Kauai News & Information

By Minna Sugimoto

Holiday weekends usually mean more air travel. But with less airline competition and rising fuel costs, many travelers say they’re feeling the pinch.
When we learned one traveler had to pay $278 to get from Oahu to Kauai and back, we headed to the airport to see how everyone else was faring.
It’s like waiting for money to come out of an ATM, only the money is going the other way.
“It’s really expensive,” Summer Fergerstrom, Manoa resident, said.
The machine spits out boarding passes and receipts. For Summer Fergerstrom, they’re harsh reminders of the $295 she coughed up for a single inter-island trip.
“It’s definitely a huge increase from what it was before when Aloha was around,” she said. “But I guess we just don’t really have that much of a choice anymore, so I had to pay it.”
For Lori Ikenaga’s kids, visiting grandma and grandpa in Hilo is no longer child’s play.
“It was actually pretty shocking because the prime times that we wanted to fly, we found out was $176 for one way,” Ikenaga said.
With four passengers, including her husband, it can really add up. Determined, she located a fare of $190 dollars round trip.
“We had to kind of search a little bit more and try to be flexible with the dates and times that we flew,” the Salt Lake resident said.
Barbara Belsito says the key is to start early.
“Absolutely, especially with the economy and I knew the price rule would go up,” the New Jersey resident said. “So I did it as soon as I knew what I wanted to do, where I was going.”
$230 got her two round-trip tickets to Maui, for her and her boyfriend, Joe.
“I’m really happy ’cause I thought our prices were high when I first started,” Belsito said. “But I’m really thankful now. I feel that the prices were low.”

The Nature Conservancy of Hawai’i recently completed construction of a fence around south Kaua’i's Kanaele Bog, which is home to rare and endangered plant species.
The fence encloses the Nature Conservancy’s 80-acre preserve in an effort to keep out wild pigs, which have damaged the area to the south.
“This fence represents a major conservation milestone for us,” Trae Menard, director of the conservancy’s Kaua’i program, said in a news release. “Kanaele is a natural treasure. Nothing like it exists anywhere on the planet.”
At 2,100 feet above sea level, Kanaele is the sole remaining low-elevation bog in the Hawaiian Islands and contains tiny endangered bog violets, carnivorous sundews (mikinalo), and the showy Lobelia kauaensis, with its tall spire of white-petaled flowers streaked with purple.
Pigs and weeds are the primary threats to the bog. Menard said, “The fence will prevent pigs from damaging the fragile bog ecosystem and allow the native bog vegetation to recover.” Also, invasive plants will be removed from within the enclosure.
At the preserve, established in 2003 through a management agreement with landowner Alexander & Baldwin Inc., the Nature Conservancy protects the bog’s natural community of plants and invertebrates.
The 6,552-foot-long fence, which Nature Conservancy said cost $149,000, was designed and constructed by the conservancy in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and McBryde Sugar, a Kaua’i-based subsidiary of A&B. The fence was partially funded by the USFWS and various private donors, and was built by Remote Fencing Outfitters, a private contractor.
Durable materials, including corrosion-resistant galvanized mesh coated with polyurethane, were used to enable the fence to withstand the bog’s wet environment. Kanaele receives an average annual rainfall of 161 inches.
“The fence is really just the first step to effective bog conservation,” Menard said. “The next steps entail weed control. With the bog protected from pigs and weeds, rare plant reintroduction can then take place to build more robust populations.”

Nine-and-half million dollars. That’s how much a New Hampshire couple will receive for injuries they suffered in a tour helicopter crash on Kauai last year.
They were on a sightseeing trip when the tail rotor broke off and the chopper went down. A California man was killed, Judy Barton was paralyzed and her husband Douglas broke his back.
Their attorney said Barton can no longer work and his wife will likely need assistance for the rest of her life. And they’ll use the money to build a handi-cap accesible home.
“They are very pleased, I’m sure like almost all my clients they’d much rather be healthy without all the money,” said their attourney Rick Fried.
Fried says a defect in the tail rotor assembly caused the crash.
The settlement money will come from the two manufacturers, Boeing and Aluminum Precision Products.

A New Hampshire couple injured in a Kaua’i helicopter crash last year that killed one person have reached a “nearly eight-figure” settlement with the aircraft ‘s manufacturers.
Details of the settlement will be announced tomorrow by the couple’s attorney, Richard Fried Jr.
The March 11, 2007, crash of the Inter-Island Helicopters’ Hughes 500 killed Michael Gershon, 60, of Walnut Creek, Calif., and injured the Newport, N.H., couple and another passenger, Dania Hansen of Los Altos, Calif.
The helicopter had been previously used by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department in California, according to FAA records.
At the crash scene, the entire tail-rotor section was missing.

