Category: February – March 2012

Message from the Editor – February / March 2012

This month’s cover story is one that I have been anticipating for months as we bring to you Dr. Terry Shintani’s story. I met Dr. Shintani a few years ago while attending one of his famous seminars on eating healthy. My anticipation has been personal as I am constantly trying to find ways to live a healthier life with my eating habits and I wanted to pass his knowledge on to you, our readers.

So thank you Dr. Shintani for educating me on healthier eating habits. I recommend everyone to attend his workshops as knowledge is powerful and he definitely is one of the foremost doctors on this topic — not only in Hawai‘i but nationally. A big “Mahalo” also goes out to Frank Santana from “Down to Earth” All Vegetarian Organic & Natural food stores. I learned about various organic fruits and vegetables that I will be changing my own buying habits.

And on this issue, I am sharing my page with a noteworthy senior from Moanalua HS who’s interest is also shared by many — the secret in longevity—which this issue is about. Well done Fevelyn, and thank you to our young participants.

Live Well in 2012!

Percy Ihara, Editor/Publisher

This month’s cover story is one that I have been anticipating for months as we bring to you Dr. Terry Shintani’s story. I met Dr. Shintani a few years ago while attending one of his famous seminars on eating healthy. My anticipation has been personal as I am constantly trying to find ways to live…
The Willows Restaurant
E komo mai kakou!

Nestled within the heart of historic Mo‘ili‘ili in Honolulu, The Willows sits upon one acre of lush tropical gardens, abundant with native Hawaiian flowers, and bordered by cascading waterfalls. Guests can enjoy award-winning dining outdoors or within one of the many private rooms. Like the Shangri-La of myth, The Willows is an unexpected oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the city. First-time guests usually catch their breath as they walk through the doors, while those who return always feel welcomed and at home.

The Willow’s award-winning buffet executive chef Miles Miyashiro masterfully combines traditional Hawaiian delicacies with Asian and American cuisine to satisfy the pickiest of palates. The menu is influenced by many different cultures, including Japanese, French, Thai, Italian, Hawaiian, and Korean. The Willows menu has been honored with many awards over the years, including Honolulu Advertiser’s “Best Buffet,” Honolulu Magazine’s “Best Place to Take Visitors,” Taste of Honolulu’s “Best Seafood,” and took 1st Place at HFM’s Culinary Competition, in addition to numerous other awards. They also have special holiday buffets featured throughout the year.

Live Hawaiian music and dancing can be enjoyed every evening, Wednesday through Friday from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., featuring some of Hawai‘i’s top entertainers, including many Na Hoku Hanohano Award winners.

Weddings and Special Events

The Willows Chapel has been the venue for many isle weddings, and is a popular choice for wedding receptions and other celebrations for up to 150 people in private rooms, as well as restaurant buy-outs for larger private events. Contact Keri Endo, Catering & Special Events Director for information, (808) 952-9200 ext. 63.

The Willows Restaurant

Located at 901 Hausten Street in Honolulu

Phone: (808) 952-9200, fax: (808) 952-0050.

Visit the website for entertaiment and menu details, willowshawaii.com.

LUNCH BUFFET

Weekdays Monday - Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Adult $19.95 • Keiki (4-10) $9.95Kupuna (65+) & Military 10% Off

Saturday 10:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Adult $24.95 • Keiki (4-10) $12.50Kupuna (65+) & Military 10% Off

Sunday Champagne Brunch 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Adult $34.95 • Keiki (4-10) $17.50Kupuna (65+) & Military 10% Off

DINNER BUFFET

Monday – Friday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Adult $34.95 • Keiki (4-10) $17.50Kupuna (65+) & Military 10% Off
E komo mai kakou! Nestled within the heart of historic Mo‘ili‘ili in Honolulu, The Willows sits upon one acre of lush tropical gardens, abundant with native Hawaiian flowers, and bordered by cascading waterfalls. Guests can enjoy award-winning dining outdoors or within one of the many private rooms. Like the Shangri-La of myth, The Willows is…
Celebrating Culture

A special event occurs every four years called the Festival of Pacific Arts, where over 27 South Pacific nations gather to share their culture and develop friendships. The festival lasts for approximately two weeks and is filled with events from morning till night at different venues. There are over 2500 participants and many of the countries have competitions in advance to be sure they are represented by their best performers. There is no “competition” as the focus is on the celebrating and sharing of each other’s cultures. This year’s theme will be Culture in Harmony with Nature.

