Permits Required for Beach Weddings

(Reprinted from the Maui News June 24, 2008)
Commercial wedding coordinators who want to arrange ceremonies on state beaches will be required to obtain right-of-entry permits from the Department of Land and Natural Resources starting Aug. 1.

State officials said the permits have been required all along, but that the department was beginning to enforce the requirement because of pressure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to charge fees on commercial use of public-trust lands.

The news was greeted with dismay by about 70 wedding coordinators and planners who attended a DLNR informational meeting arranged by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association on Monday at the Maui Prince Hotel.

Some said the change would destroy the Maui wedding business, especially if it goes into effect so soon. They asked for more time.

“We are trying to keep the brides happy,” said the Rev. Ayesha Sandra Lee Furumoto. “They will be spreading all kinds of painful information all over the Net,” she said, adding, “Soon nobody will want to come to Maui.”

Many in the crowd agreed that if coordinators must get permits, they would prefer an open, annual right of entry, rather than a series of individual permits.

Morris Atta, the acting state land administrator, said he would report the industry’s comments to DLNR Chairwoman Laura Thielen, but added that he could not change the start date of the new policy on the spot.

He said annual permits are “on the table.”

Atta also announced a statewide pilot project to gather information from DLNR staff and the wedding industry, about which beaches are used, when and how often.

While some planners urged the state to hold off on enforcement until a thorough study of the industry and its impacts was complete, Atta warned that would mean requiring an environmental assessment on the wedding industry — something operators probably don’t want.

He said it is currently not clear whether an EA or a more elaborate environmental impact statement could be required to measure the impacts of the industry on the public resource. But for now, the department’s position is that the commercial wedding impact is not significantly different from other uses of beaches that have not had to do EAs — things like baby luau and private weddings.

To the many who objected, citing that the wedding business has done a good job of policing itself, Atta said that the issue driving the permits was the pressure on his department to institute fees for commercial use of public-trust lands.

“We have been lucky — I emphasize lucky — not to have been sued. OHA has sued us for everything we have not charged a fee for (on public-trust resources),” he said.

“We have a public-trust responsibility to oversee these resources,” he said.

Wedding coordinators raised a flurry of practical questions at Monday’s meeting:

• If permits are issued for a particular location on a certain day, what happens “if it’s raining at Makena?” asked Sandy Barker. Now, planners can look for a dry beach.

• The Rev. Ron Winckler wondered what the turnaround time on permits would do to the large number of weddings that arise “when a boyfriend and girlfriend are here and after a couple of margaritas decide they want to get married right now.”

• What would happen if some operators put in for multiple weddings on a special day?

The wedding business is way down, according to those in the industry — Winckler said it’s fallen by half since the boom that followed Sept. 11, 2001 — and further interference could finish it off, some said.

Several cited bad reviews on the Internet over the county’s crackdown on transient-vacation rentals as one of the reasons the wedding business is in decline.

The wedding planners were alarmed by the prospect of getting — or possibly not getting — rights of entry for weddings they already have booked and received payment for.

Even if they have the permits, a typical fee of $150 added to the wedding bill will be a problem.

“We are going to get sued,” said Barker.

Several planners voiced suspicions that either the state was trying to raise revenue on the backs of the wedding business or is out to shut it down altogether.

Neither, said Atta. The permit fees barely will cover the administrative costs of issuing permits, he said. And the initiative for Monday’s informal meeting came from state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert, who historically has been a strong supporter of the wedding industry.

Atta said he understood the frustrations of the business operators. He pleaded for constructive options from them.

“What we are looking for would be something of a self-regulating system,” he said.

It was one of only a few statements of his that was applauded.

• Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com.

~THE STORY OF FATHER'S DAY from The World Book Encyclopedia
Father's Day is celebrated in the US on Sunday, June 15, 2008. Other Countries celebrate throughout the year. Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were
beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. Finally, in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon signed Father's Day into law.


~FLOWER OF THE DAY: Roses are the symbol of the day--red for those fathers with us and white for remembrance of those fathers gone ahead...

Latest Trends in Menswear

People think weddings are all about the bride, but we have a very different perspective. The modern man has every right to interject his own personal style in the wedding just as much as the bride. There is so much emphasis placed on the wedding gown, that the groom's attire can sometimes get lost in the hoopla. That is, until now. Menswear is making a splash on the runways all over the world and we've found some incredibly hot designs to keep your groom looking like he just stepped out of GQ.

