The fourth annual New York Hawaiian Film Festival, an event known as "Pacifika", will take place May 19 through 21, 2006 in New York City. Featured films will include three documentaries by award winning filmmakers Eddie and Myrna Kamae and twenty-two additional Pacific Islander films. There will also be live Polynesian music, hula dancing, craft workshops, book signings, poetry readings, and a party with live Hawaiian music and food provided by the always popular L&L Hawaiian Barbeque.

Honolulu Star Bulletin Announcement

Pacifika 2006 - Official Event Web Site

Tattoo Studios in Hawaii

Tattoos are popular in Hawaii, and many Hawaiian tattoo artists specialize in Polynesian tattoo designs. It is believed that the art of tattoo originated in Tahiti, Samoa, and other parts of the South Pacific. Here is a directory of tattoo studios on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii, and two books about Polynesian and Hawaiian tattoos. [Hawaii Tattoo Studios]

New Shops Are Coming to Ala Moana Soon

Nine new shops and cafes will open soon at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu:

2006 May: L'Occitane Bath and Body

2006 May: Clark's Footwear

2006 Jun: Philip Richard Jewelry

2006 Jun: Juicy Couture

2006 Aug: Miss Sixty Jeans
Cafes and Snack Shops:

2006 Jun: Marble Slab Creamery

2006 Jun:Hibachi-San

2006 Jun:Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

2006 Sep: Mrs Fields Cookies
Ala Moana Center was built in 1959. It was the largest shopping center in the United States until the Mall of America was built, and it currently claims to be the largest outdoor shopping center in the world. Ala Moana use to be an important gathering place for locals, but that has been less true since the 1990's, when high priced luxury shops replaced many of the local-style favorites. Ala Moana is a "must see" attraction for people who love to shop.

United is Adding Flights to Hawaii

In June of 2006, United Airlines will increase the number of weekly fights to Hawaii from the mainland and they will add 100 new jobs in Hawaii, to meet expected customer demand during the busy summer season. New weekend flights will be added from San Diego and Seattle to Honolulu, bringing to six the total number of cities with United Airlines flights to Hawaii: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and now San Diego and Seattle. United also has flights to Honlulu from Osaka and Tokyo Japan. For more information about United's new flights to Hawaii see the United Airlines press release: "United Says Aloha to Customers".

Photos of Kualoa Beach Park

Here are ten pictures of Kualoa Beach Park, a Honolulu County park that is located on the windward coast of Oahu, just north of Kaneohe Bay. Kualoa Beach is not always the best place for swimming, but it's a wonderful spot to stop when you're driving around the island. It has large grassy areas that are perfect for kite flying, frisbee tossing, field games, and family picnics, and there is also a campground for overnight stays. The views from here are magnificent so it's worth stopping, even just to take a few pictures.

Kualoa Beach Photo Gallery

Nine Mile Fence Built Around Haleakala Rainforest

The East Maui Watershed Partnership has finished building a nine mile wire fence around 12,000 acres of rainforest on the windward slope of Maui's dormant Haleakala volcano. The new fenced area expands the zone that was protected by fences in 1985 and 1999 by Haleakala National Park and the Nature Conservancy. The main purpose of the fence is to keep out "invasive species" such as goats and pigs. Axis deer are also a problem in this area, but officials say it is not possible to build a deer-proof fence, although they are trying to develop some alternative deterrents. The wildlife in this area can be very creative: at one time the local goats learned to climb the Koa trees, and use them as springboards to jump over the fence! For more information, see the May 9, 2006 Maui News article.

Update on the Hawaii Superferry

The Hawaii State Legislature is debating a proposal to cut $10 million in funding that was previously approved for the new Hawaii Superferry project. The legislature has asked Hawaii Superferry executives to respond to some of their concerns about how the ferry will affect Hawaii's harbors, traffic, and the environment. The company hopes to put the first of two double-hulled, inter-island ferrys into service by the third quarter 2007. Critics say the neighbor island ports cannot handle an increase in traffic, and that two large high speed ferrys in Hawaii waters would have a serious negative impact on the environment. For more information see Introduction to the Hawaii Superferry.