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Hawaii firm gets Schofield pact

A Honolulu company has secured a $55 million building renovation contract for work at Schofield Barracks, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie announced yesterday.

The contract awarded to Nan Inc. is for renovation of four concrete buildings used as barracks and for community activities, company operations, battalion headquarters and dining facilities, Abercrombie said.

The project, expected to be completed by March 2006, is part of a multiyear renovation project covering all of Schofield.

PBEC selects new president

Arthur L. Kobler has been named the new president of the Honolulu-based Pacific Basin Economic Council. The appointment for the former military officer, diplomat and corporate executive became effective Sept. 1.

"We are very pleased to have Mr. Kobler join PBEC," said Chairman S. R. Cho, chairman of South Korea's Hyosung Group. "He brings a professional skill set that is well-suited to pursuing our agenda to reinvigorate PBEC."

From 1963 to 1967, Kobler served in the Air Force and then joined the United States diplomatic corps, with posts in the Peoples' Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Washington, D.C.

Kobler joins PBEC from AT&T China, where he served as president until July. He succeeds Dalton Tanonaka.

Maui home, condo prices soar

The median price of a single-family home on Maui in August reached $449,000, up 39.2 percent from a median of $352,000 in August 2002.

The volume of sales also increased, climbing 21.3 percent to 97 sales recorded for the month.

Condominium prices rose in August to a median of $240,000, up 34.1 percent from a median of $179,000 during the same period last year. But the number of condominium sales decreased 2.8 percent to 139 sales recorded for the month.

August housing statistics for the Big Island and Kauai were reported on Tuesday.

HVCB group to visit Chicago show

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau will lead a delegation to the world's largest incentive and products show in Chicago Tuesday through Thursday of next week.

"The Motivation Show" brings together 2,000 suppliers of travel services and merchandise worldwide. It serves as a three-day gathering of incentive buyers for major corporations and incentive houses that operate and organize programs for companies.

More than 20,000 top business executives representing various industries are expected to attend. HCVB's Hawaii pavilion will promote the culture, natural beauty and attractions of the state.

TV money management show set

A television show about managing personal finances called Take Charge of your Money2, will be broadcast on local cable television stations statewide from Sept. 22 to Nov. 11. The program, offered by the University of Hawaii Extension Service is in eight parts and features local professionals who share their expertise on various money management topics. A viewers guide telecourse packet that includes schedules, handouts and internet information is available for $10. For more information, call 956-7138 e-mail moneyed@hawaii.edu., or visit the Web site at www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/tcyours$.

H&R Block to offer help in Wal-Mart

H&R Block Inc., the largest preparer of U.S. tax returns, signed an agreement to sell its services in as many as 850 Wal-Mart stores.

H&R Block, which seeks to expand its business, plans to install hundreds of kiosks by Jan. 15 for next year's tax season.

Group ordered to sell Mall of America stake

A federal judge ordered that the Simon Property Group be stripped of its control of the Mall of America in Minnesota, saying that the company, the nation's largest retail real estate investment trust, breached its fiduciary duty to its Canadian part- ner by secretly arranging to gain an ownership interest in the mall.

In his ruling, issued late Wednesday, Judge Paul A. Magnuson of U.S. District Court in Minneapolis ordered Simon to sell a 27.5 percent stake in the mall to its partner, Triple Five, a company owned by four brothers -- Raphael, Nader, Bahman and Eskander Ghermezian -- for $81.4 million. That transaction would put Triple Five in charge of the mall, a 4.2-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex that is the largest in the country. The mall draws about 40 million tourists a year and features a roller coaster, miniature golf course and aquarium.

In other news ...

>> The average rate on 30-year mortgages fell to 6.16 percent for the week compared with last week's 6.44 percent, Freddie Mac reported yesterday. For 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, rates fell to 5.46 percent from 5.77 percent. Rates for one-year adjustable mortgages dipped to 3.87 percent from 3.98 percent.

>> Record imports from China pushed the U.S. trade deficit 0.7 percent higher in July to $40.3 billion, but U.S. exports also rose in a bit of good news for manufacturers that analysts said may signal gains in the slumping eco- nomies of U.S. trading partners.

>> Taco Bell was ordered by U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist to pay a total of $42 million to two Michigan men who say they created the talking Chihuahua used in the fast-food chain's award-winning commercials. The case has been pending for five years.

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[Hawaii Inc.]

New jobs

>> Communications Pacific has hired Barbara Heckathorn as a communications group account supervisor and Laurel Johnston as a community building practice senior account executive. Heckathorn previously worked at Sprint Hawaii and served as customer service director at Verizon Wireless-Hawaii. Johnston most recently served as senior legislative researcher in the State Senate Majority Office. She has over two decades of analytical and problem-solving experience.

Promotions

>> Emergency Room Nurse Michele "Micki" Brailo has been appointed Wahiawa General Hospital emergency room and intensive care unit manager. She was an ER nurse for three years and replaces Stephanie Price, who has been named quality assurance coordinator. Price's responsibilities involve planning and organizing for studies related to clinical and support departments, physician practice and infection control. She was an intensive care unit, critical care unit and emergency room nurse. Wahiawa General also promoted Kelly Bitonio to director of nursing. Bitonio was previously an emergency room nurse and interim director of patient care services, and has been an ER nurse for the past 12 years.

On the board

>> Gov. Linda Lingle has been named to the board of directors of the American Legacy Foundation, an anti-smoking group. It develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use.