West Oahu Neighborhood News

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Ross Dress for Less has been announced as the newest addition to the lineup of stores slated to open at Kapolei Commons. The 30,078-square-foot Ross will open in the fall of this year, joining retailers Target, Sports Authority, PETCO, OfficeMax, Salon Bobbi and Guy, Aloha Salads and Pacific Home.

Other retailers anticipated to open in Kapolei Commons later this year are Let’s Party, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Subway; a Regal Cinemas 15-screen multiplex theater, Kua’Aina Sandwich, a Bank of Hawaii branch, as well as other entertainment and restaurant venues in fall 2010; and coming in 2011 are a national, regional and local retailers, such as Pacific Sunwear, Vitamin Shoppe, Verizon Wireless and L’mour Nails.

Kapolei Commons is owned by MK Kapolei LLC, a partnership of The MacNaughton Group and the Kobayashi Group. The 610,000-square-foot outdoor center is located at the intersection of Farrington Highway and Kalaeloa Boulevard. For more information, visit www.thekapoleicommons.com.

* West Oahu now has more bars - service bars, that is. Verizon Wireless recently launched a new cell site in the West Makaha area to expand its 3G wireless coverage, bringing more calls, e-mails and text/picture messages to both locals and tourists visiting the six-mile stretch of Farrington Highway.

The network enhancement is part of the company’s continuous effort to stay ahead of the curve. Last year, Verizon Wireless spend $29 million to enhance its services and coverage in Hawaii; nationally, the company invested $6.5 billion in enhancements.

* Haseko Hawaii has contributed its final $100,000 to the Haseko Training Fund, which provides grants for job-training programs as well as vocational education scholarships for Ewa Beach residents. This final donation marks a total of $500,000 that the Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei developer has contributed over a five-year period.

“We endowed the Haseko Training Fund so it could continue to benefit the community for many years to come,” said Sharene Saito Tam, Haseko assistant vice president. Local beneficiaries include Campbell High School, which gained equipment for its Agriculture Learning Center from a recent grant, and the Hawaii Building Industry Foundation, which was able place Ewa residents in the Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training Program ComPACT: “Building Skills to Build Lives.”

For more information on the Haseko Training Fund or to apply for grants, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org or call 566-5550.

* After launching its Hawaii branch in Waipahu last October, Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop portable birthday parties makes it way to Pearl City, with the help of independent crewmember Shenile Galzote.

Designed to “bring it to you,” Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop sets up activities such as the Stuff-N-Fluff or Bella Be Glamour Girls workshops at the location of the customer’s choosing (homes, childcare centers, scouting/summer camps, children’s hospitals, and boys and girls clubs).

Galzote, a local party planner, said she is excited to bring Noah’s Ark to Pearl City because of the whimsy and fun it provides for the kids, and the peace-of-mind it gives to adults. For more information, call Galzote at 450-0557.