Sponsor sought for Kailua fireworks show

Last Fourth of July may have been the last blast for a fireworks show in Kailua.

The citizens group that rallied support and funds for the last three years says unless a major sponsor takes over the event, the 60-years-plus tradition of an annual fireworks show in Kailua, will end.

"All of us who have worked the event the last three years are owners of small businesses and can no longer manage and coordinate the many facets of the Fourth of July Fireworks," said Brook Gramann,a Kailua resident who has helped to save the show since the Kailua Chamber of Commerce dropped its support of the fireworks in 2008.

"It is a significant job coordinating, fundraising, promoting and running the event over a three- to four-month period."

The group raised about $50,000 each year for the show.

"It had been our hope that an event of this caliber and long-standing tradition would eventually be supported in whole by one of the larger businesses coming into Kailua town," Gramann said. However, no major sponsor has stepped forward.

"Now that the economy is improving, we’re still hoping that Kailua’s larger merchants will be able to carve out money and time so that the Kailua fireworks can move forward," he said.

Planetarium explores revenue sources

HILO » A Hawaii island planetarium and cultural center is looking at other sources of revenue to keep the $28 million facility running in anticipation of federal earmarks expiring.

Imiloa Astronomy Center Executive Director Kaiu Kimura says with the earmarks ranging from $1.5 million to $2.5 million a year expiring in June, the center is beginning to license its own content for planetarium shows.

The center’s show "Awesome Light" so far has been licensed to planetariums in Germany, Greece and Macao. A show about Mauna Kea has been translated into Chinese and the facility is looking to attract tour groups from China.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Monday the center has received a National Science Foundation grant of $2.3 million over three years.

Motorcyclist dies of injuries after Kohala crash

A 38-year-old Kapaau man was fatally injured Saturday in a motorcycle crash on Akoni Pule Highway near the 21-mile-marker in the North Kohala District.

Police identified the motorcyclist as Lance C.K. Pule.

North Kohala patrol officers, responding to a 12:44 p.m. call, determined that Pule was driving a 2011 Kawasaki motorcycle south on Akoni Pule Highway when he overtook another vehicle in a no-passing zone, lost control and ran off the right side of the highway.

Pule was not wearing a helmet. He was taken by Fire Department helicopter to Kohala Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:31 p.m.

Witnesses reported that Pule was traveling at high speed, police said.

It was the sixth traffic fatality on Hawaii island this year, compared with five at this time last year.

Raids break up illegal gambling on Hawaii island

Hawaii County police seized $18,207 in cash, 17 illegal video gambling machines and gambling records in a raid on an alleged gambling room in Kona Friday, police said.

Police also arrested 12 people in the raid on Alapa Street in Kailua-Kona, including a 44-year-old Hilo man and a 54-year-old man who police said are the operation’s owner and employee, respectively.

The 10 other people arrested were customers playing illegal video gaming machines, police said.

In a raid Friday at Kilauea Street in Hilo, police arrested a woman, 38, on suspicion of promoting gambling and other offenses.

All suspects were released pending further investigation.

Police said the raids were the result of a half-year-long investigation into citizen complaints.