Come Enjoy the Annual Christmas Parade and Lights In Historic Hale’iwa Town

Come enjoy the Christmas parade and lights of Historic Hale’iwa Town on the North Shore Friday, December 14, 2012.

This year’s theme is “Great Leadership, Excellent Schools!” The Grand Marshall will be Randiann Porras-Tang, principal of Waialua High and Intermediate School, who was named the 2012 MetLife/NASSP Principal of the Year for being an outstanding school leader by providing high-quality learning opportunities for our students.

Over 40 units are planned for the parade, including the Royal Hawaiian Band and the two high school bands, beauty queens, horse units, hula dancers, scouts, soccer teams, a fire engine, floats, and many other units unique to the North Shore.

The parade starts at 6:00 PM at the Weed Circle roundabout, and will travel through Haleiwa Town, ending at Hale’iwa Beach Park at approximately 7:00 PM. The road will be closed for approximately one hour.

Other festivities include:

• Children of all ages can visit with Santa Claus before and after the parade, and may also have their picture taken with Santa for a donation of $5.00. Santa will be at the North Shore Marketplace under the monkey pod tree from 4:00 – 5:30 PM, and immediately following the parade from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.

• Shops will host sidewalk sales, in-store specials, demonstrations, and other great events before and after the parade.

The Chamber encourages everyone to come and shop in the unique boutiques and stores in Hale’iwa before and after the parade, and to enjoy local North Shore flavors in one of Hale’iwa’s many great restaurants. The annual parade is a great way to bring friends to this plantation-era community, supporting local businesses and in turn helping to create sustainable economic development on the North Shore.

Arrival before 5:00 PM is recommended in order to find parking in the town’s shopping centers, or at the Historic Haleiwa Gym. A flashlight and lawn chairs or blankets are also recommended. The festivities will close the main street for just over an hour, re-opening around 7:15 PM. City buses will be re-routed during this time; please plan accordingly.

For more information, please call the Chamber at (808) 637-4558 or visit our website at
www.GoNorthShore.org

Chamber Seeks Volunteers

Alice Rogers, Volunteer

Are you interested in spending a couple of hours each week staffing the Visitor Center at our new building or helping with our special events?  If you're available for a shift lasting at least two hours weekly, we'd appreciate hearing from you. Training will be provided.  Interest in the history of the area is very helpful.  Stop by our new office across from the Haleiwa Post Office or give us a
call at 637-4558. 

Refer to the Volunteer Application.

Chamber Building Work Day This Saturday the 13th

The Chamber's new home is coming along really well! Residents and visitors stop by especially on Saturday workdays to admire the building, the new cedar siding, and ask about what the building will be used for when it's done. One board member who helped out at a recent workday was totally thrilled with what she saw. We're getting excited at the thought of moving in, hopefully by the end of March.

Come be a part of this exciting project. We need carpenters and people to caulk, do dump runs, and various other tasks.


What: Workday Saturday the 13th 8:00am - 1:00pm 

Where: At the Chamber's new home across from the post office

Thank you to all the volunteers, especially Lee Bryant, Mike Stacey, Gary Anderson, John Otholt and Willy Strydonk who have been working on the project almost every week for months. We really apprciate all your hard work and your craftmanship.

Donate for a Brick Today

We still need to raise more money to finish this project, so if you've been putting off donating for that special brick, please send your donation in now. The form is attached. Just mail it in with your check! We appreiate your support.

Below: Gosha and Gary taking off the old siding; Robert, Matt, Gary, and Willy putting up new siding on the back; Willy putting lock on closet door inside; Mike Stacy, luna, happy that they've finished siding the back wall.




















Mahalo,
Antya

Testimony Needed by Monday to Support Legislation Mitigating Unemployment Insurance Increase

Aloha Members, Businesses, and Friends,

As most of you know, the unemployement insurance rates will be skyrocketing this year and have a huge impact on business if something is not done. The new rates will start in April without action by the legislature. Per Sept. 18, 2009 Star Bulletin article: "Employers, who are paying an average of $90 per employee a year in unemployment insurance taxes, can expect to pay an average of $1,040 to $1,250 per employee - 1,055 to 1,289 percent increases - depending on how low the state coffers drop."

The main Chamber is working hard to put forth legislation to help businesses, but we need to send in testimony to help the effort. Please see below.

Mahalo,
Antya Miller, Executive Director
North Shore Chamber of Commerce
Phone: 808-637-4558 Fax: 808-637-4556
www.GoNorthShore.org



ACTION ALERT!

Dear Chamber Members:

As you are aware, the Chamber has been actively advocating on behalf of its Chamber members and pushing for a bill that mitigates the huge increase in the unemployment insurance tax. We have been meeting regularly with legislators and stakeholders to ensure that information is shared and our position is effectively communicated.

A hearing (Hearing Notice) has been scheduled on two unemployment insurance bills for this Tuesday, January 26 at 9:00 a.m. at the State Capitol in Room 309.