The festival is held in the summer, when school is out, as the local villages are responsible for the housing and feeding of participating delegations. This opportunity allows for sharing hospitality and cultural interactions between the locals and visiting countries.

Amy Taniguchi, a retired Hawai‘i schoolteacher, has been to four festivals in Samoa, New Caledonia, Palau and Western Samoa with Pacific Islands Institute who has been taking visitors to the festivals since 1992. This year’s program begins in Brisbane, Australia on June 28th. For more information, call 808-732-1999 or visit ExplorethePacific.com.

A special event occurs every four years called the Festival of Pacific Arts, where over 27 South Pacific nations gather to share their culture and develop friendships. The festival lasts for approximately two weeks and is filled with events from morning till night at different venues. There are over 2500 participants and many of the…
Social Security: A Valentine Tip
Valentine’s Day is upon us, making this a popular time of year for proclamations of love. Such displays of affection can be as simple and sweet as a heart with a “be mine” message, or as life altering as a vow before the altar.

If you happen to be a newlywed who is head over heels in love, you may not be focused on things such as taxes or Social Security, but you should be. If you plan to exchange your maiden name for a married name - including hyphenated names such as Smith-Jones - be sure you let Social Security know.

Telling us about your name change shortly after your marriage will help us keep track of your earnings and will ensure that you and your family get the Social Security retirement, disability and survivors coverage you’re entitled to. Also, if the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security records do not show the same name and Social Security number, your federal income tax refund could be delayed.

If you choose to use your maiden name consistently throughout your working years, you do not need to contact us. However, if you decide to change your name at a later time, you should let us know so that we can update your Social Security record and send you a Social Security card with your new name.

There’s no need to pay someone else to mail in the information for you. Changing your name with Social Security is a quick, easy and free:

Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber

Read about the required documents

Click on Fill Out and Print an application (Form SS-5)

Or, call 1-800-772-1213 to obtain the form

We will need the completed application along with a marriage certificate or divorce decree verifying your old and new names. If you were born outside the United States, you also need proof of your U.S. citizenship or proof that you are lawfully living in the U.S. You can bring or mail these documents to us.

You may be focused on the one you love, and we don’t blame you. But if you like us (we hope you do), please visit our homepage (socialsecurity.gov) and click on the Facebook icon to Like us on Facebook. You can follow us on Twitter, too. We share information daily that can help you and all your Valentines.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Social Security.
Valentine’s Day is upon us, making this a popular time of year for proclamations of love. Such displays of affection can be as simple and sweet as a heart with a “be mine” message, or as life altering as a vow before the altar. If you happen to be a newlywed who is head over…
Lanakila: March For Meals Campaign

On March 1, 2012, hundreds of concerned citizens will join Lanakila Meals on Wheels in the March for Meals to raise awareness of the need to fund the Kupuna Care Program and combat senior hunger. Marchers from around the island, including seniors, elected officials, and Kupuna Care service participants, will gather at the State Capitol Rotunda at 10 a.m.

March for Meals is an annual national campaign, held in March of every year, and designed to increase public awareness for local senior nutrition programs. The campaign takes place in the month of March because it was during this month that the law was enacted that included Senior Nutrition Programs in the Older Americans Act.

Kupuna Care is a state-funded, county administered program that provides basic services to frail older adults who can’t live at home without assistance. Services include home-delivered meals, personal care, help with chores and transportation assistance. These services provide an important safety net that can help low and middle-income adults avoid going into poverty and being forced into more costly care settings.

The public is encouraged to attend. For information, please visit lanakilapacific.org or call 531-0555.

On March 1, 2012, hundreds of concerned citizens will join Lanakila Meals on Wheels in the March for Meals to raise awareness of the need to fund the Kupuna Care Program and combat senior hunger. Marchers from around the island, including seniors, elected officials, and Kupuna Care service participants, will gather at the State Capitol…
Walk Wise Hawai`i Keeps Seniors Safe

Walk Wise Hawai‘i (WWH) is celebrating its ninth year of bringing important safety tips to Hawai‘i’s senior pedestrians. This statewide pedestrian safety campaign, led by the State Dept. of Transportation and championed by Walk Wise Hawai‘i’s Lance Rae, is revving up 2012 with expanded community outreach programs.

The rate of pedestrian fatalities among Hawai‘i’s elderly has steady declined thanks in large part to WWH’s expanded programming. Last year, nearly 7,000 seniors took the Pedestrians Pledged to “walk wise,” which is to always look left-right-left before crossing and make eye contact with drivers when crossing.

