HONOLULU—Hawaii’s verdant volcanic peaks and crystalline waters have made tourism the state’s biggest industry.

But not all Hawaii residents are thrilled by the millions who flock to their shores. They complain that some of the visitors renting homes and rooms in their residential neighborhoods create noise, drive up home and rental prices and destroy the sense of community.

“When you live in a place like Hawaii that is a resort 24-7, you need areas where people can feel at home,” said Katherine Bryant-Hunter, chairwoman of a neighborhood board on the island of Oahu. “Our neighbors change every day. They don’t coach volleyball. They don’t go to church with us. They are not part of the community fabric.”

Their concerns have led to a flurry of proposals by lawmakers on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. The legislators are trying to address what they say is a proliferation of short-term rentals that are operating without required county approval.

But owners of short-term rental units call them an asset to Hawaii’s tourism industry. They say they set rules ensuring their guests aren’t disruptive.

“In my area, I never had noise that I know of, and there were always house rules,” said Angie Larson, who runs a bed and breakfast out of her home in an upscale Oahu neighborhood near the beach. She is part of a group fighting to lift a ban on new short-term rentals on Oahu.

Larson and other short-term rental owners argue that their guests help them pay the mortgage and meet other expenses, not get rich. But disputes between owners and their neighbors have sparked angry confrontations and lawsuits.

“There’s a lot of ugly things occurring in neighborhoods,” Bryant-Hunter said. “People are really frustrated because they don’t want to fight with their neighbors, and nobody wants to throw out the visitors.”

In one of the most contentious cases, Oahu resident Susan Cummings sued her neighbor Marlene Roth, accusing her of operating an illegal bed and breakfast. She has installed a video camera on the side of her beach cottage to catch renters going up and down the driveway she shares with Roth.

Cummings, who will be 75 this year, said a stream of guests coming in and out of Roth’s house at all hours have ruined her dream of a quiet retirement.

“This isn’t the way I intended these years of my life to be,” she said.

She won a lawsuit against Roth two years ago, but said she still has little relief.

Roth is appealing the case and has accused Cummings in court papers of spying and harassment. Her attorney said she was unavailable for comment.

Vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts are a small part of Hawaii’s tourism industry. Hotel rooms account for most of the roughly 73,000 units of visitor accommodations.

Studies financed by real estate and vacation rental groups in 2005 found more than 4,000 short-term rental units on Oahu, Maui and Kauai—most of them illegal. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism counted more than 1,100 units on the state’s remaining islands.

Bed-and-breakfast rooms in Hawaii are available for as little as $80 a night, while the average hotel room is nearly $200, according to Hospitality Advisors LLC.

Short-term vacation rentals tend to be more expensive, going for a few hundred dollars a night.

Maui is considering a proposal to eliminate special permits allowing short-term vacation rentals in residential areas, said Jeff Hunt, Maui County planning director. The proposal would simplify the process of getting a bed-and-breakfast permit and expand the areas where short-term vacation rentals can operate without a permit.

“We’re trying to find some middle ground,” Hunt said.

Vacation rental homes tend to incite the most outrage among neighbors, because unlike bed and breakfasts, they have no owner or manager on site, Hunt said. The county has about 1,100 illegal bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals, he estimated.

On Kauai, the county council recently passed a law that prohibits single-family homes from serving as vacation rentals outside certain resort areas.

The previous law had mentioned only multifamily units, leading some people to argue it didn’t apply to single-family homes, according to Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, who proposed the new law.

Oahu banned new bed and breakfasts and short-term vacation rentals in the late 1980s. About 1,000 property owners—grandfathered in at the time of the ban—have city approval to rent rooms for less than 30 days. But hundreds of others operate illegally in oceanside communities, critics say.

City officials are considering a measure that would nearly quadruple the property tax on homes used as vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts.

“If they are going to be making money out of residential districts operating as basically a hotel, I think it’s only fair they pay something that is equivalent to a hotel rate,” said Councilman Gary Okino, who introduced the proposal.

Link to coco-palms

LIHUE, Hawaii — A developer has abandoned plans to rebuild the historic Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai and will instead sell the waterfront property.

Coco Palm Ventures LLC had planned to spend some $220 million constructing 196 condominium units, 48 hotel bungalows, a spa and two restaurants on the 54-acre site where much of Elvis Presley’s 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii” was filmed.

Donna Apisa, listing agent for the sale of the condominiums, said the county Planning Commission’s rejection of Coco Palms’ plans to build a full-scale fitness spa on the 54-acre site was one reason for abandoning the project.

The spa was key to the venture’s efforts to attract affluent buyers, she said.

