This month flew by ending with the entire state of Hawaii under the watchful eye of the rest of the nation as we waited to see if the Chilean earthquake would result in a tsunami. Residents awoke to the sound of the Civil Defense Siren early Saturday morning then scrambled to get groceries, supplies and gas at the various outlets resulting in logjams everywhere.
Fortunately, the sum total of the effect was a few rapid tide changes with the most dramatic being about a six foot difference between the trough and crest of the wave as it arrived in Hilo. Here on Kauai, the effect was more like a 1 foot change. The attraction here at the Cliffs condos where I live was more the large crowd which lined the bluff rather than the tsunami itself. I've seen quite a bit or Mother Nature's power starting with the "100 year rain" in 91 which resulted in 4 deaths, then Iniki in 92, numerous torrential rainfall episodes, as well as the Kaloko dam breach in March 2006. I'm thankful the tsunami once again failed to materialize and am sending all my prayers to the victims in Chile.
As for news on the Island: "County bulldozes Hawaiian dwellings on Wainiha Bay" is the article from the Feb 4th Garden Island which went on to say that — "Several Native Hawaiian families had their dwellings bulldozed Thursday after county officials determined they were illegally erected on county park land along Wainiha Bay and Wainiha River.
Several Native Hawaiians, including activist Keola Alalem and many of those whose structures were destroyed, contend the county doesn’t own the land, that it had been given to Native Hawaiian families who had been tending the land and living there in a system known as “kuleana lands” tenancy. “The county bulldozing everything,” said Alalem, who was on-scene Thursday morning.
“This is serious,” said Alalem. “These people going be homeless, land-less,” he said of 10 to 15 Native Hawaiian families he said were farming taro on the mauka side of Kuhio Highway, and living on both sides of the highway just north of the single-lane twin bridges over Wainiha River. “They knocked down hale (houses), shacks and tents” belonging to Haumea, Kanei and Harada families, who claim the land was given to their families to continue farming. Repeated efforts to reach Haumea and Harada family members for comment were unsuccessful by press time." The article went on to say that there were substantial back taxes on some of these properties which led those living on the land to accuse the County of the planning the cleanup as an effort to collect the taxes, an allegation the County denied. "The county plans to auction off the non-park lands, and there appears to be a willing buyer, said Alalem."
If you've looked at staying at a Hawaii hotel, only to reconsider given the per diem cost, it should come as no surprise that per the Feb 6th Garden Island article "Resorts mum on occupancy rates" says that — "Reports of slumping hotel occupancy rates around the island are circulating, but individual resorts continue to decline to share hard figures. Even though the collective occupancy rate for Kaua‘i hotels slipped to less than 50 percent in November — according to the most recent statistics from Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research — the St. Regis Princeville Resort had a “very busy holiday season,” said General Manager Milton Sgarbi.
The North Shore resort reached “close to peak occupancy,” he said when asked to confirm whether current rates were hovering around 15 to 20 percent as rumored. And although hours of the resort’s Halele‘a Spa were recently reduced, it was because St. Regis had “to fine-tune some aspects of hotel operations,” Sgarbi said. Even when the hotel was “almost completely sold out,” the spa had “little or no traffic” from 8 to 9 a.m. and from 7 to 8 p.m., so its hours were adjusted, he said. Employees have not been affected by reduced hours at the resort, Sgarbi said. Furthermore, the resort has increased from the 296 employees which were re-hired in October to 419 in December. There are already “positive indicators for February,” Sgarbi said in reference to reservations. “Bookings are coming in very last minute, but steady.”
Aston Kaua‘i Beach at Makaiwa’s new General Manager Ike Cockett agreed with regards to last minute bookings. “The booking window is so close in,” he said Wednesday. People used to book three to four months in advance whereas now they are making reservations three to four weeks ahead of their scheduled arrival. “As hotels, air seats and rent-a-cars have more inventory, people are waiting for the last minute to see what the best deals are,” he said Wednesday, offering a likely explanation. As far as hotel occupancy is concerned, Cockett could only say February and March seem to have “very positive trends.” “It’s looking better than last year,” he said.
Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort Public Relations Manager Diann Hartman also could not relay exact figures for occupancy, but said “business is looking great.” “The Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i finished January better than expected and February and March are following suit as well,” she said Wednesday after chatting with the resort’s General Manager Doug Sears. The South Shore resort will be undergoing a multi-million-dollar guestroom renovation beginning April 2010. As a result of the “concurrent closure of Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course for greens renovations” and other “improvement projects” taking place in the kitchen and bathrooms of the clubhouse, the decision to “temporarily close Po‘ipu Bay Clubhouse and Yum Cha restaurant” was made, Hartman said.
“With the renovations and the inherent decreased number of guests in 2010, we had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close the restaurant for this period of time,” she said in a written statement via e-mail. “The employees of the restaurant will be temporarily laid off beginning April 1.” Twenty-five individuals will reportedly be affected, but will “remain Hyatt employees.” “We look forward to bringing back these employees at the end of the year when we reopen with our beautiful, improved golf course facilities,” Hartman said. “We are clearly in our shoulder period, which happens this time every year,” said Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sue Kanoho. “I believe that our (visitor) numbers are reflecting the global impact of where the economy is right now.”December 2009 figures are expected to be released next week." I can tell them why some of the occupancy rates are so low-- check out the hotel prices and you'll see why....
