Business Briefs Star-Bulletin staff and wire services

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Firsts and almost firsts in Hawaii

Here is the story behind one of Hawaii's "firsts," as noted by former state statistician Robert C. Schmitt.

» Electric lights: Hawaii's first experience with electric lights was in April 1879, when the English ironclad Triumph visited Honolulu. All 10 of the vessel's 12-ton guns and some of its lights were operated by electricity. After nightfall, the warship unexpectedly switched on its spotlight and for nearly two hours bathed the city in its beam.

The earliest use of electric lights ashore in Hawaii appears to have been in Mill Number One of the Spreckelsville Plantation on Maui on Aug. 21, 1881. To satisfy the curiosity of people anxious to see the "concentrated daylight," Capt. Coit Hobron ran a special train from Kahului, and King Kalakaua, Dowager Queen Emma and Princess Ruth were among those who came to view the lights.

NATION

Chicago has most late filers

Tax time is ticking, and some cities are dawdling until the last minute.

TurboTax recently released a list of the top tax procrastinating cities, determined by the number of tax returns electronically filed last year between April 14 and April 17. California and Texas each had three cities on the list, while eight of the top ten cities are west of the Mississippi River.

Chicago took the top spot for the first time in the seven years the list of late filers has been compiled, while New York hustled in at second.

Houston, which has topped the list more than any other city, came in third, while Austin -- one of the fastest growing cities in America -- moved up on the list to fourth place.

San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, and Los Angeles also made the cut, while San Jose, Calif., and Phoenix dropped off the list this year.

Time to retire retirement?

Gone are the days when retirement meant playing golf, gardening, learning a new language or just spending your 9-to-5 on the couch.

That's exactly what Tamara Erickson says in her upcoming book, "Retire Retirement," which suggests many are taking advantage of retirement as an opportunity for a second career.

"We're living in a day and age where the last 30 or so years of your adult life are as important as the first 30," Erickson said. "So much of what you read or hear about older workers is kind of gloomy and presents retirement years as scary and dismal. Meanwhile, it's really an opportunity for people to look at their lives and say, 'If I could do it all over again,' and actually do it all over again."

"This year, the first wave of baby boomers are turning 62 and starting to draw on their Social Security benefits, something that Erickson calls "momentous."

""Many of these people are less interested in a retirement that involves pure recreation," she said. "Most boomers really want to do something -- stay active, do something idealistic, and make a contribution they feel will create a better world."

Some travelers harbor guilt

More than half of U.S. travelers booking reservations online are concerned about global warming, and about a fifth feel that travel is bad for the environment, according to a recent online survey by Travelzoo Inc.

With Earth Day approaching, the online travel company offers tips to ease eco-friendly travelers' anxieties about reducing their carbon footprints:

» When walking isn't an option, use mass transportation. Cities such as Oakland, Calif. have hydrogen-powered buses, while trains between European cities emit less pollution and carry more passengers than planes.

» Pack lightly. Packing fewer shoes and reducing the weight of the plane could help save fuel. Lighter luggage could also save you money, since airlines are increasingly charging extra for additional weight in suitcases.

» Do some research before picking your hotel. Does the hotel receive energy from alternative sources? Can guests reuse linens during their stay or participate in a recycling program? What kinds of cleaning products and practices do they use? Are bikes available?

» If you're renting a car, check to see if the company has a contract with vendors who recycle oil. Find out if the car has vapor recovery controls and whether it's fuel-efficient.

» Reward cities that are taking a strong interest in the environment by contributing to their local economy. Portland and San Francisco are two eco-friendly destinations recently named the greenest cities in America by Popular Science magazine.

Police chief turns to Craigslist

ROSETO, Pa. » Hoping to attract younger applicants for his two part-time police officer positions, police Chief Jack Nicholais took out a Craigslist listing.

The Web site boasts it has classified ads posted from 450 cities worldwide and 9 billion page views a month.

"Everybody reads it today," he said.

Nicholais said he is the only department he knows of that advertises its positions on the Web site. He said there are other listings for security jobs and for U.S. Border Protection positions there.

Nicholais said he has used the site in the past to sell personal items and had success with it. So he decided to try it out for his department.

"I thought, 'Let me give it a shot,"' he said.

The time on the posting was stamped 9:52 a.m. Monday. As of 1:34 p.m. the same day Nicholais hadn't received any responses.

Roseto Mayor Daniel Confalone said he was not familiar with Craigslist, but empathized with Nicholais' struggle to hire part-time officers.

Confalone said younger, out-of-school officers are more than happy to work on the borough's force but leave as soon as they have experience and the opportunity to work full time elsewhere.

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