Several bills before the Hawaii State legislature aim to make our very own Hilo Hawaii more appealing to aerospace and space tourism companies. Is this pie in the sky or a new era for high tech in Hawaii? According to an article in the Washington Examiner:

Hawaii Island is already at the center of the state’s aerospace industry, and the University of Hawaii-Hilo has been selected as the site of a proposed lunar research center where new technologies can be tested in environments that replicate outer space.

Now two proposals before a House and Senate conference committee would allow the state to make the Big Island even more attractive to aerospace and lunar transportation companies. A third would allow the state to invest in aerospace tourism.

One bill seeks to give tax incentives to companies in an attempt to encourage them to come here:

Another bill creates a special district in downtown Hilo that will use state and county tax incentives to draw major aerospace companies to Hawaii Island.

While another bill seeks to change who controls the funding to PISCES and increase the amount of funding:

A different proposal would provide more flexibility and funding to the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, or PISCES. The center is currently under UH-Hilo, but this proposal would transfer oversight to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Now I’m not against making Hawaii more attractive to aerospace and space tourism companies. But why not make Hawaii more attractive to all companies especially the ones that have been here for generations? Why should a select group of companies get tax incentives and funding, while other companies are left to struggle with high taxes and lots of red tape?

The first macadamia nut tree was planted on our island in 1881 by an Australian tourist (in the days when our vocabulary didn’t include words like invasive species.

In 1921, Ernest van Tassel, planted the first commercial macadamia nut orchard on Oahu, but it didn’t work out so well because the seedlings where not true to type.

In 1946, Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, was established and it planted its first orchard in Kea’au.

Today, Mauna Loa’s processing facility, which is located just outside of Hilo continues to process tons of our favorite nut.

For the full story see: http://www.maunaloa.com/about/history.asp

This May 1st, 2012 a Lei Day festival will be held at the East Hawaii Cultural Center. Here are the details from the Examiner:

Queen Hokulani will preside over Hilo’s community Lei Day Festival, themed “He Mo`olelo ko ka Lei – A Story of the Lei” on 1 May, 2012. The festival, held in the East Hawai`i Cultural Center, opens at 10:00 am with the decorating of the ku`ahu Lei, and closes at 3:00 pm with the singing of Hawai`i Aloha. The festival is free and open to the public.

Queen Hokulani also invites the public to join her for tea at Lei Day, on the upstairs lanai of the Cultural Center. While the event is free, seating is limited, so tickets are required. inquire at info@LeiDay.net.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Hilo Lei Day festival releases official Royal Portrait – Honolulu Culture | Examiner.comhttp://www.examiner.com/article/hilo-lei-day-festival-releases-official-royal-portrait#ixzz1snfmtiFd

Queen Hokulani has lived an exciting life and has worked with many famous people. The article also says:

She also danced and choreographed for,and toured with, Don Ho, Tommy Sands, Dick Jenson, and Elvis Presley. Probably she is most familiar to Continental audiences as the Blue Hawaii solo dancer in Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii TV special. Hokulani also has been featured at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel as lead dancer and choreographer.

Hope you can make it.

Here’s a real estate listing for a Hilo Condo. What is it doing on a Maui website???

Take a break with condo living in an excellent location!

Newly renovated! Move-in-ready.

This 1-bedroom 1-bath is centrally located to banks, dining, drug store, schools, State and County Buildings and within walking distance of almost everything in downtown Hilo.

It must be fun for those Maui folks to do an open house. Sure it’s a short plane flight to Hilo. But still, it’s a plane flight!!!

What they don’t tell you in the listing is that it is right next to a Burger King. If you like flame broiled burgers, this is definitely the place for you.

Two reporters were fired by our local newspaper. I don’t know all the facts, so I won’t comment on who was right, but the feds essentially told the newspaper tough nuggies, go and reinstate the reporters and pay them for six years of back pay, which might amount to $200,000. All I can say is ouch.

According to the article:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s appeal of a NLRB decision that reporters Dave Smith and Hunter Bishop were illegally fired. Bishop was fired after a confrontation with Editor David Bock over a union matter where Bishop was accused of insubordination. Smith was fired for secretly recording a meeting with Bock where the editor gave him a warning about productivity.

As I said, I definitely don’t know all the details, so I can’t say who’s right or wrong. I just thought that this was an interesting story that I don’t recall seeing in our HTH.