“The current owner isn’t going to develop the land and will auction it off (later this year) to another developer,” Apisa said.

The Coco Palms was one of Hawaii’s most famous resorts in the 1950s and 1960s. “Blue Hawaii” helped spread the state’s reputation as a vacation destination just two years after statehood.

But the hotel closed in 1992 after Hurricane Iniki damaged the property.

Kauai’s last reigning queen, Queen Deborah Kapule, lived on the land in the mid-1800s.

Coco Palms Ventures, jointly owned by The Weiser Companies and Petrie Ross Ventures, had planned to replicate the original resort’s buildings because the hurricane damage was too extensive to renovate them.

The original Coco Palms featured low-lying thatched-roof bungalows scattered among ponds and coconut trees. The grounds sit across the road from the white sands of Wailua Bay on Kauai’s east coast.

Plans called for the resort to reopen next summer. Demolition of the old buildings was due to start last year.

Richard Weiser, a part-time resident of Princeville and one of the key principals for Coco Palms, couldn’t be reached for comment. Nor could partners Phillip Ross or Walter Petrie.

Coco Palms bought 16.4 acres at the site and signed a contract to lease from the state the 17 acres of coconut grove land next to it.

The venture didn’t disclose how much it paid for the land.

The developer had recently secured permission from the state Department of Transportation to build a pedestrian pathway over Kuhio Highway between the resort and Wailua Bay.

The project was intended to ensure safe passage of pedestrians between the bay and the resort.

It also agreed to pay for the widening of the highway in front of the resort to ease traffic congestion.

But the project invited criticism from some Hawaiians who felt the development would prevent them from accessing ancestral lands.

Weiser had met with powerful Hawaiian groups, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and pledged to protect historical sites.

Hawaii Superferry: Tipping Point for Hawaii’s Economic Future
Special to Hawaii Reporter
By Sam Slom, 9/14/2007 12:07:05 PM

The future of Hawaii’s Superferry mirrors the future of Hawaii’s economic opportunities.

Hawaii truly is at an economic and political tipping point. And the investment world is watching.

Hawaii already is reeling from years of national reports and ratings about our poor investment climate and growing divisiveness in our state.

The recent Milken Institute annual rating of costs to do business put Hawaii at the top (highest cost) for the third consecutive year. But there is more than ratings to prove the point.

While we improved parts of our economy and benchmark statistics during the past 5 years, we still trail most other states in attracting and holding long-term investment. Capital continually overflies the Islands.

But the Hawaii Superferry investors believed in Hawaii and that the service and product they have to offer is truly a good match with the people of Hawaii.

The Hawaii Superferry is a monumental private investment of more than $350 million. The new business employs over 300 people, purchases local goods and services, and is the first truly integrated (passenger and vehicle) inter-island transportation alternative ever introduced here.

(more…)

HONOLULU (AP) — Colt Brennan has thrown for at least 300 yards in all but one of his last 23 games.

The only game he fell short of that mark was against UNLV, not that the Rebels had any luck slowing down the Warriors’ prolific passer. Brennan played 21/2 quarters at Aloha Stadium against UNLV, threw for 296 yards and left with Hawaii ahead 42-0.

With triple-digit temperatures in Las Vegas, in addition to the much-improved Rebels, Brennan expects a tougher challenge when No. 24 Hawaii faces UNLV on Saturday to wrap up its 12-day road trip.

“I expect a highly disciplined defense, a young, talented quarterback who is really starting to get the offense going and a team with a lot to prove,” Brennan said in a telephone interview from Houston, where the Warriors practiced earlier in the week.

Brennan has been as hot as Vegas. He has passed for 964 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first two games and has an eight-game streak of 400-plus yards dating back to last season. He couldn’t care less about his stunning stats.

“If I handed the ball off every time and we scored every time and won — and I never threw it — I would be just as happy, honestly,” Brennan said. “That’s why I think I have the success and numbers that I do, because I don’t care about the numbers.”

Hawaii (2-0) is trying to start 3-0 for the first time in 15 years. The 1992 team, known then as the Rainbow Warriors, is considered one of the best in school history after finishing 11-2 with a win over Illinois in the Holiday Bowl.

The new Warriors have visions of going undefeated and crashing the Bowl Championship Series. Those goals were nearly derailed last week when Hawaii escaped with a 45-44 overtime win at Louisiana Tech.

“It was a great character win,” Brennan said. “Hats off to La Tech for what they did, but we never gave up, five time zones away from where we live. … We got the victory and that’s all that matters.”

The senior signal caller acknowledged the game “definitely put a scare into us.”

