Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Friday, September 4, 1998
Great Britain gets a taste of Hawaii
Hawaii tourism, food and culture will be on display in Great Britain next week as the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau takes part in receptions, trade shows and travel agent events in Manchester, London and Glasgow, Scotland.Russell Siu, owner and chef of the 3660 On The Rise restaurant in Kaimuki, will kick off the week with a show of Hawaii cuisine at an event Sunday in Glasgow for key tour operators and travel media. The HVCB said the "Aloha United Kingdom" promotion will be followed by a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, where Hawaii has an exhibit as part of the U.S. exhibition in the ocean-themed World Expo '98, which opened in May.
Isle golf industry invited to Japan fair
Hawaii's golf industry will be on display in Japan this winter, as part of the U.S. Pavilion in the 1999 Japan Golf Fair, Feb. 9-11 in Tokyo. The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism is inviting Hawaii golf courses, equipment providers and operators of golf-related services to participate.Japan's golf market is worth more than $3 billion in annual sales, despite the country's sluggish economy, DBEDT said. A golf fair booth six feet square goes for $1,850. For more information, call DBEDT at 587-2717.
Nationwide to pay expensive settlement
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nationwide Mutual Insurance has tentatively agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that could result in compensation of up to $100 million for about 650,000 customers.The lawsuit was filed against Nationwide and one of its units, Nationwide Life Insurance, in New York State Supreme Court in February 1997.
Policyholders claimed they were misled when they bought one of several types of life insurance policies sold by the company from 1982 through 1997, said New York attorney Marc Gross.
Gross said some policyholders were told that their life insurance policies would have enough cash value that they would not have to pay premiums after seven to 10 years, and the policies could have enough value to pay for new policies or additional coverage. But he said customers were not told that if interest rates fell from their historic highs in the 1980s that they would have to continue to pay premiums. Interest rates have fallen since then.
The 650,000 current and former policyholders who bought 800,000 policies covered by the agreement will receive policy adjustments, discounted premiums and discounted products as part of the settlement. A hearing on the settlement is set for Dec. 17.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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