Check out the 2009 bridal menswear collection from Spanish designer Fuentecapala. Can you picture your groom in one of these amazing tuxedos? Check out the wide variety of styles, colors, and designs. We're seeing alot of texture in the fabric choices and thin straight leg pants. You'll also notice splashes of color in places like the lining of coat. For those of you like like the traditional tails and coats, you'll notice more options for your groom and even combination styles that mix the traditional tuxedo with an ascot tie.

So which one is your favorite tuxedo?

Gay Marriages In California A Reality?

From what I have read, they said they may still overturn it, or put it to a general election vote... I don't think this story is over. And any same sex marriages in California will only be legal there.

From Wikipedia

The status of same-sex marriage in California, known for its large gay communities and generally liberal political climate, has been a political issue since at least the late 1970s.

On May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of California overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. The four-to-three decision made California the second state, behind Massachusetts, to allow full marriage rights for same-sex partners. Barring a last-minute injunction, marriage licenses will be issued to same-sex couples starting on June 17, 2008.

California had already permitted domestic-partner registration, a Right similar to civil unions found in other states. This grants "same-sex couples all state-level rights and obligations of marriage - in areas such as inheritance, income tax, insurance and hospital visitation" but does not apply to "federal-level rights of marriage that cannot be granted by states."

From LA Times

"But the scope of the court's decision could be thrown into question by an initiative already heading toward the November ballot. The initiative would amend the state Constitution to prohibit same-sex unions."

"The campaign over that measure began within minutes of the decision. The state's Catholic bishops and other opponents of same-sex marriage denounced the court's ruling. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously has vetoed two bills in favor of gay marriage, issued a statement saying he "respects" the decision and "will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn" it."

74% of the readers Polled (on this website) said that the Supreme Court made the right decision.

From CNN

"The California Supreme Court issued the ruling in a consolidated case involving several gay and lesbian couples, along with the city of San Francisco and gay rights groups. A lower court had ruled San Francisco acted illegally in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. In its 4-3 ruling, the state Supreme Court called marriage a "basic civil right."

Opponents of same-sex marriage have said a constitutional marriage amendment should be placed on the November ballot, and that national efforts should be made to generate a federal marriage amendment. A constitutional amendment initiative that would specify marriage is only between a man and a woman is awaiting verification by the California Secretary of State's office after its sponsors said they Had gathered enough signatures to place it on a statewide ballot."

This will not affect marriages in Hawaii. Tim

The Hooheno Room at the King Kamehameha CG

The Hooheno Room at the King Kamehameha CG is another new venue available for couples who want a spetacular view while having the protection of an indoor event. Your reception at the King Kamehameha Golf Course Restaurant is just steps away. Plenty of room for over 60 guests, the Hooheno Room is available with an archway and charis for guests for 2 hours. Site fee is $850.00.

New Wedding Gazebo at the King Kamehameha GC

The gazebo at the Kahili Golf Course is a perfect outdoor wedding ceremony site nestled in the West Maui Mountains and overlooks water features, majestic Cook Island Pines, and the green isthmus of Central Maui gently sloping to the sea. This site includes the use of the gazebo and chairs set up for up 20 guests for 2 hours. Maximum capacity 100. Site fee is currently $500

Seattle-based company to buy Aloha Airlines' cargo operation

HONOLULU — The parent company of Hawaii's biggest interisland ocean shipper announced Thursday it had worked out a deal to buy Aloha Airlines' cargo operation, which shut down Monday.

Seattle-based Saltchuk Resources Inc. said it had obtained the consent of Aloha's main lender, GMAC Commercial Finance. The purchase price wasn't disclosed.

The purchase of the service that carried 85 percent of Hawaii's interisland air cargo needs to be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which was considering the arrangement Thursday.The agreement called for operations to resume by midnight Thursday, with Aloha's cargo employees to be hired to return to run the operation.

Last week, Saltchuk pulled out of an auction for the cargo service after its $13 million offer was outbid by another company. The auction ended with no winner.

Saltchuk President Tim Engle said his company's interest was revived by the efforts of Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and his staff.

"We re-engaged in our efforts to acquire Aloha's air cargo operation after Sen. Inouye personally called us shortly after the shutdown of operations earlier this week," Engle said in a news release.

"He was greatly concerned about the 300 jobs and the vital service that Aloha Air Cargo has provided for the people of Hawaii and asked we try once again to see if we could make something happen," he said.