Hawaii coach June Jones said winning by a point did more for the team than winning by 30 or 40. The Warriors were favored by 28.

“You don’t build character without any kind of adversity,” he said. “When you can withstand the adversity we did in that game, that’s what makes an average team a great team.”

UNLV caused a scare of its own last week against Wisconsin. The then fifth-ranked Badgers scored with 1:53 left to win 20-13. Rebels coach Mike Sanford said it was encouraging for his team to play toe-to-toe, with a big, physical ranked team.

“I think we re-established or reset the bar of what our expectations are of ourselves,” he said. “On the other side of that, regardless of how we played and how close it was, we lost. That’s disappointing and frustrating.”

For the first time in history, UNLV (1-1) is playing a ranked opponent at home in back-to-back weeks.

UNLV will try to keep Colt and Co. off the field.

“They’ve scored a lot of touchdowns and a lot of points,” Sanford said. “I think the thing you try to do is slow them down and hopefully get them to make some mistakes.”

What makes Brennan so good, Sanford said, is his decision making, accuracy, arm strength and ability to avoid the rush. Hawaii also has excellent receivers in Davone Bess, Ryan Grice-Mullen and Jason Rivers.

Sanford is high on his own quarterback, freshman Travis Dixon, a dual threat who leads the team in rushing.

“Their quarterback is scary,” Jones said.

The Warriors lead the nation in passing (544 yards a game) and scoring (54 points). There’s no doubt about Hawaii’s offensive prowess, but its defense is questionable, especially against the run.

Hawaii safety Jacob Patek said the defense worked on eliminating mistakes and tackling better.

“As a defense, I think we can improve with just playing a more technically sound game,” he said.

More than 10,000 Hawaii fans are expected to attend the game at Sam Boyd Stadium. Las Vegas is often referred to as the “Ninth Hawaiian Island,” because of the large number of island expatriates and visitors.

Brennan said he looked forward to seeing the Hawaii fans after a long road trip that began Sept. 5.

“It’s a nice culmination to our journey,” he said. “It’ll be great if we can get the victory, but it will be a battle.”

Hawaii dropped from second place to third in a new poll surveying the best places to live in the United States, while Honolulu moved up to seventh place for U.S. cities.

Apart from their own state, Hawaii followed California and Florida as the state where most people would like to live, according to a

North Carolina and Colorado placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Hawaii was the top choice for baby boomers.

The nationwide survey of 2,694 adults was conducted online in early August. Harris said easy access to the beach appeared to be a key factor in deciding which state people would choose to live in.

Honolulu ranked as the seventh most desirable city to live in, up from sixth place last year.

New York City came in first place, followed by San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.

HONOLULU (KHNL) - More than a quarter million Americans honeymooned in Hawaii last year. That number could rise significantly, thanks to a new trend in gift registries. The trendiest wedding presents are now once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

Honeymoons are a trip of a lifetime, and often cost more than a standard vacation package. Now travel agencies and other companies are making it easier for couples to find their way to Hawaii.

Kiriko and Duke Oishi just got married last weekend. “When we were going over the cost of the wedding we realized we’d be broke after the wedding,” says Kiriko.

So instead of registering for traditional gifts, they decided to ask friends to donate to their “honeyfund.” Duke explains, “We didn’t feel we wanted a nice crystal bowl or dishes. Because we like to travel so much we wanted to go on an awesome honeymoon.”

WeddingChannel.com says this is a new, hot trend. The Oishis are called transumers- short for “transient consumers.”

Contributing Editor Jena Tanaka explains, “Transumers are consumers driven by experience. So it’s the couples who want the surf lessons, the romantic beach dinner, or a fabulous trip.”

It could spell dollars for Hawaii’s tourism industry, by making Hawaiian honeymoons more accessible.

Tanaka continues, “Over half our couples really want a tropical wedding. That’s the ultimate dream. This really is a great business opportunity for Hawaii.”

Pleasant Holidays travel agency, which has a branch in Hawaii, offers a wedding registry.

Vice President Duke Ah Moo says about 5,000 people have used it so far. “It’s hugely popular. Over the last couple years people have decided they have the pots and pans and something more useful like a honeymoon vacation would be more valuable. The registry is a great tool for the state for tourism because the average package price for people on a honeymoon is almost double the package price for a trip to Hawaii.”

Couples say it’s an idea whose time has come. “We already have all the material things we want and it’s more about experiencing new things.”

WeddingChannel.com says in 2005 about 69% of its couples were interested in registering for a honeymoon. That’s up from 57% in 2003. So this is a continuing trend.

For more wedding-planning advice, tools, photos, and more, visit WeddingChannel.com, the number one wedding and gift registry website, offering comprehensive wedding planning content, interactive tools, and a central location for couples to manage their gift registries.

