By local and wire sources
Dentist opens private practice in Kailua-Kona
Dr. Melissa Nitta celebrated the opening of her new private practice, Tropical Smiles Dental, at the Pottery Terrace business center on March 31. Officiating the ceremony was the Rev. Dr. Henry Boshard.
“Practicing in Kona for the years I have lived here has been incredibly satisfying for me. I have always dreamed of opening a private practice and finally that dream has become a reality,” said Nitta.
Nitta graduated with honors from the University of the Pacific at San Francisco in 1998 and has practiced locally for a number of years. Her office is at 75-5995 Kuakini Hwy., No. 121.
Contact Nitta at 329-1715.
Potter promoted to sales manager
Yuki Potter has been promoted to sales manager for Atlantis Adventures’ Kona-based tour operations.
Potter is responsible for selling Atlantis’ Big Island tours and packages to both westbound and eastbound markets. She reports to General Manager Mike Stanton.
Potter has previously served as senior guest service agent and eastbound sales manager for Atlantis-Kona since July 2005. Her service with the company’s Big Island tour operations dates back to 1990 and incorporates a variety of duties involving ticketing, customer relations and sales.
Property managers group meets April 19
The Big Island Chapter of the National Association of Residential Property Managers’ membership/luncheon meeting is April 19 at Quinn’s Almost by the Sea from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The meeting is open to chapter members, affiliates and their guests. The guest speaker will be Dennis Krueger of Jewell & Krueger Law Firm.
Cost is $18.50 per person and includes lunch. Call Linda Sasaki at 329-8097 for more information or to make a reservation.
WASHINGTON
IMF: Global economy will be energetic
The global economy should turn in an energetic performance this year, even though its biggest player, the United States, is expected to experience its weakest growth in five years, according to a new International Monetary Fund forecast.
In its latest World Economic Outlook released Wednesday, the IMF is projecting the world economy to grow by 4.9 percent this year and next. While that would be a moderation from last year’s 5.4 percent advance, it would still represent a remarkably healthy showing, analysts say.
The U.S. economy is expected to grow by 2.2 percent this year, which would be the slowest since 2002, when it was recovering from a recession. Last year, the U.S. economy managed to expand by 3.3 percent, a two-year high even as it coped with a painful housing slump.
In its fresh forecast, the IMF downgraded its projection for U.S. growth this year to the current 2.2 percent gain, from a 2.9 percent increase that had been forecast in September.
By local and wire sources