Child Passenger Safety Week Sep. 17-23, 2017 – Free Car Seat Checks

National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 17-23, 2017 – Free Car Seat Checks Statewide

Oahu
Waipio Shopping Center, Waipahu
94-1040 Waipio Uka Street
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

HART Traffic Advisory 2017: Sep. 17 to 23

HART Traffic Advisory 2017: Sep. 17 to 23

Your Voices Have Been Heard! Parallel Route/Emergency Access Road Update

On 09/19/17, the Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board voted against the proposed Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR) extension from Puu Heleakala park to Door of Faith Church’s driveway on Haleakala Avenue.

Based on this and opposition from the community, I will:

• Recommend that DHHL uses the $9m secured by me, Councilwoman Pine and Rep. Gates to pursue something along the lines of what they identified as the “4th alternative” (see map below). That is, a road which goes above the Homesteads, and starts to form a parallel route for daily use.
• Seek funding to condemn the locked portion of Paakea Road.

Note: My understanding is that the 4th alternative does not go through any DHHL lessee’s property. Rather, it traverses through vacant DHHL land. However, DHHL clarified that upon further investigation, Ulei Loop does not appear wide enough for 2-way traffic, thus not making it appropriate for a parallel route connection. Nanakuli Ave has sufficient width for 2-way traffic. What are your thoughts about connecting this parallel route to Nanakuli Ave?

The other question of course would be whether the Puu Heleakala community would grant permission to connect this parallel route to the mauka section of their property and on to Helelua St. If not, we may have to consider locked gates again at these outlets until we can obtain additional funding to further extend the parallel route to other outlets. If that were the case, the gates would probably only open in emergencies. Either way, at least we are attempting to make progress toward the beginning of a parallel route. Whether this becomes a reality depends on many factors, including feasibility, funding, and how long we have William Aila Jr. (or someone equally committed to Waianae) in a key position at DHHL…

I really appreciate everyone’s mana’o. We are very fortunate to live in a close-knit community that cares so much about our collective future!

Ige Administration Releases CIP Funds for Waianae Agricultural Park

Governor David Y. Ige announced that his Administration has released $500,000 in Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funds for the Wai’anae Agricultural Park.

Click the image below for the official announcement from Governor Ige.

Click image to open PDF

Star-Adv: ‘Hawaiian Air to Hire 300 in Expansion’

By Dave Segal
September 16, 2017
Star-Advertiser

Hawaiian Airlines, one of the state’s largest private employers with a workforce of about 6,500, is increasing its ranks as part of a major expansion.

The state’s largest airline said Friday it is recruiting nearly 300 more employees in preparation for the arrival of a new fleet of 18 narrow-body Airbus A321neo aircraft. Hawaiian is seeking more than 200 flight attendants, approximately 50 pilots and about 40 mechanics, according to company spokesman Alex Da Silva.

The company will hold interviews this fall and early 2018 for flight attendant candidates who would begin training in January, February and April. Hawaiian, which has been growing internationally, also is seeking bilingual flight attendant candidates who are proficient in Japanese, Korean, Mandarin or Cantonese. Mechanics will be interviewed in mid-November and pilots interviewed in early December through January. The application deadlines vary for the different groups.

“It’s one of our largest hiring efforts in recent years,” Da Silva said. “To put it into context, today we employ just under 2,000 flight attendants, more than 700 pilots and 360 mechanics. This is not all tied to the A321neo, since we will soon welcome our 24th wide-body Airbus A330.”

The first 189-seat A321neos are expected to arrive by the end of this year and be placed into service in early 2018. Hawaiian recently announced that the new planes will be used on three new nonstop daily routes: Portland-­Maui, Oakland-Kauai and Los Angeles-Kona. The A321neos include 16 leather recliners in the Premium Cabin, 45 Extra Comfort seats and 128 Economy seats.

“We have been hiring staff for some time as we prepare to grow our operations with the A321neo fleet,” Da Silva said. “We have also made significant investments such as purchasing a new multimillion-dollar A321neo training simulator (for Hawaiian’s corporate headquarters training facility), and we are nearing completion of the work at our new maintenance hangar at the airport.”

Hawaii’s tourism industry has been booming with five consecutive years of record arrivals and spending. It is on track to make it six in a row with arrivals expected to top 9.2 million and spending to reach $16.78 billion, according to DBEDT.

Hawaiian reported last week that in August it filled 86.2 percent of its flights, which was 1.8 percentage points better than the year-earlier period.

Hawaiian, which has been phasing out its wide-body Boeing 767 aircraft, has been in the midst of a fleet transition with its final A330 aircraft scheduled to arrive in the middle of next month followed by the rollout of the A321neos.

“We are excited to continue to create jobs while introducing a new fleet, more destinations and a growing flight network to our guests,” Da Silva said.

Read the full story at the Star-Advertiser site.

