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Arrested financier released on bond

Troubled St. Louis financier Paul Boghosian has put up a $100,000 co-signed bond and has been released following his arrest last week for allegedly bribing an FBI undercover agent in a fraudulent scheme involving Hawaiian Airlines.

Boghosian, one of the principal backers of a now-defunct reorganization plan for Hawaiian Airlines, faces a hearing in St. Louis Federal Court on March 29 to arrange his transfer to New York for a trial on charges of conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and commercial bribery. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Boghosian, 50, allegedly offered a $500,000 bribe to the FBI agent, who was posing as a hedge fund manager, in exchange for $2.5 million to help fund the reorganization plan.

Flight attendants ratify contract

Hawaiian Airlines' flight attendants brought the company another step closer to emerging from bankruptcy yesterday by narrowly approving a three-year contract. The only remaining barrier is a contract with the carrier's pilots.

Some 52.5 percent of the flight attendants voted to ratify the agreement after rejecting a previous agreement with 48 percent approval.

Union leader Sharon Soper said 566 of 740 members voted after a turnout of 460 the first time.

"I think they felt that this wasn't something the company needed to have and they were reluctant to do anything," Soper said about the closeness of the vote. "They were resentful of management bonuses and didn't want to give up anything since Hawaiian was profitable."

Last year, Hawaiian Airlines trustee Joshua Gotbaum received court approval to allocate up to $7 million in management performance bonuses over two years.

Tax credit available for older homeowners

Homeowners 55 and older can apply for a partial credit of their 2005-2006 city property taxes under a new relief program.

Applications for the Real Property Tax Relief Program are available at Honolulu Hale and the satellite city halls, and are due May 2. Eligibility is subject to income limits and other restrictions.

Organic farm venture finalist in competition

A venture that combines organic farming with youth leadership development has been chosen as a finalist in the National Business Plan Competition for Nonprofit Organizations.

The MA'O Organic Farm -- Waianae Organic Farmer's Cooperative said it was chosen to be one of 20 finalists from more than 500 entrants. A team will go to New Jersey in June to make a final presentation. The top four finalists will each win $100,000 cash.

The venture is to be co-owned and operated by out-of-school youth in Waianae. The farm, in Lualualei Valley, has started with 2.5 acres and is certified organic.

Pleasant Holidays adds summer Hawaii flights

Pleasant Holidays has added new flights for summer travel to the Big Island and Kauai on ATA Airlines starting June 1.

The nonstop flights will continue through the end of August, aboard Pleasant Holidays' scheduled air service.

The flights include service from Los Angeles to the Big Island on Sunday and Monday and to Kauai on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There also will be Saturday flights to Kauai from San Francisco.