Featuring: Astor
TILE WAREHOUSE, INC.
STONE TILE, STONE SLABS, PORCELAIN TILE, POOL TILE, LATICRETE MATERIALS, GLASS TILE, MOSAICS, AND MORE
2865 Koapaka Street
Honolulu, HI
(808) 840-8855
73-4076 Hulikoa Drive
Kailua Kona, HI
(808) 329-8855
www.tilewarehousehawaii.com
2865 Koapaka Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 840-8855 tel
(808) 840-8858 fax
Featuring: Bisazza glass tile
www.tilewarehousehawaii.com
THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM 75¢
The Hawaii Island Humane Society Spay & Neuter Waggin’
makes its way across country from Ohio to California. PHOTO
COURTESY FACEBOOK/SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
Fixing Hawaii Island
SPAY & NEUTER WAGGIN’ SET TO ARRIVE JULY 13
HUMANE SOCIETY TO ‘START CLINICS IMMEDIATELY’
BY LAURA RUMINSKI
WEST HAWAII TODAY
lruminski@westhawaiitoday.com
KILAUEA ERUPTION
The best time to visit
TOURISM BUREAU TO PROMOTE BIG
ISLAND’S OTHER ATTRACTIONS
BY MICHAEL BRESTOVANSKY
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
HILO — While potential visitors
to the Big Island might be
scared off by the Kilauea eruption,
an upcoming marketing
campaign suggests it might now
be the perfect time to visit the
island.
Ross Birch, president of the
Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau,
said the impact of the eruption
on the island’s tourism industry
has been substantial. Some
businesses reliant on a steady
stream of visitors to the island
— such as hotels, restaurants
73-4076 Hulikoa Drive
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 329-8855 tel
(808) 329-8858 fax
SEE WAGGIN PAGE 4A
and bed-and-breakfasts — have
closed, while others have been
forced to temporarily lay off
workers to continue operating.
In order to entice visitors back
to the island, Birch said the visitors
bureau is working on dispelling
misinformation about
the eruption. The bureau has
implemented a $500,000 campaign
to create programs in the
U.S. and Japan intended to let
people know “we’re still open for
business,” Birch said.
Other tourism authorities
KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii
Island Humane Society employee
Whitney Sickels and her
father, John, just completed a
cross-country trip from Ohio to
California. But this was no ordinary
road trip.
The father and daughter were
driving the humane society’s new
spay and neuter mobile clinic
from Columbus to Long Beach
on the West Coast, where it was
put on a container ship headed
for Hilo, with an expected July
13 arrival.
La Boit Specialty Vehicles customized
the $200,000, 26-foot
van to specifications and needs
— but the price tag to transport
the vehicle to Hawaii Island was
$20,000. So Sickels decided to
hop a plane and join her father
on the mainland, driving the
vehicle 2,400 miles across 10
states at a fraction of the cost.
The Spay & Neuter Waggin’
emblazoned with the HIHS
logo and photos of adopted pets
caused quite a stir on the journey.
“We got lots of smiles and
waves along the way,” Sickels
said, noting people were surprised
when they learned the
vehicle’s final destination.
A Facebook fundraising page
documented their adventure,
soliciting donations en route.
Sickels said community support
exceeded expectations, raising
$3,150 to support the Humane
Society.
Sickels secured a $100,000
matching grant from the
Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian
Foundation. The community
responded by raising the
matching funds to purchase the
$200,000 vehicle.
She was also able to obtain
an additional $100,000 from
the Dave and Cheryl Buffield
Foundation to stock the van with
supplies.
SEE TOURISM PAGE 7A
Big Island Bash
Fireworks light up the sky above Kailua-Kona Wednesday night.
Ducks float toward the finish line at the 27th annual Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie
Race, a fundraiser for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii Wednesday at
the King’s Shops. For more photos see page 4A and www.westhawaiitoday.com.
INDEX Annie’s Mailbox . . . . . . .5B Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6B Nation & World . . . . . . . . .3A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B
What is Brain Treatment?
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Call for a FREE Demonstration
Family Hearing Aid Center
Hilo: 935-2008 • Kailua-Kona: 329-8300
www.familyhearingaidcenter.com Freline Pajimola - Member IHS, CBHS
INSIDE
FISH.
PRIME RIB.
BONGOS.
Bongo Ben’s
serving grinds
with a view
ONO, 11A
▼
PLAYING
THROUGH
THE PAIN
Family, others
rally to support
musician injured
while on tour
ENT, 8A
▼
HI 87 LO 75 WEATHER, PAGE 6A
VOL. 50, NO. 186 22 PAGES
The Drug Court float rides down Kuakini Highway for the Kailua-Kona Fourth of July
Parade Wednesday evening. ALL PHOTOS BY LAURA RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
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