This coming August, WWH will celebrate its Third Annual Pedestrian Safety Month. This month-long campaign is recognized by Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz as “the only statewide pedestrian safety month in the nation.” Look for more information on the Pedestrian Safety Month this summer to learn about how to be both a safe pedestrian and driver.

Throughout the year, WWH’s Speakers Bureau reach out to seniors through the Honolulu Police Dept.’s Aloha No Na Kupuna program on O‘ahu and with Neighbor Island police departments. If you have senior citizens in your community, you can contact WWH to schedule a guest speaker who can share information about pedestrian safety and provide safe road-crossing tips. The WWH Speakers Bureau provides reflective lights to carry during the early morning and evening hours and yellow tote bags to all seniors who take the WWH Pedestrian Pledge.

This year, WWH invites all Generations Magazine readers and their families to take the Walk Wise Hawai‘i Pedestrian Pledge and make walking safe in Hawai‘i.

For more information on Walk Wise Hawai‘i, please contact Lance Rae at 535-9099.

Walk Wise Hawai‘i (WWH) is celebrating its ninth year of bringing important safety tips to Hawai‘i’s senior pedestrians. This statewide pedestrian safety campaign, led by the State Dept. of Transportation and championed by Walk Wise Hawai‘i’s Lance Rae, is revving up 2012 with expanded community outreach programs. The rate of pedestrian fatalities among Hawai‘i’s elderly…
Financial: Uplifting Choices

Getting Your Plan in Order

Perhaps you’ve asked yourself questions like, “How can I plan? We just sold our home and bought a retirement condo. Our older child just moved across the country and our younger child will be getting married later this year. With so much change, how can we make plans?”

Life Changes Quickly

In each of our lives, change comes very quickly. You are going to face new circumstances every year. Yet planning exists to prepare for life - and to give your family members better lives. It is essential to create goals that help your family live better in the midst of new circumstances. Even if you or your family is going through major changes, there are several basic steps that will help you succeed in your plans.

Set Goals

Step one for a successful life is to have goals. It has been said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not likely to get there.” This is very true about goals for your family and for your estate. Think about goal-setting as though you are purchasing a birthday gift for a family member in a clothing store. A clothing store might have 20 or 30 different sizes. One size does not fit all in the area of clothing and it also doesn’t work for your family and estate plan.

How do you find the “right size?” Just like clothing for a family member must fit properly, in your planning for family, it’s important to decide the right time and amounts for an inheritance to be most beneficial for your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. Your other goals may include the age for heirs to receive property and reducing costs and estate taxes.

What Do You Own?

Can you write down a list of all the property you own? I once represented a married couple who estimated that they owned about $500,000 worth of property. However, when we went through their assets carefully it turned out they owned more than twice that amount and were millionaires. It’s not uncommon for people to “forget” or undervalue some of their assets.

Understanding your property starts with listing all of your assets – your savings account, certificates of deposit, home, IRA, 401(k) and personal assets, among others.

Children, Grandchildren, Nephews and Nieces

Your plan to benefit family during your lifetime or through your estate will vary greatly depending upon the ages and circumstances of your children and their needs. For parents with minor children, a key decision is to select a guardian. Minor children also need to have property held in trust, so there is appropriate investment and expenditure of those funds. For adult children, it’s important to think through the right time, right amount and right type of inheritance. Many families find that a trust that pays income for a number of years to adult children is also a very helpful method to provide added security for them. Some families get energized when they find that they can leave a legacy of significance to their community, while at the same time making sure to provide for their family needs.

A Convenient Way to Plan

Would you like to have a convenient way to think through some of these issues before you consult with your financial advisor or attorney? A free tool is available at kidney.giftlegacy.com where you can plan your will, consider whether a trust is right for your family, and request a free wills guide from the National Kidney Foundation of Hawai‘i. The secure web site lets you gather your information and ideas together, read general information about planning, and even prepare for a meeting with your advisors. Why not take a look at kidney.giftlegacy.com today? It just may help you answer the question, “How can I plan?”

For consultation call 589-5976. Be sure to register for a free eNewsletter and check out the wealth of information at www.kidneyhawaii.org.

Getting Your Plan in Order Perhaps you’ve asked yourself questions like, “How can I plan? We just sold our home and bought a retirement condo. Our older child just moved across the country and our younger child will be getting married later this year. With so much change, how can we make plans?” Life Changes…
February – March 2012

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Dr. Shintani: Reverse Aging and Disease in 10 Days