Stakeholders have a couple of opportunities to pick the best method of shoring up the Royal Hawaiian groin, which is needed to keep Hawaii’s most visited beach from being swept away.
Experts say failure of the Royal Hawaiian groin, which was built in 1927 and is between the Sheraton Waikiki and the Royal Hawaiian hotels, could result in the destabilization of more than 1,700 feet of sandy shoreline to the east of the groin. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is considering four proposals to fix the groin, including building a new 180-foot-long rock L- or T-head groin, constructing a new 280-foot-long rock L- or T-head groin, adapting the existing groin and using it as the core of a new 160-foot-long rock L-head groin, or adding a new 160-foot-long vertical concrete wall groin.
Expected environmental impacts of the four options are relatively similar, according to DLNR. The expected time frame for construction is dependent on regulatory approvals but could be sometime in late 2017.
DLNR and the Waikiki Beach Special Improvement District Association, which has agreed to pay for half of the cost of the project up to $750,000, are meeting today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Waikiki Community Center at 310 Paoakalani Ave. to discuss how best to fix the wall.
Until March 7 a Draft Environmental Assessment document also is available for public review and comment at the Office of Environmental Quality Control or at 1.usa.gov/ 1UiXq53.
HEI donates $30,000 to UH biz competition
The Hawaiian Electric Industries Charitable Foundation and the Hawaiian Electric Cos. donated $30,000 to the 2016 UH Business Plan Competition, the university said Monday.
The competition, organized by the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Shidler College of Business, provides entrepreneurs with the tools and skills to launch a successful business venture.
“We all want our local talent to succeed,” said Connie Lau, HEI president and CEO. “This competition gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain insights on how to grow their ideas into successful enterprises. As strong believers in the power of innovation, technology and sustainability, we believe this program has long-term benefits not only for the student participants, but also for our business community and Hawaii’s economy.”
The 2016 competition will run all spring semester and culminate April 26 when teams will present plans to a panel of judges.
HEI and its subsidiaries have a cumulative giving history of more than $2.5 million in donations to the UH Foundation for the benefit of the University of Hawaii, with Hawaiian Electric contributing more than $1.5 million of that amount.
Cancer risk hurts Lumber Liquidators stock
NEW YORK >> Lumber Liquidators’ stock plunged Monday as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says people exposed to certain types of the company’s laminate flooring were three times more likely to get cancer than the agency previously predicted.
The CDC said that in its original report it had used an incorrect value for ceiling height. It said that resulted in health risks calculated using airborne concentration elements about three times lower than they should have been.
It now estimates the risk of cancer at 6 to 30 cases per 100,000 people. It previously estimated 2 to 9 cases per 100,000 people.
The agency said that its recommendations will likely stay the same: that people take steps to reduce exposure to formaldehyde emitted from the Chinese-made flooring.
Formaldehyde was added to the government’s list of known carcinogens in 2011. It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell used, among other things, to manufacture building materials and household products. It’s a common indoor air pollutant. Researchers say the amount of formaldehyde given off by new products ebbs over time.
Lumber Liquidators said in a statement Monday that it has strengthened its “quality assurance procedures,” such as testing sample products.
Shares of Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. slid $2.81, or 19.8 percent, to close at $11.40 Monday. Its shares have fallen more than 83 percent over the past year.
First U.K. newspaper in 30 years to debut
LONDON >> A British publisher said Monday it is launching the country’s first new national paper in 30 years — a move that appears counter to the prevailing tide of declining newspaper sales in a more online world.
Trinity Mirror said there was still an appetite for printed news and that The New Day, as it will be known, will stand out from other British newspapers because it will be politically neutral and without an op-ed column.
It will be a stand-alone paper independent of The Daily Mirror, one of the country’s top-selling tabloids, the company added.
On the Move
HomeStreet Bank has hired Gloria Omandam as an assistant vice president and branch manager. She has more than 20 years of financial institution experience, including previously serving as CEO of a local credit union. She also held various positions such as member relations officer at the Hawaii Credit Union League.
Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Carl J. Higgins of the Honolulu office has earned the “previews property specialist” designation. He specializes in residential sales, including beachfront properties and luxury properties on the North Shore. Higgins has 26 years of residential real estate experience.
Iolani Palace has named Teresa Valencia its new curator. She previously held various research, education and outreach positions at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the California State Indian Museum. Valencia also interned at Iolani Palace last summer.
