Category: October – November 2014

  • It’s Not A House – It’s HOME

    In 1992, when Hurricane Iniki hit the islands, my mother-in-law refused to leave the house. Both Linda and I were working and we called her over and over, trying to get her to go to a shelter. She wouldn’t leave her beloved dog behind and at that time, not many shelters accepted pets. Fortunately, she rode out the storm, in the dark, hugging the pup.

    This brings us to Puna on the Big Island. Neighborhoods there took a serious hit from tropical storm Iselle. I know this much about Puna side of Hawai‘i Island: there are families kupuna who have lived there for years and would react just like my mother-in-law. They would NOT leave their homes. It’s not just a house — it’s a HOME. It may be because of a pet. It may be because of a koa rocker in the living room. It may be because of photo albums that keep their memories alive.

    Experts tell us that aging in place — even during a storm — is a vital concept when it comes to our seniors. The longer they can stay in comfortable familiar surroundings, HOME, the better off they will be — physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially.

    It is important to remember, we need to think about the needs of our seniors, not just on a day to day basis, but especially during times of emergency. They may experience confusion, stress — but if that senior relative or neighbor has your arm to lean on, you can make all the difference in the world. And if they have a pet, scoop that baby up and take it with you.

     

    The Elderhood Project airs on KHON2 News Friday mornings at 5:45 a.m. And Thursday afternoons at 5 p.m.

    In 1992, when Hurricane Iniki hit the islands, my mother-in-law refused to leave the house. Both Linda and I were working and we called her over and over, trying to get her to go to a shelter. She wouldn’t leave her beloved dog behind and at that time, not many shelters accepted pets. Fortunately, she…

  • Prepare For Future Hurricanes Now

    The protection of family and property is very important to us. Potentially dangerous storms headed Hawaii’s way serve as a notice to homeowners: now is the ideal time to shore up one’s roof with the goal of mitigating catastrophic damage.

    In advance of future storms, homeowners should check past service records for their roof. If it has been more than 10 years since installation or repairs have taken place, a roofing inspection will pinpoint necessary improvements. Most reputable roofing companies will offer free inspections, and get up on the roof to access any current or potential problems. Just having them look over your roof gives needed peace of mind.

    Remember, the hurricane season runs through November; anticipate potentially dangerous storms, and address key roof issues:

    • Check for loose edge flashings and worn or cracked shingles.
    • Clean gutters and downspouts of debris, and trim encroaching tree branches; heavy rains can overwhelm gutters and impede the proper flow of water around areas which may lead to unnecessary damage.
    • Inspect all skylights and additional roof flashings for cracks and other defects.
      By taking these simple steps, residents give themselves and family members the best chance of riding out the busy hurricane season.

     

    Murakami Roofing, LLC
    45-558 C-18 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe 96744
    808-348-8270 | murakamiroofing@gmail.com
    www.murakamiroofing.com

    The protection of family and property is very important to us. Potentially dangerous storms headed Hawaii’s way serve as a notice to homeowners: now is the ideal time to shore up one’s roof with the goal of mitigating catastrophic damage. In advance of future storms, homeowners should check past service records for their roof. If…

  • Hooked On “Seniors Living In Paradise” Show

    George Yoshida and Dereck Kurisu — two guys seniors invite into their homes every day.
    George Yoshida and Dereck Kurisu — two guys seniors invite into their homes every day.

    “Seniors Living in Paradise” one-hour show on Oceanic Cable TV is a phenom — re-running twice a day in prime time all month, and cut into short Youtubes for the online world. Some seniors watch it nightly to bring sound, laughter, and company into their homes. “I can’t believe how many people in Hawai‘i and on the mainland watch this show!” says Hawai‘i County Mayor Billy Kenoi. “Tune in and you’ll be hooked.”

    It’s a series of upbeat, homespun vignettes featuring seniors, kids and families doing what communities do. For 60 minutes we follow show host George Yoshida, a jovial tutu man who “knows everybody’s auntie,” from one happy activity to another. The program bumps along like a Sunday drive, with something for everyone: banter of personal interviews, community activities, family parties, information for seniors, cooking demonstrations, and kids of all ages and ethnic groups — interacting with seniors. Local style music and Yoshida’s “everything is beautiful” attitude keep viewers engaged and coming back for more.

    “I think we deliver a lot of information — we recognize many talents, achievments and values that our kupuna pass on to the keiki. We want folks who are not able to get out to see good things happening in our communities on the Big Island. They get enough upsetting news — we bring them fun, hope, and plenty to smile about.”

