Larry Ellison closes deal to buy Hawaii's Lanai

HONOLULU -- Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison has closed on his deal to buy most of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, the island's seller said Thursday.

Billionaire David Murdock's Castle & Cooke Inc. said the deal has been completed for about 88,000 acres on the island near Maui. The land makes up 98 percent of the island's 141 square miles.

"It is very gratifying to me personally to see Lanai now in the hands of Larry Ellison, a very committed individual who will bring his ideas and energy to sustain the beauty and heritage of Lanai," Murdock said in a statement. Murdock said his 28 years on the island have been "inspiring."

A sale price for the land was not disclosed and the firm declined to give details. The Maui News previously reported Castle & Cooke was asking for $500 million to $600 million for the rural island. The land includes two resorts, two golf courses, assorted commercial and residential buildings, and plenty of open space.

According to Maui County records, the 301 parcels have an assessed value of $325 million, including improvements. The total market value is likely much higher. The largest parcel, for example, comprising 86,000 acres, has a total assessed value of $13.6 million but a market value of $100.8 million.

The deal also includes control of the island's major economic driver, tourism, which sustains the vast majority of the roughly 3,200 residents who live there.

Ellison, whom Forbes ranks as the world's sixth-richest man with $36 billion as of March, has not spoken publicly about his plans for the island. Local lawmakers who have talked to the billionaire's representatives say he has indicated he plans no major disruptions and to keep resort and other employees in place. He did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment through Oracle, the Redwood City, Calif.-based software company.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Thursday that he thought Ellison would have the best interest of the people of Lanai in mind as he operates.

"Come on, this is Hawaii, let's show a little aloha," Abercrombie said. "Let's have an open heart and open mind."

The closing comes the same week state officials approved the transfer of three utilities on the island to Ellison. The state Public Utilities Commission then asked Castle & Cooke's lawyers for confirmation the deal went through.

Mike Fleetwood to open a new restaurant in Lahaina

September 29,2011

By SANDY COHEN , The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Long before the success of Fleetwood Mac, when band founder Mick Fleetwood was a kid in the U.K. learning how to play the drums, he dreamed of having his own restaurant. His parents entrusted the then 9-year-old with the stable of the old farmhouse they lived in, and young Fleetwood turned it into something of a children's speakeasy that he called Club Keller. Instead of booze, he poured Coca-Cola.

''I used to serve up Smith's crisps and fish and chips and stuff for other children to come round,'' the bearded rocker recalled during a recent interview, his eyes twinkling at the memory. ''I had my radiogram and my drums in there and it was my world.''

Now, five and a half decades later, Fleetwood is creating a new world for himself and his music: He's opening a restaurant on Maui in his adopted hometown of Lahaina.

Fleetwood's on Front Street is set to open early next year, and its namesake sees it as the next professional chapter in his life: A place where he can indulge his taste for fine food and drink (including his own Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar wines), perform with his friends and run the whole show. He plans to showcase local musicians and artists and invite the occasional famous rock star. The new establishment is essentially a large-scale, souped-up version of his old Club Keller.

''I've always wanted to do this,'' Fleetwood said on a visit to his manager's office in Beverly Hills. ''I'm like one of those weird Chinese creatures where you see something 30 years ahead. It's petrifying and exciting and fulfilling, because . . . if you keep focused, and it's a corny thing, but if you visualize and visualize and visualize, a lot of stuff really does come to you.''

Club Keller itself may actually be resurrected, said Fleetwood's business partner, Jonathan Todd. ''We have an option on a smaller place downstairs and, if we get it, I swear we're going to call it Club Keller,'' Todd said

Developing the restaurant is dominating Fleetwood's time. He helped choose the site (a historic building dating back to 1916 - the year his mother was born), select the decor and create the menu, but he insists ''it's not a shrine to Mick Fleetwood.''

''You'll know that it's my place but it will be very tastefully done,'' the 64-year-old said. ''It's not a museum for Mick Fleetwood. This is a real working restaurant.''

He says he'll draw on the ''heritage of Fleetwood Mac'' to inform its atmosphere.

''All of this is a responsibility to do it properly, and selfishly a responsibility to something that's very precious to me, which is everything I've done with Fleetwood Mac and my partners and the music,'' he said.

The restaurant has taken him away from music a bit, and he expects that to continue, but that's fine with him: ''Now I will have a place to play when I want to or need to.''

