U.S. News & World Report names Big Island top winter destination
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Issue No. 292
20 Pages in
2 Sections
Today’s
weather
Page A9
Community A6
Crossword B4
Cryptoquote B4
Dear Abby B4
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Letters A4
Nation A3
Religion A7
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Friday, October 19, 2018
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LAURA RUMINSKI/West Hawaii Today
Punaluu Black Sand Beach.
KAILUA-KONA — The Big
Island’s a hot spot when it’s
cold elsewhere in the world.
With its unique geography
offering up everything from
snow-covered peaks, black
and green sand beaches and
lush rainforests to an active
volcano, Hawaii Island is a
popular choice for travelers
during the winter months.
On Tuesday, U.S. News &
World Report named Hawaii’s
southernmost island the 2018-19
Best Winter Vacation spot in
the world, beating out 19 other
locales on the list of the
top 20 global destinations.
“It’s about time they figured it
out,” said Hawaii Island Visitors
Bureau Executive Director Ross
Birch speaking from Las Vegas
where he is promoting Hawaii
Island at the IMEX America,
an exhibition for incentive
travel, meetings and events.
Travelers and U.S. News
& World Report editors alike
ranked the Big Island No. 1
winter vacation destination for
its “warm weather and excellent
surfing conditions.”
“It’s nice to be recognized
as the best winter vacation spot
this year, but I’m surprised they
didn’t mention our food and our
people,” said Mayor Harry Kim.
The publication, known for
its annual college and hospital
rankings, also ranks the Big
Island No. 1 for best beaches
in the U.S. and world.
“There’s no doubt that this
island packs in the most diverse
Draft EA
for proposed
Honomu ag
project done
DHHL will hold public meeting
on Wednesday in Keaukaha
The Department of Hawaiian Home
Lands has completed a draft environmental
assessment for its proposed Honomu agricultural
homestead community and will host a
meeting next week
about the project.
The meeting will
be held at 6 p.m.
Wednesday at the
Keaukaha Elementary
School, with an open
house starting at 5:30
p.m., according to
Julie Cachola, DHHL
planner. Publishing
of the document
begins the public
comment period.
The project
seeks to place
beneficiaries
on subsistence
agricultural lots
mauka of Honomu
town along Akaka
Falls Road.
The project seeks to place beneficiaries
on subsistence agricultural lots mauka
of Honomu town along Akaka Falls
Road. Lots can be from 1 to 3 acres.
Assuming each lot is 1 acre, up to 375 parcels
could be leased to Native Hawaiians.
There are also lands set aside for supplemental
agriculture, commerce and community
facilities. The project encompasses 766 acres.
Cachola said it would be DHHL’s first
subsistence agriculture community and the
first agricultural lots created in 20 years.
Subsistence agricultural lots are smaller.
“It’s time for us to do this,” she said.
Beneficiaries aren’t required to live on the
Best in the world
By CHELSEA JENSEN
West Hawaii Today
See BEST Page A5
By TOM CALLIS
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
See PROJECT Page A8
LAURA RUMINSKI/West Hawaii Today
Kona Village hale still stand at the resort after being closed since the 2011
tsunami caused irreparable damage.
Kona Village Resort eyes
possible 2021 reopening
KAILUA-KONA —
The Kona Village Resort
could potentially reopen
in 2021, a decade after
sustaining heavy damage
from the 2011 tsunami.
That’s according to
Dave Eadie of Kennedy
Wilson, the real estate
investment firm that
in 2016 agreed with
Kamehameha Schools to
work toward reopening
the iconic destination.
Eadie’s remarks
about progress at the
resort came during a
meeting of the Leeward
Planning Commission
on Thursday, during
which commissioners
discussed and approved
a five-year extension to
complete expansion and
renovations at the North
Kona resort project.
“There’s a lot of
expectations to put the
300-plus employees
back to work, and that
isn’t lost on us,” Eadie
told the commission.
“We want to get this
done efficiently and
as expeditiously as
possible through the
permitting process.”
Kona Village Resort,
Property badly
damaged by
2011 tsunami
By CAMERON MICULKA
West Hawaii Today
See RESORT Page A5
Araki a hit
in debut
season
SPORTS, B1
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