Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business /2004/12/22/

[ FAST FACTS HAWAII ]

Realtor of the Year goes to Scott Bradley

C. Scott Bradley: Award is based on ethics, accomplishments and civic activity

C. Scott Bradley, co-managing director of Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, has been named the 2004 Realtor of the Year by the Honolulu Board of Realtors.

Bradley oversees Coldwell Banker's residential operations, including relocation, agent services, marketing and acquisitions.

The award is given annually and is based on a nominee's faithfulness to the board's code of ethics, civic activity, local, state and national association participation and business accomplishments.

Bradley began his real estate career in 1984 as a sales associate for Bradley Properties Ltd., one of the five firms that joined forces in the mid-1990s to form Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties.

Halekulani GM Honda will retire

Fred Honda: Will retire as general manager of the Halekulani

Fred Honda, general manager of the Halekulani, will retire once a successor is found, the Waikiki hotel said yesterday.

Honda, who began the job in July 2000, said he wants to spend more time with his family. The Halekulani has begun a search for his replacement.

"I will definitely miss the hotel, the personal interaction with the hotel guests, the employees and all the loyal residents who frequent our dining establishments," Honda said.

Honda's retirement will end a long hotel career. During his tenure at the Halekulani, he oversaw a multimillion-dollar renewal of the property and the development of the SpaHalekulani. During the late 1990s, Honda was general manager of the Kapalua Bay Hotel on Maui. Previously, he was executive manager of the Oahu Country Club.

Guilty plea rejected in spam case

NEW YORK » A federal judge refused to accept a guilty plea yesterday from a former America Online software engineer accused of stealing 92 million e-mail addresses and selling them to spammers.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein of Manhattan federal court said he was not convinced Jason Smathers, 24, had actually committed a crime under new federal "can-spam" legislation that took effect earlier this year.

Smathers, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., planned to enter guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. But the judge turned him away and scheduled another hearing for next month.

The judge, who said he dropped his own AOL membership because he received too much spam, said it was not clear that Smathers had deceived anyone -- a requirement of the new law.

Former UFJ executives indicted in Japan

TOKYO » Tokyo prosecutors indicted three former executives and one senior official of UFJ Holdings Inc.'s banking unit yesterday for allegedly concealing files and providing false information to authorities about the bank's bad debts.

The former UFJ Bank executives -- Kazuyoshi Okazaki, 56; Sen Hayakawa, 55; and Masayuki Inaba, 51 -- were formally charged with violating banking laws, the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office said.

Hidetoshi Tsuchiya, a 41-year-old senior official at UFJ, also was charged, prosecutors said.

Authorities said the executives lied, hid documents about corporate borrowers and transferred thousands of electronic files between August and October 2003 to try to obstruct an inspection by financial regulators into the bank's debts.

They also are accused of conspiring with other unidentified bank officials in their attempt to mislead the inspectors, the prosecutor's office said.

H&R Block subsidiary to pay $500K in fines

A subsidiary of H&R Block Inc. said yesterday it has agreed to pay $500,000 in fines to settle charges that two former brokers helped a hedge fund engage in improper trading practices.

The National Association of Securities Dealers also required the investment division of the world's largest tax preparer to pay $325,000 in restitution to mutual funds affected by the improper trades. The subsidiary, H&R Block Financial Advisors Inc., said it agreed to settle the case without admitting wrongdoing.

[Hawaii Inc.]

NEW JOBS

» Energy Industries LLC has hired Miles M. Kubo as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He will oversee the company's growth and expansion as it diversifies and enters new markets beyond Hawaii. Kubo previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hawaii Dental Service and of Alakai Mechanical Corp.

» Obun Hawaii Group has hired Yuki Yoshimura as account executive in the advertising/media sales department. She will oversee advertising accounts for Japanese language guidebooks. She most recently worked in media sales and production at Guam TV, and brings more than 10 years of experience in other various media fields.

» The Grand Wailea Resort has hired Daniel A. Berends as senior catering manager. He is a certified meeting professional with extensive event management and planning experience. He spent the last four years as an independent planner providing meeting and event services to the corporate meetings market, as well as to international and domestic corporate clients.

RECOGNITION

» The Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers has awarded the CRB designation to Frank B. Goodale of Clark Realty Corp. in Kailua-Kona, and to Lurline R. Johnson of Property Profiles Inc. in Aiea.