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Pele Awards go to two Valley Isle businesses

Two Maui businesses won top honors for their advertising and design work in the statewide Pele Awards competition sponsored by the American Advertising Federation.Sae Design in Wailuku brought home three awards and Hawaii on TV / Jazz Alley TV won one award, according to the results released Tuesday.More than 100 companies, art directors, copywriters, designers and other industry professionals submitted entries for 18 category groups, which includes television, interactive media, consumer or trade publication, public service and other.Sae Design, founded by Saedene Yee-Ota, won a "Pele ...

New solar installation rules likely to raise costs

HONOLULU (AP) - A state board has issued new rules for solar panel installation that will require journeyman electricians to do more of the work, which is expected to raise the cost of installing the systems.Hawaii's Board of Electricians and Plumbers will require that electricians handle bonding and grounding the system, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. Those are safety measures that keep people from getting shocked, by diverting current into the earth.Solar energy system contractors previously handled that step. Leslie Cole-Brooks, the executive director of the Hawaii Solar ...

Continuing effort made to limit size of minimum-wage hike

Last week a team of six Maui Chamber of Commerce members went to the state Capitol to meet with our Maui delegation and other legislators to discuss the high minimum- wage increase that is being discussed in conference committee. It was part of our continuing effort to share the concerns of our broader membership.The Maui Chamber does not oppose an increase, however we disagree with the amounts proposed and the number of increases that would be scheduled over the next three to four years.The Senate version seeks to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 over three years, starting in January of ...

Former Mauian launches new swimwear collection

Former Maui girl and jewelry designer Tiffany Chou has launched a new swimwear collection. As an extension of her beach-chic inspired jewelry and accessories collections, she has ventured into swimwear and her spring/summer 2014 collection currently is available for purchase online at tiffanychou.com.The suits include one-piece and two-piece bikini sets. Prices range from $84 to $185 retail.Chou currently lives in New York. She launched her jewelry collection in 2010, and it has been featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit editions.*****DANCE TEAM. Dance professional Rita O'Connor and ...

New medical office opens

Mango Medical, a medical group that started on the Big Island in 2011, has opened a Wailuku office at 1935 Main St. No. 102. The group also has plans for an office in Makawao.Primary care providers are Dr. Timothy Duerler and physician assistant Shannon Ray along with licensed clinical social worker Nicole Dorsey.New patients are being accepted. All insurance is accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid/Quest plans.Mango medical is named after the tropical fruit, similar to the apple, that has health benefits, according to a news release. For more information, go to ...

Business/In Brief • Apr. 23, 2014

Arbitrator awards raises to principalsHONOLULU - About 850 principals, vice principals and other education officials at the school and district level are getting raises.The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that an arbitration panel has awarded 4.5 percent annual pay raises to the Department of Education employees.The raises will be retroactive to the start of the current fiscal year in July, when the current contract expired, and continue through June 2017.The deal will cost the state about $14 million.Arbitrators did not resolve the dispute between the Hawaii Government Employees ...