Hawaii
I took my mom to Hawaii's Kona Village resort for $1,765 a night — our stay was almost perfect
- My mom and I stayed at Rosewood’s Kona Village resort on Hawaii’s Big Island for $1,765 a night.
- Some highlights of our stay included our ocean-view room and access to a black-sand beach.
- The resort’s spa treatments seemed overpriced and some meals were just OK, but our stay was great.
Hawaii recently took the top spot in a ranking of the happiest states in the US to live in — and it’s also long been a favorite vacation spot for my family.
We’ve spent time on Maui, Lanai, and Kawaii, but the Big Island is my personal favorite. In my experience, the Kona coast has wonderful weather, great beaches, and a lot of diverse marine life to observe.
On my most recent trip, I stayed at Kona Village. The property closed in 2011 after facing severe tsunami damage and reopened last year as Rosewood Hotel Group’s first property in Hawaii.
I’m a longtime fan of Rosewood hotels and resorts, so I was excited to visit this location for the first time. My travel agent booked my mom and me the best available rate at the resort, which included one free night and an upgrade to an ocean-view room.
This was absolutely a splurge: We paid $1,765 per night, which included credits for breakfast each day and tax.
Hawaii
UH Regents Hold Secret Interviews To Pick New University President
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents on Wednesday went behind closed doors to interview the finalists applying for UH’s top job, despite calls from the public to keep the process open. A decision on the selection is expected to be announced when the regents board meeting resumes on Thursday.
Board of Regents Chairman Gabe Lee defended the decision to hold the final interviews in private, saying that Hawaii’s Sunshine Law allows such closed door meetings when personnel privacy issues are involved.
Lee noted that both candidates – City University of New York Provost Wendy Hensel and Western Michigan University Provost Julian Vasquez Heilig – have spoken at multiple public forums, where they answered questions from the public.
Critics called the move contrary to Hawaii law and the spirit of transparency.
Among those testifying against the regents’ unanimous decision to go behind closed doors was Ben Creps, a staff attorney with the Public First Law Center, which promotes government transparency. Creps testified that the Hawaii Supreme Court has made clear that public bodies can’t invoke an exemption to the Sunshine Law’s open meetings requirement simply because a personnel matter is being discussed.
“The UH community and general public have a legitimate interest in understanding why a particular candidate for UH President is selected,” Creps testified. “Given the clarity of the law and keen public interest, there is no good reason to hold these important discussions behind closed doors.”
Momi Bachiller, a student activist who also serves as a senator for the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii, said the decision to conduct interviews in private exemplifies a pattern of Native Hawaiian students “having outsiders imposed on us.”
“This decision exhibits a gross disregard for transparency,” she said.
The private interviews come after a flurry of reports about Hensel and her conflict with Tanya Washington, a Black law professor at Georgia State University, where Hensel was university provost before going to CUNY. A Civil Beat story on the allegations of discrimination and retaliation by Hensel against Washington prompted UH to change its original policy of prohibiting candidates from talking to the media and make the candidates available for media interviews.
Hensel insisted Washington’s complaints had only involved Georgia State’s interim law school dean, Leslie Wolf, and not Hensel. But Washington and her lawyer eventually came forward to say Hensel was lying and that Hensel had in fact been a subject of Washington’s complaints.
Testimony Shows No Consensus On Candidates
Whether all that will have any effect on the regents’ decision isn’t clear. Written testimony showed no clear consensus on either candidate.
Among those opposed to Hensel was UH’s Black Student Association. On Wednesday, it issued a “statement of non-support” for Hensel, citing the news reports about Hensel and expressing support for Washington.
“We stand with, believe, and support every Black woman in academia who has been forced to silence themselves for the sake of their survival at institutions of higher education,” the association said.
Others, like Poranee Natadecha-Sponsel, said they supported Hensel despite the reported conflict with Washington.
The important thing is for the regents to pick one of these two candidates and not drag out the process, said Rep. Amy Perruso. Both candidates are “accomplished leaders” who “have gone through a thorough vetting process,” Perruso said in written testimony.
“I urge you to conclude this process with a selection of one of these two fine candidates and allow the mechanisms that were put in place to function as intended,” she wrote.
Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed.
Hawaii
Is there still time to register to vote in Hawaii?
Registered voters should expect to receive their general election ballots by Friday. If you receive another person’s ballot, write “not at this address” and return it. If you aren’t registered to vote, you’ve still got time, the deadline is October 28th. You can do this online or pick up an application from any post office or library.
Hawaii
Radio proposal draws doubts at council meeting – West Hawaii Today
-
Entertainment1 week ago
Hold my beer can: Museum says a worker thought unique art installation was trash
-
Entertainment1 week ago
'The Office' star Jenna Fischer reveals private breast cancer battle: 'I am cancer free'
-
Technology5 days ago
Meta suggests AI Northern Lights pics are as good as the real thing
-
Technology7 days ago
Scammers exploit grief with fake funeral streaming on Facebook
-
Lifestyle4 days ago
Is the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil! : It's Been a Minute
-
Technology4 days ago
This 3D-printed Texas hotel is shaking up the construction industry
-
Lifestyle4 days ago
How one Afro-Colombian community honors their ancestry
-
World1 week ago
Russia jails American Stephen Hubbard over fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine