City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 10/10/2012 Honolulu Zoo Society Donates Zoo Directional Signs

HONOLULU, HAWAI'I (October 4, 2012) – The Honolulu Zoo Society has donated 11 new directional signs to guide visitors and kama'aina to the Honolulu Zoo. The new signs feature a white elephant on a brown background, with 'Zoo' printed in both English and Kanji characters, and an arrow pointing in the direction of the Honolulu Zoo. The signs have been placed on poles on Kalakaua, Kuhio, Paki and Kapahulu avenues. In the past, there were only two city street signs directing visitors to the zoo. The old signs were heavily faded and hardly noticeable.     "These new, beautiful elephant inspired signs will undoubtedly increase awareness of the location of the Honolulu Zoo, our hidden treasure in Waikiki. Our visitors will be able to enjoy the serene environment, the incredible wildlife, and the beautiful flora on the grounds of the Zoo," said Jason Ito, Honolulu Zoo Society board president. "These new signs are another testament to the wonderful partnership between the City and the Honolulu Zoo Society."   The elephant themed signs were inspired by the Honolulu Zoo's newly completed elephant exhibit. The multi-million dollar exhibit, which was completed last year, has been wildly popular with the zoo's patrons and has continued to draw excitement and garner interest from guests.   "The Department of Enterprise Services appreciates this gift to the City by the Honolulu Zoo Society and realizes the importance to capitalize on this marketing and branding opportunity to our visitors," said Randy Leong, Department of Enterprise Services, deputy director. "This signage will no doubt help to increase our revenues at the Zoo through admissions at the gate and retail spending."   The Honolulu Zoo is the third most visited attraction on Oahu.   About the Honolulu Zoo Society Founded in 1969, the Honolulu Zoological Society is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization whose purpose is to support the Honolulu Zoo and its mission, to educate the public about the importance of wildlife and conservation issues, and to provide for the needed capital improvements to the Zoo through fundraising efforts. For information on how to support the Honolulu Zoological Society, visit the HZS website at www.honzoosoc.org or call (808) 926-3191

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 10/09/12 Mayor Dedicates Third Boiler at H-POWER

MAYOR DEDICATES THIRD BOILER AT H-POWER   (Tues., Oct. 9 2012)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today welcomed dignitaries, Covanta executives and City officials to the "Ho'ola'a'na o ka Mîkini Ahi – Dedication of the Machine of Fire" – H-POWER'S third boiler.            "By reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and creating energy from trash, H-POWER benefits the City environmentally and financially," said Carlisle. "With the third boiler, we can now divert even more opala from the landfill and continue to emphasize more recycling."            The expansion at the Honolulu Program of Waste to Energy Recovery or H-POWER, which broke ground on Dec. 21, 2009, added another boiler capable of burning 300,000 tons of mass per year. The project included a state-of-the-art pollution control that consists of a scrubber, baghouse and Covanta's patented low NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emission system.            The expansion project cost approximately $302 million and will create 25 new full-time employee positions. H-POWER will now be able to combust 900,000 tons of Honolulu's non-recyclable household trash annually, contribute eight percent of Oahu's power using a renewable source, and power 65,000 Oahu homes.            H-POWER also recovers approximately 20,000 tons of ferrous (steel) and non-ferrous (aluminum alloy) metal for recycling each year.            The City recently completed a new Power Purchase Agreement with Hawaiian Electric Company, which is estimated to bring in $85 million in electrical sales to HECO per year.            Since H-POWER went into service in May 1990, the facility has been operated by Covanta Honolulu and processed more than 13 million tons of waste and offset 15 million barrels of imported oil, while recovering more than 450,000 tons of metals.     -30-     Contact:  Markus Owens, ENV Public Communications Officer, 768-3454

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 10/09/12 Multimedia Event Celebrates Filipino Americans

