Aloha Petroleum Ltd. said Thursday it has completed its purchase of MFM Inc.’s Hawaii assets, which include fuel stations and retail outlets on Kauai.
The purchase includes the Shell fuel station and Shell Food Mart in Kapaa; the Shell fuel station, Subway restaurant and Menehune Food Mart in Kilauea; the Subway restaurant in the Eleele Shopping Center; the Menehune Food Mart in Kekaha; and the Menehune Food Mart in Kapahi. Aloha Petroleum will continue operating the locations under the current retail brands in the near future.
Aloha Petroleum, a subsidiary of Sunoco LP, is one of the largest gasoline marketers and convenience store operators in the state. Following the MFM acquisition, Aloha will employ more than 630 Hawaii residents at approximately 100 Shell-, Aloha- and Mahalo-branded fueling stations and 50 Aloha Island Mart convenience stores throughout the state.
Lanai chosen as hot destination for 2016
Lanai has been chosen by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the Top 50 most exciting places to visit in 2016.
The island was one of only nine U.S. spots, given the ongoing renovation of its two Four Seasons Resorts and other improvements being undertaken by billionaire Larry Ellison, who owns most of the island.
Other U.S. destinations on the list include Asbury Park, N.J., which is undergoing a beachfront revival; Bozeman, Mont.; Denver; Detroit; Pittsburgh; Richmond, Va.; San Antonio and Seattle.
The travel-focused publication’s editors chose destinations around the world based on industry news and trends, and input from travel writers and its network of favored travel agents.
Online travel site Cheapflights.com predicts that Hawaii will be among the five hot travel destinations for Americans in 2016, along with Brazil, Cuba, New Zealand and Canada.
Hawaii near top of manure-using states
Hawaii ranks No. 2 in No. 2, or the increased usage thereof.
According to lawn-care company LawnStarter, the number of acres in the Aloha State that are fertilized with manure increased nearly 34 percent between 2007 and 2012.
The increase is second only to the 44.5 percent jump in Louisiana.
Raw acreage numbers in mainland states were much higher than in Hawaii for obvious reasons, but the LawnStarter ranking measures percentage change for the period.
Acreage figures were taken from the agricultural census conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is carried out every five years.
The higher cost of commercial fertilizer is seen as a contributing factor to the increase in manure usage, according to the LawnStarter study.
Maui restaurant rated among best in U.S.
Mama’s Fish House in Paia, Maui, is the second-best restaurant in the U.S., according to a new analysis by dining reservations and review site OpenTable.com.
Mama’s Fish House, established in 1973, is second only to St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa, Calif.
It is ranked higher than many long-heralded restaurants that have won accolades from the Mobil and AAA dining guides, including La Mer, at Halekulani in Waikiki, which is the only other Hawaii restaurant listed in the Top 100.
OpenTable.com’s list provides a ranked order for the top 10, but the full list of 100 is presented alphabetically.
The annual OpenTable.com Top 100 reflects the opinions of more than 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable users for more than 20,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which were collected from Nov. 1, 2014, to Oct. 31, 2015.
The complete list can be found online at 808ne.ws/2015OpenTableTop100.
Refunds available for consumers with RadioShack gift cards
Consumers with RadioShack gift cards from the defunct retailer can file claims to recover unused balances from a fund created via a court settlement.
All claims will be reviewed according to the court-approved plan and settlement, which created the RSH Liquidating Trust.
The trust will treat gift card claims as priority claims, and will pay 100 percent of the balance remaining on cards purchased from RadioShack stores, the RadioShack websiteor any of the former retailer’s authorized sellers. “Just because a company files for bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily mean that its consumers will be left out in the cold,”Stephen Levins, executive director of the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. “Our participation in this matter has helped to ensure thatHawaii consumers who purchased RadioShack gift cards will be able to redeem them for full value.”
Claims may be filed online at oldradioshackgiftcards.com or via mail by writing to RS Legacy Corporation fka RadioShack Corporation, Claims Processing Center,c/o Prime Clerk LLC, P.O. Box 225392, New York, N.Y., 10150. Consumers seeking information can also call toll-free (844) 794-3477 prior to Jan. 4. The deadline to file aclaim is Dec. 2, 2016.
ON THE MOVE
Distributed Energy Resources Council of Hawaii has announced that Leslie Cole-Brooks is its new executive director. She has extensive experience in the renewable-energy industry and was previously an executive director of the Hawaiian Solar Energy Association as well as a legislative analyst for Hawaii state Rep. Cynthia Thielen.
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The Girl Scouts of Hawaii has announced the following staff additions:
>> Jamie Lee has been named chief financial officer. She has 25 years of extensive financial management experience, including serving as a certified public accountant inprivate practice and working at Hee & Ching CPAs for more than 20 years.
>> Lisa Sparrel is director of membership, programs and volunteerism. Her previous experience includes serving in the nonprofit sector as well as higher education.
