BY SEN. SAM SLOM – Lanai Wowee. Last Wednesday I wrote the sale of the Island of Lanai was “imminent.” Before the inkjet dried, the sale was announced that same day. No purchase price (estimate is $500 million). No Bill Gates. The buyer is the 3rd richest man in America, Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corporation. Many ask why the rush to close the sale by today. (How long did it take you to close your real estate deal or refi?)David Murdock, the seller, still retains property and the right to develop the mostly despised windmills. A lot of questions and few answers.
Talk to Randy Roth Tomorrow. Come here and talk to “Broken Trust” co-author, UH law school professor and rail opponent plaintiff, Randy Roth. Roth will keynote the next monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast in the Pineapple Room, Macy’s Ala Moana, tomorrow, Thursday. Call Darlyn at SBH for details and reservations (396-1724)
SOLD! Huge Watson Estate Auction! Saturday, June 30 at Mid Pacific Country Club, 266 Kaelepulu Drive, Lanikai, Kailua. Visit joeteipel.com for info and photos. Call Joe Teipel, 538-1961. Preview Friday, 6/29 – 2 – 5 pm. 271 Kaelepulu Drive, Lanikai, Kailua.
Long, Long Lines. The long lines continue at almost all satellite City Halls because of the federal and state changes in drivers’ license requirements. All the newly required documentation to get or renew your license takes a previous 10-15 minute wait and turns it into an hour or more. Bring all your documents under the REAL program, unless of course you are part of the new, privileged illegal alien class. Then you go to the head of the line.
Pete Martinez. Hawaii lost a friend and supporter last week,Pete Martinez, founder and president of EBizHawaii.comfounded in 1994. Pete was born in San Francisco and graduated from Ohio State University and served 4 years in the Air Force. Before Pete founded EBizHawaii.com he was the owner of Desktop Publishing and Printing in Hawaii; owner of a professional search firm in Columbus Ohio.
Pete was a pioneer in Hawaii and beyond, in the areas of Web Site design, development and marketing. His vast involvement in business and marketing associations here in the islands included memberships and various board positions in HEA, SMEI, Hawaii Society of Business Professionals past president 2004-2005, American Advertising Federation and the Hawaii Science & Technology Council. He was instrumental in helping these trade associations develop their very first websites and internet marketing strategies, which he refined over the past two decades, helping Hawaii’s business community prosper and thrive within a global and ever-changing marketplace. The mark he has left on Hawaii’s business community will be ever-lasting.
He was an avid windsufer, a member of the “Hawaiian Ultra Running Team” and also enjoyed hiking and kayaking.
When Al Gore invented the internet, Pete invented the website.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, June 28 at 5:30 PM at First Park in Kailua (The Park behind Kalapawai Market) – Tents will be visible from the parking lot.
Stephany Sofos: Realtor® and Author. Local commercial real estate and retail expert Stephany Sofos is now a published author. Her new book is, “Untold Stories of a Real Estate Diva” and is now available on Amazon.com for pre-orders..
Food Show Coming. The American Logistics Hawaii Food
Show is coming. Sign up available for ALA Hawaii Show a business-to-business show Wednesday August 22. Local companies will meet one-on-one with key Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) buyers. Sign up for booth space through June 30 or space available basis. The show is at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Mauna Kea Ballroom. Visit the website ALA Hawaii for a more information and a registration form. Cost for a booth is $495 and includes an advance marketing class in July. For Information: Hayley Matson-Mathes, 941-9088 or cell 255-4426
Naked Cow Tasting? One-night-only opportunity at Chef Mavrorestaurant on Friday, June 29 to meet the talented women of Waianae’s Naked Cow Dairy including cheesemaker Gida Synder; enjoy a fun photo op with “Top Cow” Pickles; and a farm-to-table dinner that will include a cheese plate of five unique made-on-Oahu cheeses. The “Naked Cow Tasting” of five cheeses (with optional wine pairings) will be included in the 6-course menu and offered with the 3- or 4-course menus as a substitution or a la carte. View all details of the restaurant’s flexible menus on the website by clicking here.
“Supporting Naked Cow Dairy is a natural. Buy local, you’ve got the best ingredients and our farmers succeed.” comments Chef Mavro.
George Mavrothalassitis, a founding member of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, holds the James Beard Award, a lifetime achievement and the top culinary honor in the U.S. The restaurant has earned numerous other accolades from critics including the 2012 American Automobile Associations (AAA) Five Diamond award; the only restaurant in Hawaii with Three Toques (18/20) and a spot on the “2012 Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.” Gayot. Wine Spectator recognized Chef Mavro as one of the eleven “most important French chefs working in America” along with Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Daniel Boulud, and other culinary masters.
The restaurant is open Tuesday-Sunday. (808) 944-4714. Reservations can be confirmed online 24/7 at www.chefmavro.com. Updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Take a Kid. The Pacific Beach Hotel’s award-winningOceanarium Restaurant has been named one of the top 75 kid friendly restaurants in America, thanks to more than 5 million reviews from diners on OpenTable.com during the past year.
Raising Arizona. Can this really be happening in America? The Obama Administration has declared war-or as a blogger has said, “Obama has gone Soviet”-on a sovereign state, Arizona. After Monday’s Supreme Court decision allowing Arizona to “stop and check,” the Feds who refuse to enforce existing immigration laws, notified Arizona that the Federal Government will not only not assist Arizona but that the feds will do everything in their power to have state law enforcement personnel arrested or sued. When is that election?
