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Delegation goes to Canada
to observe school system

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Hawaii education officials and legislators are visiting Edmonton, Canada, today and tomorrow to get a firsthand look at how the public school system there could serve as a model for reform here.

The group includes Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto, Board of Education members Breene Harimoto and Laura Thielen, and Education Committee chairmen Sen. Norman Sakamoto and Rep. Roy Takumi, as well as Rep. Guy Ontai.

Edmonton Superintendent Angus McBeth will discuss how a "weighted student formula" for funding education could be applied in Hawaii and describe its system of performance-based contracts for principals.

Bainum ties the knot

Wedding bells rang on Valentine's Day for former City Councilman and mayoral candidate Duke Bainum and his bride, Jennifer Toma.

The two were wed in a ceremony beachside at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel with close friends and relatives in attendance.

Toma is a Big Island native and the daughter of Earl Toma of Hilo and Arlene Yoshizumi of Honolulu, while Bainum is the son of Evea Bainum of Bonnerdale, Ark.

Capitol list on Internet

A state Capitol institution ended this year when Verizon Hawaii decided to cease publication of its pocket telephone directory of state legislators.

The directory included state lawmakers' office and telephone numbers, committee assignments and leadership positions. It included similar information for Hawaii's congressional delegation, the counties' council members, Board of Education members and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees.

Verizon is still producing the directory, but it is available only on the Internet.

"Verizon is a technology-driven company. We partnered with the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii to put it online," said Verizon spokeswoman Ann Nishida. "It's the same information, just a different format."

The Web site is www. cochawaii.com.

Nishida said cost was a factor in the decision. Last year Verizon printed 36,000 pocket directories. She did not know the cost for printing them.

Those who still like having a pocket directory can download and print it from the Web site. Its format is the same size as the old pocket directory so people can make their own.

Longtime capitol lobbyist Red Morris is sad to see the pocket directories go.

"That's too bad," he said. "They're a real tool."

Morris believes he can get a group of lobbyists together to find advertisers who would be willing to sponsor the printing of the directory.

Nishida said company records show the directories have been in print at least since 1979.

Joel Kennedy, former vice president of public affairs for Hawaiian Tel, which later became Verizon Hawaii, said the directories were already being produced when he joined the company in 1971.

The directories initially contained only the information of state lawmakers, Kennedy said. The information for other Hawaii elected officials was added later, he said.

He, too, is sad to see the directories go.

"It's an old institution," Kennedy said.

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