Hawaii Republican Caucuses 2012: Kahului, Maui

Spirit of the night belonged to Romney, Paul, with little visible support for Gingrich, Santorum

by Todd A. Vines - Civic Beat (Honolulu)
photo by Nathan Eagle

KAHULUI, MAUI — It was a crisp, starry evening in Kahului for the state’s first-of-its-kind GOP caucus.

A dozen Maui residents arrived at Grace Bible Church in Kahului prior to the start of voting, several engaging in civilized, if passionate, debates on the merits of party nominees.

When the polls opened at 6 p.m., voters began to file in. By 6:40 p.m. there was no wait to show identification and begin the voting process, but a fairly steady stream of optimistic voters came and went until the polls closed.

The spirit of the night clearly belonged to Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, with little visible support for Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum.

Orion “Ori” Kopelman, a 50-year-old management consultant who ran for mayor of Maui County in 2010, came the closest to supporting Gingrich, saying he believed the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives was the smartest candidate on the ballot, but came with too much baggage. Ultimately he voted for Romney.

“Having been in business for 25 years, I prefer someone with a business background,” said Kopelman. “I think Romney will make a good chief executive of our country.”

While the crowd skewed older, it was peppered with voters in their 30s and a few young families with toddlers in tow.

Sean Housman, a 35-year-old pastor who served as a poll watcher for Ron Paul, suggested there was a renewed energy within the party as he spoke of his support for the Texas representative.

“I’ve never been passionate about politics, but Ron Paul woke me up,” said Housman. “I’m voting for someone I believe in. Things have to be different, or it’s going to be the sinking of the GOP.”

For full online story, click here.

Vacations Hawaii at 60

The Honolulu travel agency brought 85,000 Hawaii residents to Las Vegas last year, and they keep coming back with more

by Todd A. Vines - Kama'aina Magazine (Spring 2012)

Most people get a bouquet of black balloons when they turn sixty. Vacations Hawaii got a pair of Boeing 767s.

The Honolulu travel agency that has become synonymous throughout Hawaii with affordable Las Vegas vacation packages celebrates six decades of service this year. And while most of us begin to slow down at sixty, Vacations Hawaii only appears to be stepping up its active schedule.

The full-service retail and wholesale travel agency began offering tour packages in 1952 out of a modest shop on Beachwalk Avenue in Waikiki under the name “Lea Lea Tours.” In 1995, the company was acquired by Boyd Gaming, the fifth-largest gaming company in the US, and within six months began offering twice-weekly, discounted, non-stop charter service to Las Vegas, with exclusive packages at Main Street Station, the Fremont Hotel and Casino, California Hotel and Casino, and Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall.

Today, six round-trip schedules run each week, ferrying around 85,000 Hawaii residents to the state's "ninth island" each year.

CONT.

* FULL STORY IN THE SPRING EDITION OF KAMA'AINA MAGAZINE