honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, June 29, 2005

HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Arts hui finishes Kaluanui deal

Advertiser Staff

MAKAWAO — The Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center completed the purchase of its Kaluanui home from Maui Land & Pineapple Co. this week, wrapping up months of negotiations and compromise.

Last year, Texas residents Janet Zand and Michael Marcus entered into an agreement with ML&P to purchase the Makawao property for a personal residence. The historic home has been used by Hui No'eau for 30 years.

News of the sale created an uproar in the community, which lead to negotiations mediated by Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. In the meantime, more than 1,700 donors committed $4.5 million in gifts and pledges to Hui No'eau's fund-raising campaign to buy Kaluanui.

Zand and Marcus agreed to terminate their contract for the sale if they could find a suitable alternate property, which they did on June 13.

"We are extremely pleased that this collaborative effort has succeeded," said John Hoxie, Hui No'eau board chairman.



STATEWIDE

BOE may vote on new budget idea

A state Board of Education panel may take the first vote today on a new plan for dividing money among public schools, called the "weighted school formula."

The formula would increase money for some schools at the expense of others, based on the needs and characteristics of schools and student populations.

The formula would assign specific values to schools based on the income levels of students' families, the likelihood that they speak English as a second language, and the school size, among other factors.

The change would be implemented for the 2006-07 school year, so a decision needs to be made soon, board chairman Breene Harimoto said.

The formula to be proposed today differs from examples that were discussed at earlier meetings, he said. If approved by a committee today, a final vote by the full board could come in July or August, he said.



DOWNTOWN

Helpers sought to clean theater

Honolulu Theatre for Youth will hold a volunteer work day to clean up Tenney Theatre from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 9.

The theater is on the grounds of St. Andrew's Cathedral downtown and will serve as HTY's new home and performance venue for the next five seasons.

The public is asked to join theater staff, board and friends to clean and paint the building.

"This is a chance for people to make a positive, physical difference in our community and to take collective ownership as we restore our beautiful but aging 'new' space," said artistic director Eric Johnson.

Parking is onsite at 229 Queen Emma St.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth is a nonprofit professional theatre company providing drama education programs for young people and families.

The group also is seeking donations of the following items: a steam carpet cleaner, garbage bags, paint brushes and rollers, cleaning supplies, tarps, plywood, scaffolding, porta-potty and juice and soda.

To sign up, call Jessica Fox at 839-9885 ext. 10.



KAUA'I

Rate increase for water postponed

The Kaua'i Water Department has deferred a scheduled 32 percent water-rate hike for at least six months, and hopes to replace it with a series of smaller increases.

The raise had been scheduled to take effect Friday.

Water customers will see a much smaller increase of 12 cents per 1,000 gallons, or 5.7 percent, to account for the department's increased cost for electricity. Almost all the county's domestic water sources are pumped, and electricity bills represent roughly $2.2 million, compared with expected Water Department revenues of $11.4 million for the fiscal year.

Residential water consumers on Kaua'i now pay $2.10 per 1,000 gallons for the first 20,000 gallons used during a two-month billing cycle. For consumption higher than that, the rate jumps to $2.40 through 40,000 gallons.



Film spotlights threats to ocean

LIHU'E — "Oasis of the Pacific: Time is Running Out," a film about threats to the Hawaiian marine environment, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Kaua'i Community College Performing Arts Center.

"Oasis of the Pacific describes the role each of us can play in securing our future generations with a legacy of as rich and varied an ocean as we were fortunate enough to inherit, and I hope it will leave the viewer with a newfound sense of appreciation and awareness for Hawai'i's marine life," said producer Marie Le Boeuf.

The documentary is sponsored by KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance. Tickets are $8.



KAILUA

Keiki to compete in eating contest

Children from 5 to 8 years old can feast at a watermelon-eating contest at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Kailua Thursday Night Farmers Market in the Kailua Town Center parking garage behind Longs Drug Store.

Sponsored by Aloun Farms, the contest will be open to the first 24 children who attend, with a grand prize of four E.K. Fernandez "Fun Passes" to the 2005 Hawai'i Farm Fair on July 28 to 31 and Aug. 5 to 7 at the Kapolei Community Park.

For more information call 848-2074.