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HAWAII
Minority businesses to be honored

The Minority Business Development Center of Honolulu will honor winners of the Hawaii Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards next month at the Hale Koa Hotel.

The Aug. 1 awards luncheon, which will start at 11 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m., will be emceed by U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii.

The awards recognize leaders and outstanding businesses from the minority business community. To be considered for a minority firm award, the company must be 51 percent minority owned and nominees must by U.S. citizens and in business for at least five years.

For reservations, call 521-6221.

The winners are:

>> Minority construction firm -- Glen Shiroma, president of M. Shiroma Painting Co. Inc.

>> Minority distribution firm -- Dean Okimoto, president, and Gilbert Araki, vice president, of Local Island Fresh Edibles Inc.

>> Minority manufacturing firm -- Verna and Rachel Rapez, co-owners of The Embroidery Shop Inc.

>> Minority service firm -- Sandra Fujimoto, vice president and 51 percent owner of Flight School Hawaii

>> Minority specialty construction firm -- Spencer Kurihara Sr., president of Society Painting Inc.

>> Minority technology firm -- Steven Hinaga, president of Data Craft Inc.

>> Minority financial advocate of the year -- Dick Freitas, partner at Hedberg Freitas King and Tom, CPA's

>> Minority media advocate of the year -- Momi Cazimero, president of Graphic House Inc.

In addition, last year's Hawaii minority technology firm award, Irene Motonaga, president of SynCADD Systems Inc., will be recognized with the regional 2003 minority technology firm award on Aug. 28 in San Francisco.

NATION
Take advantage of tax cut cash

There's been much talk about the economic effects of the latest federal income tax cut, and whether people should save or spend their extra cash. The Atlanta-based Consumer Credit Counseling Service has a few suggestions:

>> Toss as much as you can at your credit card company. Paying the minimum every month keeps you debt-bound and makes you an ever-larger cash cow for the issuer.

>> Begin or bolster the so-called rainy-day fund. Sticking money in a money market or interest-bearing account can mitigate the pain of unexpected auto repairs or health emergencies.

>> Think of your retirement.

>> Donate to a charity. You may have reduced, or even stopped, your contributions because of the poor state of the economy. And, happily, this also can help on the next tax bill.

>> Play a little. If saving all the money chafes at the core of your financial DNA, consider spending only half. You can minimize the guilt of your splurge by knowing some remains in the bank.

Jerky sustains life on the highway

Did your July 4th holiday weekend involve a car trip? Abundant bad food and suspect music?

You are not alone, according to a survey of Web surfers by Yahoo!Autos, in which beef jerky was deemed the best driving food and Don McLean's congenial "American Pie" the best summer song for road-trip crooning.

More than a quarter of us, 26 percent, said jerky of the beef variety was the best snack for driving, followed by potato chips (17 percent), candy (16 percent) and sunflower seeds (10 percent). Healthier fare -- fruit and granola bars -- were at the bottom of the preferences.

As for the tunes, "American Pie" was the most mentioned song for road trips, appreciated as the sort of ditty everyone knows and sings along with for all of its eight-plus minutes.

"Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince was mentioned by 12 percent, and Willie Nelson's country classic "On the Road Again," was third, tied with "Life is a Highway," by Tom Cochrane, by 11 percent.

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[ HAWAII INC. ]

New jobs

>> Stephanie K. Asato has joined Bank of Hawaii as a vice president and senior trust officer in its private client services Kahala office. She will provide investment management, financial and trust services for wealthy clients. She was previously with First Hawaiian Bank, where she specialized in trust administration and business development. She has more than 25 years of experience in financial services.

>> Summit Lending of Hawaii has hired Stan S. Nishimura as corporate loan facilitator. He was formerly a consumer loan underwriter in American Savings Bank's consumer loan department and has been in the industry for more than seven years. Summit Lending is a Hawaii-based mortgage bank.

>> Elizabeth Fitzgerald has joined public relations agency Sheila Donnelly & Associates as an account supervisor. She was previously director of special events and public relations at the Turtle Bay Resort.

>> Frank Diaz of East Oahu Realty has been named the exclusive real estate agent representing Honolulu on HomeRoute's Homes101.com Web site. The site offers residential real estate advice and services.

Recognition

>> The Kona Historical Society has presented Amy Ota of Oodles of Noodles with its Kohoolua Award, which was created to acknowledge businesses for partnering with the society to preserve and protect the history and culture of Kona. Oodles serves its customers 100 percent pure Kona coffee purchased from the society's Kona Coffee Living History Farm