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Southern California residents Tyra Moe and Richard Hidalgo received the destination wedding of their dreams on the Magic Isle of Maui last September and TNT’s new reality show “Wedding Day,” a Mark Burnett/Dreamworks Production, captured the couple’s romantic journey.

The one-hour Hawaii episode airs August 8 at 9:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. CDT on TNT (check local listings) featuring a lavish wedding on Maui and special visit to Kauai.

“Hawaii is a beautiful setting for destination weddings, so it was a privilege to reward Tyra and Richard for the service they provide their communities with a dream wedding on Maui,” said John Monahan, president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB). “To be surrounded by family and friends in this tropical island locale, while enjoying the scenery, warm weather, and activities together, created memories they will never forget.”

Wedding Day gives deserving couples across the nation the nuptials of their dreams. Tyra and Richard were selected because of their roles in serving the people of Imperial Beach, Calif. Tyra is a firefighter and Richard is a lifeguard.

Their lifestyles are chaotic and demanding and, as such, the couple had conceded their dream wedding plans to a backyard barbecue to tie the knot. However, Wedding Day and HVCB, the state’s tourism marketing agency for North America, which was instrumental in bringing the show to the islands, had other plans.

The surprise began in San Diego when Wedding Day hosts Alan Dunn and Diann Valentine gathered with Tyra and Richard’s family and friends to tell the couple they were heading to Hawaii for a week beyond their wildest expectations.

Once the excitement set in, the couple and their 50 guests were whisked away to the airport and boarded a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Maui. Tyra and Richard were pampered in First Class enjoying Hawaiian’s award-winning tapas-style menu and in-flight hospitality.

After arriving on Maui, the wedding party checked into the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, where Tyra and Richard settled into their luxurious suite with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The couple then met the “Dream Team” who were creating and coordinating the once-in-a-lifetime event, led by Carolee Higashino, owner and president of A White Orchid Wedding. Using her industry resources, Higashino assembled a team of wedding specialists that included Asa Flowers, Café O’Lei Catering, Envisions Entertainment, and Jamie Clark of Pacific Design Group.

In the days leading up to the wedding, Tyra and Richard enjoyed Maui’s charms, exploring the Maui Ocean Center, Alii Kula Lavender Farm, paddle boarding, and a helicopter ride. They also made a day trip to Kauai to reunite with friends and for some ziplining with Outfitters Kauai.

Meanwhile, their family and friends were busy taking an active part in creating the wedding. Construction of the show’s “signature gate” for the bride’s entrance was built by the couple’s fathers and groomsmen in the wedding party. The bridesmaids strung together fresh flower lei and created other enhancements for the big day.

All of the hard work culminated with an unforgettable wedding ceremony and reception in West Maui. Tyra and Richard exchanged their vows in a beautiful garden overlooking the ocean within a private estate, featuring songs by the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus.

The reception took place nearby at the Olowalu Plantation House, which the Dream Team transformed into an exotic and spectacular setting rich in red, orange, and green tones, Hawaii inspired décor, and tropical florals. Guests enjoyed a traditional luau show by Tihati Productions with award-winning Hawaii songstress Raiatea Helm singing for the first dance.

For information about TNT’s “Wedding Day,” visit TNT.tv/series/weddingday.

Hawaii ranks number 18 nationally in a new state-by-state study on the well-being of America’s children. The 2009 Kids Count Data Book reveals that since 2000, Hawaii improved on six of the 10 measures affecting child well-being. Yet on four other measures, conditions worsened for Hawaii’s kids.

The 20th annual Data Book also contains the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s essay that takes stock of the country’s progress in keeping track of children’s well-being.

This year’s Data Book is complemented by the expanded Kids Count Data Center that contains hundreds of measures of child well-being covering national, state, county, and city information. To access information for Hawaii go to datacenter.kidscount.org/hi.

Hawaii ranks in the top 10 on four of 10 indicators.