MULTIMEDIA EVENT CELEBRATES FILIPINO AMERICANS   (Tue., October 9, 2012) — Music, video, comedy, and drama will combine for a full evening entertainment at "A Filipino Voice". The multimedia event will be presented at 6 p.m., on Thursday, October 18, at the Mission Memorial Auditorium, in honor of National Filipino American Heritage Month.   "A Filipino Voice", a celebration of Hawaii's Filipino American community, features music by Verge & Paula, a T-Shirt Theatre performance, excerpts from Emme Tominbang's documentary Mabuhay With Aloha, a kali martial arts presentation by Brother Noland's Hawaiian Tracking Program, with comedian Jose Dynamite presiding as master of ceremonies.               The show is free and open to the public. The Mission Memorial Auditorium at 550 South King Street is next to Honolulu Hale. For parking, directions, and more information visit www1.honolulu.gov/moca/calendar.htm or call the Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts at 768-6622.   -30-   Media contact: Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts at 768-6622.     Comedian Jose Dynamite

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 10/08/12 City Seeking Art Proposals For Wahiawa Transit Center

CITY SEEKING ART PROPOSALS FOR WAHIAWA TRANSIT CENTER   (Mon., October 8, 2012) − The City and County of Honolulu Commission on Culture and the Arts will select two works of art for the Wahiawa Transit Center and is seeking proposals from artists or artist teams. The budget for each project is $100,000.00. The application deadline is January 11, 2013.   The Wahiawa Transit Center, at 956 California Avenue, is a two-story, 46,000 square foot structure with exterior historic-themed decorative elements. It functions as the main community bus station. The anticipated goal is for artworks that highlight the history and culture of Wahiawa with emphasis on the transportation history of the area.   The artworks are for the interior driveway walls. The West Project location is the west bus driveway and the East Project location is the east bus driveway. The art work may use one or both walls of each driveway for works such as a mural, frieze, fresco, sculpture, or other wall-mounted works of art that are permanently installed. The work of art may be installed on a substrate to be attached to the existing wall.   The selected artist or artist team must comply with Federal Transit Administration contractor requirements due to U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration funding of the commission.   Applications must be received by 4 p.m. on January 11, 2013 at:   Mayor's Office of Culture and the Arts Attention: Art for Wahiawa Transit Center 550 South King Street, Room 203 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.   For application requirements, project details, and other information please visit www1.honolulu.gov/moca/news.htm or contact Registrar E. Tory Laitila at (808) 768-4105, or email him at tlaitila@honolulu.gov.   - 30 -

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 10/08/12 Traffic Advisory: Lane Closures For Archaeological Survey Work In Urban Honolulu

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: LANE CLOSURES FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY WORK IN URBAN HONOLULU   (Mon., October 8, 2012)  The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) wants to inform drivers that archaeological survey work continues next week in the urban Honolulu area for the rail transit project.   Motorists are advised of lane closures related to the survey work being conducted in the airport, downtown and Kaka`ako areas.Work will require lane closures during non-peak traffic hours.   For the safety of both the work crews and motorists, the public is advised to proceed with caution through these areas. Drivers should anticipate possible traffic delays or use alternate routes during work hours, and provide a safe distance between themselves and the construction workers and equipment.   Work for the week of Sunday, October 7, through Saturday, October 13, will take place at the following locations between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., unless otherwise noted:   Kamehameha Highway between Kalaloa Street and Arizona Street Aolele Street between H-1Westbound Airport On-Ramp and Aolewa Place H-1 Freeway Eastbound Hickam Air Force Base Off-ramp near Nimitz Highway Ala Onaona Street between Ala Auana Street and Aolele Street Dillingham Boulevard between Kokea Street and Alakawa Street   From 7:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Kamehameha Hwy between Middle Street and Laumaka Street Dillingham Boulevard between Alakawa Street and Akepo Lane Nimitz Hwy. between Kekaulike Street and Maunakea Street Punchbowl Street between Pohukaina Street and Ala Moana Blvd.   From 7 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday Halekauwila Street between Punchbowl Street and South Street (sidewalk access will remain open along Halekauwila Street during road closure)   The City is conducting the archaeological survey work along the urban Honolulu section of the Honolulu rail transit route to identify potential archaeological, historical and cultural resources. The archaeological work will aid rail project staff in their design of the elevated rail guideway.   Contractors Cultural Surveys Hawaii Inc. and Royal Contracting Co. are conducting the fieldwork. For updates on construction work days and times, visit the project website at www.honolulutransit.org or contact our hotline at 566-2299.   - 30 -   Media Contact: Scott Ishikawa, (808) 768-6172, cell: (808) 227-2350.