There was no mention in the announcement of which pilots would be used to fly the planes. Before the cargo operation was shut down, the Air Line Pilots Association had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike of Aloha cargo operations in a dispute over which pilots would fly the planes.

The union wants the airline to use seniority to determine which pilots to use for the cargo flights, and to include those who had been piloting passenger flights.

Saltchuk's announcement said the rehired Aloha cargo employees would work for the newly formed Saltchuk subsidiary Aeko Kula Inc.

In 2000, Saltchuk acquired Young Brothers/Hawaiian Tug & Barge, the state's largest interisland cargo service. In 2006, the company purchased Hawaii Fuel Network, Maui Petroleum and Minit Stop Stores. Saltchuk also owns Northern Air Cargo, the largest cargo carrier in Alaska, which uses the same type of aircraft as Aloha.

Aloha filed for bankruptcy and then closed down its passenger service in March. It has sold its contract services division to Pacific Air Cargo.

UNIQUE INTERNSHIP

Do you want an internship that stretches your abilities? Do you want to do more than you know? Or think you can do? Get thrown to the wolves to test your abilities? Come out with a sterling record and perhaps continue into a real job with the same company?

NOTE: This is open to Juniors, Seniors, Graduate Students. Prior experience is helpful but not necessary – the desire to succeed is most important. Age is not a factor but your ability and willingness to learn is important. Will consider two interns at the same time, just give me a reason.

DESCRIPTION: Hawaiian Island Weddings, Inc. is a Maui, HI based firm that plans weddings and events and coordinates all the details of our clients weddings on Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. We have a comprehensive internship program where the Intern will walk away with real experience plus the ability to have a Career in the busy Maui Wedding Industry for a top wedding planning company.

REQUIREMENTS:
Excellent spelling, grammar and writing skills Strong Internet skills, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, Quick Books Clear speaking voice Able to follow directions + give accurate information + willingness to learn
Must have mature attitude, be a self-starter, require little supervision

DUTIES ...
The Mundane Stuff
Online and other correspondence - monitor and answer per instructions
Online site - monitor and change as needed per instructions
Take accurate messages and forward as needed
Update the online and paper mailing lists
Handle outgoing mailings
Coordinate with me when I’m on the road

The Medium Stuff
Write proposals. Make changes to weddings and keep track of them
Assist with online Newsletter
Assist with preparation of couples arrivals
Planning details hotel, ministers, videographers, caterers, photographers, and other vendors throughout the islands
Attend weddings and act as the On-Site Wedding Coordinator

The Extra and Continuing Stuff
Write web pages, articles and newsletters
Email Itineraries, vouchers, maps and other information
Optional - Get a real job with Hawaiian Island Weddings, Inc.

PAY: Sorry - this is an experience internship from May through August,
2007. No pay but a bonus for Weddings who register through
your efforts. If you continue beyond the internship, pay will be negotiated.

REQUIREMENTS
Must be absolutely trustworthy
Must be Internet-savvy and protective of the HIW brand
Must not smoke anything
Must be drug-free
Must be willing to work hard
Must have an entrepreneurial inclination

REQUIREMENTS
1. Step 1 - A letter of interest via e-mail. Do not send attachments.
Please tell me why you are interested in this internship.
2. Step 2 If selected, you will be asked to send samples of writing and a
full resume including references.
Send email to: intern@hawaiianislandweddings.com

Phoenix-Hawaii Options Dwindle

Other carriers' fares apt to rise amid ATA bankruptcy
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 4, 2008 12:00 AM
azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0404biz-hawaii0404.html

Gilbert travel agent Minnie Hodge scrambled Thursday to rebook a Valley couple's July trip to Hawaii in the wake of ATA Airlines' sudden shutdown.

She found seats on US Airways but at a price: $300 more per ticket.

Hodge worries it's a sign of things to come, with the number of airlines offering daily non-stops from Phoenix to Hawaii cut by one-third overnight. Tempe-based US Airways and Hawaiian Airlines also offer the flights.

Travel agents see ticket prices to Hawaii rising unless additional flights are added or demand falls because of the economy or other factors.

"I think fares are going to go up partly because they can go up," said Matt Saczawa, co-owner of Classic Travel in Scottsdale.

He and Hodge said demand to visit Hawaii is strong year-round and often off the charts during school breaks and summer vacations, when many flights sell out.

