HONOLULU -- On the first night of new regulations designed to beat back a pandemic surge, establishments throughout Waikiki looked more like exclusive nightclubs in South Beach or Las Vegas than resort-area restaurants.

But to get past the velvet ropes, bouncers were looking for vaccination cards or recent negative Covid-19 tests, not the best-dressed or those most likely to shell out for table service.

Under the Safe Access Oahu rules effective Sept. 13, all guests and employees at restaurants, bars, gyms, museums and other businesses and attractions across the island must show either proof of vaccination or a negative result on a Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours.

Unvaccinated employees must be tested once a week.

Bars and restaurants deployed barriers, tables and additional staff to their entrances to handle document checks. At Deck, inside the Queen Kapiolani Hotel, after vaccine or test records were verified, diners signed a ledger and provided an address for contact tracing, and they could stay for only 90 minutes. 

On Waikiki's Kalakaua Avenue, dotted with luxury shops and hotels, a restaurant sign trumpeted a surf-and-turf special and, in bold letters, "All Employees Vaccinated." At a sushi spot next door, a line formed to sit at one of its Plexiglas-enclosed tables.

Restaurants reported depressed sales in recent weeks, but the new regulations, coupled with capacity restrictions, created the effect that half-full Waikiki was as busy as ever. 

Michael Miller, director of operations at Tiki's Grill and Bar on the Waikiki beachfront said he is hiring two staff members to beef up presence at the door.

"You've got to have the right person up front," he said. "People are already stressed. They are jet-lagged and hangry on top of that. So you need to hire someone for the door who is an ambassador of aloha, someone who has the training and can start the customer experience off right."

A sign board outside Kelley O'Neil's, a pub on Lewers Street in Waikiki, alerts patrons to new rules on Oahu. Photo Credit: TW photo by Tovin Lapan

Ryan Tanaka, co-owner of Waikiki sports bar Giovanni Pastrami, said a few customers had to be turned away on the first day for not having the necessary documents.

"The majority of our clientele are tourists, and a lot don't realize this is going on," he said. "They're not tracking rules county by county, and this is just Oahu. So they book a ticket to come to Hawaii, and they show up at a restaurant and we say, 'Sorry, can you show us your vaccination card?' There's a little bit of a surprise factor."

In general, restaurant owners said the first day went relatively smoothly, but Tanaka, who is also vice chairman of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, said members across the island were reporting a steep decline in foot traffic.

Vaccination rates rising among restaurant employees

Oahu's new policy does seem to be spurring vaccinations among employees at the impacted businesses.

At Giovanni Pastrami, they expect to go from 83% of staff vaccinated to 95% in the next few weeks, but Tanaka added the new rules could exacerbate an ongoing labor shortage. 

"Not all employees are responding well to the policy," he said. "What it's doing is adding stress to an already stressed situation." 

Miller said an additional 20 of his 110 staff members were motivated to get vaccinated recently, and he thought the new rules could boost hiring.

"In one way, it makes some of the staff feel a bit better about serving visitors," he said.

In addition to labor woes, supply chain bottlenecks and the new vaccine mandate, Oahu restaurants were also hit with capacity reductions and a ban on large events in the past month. Also, in August, Gov. David Ige discouraged visitation to the Islands through the end of October.

"It's definitely a frustrating time to be in the restaurant business," said Tom Jones, co-owner of Gyotaku Japanese Restaurants. "For some restaurants, maybe they've been able to survive until now, but this next down period could be the straw that breaks the camel's back."

QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0851 KH6ML 59 61 OZ1HQ 59 ERD

START-OF-LOG: 3.0
CONTEST: IARU-HF
LOCATION: DX
CALLSIGN: KH6ML
CATEGORY-OPERATOR: SINGLE-OP
CATEGORY-ASSISTED: ASSISTED
CATEGORY-POWER: LOW
EMAIL: KH6ML808@GMAIL.COM
CATEGORY-MODE: SSB
CREATED-BY: CONTEST LOGCHECKER V4.9 [WWW.CONTESTLOGCHECKER.COM]
HQ-SubQuestions: Pwr=LOW Ops=1 Assist=Y
HQ-CATEGORY: Single Operator Unlimited, Phone Only, Low Power
HQ-CAT: SOU-PH-LP
HQ-OPERATORS: KH6ML
HQ-HOST-CALLSIGN: KH6ML
HQ-DATE-RECEIVED: 2021-07-11 09:23:42 UTC
HQ-LOG-DEADLINE: 2021-07-18 11:59:59 UTC
HQ-ASSISTANCE-QUESTION: Y
HQ-GRID-LOCATOR: BL11cj
HQ-TRACKING: 22p3khs9.iaru-hf
HQ-RAW-SCORE: 576
QSO: 14329 PH 2021-07-11 0730 KH6ML 59 61 CR6K 59 37
QSO: 14323 PH 2021-07-11 0734 KH6ML 59 61 OL1HQ 59 CRC
QSO: 14285 PH 2021-07-11 0740 KH6ML 59 61 DA0HQ 59 DARC
QSO: 14262 PH 2021-07-11 0742 KH6ML 59 61 TM0HQ 59 REF
QSO: 14262 PH 2021-07-11 0744 KH6ML 59 61 IO6HQ 59 ARI
QSO: 14299 PH 2021-07-11 0751 KH6ML 59 61 GR2HQ 59 RSGB
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0807 KH6ML 59 61 JA7ZFN 59 45
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0810 KH6ML 59 61 DK8MZ 59 28
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0814 KH6ML 59 61 MW0RLJ 59 27
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0820 KH6ML 59 61 YL4HQ 59 LRAL
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0821 KH6ML 59 61 IK0PHY 59 28
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0822 KH6ML 59 61 SN0HQ 59 PZK
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0823 KH6ML 59 61 G7BXU 59 27
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0825 KH6ML 59 61 SN5V 59 28
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0826 KH6ML 59 61 ES6RW 59 29
QSO: 14280 PH 2021-07-11 0851 KH6ML 59 61 OZ1HQ 59 ERD

https://www.khon2.com/wake-up-2day/wakeup2dayrestaurant-workers-respond-to-the-75-capacity-limit-adjustment-and-say-it-does-not-help/

Interview with TV Report Dallis Ontiveros from KHON2

More COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and are now in effect.

Mainland travelers with proof of vaccination can now skip the mandatory quarantine and pre-test.

And more people are allowed to gather, 25 people indoors and 75 people outdoors. Dallis Ontiveros went live around town during WakeUp2Day to hear what residents think.

Copyright 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

K6K: King Kamehameha Celebration

Special Event Station
HAWAII TIME: Friday, June 11, 2021, 06:00 am HST - 10:00 pm HST ( May run till midnight)
UTC TIME:    Friday, June 11, 2021, 16:00 UTC - Sat, Jun 12, 2021, 10:00 UTC

Amateur Radio Operators will activate special-event station K6K to celebrate King Kamehameha the Great and Hawai’i’s rich history.  K6K special event station will give HAMS a chance to add Hawaii to their logs to earn WAS or DXCC awards.

After hearing about the cancellation of all King Kamehameha Celebration parade events statewide, Michael Miller - KH6ML, a community emergency coordinator, spoke with amateur radio operators and a few people with the Commission to see if there was a level of interest to make the event happen. 

This station is authorized by the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission as an official event.

This event will give volunteer Hawaii Operators the chance to test their communications equipment and skills and be ready to assist when the cell phone and the internet fail.  

Successful radio contacts are eligible to receive a special and inscribed certificate bearing the full-color rendition of K6K: King Kamehameha Celebration.

The Kamehameha Day Holiday was proclaimed by King Kamehameha I’s grandson, Lot Kapuāiwa - King Kamehameha V, in 1871, followed by an inaugural celebration of events on June 11, 1872. Years later, in 1939, the Commission was formed under the Hawai‘i Territorial Legislature. 

The FCC allows special-event stations to recognize and promote activities, services, or events of a historical or uniquely appealing nature. A special call sign is issued for a limited duration to identify the station. K6K was requested and granted. During this time, stations from around the islands and the world will try and make contact. 

