Celebrate The New Year!
Oahu's Big Bang
Oahu's New Year celebration was subdued compared to previous years due to a ban on most fireworks except firecrackers. Still, a great many illegal fireworks were seen (and heard) across the island. KHON-TV reported that the Honolulu Fire Department experienced the same number of fire dispatches despite the new law. See KHON-TV's Oahu Ban on Fireworks report.
Glimpses of New Year's 2012 ... | ...and New Year's 2011 |
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"2012 New Years Fireworks Show @ Waikiki, Hawaii #2 (top)," and 2012 New Years Fireworks Show @ Waikiki, Hawaii #4 (bottom), uploaded to YouTube by 69alicefreakon Jan. 1, 2012, captured some fireworks displays in Waikiki.
For a feel for past New Year Eves, play all the videos simultaneously.
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New Years Hawaii 2011, uploaded to YouTube by storyteller808 on Jan. 1, 2011 (top), "Snap, Crackle, Pop ..... Hawaii New Years 2011," uploaded to YouTube by waikikiwallmermaid on Jan 1, 2011, and "New Years in Kuliouou FINALE 2010-2011 cam#3," closeups in an East Oahu neighborhood, uploaded to YouTube by pyro96821.
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Wrapping Up 2011
High unemployment, homelessness, natural disasters, APEC, and the Governor's dispute with teachers were some of the news events in 2011. It wasn't all bad news. See KITV's 201 2011 Review of the year.
A Special New Year's Message to Our Readers
Aloha to our growing number of followers and supporters!
At this special time of year, the Waikiki News team sends our best wishes for a satisfying new year, with the hope that 2012 will take us a step further toward world peace, good health, and prosperity for all nations. We hope that we can all work together to resolve common problems—homelessness and hunger, disease, degradation of the environment, and other problems—and help each other to to live rich, fulfilling lives and to be the best that we can be.
Waikiki News started as a community paper in print to serve those who live, work, and play in Hawaii's most famous community. We later added an online version—this site—that eventually replaced the printed newspaper. Our followers have been growing as we reach the large number of people who may not reside here but who love Waikiki's beauty and our rich cultural traditions. Those traditions include our heritage from native Hawaiians whose accomplishments in music, dance, navigation, agriculture, science, and philosophy have only been recognized relatively recently. Our traditions include the diverse contributions of those who came later from every part of the world--the Pacific, Asia, North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and so on. The greatest tradition that evolved from our diverse ethnicities was tolerance for differences and appreciation for the uniqueness of every culture. That tradition is what we call "Aloha."
Waikiki News is about to embark on a new chapter of our history. In the near future, we will be adopting a new, contemporary format to incorporate wider coverage of news of interest to our immediate Waikiki community as well as to our worldwide followers whom we consider part of our greater 'ohana' (family). We plan to continue our mission to provide news for and about Waikiki and to promote appreciation for the traditions and people that make Waikiki and Hawaii unique.
We hope our readers and advertisers will support us.
With aloha for all,
Steve Lent
Publisher and Founder of Waikiki News
