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Archive for September, 2009
EPA orders companies to improve pollution controls
Sep 29th
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Honolulu Marine LLC and Hawaii Stevedores, Inc. to comply with Clean Water Act requirements for stormwater runoff at their facilities.
Hawaii Stevedores, Inc. operates marine cargo handling facilities at Pier 1 and Pier 35 at Honolulu Harbor. EPA inspections found that the Pier 1 facility did not have a permit or a stormwater pollution control plan, and that it lacked controls to prevent pollutants from vehicle repair and maintenance areas from being discharged in the stormwater runoff.
Honolulu Marine LLC operates a boat building and repair facility on Ahui Street that discharges stormwater into Kewalo Basin. EPA inspectors found the company failed to have required stormwater pollution control measures to prevent discharge of pollutants, failed to cover and contain stored materials and barrels, and did not meet stormwater control monitoring and reporting requirements as required by its stormwater permit.
“Both companies must promptly correct the violations and improve pollution controls at their facilities to protect our harbors and coastal waters,” said Alexis Strauss, Water Division director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “If not managed and controlled, pollutants can contaminate our coastal waters through stormwater runoff.”
The EPA’s order requires Hawaii Stevedores to obtain a stormwater permit and comply with all conditions of the permit. The company also has 30 days to contain all pollutants stored or used at its location from being discharged in stormwater runoff. Once these are complete, a report detailing the work must be submitted to the EPA.
Honolulu Marine needs to inspect its facility to ensure no pollutant sources enter into stormwater discharges. The company has 30 days to correct all stormwater control issues, address discharges at its catch basin and outfall, clean oily stains at the facility, and prevent runoff from the boat repair area. The company must submit to the EPA its stormwater best management plan, all required records and reports required by the discharge permit, and a report of the completed work.
Both companies were inspected in December 2008 as part of an EPA regionwide effort to improve compliance with the Clean Water Act’s stormwater regulations at ports in California and Hawaii.
‘Taste of the Arts’ Turns Alternative on Oct. 9
Sep 21st
On Friday, October 9, 2009 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., The Arts District Merchants Association and Honolulu Culture and Arts District present the third annual “Taste of the Arts†Street Festival featuring the food, music and drink of The Arts District, produced by Tim Bostock Productions. This year offers a different slant with a new title: Alternative Taste Street Festival; and a fresh twist for the program.
This Street Festival is a celebration of the alternative styles always present in the Arts District downtown. The Festival is presented in association with the Honolulu GLBT community, and with artists of all persuasions. The GLBT culture has never before been celebrated with a downtown street festival. This event is not exclusively gay but does provide programming for those audiences, especially along Hotel Street, one of the homes of the drag and transgender community for many years.
Alternative Taste will celebrate MANY alternatives, and will provide an exciting and eclectic program for all ages. Over five thousand people are expected to enjoy the Festival through the evening. Nuuanu Avenue will be closed from Chaplain Lane above Marks Garage to King Street, and Hotel Street will be closed from Bethel to Smith. Pauahi Street will be closed from the Marks Garage exit to the Smith -Beretania lot exit. The three music stages and one separate DJ stage will provide continuous entertainment from 6pm to 10pm.
The Main Stage at Pauahi and Nuuanu features hiphop-klezmer-funk mix from Haberdashery, hard local punk from 86List, driving celtic rock from Doolin Rakes and headliners Rolando Sanchez Salsa Band. Next to the main stage will be the ING Direct Café and Otto’s cakes (downtown denizen and cheesecake baker Otto is the mainstay bassist of 86List – also celebrating its CD launch that evening).
The stage at Hotel Street and Smith Street will feature a full Chinatown Follies drag show featuring groups such as Lip Gloss, Paper Dolls and Gender Bender as well as Brandy Lee, Linda Brown, and emcee Raquel (detailed participants to be announced). The Miller Lite DJ Car at the stage will host DJs from Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand. Nearby will be a dedicated wig stand from Roy Venters and LGW Institute of Hair and Design – The Iggy-Box.
At Nuuanu and King Street the Solo Stage will feature Millicent Cummings, Hope Mayo, and others, alongside poets from Youth Speaks Hawaii, improv artists, specialist fire dancers from Hawaii Fire Artists and a large bamboo rig featuring astonishing solo aerial performances from members of Samadhi Hawaii.
Latin DJs including The Lion of Judah will be spinning at Hotel and Nuuanu on the Red Bull DJ stage; mask and stilt walkers from Monkey Waterfall will be moving through the crowd; psychic readers will be setting up folding tables on the sidewalks. The Alternative Market will include information booths on many alternative lifestyle issues, offering activities and sharing materials on cultural and community services. Blue Planet Foundation, Lesbian and Gay Business of Hawaii, Pride Alliance Hawaii, Black Cat Tattoo, Dr. Ray Yoza and Land of Organica Sorbets will be part of the Alternative Market. Temporary tattoos and massages will be provided alongside other alternative healing and alternative energy tents.
