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Affordable housing projects get credits

The state Housing and Community Development Corp. will award more than $12 million in low-income housing tax credits over 10 years to two private developers for the construction and rehabilitation of 91 affordable rental units.

Most of the credits are from the federal government with the state component of the credit set at 30 percent. The contract for the $3 million Nanaikeola Senior Apartments in Nanakuli was awarded to Hawaii Intergenerational Community Development Association. The project is part of a larger mixed-use development of 70 affordable housing units and an adult day care facility to be operated by the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Medical Center. Rents for the 30 one-bedroom units will range form $363 to $605 per month.

The contract for $9.2 million Lokenani Gardens, in downtown Wailuku, Maui, went to Ooka Supermarket Ltd. The developer of the project, Byron Ooka, is president of Ooka Supermarket, which is across the street from the development. When complete, the project will create 61 new affordable units for seniors which will rent for $595 per month.

Docs and businesses to talk

The Hawaii Medical Association and the Hawaii Business Health Council are sponsoring a forum designed to bring physicians and business leaders together for a discussion on the business community's stake in quality medical care.

The event is 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sheraton Waikiki. They keynote speaker is Dr. Chiyomi Fukino, director of the state Department of Health. Also speaking will be Dr. James Reynolds, chief executive of Health and Productivity Corporation of America and Dr. Dan Heslinga, who will offer a local physician perspective.

The forum will be followed by the Hawaii Medical Association annual fund-raising dinner. Gov. Linda Lingle will be the keynote speaker for the evening event. For more information, call the association at 536-7702.

Hawaiian Air passengers drop

Hawaiian Airlines carried fewer passengers in April than it did a year ago but ran its aircraft closer to full due to some service cutbacks, according to its monthly traffic report.

Hawaiian carried 433,315 passengers last month, down 0.9 percent from 437,109 in April 2002. However, increased demand for seats outpaced seat availability, resulting in a load factor of 79 percent for April, compared to 78.6 percent in April 2002.

There was a 24 percent increase in revenue passenger miles, the number of passengers multiplied by the miles they were carried, to 434.4 million from a year-earlier 350.4 million. Available seat miles were up a little less at 549.8 million, a 23.4 percent increase from 445.6 million in April 2002. That meant a slightly higher occupancy of available seats. Hawaiian, which flies mainland-Hawaii, interisland and Hawaii-South Pacific routes, bundles those services together in its monthly reports.

Durable goods fall 2.4 percent in April

WASHINGTON >> America's manufacturers saw demand for their products fall in April by the largest amount in seven months, a fresh blow to an industry that is a big drag on the plodding economy.

Orders to U.S. factories for durable goods -- manufactured products such as cars and appliances expected to last at least three years -- dropped by 2.4 percent in April from the month before, when they rose 1.4 percent.

The Commerce Department's report today underscored the troubles facing battered manufacturers, which have suffered through 33 consecutive months of jobs losses and are operating plants well below capacity.

April's decline in orders was deeper than the 1 percent decrease economists were expecting and marked the largest drop since last September.

In other news ...

>> Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse-club store chain, said third-quarter profit climbed 18 percent, after the retailer lured more customers with products ranging from imported wine to gasoline sold at cheaper prices than many competitors.

>>Enron Corp., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and other banks must enter mediation with investors seeking $30 billion over the collapse of the Houston-based energy company, two U.S. judges said today. Also at Enron, the company confirmed it is laying off 7 percent of the 1,200 employees in its pipeline group in an effort to cut costs.

>> Air Canada's flight attendants agreed to concessions that include wage cuts and more than 1,900 possible firings to help the carrier emerge from bankruptcy.