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Activity Desk Bill; Doug Fitch; Waikiki Beach Restoration Tax; Art Installation

Monday, February 23rd – from HPR2, it’s The Conversation

HB723, Activity Desks: Toni Marie Davis

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Toni Marie Davis

Imagine you're a tourist and you arrange and pay for a vacation adventure through a kiosk or other non-hotel or airline activity desk. Later you come to find that activity desk has gone out of business and you're left high and dry, out of pocket. It has happened and is the reason behind a pair of measures lawmakers will consider this week. The companion bills would require the appointment of fiduciary officers in charge of client trust accounts at the activity desk, and regulate how they would report. Toni Marie Davis, Executive Director of the Activities and Attractions Association of Hawai‘i, says she supports the idea and she joined us to elaborate.

  • Intro Music:   Carcharias Hustle by Men in Grey Suits
  • Outro Music:  Backyard Quiz Theme by Jon de mello

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Atherton Studio Concert: Doug Fitch 

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Doug Fitch

Doug Fitch grew up in the fresh air of the Colorado Mountains, and you can still hear that open-air quality in his music.   He favors the big and resonant sound of the acoustic guitar and he was naturally drawn to slack-key when he came to Hawai’i. Fitch is an accomplished player in that style, but his roots are in the acoustic singer-songwriter tradition he grew up in. He joined us to preview some of the songs he will perform on Saturday in our Atherton Performing Arts Studio.

  • Intro Music: All You Miners by Doug Fitch
  • Outro Music:  Aloha Kane'‘ohe by Doug Fit                                                                                                       

                   

              

Bill 81 & 82 Update, Beach Tax/Replenishment: Stuart Coleman

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Stuart Coleman

Two bills we first talked about late last fall are continuing to move in the Honolulu City Council. Proponents say bills 81 & 82 could raise $600,000 for ongoing Waikiki beach restoration efforts, but it would also mean that businesses in the area would pay a special tax. Normally that would be enough to draw fire, but this time, many businesses are saying they are okay with it according to the Waikiki Improvement Association. The tax would be based on the assessed property value of a business. But Stuart Coleman of the Surfrider Foundation says there are issues missing from the conversation.

  • Intro Music:  Got Django by Hot Club of Hulaville
  • Outro Music:  Mystery Train by James Burton

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Art Installation: Andy Graydon

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Andy Graydon

Andy Graydon is an artist who was born and raised on Maui, but is now based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.   His sound installation opens at ARTafterDARK in downtown Honolulu on Feb. 27.

  • Intro Music:  Fig. 1 (these things we know)by Puakea Nogelmeier  & Andy Graydon
  • Outro Music: Radio Hula by Led Kaapana and Friends
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