Besides Fleetwood Mac, the musician has two other bands, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band and Mick Fleetwood's Island Rumours Band. With or without his bandmates, Fleetwood plans to play at the restaurant often - and there's at least one more Fleetwood Mac tour planned.

''We're going out next year,'' he said. ''We're all creatures of habit and we love what we do. . . . Whatever has happened, we are together.

''The whole thing is powerful, and all of that is somehow resonating into what I'm doing with the restaurant, Fleetwood's,'' he continued. ''It can't help but have that filtering through it. It's my place.''

But as his beloved band slows down ("Within the next five to seven years, I sort of doubt that Fleetwood Mac is going to be horribly active''), Fleetwood said he's excited to devote himself to his new endeavor.

''It's a sense of plugging who I am and what I am into something,'' he said, ''and for me it's the perfect vehicle.''

Coffee bill in line to receive the ax

June 26,2012

By OSKAR GARCIA , The Associated Press

HONOLULU - Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Monday that he plans to veto a bill that would remove mandatory certification for Hawaii-grown coffee, a measure Kona coffee farmers said would be disastrous for the industry's integrity and reputation.

Abercrombie listed the bill as one of 19 he is considering vetoing from the 2012 legislative session. Some of the bills are still under consideration, he said.

Kona coffee farmers who were against the certification repeal from the start welcomed the veto. The certification helps them fight against lesser-quality products, they said.

"The implications of this measure are problematic," Abercrombie said. "Further discussion is needed to ensure that the Hawaii brand will not be undermined."

Lawmakers passed the law as a measure to help a staffing shortage at the state Department of Agriculture, an agency that's eliminated all but one inspector on the west side of the Big Island.

Right now, Kona-grown coffee has to be inspected and certified by the state. Inspectors make sure Kona-labeled blends actually contain at least 10 percent Kona-grown coffee.

The bill would have made inspections voluntary and allowed companies to give their own documentation of origin.

Lawmakers who supported the bill said inspections delayed farmers from getting their coffee to market.

The Democratic governor said he also is considering vetoing is a bill to allow agricultural landowners to rent rooms for 21 days or less for agricultural tourism. He said the bill doesn't have a good enough definition of what constitutes agricultural tourism.

Abercrombie has until July 10 to formally veto the bills. As of Monday, Abercrombie had signed more than 150 bills into law from the 2012 session. The Legislature passed more than 340 measures.

Safeway subsidiary buys Lahaina Cannery Mall on Maui

June 14, 2012

Lahaina News

LAHAINA - Property Development Centers (PDC), a wholly owned real estate subsidiary of Safeway Inc., acquired Lahaina Cannery Mall on June 8.

The 15-acre, 130,599-square-foot shopping center consists of a Safeway grocery store, Long's Drugs and various other shops and restaurants.

The center is located at the intersection of Honoapiilani Highway and Kapunakea Street.

"Safeway has served the Lahaina community from this location since 1987, and we are very excited about the opportunity to deepen our roots through the acquisition of Lahaina Cannery Mall," said Dave Zylstra, chief operating officer of PDC.

"We look forward to enhancing the mall's role as a major shopping destination and gathering place for the residents and visitors of West Maui."

PDC has 33 projects nationwide consisting of 3.5 million square feet, including six current projects in Hawaii of 850,000 square feet.

"We are delighted to add this signature property to our portfolio and want to make it a special place for the local community," said Zylstra.

Safeway has 19 stores in Hawaii, including three on Maui. A fourth in the Wailuku Maui Lani Shopping Center is under construction and will open in spring of 2013.

Wendell Brooks of CBRE represented the buyer, Property Development Centers, and will be the exclusive leasing agent for Lahaina Cannery Mall shopping center.

Jon Gianulias of CORE Commercial represented the seller, Lahaina Cannery Mall LLC.

Deer Run, a 300-acre Estate in Redding, Connecticut, is Offered for Sale

The magnificent country manor is offered by Christie’s International Real Estate exclusive Affiliate Neumann Real Estate

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Redding, Connecticut—A rare opportunity to own 300 acres of unspoiled beauty within commuter distance to New York City, Deer Run is a tranquil natural habitat embodying countryside living at its finest. This magnificent, one-of-a-kind property has been listed by Neumann Real Estate, an exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.

Arriving at Deer Run’s main gate, one instantly recognizes the rare opportunity to appreciate 300 contiguous, and privately owned unspoiled acres. A long private driveway, flanked by open fields surrounded by fieldstone walls, reveals a majestic pastoral scene imbued with streams and lakes, mature trees, flowering fields, and bountiful wildlife.

