Hawaii News

The U.S. Department of Education announced the disbursement of over $21.8 billion in formula grants, including over $75 million for Hawaii. The Hawaii funding breaks down as follows:

• Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help students living in poverty: $33.71 million.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B for America’s students with disabilities: $29.91 million.
• Improving Teacher Quality State Grants: $7.92 million.
• Career and Technical Education: $3.87 million.

Formula grant programs are noncompetitive awards based on a predetermined formula and provide funding for a variety of programs.

“Formula funding is critically important to every state and school district as we work together to prepare young children to enter school and every student for graduation,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Federal formula grants combined with Recovery Act funding present an unprecedented opportunity to drive reforms and improvements in our nation’s schools.”

These so-called formula grant programs dispense funds to states on July 1 and Oct. 1 based on congressionally mandated formulas that, depending on the program, take into account such measures as population, poverty rates and enrollment. Formula grants originate from the Education Department’s annual appropriation from Congress and are separate from the $100 billion in stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

To culminate the year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Hawai‘i’s statehood, the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission will host a commemorative conference on Admission Day, August 21, 2009 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. The one-day conference, titled “New Horizons for the Next 50 Years,” will bring together Hawai‘i citizens representing different industries and interests, to reflect on the accomplishments Hawai‘i has achieved since becoming a state, while exploring the vision for Hawai‘i’s next 50 years.

Featured Speakers include:

• Bryan Clay, 2008 Decathlon Gold Medalist
• Andy Karsner, former assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
• John Zogby, pollster, Zogby International
• Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
• General (Ret.) Eric Shinseki, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Sessions

• Hawai‘i’s 21st Century Global Economy (9:15 – 10:15 a.m.)
• Native Hawaiians: Cultural Navigation in a Sea of Change (3:00 – 4:30 p.m.)
• Hawai‘i Stamp Unveiling (10:15 – 10:30 a.m.)
  In coordination with the U.S. Postal Service, Governor Lingle will help unveil the official State of Hawai‘i commemorative stamp. Hawai‘i’s stamp design was created by local artist Herb Kane of the Big Island.
• Live Video Teleconference with Troops in Iraq (10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.)
  Hawai‘i’s men and women in uniform who are serving overseas in Iraq will be part of the official commemoration conference through a live video teleconference.
• Economic Forecast Luncheon (12:30 – 2:00 p.m.)
  Emerging from the Global Recession: Near Term Economic Prospects for Hawai‘i, the U.S., and the World – Featuring the annual Economic Forecast panel discussion with the Hawai‘i Economic Association and the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO).
• News Conference – Clean Energy Future (2:00 p.m.)
  Enterprise Rent-a-Car and the Hawai‘i State Dept. of Transportation will hold a news conference during which Enterprise Rent-a-Car will unveil its commitment to a clean energy future for Hawai‘i.

Workshops (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

• Military partnerships – Part of Our ‘Ohana
• Hawai‘i’s Tourism Future
• Knowledge Management – Leading Hawai‘i’s Future
• Media in Hawai‘i – The Next 50 Years
• Economic Understanding for Today and Transformation for Tomorrow
• Public Education in Hawai‘i: Past, Present, and Future
• Labor Movement: Role of Unions Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
• Preserving Hawai‘i’s Natural Resources
• Historic Overview: Historical Perspectives of Statehood
• Hawai‘i’s Energy Future: The Next 50 Years
• What does “Innovation” mean?

New Horizons Pavilions:

To further the educational and informational benefit to conference delegates, exhibit pavilions will be available. In the exhibit pavilions, delegates will be able to expand their understanding and appreciation of particular subject areas by talking with experts in each field. Exhibit pavilions (scheduled):

• Clean Energy, Technology & Green Living
• Diversity & Culture
• Business & Finance
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Health, Wellness & Aging

New Opportunities Career and Job Fair

Employment search firms, local employers, and the State of Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Workforce Development Division will offer information and job search assistance to potential employees.

Entertainment

Featured performances by Hawai‘i artists – Keola and Moanalani Beamer, Raiatea Helm, Natalie Ai Kamauu, Geoffrey Keezer, Charles Kaupu, Bernice Hirai, the Chamber Music Hawai‘i Spring Wind Quintet, Halau Hula Olana, Tihati Productions, Arshielle Calatrava, Danny Kaleikini, and Ciana Pelekai.

• Evening Concert (7:00 – 9:00 p.m.)
  1950s-style concert by The Platters, The Coasters and The Drifters. Presented by Tom Moffat Productions.
• Statehood Fireworks (9:00 p.m.)
  Presented by the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hawai‘i Explosives & Pyrotechnics, Inc.

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.