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Lawmaker seeks Ellison’s help on Island Air
A Hawaii lawmaker is reaching out to Oracle Corp. co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison after a story in Friday’s Star-Advertiser said the billionaire is finalizing a deal to purchase local carrier Island Air.
Rep. Mele Carroll (D, Lanai-Molokai) said the possible purchase of Island Air will bring positive changes to both the airline and areas within her constituents’ district.
"Island Air’s fleet needs some updating, so I hope that Mr. Ellison will consider this in order to assure the safety of interisland passengers," she said. "I have not spoken to Mr. Ellison directly, but would welcome any meeting in order to keep the lines of communication open between him and the state. My district could also benefit from any additional routes between the islands of Lanai, Molokai and Maui."
Hawaii wins diamonds, loses diamonds
Three Hawaii hotels have been added to the ranks of AAA Four Diamond Lodgings, while two restaurants have lost some sparkle.
Honua Kai Resort & Spa in Kaanapali, Maui; The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on Kauai; and Aulani — A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina appear on the 2013 Four Diamond list along with 18 previous winners.
Meanwhile, Dondero’s restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, which had been on the Four Diamond list since 2008, fell off this year’s listing.
Hawaii’s Five Diamond restaurants and hotels maintained their positions. La Mer, in the Halekulani, has been on the list since 1990, while Chef Mavro earned its five-diamond rating in 2008. Hawaii resorts that maintained AAA Five Diamond ratings are the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, on Maui, and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii island, which was named the top luxury resort in the world by TripAdvisor this week.
Corrugated packing plant to open in Kapolei
A production plant to make boxes and other corrugated materials in Kapolei is slated to begin soon in a move that would restore local production of such supplies six years after Weyerhaeuser closed its corrugated packaging plant in Honolulu.
Rengo Packaging Inc. announced this week that it bought 8.5 acres of land in the Malakole Industrial Park for an undisclosed price. The company said it expects to begin building a 160,000-square-foot production facility on the site by March and have the plant fully operational by the middle of next year. The facility is expected to employ about 60 people, and will alleviate the need for Rengo to import finished boxes and corrugated packaging materials.
Rengo was formed in 2011 by Japanese-based Rengo Co. Ltd., which bought the assets and hired the employees of Hawaii Box & Packaging Inc. Hawaii Box was created in 2008 by former Weyerhaeuser employees when Weyerhaeuser, a Washington-based forestry products firm, shut down its Iwilei box plant in 2008.
On The Move
Central Pacific Bank has appointed the following to HomeLoan consultants of its HomeLoan Division:
» Brooke Honda has joined Central Pacific HomeLoan’s Oahu sales team. She has 17 years of operations, merchandising, planning and management experience.
» Joanne Stubenberg has joined
Central Pacific HomeLoan’s Kona sales team. She has 30 years of banking and lending experience.
Ship Ahoy!
Today’s ship arrivals and departures:
Honolulu Harbor
Agent
Vessel
From
ETA
ETD
Berth
Destination
HL
Horizon Pacific
Los Angeles
—
4:15 a.m.
51A
Los Angeles
NCL
Pride of America
Nawiliwili, Kauai
6:30 a.m.
7 p.m.
2B
Kahului
ISS
Settsu
Japan
8 a.m.
—
1B
—
MNC
Manoa
Oakland, Calif.
9:30 p.m.
—
52A
—
TNC
Overseas Samar
Kalaeloa BPM
10 p.m.
—
2B
—
Neighborhood Watch
Oahu single-family home and condominium resales data for December by neighborhood with the percentage change from last year:
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
No.
Neighborhood group
Sales
PCT. change
Median price
PCT. change
1.
Aina Haina-Kuliouou
12
50%
$1,100,000
47%
2.
Ala Moana-Kakaako
0
—
$0
—
3.
Downtown-Nuuanu
9
-10%
$710,000
-7%
4.
Ewa Plains
49
48%
$470,000
3%
5.
Hawaii Kai
20
18%
$1,007,500
3%
6.
Kailua-Waimanalo
24
9%
$824,950
-1%
7.
Kalihi-Palama
12
50%
$592,500
-2%
8.
Kaneohe
8
-43%
$577,500
-15%
9.
Kapahulu-Diamond Head
23
10%
$863,000
8%
10.
Makaha-Nanakuli
21
-16%
$369,000
3%
11.
Makakilo
10
25%
$597,500
18%
12.
Makiki-Moiliili
9
13%
$946,000
20%
13.
Mililani
15
7%
$565,000
-6%
14.
Moanalua-Salt Lake
1
-75%
$860,000
46%
15.
North Shore
4
-50%
$1,372,500
103%
16.
Pearl City-Aiea
21
11%
$540,000
1%
17.
Wahiawa
5
-38%
$475,000
14%
18.
Waialae-Kahala
15
67%
$1,285,000
-22%
19.
Waikiki
0
—-
$0
—
20.
Waipahu
31
35%
$524,900
9%
21.
Windward Coast
2
-60%
$552,500
73%
CONDOMINIUMS
No.
Neighborhood group
Sales
PCT. change
Median price
PCT. change
22.
Aina Haina-Kuliouou
1
—
$530,000
—
23.
Ala Moana- Kakaako
34
26%
$399,500
81%
24.
Downtown-Nuuanu
16
-33%
$375,000
32%
25.
Ewa Plains
26
53%
$274,500
-8%
26.
Hawaii Kai
20
54%
$581,250
16%
27.
Kailua-Waimanalo
13
117%
$405,000
-8%
28.
Kalihi-Palama
8
60%
$377,500
-6%
29.
Kaneohe
15
7%
$360,000
-1%
30.
Kapahulu-Diamond Head
10
43%
$528,750
-6%
31.
Makaha-Nanakuli
8
-58%
$152,000
69%
32.
Makakilo
6
200%
$231,500
-25%
33.
Makiki-Moiliili
60
54%
$330,000
17%
34.
Mililani
24
9%
$327,500
32%
35.
Moanalua-Salt Lake
18
13%
$270,000
2%
36.
North Shore
5
-29%
$395,000
13%
37.
Pearl City-Aiea
28
27%
$326,000
12%
38.
Wahiawa
0
—
$0
—
39.
Waialae-Kahala
4
33%
$585,000
14%
40.
Waikiki
95
51%
$300,000
3%
41.
Waipahu
9
-55%
$275,000
13%
42.
Windward Coast
1
—
$160,000
-45%
Source: Honolulu Board of Realtors / Star-Advertiser