News & Notes for Sunday — July 31, 2005

• My back pages

• Nakashima brings skills to Kauai Realty, Inc.

• Cruise ships calling on Nawiliwili

• McClain to address contractors, scholars

• Hughes joins Kauai Realty, Inc.

• Yatsuoka promoted at Grand Hyatt Kauai

• Wal-Mart announces Kaua‘i scholarship winners

• Island Air SelectsCommunications Pacific

• DCCA announces campaign to fight identity threat

My back pages

• Congratulations to musician Ken Robert Emerson, for winning a Hawaii Tourism Authority Keep it Hawaii award. Emerson won a prestigious Kahili Award for his commitment to perpetuating Hawaiian culture. He is a Kalihiwai resident and slack-key guitar virtuoso.

Spent a week in Maui last Saturday. Or it just felt that way. The ‘Californification’ of the Valley Isle is all but complete. Where else can you buy a fee-simple dog house for $150,000 (yet to be constructed, available by lottery) and ‘enjoy’ a coffee enema at the same time? Let’s hope Kaua‘i stays decaf. The best I can say about a certain tavern in the Nawiliwili Harbor area is that what it lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in ambulance.

Nakashima brings skills to Kauai Realty, Inc.

• Kauai Realty, Inc. leaders announced that Lindsay Nakashima joined the company earlier this year as a real-estate professional specializing in residential real estate with a focus on seller representation. Nakashima was born in Honolulu and raised in Kamuela on the Big Island. After attending Pacific University in Oregon, where she graduated with a degree in biology, she worked for Intel Corporation as a module technician for four years before moving to Kaua‘i. Company officials said Nakashima offers high-tech experience and computer skills along with youthful enthusiasm. She may be contacted anytime at 652-4164, or visit Kauai Realty’s Web site at www.kauairealty.com.

Cruise ships calling on Nawiliwili

• Tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 1, the Pride of Aloha, 850 feet long, calls on Nawiliwili Harbor, arriving at 7 a.m. and remaining overnight, leaving Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m. This Thursday, Aug. 4, the Pride of America, 965 feet long, arrives at 8 a.m., and departs Friday, Aug. 5, at 6 p.m.

McClain to address contractors, scholars

• Dr. David McClain, interim president of the University of Hawai‘i, will be the keynote speaker Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Contractors Association of Kaua‘i (CAK) membership meeting at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club. At the meeting, the 2005 CAK scholars and their parents will be honored. The dinner meeting is open to the public, but reservations are required. For more information, please contact the CAK office at 246-2662.

Kaua‘i press trip named best of show

• Leaders at McNeil Wilson Communications, the public-relations firm under contract with officials of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau (KVB), were awarded the “Best of Show” Award at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Hawaii) annual Koa Anvil Awards dinner recently at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. The Kaua‘i Family Adventure Press Trip earned top honors for the Special Events/Observances category.

“The Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau is proud to have this PR program recognized for its excellence,” said Susan A. Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. “The Kaua‘i Family Adventure Press Trip was well-planned, executed, and produced great publicity for Kaua‘i tourism. We add our congratulations to McNeil Wilson Communications for a job well done, and thank our industry partners who participated in this press trip.”

The Kaua‘i Family Adventure Press Trip began with four main objectives: increase the profile of Kaua‘i as a family destination in North America; generate press about Kaua‘i’s diversity of activities, including outdoor adventure; differentiate Kaua‘i from other destinations by emphasizing the island’s unique culture and natural beauty; and identify KVB as a resource for vacation planning.

Six journalists were invited to spend one week on Kaua‘i with a child. During that time, they engaged in numerous activities that showcased the many unique offerings for vacationing families, Kanoho said. To date, seven stories have been produced with a total circulation of 1,138,632, or 2,163,400 impressions. The generated stories reference Kaua‘i’s unique culture in relation to the island being a strong family destination, and KVB as a planning resource, Kanoho said.

The Koa Anvil and Koa Hammer Awards recognize public-relations excellence in Hawai‘i. A committee of professionals from PRSA’s Los Angeles Chapter judged this year’s entries. They evaluated each entry, and took into consideration how well each one addressed not only the quality of execution, but also the other essential elements of professional public relations — research, planning and evaluation.

