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IN HAWAII
Sierra Club urges Wal-Mart review
The Sierra Club says construction of the 300,000-square-foot Wal-Mart complex on the Kapiolani "superblock" should not start until a detailed environmental impact review can be done, studying the possible effects on traffic, drainage, air quality and other aspects affecting local residents.Joining the environmental club's Oahu Group in seeking a damage assessment is the University of Hawaii Environment Center. The Sierra Club acknowledged than an environmental impact study is not required by law for the business-zoned property but said it would help city planners to discover changes that might be needed.
A recently formed association of Kapiolani-area residents, Citizens Against Reckless Development, has said it wants the city to delay the project. The developers have said they are constantly reviewing traffic studies and other environment considerations.
BEI wins $5 million contract
A Honolulu firm has been awarded a five-year, $5 million contract to do any environmental investigations required by federal agencies in Hawaii and the Pacific. BEI Environmental Services, the consulting arm of BEI Hawaii, won the contract from the General Services Administration.The contract went into effect Oct. 21 and has options for three five-year extensions. Kevin Kennedy, vice president of BES, said the contract allows his company to work for any federal agency anywhere in the Pacific, providing environmental investigation, compliance and planning services, as well as hazardous waste disposal and remedying soil and groundwater contamination.
Formerly Brewer Environmental Industries and Brewer Chemical, BEI Hawaii was spun off into a separate company in 1999 and was sold to a local investors group a year ago.
MAINLAND
ResortQuest downgraded to 'hold'
ResortQuest Inc., which through its Aston Hotels & Resorts subsidiary manages more than 30 properties in Hawaii, was downgraded to "hold" from "add" today by analyst Bryan Maher at Credit Lyonnais. He also established a 12-month price target of $4.50.The stock, down 13.9 percent this year, fell 4 cents in midday trading today to $4.11.
Verizon's stores move beyond the telephone
Verizon Hawaii has sold telephones for decades since the former GTE Hawaiian Tel opened its PhoneMart stores in 1974 after deregulation of much of the Hawaii telecommunications business, but now the company offers so many more products and services it says it is time for a name change for its retail stores.The eight Verizon PhoneMarts in Hawaii will become Verizon Plus stores early next month, as soon as all the signs can be changed, the company said. The change, affecting all 84 PhoneMart stores across the country, is happening because the company sells much more than telephone sets, Verizon said. The stores will continue to sell telephones and sign up local and long-distance telephone customers, but the new name reflects the addition of Internet service, the Verizon Wireless mobile phone service and hands-on tryouts of the new services in the stores.
Citigroup to separate stock research arm
NEW YORK >> Under pressure from regulators, Citigroup announced today that it is separating its stock research from its investment banking operation to eliminate potential conflicts of interest.The nation's largest financial institution has been under investigation along with other Wall Street firms for allegedly touting certain stocks to the public while also courting the companies as investment banking clients.
Citigroup said it is creating a new stock research and retail brokerage unit, to be led by Sallie L. Krawcheck. The unit will include more than 12,500 financial consultants and will operate under the Smith Barney name.
The announcement came on the deadline regulators had set for reaching agreement with top brokerages on a proposal to make stock analysis more independent.
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[Hawaii Inc.]
NEW JOBS
>> Mark Mitchell has been named chief executive officer of Kahi Mohala Behavioral Healthcare. He replaces Margi Drue, who had the post from June 1994 to July of this year. Mitchell was most recently deputy director of the Western Massachusetts Regional Office of the Department of Mental Health. Kahi Mohala is a nonprofit behavioral health services organization and Hawaii's only private psychiatric hospital.>> The America's Junior Miss scholarship program has named Randy Waddell regional coordinator for Hawaii, part of the pageant's Southwest Region, which also includes California and Nevada. Waddell, an optometrist in Greybull, Wyo., has been involved with the Junior Miss organization for 22 years. Hawaii's Junior Miss pageant will be held in February in Honolulu.
For more information, call Hawaii Chairman Lani Stone Kaaa at 383-5522 or e-mail HJM@hawaii.rr.com.
PROMOTIONS
>> Jack Mead has been promoted to executive chef at Morton's of Chicago in Honolulu. Prior to joining Morton's, Mead was chef of Ivy's Prime Rib & Pasta at the Shorebird in Waikiki for four years. He recently placed second in the Iron Chef Contest at the Blaisdell Center Sept. 23. Morton's, which is known for its steaks, is at Ala Moana Shopping Center.>> Florian Titus Zizlavsky has been appointed assistant manager at Michel's on the Beach at the Colony Surf. Zizlavsky has been at Michel's for two and a half years and brings with him 13 years of experience in the restaurant industry.
