3 high schools excel at marketing competition

Students from Mililani, Pearl City and Moanalua high schools were overall winners in the 2010 High School Marketing Plan and Business Plan Competitions held at the Sheraton Waikiki.

In the marketing plan competition, students were expected to develop a marketing plan for an existing school or community business to demonstrate their achievement of the marketing standards. The winners were:

» First place: Colorcuts from Mililani High School—teacher Janise Kim, students Kayla Caliboso and Taylor Oyama.

» Second place: Momentum Marketers from Moanalua High School—teacher Fred Ito, students Camille Argamosa and Tiffany Schenberger.

» Third place: Three Brothers Mr. Pizza from Pearl City High School—teacher Sandra Ballina, students Tayler Inafuku and Sean Luster.

In the business plan competition, students were expected to develop a business plan for a product or service to demonstrate their achievement of the entrepreneurship standards. The winners were:

» First place: New Century Students from Mililani High School—teacher Janise Kim, students Justin Bongco and Lowana Lunasco.

» Second place: Teens Taxes Hawaii from Pearl City High School—teacher Asa Wakabayashi, students Ashley Matsuno and Camille Onate.

» Third place: Limiteez from Pearl City High School—teacher Asa Wakabayashi, students Elaine Le and Peter Tanaka.

Online bidding site for contractors bows May 24

A Florida-based company, BidNerd LLC, will be launching an online bidding site in Hawaii on May 24.

The service will allow anyone needing a contractor to post job requests on the website for free. When posting a job, the consumer can set a bidding deadline and attach photos, videos and plans for the project.

Contractors registered on the site will be immediately notified by e-mail when a job has been posted in their area, all for free. Contractors wishing to bid pay $7.95 to gain access to the bidding room. Contractors also can attach credentials and samples of their work.

The company is hosting an open enrollment period in Hawaii until May 24, before bidnerd.com launches the services.

Total recall

» About 291,000 compact hair dryers, made in China and imported by Conair Corp. of East Windsor, N.J., because the spinning fan in the hair dryer can break apart and cause the hair dryer's plastic shell to shatter. This poses a laceration hazard.

The recall involves the BabylissPro 052 Series Professional Compact Hair Dryer. The item is sold under the brand names Babyliss Pro Mighty Mini, Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium, Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic, BabylissPro TT Tourmaline and BabylissPro TT Tourmaline Titanium. Salons and online retailers sold the hair dryers from January 2006 to April 2010.

Details: by phone at 800-687-6916; by Web at www.cpsc.gov or www.babylissus.com/product_recalls.php.

Coming up

» Today: Tyson Foods Inc. releases quarterly financial results.
» Tomorrow: Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for March.
» Wednesday: Treasury releases federal budget for April.
» Thursday: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
» Friday: Commerce Department releases retail sales for April. Federal Reserve releases industrial production for April.