Hawaii ranked among the ten best states in the nation on four of 10 indicators of child well-being. Hawaii ranked 2nd on the percent of children in poverty, 3rd on the percent of teens who are high school dropouts, and 10th on both infant mortality rate and the percent of children in single-parent families.

Teen birth rate increases for the first time since 2000.

Between 2000 and 2005, the teen birth rate in Hawaii decreased from 46 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19 to 36 births per 1,000. However, Hawaii’s teen birth rate climbed back to 41 per 1,000 in 2006, a 14 percent increase from 2005. In 2006, there were 1,619 births to teens ages 15 to 19 in Hawaii.

Percent of teens ages 16-19 who are high school dropouts remains low.

Hawaii ranked number 3 nationally in the percentage of 16- to 19-year-olds who were high school dropouts in 2007. The percentage of teens ages 16 to 19 in Hawaii who were high school dropouts decreased from five percent in 2000 to four percent in 2007. Nationally, seven percent of teens ages 16 to 19 were dropouts in 2007.

Percent of children in poverty remains low.

With only 10 percent of children living in poverty in 2007, Hawaii ranked 2nd among the 50 states. Between 2000 and 2007, the percentage of children in Hawaii who were poor decreased from 13 percent to 10 percent. Hawaii’s child poverty rate was well below the national average of 18 percent in 2007.

The American Indian Pow Wow Association (“AIPA”), in partnership with the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. (“BIRCD”), is hosting the 35th Annual Intertribal Pow Wow at Thomas Square in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th, 2009, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, both days. Thomas Square Park is located at 925 South Beretania Street, across from the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Everyone is invited to attend this free event, which will feature dancing, drumming, singing, arts and crafts, and food. This is a traditional (no contest) powwow. No drugs or alcohol are permitted at this family friendly event.

As with every powwow, the drum is the heartbeat of the people, the lifeblood of the gathering. This year, Blackfoot Crossing, from Alberta, Canada, will be the host drum. Audiences will also be treated to performances by hoop dancers and many different types of traditional and contemporary native dancers, singers and flute players.

The Head Staff at the powwow includes: Head Man Dancer, Troy Delaney (Kainai); Head Woman Dancer, Cindy Dawson (Dine/San Carlos Apache); Master of Ceremonies, John Dawson (San Carlos Apache); and Arena Director Tom Rowland (Oglala Lakota). Guest drums include: 808NDNZ, an intertribal drum from Oahu.

There are ample volunteer opportunities for those who want to help with the pow wow—no experience required. For more information, call the American Indian Pow Wow Association (808) 497-7279 or send e-mail to aipa@hawaii.rr.com.

Hawaii fans who watched ABC’s “The Bachelorette” Jillian Harris bid aloha to Reid Rosenthal after their romantic date on Maui will be seeing a lot more of the Hawaiian Islands as season five of the hit romance reality show from Warner Horizon Television wraps up on Hawaii’s Big Island in a two-hour season finale on July 27.

“The feedback from viewers who watched the Maui episode has been incredible with many sharing their excitement about the beautiful scenery, the impressive diversity of activities, and how they now want to visit Hawaii,” said John Monahan, president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, the State of Hawaii’s marketing agency for North America who had a major role in bringing this show to the islands. “Hawaii’s Big Island will be a notable contrast with its rich lava landscape, and prominent beachfront resorts. Being home to all but two of the world’s main climate zones, viewers will see just how huge, diverse, and exciting the Big Island really is.”

Jillian and the final two bachelors – Ed Swiderski and Kiptyn Locke – find themselves on incredible final dates that take them across the Big Island highlighted by an aerial tour of Kilauea volcano’s active lava flows with Sunshine Helicopters, landing beside a secluded Hilo waterfall for a private barbecue with KapohoKine Adventures, and discovering a remote black sand beach with Captain Zodiac Rafting Adventures.

After exploring the diversity of the island, the couples continue their dates with dinner and alone time at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, and The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii resorts on the legendary Kohala Coast, the sun-soaked northwest side of the island that was once a popular retreat for Hawaiian royalty.

