Star-Advertiser owner buys 2 newspapers
The owner of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser has purchased two alternative weekly newspapers in Seattle and San Francisco.
Seattle Weekly and SF Weekly were bought by companies owned by David Black, whose firm Black Press owns the Star-Advertiser, MidWeek and other publications under Oahu Publications Inc. Financial terms of the two deals announced Wednesday were not disclosed.
The seller of the two newspapers was Voice Media Group, a Denver-based company that still owns 11 newspapers, including the Village Voice in New York.
Black Press, based in Victoria, British Columbia, owns more than 170 print and Internet publications in Canada, Washington, Hawaii, California and Ohio.
Sound Publishing, a Black Press subsidiary that publishes 36 newspapers and magazines in Washington state, will own and operate Seattle Weekly.
San Francisco Newspaper Co., a firm co-owned by Black that publishes The San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Bay Guardian, will own and operate SF Weekly.
Keauhou Shopping Center goes solar
The Keauhou Shopping Center dedicated a 376-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system Wednesday that will satisfy a “significant” amount of its electricity needs.
Kamehameha Schools, the shopping center’s owner, will buy the electricity from developer Tioga Energy under a purchase power agreement, according to a news release from Kamehameha Schools. The system was installed by Honolulu-based Hoku Solar.
The rooftop system will offset the production of approximately 455 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
“Renewable energy is an investment for a brighter future. Solar projects like this installation at Keauhou Shopping Center move us closer to reducing Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil,” said Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi.
Venture capitalists to honor award winners
The Hawaii Venture Capital Association will announce the winners of its annual Entrepreneur and Deal of the Year awards at a ceremony on Jan. 24.
The keynote speaker for the event is Dan Freedman, a serial high-tech entrepreneur who has started, financed, grown and sold companies in the networking and security sectors. His first company, FSA Corp., was acquired by McAfee in 1996.
Freedman lives in Hawaii and serves on the investment committee of iNovia Capital, the Hawaii Angels Screening Committee and the mentor board of Blue Startups. He also is an adviser to the Entrepreneurs’ Foundation.
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Plaza Club, 900 Fort Street Mall, 20th floor, with the program following at noon. HVCA will honor five entrepreneurs then announce the HVCA Deal of the Year winner.
Register at HVCA.org or by calling 382-4638.
Hasbro seeks votes for new Monopoly token
NEW YORK >> The gig is almost up for one of the eight Monopoly tokens. But which will it be? Iron? Thimble? Top Hat? Or another of their board game buddies?
Hasbro is holding a Facebook contest to eliminate one of the eight tokens that identify the players and introduce a new one. Possible new tokens include a cat, diamond ring, guitar, toy robot and helicopter
It’s the latest effort by the toymaker to jazz up the game that debuted almost eight decades ago.
Monopoly’s tokens have actually changed quite a lot over the years. The original version also included a lantern, purse, cannon and a rocking horse. A horse-and-rider token was used in the 1950s. During World War II, metal tokens were replaced by wooden ones.
AIG will not join suit against government
NEW YORK >> Facing a certain backlash from Washington and beyond, American International Group won’t be joining a $25 billion shareholder lawsuit against the U.S. government over the terms of its bailout at the height of the financial crisis.
The suit was filed by Starr International, a company headed by AIG’s founder and former Chief Executive Officer Maurice “Hank” Greenberg.
It alleges that the government took nearly all of the insurer’s stock as part of its bailout without giving investors proper compensation. The $182 billion bailout of the insurer by the Treasury was the largest of the 2008 financial crisis.
The timing of the suit could hardly have been worse for AIG. The company is in the midst of a “Thank You America” ad campaign to show its gratitude for being rescued from the brink of collapse.
ON THE MOVE
Hawaiian Electric Co. has promoted Dan Giovanni to senior vice president of operations from vice president of energy delivery, Colton Ching to vice president of energy delivery from vice president of system operations and planning, and Scott Seu to vice president of energy resources and operations from vice president of energy resources.
PBS Hawaii has named Robert Pennybacker as its executive producer for learning initiatives. He is the outgoing vice president of creative services of PBS Hawaii.
UHA has promoted Valerie Au to manager of the new work site wellness program. She had been a prevention and wellness administrator since May 2011. Before UHA, Au worked in various roles with Hilton Grand Vacations for nine years, including a marketing communications manager at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