Although the bills provide some tax relief, the Chamber believes they do not provide enough assistance to help reduce the "tax shock" and safeguard the statewide unemployment rate. Therefore, we are asking the committees to amend the bills. The attached handout provides a more detailed explanation.

We urge you to submit testimony and testify at the hearing so that a strong statement can be made to the committee. Our united efforts could result in a UI bill passing the Legislature before March.

For your convenience, attached is a talking points handout. Feel free to cut and paste the template below and some of the talking points.

DIRECTIONS ON SUBMITTING TESTIMONY

Testimony will NOT be accepted via e-mail. Members can submit testimony via:

1. On-line at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

OR

2. Faxed to (808) 586-6331 or 1-800-535-3859 (neighbor islands)

Try to submit testimony 24 hours prior to the hearing. This allows the chair and committee members enough time to thoroughly review the testimonies. HOWEVER, if you are unable to submit testimony by this deadline, please proceed to submit. It will still be considered.

DIRECTIONS ON ORAL TESTIMONY

The following provides some information for those attending the hearing:

* A two-minute oral testimony limit will probably take place.
* The UI bills are the first two on the agenda., so contingent on the number of testifiers, the hearing should end by noon.
* You are not required to stay for the entire hearing and may leave after you provide testimony. The order of testifiers is based on the order the committee receives written testimonies.
* Metered parking is available at the Capitol. Discounted parking is available at Alii Place on Alakea or at any downtown municipal parking lots.
* Tell your "story" however, please be courteous and professional.

If possible, please e-mail me a copy of your testimony and let me know if you plan to attend the hearing. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your time and support. Together we can make a difference. Below is a template for testimony:

"Testimony to the House Committee on Labor & Public Employment

Tuesday, January 26, 2010; 9:00 a.m.

Conference Room 309

RE: HOUSE BILL 2169 and 2207 RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT SECURITY

Chair Rhoads, Vice Chair Yamashita and Members of the Committee:

My name is [FULL NAME] and my company is [NAME AND DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY INCLUDING # OF EMPLOYEES]. I appreciate the efforts made by the chair and the committee in addressing the unemployment insurance tax increase. I support HB 2169 and 2207 with amendments.

[STATE HOW THE INCREASE WILL IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS INCLUDING POTENTIAL JOB LOSSES, BENEFITS, AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS COST PER EMPLOYEE, IF POSSIBLE].

To help reduce the "tax shock" and safeguard the statewide unemployment rate, please amend the bill by holding the tax rate schedule to D in 2010 and F in 2011, permanently set the taxable wage base at 90% and maintain the adequate reserve multiplier at 1.0.

This will reduce the impact of the tax increase on the average and small businesses. Extending the tax assistance beyond 2010 will save jobs, preserve businesses and spur the economy by keeping more dollars flowing into the economy through wages and purchases. This will help businesses plan expenses over a longer period of time.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. If you have any questions, please contact me at [FULL CONTACT INFORMATION]."

Sincerely,

Sherry Menor-McNamara
Vice President, Business Advocacy & Gov't. Affairs
1132 Bishop Street, Suite 402
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Ph. 808-545-4300 x 394
Fax 808-545-4369
www.cochawaii.org
smenor@cochawaii.org

Testimony Needed to Address Assault on Business!

Aloha Members,

Please see the email from Sherry below and click on the link to send testimony. We need to redouble our efforts in stopping this "assault on business." See Star Bulletin's editorial calling this legislation that:

http://www.starbulletin.com/editorials/Legislators_should_stop_their_assault_on_Hawaii_business.html

I know you're busy, but providing testimony to stop this assault is very much more important in the long-run than are the fires you're putting out today.

Mahalo,
Antya


The following bills have been scheduled for hearing and decision-making for Thursday, April 2:

SB 62 - Workers' Compensation: Independent Medical Examination
(Hearing Notice)

HB 952 - Card Check (Decision-making)
(Hearing Notice)

For SB 62, please submit testimony. For HB 952, we are asking our members to contact their senators rather than submitting comments.

Please feel free to use http://www.cocaction.com/mx/hm.asp?id=LAC to submit testimony and letters.

Thank you for your support.

Sherry R. Menor-McNamara
Vice President, Business Advocacy & Gov't. Affairs

Annual Christmas Party and Auction

Dear Business Owners,

The North Shore Chamber of Commerce will be holding its Annual Christmas Party and Auction Thursday, December 4th, 2008. The funds raised will go toward supporting the many programs of the Chamber.

As part of this event, there will be a silent and live auction, for which we are asking donations. We hope that you will support this worthy cause by donating goods or services to the Chamber. Attached is a donation form, which must be filled out and accompany the donation to accurately describe and price the item.

You can fax the form to the office at 637-4556 and then we will arrange to pick up the item(s). If you need more information or have questions, please call Antya at 637-4558.

