The Fight to Stop Bombing on Kahoolawe

Thirty years ago this month the "Kahoolawe Nine" landed a boat on a Kahoolawe Island beach, to stage a protest against the U.S. military using the island as a military bombing test range. On January 4, 1976, shortly after daybreak, more then 50 people boarded 10 boats in Haalaea Harbor and headed south for Kahoolawe Island. When a Coast Guard helicopter warned them to turn back, most of them did, but nine of them proceeded on in their quest to occupy the island. Those nine were Emmett Aluli, Kimo Aluli, George Helm, Lind, Ellen Miles, Stephen Morse, Gail Kawaipuna Prejean, Walter Ritte and Karla Villalba. Shortly after landing, seven of the nine were picked up by the Coast Guard. Emmett Aluli and Walter Ritte made their way inland, and stayed two more days before surrendering.

The Fight for Kahoolawe (Honolulu Advertiser)

More About Kahoolawe

Remembering Astronaut Ellison Onizuka

Twenty years ago today, Hawaii-born NASA astronaut Ellison Shoji Onizuka died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded a few minutes after taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The accident took place on January 28, 1986 at 11:40 a.m. Ellison Onizuka was born in the town of Kealakekua on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii on June 24, 1946. He received a master's degree in engineering from the University of Colorado in 1969, and he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970 to 1978, when he was selected by NASA to train for a career as an astronaut. His first space shuttle flight was January 24-27, 1985, when he orbited the earth 48 times before landing safely in Florida. The tragic accident that killed him occurred during his second flight into space. Ellison Onizuka was survived by his wife Lorna and his two daughters Janelle and Darien.

NAMED IN HIS HONOR:

Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center

Onizuka Center for International Astronomy

Onizuka Air Force Station in California

Filipino Parade and Fiesta in Waikiki

The Waikiki Santo Nino Parade is part of the Hawaii Filipino Centinnial Celebration, and it is scheduled to take place on Saturday January 28 from 9 to 11 am. The parade is expected to have 400 marchers, 20 vehicles, 15 floats, and 3 bands. It will begin at Fort DeRussy, continue down Kalakaua and Monsarrat Avenues, end at the Waikiki Shell Parking Lot in Kapiolani Park. After the parade there will be a Filipino Fiesta in the park with music, cultural presentations, martial arts exhibits, craft, and food booths.

Santo Nino Festival and Parade in Waikiki

Filipinos in Hawaii Centennial Celebration

A Rainy Week in Hawaii

Heavy rains caused flooding and traffic jams on Oahu and the Big Island this week, but the rain is expected to taper off this weekend. Earlier in the week there were flash flood warnings on the Big Island and several areas got more then 5 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. The heavy rains and snow on Mount Mauna Kea were caused by a low pressure system south of the Hawaiian Islands.[Star Bulletin Article]

Snow Closed a Road in Hawaii This Week

Snow and ice closed the road to the top of Mount Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii this week, but even though it is snowy from 11,000 feet to the 13,800 foot summit, there is not enough snow for skiing or snowboarding. Believe it or not, there are times when you CAN ski on Mauna Kea, but the conditions have to be just right, you must be an experienced skier, you will need a 4-wheel drive vehicle or a helicopter to get to the summit, and you will need a buddy below to pick you up. Skiing in Hawaii is only for the most adventurous, because there are no ski lifts, lodges, or skiing facilities of any kind on Mauna Kea.

Skiing and Snowboarding in Hawaii

Ski Hawaii Article by Joe Collvins

Miss Hawaii 2005 is Most Congenial

Malika Dudley, Miss Hawaii 2005, was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants at the 2006 Miss America Pagent in Las Vegas Nevada on January 21. Miss America contestants said Malika had an "addictive smile and personality". Jennifer Berry of Oklahoma was crowned Miss America at the event and Monica Pang of Georgia was first runner up. Note that the Miss Hawaii contest is no longer called a beauty pageant, but instead is called the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Competition. Miss Hawaii 2006 will be selected and crowned at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki on June 9, 2006.