TO VIEW A SHORT CLIP OF 2020 lei draping and short history  https://fb.watch/4rB_6oMA7H/

Operating Rules:

• This is not a contest. The idea is to allow as many operators as possible to reach the contact station operators and learn about King Kamehameha the Great and why he is celebrated in Hawai’i. 

• All radio operators must operate their stations strictly in accordance with their countries’ or FCC regulations. Any authorized amateur radio frequency may be used.

• Stations should listen for K6K calling “CQ K6K”

• The main modes will be SSB, FM, FT-8, and Winlink. Other Modes maybe be added.

• QSLS: eQSLs are available via LOTW. NO Paper QSLs.

• CERTIFICATES: Are self-printed (by you) for contacts with our Special Event Station. If you contact our Special Event Station, look up your call sign on the following link and print your own certificate: Link to follow. Please allow 30 days for all logs to be processed.

For more than 100 years, Amateur Radio — also called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster or emergency, all without needing a cell phone or the Internet. 750,000 amateur radio licensees in the US, and an estimated 3 million worldwide. Throughout COVID-19, HAMS around the world have continued to be on the air practicing their skills, in part as a way to help stay connected. 

For more info:https://sites.google.com/view/k6khawaii  Or email  k6khawaii@gmail.com 

Operators that are lending their kokua to make this happen are:

K6K: King Kamehameha Celebration

Hawaii DX

Special Event Amateur Radio Station

Friday, June 11, 2021 (16:00 UTC)

For more info:https://sites.google.com/view/k6khawaii  Or email  k6khawaii@gmail.com

Kids Cooking Local At Home: Local Chefs Teach Families How To Cook

Learn how to cook with local ingredients and pantry staples

Rainbow Waldorf Salad "To Go".

Honolulu, HI ­– The Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation (HAF) announces the release of its Kids CookingLocal At Home (KCL At Home) video series – virtual cooking lessons featuring local chefs cooking up healthy recipes with local ingredients while making the most of affordable staple items and Hawai‘i’s favorite canned goods. Local chefs featuring chef Ronnie Nasuti of Tiki’s Grill & Bar. Learn how to make easy-to-follow recipes such as 13 videos are now available online at HawaiiAgFoundation.org.

KCL At Home was initially created to move HAF’s Kids Cooking Local (KCL) program to a virtual setting due to COVID-19 restrictions. KCL addresses the need to provide vulnerable communities and families who may be experiencing food insecurity with access to healthy food and to teach healthy eating. In partnership with After-School All-Stars (ASAS) and Boys and Girls Club Hawai‘i (BGCH), KCL serves students from six Title I schools on O‘ahu – ‘Ilima Intermediate School, William P. Jarrett Middle School, King David Kalākaua Middle School, Nānākuli High & Intermediate School, Waiʻanae Intermediate School, and Washington Middle School. Each week, KCL students bring home a bag of ingredients to follow the virtual cooking at home and create the meal with their families. By providing a bag of ingredients and local produce to the students, families gain accessibility to fresh, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables that might normally be cost-prohibitive.

“We’re excited to share Kids Cooking Local At Home with our community,” says Denise Yamaguchi, HAF Executive Director. “We know that many families have been struggling as we try to navigate our way out of the pandemic, and we hope that these videos can help families spend more quality time together, cooking at home and learning about our local agriculture, and how to cook with the local produce that’s readily available in our communities.

To watch and cook along with Kids Cooking Local At Home, go to https://www.hawaiiagfoundation.org/kids-cooking-local/ and register for a free account.

About Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation
The Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization created to promote agriculture and farming. Established in 2007, HAF’s mission is to support and sustain Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry by addressing critical needs and services of farmers and the agricultural industry in Hawai‘i, and by better connecting the farmers with the community and vice-versa. For more information, visit HawaiiAgFoundation.org.

ARRL DXCC LIST CURRENT ENTITIES as February 2020 is 340. 

Godzilla vs. Kong