Save the Date for the Christmas Party

Aloha Members and Friends,

Please save the date on December 4th for the Annual Christmas Party and Auction. This year we are honoring Gary Anderson, Joan Gossett and the Haleiwa Arts Festival for their contribution to the North Shore . The Arts Festival is now the premier arts festival in the islands and highlights Haleiwa as an art center in the state. These two individuals and the Festival organization have made a lasting contribution to our North Shore community through the event itself and the financial support they have provided to the schools.

Please also start thinking about what you will be able to donate to the Auction this year. As you know, this is the Chamber’s main fundraiser of the year and we couldn’t continue to operate without your support of this very important event. Volunteers will soon be approaching you for donations.

Mahalo and see you Thursday!

Antya

URGENT ACTION NEEDED on Bill Eliminating Secret Ballot for Union Elections

Aloha Members,
I am forwarding an Action Alert from the main Chamber that requires your immediate action. Please read below and contact the Governor to veto HB 2974. I've also written a summary of the bill with contact info for legislators. Please act today!

Mahalo,
Antya


MONDAY REPORT - From Chamber President Jim Tollefson – April 7, 2008

Card Check Bill Action Alert!

Last Friday we had a very successful “Walk Around the State Capitol” with over 20 business leaders and chamber representatives meeting legislators and voicing their concerns. Through many of the conversations it became apparent that legislators are looking to hear from the business community and were in need of input from business leaders and their constituents. With only 18 days left (not including weekends) in the session, the time is now.

One bill, HB2974 HD2 regarding labor, also known as the card check bill is in need of your URGENT attention. This bill denies employees the right to a secret ballot election in determining whether or not to have union representation in the workplace and additionally forces arbitration if the parties cannot come to an agreement within a certain time period.

We believe it is the employee’s fundamental right to cast their vote privately, without the undue pressure from management and labor. Secret balloting is part of the democratic process which ensures fairness and the freedom of choice. In fact, the US Chamber of Commerce stated in testimony a poll by Zogby International, where 84% of union members expressed that employees should have the right to specifically vote on whether to join a union. They themselves recognize that secret ballot elections are the fairest solution. Despite this, the card check process continues to be a top issue.

Although the Card Check Bill currently applies to limited categories, such as agricultural employers, and small businesses and non-profits with less than $500,000 in gross annual revenues and not involved in interstate commerce (click here to see additional categories), if passed, it will set a negative precedence impacting both employees and employers. Also, it will provide momentum towards the national movement which will have far-reaching implications for business and change the scope of how business is done.

It is important to take action and ask Governor Lingle to VETO HB2974. The Governor has until April 14th to veto this bill. It is also important to contact your legislators, because if Governor Lingle vetoes the bill, legislators can still override the veto during session. This bill could potentially become law within the next couple of weeks, so take action now. Click here to send a veto letter to the Governor AND click here to send a letter to your legislators to sustain the veto. Visit the Legislative Action Center for more information.

You vote for your legislators, so make sure they hear from you. The more voices, the more attention we bring to the issues impacting our businesses. We look forward to hearing your voice at the Capitol. Inaction will cost us if we as business leaders do not take action and use our voice.



Work Readiness

As Chairman of the Oahu Workforce Investment Board, I wanted to share the following event regarding employee work readiness.

On April 25, 2008 from 9:00am to 11:00am at the Mission Memorial Auditorium the Oahu Workforce Investment Board will be holding an event to preview a state of the art assessment tool customized for Hawaii employers that tests Work Readiness. The assessment provides employers the ability to have greater accuracy in hiring, reduced recruitment costs, minimized employee turnover, and improved employee performance.

The event is Free but space is limited. So sign up today. RSVP by April 22, 2008 at 768-7759 or email amachida@honolulu.gov.

Final Decking “Walk Around the Capitol” Friday April 25, 2008 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. RSVP to Courtney at cmenard@cochawaii.org by April 24th .

Jim Tollefson
President & CEO
The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
The Voice of Business in Hawaii
1132 Bishop Street, Suite 402,
Honolulu, Hi. 96813
Ph: 808-545-4300 ext 383
Fax 808-545-4369
www.cochawaii.org

California Container Tax is Back

The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii - The Voice of Business in Hawaii, is actively asking for businesses in Hawaii to call upon Governor Lingle to ask Governor Swartzenegger not to pass the California Container Tax bill.

Last year, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii advocated against a bill that was going through the California State Legislature. SB 974, also known as the California Container Tax bill, imposed a $30 fee on each 20 ft. equivalent unit. This came out to approximately $68 million in additional costs on consumers in Hawaii.

At the last minute, the author of the bill, Senator Lowenthal shelved the bill. We were recently informed that the bill has been removed from the inactive list Because the bill has gone through the process with unanimous support, the bill will soon go for a full Assembly vote. If passed, the bill will be sent to the Governor, who has indicated that he intends to sign the bill into law.

The estimated $68 million, however, is in addition to other fees that have already been approved and will take effect beginning in October and onward. So, Hawaii could face over $100 million in additional fees to ship goods to and from our state.

Please see the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii website for more information.