A private oceanfront estate within Mauna Kea Resort provides the setting for what could be a life changing moment for Jillian as she makes her final decision. As the largest of all of the main Hawaiian Islands combined and home to Maunakea, the world’s tallest mountain, Hawaii’s Big Island is a perfect symbol of the enormous decision to be made there.

Hawaii has been named the top destination for weddings, honeymoons, and romance many times over the years by the readers of the nation’s top bridal publications, news and travel websites, and travel suppliers. Viewers will get a glimpse of the Aloha State’s natural beauty and relaxing atmosphere via two hours of prime time national television.

Does Jillian find her soul mate? Tune in to ABC’s “The Bachelorette” on July 27 for the season finale. For information about the show, visit ABC.Go.com/Primetime/Bachelorette. For information on Hawaii, the Islands of Aloha, visit GoHawaii.com or call toll-free 1-800-GOHAWAII.

On Saturday, August 15, Ziggy Marley brings family time to Hawaii! In support of the non-profit organization Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center (HCDC), he will be hosting a free children’s show at the center and will be performing songs from his newest children’s albums, “Family Time” and “B Is for Bob.” Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, no reservations will be taken for the event.

Growing up, music was a significant part of Ziggy’s childhood. And now, he hopes to share it with Hawaii’s children. “I know how important music can be in a child’s growth and development, and in a parent’s connection with their children,” he says. “Music helps children to grow with open minds and open hearts and this is my message.”

“We are thrilled to be hosting Ziggy’s children’s concert at the Discovery Center,” said HCDC President and CEO Loretta Yajima. “It is a wonderful way for families to connect through music, and we’re excited to be a part of this wonderful event.”

The children’s concert at HCDC will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a performance by local ukulele master Roy Sakuma. He will be joined by a few of his students, including a child who has learned to play the instrument with one arm. Sakuma is revered as Hawaii’s foremost ukulele teacher and has been teaching for more than 30 years. He currently has 4 studios opened throughout Oahu.

Ziggy will then take the stage at noon and perform until 12:30 p.m. After the show, he will be available for autographs.

“Family Time,” Ziggy’s first children’s album, offers a collection of family-oriented reggae tunes and features the likes of Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and local Hawaii singers Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga. In this record, which was released in May, he shares with families his love of music through themes of love, unity, freedom and fun. Ziggy says that this record represents his daily family life and was inspired by his four-year-old daughter Judah and baby Gideon. Judah even lends her voice to the album’s title track. For his second children’s album, “B Is for Bob,” Ziggy re-imagines a collection of classic tunes of his legendary father, Bob Marley. This album was just released in late June.

Ziggy says, “’Family Time’ is for all families and especially the world family.” He hopes to share the message of Family Time with children and families around the world and has already performed other children’s shows at Boulder, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Santa Barbara.

Ziggy has long been involved within the children’s community. His works include: a rendition of “Give A Little Love” with the Melody Makers on the 1991 Disney compilation “For Our Children,” the theme-song for the PBS series “Arthur,” and most memorably, a role in the movie Shark Tale as the voice of the Rasta jellyfish, Ernie. He has founded the non-profit organization Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (U.R.G.E.), which serves a number of charitable children’s causes in Jamaica and other developing countries. He is also an active supporter of Little Kids Rock, which provides children attending public schools with free musical instruments and lessons.

Seating for the children’s concert will be limited in a courtyard at the HCDC on the grass and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations will be taken for this event. Space is limited to about 200 people. While the concert is free, entrance to HCDC activity galleries requires paid admission.

For more information on the children’s show at the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center, please contact Liane Usher at (808) 524-5437 ext. 23 or (808) 375-5437 or e-mail liane@discoverycenterhawaii.org.

