The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 1

71 BOM FARRAH FAWCETT 'Charlie's Angels' star dies at 62 NATION, A5 DANCE Guide to season's festivities TGIF I Obamas add Isle flavor to White House picnic HAWAI'I 4- LU'AU IN D.C. A i FRIDAY i Honolulu Mver Kir JUNE 26, 2009 CALL 538-NEWS TO SUBSCRIBE HAWAITS COMPLETE SOURCE NEIGHBOR ISLANDS MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009 maw I. i tk.Jr iser HOME FINAL "K5mijg(off Bmjp rn'! rf 1 mmf HonoluluAdvertiser iyertiser Connect to your community online. On the site today: VIDEOS GIDGET AND GIRLY Suzanna Kuhle-mann talks about her new nostalgia swimwear line. SOFTBALL'S BEST Mililani High's Courtney Senas is Player of the Year.

PHOTOS SOUTH SWELL Catching air, getting barreled, sweet lefts and rights it's a surfer's paradise on the south shore. BLOG TEAM HAWAI'I REPORT Kapi'olani Community College's San Shoppell counts down the days to team's national cooking competition. Read her entries and cheer them on. POLL VISITORS STILL DOWN How long do you think it will be before the tourism slump ebbs? Go to the home page and vote. CONTACT US News tips 525-8090 Missing paper 538-6397 Advertising 525-7653 COPYRIGHT, 2009 0 "4090 0000 A GANNETT NEWSPAPER mm bid UNION CONTRACT Matson reports 'progress' in talks BY RICK DAYSOG Advertiser Staff Writer Matson and the unions representing ship captains and other crew members have agreed to continue contract talks today in San Francisco, averting for at least a day the threat of a shipping strike as contracts expired last night Matson's contracts with the International Organization of Masters, Mates Pilots, the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and the American Radio Association expired at 9 o'clock last night Hawai'i time.

But negotiations were extended into today after both sides made progress in negotiations, said Charles Khim, attorney for the unions. However, Khim said last night, the expiration of the contract means the unions can still go on strike at any time. Union members voted this week to authorize a strike, a move intended to give the workers leverage in their negotiations. Matson spokesman Jeff Hull confirmed last night SEE MATSON, A11 6.9 DROP IN MAY Tourism decline slows, just a bit BY ROBBIE DINGEMAN Advertiser Staff Writer About 6.9 percent fewer visitors came to the Islands in May and spent $133 million, or 15 percent, less than a year ago, but industry leaders were encouraged that the decline in tourism seems to be slowing. "(May) is the first month it's not down double digits," said Hawai'i hotel executive David Carey.

A recent marketing push to attract more West Coast visitors, a decline in fuel prices and hotel discounts have helped, said Carey, president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group. Before May and April, the state had 10 consecutive months of double-digit declines in visitor arrivals. But even though the numbers are improving, industry officials aren't ready to say the worst is over. "I feel less bad but I'm not optimistic," Carey said. "We're still holding on by our fingernails." For May, total arrivals by air and cruise ships decreased to 516,204.

For the first time since February 2008, arrivals from one ma- SEE VISITORS, A10 i i Alfc. i.r r' ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO Jan. 2, 1 997 Michael Jackson was warmly greeted at Honolulu International Airport when he arrived for his concert at Aloha Stadium in 1 997. The King of Pop died yesterday just as he was about to kick off 50 sold-out concerts in London next month. World saddened by death, but pause to celebrate iconic singer's influence BY HARRIET RYAN, CHRIS LEE AND SCOTT GOLD Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES Michael Jackson, a seminal figure in music, dance and culture whose ever-changing face graced the covers of albums that sold more than half a billion copies, died yesterday, shortly after going into cardiac arrest at his Holmby Hills chateau.

He was 50 years old. Jackson spent much of his life as among the world's most famous people, and to many, his death felt unthinkable and, oddly, inevitable. "I can't stop crying over the sad news," Madonna said in a statement "The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever." Said Dick Clark: "Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was the most outstand- SEE JACKSON, A3 jQ INSIDE 0H1 Jackson gather REBECCA BREYER The Honolulu Advertiser A candlelight memorial gathering for Michael Jackson was held at Magic Island last night. Among those who came were, from left, Kristen Santiago, 20, of Pearl City, Karen Kimokeo of Makakilo, and Dee Kelly, also of Makakilo. 'It was so sad, like a part of yourself is gone' trom la to Indiana A2 ONLINE See videos and more photos as fans mourn pop icon's death.

Show and Tell Hawai'i blogger Wayne Harada says Michael Jackson was a thriller to the very end. And in play.eat.repeat, blogger Kawehi Haug offers her thanks to Jackson for his music at H0N0LULUADVERTISER.COM "When I first heard about it, I was devastated," said Lori Matsuoka, 46, of Kapolei. "It was so sad, like a part of yourself is gone. I grew up listening to his music, so it was like my whole life flashed before me." Matsuoka's first memory of Jackson was of a Jackson 5 performance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1969. From that moment, Matsuoka said, Jackson's music seemed almost a soundtrack to her life, from listening to the Jackson 5 SEE HAWAI'I, A3 BY MICHAEL TSAI, DAVE DONDONEAU AND WAYNE HARADA Advertiser Staff Writers Hawaii residents joined millions of fans worldwide in mourning the sudden passing of Michael Jackson, the larger-than-life pop superstar whose tragic career arc saw him evolve from child prodigy to self-proclaimed King of Pop to eccentric recluse mired in controversy.

Jackson, 50, died of an apparent cardiac arrest yesterday in Los Angeles..