Chevron suit against dealer slated Sept. 11

Chevron Corp.'s suit to evict Honolulu gas dealer Frank Young is scheduled for trial Sept. 11, after settlement talks broke down last month.

Chevron sued in federal court in 1999 to remove Young from a Kakaako gas station, claiming that Young breached his lease by running the station outside of specified hours of business. Chevron is also seeking damages.

Young says the station's operating hours are not the issue, and that Chevron is trying to get rid of him because he has criticized the company's gas-pricing strategies in Hawaii.

Isle retail sales in July among best in nation

Hawaii retailers were among the busiest in the nation, according to a new survey by the nation's largest check clearing company.

Houston-based TeleCheck Service Inc. said same-store retail sales statewide increased 3.4 percent last month from the year-earlier period.

On a percentage basis, only Louisiana, North and South Carolina and Florida enjoyed greater sales growth in July, TeleCheck said. Sales in Louisiana climbed 4.2 percent while the retail business in the Carolinas were up 4 percent.

Retail sales in Florida was up 3.6 percent last month.

"It wasn't a barn burner but it was considerably greater than the rest of the nation," said Bill Ford, TeleCheck's senior economic adviser.

Ford said the recent sale of Liberty House to Federated Department Stores Inc. bodes well for the local retail environment. The $200 million deal, in which Federated will convert Liberty House stores into Macy's West department stores, is bringing stability to the retail chain, he said.

According to TeleCheck, retailers on the mainland -- especially those in western states -- have been hard hit by the recent economic downturn.

Retail sales in California and Washington have born the brunt of the high-tech meltdown, but were still up, 2.2 percent and 1.1 percent respectively.

Checks account for about one-third of retail spending and remain second only to cash as the most popular method of payment, according to TeleCheck.

[TAKING NOTICE]

NEW JOBS

>> First Hawaiian Bank has hired Julie L. Hara as a consumer loan officer in the retail cross sales department and Laureen Kamekona as a private banking officer in the relationship banking center.

ON THE BOARD

>> Clyde Murashige has been named to the J. Walter Cameron Center's board of directors. Murashige, a professional planner, is the senior vice president of Wailea Resort Company Ltd.'s real estate division and vice president of Wailea Golf Resort Inc. He lives in Kula.

RECOGNITION

>> Honolulu resident Annie Trinh has been awarded a brand new Ford Explorer by Continental Airlines. Trinh, an employee in the airline's Chelsea Catering Division, was among 10 employees worldwide with perfect attendance chosen to participate in the drawing. She has been with the company since 1991. Trinh received the keys to her new vehicle during ceremonies Tuesday in Houston.