October 18 – Mental Health America of Hawai’i Fundraiser ft. Solomon Enos

Mental Health America of Hawaii is hosting a fundraiser featuring Solomon Enos, a Native Hawaiian artist with roots on the Wai’anae Coast:

Garden of My Mind

an evening of creative inspiration and wonder with artist Solomon Enos, a benefit for Mental Health America of Hawaii

Please join us to celebrate creativity and the connection between art and mental health at the beautiful Café Julia.  We are thrilled to partner for this celebration with Solomon Enos, internationally-renown Native Hawaiian artist, illustrator, and visionary. This occasion gives each of us the rare opportunity to own a piece of Solomon’s painting, Garden of My Mind as well as a poster of the whole work of art.

Garden of My Mind will be a large work painted on 96 six-inch by six-inch canvasses, sold separately with registration for the event. Each six-inch by six-inch canvas will be a piece of art in and of itself. Please see the registration and sponsorship options below to choose how you would like to support us in this celebration.

Solomon will be at the event to autograph the canvases and posters. He will also paint live at the event so we can all witness his artistic process.

BUY TICKETS

October 18, 2017
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Cafe Julia
at the YWCA
1040 Richards St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Ticket Prices
$150 – Art Collector
Art Collectors will enjoy heavy pupus, two drink tickets, a Garden of My Mind poster, and one six-inch by six-inch canvas (one of the 96, six-inch by six-inch canvases comprising Garden of My Mind)
$75 – Art Supporter
Art Supporters will enjoy heavy pupus, two drink tickets and a Garden of My Mind poster.

Individual Table Sponsors 
Pakalana – $2000
Pakalana Sponsors have a reserved table with 10 seats, each with heavy pupus, two drink tickets, a Garden of My Mind poster, and a six-inch by six-inch canvas (one of the 96, six-inch by six-inch canvases comprising Garden of My Mind). The sponsor will receive 4 six-inch by six-inch canvases that can be framed together as one larger painting.
Puakenikeni – $1000
Puakenikeni Sponsors have a reserved table with 6 seats, each with heavy pupus, two drink tickets, a Garden of My Mind poster, and a six-inch by six-inch canvas (one of the 96, six-inch by six-inch canvases comprising Garden of My Mind). The sponsor will receive 4 six-inch by six-inch canvases that can be framed together as one larger painting.

Hawai‘i unveils first cashless payment system for medical cannabis

The following press release was issued by Governor David Y. Ige:

DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

Hawai‘i unveils first cashless payment system for medical cannabis

For Immediate Release
September 12, 2017

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige and state Financial Institutions Commissioner Iris Ikeda announced a “banking solution” that allows Hawai‘i’s medical cannabis dispensaries to access financial services and use a cashless payment system.

The solution makes Hawai‘i the first in the nation to have a cashless dispensary system.

The state has secured the services of Colorado-based Safe Harbor Private Banking that will provide limited and temporary financial services for Hawai‘i’s cannabis dispensaries. CanPay, a debit payment mobile application, will process sales transactions at retail dispensaries. Hawaii’s eight dispensary license holders have agreed to implement cashless operations by October 1, 2017.

Financial services are currently unavailable in Hawai‘i because cannabis remains a federally prohibited substance.

“This new cashless system enables the state to focus on patient, public and product safety while we allow commerce to take place. This solution makes sense. It makes dispensary finances transparent and it makes it easier and safer for dispensaries to serve their patients and pay their employees and vendors,” said Gov. Ige.

While determining a banking solution, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Division of Financial Institutions focused on safety—for patients, employees, dispensaries, as well as the wider community. The department sought a cashless solution to address concerns about increased crimes committed against cash-based operations.

“This solution for the dispensaries to conduct banking services in an entirely cashless method would directly address many concerns we have and problems encountered by the dispensaries,” said Iris Ikeda, Hawai‘i Financial Institutions Commissioner. “This will establish a safe environment for medical cannabis-using patients and businesses to operate. It is our hope that a Hawai‘i-based financial institution opens accounts in the future. For now, we are appreciative of the mainland credit union for stepping in,” added Ikeda.

Hawai‘i’s cashless system will allow cannabis dispensaries to use traditional financial services to legally conduct financial transactions. In addition, dispensaries will be capable of setting up direct deposit for employee payroll, collect and remit taxes, and make payments to vendors.

All transactions will be transparent, as purchases at retail dispensaries occur through the mobile application and other transactions would be recorded by the financial institution.

Maui Wellness Group, LLC dba Maui Grown Therapies and Aloha Green LLC, the state’s two operational dispensaries, have opened accounts with the mainland credit union and have begun using the mobile debit payment application. The remaining six dispensaries are now at different stages of development and varying stages of the approval process.

More information on the Medical Cannabis Registry Program and the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program is available at http://health.hawaii.gov/medicalmarijuana.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the banking solution can be found at https://cca.hawaii.gov/dfi/files/2017/09/MCD-FAQs.pdf.

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Media Contacts:

Jodi Leong
Deputy Communications Director/Press Secretary
Office of the Governor
Office: 808-586-0043
Mobile: 808-798-3929
jodi.c.leong@hawaii.gov

William Nhieu
Communications Officer
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Email: Wnhieu@dcca.hawaii.gov
Phone: (808) 586-7582
Cell: (808) 389-2788