By Jim Cone

The question has been asked many times by many people over the years: What percentage of Hawaii’s population works in the tourism industry? The answer to that question during the past 20 years has been somewhere between 25 percent and 32 percent, give or take a point or two.
The real question for all us stakeholders — in the travel industry and not — is, What percentage of Hawaii’s population is financially influenced or dependent on Hawaii’s tourism industry? And who on these islands is not hurt by a loss of tourism? The homeless? No, for they are dependent on tax dollars that provide programs of help and recovery.
If tourism is down, if a couple of airlines disappear or even a small hotel, the welfare of an entire island can be affected. To what degree Molokai’s fortunes will turn because of loss of tourism, we have yet to discover. Do residents of Maui, Oahu, Kauai or Hawaii actually believe they are different?
Two years ago, 40 percent of real estate sales on Kauai were from the mainland. That is a substantial amount of conveyance tax alone! Tourism is down, Kauai’s real estate market is off, tax dollars are down and projects for the homeless will not get funded. None of this is coincidence. The homeless numbers are up. Is that due to a slowing of tourism? Not specifically, but that slowing is seen to be woven into the overall funding of all Department of Human Services projects — including, I’m afraid, employee training. Tourism slowing seems to be woven into construction and certainly the construction unions.
Right behind the financial aspect from loss of tourism comes the loss spiritually, culturally, emotionally … even socially. We are all touched in one way or another by the ebb and flow of Hawaii’s tourism industry. The military is involved; they have to get here, pay the airfares. The medical profession, real estate, education, finance, retail and so on — all are undeniably affected with the coming or not coming of tourists.
Even Hawaii’s indigenous peoples and their organizations get funding that is fed by tourism dollars.
The housing dilemma on the mainland, the cost of oil, war … all of them end up extending to and becoming a tourism challenge — our challenge, not just 25-32 percent of us.

Prices of single-family homes on Kauai rose in May, while prices of condominiums slipped.
However, the median price for both categories was based on much lower sales volume compared to the same month a year ago, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.
The median price of a single-family home on Kauai last month was $677,500, which was 19 percent over May 2007 when it was $570,000. The year-to-date median price was $655,000, no change from 2007.
The median price of a condo was $627,000, down more than 10 percent from the May 2007 median price of $700,000. The median price for the first five months of the year was $579,500, more than 10 percent above the same period in 2007, when it was $525,000.
There were just 20 single-family homes sold in May on the Garden Isle, down 51 percent from May 2007 when there were 41 homes sold. Year-to-date, there were 119 houses sold during the first five months of the year, down 40 percent from the same period in 2007, when there were 199 sales.
Condo sales numbered 18 last month, down 28 percent from 25 units sold in May 2007. Sales for the first five months of the year were also 40 percent down for condos, with just 88 sales recorded, compared to 146 sold during the same period last year.

By Dimitrion

Running around from one meeting to another make us lose focus on eating well and enjoying what we eat. This week we looked at what is the best on the go food without losing focus on quality.
To start lets look at the “most important meal of the day”, the breakfast. (DimitrION don’t agree with that general comment, we believe ALL our meals are the “most important”). So for breakfast, the best is to go to your Virgin Active gym for a super warm “Power Oats” after your gym session courtesy of their in-house Kauai stores.
You could even have a business meeting there. It will save you a lot of time travelling and waiting at overcrowded breakfast places. For lunch, there are a few options we give our DimitrION stamp of approval, first on the list is Vida e Cafes they awesome for really quick fresh sandwich (the smoked salmon or cheese and tomato) accompanied with a freshly squeezed orange or amazing espresso. Talking about coffee on the go, Coke (yes, Coke) has launched a coffee brand called Chaywa, a Canadian brand that will be targeted for freshly ground coffee on the go. The other places to get your healthy lunch fix and not the fast food junk is Bread Basket for their awesome whole-wheat bread sandwiches. Kauai is another healthy option available in most shopping centres. Their various protein enriched smoothies are winners. The sarmies to go for is their Hummer and Thai Chicken.
This week we would like to know where you’re favourite on the go place is. Please email us at: [email protected]
Until we eat again,
DimitrION

Hawaiian Airlines is adding four aircraft to its interisland fleet this year to meet the demand created by the shutdown of Aloha Airlines.
Hawaiian says two Boeing (nyse: BA – news - people ) 717-200 jets will enter service in September and the remaining two will join the fleet later in the year.
The planes, leased from Boeing Capital Corp., will increase Hawaiian’s interisland fleet to 15.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s chief executive officer, says the investment will allow the airline to increase flight schedules.
Hawaiian currently operates 150 interisland flights daily between the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.