Later that night, ‘Ziggy Marley Live in Concert’ will be held at the Waikiki Shell. Thompson’s Productions has partnered with Clear Channel Communications and Cox Radio to bring this special event to Hawaii. The concert will start at 5:00 p.m and continue until 10:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $35, $45 and $55 and can be purchased at the Blaisdell Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Macy’s. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For more event information, please call Hawaii Pacific Entertainment at (808) 237-3675 or e-mail umma@hawaiipacificentertainment.com or log on to www.hawaiipacificentertainment.com.

Ziggy’s concert will bring together a list of other dynamic international artists including Mysterious, the man from Trinidad; one of Jamaica’s hottest singers, Rovleta Fraser, who will break from touring with Jr. Gong and Nas to perform in Hawaii; rock, reggae and folk musician Joseph Israel and the Jerusalem Band; the young and energetic Blak Diamon from Jamaica; and the Virgin Islands’ very own reggae musician and songwriter Zion.

Major sponsor partners of “Ziggy Marley Live in Concert” are The Waikiki Park Shore and The Hotel Wailea of The Aqua Hotels & Resorts chain, Hard Rock Café, Maui Brewing Company, Mana Foods, Land of Organica, Love Fatigues and more.

In 1929, only the most intrepid adventurers were familiar with the miracle of flight. So the visionary founders of Inter-Island Airways sought out the sturdiest, most comfortable aircraft of the day to introduce Hawaii residents to air travel: the Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.

Inter-Island Airways, later renamed Hawaiian Airlines, would go on to introduce Hawaii’s first scheduled air service between the islands with two amphibious Sikorsky S-38 planes. But it was the Bellanca that got residents used to the idea of traveling by air. And now, 80 years later, the Bellanca is returning to grace the skies over Honolulu once again.

Hawaiian Airlines has found the historic plane and is bringing it back to Hawaii in time to celebrate its 80th anniversary on November 11, 2009.

Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO, commented, “It is humbling to think that the countless flights flown, the hundreds of millions of passengers carried and all the aviation ‘firsts’ our company has been responsible for started 80 years ago with this very airplane. It is a source of tremendous pride to all of us at Hawaiian Airlines that we will be bringing this seminal piece of Hawaii’s history back to where it belongs.”

Hawaiian located the antique airplane with an aviation enthusiast in Oregon and organized a largely volunteer restoration project to return the plane to flying condition at Port Townsend Aero Museum in Washington. Pratt & Whitney, manufacturer of the vintage motor that powers the Bellanca as well as the jet engines on 14 of Hawaiian’s current fleet of aircraft, is helping to underwrite the project.

“As one of the earliest pioneers of aviation, Pratt & Whitney’s proud history of designing, building and servicing dependable engines began nearly 85 years ago,” said Jim Guiliano, vice president of Global Customer Services for Pratt & Whitney. “This Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker is powered with a refurbished Pratt & Whitney WASP engine, and we are happy to help underwrite its restoration to commemorate Hawaiian Airlines’ 80th anniversary.”

Hawaiian is making plans for special flights and public appearances for the plane following its arrival and reassembly on Oahu in September.

In September 1929, company founder Stanley C. Kennedy, Jr. acquired the Bellanca theorizing that people in Hawaii would more quickly accept the revolutionary concept of flying over water to the other islands if they could see and experience the wonders of flight in the skies above Honolulu.

Thus, the company began as an operator of sightseeing tours over Honolulu with the Bellanca and later began Hawaii’s first scheduled interisland air service using the two Sikorsky S-38 amphibian planes. Hawaii’s first airline has been serving the islands continuously ever since.

Edutainment Resources, Inc. is excited to announce the latest addition to its suite of iPhone Apps – PencilBot-Kids Feed Me! for pre-school children. This new series taps into children’s natural desire to learn by providing a fun way to get a head start at acquiring basic knowledge and skills. [iPhone App Store Link]

PencilBot-Kids Feed Me! appeals to pre-school children, with a range of over 100 questions in a unique ‘endless game’ that covers numbers, colors, shapes, patterns and more. PencilBot Apps are developed by teachers and parents, people who love to make learning fun through multimedia edutainment. The PencilBot team has closely followed the educational games available in the iTunes App Store – seeing what works, what doesn’t, and what parents really want in an app for their pre-schoolers. From this research comes the PencilBot-Kids series, with Feed Me! as its first release.

