BUSINESS BRIEFS
Barnes & Noble at Ala Moana
Advertiser Staff
Barnes & Noble will open its new store at Ala Moana Center on Oct. 19, the company said yesterday.
The store will stock about 200,000 book, music, DVD and magazine titles and include a cafe serving Starbucks coffee.
The public is invited to a Preview Night Party at the store from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18. A portion of the Preview Night sales will benefit Read To Me International.
Singer Natalie Ai Kamauu will provide Hawaiian-style music. A story time for children will be held at 7:30 p.m. by local members of Read To Me International. Costumed character Clifford the Big Red Dog also will be there.
At 8 a.m. on opening day, a Hawaiian blessing ceremony will be performed by Kahu Auli'i Mitchell. The store will employ about 100 workers.
BANKERS WARN OF PHONE SCAM
The Hawaii Bankers Association yesterday warned the public about a telephone scam involving potential identity theft.
Callers purporting to be a member of a bank "Privacy Act Committee" are phoning people at random and asking for confidential information they say is needed to process a credit or refund, the HBA said.
"The public should be reminded that banks ... do not operate this way," said HBA Executive Director Rodney Shinkawa. "Banks do not call or e-mail customers requesting confidential information over the phone or through the Internet, period. People receiving such phone calls or e-mails should contact their financial institution immediately and report the incident."
ECONOMIC PANEL MEETS TOMORROW
The Economic Momentum Commission, a panel of 30 private and public sector leaders formed to generate ideas to sustain Hawai'i's economy, will hold a meeting tomorrow.
The public is invited to attend the meeting, scheduled for 8:15 a.m. in the board room on the 30th floor of First Hawaiian Center on Bishop Street. EMC members will discuss ideas and solutions proposed by commission committees in 15 areas, including housing, social services, environment, education, tourism and economic development.