Food booths from local restaurants Indigo, Brasserie Du Vin, Murphy’s Bar and Grill, Balé, Café Joy, Tea @ 1024 and Soul de Cuba will be joined by newcomers India Café with vegetarian curries and Hale Kealoha with healthy Hawaiian food, or ai pono. All menu items will be paired with a premium beer, with selections on offer including Blue Moon, Killians, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell, Miller Chill and Peroni. Draught Miller Lite will be available for $3. Bacardi Mojitos, 1800 Silver T Margaritas, Bombay Sapphire Tom Collins, 42 Below Vodka Bull and other mixed drinks also available from $5.
Alternative Taste Street Festival celebrates the unique character of the Arts District. The street closures will create a large outdoor venue with historic and cultural atmosphere perfect for a community celebration for the whole of Downtown Honolulu. Most of the favorite First Friday galleries will be open. All downtown parking will be open including Marks Garage lot. So stroll through exhibits of fine art, enjoy unique performance and music, taste incredible food and partake in an atmosphere that is part of Honolulu’s trendiest neighborhood.
Alternative Taste 2009 is presented by local nonprofits, the Honolulu Culture & Arts District Association, together with the Arts District Merchants Association, and is sponsored by Miller Lite and Blue Moon Beers, ING Direct Bank, Bacardi, 42 Below, Jack Daniels, 1800 Silver T, Bombay Sapphire, Honolulu Weekly, and Star 101.9 Radio. The City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii Tourism Authority support HCAD. Alternative Taste is produced by Tim Bostock Productions. For more information about the event as it approaches, including program detail, a site map, menus and beer pairing details, please go to www.alternativetaste.com.
ALTERNATIVE TASTE 2009
Live Entertainment
Main Stage—at Nu’uanu Avenue and Pauahi Street
- Haberdashery 6:00 pm
- 86List 7:00 pm
- Doolin Rakes 7:30 pm
- Rolando Sanchez Salsa Band 9:00 pm
Solo Stage—at Nu’uanu and King Street
- Millicent Cummings 7:00 pm
- Samadhi Aerial 7:30 pm
- YSH Poets 7:40 pm
- Millicent Cummings 8:00 pm
- Samadhi Aerial 8:15 pm
- Hawaii Fire Artists 8:25pm
- Samadhi Aerial 9:00 pm
- Hope Mayo 9:10pm
- Samadhi Aerial (Andrea Torres ~ Ring Solo) 9:45 pm
Follies Stage – at Hotel and Smith Streets
- Hula’s DJs 6:00 pm
- Red Carpet Promenade
- Chinatown Follies 6:30pm
- Hula’s DJs 7:30pm
- Red Carpet Promenade
- Chinatown Follies 8:30pm
Parking at:
- Chinatown Gateway Plaza (Bethel Street, turn left from King Street)
- Mark’s Garage (Nu’uanu Avenue, turn left from Beretania)
- Smith and Beretania Lot (Beretania Avenue, turn left after Nuuanu)
Robotics pairs fun with education at Maui County Fair
Sep 14th
The Maui County Fair is proud to again present the RoboTech Maui Expo as part of the Fair’s festivities on Saturday October 3, 2009 in the Baldwin High School Gymnasium. This year, the Expo will feature competitions, exhibits, workshops and more that will highlight this amazing new world of science, recognize our children who are involved, and introduce others to the incredible world of Robotics.
The public is invited to watch teams of middle and high school students challenge each other in the VEX Robotics Competition, as well as fourth and fifth grade students compete in the AIA Maui Lego Building Competition.
For a more hands on experience with robots, Maui students grades 3-8 and their parents can build a robot together using a toothbrush at the BrushBot Robotics Student and Parent Workshop. Preregistration is required and enrollment is limited. To register, email name of student, grade level and school as well as name of accompanying parent, phone number and email address to Art Kimura at art@higp.hawaii.edu or call 808-934-7261.
Winning projects from the Maui Science and Engineering Fair will also be displayed throughout the day at the Expo.
For the RoboTech Maui Expo’s complete schedule visit mauicountyfair.com or call Sherri Grimes at 280-6889.
The 87th Maui County Fair will be “Your Invitation to Fun” and held Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 4. The highly anticipated annual event brings the entire community together to enjoy an alcohol-free, smoke-free and drug-free family-oriented educational event with plenty of entertainment, delicious local food, and fun! This year especially, the Fair gives the people of Maui County a well-deserved break from the current economic times and provides priceless quality time for family and friends. The Maui County Fair is the primary source of funding for many of Maui’s nonprofit and community organizations. It relies entirely on corporate or local business sponsorships, local donations, and volunteers for support. Corporate Sponsorship packets are also available online for download.
For information about the Maui County Fair contact Managing Director Sherri Grimes at 280-6889 or visit mauicountyfair.com or twitter.com/mauicountyfair on the web.