Specially designed for the iPhone and iPod touch, PencilBot-Kids gives pre-schoolers great audio-visual features right at their fingertips – clean, bright visuals, easy navigation, and clear spoken language cues. Their progress is charted in an innovative ‘Trophy Case’ that not only keeps track of learning goals but also motivates young learners during game play.

PencilBot-Kids Feed Me! apps are available in eight languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Korean, with more to come. They provide children with exposure to skills in multiple languages, at a time when their minds are at their most receptive.

ERI commissioned Black Pixel, a leading iPhone developer, to deliver the many interactive features of PencilBot-Kids for the iPhone, bringing the advantages of ERI Edutainment to the broadest audience.

Lishan Chong, CEO of Edutainment Resources, Inc., is excited by the enormous potential of the combination of iPhone and PencilBot-Kids.

“We always wanted to bring our unique edutainment to a young audience,” she said, “anytime, anywhere – in the car, waiting at the restaurant, or in the doctor’s office. Parents will love PencilBot-Kids, since youngsters can have fun playing and learning skills independently at their own pace without the need for constant parental supervision.”

More information, including downloadable screenshots, is available at www.pencilbot.com.

Edutainment Resources, Inc. is based in Hawaii. Since its formation in 2004, the company has invested heavily in multimedia content production for the language learning market. The PencilBot™ brand was created to support the company philosophy of combining Education with Entertainment to enhance learning through Edutainment. Its traditional media products are widely used in North America and in China.

Bishop Museum will offer a free screening of the film, “A Sea Change: Imagine the World Without Fish,” On Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with a panel of marine scientists from Bishop Museum, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and University of Hawai‘i – all of whom are working to understand how ocean acidification will affect Hawaii’s reefs and fisheries.

In the film, retired history teacher Sven Huseby goes on a quest to discover what is happening to the world’s oceans. His journey takes him to Alaska, California, Australia, and Norway as he uncovers a worldwide crisis that most people are unaware of. Sven learns that global warming is only half the story of the environmental changes that are affecting our planet.

The San Francisco Chronicle noted, “An adorable ‘About Schmidt’ – like road trip to meet the world’s leading oceanographers and global warming experts. Like ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ this film is both a love letter to the planet and an urgent plea to its citizens.”

What: Free Film Screening: “A Sea Change” (Followed by a Q&A session)
When: Thursday, July 23, 2009 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Atherton Hālau, Bishop Museum

A Sea Change was recognized as the Official Selection at both the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival. For more information about this film, visit www.aseachange.net.

Hawaii Film Partners’ animated series of 38 episodes of Ape Escape for Nickelodeon’s NickToons™ will premiere on the cable network on July 5th 2009 at 3:00 pm EDT & PDT. Subsequently, Ape Escape episodes will air each Sunday during the 3:00 pm time slot. Ape Escape was animated at Hawaii Film Partners’ animation facility in Hawaii Kai on O’ahu.

Based on Sony PlayStation’s popular 1999 interactive game of the same name, Ape Escape is executive produced by Rann Watumull, Gina Watumull, David Jackson, Shauna Shapiro Jackson; Fred Seibert and Kevin Kolde of the Frederator Studios; Rick Privman, and Yumiko Miyano of SONY. Konnie Kwak is the producer and Karl Toerge (Ratzafratz) is the supervising director. Music is composed by Mike Reagan. The title music is composed by David Jackson.

“This is an historic project in that it marks the first time a television program was animated in Hawaii for a national TV network,” says Rann Watumull of Hawaii Film Partners and one of Ape Escape’s executive producers. “We wanted to create a synergy between the interactive game and the animated episode series, and bring the Ape Escape characters to life in a very humorous and fun-filled program. We’ve specifically written the episodes for an audience ages 6-13 who have never played the game. Yet we also have made it entertainment that will be appealing to any age,” he concludes.

