Sheraton Waikiki has local special

The Sheraton Waikiki Resort recently opened its Helumoa Playground, a 12,500 square-foot area between the Sheraton and The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, set to officially reopen on Tuesday.

The Playground features two fresh-water swimming pools, a 15-foot high by 70-foot long water slide, a staging area for outdoor functions, two large whirlpools with views of Waikiki Beach, an interactive fountain area for kids, 10 cabanas, and a pool hut where guests may borrow towels and purchase sun products, inflatables and toys.

To celebrate, the Sheraton is tempting local families to come out to play with special room rates of $159 per night for a mountain view room, or $210 for an ocean view room, plus 25 percent off meals charged to your room at select restaurants. Guests will have free self-parking and guaranteed 2 p.m. checkout, instead of the normal noon checkout time.

The Playground sits on a historically rich area called Helumoa. Its namesake is a rooster named Ka'auhelemoa, said to have scratched the ground at the feet of King Kakuhihewa in the 16th century. Kakuhihewa, taking this to be a sign from the gods, planted 10,000 coconut trees in honor of this occurrence, and many of these trees' descendants still survive.

To reserve, call 921-4610 and ask for the rate code “;KAMVIP.”;

Airline welcomes young explorers

To continue Aloha Airlines' legacy of mentoring young adults, Island Air will launch its first Explorer Program with Orientation Night 5 p.m. Wednesday at Bishop Museum's Atherton Halau.

Students between the ages of 16 and 20 who have an interest in aviation are encouraged to attend, with their parents. Applications to the program will be accepted only from those who attend the orientation; 15 students will be selected. The 10-week program covers aviation careers such as flight attendant, pilot, aircraft mechanic and dispatcher.

More information, including a downloadable application, can be found on Island Air's Web site, www.islandair.com, in the “;About Us”; pages.

Island Air offers 384 weekly flights between the Islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai and the Hawaii. For reservations, flight information and free membership in Island Air's Cloud 9 Customer Rewards program, visit www.islandair.com, or call; (800) 652-6541.