Farmers market parent files for bankruptcy

The parent company of the indoor farmers market at Kahului Shopping Center has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, citing assets and debts of up to $50,000.

Green Dragon Market LLC is a farmers market and craft fair whose vendors sell produce, flowers, gifts, souvenirs and local food and that offers entertainment, according to its website.

The company’s voluntary petition late Friday cited debts of nearly $26,000, mostly in lease and old lease expenses due to Kahului Town Center and Kukui Mall, respectively.

Led by Robert and Imelda Gagne, it opened in early 2010 after the weekly farmers market at Maui Mall ended, according to a Maui News report from February.

Pearl City Home Depot marks anniversary

The Home Depot store in Pearl City will mark its 10th anniversary beginning at 6:30 a.m. today with festivities that will include vendors and offer face painting for children and games for all ages.

The early morning ribbon cutting ceremony by store manager Bill McKale will kick off a day of activities, to be hosted by store associates, to mark the milestone.

2 agencies on Hawaii island to add solar

Two government agencies on Hawaii island have announced plans to install rooftop solar panels to cut their electricity bills.

The larger of the two, a 48-kilowatt-system to be mounted on the roof of the Waimea Police Station, will generate an estimated 75,892 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and save about $25,000 a year in energy costs, according to Greenpath Technologies Inc., which will install the system.

A 34-kilowatt system to be installed on the Waimea Fire Station will generate an estimated 54,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and cut the station’s electricity bill by about $18,000 a year.

The projects are expected to be completed this quarter.

Separately, Surfing Goat Dairy on Maui has scheduled a ceremony for July 29 to mark the completion of a 43-kilowatt photovoltaic system mounted on the company’s barn roof and over its parking area.

Kauai utility members authorize hydro

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative said its members voted to authorize the utility’s board of directors to pursue hydroelectric projects on the island.

The utility said 5,404 members, or 72 percent, voted in favor of the plan, with 2,098, or 28 percent, voting against it. The vote was certified by Merriman River Group, an independent election management consultant, KIUC said in a news release.

“We look forward to engaging in a process to determine the blueprint for how responsible hydropower development can be determined for Kauai,” said KIUC Chairman Teofilo “Phil” Tacbian.

KIUC has partnered with Boston-based Free Flow Power to pursue the development of six hydroelectric plants on rivers and streams throughout the island.

Tesoro completes Hawaii refinery work

Tesoro Corp. has completed maintenance on a unit at its Kapolei refinery in Hawaii, said Mike Marcy, a spokesman for the San Antonio-based company.

Scheduled work on the unspecified unit, which began last week, was finished this past weekend, said Marcy, who is based in Martinez, Calif. The refinery is operating at targeted rates and is meeting supply commitments, he said.

The refinery can process 95,000 barrels a day.

Amazon fights California online sales tax

Amazon said Monday that it would support a California ballot initiative that would roll back a new state law that forces more online retailers to collect sales tax.

The California Legislature passed a law last month requiring online retailers to collect sales tax just like merchants physically located in the state.

Two weeks ago, Amazon, hoping it could comply with the new law and still avoid paying taxes, severed ties with thousands of California businesses whose websites linked to products on its site. But California officials said that move did not free it of this year’s tax obligation, estimated at $83 million.

ON THE MOVE

American Savings Bank has announced the following:

» Angie Rowe has been promoted to senior vice president and director of consumer credit policy. She has more than 15 years of financial services expertise.

» Ann Teranishi has been appointed senior vice president and director of consumer credit management. She was previously vice president of legal counsel of Central Pacific Bank.

» Karen Kogami will serve as first vice president and director of regulatory compliance. She joined ASB in 2007 as a bank regulatory compliance manager.

» Lin Ann Chang will serve as first vice president and director of project management office. She joined the company in 2002.

» Annie Chin is now the branch manager for the Wailuku Sack N Save Branch. She has more than 30 years of banking experience.

» Sean Freas will serve as commercial banking officer. Freas was previously a commercial credit analysis at Bank of Hawaii.

RevoluSun has announced Tony Castillo as a Hawaii-based independent project developer. He was previously an account executive at PaperSource Hawaii as well as a licensed behavioral therapist and paraprofessional skills trainer for Alakai na Keiki.