State Web portal among top 10 in U.S.
The overall state of Hawaii Web portal hawaii.gov and department websites were named among the finalists for best government website by the Center for Digital Government in its annual Best of the Web competition.
The top five overall winners were Tennessee, Utah, California, South Carolina and Maine.
Maui County was a winner in the county portal category and in the government-to-business category; Hawaii again was a winner for the Department of Aquatic Resources’ efforts to maintain sustainable fisheries with electronic fishing trip reporting; and Hawaii’s "Getting Hitched in Hawaii Made Easy" initiative won in the government-to-citizen state government category. The awards were announced earlier this month. The website is is.gd/BoWHI2013.
Aloha Festivals Parade to stream online
The annual Aloha Festivals Floral Parade will be simulcast via ‘Olelo Community Media and the Internet.
‘Olelo’s inaugural live stream of the parade will be on its YouTube channel and presented in high-definition video. The live stream and broadcast will be hosted by parade chairwoman Toni Lee.
"We are the only television outlet locally that will cover the entire parade live," Roy Amemiya, ‘Olelo president and CEO, said in a statement.
The broadcast will be available locally on ‘Olelo Channel 53 via Oceanic Time Warner and Hawaiian Telcom Cable.
This year’s theme, "Moana Nui Akea: Celebrating Traditional Hawaiian Ocean Voyaging," marks the 40th anniversary of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
The parade and ‘Olelo simulcast will begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 28. The parade will be live-streamed at channel808.tv/ alohafestivals, as it has been since 2011, according to festivals officials. Olena Heu of KHON-TV will host the webcast.
Slower holiday sales growth seen for 2013
NEW YORK » Coming off a weak back-to-school shopping period, a research firm said Tuesday that it expects holiday sales growth will be slower this year during the crucial holiday season. Shoppers are also expected to visit fewer stores as they research purchases online.
Retail revenue in November and December should rise 2.4 percent during the biggest shopping period of the year, according to Chicago-based research firm ShopperTrak. That compares with a 3 percent increase in 2012 from 2011.
While the job picture has been improving in the U.S. and the turnaround in the housing market is gaining traction, the improvements have not been enough to sustain higher levels of spending for most Americans. Most continue to juggle tepid wage gains with a higher cost of living.
Penthouse owner files for bankruptcy
SUNNYVALE, Calif. » FriendFinder Networks Inc., the owner of Penthouse magazine and a bevy of online dating and adult websites, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company said that bankruptcy protection is the "most efficient and cost-effective" way for it to improve its balance sheet.
FriendFinder, like many of its peers, has been struggling for some time with lower revenue as free adult content online has lessened demand for paid content. The company reported a loss of $49.4 million in its last fiscal year.
ON THE MOVE
Central Pacific Bank has promoted Patti Cristobal to vice president and relationship banking program manager. She has been with CPB since 2011 and previously served as vice president and community banking sales manager. Prior to joining CPB, she served as a director of consumer operations at American Savings Bank.
The Hawai‘i Convention Center has promoted Chantel Laulusa to housekeeping manager from housekeeping supervisor. Prior to joining the Convention Center, Laulusa worked at Ala Moana Center, Shriners Hospital for Children and the Honolulu Club.