By Bill Wagner

Hawaii is probably not the first place that comes to mind if wildlife is your cup of tea.
But if visitors look long enough in the right places, the rewards are worth the effort, especially when it comes to Hawaii’s state bird, the nene.
Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. It once claimed to have the largest lens if its kind — a beacon to passing ships. That historic lens has long since been replaced by a low-maintenance light.
Today, the lighthouse is one of the most-visited sites on the island and is home to a burgeoning population of nene, Hawaii’s state bird, which is on the endangered species list.
A distant relative of the Canada goose, it is native to the Hawaiian Islands and has earned a spot on the endangered species list, having been hunted to near extinction by humans and predators alike.
While nene on the Big Island face the added threat of mongooses, which enjoy dining on the eggs, the birds on Kauai seem to have a better chance of survival. The island is mongoose-free and folks are intent on keeping it that way.
“Without mongoose, I think nene, as well as all of the other bird species nesting on Kauai, have a better chance of survival,” said Brenda Zaun, a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
“Dogs, cats, rats and barn owls certainly take their toll, but one less predator is an important factor in the success of the nene population growth on Kauai.”
By the early 1950s, nene were on the verge of extinction with just an estimated 30 to 50 remaining.
Captive breeding seemed the only way to ensure survival, but that has changed over the years.
“The original (Kauai) nene flock came from a private ranch in Kipu Kai owned by the late John Waterhouse,” said Thomas Kaiakapu, Kauai wildlife manager for the Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources. “His private collection of about two dozen nene was released into the wild after his passing in 1984.”
The population flourished and spread aided by more releases by state biologists.
“The 2007 population estimates on the island of Kauai ranged between 800 to 860 birds with the strongest population on the north shore in Kilauea and the surrounding countryside,” Kaiakapu said.
The future looks bright.
“This year our nest numbers are already higher than last year and we’re still in nesting season,” Zaun said. The lighthouse area seems perfect.
“I am thrilled to see them there (by the lighthouse), because it is a safe place,” Zaun said. “The entire refuge (Kilauea Point) is fenced to keep dogs out.”
Nonetheless, the endangered species tag is well-earned.
“Survivorship to fledging age (the first year) is around 50 percent at best estimates. Causes of mortality range from disease, genetics, predation and accidents,” Kaiakapu said.
Nene, vegetarians, can live for more than 25 years in the wild.

ByDennis E. Noonan

My wife and I have been back on the mainland for a week now. I’m still feeling the lag of the six-hour time difference. My daughter, the deadline-oriented reporter, asks when I am going to start writing up the details of our monthlong vacation on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. “Pretty soon,” I answer, thinking people sure are impatient around here.
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If you asked people on Kauai when they were going to do something, you would probably get what the islanders call the “stink eye.” They would shake their heads, feeling sorry for you because you seem so hyper-driven.
The only imperative on the island is the beach.
Kauai, the oldest of the main Hawaiian islands, is a procrastinators’ paradise. The islanders do not subscribe to the pace of mainland society. When the surf is good, it is not unusual for people who own businesses to lock the door and put a “gone surfing” sign in the window.
The mellowness is contagious. In the month we were there, my wife and I never had a quarrel. We didn’t rush to get anywhere on time, and indeed, nothing started on time.
We were 10 minutes late for the Wailua River Boat Tour to the Fern Grotto and found the boat still tied to the dock, with the crew amiably chatting with the other tourists who had arrived on time. No one demanded an explanation for our late arrival; they just smiled and said, “Aloha. Welcome aboard.”
We were late because of the slow traffic on the two-lane road that runs through Kapaa. The locals are so unhurried that they frequently stop their cars if pedestrians even look as if they might want to cross the street. Likewise, if cars are waiting to enter the traffic from a side street, drivers will stop and wave them on.
Besides all this time-consuming politeness, the alternate route (which would have siphoned off half of the local traffic) was closed for construction. This road project (which in Boston might have taken a day or two to complete) had been dragging on for weeks.
I don’t think Hawaiians have a word for “punctuality” or “hurry.” My favorite watering hole defined “happy hour” as noon to 6 p.m. Even at the airport in Lihue, when I complained that our flight was not listed on the electronic display, one of the agents said, “Don’t pay any attention to that; they never get around to updating those lists.”
We found that the food was good and the service efficient at the nearby Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club restaurant. Unlike some other places, the staff had been trained to come to your table soon after you were seated and to show some interest in your having a pleasant experience. During the first weeks of our vacation we went back several times.
But as we became more acclimated to the pace of island life, we were much more comfortable at the places the locals enjoyed, where no one was hurrying around, and you could sit and linger over your hula pie while enjoying the fabulous ocean view.
So, I tell my daughter to stop asking me when I will be getting around to my report on the trip. It may take a few more days. . . . Like I say, I’m still on Hawaiian time.