s drive-through crash, more news

The 2009 Hawaiian monk seal breeding season produced the fewest pups in at least 10 years as the highly endangered marine mammal species continued its slide toward possible extinction. A $1 million-a-year grant has been awarded to the University of Hawaii Kewalo Marine Laboratory for five years by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work with Pacific islanders on land-sea interactions and damage to coral reefs, recreational and fishery resources. High-ranking military officials opened a gate separating Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station Pearl Harbor yesterday, starting the process of combining management support at their installations. A dispute within the three-member Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission threatens to compound problems at the agency, which is already slow at making decisions because of staff and budget cuts. A honked horn appears to be what set people off in a McDonald's drive-thru, leading to a crash that killed a young woman Sunday. Water tanks are running dry, lawns are turning brown and the scant rain that has fallen this month is doing little to help. A mobile medical van could be serving South Kona and Ka'u residents within months, following 10 years of effort by state Rep. Bob Herkes. With a high cost of living and a tiny economy of limited job prospects, survival on Lanai has never been easy. Dog owners have only one option when it comes to a place where they can throw Frisbees with their best friends.

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Premier Hawaiian Explorer Tour

Escorted Tours - Hawaii 8 Days From $2,185 pp, do Promo Code:V104864 A fun combination of the thriving natural scenery of Oahu, Hawaii and Maui, plus an authentic luau with cocktails and entertainment! Hawaiian Explorer Tour Includes Oahu Sightseeing tour of Honolulu including Pearl Harbor and the unforgettable Arizona Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hilo and Kona Maui Visit Iao Valley State Park and Iao Needle Kaanapali Beach Spend three relaxing days in paradise 7 full breakfasts 2 lunches - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Lahaina 1 dinner at hotel 1 specialty dinners at a local restaurant in Waikiki Farewell Hawaiian Luau Dinner with wine and cocktails on Maui Call 1-800-330-8820 to book your Escorted Tours or click here for reservations . Special subject to change without notice. Certain restrictions apply. Not responsible for errors or omissions. TravelWizard.com: Specialists in the Art of Travel: Call 1-800-330-8820

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Monster surf continues, education official visits, Pearl Harbor attack remembered, more Hawaii news

More monster waves are forecast today for O'ahu's North Shore, where thousands fought traffic and battled for parking yesterday to catch the kick-off of a swell that brought surf of up to 40 feet. Monster waves drove several people to Red Cross shelters and drew thousands of onlookers to Oahu's North Shore, creating bumper-to-bumper traffic between Haleiwa and Waimea Bay, where many hoped to see a premier surfing event. Some of the biggest names in tow-in surfing are expected to return today to the legendary "Jaws" surf spot, where wave heights could top 50 feet. The northern shores of all Hawaiian islands remain under a high surf warning that has been extended through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The Keawaula portion of Kaena Point State Park was closed Monday due to high surf conditions, according to officials at the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). The decision was made upon the recommendation of Ocean Safety lifeguards. Baldwin and Hookipa beach parks closed shortly after 8:30 a.m. Monday because dangerously high surf and shore breaks posed unsafe conditions for beachgoers, Maui County announced. The public wants to hold elected leaders accountable for education in Hawaii, says Gov. Linda Lingle, renewing her push to change Hawaii's educational structure. A top federal education official told parents yesterday to keep the pressure on for a solution to teacher furloughs, but also said the crisis could be used as an opportunity to improve quality at some of the state's poorly performing public schools. Dozens of survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Monday solemnly remembered those who died in the aerial assault 68 years ago. Headline from 1941 inflames conspiracy theory Hawaii County solid waste officials have responded to complaints about shortened transfer station hours by revising the schedule so more people can dump their rubbish en route to work. Winners of the 39th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival's coffee label, web site and recipe contests have been announced.

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Libraries closing for furloughs, elections chief resigns, Hawaii soldiers headed to Afghanistan, more

Workers at the state's public libraries will take 15 furlough days a year for the next two fiscal years, closing libraries on those days starting Dec. 16. Kevin Cronin, the state's embattled chief elections officer, informed the state Elections Commission yesterday that he intends to resign at the end of the year. President Obama's announcement on Tuesday of a troop surge in Afghanistan comes as Hawaii's Army National Guard prepares to send a unit to the war-torn country. Despite working for nearly two years to eliminate "illegal camping" at Kapi'olani Park, the city finds itself grappling with another homeless encampment there. On the Diamond Head end of Waikiki next to Kapiolani Park, a disabled Laura Lambertson pitched her tent for the night Monday on a strip of land between the sidewalk and Kalakaua Avenue, along with scores of other homeless people. As many as 1,275 new bed-and-breakfast homes could be established on Oahu under certain conditions intended to allow true homeowners to take in additional income to keep their properties. Hawaii's two U.S. senators, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, are in strong support of President Barack Obama's plan to add 30,000 troops to the Afghanistan war. But Hawaii's two House members, Reps Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono, questioned the plan. Oahu law enforcement officials arrested a man they said conned Hawaii banks out of $130,000. Hawaii County farmers who have lost crops to vog and sulfur dioxide emissions can continue applying for low-interest loans from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering more low-interest loans to Hawaii Island farmers whose crops are suffering from the vog, declaring the county as a primary natural disaster for a second time in less than 18 months. A three-day land and air search for Hana residents Carl and Rae Lindquist ended Monday when Maui firefighters conducted a 2-hour search of a streambed and a shoreline near where the couple's battered sport utility vehicle was found Saturday morning. A lawsuit filed in state court demands efforts to widen Kuhio Highway through Wailua be abandoned until an environmental impact statement is completed.

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