Hawaii Film Partners has financed the production of Ape Escape and has worldwide rights across all media with NickToons™ being awarded the broadcast rights in the United States for a three-year period. Hawaii Film Partners teamed up with Showcase Entertainment to exclusively distribute Ape Escape in all international territories. The project is a co-production with Frederator Studios, one of the largest and most prolific independent animation studios. Some of their recent projects include The Fairly Odd Parents!, My Life as a Teenage Robot™ and Chalk Zone for Nickelodeon, and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! for Nick Jr.

Rann and Gina Watumull are co-founders and senior executives at Hawaii Film Partners based in Honolulu. With the goal to help build a valuable and indigenous film industry in Hawaii, Hawaii Film Partners is dedicated to producing motion pictures and television productions on the Hawaiian Islands using local location services and personnel.

David Jackson and Shauna Shapiro Jackson are president and executive vice president respectively of Showcase Entertainment, a worldwide film distribution company, and are co-owners and senior executives of Hawaii Film Partners along with Rann and Gina Watumull. Goodsill, Anderson, Quinn & Stifel, Hawaii’s largest law firm also is a minority owner of Hawaii Film Partners.

Hawaii Film Partners recently completed production on the feature film “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” starring Rob Schneider, Dave Annable, Mena Suvari, Katharine McPhee, Vinnie Jones, Tia Carrere, Ken Davitian and Kevin Dunn. Their first project was the acclaimed and award-winning international hit television series for Discovery Kids, “Flight 29 Down” that is still airing in over 100 countries. Rounding out Hawaii Film Partners ambitious slate is the original animated television series “Guardians of the Power Masks” which marked an historic international partnership with the City of Changzhou in China and the Gagwon Information Multi-Media Corporation (GIMC) in South Korea. Production of the series is on-going in Hawaii Film Partners’ animation studio in Honolulu and at its partners’ studios in South Korea and in the People’s Republic of China.

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam today announced the formation of the Ulupono Initiative, a social investment firm dedicated to improving the quality of life for Hawai‘i’s residents through sustainability. The organization will invest in local businesses and philanthropic organizations focused on renewable energy, local food production, and waste reduction.

The Ulupono Initiative seeks to energize the state’s economy and increase its self-reliance through these investments. Local business executives E. Kyle Datta and Robin Campaniano will co-lead the Ulupono Initiative as general partners.

“Pam and I are inspired by the ideas and hard work of the many people leading sustainability efforts in Hawai‘i today,” said Pierre Omidyar, founder and sponsor of the Ulupono Initiative. “We look forward to working with the local community for many years as we discover new ways to improve the quality of life for everyone who calls Hawai‘i home.”

Based in Honolulu, the Ulupono Initiative will make investments in organizations and companies with creative ideas and business models that provide pathways toward sustainability.

“I am honored to be part of this team and look forward to putting my business background to work in a way that will help strengthen Hawai‘i’s economy,” said Campaniano, general partner, Ulupono Initiative. “Our investment strategy is dependent upon finding and supporting innovative sustainability ideas and business models that have the potential to make a significant difference for Hawai‘i.

“To achieve this, the Ulupono Initiative will provide capital and strategic assistance to a variety of organizations, including small and large businesses and philanthropies, on O‘ahu and neighbor islands,” Campaniano said.

Ulupono – meaning to prosper through the right, or pono, path – is a concept already familiar to Hawai‘i’s residents. Across the islands, people are already pioneering ways to change how they power their homes, feed their families, and how much they throw away.

“A truly sustainable island society must be able to consistently and affordably provide its residents with basic necessities like food and energy while also finding ways to effectively manage waste,” said Datta, general partner, Ulupono Initiative. “The Ulupono Initiative will support and help scale local ideas that can help bring about Hawai‘i’s transformation to sustainability and that might also provide a demonstration effect for others.”