So it came as somewhat of a surprise when he learned that bar owners here can face steep fines if their patrons are caught grooving to the music off of an approved dance floor.

State lawmakers have tried for years to force county liquor commissions to define “dancing” if they are going to continue regulating it. But so far they have failed to get a bill through the Legislature.

Civil Beat talked to Pitchford about this issue and others related to dancing. He may live in California now, but he still has some sweet hula moves and a flawless pronunciation of Hawaii’s state fish.

Check out the interview here:

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Bar owners in Hawaii face heavy fines if they let their patrons bob their heads to the music or swing their hips to a song off an approved dance floor.

The county liquor commissions have chosen to regulate dancing for years, requiring special permits and additional fees. The problem is, they won’t define what constitutes “dancing.”

Civil Beat decided to ask Dean Pitchford, who knows a thing or two about dancing, what he thought about the issue. Pitchford, who grew up in Hawaii and went on to make a little movie called “Footloose,” says dancing should be defined as broadly as possible.

State lawmakers tried again this past legislative session to force the liquor commissions to either quit enforcing the dancing rules or define the term, but the bill stalled in the House after the counties complained.

Picture a speed limit sign with no numbers. How do you know how fast you can go before you get a ticket?

The county liquor commissions seem to view dancing like porn; you know it when you see it. That鈥檚 not good enough for small business owners who don’t want to lose their licenses to serve booze and earn a living.

Sens. Kalani English and Gil Keith-Agaran led the charge for change this past legislative session. Both represent Maui, where they routinely hear concerns from their constituents about the county鈥檚 infamous .

The rule 鈥� which is similar to those for Honolulu, Kauai and Big Island 鈥� bans 鈥渄ancing鈥� in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, except on a designated dance floor where no consumption is allowed.

鈥淭he rule fails to define dancing and, as such, leaves small business owners and patrons without any notice as to what movements would be considered 鈥榙ancing,鈥欌�� ACLU attorney Laurie Temple said in her testimony.

She said the has received a number of complaints about 鈥渙verzealous鈥� liquor commissioners who can be 鈥渦nresponsive鈥� and 鈥渙utright hostile.鈥�

The Maui Liquor Commission testified against the bill, saying 鈥渄ancing regulations are unnecessary because we have not cited any liquor licensees for any dancing-related violations.鈥�

The Honolulu Liquor Commission also opposed the bill, calling the proposed amendments 鈥渧ague鈥� and 鈥渁mbiguous.鈥�

would have simply required any county liquor commission that chooses to regulate dancing to include a definition of the term 鈥渄ancing鈥� in its rules.

The Senate unanimously passed the bill in March, but it died in the House without a hearing. Lawmakers said they expect it to resurface next year.

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鈥淎s Kakaako changes, we don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen, but right now all we want to do is cover that whole neighborhood with art and make it more colorful,鈥� he told Civil Beat in a recent interview.

The 30-year-old artist created , an organization of contemporary artists who have been painting murals on the walls in the Kakaako neighborhood with permission from Kamehameha Schools and the owners of the properties.

The endeavor hasn’t been without controversy though.

鈥淭here are a lot of people within the neighborhood that think we are destroying it through art but at the end of the day, all we are really doing is putting paint on walls,鈥� Wong said. 鈥淏efore, Kakaako was a place where you would go to just go to Fisher鈥檚 or Comp USA and if you got lost in there you were like 鈥楬oly hell, how do I get out of this hell hole?鈥� Nowadays, we see kids walking around, taking pictures, trying to find art.鈥�

The Pow Wow idea came to Wong when he ran a gallery in Hong Kong, but had trouble bringing people through the doors.

鈥淎 lot of galleries or museums, they鈥檙e not as approachable,” he said. “There was some sort of barrier and by putting it out on public walls there was no way to avoid it. … So that鈥檚 what Pow Wow started, just trying to bring art to the people.”

Listen to Jasper鈥檚 story here:

Got the perfect person for FOCUS? Email Nathan Eagle at neagle@civilbeat.com.

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Civil Beat political junkies Chad Blair and Kery Murakami 鈥� the latter ensconced in a Senate Press Gallery phone booth 鈥� talk about the talk of D.C.

Especially important to Hawaii: The possibility of millions of federal dollars to help the state help Micronesians, thanks to the efforts of Sen. Mazie Hirono.

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The venerable will be forced to close its doors if its owners do not find an affordable shop to house mounds of collectibles and cultural artifacts.

After 25 years in the same location on Kapiolani Boulevard near Piikoi Street, Pake Zane and Julie Lauster recently received an eviction notice in the mail to evacuate the space in 30 days.

鈥淚 pleaded to get 90 days, but in the best of worlds I would like six months,鈥� said Zane, adding that his 鈥渉ead is spinning.鈥�

The property owner is raising rent from around $3,000 a month to close to $8,000 a month with a vendor willing and ready to move in. Property manager Linda Black declined to comment.

鈥淲hat a disaster,” said Ian Lind, a long time customer and friend of Zane and Lauster. “This is a center of cultural preservation of modern culture and the stuff people grew up with. Pake and Julie have both been exemplary translators of that.”

