Sears, Kmart fall in love When Kmart bought the Sears department store chain last week for $11 billion, it was an effort to compete with the likes of Wal- Mart and other big-box retailers. It also had a lot of
Sears, Kmart fall in love
When Kmart bought the Sears department store chain last week for $11 billion, it was an effort to compete with the likes of Wal- Mart and other big-box retailers. It also had a lot of Sears and Kmart employees around the state and here on Kaua‘i wondering if they might be caught up in cutbacks.
While Kmart or Sears honchos aren’t talking about the affects the merger will have here in Hawaii, rumor has it that no cuts are planned just yet, and that Kmart’s Hawaii operations, including the one store here on Kaua‘i at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center, are doing very well and that few major changes are expected anytime soon. Sears had purchased 50 Kmart stores earlier this year and turned some of them into a “new kind” of Sears, selling convenience store consumables, frozen pizzas, and juice, among other things. Expect to see a cross-breeding of merchandise in both stores, say experts. For example, Craftsman tools will be in Kmart, and Martha Stewart will show up in Sears. But mostly, the deal helps Sears to get “off mall” quickly. That is, moving to standalone stores where it can compete with Lowe’s, Home Depot, Wal- Mart, etc.
Clinical psychologist
Tanya Evslin Gamby, Ph.D., is back on Kaua‘i and opening a private practice in Kapa‘a. Gamby is a clinical psychologist treating adults, children and families. She has an additional specialty interest in the autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger’s and PDD). Gamby grew up on Kaua‘i and graduated from Kaua‘i High School. She received her B.S. from Mills College in Oakland, Calif., and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Washington State University. She has taught at UCLA and served as the Associate Clinical Director of the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention. Gamby treats clients with mood and anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, bereavement issues, ADHD, abuse/neglect, adjustment disorders and eating disorders. Her office is located in Kapa‘a in the Seto building.
Bad Ass getting bad rap?
“We’re not promoting any body part,” said Tony Liotta. “It is about the donkeys.” But the little Wisconsin town of Antioch isn’t buying it. The village board is kicking mad about Bad Ass Coffee Co. of Hawaii, the strong coffee that jolts like a donkey’s kick. The coffee’s fine, they say, just don’t call it “Bad Ass.” The village board and some residents are mad at a man trying to open a franchise in their town. The 15-year-old coffee chain says the name’s harmless and honors the donkeys that once hauled coffee beans up and down the mountainsides of Kona. But village board sees it differently.
“The shop’s name is found to be utterly vulgar; to be highly offensive to ordinary moral sensibilities of this community and to be repugnant to the entire concept of family values and traditional American ideals,” read a resolution the board passed 5-1 last week. But they can’t do anything to stop the shop from opening. Franchise owner Tony Liotta, who estimated his startup and franchise costs at $250,000, said he plans to be pouring coffee by January. The chain’s name has drawn similar reactions elsewhere, said Mike Bilanzich, president of Salt Lake City-based Bad Ass Coffee Co. of Hawaii.
New activities Web site
A new Web site marketing Kaua‘i’s attractions to the world was started up last week. Called www.Kauaivacationtours. com, the site includes contacts for whale watching tours, horseback riding, deep sea fishing charters, Na Pali Coast boat charters, luaus, helicopter tours, scuba and snorkeling tours, Kayak tours and much more. Kaua‘i activities are in such demand that many want to book in advance, and this is one way to do it, say site developers and Kaua‘i residents Susan Tickle and Jim Holbrook.
Top DLNR man leaves
Dan Davidson, deputy director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), will resign to return to the private sector. Davidson, who was appointed by Governor Lingle in March 2003, will join Aina Nui Corp., a property development subsidiary of The Estate of James Campbell. He will start his new position on Jan. 3, 2005. Prior to joining DLNR, Davidson was executive director of the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawai`i, a private non-profit research and trade association whose members include Hawai`i landowners and developers. The Lingle Administration has begun a search for Davidson’s replacement.
Raytheon suit settled
The EEOC had alleged that Raytheon Technical Services Co. violated two laws: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for refusing to hire George Dial, an experienced African-American painter, due to his race; and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act by failing to hire Etta Dial, an experienced office employee, because of her age when the Dials applied for jobs at Raytheon’s facility at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. But Raytheon denied any wrong doing on its part and agreed to pay an amount to the Dials. In addition, Raytheon will train the supervisors who took part in the hiring decisions in Johnson Atoll.
NCL brings deep pockets When Norwegian Cruise Line, which operates two cruise ships that come to Kaua‘i, bought the island tour bus company Polynesian Adventure Tours for $5 million last week, many wondered if PAT’s 200 employees would still have a job. Don’t worry. The company says all will remain employed, including the 25 employees on Kaua‘i operating 15 vehicles here. Better yet, the acquisition ensures that NCL can develop the ground transportation needed to serve the core of its cruise ship passengers. NCL currently has two cruise ships operating in Hawaii. The Pride of Aloha sails under the NCL American brand along with the Norwegian Winds from sister brand Norwegian Cruise Line. Plans call for two more NCL ships to be added to Hawaii waters by 2006, including the Pride of America, which is set to begin sailing in June. The four ships would bring about 500,000 vacationers a year to Hawaii – and most of them will come here to Kaua‘i. And with that many people coming here, you can bet PAT will be hiring, not firing.
More airline service
United Airlines is re-establishing its second San Francisco to Lihu‘e flight in mid-December. UA flight 75 will leave SFO at 1:10 p.m., arriving in Lihu‘e at 4:51 p.m., and UA flight 74 will leave LIH at 10:34 p.m., arriving in SFO at 5:30 a.m.
American Airlines is adding back their early Los Angeles flight in mid-December. Flight 187 will depart LAX at 9:30 a.m., arriving in Lihu‘e at 1:36 p.m.; flight 186 will depart LIH at 3:10 p.m., arriving in LAX at 10:18 p.m. Both the United and American flights provide good connecting service to many mainland cities.
Island Air launched two non-stop flights a day to Maui, leaving LIH at 8:45 a.m. and 11:25 a.m., returning flights at 10:05 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Also, two flights a day to Honolulu, leaving LIH at 4:05 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Flights from HNL leave at 7:55 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Aloha Airlines recently added a second daily flight to Reno from Honolulu, via Burbank, and will add Maui to San Diego service on Dec.15, with through service to Reno. Hawaiian Airlines is adding a second Honolulu to Las Vegas flight on April 4. New flight scheduled to depart Las Vegas at 2:45 a.m., arriving HNL at 5:55 a.m.; and depart HNL at 2:15 p.m., arriving LAS at 10:45 p.m. Hawaiian partners with America West for numerous connecting flights.
Meanwhile, other airlines will begin non-stop service to Honolulu in December: Delta Air Lines will begin a second daily non-stop flight between Atlanta and Honolulu on December 1, 2004;
Northwest Airlines will begin new daily nonstop service to Honolulu from Portland, Oregon, Dec. 15, 2004; and Continental Micronesia (a subsidiary of Continental Airlines) will begin new daily nonstop service between Nagoya and Honolulu on Dec. 20, 2004.