    Volunteer host Yoshida started out as a high school teacher and coach before joining the Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation, their Elder Activities Division. He created Kupuna Hula and Seniors Softball. George is happiest devoting his time, cheerfully showing the world what happy seniors and their families are up to. He didn’t count on becoming a senior superstar, but things happen.

    Kurisu is in demand too, as an inspirational public speaker on “plantation values:” norms, values, attitudes and work ethic that plantation workers practiced to get along with one another and share in the benefits of plantation camps communities like Hakalau, where he grew up. Now he teaches younger generations these same values, so they can be successful too. He creates respect and brings the generations closer together.

    As Vice President of KTA Superstores, Derek is a business superman, disquised as a kua‘aina farmer who leads a never-ending battle in helping seniors enjoy a better life, and create public/private collaborations that grow KTA Superstores brand in the process. Seniors win big with: The annual Old American Luncheon, monthly cooking demonstration at senior centers and Mountain Apple Brand, KTA’s private label plant that employs many seniors.

    These “Seniors Living in Paradise” guys are going to hook you too!

     

    Living in Paradise: Oceanic Time Warner Cable channel 27
    Seniors Living in Paradise
    Mon. – Fri.: 6:00 am – 7:00 am | Daily: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
    Primetime Living in Paradise
    Daily: 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm, 12:00 am–1:00 pm
    Watch recent Youtube episodes online: www.ktasuperstores.com/living-in-paradise-show

    “Seniors Living in Paradise” one-hour show on Oceanic Cable TV is a phenom — re-running twice a day in prime time all month, and cut into short Youtubes for the online world. Some seniors watch it nightly to bring sound, laughter, and company into their homes. “I can’t believe how many people in Hawai‘i and…

  • Preserving Hilo’s Past: The Lyman Museum

    Photo by W Nowicki
    Photo by W Nowicki

    A few blocks mauka of Hilo Bay at 276 Haili Street is a white frame building with dark green trim and a surrounding veranda upstairs and down, in the style of nineteenth-century New England homes. A guided tour of the Lyman Mission House, listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, gives visitors a colorful and accurate look at missionary life in 1800s Hilo. The Lyman Museum, which includes the adjacent Mission House, is one of only four accredited museums in Hawai‘i and is also a Smithsonian affiliate.

    Sarah and David Belden Lyman were educator-missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) in Massachusetts, assigned to the Hilo Mission in 1832. The very first missionary station in East Hawai‘i, the Hilo Mission had been established in 1824 at the village of Waiakea. The Lymans entered the Hawaiian mission field at a time of the “Second Great Awakening,” when thousands of converts were filling new churches throughout the Islands, including Hilo’s own Haili Church, founded in 1824. By 1840, over 90 percent of Hawaiians throughout the Islands attended Sunday services every week.

    The Lymans also built a large thatched-roof meeting hall where they held religious services and educational programs each week. Later, as seasoned teachers, they were commissioned by Kamehameha III to found and administer the Hilo Boarding School for Hawaiian boys and young men. Native Hawaiians responded so favorably to missionary training in reading and writing that Hawai‘i became the most literate country on the planet.

    Generation Magazine-on2014k-2
    Photo courtesy by the Lyman Museum

    The Lyman Museum was established in 1931, with natural and cultural history collections housed in the Lyman family home, and a mission “To tell the story of Hawai‘i, its islands and its people.” In 1971, an adjacent museum building designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff was constructed, and all the holdings were moved to this secure space with controlled environmental conditions and expanded room for exhibits. The Earth Heritage Gallery showcases the geological beginnings and natural habitats of the islands, while the Island Heritage Gallery tells the stories of the peoples and cultures of Hawai‘i. The Lyman Hawaiian shell collection is renown. The Museum’s collection of gems and minerals is the life’s work of a Lyman great-grandson, is described by the Smithsonian as one of the ten best in the U.S.

    The Museum upholds the Lyman tradition of lifelong learning by regularly hosting educational programs on the natural, cultural, and social history of Hawai‘i, engaging and informing the community and visitors alike. In October, local island historian Boyd D. Bond will present “A Broad History of Hawai‘i Island”; later in November, he will talk story about the complex life and colorful reign of Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III).

