Heiau in Hawaii Kai

Pahua heiau, at the end of Makahuena Place, offers some evidence that this area may once have been a center of fishing and agriculture in what is now Hawaii Kai. The structure, estimated to be about 600 years old, is thought to have been an agricultural heiau or fishing shrine used by ancient Hawaiians planting sweet potatoes and dryland kalo (taro) or harvesting from fishponds that once lined the coast.

Pahua heiau sits on land gifted to OHA (Office of Hawaiian Affairs) by Kamehameha Schools in 1988. The heiau was partially restored by the Outdoor Circle in the mid-1980s, but remains relatively obscure to any but Hawaiian cultural practitioners and hikers, who reference the heiau as the starting landmark of the Kamiloiki Ridge Trail.

OHA conservation land manager Kevin Chang believes that the site can be a vehicle for community dialogue about sustainable land use and stewardship over a culturally significant resource. Chang applied for, and received, a $10,000 national conservation grant from Audubon and Toyota. This TogetherGreen Fellowship is meant to engage local residents in conservation and environmental health practices at the community level.

"Among OHA's goals for real estate is this idea of bridging the ancient use of land with future land use patterns," said Jonathan Scheuer, land management director for OHA. "As Hawai'i continues to change and develop, we want to do so in a way that the historic presence of Hawaiians is not obliterated from the landscape."

Chang is using the resources of OHA to assess the full historical relevance of Pahua heiau and the best way to revive the site's cultural significance within the surrounding community. "I'm going about it slowly. We want to be good neighbors and also culturally appropriate," said Chang. "It's balancing the past and the present and also breathing life into something we tend to see as only existing in the past."

Hawaii Kai is truly a special place. Request my free Relocation Guide and contact me about becoming a resident of our East Oahu paradise.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-226-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
www.movetohawaiikai.com

(resource: Honolulu Advertiser)

Green Magazine in Hawaii Kai

I've been offered the opportunity to be the only Oahu advertiser in the Green Magazine, a new publication with news on becoming eco-friendly, and living a green lifestyle. I really believe in protecting the beautiful resources we have in Hawaii Kai, and throughout the state of Hawaii, and in becoming commited concerned citizens.

Green Magazine will be distributed free at super markets and high traffic locations throughout Oahu, and is a free bi-monthly publication. There are hundreds of celebrities who support the eco lifestyle and they will feature their stories. They include articles on what you can do today to be eco-friendly, a kid’s corner, eco news from around the world and eco-friendly products.

One of the most popular features in the publication is the $500 Give-A-Way. Contest entrants must submit the name of each advertiser, and the number of times that they appear in the publication to qualify to win.

Look for me in their first Hawaii issue, and contact me with questions you have on the Greening of Hawaii.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-226-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
http://www.movetohawaiikai.com/
http://www.barbarashawaii.com/

Energy Savings for Hawaii Kai Homes

The State of Hawaii has a mail-in rebate program to help residents replace older, inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances.

The program, to be run through Hawaii’s utilities, is tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2010, and will continue until funds are depleted. Eligible products include only refrigerators at this time. Residents must include both the new appliance sales receipt and proof that the replaced products were removed and recycled.

More than 70% of the energy used in our homes is for appliances, refrigeration, space heating, cooling, and water heating. Replacing old appliances and equipment with those that are ENERGY STAR® labeled can help Hawaii Kai families save significantly on their utility bills.

Read more on energy efficiency at Energy Savers.gov. There are many ways to save. For instance:

The Energy-Efficient Mortgage Program is one of many Federal Housing Authority programs that insure mortgage loans to encourage lenders to make mortgage credit available to borrowers, such as first-time homebuyers, who would not otherwise qualify for conventional loans on affordable terms.

Energy efficient homes may qualify for mortgages that take into account a home's efficiency. Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) provides information on home energy rating systems, energy efficient mortgages, and finding certified energy raters and lenders who know how to process energy efficiency mortgages.

2 more informative sites: Refinancing for Energy-Efficiency Improvements, an overview of refinancing to make energy efficiency improvements, from the Alliance to Save Energy, and Financing an Energy Efficient Home, with an overview of energy-efficient financing programs from mortgages to home improvement loans.

Start with an Energy Audit of your home and learn how to save money and live Greener, benefiting our Hawaii Kai environment.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-226-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
www.barbara@barbarashawaii.com
http://www.movetohawaiikai.com/

Roy's Restaurant, Hawaii Kai, Wins Best Restaurant of the Year

Roy's Restaurant in Hawaii Kai has won the prestigious Hale Aina Award of Honolulu Magazine for Restaurant of the Year. Previously, they had won the award in 1995, 2002, and 2004. They also won Hale Aina honors for Best Dessert, gold level; bronze-level awards for Best Place to Take Visitors, Best Outdoor Dining and Best Seafood; and becoming a finalist for Best Service, Best Value and Best Wine Program.

As reported by Honolulu Magazine, “'People are looking to us to do great things in food and service and our job is not to meet that expectation, but to exceed it,' said founder Roy Yamaguchi. Chef Yamaguchi balances the Roy’s Classics, dishes that people would be crestfallen if he were to remove from his menu—baby back pork ribs, misoyaki butterfish, blackened ahi—with exciting new dishes for the regulars, the 'guests we have who come in once a week, twice a week.'”

It’s been 21 years since Yamaguchi started Roy’s. “That’s one of the reasons I picked Hawaii Kai. I wanted it to be a community restaurant, part of something. We’ve seen children who came in here growing up; some are now married and have their own kids. They’re taking their parents for dinner here, instead of their parents taking them. It’s the greatest thing you can ever experience in a restaurant.”

There are now 34 Roy’s restaurants, six of them in Hawaii, but Yamaguchi obviously has a special place in his heart for the original location. “He’s here a lot,” says his executive chef, Ronald Nasuti. “He’s in the kitchen, trying new things. We want to keep our cuisine as cutting-edge as possible and, at the same time, always cater to the people of Hawaii.”

Roy's is one of our really outstanding restaurants on the island, and you can enjoy his fusion cuisine and service right here in Hawaii Kai. They are located in our building, almost directly upstairs, so come by and say "hi" on your way to pupus or dinner at Roy's.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-396-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
http://www.movetohawaiikai.com/
http://www.barbarashawaii.com/