The Governor’s order establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks bounded by the Ala Wai and the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, as well as the North Shore Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks from Ali‘i Beach in Hale‘iwa to Sunset Beach.  Both surf reserves are located off the waters of O‘ahu. 

"Ann is so inspirational," said Carolyn Hadfield (Leader of Maoist Revolutionary Communist Party and “Not In Our Name” NION). "She has that military background, so she must have soberly assessed the risks and decided it was worth it."

Michael Rivero, webmaster of the activist (Holocaust denier and 9-11 trooother) website whatreallyhappened.com, said Wright is "a very well-liked, very well-respected peace activist." He likened the Israeli raid to piracy and called it "an act of war."

Early Monday morning in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, helicopters lowered Israeli Commandos onto a Turkish-flagged ferry carrying 600 passengers determined to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Beset by activists armed with poles, knives and guns, the Israelis defended themselves, and the resulting violence left at least nine dead. Hours later, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report claiming that Iran now has enough nuclear fuel, with further enrichment, to make two nuclear weapons. These two stories are not unrelated. And they ought to serve as a signal to the Obama administration that it is time to change its approach to the region.

Was it, as some suggest, the plan of flotilla organizers all along?

It's worth remembering why the aid was being transported by sea in the first place. A convoy led by then-British MP George Galloway (Bought and paid for by Saddam Hussein via oil for food scam--AW) ended in violence at the Egyptian-Gaza border in early January after authorities delayed their entry into Gaza.

An Egyptian police officer was shot and killed by Hamas gunmen. Egypt deported Galloway, made it clear he was unwelcome there again, and told the convoy it could no longer enter through its crossing. Galloway's partner in that convoy was the Turkish-based International Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which helped lead the flotilla.

It is in our hands to make certain their sacrifice was not in vain, and to honor their service by ensuring their memory lives on.

Today, we thank all of our service members and their families, and for the many families and friends whose loved ones did not return, it is with a heavy heart that we pay tribute to them now.

May we be so fortunate that the next generation lives with the purpose and conviction of our fallen heroes.

Just as in the 2006 Senate Primary race, Ed Case has once again been forced to abandon any hope of achieving change within the Hawaii Democratic Party.

HONOLULU—Today the Democratic Party of Hawai’i held its State Convention and clearly displayed that they are out of touch with the people of Hawai’i.  Instead of addressing issues of importance to the people of Hawai’i, they focused on passing resolutions supporting physician assisted suicide, gay civil unions and increasing taxes on people who grow the economy and create jobs. 

All of us in Hawai‘i have been deeply impacted by the global recession. We’ve had to make tough decisions and sacrifices– in government, in business and in our households – to deal with the impacts that began hitting our economy in mid-2008.

In true Hawai‘i fashion, our state pulled together to tackle these difficult issues.  It has not been an easy task, and there have been disagreements, even heated debate, along the way.  But for the most part, we have remained focused on being fiscally responsible, turning our economy around, getting our residents back to work, and setting the foundation for a stronger future.

Over the past few weeks, we have been seeing the positive results of this collaboration and sacrifice. ...

“Hannemann has had months to formulate an opinion on one of the state’s most pressing issues.  In the past Hannemann dodged taking a stand on HB 444 because he wasn’t an official candidate.  Now that he’s announced and all the fan fare is over, he continues to skirt the issue.  It is clear Mufi lacks the courage and backbone to speak to his values."

“With O‘ahu residents being the greatest beneficiaries of the Superferry, it is curious that Mayor Hannemann was noticeably absent from the discussion at the time.  Yet now, as is his nature, he wants to blame others. 

“The fact is that the decision to stop the Superferry was the result of a Supreme Court ruling which was a far-reaching interpretation that heretofore had never been applied to any new maritime operation in the state.”

HONOLULU 5-27-10 – Governor Linda Lingle today announced that the State has advanced more than $1.8 billion in capital improvement projects (CIP) statewide, exceeding the original goal of the Lingle-Aiona Administration’s plan launched in December 2008 to accelerate public infrastructure construction as part of a comprehensive effort to stimulate the economy and create jobs.  Over the past 17 months, the State has successfully opened bids for, awarded contracts for or started construction on 827 capital improvement projects totaling $1,851,513,340.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii (USAG-HI) will hold a Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at 9 a.m., May 31, at the Schofield Barracks Post Cemetery. The public is invited to join the garrison as it honors Soldiers who gave their lives in service of our country.

Non-profits interested in participating in the program and receiving free help for their organization can attend an informational briefing at the Hawai‘i State Capitol Auditorium on Tuesday, June 1 from 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lt. Governor Aiona, DLIR Director Darwin Ching and DHS Director Lillian Koller will provide information on the program, answer questions and assistance with filling out worksite applications.

Young people, ages 14 through 23, who are interested in the program should apply as soon as possible at their nearest DLIR Workforce Development Division Office. 

The Commission’s decision also strongly emphasized responsible management of public trust resources.  The Commission ordered Maui County to begin construction within three years to fix the extremely leaky Waikamoi Flume to eliminate waste and provide a more reliable water source for Upcountry domestic and agricultural uses.  Commissioners stated that Maui County needs to develop alternative water sources, conservation and reclamation for water supplies.  Maui County relies upon stream water for approximately 85 percent of its water needs for the Upcountry system.  Due to long-term drought, this is a precarious position for the people of Maui and the County needs to shift the balance of water supply to more reliable sources that do not come at the expense of Hawaii's resources and downstream users of these same waters.

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Charles Djou (HI-01) received two key committee assignments today on the important House Budget and Armed Services Committees as he begins serving Hawaii's First Congressional District. Congressman Djou issued the following statements . . . .

“We are pleased that the Council on Revenues is now forecasting improved revenue collections. The latest projection reflects an improving economy and is an encouraging sign that Hawai‘i is headed in the right direction. 

“While the upward adjustment is positive, we need to remain focused on creating jobs, stimulating our economy and monitoring the state’s cash flow.”

"In the same move of removing restraint on one end of the charter school pipeline, this legislation effectively places a new constraint on the other end, which ultimately lessens the funding available for charters.  Especially as the number of charters continues to grow, charter schools will unfortunately see fewer and fewer dollars available."

Some in the UH Hilo community are shocked and surprised by UH Board of Regents' unanimous May 20 decision selecting Donald O Straney, Dean of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona, to take the place of UH Hilo's retiring Chancellor Rose Tseng. Others, such as UHPA President AJ Musto, are surprised by the transfer of Rockne Freitas to head up UH's legislative lobbying as UH Vice President of student affairs and university and community relations.

They shouldn't be....

A fudgelike goo coating Louisiana's marshes. A thick oil slick stretching across the Gulf of Mexico. A plume of oil miles below the ocean surface. A tragic loss of life. Reverberating economic consequences. Throw in a poll that shows that 53 percent of Americans rate President Barack Obama "poor" or "very poor" in his handling of the Gulf oil spill, and it's no wonder the President yesterday broke his 308-day self-imposed press conference moratorium in hopes of conveying some semblance of leadership amid an environmental, economic and human catastrophe that has spiraled out of his control.