    For information on the many educational opportunities:
    Lyman Museum, Hilo
    808-935-5021 | www.lymanmuseum.org

    A few blocks mauka of Hilo Bay at 276 Haili Street is a white frame building with dark green trim and a surrounding veranda upstairs and down, in the style of nineteenth-century New England homes. A guided tour of the Lyman Mission House, listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, gives…

  • Kupuna For Common Grace

    Jay Jarman and Kevon
    Jay Jarman and Kevon

    “Matching the kindness of a neighborhood church with the needs of a kid in a public school,” is the motto of Common Grace, created in 2002. This homegrown organization partners members of neighborhood churches and service clubs with elementary school students at breakfast, lunch or after-school time to offer kindness to kids. Many seniors volunteer with Common Grace.

    It all started with the Principal of Queen Lydia Lili‘uokalani Elementary telling Jay Jarman and Pastor Ron Arnold of Kaimuki Christian Church that they have lonely children on their campus. She asked, “Would any of your church family members like to come once in a while to sit and talk and make friends with our kids?”

    Today, Common Grace partners with twenty-one elementary schools, interacting with approximately 150 students. They are supported by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education Superintendent, and received the 2007 Partnership in Education Award. Jay Jarman, Executive Director, received the 2009 Outstanding Advocate for Children and Youth Award from the Hawaii State Legislature.

    If you want to be a friend to a lonely little kid, you may contact Common Grace: 808-282-6194. Mentors complete a two-hour training session and pass a background check and work in teams to offer mutual support and built-in back-up in case you are not able to be with your child at your regular meeting time. For more information visit: www.commongrace.org.

    “Matching the kindness of a neighborhood church with the needs of a kid in a public school,” is the motto of Common Grace, created in 2002. This homegrown organization partners members of neighborhood churches and service clubs with elementary school students at breakfast, lunch or after-school time to offer kindness to kids. Many seniors volunteer…

  • Adjusting Your Money Mindset

    Money is a powerful influence on our lifestyle, emotions and behaviors. If you’re serious about improving your financial life, examine your money mindset

    Acknowledge your personal history. If you grew up in poverty, you may have an underlying sense of scarcity–never having “enough.” If you were accustomed to abundance, you may not know how to manage money wisely. Such patterns may prevent you from earning what you’re worth, saving adequately, spending responsibly or being more philanthropic.

    Evaluate your emotional response to money. Is your mood tied to your assets? Does your bank account define you? When money occupies the driver’s seat, anxious thoughts can prevent you from making reasonable choices.

    Stop playing these money mind-games.

    • I’ll be happy when I make more money. Happiness comes from within. It is important to enjoy the successes you’re experiencing today as well as working on future goals.
    • Money is the only thing that matters. Money is an important means to an end. Worshipping money at the expense of people, nature, art and ideas may lead to loneliness and disappointment.
    • Money is meaningless. This harmful idea feeds reckless spending, de-motivate your work life, and stress those who depend on your productivity. Money should be treated with respect and not frittered away.

    Let go of the past. Stop beating yourself up for your financial mistakes. Reframe regrets as lessons and opportunities to grow. People recover from a failed business, job loss, stock tumble, or tax trouble. Keeping an open mind and focus on what you can do now.

    Curtail the time spent thinking about money. Dwelling on dollars and cents or fantasizing about winning the lottery doesn’t get you any closer to your goals. Step back; switch gears and identify\ tried and true actions to help you reach your goals. Daydream for short bursts of time; then get back to the business of living.

    Enlist a financial ally. A skilled financial advisor will be very familiar with mental, emotional and behavioral landmines you want to avoid on the road to a solid financial future. With tools to plan, save, and invest, within your timeframe and budget, you can live without financial stress, now and In the future. Look to your advisor for guidance and encouragement to sharpen your mental game and develop a new money mindset.

     

    Michael W. K. Yee, CFP
    1585 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1100, Honolulu
    808-952-1222 ext. 1240 | michael.w.yee@ampf.com
    Michael W K Yee, CFP®, CFS®, CRPC®, is a Financial Advisor CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner™ with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Honolulu, HI. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 26 years.
    Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation.
    Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC.
    © 2014 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. File # 975765

    Money is a powerful influence on our lifestyle, emotions and behaviors. If you’re serious about improving your financial life, examine your money mindset Acknowledge your personal history. If you grew up in poverty, you may have an underlying sense of scarcity–never having “enough.” If you were accustomed to abundance, you may not know how to…

  • October – November 2014

    October – November 2014

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    Grassroots Wisdoms: A Winner For Hawai’i Island