Honolulu Star Bulletin Article About Malika

Miss America Web Site

Miss Hawaii Web Site

A 100 Mile Off-Road Running Race in Honolulu

Twenty three men and women were able to finish the 6th annual 100 mile Honolulu Ultra Running Marathon (HURT 100), which took place on Mount Tantalus and in the Manoa Valley January 14-15, 2006. Forty-nine additional runners were able to finish the shorter 100 kilometer distance. 38 year old Karl Meltzer of Utah finished the 100 mile event first overall, setting a new course record of 22 hours and 16 minutes. 41 year old Beverly Anderson-Abbs of California finished first among the women in the 100 mile event, and third overall, by finishing in 27 hours and 28 minutes. This was a new course record for women runners.

100 Mile Event Results (PDF)

100 Kilometer Event Results (PDF)

Race Report on the HURT Web Site

Race Report by Davey Crockett

Nine Pages of Photos by Daren Sefcik

Kahala Hotel Rejects Mandarin Name

The owners of the Kahala Mandarin Hotel on the south shore of Oahu are ending their association with the Mandarin Oriental hotel group effective March 1, 2006. As of that date the hotel will simply be called the Kahala Hotel. The hotel first opened in 1964 as the Kahala Hilton and the Mandarin Oriental hotel group took over its management in 1993.

Honolulu Star Bulletin Article

Kahala Hotel - Official Web Site

Surfer Filled Vintage Seaplane Lands in Honolulu

On January 19, 2006 the vintage Billabong Clipper seaplane flew past Waikiki Beach and landed in Keehi Lagoon in Honolulu. The plane was filled with top surfers, including three-time world champion Andy Irons of Kauai. The Billabong Clipper is embarking on a two year surfing safari to locate and experience the best surfing spots in Hawaii and other parts of the South Pacific. [Full Article and Larger Photo]

Haleakala Crater Celebrates 90 Years as a National Park

The Maui Friends of Haleakala National Park are hosting a free public program tonight to observe and celebrate the 90th anniversary of Haleakala National Park. Ranger Dominjic Cardea will show a slide presentation and talk about the history of the park. The presentation will take place at 7 pm on January 20 at the Pukalani Tavares Community Center Poolside Meeting Room in Pukalani, Maui.

Event Announcement in the Maui News

Haleakala National Park - Official Web Site

Friends of Haleakala National Park

Hula Bowl is at Aloha Stadium This Weekend

The 60th annual Hula Bowl American Football Game will take place at 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 21, at the Aloha Stadium on Salt Lake Boulevard in Honolulu. The Hula Bowl is returning to Oahu after an 8 year run on the island of Maui. The event was moved from Honolulu to War Memorial Stadium on Maui in 1997, but it has returned to Oahu in 2006 in an effort to increase attendance and revenue.

Hula Bowl Web Site

Aloha Stadium Web Site

PGA Champions Golf Tour Kicks Off on the Big Island

The first event in the Professional Golfers' Association Champions Tour will take place this weekend, January 20-22, in Hualalai on the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The following two stops on the tour will take place at Turtle Bay on Oahu and Wailea, Maui, and the remaining Champion's Tour events will take place throughout 2006 in several USA States, Mexico, and Scotland.

Jan 20-22: MasterCard Championship at Hualalai (Big Island)

Jan 27-29: Turtle Bay Championship (Oahu)

Feb 5-6: Wendy's Champions Skin's Game (Maui)

Complete Schedule: PGA Champions Tour

Hawaii First to Adopt Surfing as a School Sport

The Hawaii State Department of Education has approved letting Hawaii high schools launch state-sanctioned surfing clubs, beginning in the Fall of 2006. The coaches of the new clubs will be required to take an ocean safety course, and students must meet a minimum skill level to participate. Some of Hawaii's high schools already have surfing clubs, but in the past they have not been recognized by Hawaii's Department of Education and they were not allowed to use the school's name. After a 30 year effort, that will change for the first time in the fall of 2006. The next step for "surfing in the schools" advocates is for the Hawaii Education Department to accept surfing as a interscholastic league sport so sanctioned surfing competitions between schools can be held.

