Category: April – May 2015

  • Never Ever …

    Retired. No gold watch. No pension. Just — retired. Now what? Since I have been retired, I realize there is really no such thing. Life goes on. You may spend a little time watching “Family Feud.” You may spend more time working on your golf swing or with friends and relatives you haven’t seen for…

  • Social Security Brain Teasers

    Test your knowledge or learn a few things today — with this in mind, tease your brain with these bits of Social Security trivia: When was the Social Security Act signed into law, and who signed it? When did Social Security begin paying disability benefits? Is there any significance to the digits in your Social…

  • For Love … of Money: Sham Marriages

    When it comes to love and relationships, we are particularly protective of our elders. We scrutinize new companions who come into their lives; when our kupuna decide to marry, we get concerned about the new partner’s intentions. Stephanie (not her real name) called my office, she was panicked. She just discovered a life her father…

  • Message from The Editor

    “Volunteerism, the heart of community” weaves through our April/May issue. Family, neighbors, places of worship, civic and social clubs, public events and government programs all depend on the generosity of volunteers. Thank you for your service. Highlights An editorial featured here by Dr. Christy Nishita, at UH Center on Aging and the Hawaii Pacific Gerontological…

  • “I Want to Die Comfortably – at Home”

    National surveys say 80 percent of people want to “die in the comfort of their home,” but in Hawai‘i, only 22 percent of families use hospice services. Hawaii also ranks high (number 2 in the U.S.) in emergency room deaths. Are we getting what we want? Dr. Angelo Volandes from Harvard Medical School recently spoke…

  • Hawaiian Pie Company Honors Great-Grandfather’s Baking Legacy

    In the mid-1930s, Yoshio Hori opened a bakery in Kohala on Hawai‘i Island, selling pastries, breads, cookies and pies. He meant to name the bakery after himself, but it became a westernized version of the Japanese name due to a packaging order miscommunication. His son, Richard Sr., recalls, “My father told (the salesman) the name…

  • To Buy or Not to Buy a Vacation Home?

    You finally feel ready to make that dream purchase. Before you put an offer in for a getaway on a neighbor island or a city lights apartment, consider the realities of owning a second property. Can you afford it? Owning a second home entails additional expenses such as: Furniture or other household items Air fare…