Gas Prices Down, Except at HECO. Honolulu gasoline prices continue to edge downward weekly and provide some relief. Except for your electric bill. HECO sent out new styled bills but the trend remains the same: cut down and use less electricity and watch your HECO bill continue to climb. Primary reason? The commodity index that tracks a barrel of Texas crude has dipped below $80 per barrel, but HECO buys its oil to run its generators from Asia at more than $140 per barrel. Lucky you live Hawaii! Just think what your monopoly electric bill would be if you had to power a steel-on-steel, inefficient, elevated rail system?
SPJ Awards. This Friday night the annual Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Hawaii media awards will be presented at the Japanese Cultural Center dinner.
Estate Planning. Bank of Hawaii is offering a free, one-day only seminar on estate planning at its Kaneohe Branch on Wednesday, July 11 from 5:30 – 7 pm. Contact a Bankoh branch for a free reservation.
Pro Rail Desperation. The juvenile PR attacks on Ben Cayetano by pro rail supporters using YOUR tax money shows their desperation. They NEVER address the issues of rail (cost, fares, maintenance, iwi) and don’t even answer City Council questions; only personal attacks on the one Mayoral candidate to stand up against the $4 million annual PR effort to convince people this boondoggle is good for us. It’s not working, hence the desperation and shoddy attack commercials.
Rail Lawsuit Fundraiser. Supporters of the citizen federal lawsuit against the $9.03 billion steel rail, are having a fundraiser Saturday, July 21 It will be an evening with food and drink, entertainment, good friends, in a beautiful setting, with fabulous items available to bid on.
Some of the plaintiffs in the case will speak and give you an update on what is happening with the lawsuit.
Time: 6PM – 9PM.
Where: Residence of Jeremy Lam on the water at 5847 Kalanianaole in Niu Valley.
Cost: $100 minimum donation per person. NO TAXPAYER FUNDS USED LIKE THOSE FOR STEEL RAIL!
The Gerbode Foundation will provide a matching grant if they raise $25,000 by the end of July. Your tax deductible donation will help reach this goal and your donation will be doubled! Call Darlyn at 396-1724 for more information.
SCOTUS on Obamacare Tomorrow. The Supreme Court should rule tomorrow, the final day of the current court session, on the Constitutionality of Obama Care. Everyone-including President Obama-expects the Court to find at least part of the intrusive act invalid. But with the Supremes, you never know.
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Senate to Confirm. The Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee held a hearing on Supreme Court Associate Justice, Gubernatorial Nominee Richard Pollack, last Tuesday. Yesterday, the same committee heard from Peter Cahill, Maui Circuit Court nominee. The full Senate Special Session will follow tomorrow and Friday. Confirmation for both is expected. That then creates a new vacancy for Pollack’s circuit court seat. That means another special session later this summer. |
Gov Vetoes by July 10. Governor Neil Abercrombie on Monday released a list of 19 potential vetoes. He doesn’t have to veto all the measures on the list but he cannot veto a bill not on this list sent to the Legislature. There were some surprises on his list including extension of the $7.50 per day rental car surcharge, mandatory use of Hawaiian on all documents and the PEO bill. (see www.hawaii.gov for complete list). He has until July 10 to sign, veto or let the bill become law without his signature. The Legislature then has to decide whether it wants to override any of his vetoes by July 10. Highly unlikely in this Blue State love fest.
Final Call for Fireworks at the Bay. HELP! Please help the Moanalua Bay Foundation to raise the final funds for its July 4th fireworks show at the Bay. Individual and corporate support still welcomed.
Swindle at Navy League. Orson Swindle, former Honolulu resident who challenged Neil Abercrombie for Congress twice, and was later named to the Federal Trade Commission, was in town Saturday with wife Angie, Pacific islands development specialist. Orson accepted a top award for U.S. Senator John McCain (Swindle’s POW “neighbor” in Hanoi) from the Navy League of Honolulu’s 2012 American Patriot Dinner. The League also honored Outrigger Hotels’ Mrs. Mildred Courtney.
Be at the Capitol Saturday. The Rally For Religious Liberty at the State Capitol, will be held this Saturday, June 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. Live Music and speeches about religious liberty. See you there.
Milton Friedman Dinner. SBH will join the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii (GRIH) and Hawaii Reporter on Tuesday, July 31 to co-sponsor a 100th birthday tribute to Nobel Economist Milton Friedman. It recognizes the centennial birth of one of the greatest free market economists.
Hawaii Reporter on the Air. Go to www.HawaiiReporter.comfor the real investigative news. HR, founded by Malia Zimmerman, continues to break major investigative stories that most of the media won’t touch. Tune in to KHVH every week day now at 7:05 am to hear Malia’s report.
Become an SBH Member. Is YOUR business a member of SBH? No? Lots of benefits. Strong networking organization. Call Darlyn today (808-396-1724) or go online towww.smartbusinesshawaii.com.
Want more local business information? Please visit the several SBH websites at:: www.smartbusinesshawaii.com, www.educate808.com and www.sbhfoundation.org.
Celebrating a business milestone? Your business press releases are welcome in the weekly SBH News & Views E-News which reaches more than 10,000 business owners and government leaders in Hawaii.
What? Not receiving your copy? Send PR, additional requests and email address to SBH@lava.net or call Darlyn at 396-1724.
SBH can help you with YOUR business. Just starting a business? Call me personally for help at 396-1724 or email: SBH@lava.net. Smart Business Hawaii Means Business and we’re here to help you.
The Grassroot Institute annually sponsors a recognition for Friedman. This special dinner event reflects the special nature of this year's event. Having a buffet at Camp Smith-with its spectacular panorama views of Honolulu and awesome sunset.
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