Calderon cancels trip after interior secretary’s death
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has canceled his trip to Honolulu this weekend after the death of his top Cabinet secretary, Francisco Blake Mora, in a helicopter crash Friday.
Calderon was to arrive early Sunday morning and participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit Leaders’ Meeting at Ko Olina, followed by a separate North American summit with President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada.
Blake Mora, 45, was secretary of the interior and often the public face of the anti-drug campaign. There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash, but Calderon said it was probably an accident caused by bad weather.
Cars entering Waikiki undergo searches
Starting at 5 a.m. Friday, cars entering Waikiki using Ala Moana Boulevard were being stopped near the Hawaii Prince Hotel and searched, as new security restrictions around Waikiki began, city officials said.
The restrictions are expected to become even tighter today with President Barak Obama’s arrival late Friday and the APEC leaders’ dinner and reception tonight at the Hale Koa Hotel.
Pedestrians are being asked to show some forms of identification and could also be searched, officials said.
Yoshioka said all cars trying to enter Waikiki on Ala Moana Boulevard are being diverted to Holomoana Street near the Hawaii Prince Hotel and searched. He suggested that people needing to go to Waikiki this weekend enter the area using McCully Street or Kapahulu Avenue.
The checkpoint is part of the security zone around the Hale Koa, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hawaii Prince, Modern Waikiki and Sheraton Waikiki hotels.
The Secret Service plan for the security zone called for all Ala Moana Boulevard lanes in the Koko Head direction to be closed to all but APEC-related traffic starting at about 10 p.m. Friday night. One Ewa-bound lane will be contra-flowed to allow other traffic out of the area.
Another checkpoint will be set up tonight on Kalakaua Avenue between Ala Moana Boulevard and Saratoga Road, which will restrict access to APEC traffic only.
Security restrictions remain in effect for the area around the Hawai’i Convention Center, but Kapiolani Boulevard and Atkinson Drive will be open to traffic, except for the barriers immediately around the convention center today.
Still, the best advice, officials say, is stay away from Waikiki if you can this weekend.
PROTOCOL
Making points
A sampling of protocol tips has been shared during cultural training sessions held throughout the community for this week’s APEC summit. Here’s one:
» Korean guests, who are staying at the Hyatt Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, should be beckoned with the palm down. Koreans only call dogs with their palms up.
Source: Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