The patented registry system on WeddingChannel.com brings together registries from the nation’s leading retailers including Tiffany & Co., Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Crate and Barrel, and Pottery Barn, among others, allowing guests to search one easy site to find a wedding gift.

CHICKEN HAWAII AND BROCCOLI SOUFFLE

8 oz. pineapple chunks
2 lbs. chicken
2 tbsp. veg. oil
1 can chicken broth
1/4 c. vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 lg. garlic clove
1 green pepper
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Drain chunks, save syrup. Brown chicken in oil, drain off fat. Add syrup, broth, vinegar, sugar, soy, garlic. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Add pepper and pineapple. Cook until tender. Combine water and cornstarch. Combine with above after removing chicken. Serve over rice or pasta with souffle.

BROCCOLI SOUFFLE:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
3 oz. Parmesan
10 oz. frozen broccoli
4 eggs, separated

Mix mayonnaise and flour; add milk and simmer over low heat until thick; add salt and cheese, cook until cheese melts. Cool, stir in broccoli and slightly beaten egg yolks. Stiffen egg whites. Place broccoli mixture into 1 1/2 quart casserole. Fold egg whites in. Slit around neck. Bake 1 1/4 hours at 300 degrees.

Spicy tuna, nori and rice — not the typical recipe for football tailgating cuisine. But season openers aren’t just typical days for Keola Taniguchi and friends.

More chances to tailgate
Upcoming home games at Aloha Stadium

» Sept. 22 vs. Charleston Southern

» Oct. 6 vs. Utah State

» Oct. 27 vs. New Mexico State

» Nov. 10 vs. Fresno State

» Nov. 23 vs. Boise State

» Dec. 1 vs. University of Washington

That’s why instead of settling for tossing steaks on a grill or bringing buckets of chicken, they had a chef with a full sushi bar serving about a dozen families in the Aloha Stadium parking lot.

“There’s New Year’s, Christmas, Thanksgiving, there’s the Super Bowl,” he said. “And there’s the season opener.”

The families will have themes for each tailgate party they hold at the home games. On Sept. 20 against Charleston Southern, Mexican food will be on the menu.

“We just kinda had to step up this year,” he said of the sushi bar. “You won’t see this anywhere else in the world but Hawaii. Maybe in Japan, but I think we can do it better than them.”

Taniguchi said it’s important to show support any way they can, since University of Hawaii football is the most sports excitement the state sees.

“This is what we got, and we gotta celebrate it,” Taniguchi said. “It’s true island style.”

Taniguchi’s cousin plays on the defensive line for Boise State, who will battle UH the day after Thanksgiving. The theme of that game is a Hawaiian luau. Ohana from Molokai also will fly in.

“I’ll be for UH,” Taniguchi said. “But the cousin’s gotta do the family proud too.”

QB Colt Brennan, Sr., Hawaii

Brennan completed 34 of 40 passes for 416 yards and six touchdowns and led the Warriors with 23 yards on three carries in the 63-6 win over Northern Colorado. And he only played a half.

Japanese tourists can still spark up in Hawaii
A government-backed marketing campaign to reassure Japanese tourists that they can still smoke in Hawaii has lit up a public health row in the US islands.

Hawaii Tourism Japan, which markets the islands in Japan, says the move is vital as many Japanese tourists wrongly think Hawaii has a blanket smoking ban.

The tourism group says that as a result of the misunderstanding, Japanese visitor numbers have fallen sharply.

Hawaiian anti-smoking groups said the marketing move was “very unfortunate”.

“This is not really sending a message that Hawaii is concerned about good health,” said Kathy Harty, interim president of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii.

We shouldn’t give the message that aloha means smoking Anti-smoking activist Kathy Harty

The marketing campaign by Hawaii Tourism Japan has been called “Smoking with Aloha”.

Aloha is the main word of greeting in the Hawaiian language, but its use in this smoking context is somewhat unfortunate, as it directly translates as “breath of life”.

Under the initiative, Hawaii Tourism Japan is giving away some 40,000 free ashtrays with a flower logo and the words “Keep Hawaii Clean”.

Smoking in enclosed public places was banned in Hawaii last year.

Hawaiian tourism officials said the marketing campaign was necessary in Japan as some Japanese news reports had mistakenly suggested that smoking was now completely prohibited on the islands.

But Ms Harty said: “We shouldn’t give the message that aloha means smoking.”

Smoking in Japan remains as popular as levels in the West, and the country is home to the world’s third-largest privately-owned cigarette manufacturer - Japan Tobacco.