It's a popular family and honeymoon destination, and the non-stop service flies to the island paradise in roughly the time it takes to fly to the East Coast. For some families, it has become an annual vacation, in contrast to the once-in-a-lifetime trip it historically had been, airline officials say.

Two additional factors drive demand today: Travelers don't need a passport like they do for Mexico and the Caribbean; and they don't have to deal with the weak dollar, which is spiking the cost of travel to Europe.

"Whenever there's any kind of a problem in Europe, we see our Hawaii and Mexico business go up," Saczawa said.

Indianapolis-based ATA, which had been shrinking its operations and finally succumbed after it lost a military contract, offered daily service between Phoenix and Honolulu and Maui, and was best known for its relatively low fares.

"People are definitely cringing who have already purchased tickets," said Hodge, a travel adviser with A World of Travel in Gilbert.

US Airways said it has no plans to add new service to Hawaii beyond a previously planned 25 percent increase in capacity this summer, which works out to an additional 1.5 trips per day over last summer.

The airline has the most extensive service between Phoenix and Hawaii, with daily flights to Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

The airline told employees it doesn't have plans to add more service in the wake of ATA's demise because the combination of too many flights and $100 oil is what doomed ATA and, earlier this week, Aloha Airlines.

Aloha did not offer service between Phoenix and Hawaii, but many local travelers flew Aloha among the Hawaiian islands.

Hodge said the couple she had to rebook for the July trip were hit by both the ATA situation and Aloha.

"We're barely recovering from Aloha, and now we're hit with another one," Hodge said.

Hawaiian, which offers daily non-stop service to its Honolulu hub and connecting service to the outer islands, has no plans to add additional Phoenix flights, a spokesman said. However, the airline is adding daily service from Oakland, another ATA Hawaii stronghold.

Travel agents said customers seeking the lowest fares to Hawaii in the absence of ATA likely will find it on connecting flights. United is the biggest player in that arena out of Phoenix, with frequent one-stop service to Hawaii via Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The collapse of ATA and Aloha likely will have other implications, too. ATA sold seats through vacation wholesalers such as Apple Vacations, so their flight options suddenly are more limited, too.

On the frequent-flier front, if ticket demand surges at Hawaiian, US Airways and other carriers, they are likely to further limit availability of free seats for cashing in miles.

Southwest frequent fliers lose Hawaii as an option outright with ATA's demise because the free Hawaii flights in the airline's frequent-flier program were on ATA.

The two have had an extensive partnership since ATA was in bankruptcy the first time in 2005. Southwest passengers could buy tickets to Hawaii on the airline's Web site, with the Hawaii portion flown by ATA.

Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said Hawaii, which required two frequent-flier awards per round trip, unlike one for other U.S. destinations, was a popular destination for award redemption but not overwhelmingly so.

The airline warned salivating frequent fliers when the partnership started that free seats to Hawaii would be tight because ATA was considerably smaller than Southwest and offered only a limited number of flights to Hawaii.

Aloha collapse a harbinger of more to come?

By Ben Mutzabaugh
blogs.usatoday.com/sky/aloha_airlines/

At least one finanical blog –- 24/7 Wall St. –- seems to be asking that question. It runs a post under a headline wondering if Aloha's shutdown is the equivalent to "a canary in the coal mine." The blog notes that while Aloha was small and focused on Hawaii, "the reasons for its demise still had to do with falling ticket prices forced down by competition and (rising) fuel prices." 24/7 says "it is no coincidence that carriers like (American), Delta and Northwest are near their 52-week lows (in share values). Someone, somewhere thinks that one or more of these airlines won't make it, at least in its current incarnation," 24/7 writes.

Perhaps highlighting just how precarious conditions are in the airline industry, The Honolulu Advertiser writes "the speed with which Aloha Airlines shut its passenger business has surprised many, but not those familiar with the airline's bankruptcy case." The paper says no lenders were willing to put up money to help keep Aloha's passenger service going. "I'm not blaming the lender," one unidentified bankruptcy attorney involved in the case tells the Advertiser. "It was a business decision. They didn't want to keep losing money, either."

The paper adds "a tight credit market nationally added to Aloha's woes, making it difficult to find new lenders willing to risk their money in a slowing economy and a bare-knuckles interisland fare ware, several people said." Another unnamed attorney says: "In this credit market, no one else is crazy enough to lend."