McNeil Wilson Communications officials have managed KVB public relations since 1997. In addition to the Best of Show award, firm leaders won Koa Anvil/Koa Hammer awards for other clients including Marriott International, Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, Hawaiian Airlines, Polynesian Cultural Center and Battleship Missouri Memorial. The Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau (KVB) is a private, nonprofit organization charged with marketing and promoting the visitor industry on Kaua‘i — Hawai‘i’s Island of Discovery. The KVB is a division of the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, with operating funds derived from the Hawaii Tourism Authority. For visitor information, call toll-free 1-800-262-1400, or visit www.kauaidiscovery.com

Shell Hospitality selects regional rep

• Shell Hospitality, Inc. leaders recently selected Linda Anthony as their new hospitality regional vice president for Hawai‘i, where she will direct the resort operations of 300 hospitality professionals at Shell Vacations’ five Hawaiian resorts. Anthony has earned the professional designations of a RRP (Registered Resort Professional) and PCAM (Professional Community Association Manager). She is also a three-time recipient of the ARDA Silver Award for Resort Management, and received the “Perfect Host” award from the San Diego Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

She is responsible for resort operations and administration at the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy in Waipouli on Kaua‘i; Kona Coast Resort, Paniolo Greens and Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village, all on the Big Island; plus Shell Vacations Club’s newest acquisition, the Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai on O‘ahu.

Supported by more than 1,600 hospitality professionals and consistently rated in the nation’s Top 50 Management companies, Shell Hospitality is the management arm for Shell Vacations, and handles resort-management responsibilities for Shell Vacations Club Resorts and non-club properties.

Hughes joins Kauai Realty, Inc.

• Diane Hughes, Kauai Realty, Inc.’s newest real-estate professional, joined the company earlier this month. She was previously employed by Cost-U-Less for 12 years as a merchandise manager.

According to Hughes, “I decided to change careers so I could help the community with purchasing or selling homes.” She said this will be a fulltime job for her, so that she can provide the kind of service her clients will require. Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hughes has lived on Kaua‘i for 20 years. She said she was very happy and excited about joining Kauai Realty. Hughes may be reached at 651-7830, or visit the company Web site at www.kauairealty.com.

Yatsuoka promoted at Grand Hyatt Kauai

• Vanessa Yatsuoka was recently promoted from senior sales manager to associate director of sales at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, according to a company spokesperson. In her new position, Yatsuoka’s primary duties include the planning and directing of activities associated with the resort’s sales department. She will also oversee the analysis of sales data and information, and will have a significant role in the presentation and negotiation of sales contracts, a property spokesperson added. Born and educated on Kaua‘i, Yatsuoka began her career at the Hyatt in 1996 as a sales manager, with responsibility for the individual market, wholesale accounts, and travel agents.

Wal-Mart announces Kaua‘i scholarship winners

• Kelcie Ann Shizuko Kawamura from Kaua‘i High School and Mia Archuleta from Kamehameha School have been selected to receive the Sam M. Walton Community Scholarship. According to a company spokesperson, this is Wal-Mart officials’ 25th year of awarding scholarships. The amount of the scholarship given to the two Kaua‘i recipients was not disclosed. Kawamura will be attending the University of Washington, majoring in mechanical engineering, while Archuleta will be attending the University of Hawai‘i, and will be majoring in pharmacology.

Island Air SelectsCommunications Pacific

• Island Air, Inc. officials have retained Communications Pacific (CommPac), one of Hawai‘i’s leading integrated-communications agencies, to handle public relations, advertising, interactive marketing and strategic-communications-planning needs. “We are pleased to be partnering with a strong local firm that understands the essence of Hawai‘i’s culture and business environment,” said Island Air Chief Executive Officer Robert Mauracher. “By retaining Hawai‘i’s top integrated-communications agency for all our marketing and communications needs, we will be able to convey the strong, consistent messages we need to achieve outstanding results.”

“We are delighted to have been selected by such an energetic and growing company as Island Air, and we look forward to a productive and enjoyable partnership,” said Al Hoffman, CommPac president. Established in 1969 as a public-relations firm, Communications Pacific is today a fully-integrated communications agency offering clients a wide range of marketing counsel, including advertising, public relations, interactive communications and community building, Hoffman said.

Island Air is Hawai‘i’s leading regional carrier, serving more destinations in the state of Hawai‘i than any other airline worldwide. Island Air currently offers 88 daily flights between Honolulu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Kapalua, Kahului, Kona, Hilo and Lihu‘e. For reservations and flight information, please visit islandair.com

DCCA announces campaign to fight identity threat

• Leaders with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) is stepping up the fight against identity theft with a new campaign to educate consumers. This Tuesday, Aug. 2, leaders in the department’s Office of Consumer Protection will launch their identity-theft awareness campaign. DCCA officials, according to a press release, will reach out to state consumers with a series of educational television spots containing tips on how to protect identities, and what to do if an identity has been stolen. A new identification-theft Web site (www.idtheft.hawaii.gov) has also been established.

An-ID theft hotline will be installed, accessible toll-free from Kaua‘i by calling 274-3141, then dialing 7-3222# after the recorded message.

The TV spots will feature the most common ways a person’s identity might be stolen, along with a reminder to call any one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, to obtain free credit reports.