Hawaiian Airlines Has the Best On-Time Record

During the year ending August 2005, Hawaiian Airlines had a better on-time record then any other United States air carrier, according to the United States Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report. 95% of Hawaiian Airlines flights were on time during that 12 month period. The airlines with the next best records were Skywest with 83%, ATA with 82%, Southwest with 80%, and United Airlines with 79%. Hawaiian has been ranked highest for on-time performance for the last two years. Hawaiian Airlines was founded in 1929 and today it transports more 6 million passengers a year to eighteen destinations in Hawaii, the continental United States, Tahiti, and American Samoa.

The History of Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines - Official Web Site

The New Hawaii Travel Newsletter

The name of this Hawaii travel news blog has been changed from "Hawaii Travel News" to "Hawaii Travel Newsletter" and it has been given its own domain name at HawaiiTravelNewsletter.com. Note that we will continue linking to our most recent headlines on the home page of the Hawaii for Visitors Web site. We may eventually start sending a free email newsletter to those who are interested, but even if we do that, we will continue posting Hawaii travel news, articles, and tips on this page. Welcome to our new home on the Web!

Historic Photos from the Honolulu Advertiser

The Honolulu Advertiser has been publishing their newspaper for 150 years as of 2006, and to celebrate that milestone they are featuring a new historic photo from their archives every day, including this 1938 picture of Waikiki, when the tallest hotels were the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana. Keep selecting "next" to view all of the photos in this gallery, and keep checking back every day for more photos.

Honolulu Advertiser - Historic Photos

Honolulu Advertiser - This Day in History

100 Mile Endurance Race in Honolulu

The sixth annual Hawaii Ultra Running Team (HURT) 100 mile endurance run will take place January 14-15 in the mountains and valleys of Honolulu. The route is a 20 mile loop which begins at the Hawaii Nature Center and winds through Tantalus, Manoa, Nuuanu, and back. Competitors must complete 5 loops on the obstacle filled course. The race has 23,000 feet of verticle climb and competitors typically burn about 19,000 calories. Out of 88 starters in 2005, only 17 completed the full 100 mile course. The top male finisher in 2005 was James Gifford of Washington State (27 hours and 25 minutes) and the top female finisher was Monica Scholz of Canada (31 hours and 35 minutes). Monica finished in 3rd place overall for men and women combined. As of today, 91 people have registered for the 2006 event, including Monica, who has been assigned racer ID #1.

HURT 100 Mile Ultra Marathon- Official Web Site

Race Course Map in GIF Format

Honolulu Advertiser: 2005 Article - 2003 Article

Honolulu Police Department Museum and Tour

Visit the Honolulu Police Department's Law Enforcement Museum to learn about famous local crimes, the real story behind the legendary Charlie Chan, Olympic swimmer and surfing champion Duke Kahanamoku's long career as a Honolulu County sheriff, and other fascinating facts and stories about the history of the Honolulu Police Department. The museum is located at the Alapai Police Headquarters Building and it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tours of the Alapai Police Station are also available, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (801 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, Oahu, 808-529-3511) [Honolulu Police Department Museum]

Hawaii Has Lowest U.S. Unemployment Rate

In 2004 the State of Hawaii's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent, giving it the lowest unemployent rate in the United States. After Hawaii, the lowest unemployment rates were held by North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Wyoming. The average unemployment rate in the U.S. in 2004 was 5.5%. In August of 2005 Hawaii's unemployment rate dropped to 2.6%, but wages in Hawaii still lag behind those on the mainland and housing costs are high.

An Award Winning Hawaiian Surfing Movie

The 2003 feature length film "The Ride" is about a California surfer competing on Oahu's north shore, who wipes out and is magically transported back in time to the Hawaii of 1911. During his time traveling adventure, he washes up on Waikiki beach, where he makes friends with a young Hawaiian boy, the future Olympic and surfing champion Duke Kahanamoku. The movie was written, produced, and directed by Hawaii film-maker Nathan Kurosawa and it received the Audience Award at the 2003 Honolulu International Film Festival. "The Ride" is currently only available at Borders Bookstores in Hawaii, but soon it will be available for mail order purchase on the film's official Web site.

Official Web Site for the Movie

More Hawaii Surfing Movies