Gracing the property is a beautiful stone-and-shingle manor house influenced by the grand summer homes of Newport, Rhode Island. Portraying the quintessential Shingle-style characteristics are high gables, tall brick chimneys, towers, projecting bays, and covered porches crowned with a cedar-shingle roof. Designed by California Architectural Group Peter De Bretterville and Stephen Polyzoides, the spectacular 16,000-square-foot, three-level residence was built to incorporate the many interests of the owners. The design is deliberately relaxed, suggesting an informal style of living with a remarkable use of volume and space. Found throughout the six-bedroom home are striking interiors adorned with soaring wood ceilings, seven log fireplaces, natural finishes, and abundant windows—infusing each room with sunlight and the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

Introducing the home’s main level is a dramatic entrance hall replete with rich wood moldings, a slate fireplace, and a monumental curved staircase. The formal living room is an entertainer’s paradise, with a soaring beamed wood ceiling, maple and walnut wainscoting, and floor-to-ceiling Connecticut Fieldstone Fireplace, and three sets of French Doors opening to a patio. Further along is a library, also with a fireplace, walls of built-in bookcases, and a coffered ceiling featuring a bowed tower wall with floor-to-ceiling windows. The innumerable appointments continue with a formal dining room with French doors that open onto a columned porch, a sunroom, family room, butler’s pantry, and a wonderful kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and a breakfast area. Throughout the main level are light-filled hallways that are perfect for gallery space, while an expansive covered porch extends across the back of the house.

On the second floor, five bedrooms and three baths open onto a long hall lined with built-in cabinets and windows that showcase commanding views of the grounds. The immense master suite is a haven of tranquility comprising four carefully crafted rooms. Among the delights, are a study with a fireplace; an enclosed summer porch; a dressing room and walk in closet; and an impressive bath with Jacuzzi tub, steam shower, and 180-degree wraparound windows. A one-bedroom guest apartment, sited above an oversized four-car garage, serves additional accommodations and is ideal as a caretaker’s wing or a studio.

Deer Run is a sportsman’s paradise affording a wealth of recreational pursuits both inside the home and throughout the estate’s tremendous acreage. The indoor amenities include a gymnasium with a half basketball court, exercise area with a ballet bar and mirrored wall, and a sauna. A sensational heated indoor pool is adorned with vaulted ceiling, walls of windows, and is served by changing rooms, a full bath, and kitchen; while the lower level features a billiards room and playroom, and is large enough to house a wine cellar.

The bucolic grounds host a stunning array of recreational options including a heated outdoor pool, tennis court, an enormous lake with a boathouse and dock, a pond, and an apple orchard. The property imparts boundless opportunities for hunting, fishing, and bird watching; while miles of riding trails, beginning at the lovely barn, are equally suitable for hiking and winter sports, such as cross-country skiing. Deer Run enjoys a convenient location in the charming small town of Redding, which is within easy commuting distance to New York City.

For more information on this property, visit Deer Run at www.christiesrealestate.com.

Noni Biotech International hosts a visit from Maui County officials

Lahaina News

HAIKU, MAUI - Maui Mayor Alan M. Arakawa took an Upcountry trip to visit Noni Biotech International LLC headquarters and R&D laboratory on Friday, May 4.

The mayor was joined by Maui County Office of Economic Development Coordinator Teena Rasmussen, Maui County Environmental Coordinator Robert Parsons, Maui Economic Development Board Program Director Tom Liu, and Mimi Hu, CPA, principal partner of Levin & Hu LLP.

The visit began with a tour of the company research lab led by Noni Biotech's Director of Research Paul Nordone.

Nordone gave Arakawa and other visitors a glance at some of Noni Biotech's research strategies, as well as a sampling of some of the company's new products in development.

Noni Biotech International currently exports 100 percent pure Hawaiian noni products and ingredients to over 50 countries under the brand names Noni Maui and Maui Noni.

Their achievements have not gone without exceptional recognition.

In 2011, the company received the prestigious Presidential "E" Export Award for excellence in exporting, in addition to being selected as finalists in the APEC Statewide Business Innovation Showcase in September 2011. Mayor Arakawa presented the award during the ceremony hosted at the Sister Cities Summit in Waikiki.

"We feel very honored that Mayor Arakawa took the time to come and visit us. It shows how much he is paying attention to the growth of small businesses in his county," said Marie Laure Ankaoua.