Anyone who has visited the shop has witnessed the volumes of vintage Hawaiiana items that has been packed in there, layer after layer, from the ground to the ceiling, leaving only a tiny path way to walk on.

Zane, who Civil Beat recently profiled in our FOCUS series, says he has created the ultimate 鈥渃ultural recycling project鈥� 鈥� taking unused items and turning them into money. It’s a literal example that one man鈥檚 trash is another man鈥檚 treasure.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a true expert and a true amateur. The traditional word of being amateur comes from the word love and he loves the stuff that he sells,鈥� said David Ginsburg, a collector, film producer and Law school professor. 鈥淚f that store closes it will be closing part of an era of the history of Hawaii.鈥�

Zane has unsuccessfully looked at a couple new spots for their shop, including a dog grooming shop they would share the space with.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine sharing a space with dogs and cats, all that barking and meowing,鈥� Zane said with a chuckle.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not like gathering up 40 pairs of shoes, each thing is different and I have to store it or protect it,鈥� Zane said.

After a week of begging, Zane and Lauster received 30 additional days to move out. They plan to use the extra month to pack up and put what is left in storage.

The shop will be having a sale until they close their doors on the last day of May.

After that, Zane and Lauster plan to use the store鈥檚 closing as an opportunity to take a three-month break.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had more than a week break since 2008,鈥� said Zane, a seasoned world traveller.

But he said the long-term goal remains to reopen their 鈥渕useum,鈥� where everything is for sale.

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Now, the 32-year-old Iranian citizen calls Honolulu home and is probably not going to move back anytime soon.

He and his wife, Maryam 鈥淪aloome鈥� Asghari, said they are grateful their first move from their home country was to Hawaii.

鈥淧eople were under much more economic pressure,鈥� Nasseri said, recalling their first visit back to Iran last year. 鈥淎nd in terms of social, we could feel that pressure on everyone in the streets, on our family and our friends.鈥�

Nasseri is earning his doctorate in energy economic research at the University of Hawaii.

Listen to his story:

Got the perfect person for FOCUS? Email Nathan Eagle at neagle@civilbeat.com.

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Pake Zane was born on Maui in October 1941, but he doesn’t keep track of how many years it’s been since then.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe one should really be concerned with age,鈥� he said. “The more you鈥檙e concerned with it, the more you worry about it.”

As a 5-year-old, Zane tried to calculate how long it would take for him to travel around the entire world.

鈥淚 never did figure it out, but it took me 10 years,鈥� he said.

In that decade Zane traveled the Nile with Neil Abercrombie. He visited Barack Obama Sr., the president鈥檚 father, in West Africa. He lived on a houseboat in Amsterdam, selling dope for the government. He rebuilt 13th century homes in England, excavated Bronze in Thailand, was beaten in the streets of France and attended the coronation of a king in Nepal.

Zane moved back to Hawaii in 1973 with Julie, his travel partner and wife. Together they recycle cultural artifacts in their Honolulu store, Antique Alley.

鈥淢ost objects stimulate some kind of memory,” he said. “Whatever is made by man, I am willing to recycle it before it goes to the landfill.鈥�

Zane has many memories to share. Listen to a few in his story:

Got the perfect person for FOCUS? Email Nathan Eagle at neagle@civilbeat.com.

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鈥淏lindness is not a barrier to success,鈥� says Kyle Laconsay.

The Kaneohe resident has gradually been losing her vision since her late 20s, but hasn鈥檛 let it stop her from seeing the world with an optimistic view.

Laconsay has an eye disease called keratoconus that changes the shape of the cornea. She has had multiple unsuccessful cornea surgeries and now has complete blindness in her right eye and little vision in her left eye.

The definition of being 鈥渓egally blind鈥� is being unable to see greater than 20/200. But Laconsay says, 鈥渨hether you can only see a little bit or you can鈥檛 see at all, it鈥檚 all the same.鈥�

Laconsay is a trainer for the Business Enterprise Program at Hoopono Center for the Blind, helping blind people fulfill their dreams of owning or managing their own business.

鈥淭heir mission at Hoopono is to create a support system to help the blind become economically and socially independent by teaching them how to cook, read braille, learn technology and learn how to use a cane for mobility,鈥� Laconsay says.

Laconsay has been healthy all her life but two years ago her immune system attacked her liver, requiring a liver transplant within two months of her diagnosis. She proudly wears a green ribbon to show her support and gratitude for organ donation because without the transplant she doesn鈥檛 know if she would still be here today.

This unexpected surprise gave Laconsay a new outlook on life. She lives each day as if it were her last.

鈥淚f the sun is shining or it鈥檚 raining, you鈥檙e still here and you鈥檙e still living it,” she says. “It鈥檚 best to live life to its fullest.鈥�

Laconsay cherishes each day she gets to spend with her two children, husband and parents as well as her friends she has met through the blind community.

So the next time you have a first world problem, remember Laconsay鈥檚 story about how she trips in potholes, gets back up and keeps on walking.

Listen to her story:

Got the perfect person for FOCUS? Email Nathan Eagle at neagle@civilbeat.com.

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