The "News and Notes" section of the Feb 7th Garden Island happily announced the re-opening of the Princeville Makai Golf Course in the article "Makai Golf Club now open." - "Troon Golf, an upscale golf course management, development and marketing company is pleased to announce the Makai Golf Club at The St. Regis Princeville Resort located on Kaua‘i’s North Shore has reopened for play. To celebrate the completion of a multi-million-dollar course renovation, Makai Golf Club is offering an “Endless Golf Package” for travel from Jan. 30 to July 1.
The Golf Course Construction Phase includes:
— Introduction of Seashore Paspalum to the teeing areas, fairways and greens
— Reconfiguring the strategy of greens complexes
— Bold reshaping of the bunkers and filled with G-3 Silica sand
— Additional tee boxes
— Upgraded practice facility
— Two new large practice tees and a practice fairway bunker
— Seven new target greens
— New expanded practice putting green
The “Grow-in” Phase consists of irrigation, fertilization and mowing of new turf, post construction clean up of golf course and tree and vegetation grooming. The former Ocean and Lakes course will be called “Makai Course” and Woods course will remain “Woods”. For more information please visit
www.makaigolf.com. For tee time reservation call 826-1912.
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. — the original architect who designed the course — led the course enhancement project, which included reconfiguring the strategy of greens complexes. Improvements also include bold reshaping of the bunkers; refurbishment of selected cart paths and comfort stations; and upgrading the practice facility to include two large practice tees, a practice fairway bunker, eight target greens with bunkers, a teaching tee, and short-game practice complex. Plans for a new clubhouse will be implemented in the next phase of the project. For additional news and information visit
www.troongolf.com/blog.
If you're out on the Westside and wondered what was new at PMRF, the Feb 8th Garden Island article "Ground broken for radar laboratory at Navy base" tells the story. — "Construction has begun at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands near Kekaha on an Advanced Radar Detection Laboratory facility, according to a news release. The ARDEL project will test and evaluate a new radar system planned for the next generation of surface combatant vessels, designed to strengthen the Navy’s ability to detect, track, and provide information required to engage ballistic missiles at greater distances than current systems in use, as well as more elusive long-range air threats, the release states. The advanced technologies of the new radar incorporate various aspects of ballistic missile defense, air defense and surface warfare.
According to the Department of the Navy’s environmental assessment of the project, the purpose of the ARDEL facility is to test advanced radar technologies including the Air and Missile Defense Radar. According to AMDR Major Program Manager Capt. Larry Creevy, AMDR is a next-generation radar system designed to address the BMD, AD, and SuW capability gaps identified in the Maritime Air and Missile Defense of Joint Forces Initial Capabilities Document. AMDR is envisioned to counter current and emergent ballistic missile, air-to-surface and surface-to-surface missile threats.
“This advanced radar project will not only further the Navy’s ability to protect and serve our nation and our allies, but also strengthen PMRF’s status as a diverse and important training and test and evaluation resource for our country,” said Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, PMRF commanding officer. The Department of the Navy chose PMRF for the new ARDEL facility due to Barking Sands’ ability to provide integrated range services in a modern, multi-threat, multi-dimensional environment, from space to the ocean floor, that ensures the safe conduct and evaluation of training and test and evaluation missions.
PMRF was the only potential build location that met the required test and evaluation criteria that could completely support the proposed development of a land-based testing site while providing targets that are representative of the threats Navy vessels may encounter in their operational environment, the release states. Test and evaluation of the new radar technologies would include the use of targets of opportunity on the PMRF range. “PMRF has been working closely with the ARDEL project for some time, and breaking ground on the construction of this facility will put us a step closer to actually realizing a new capability here,” said Cudnohufsky.
The two-story ARDEL facility will consist of a radar tower, mechanical and electrical rooms, radar chiller room, control rooms, equipment storage and loading areas, data processing room and other supporting spaces. The facility will be built with a silver designation of the Navy’s Leadership Energy and Environmental Design building standards. Developed in the 1990s by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is a certification system for environmentally friendly construction, indicating the project meets or exceeds government mandates as well as industry standards. Buildings can achieve certified, silver, gold or platinum designation of LEED compliance. The Navy requires all construction and major renovation projects to be compliant to LEED silver standards or better, the release states.
The traditional image of a radar antenna is the rotating, parabolic antenna as seen on top of airport control towers and aircraft carriers. In contrast, the two radars of the ARDEL facility are similar to the radars of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense radar system, currently operating at PMRF, and to the AEGIS system in use on Navy vessels. “This facility will be the birthplace for the most advanced radar the world has ever seen in the most capable Navy the world has ever seen. It will fulfill missile-defense requirements recently identified by President Obama,” said Creevy. The ARDEL facility will have six permanent staff that could be augmented to the projected peak number of 40 persons during radar testing. The facility would be manned 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific awarded the $18.5 million contract to Tomco Corp. of Honolulu for design and construction of the ARDEL facility. The facility is expected to be completed by August 2011."
Also in the Feb 8th Garden Island is news of a new enterprise in Kilauea "‘5-star’ treatment center to open soon near Kilauea." — "An upscale drug and alcohol treatment rehabilitation center recently opened near Kilauea hopes to draw clientele from across the country to “a vortex of healing energy” on Kaua‘i’s North Shore, according to the center’s founder and CEO. Described on its Web site as “an exclusive boutique recovery retreat treatment center for alcohol and drug abuse on the magnificent island of Kaua‘i” and named for humanitarian Scott J. Lavin, who passed away in 1998 at age 48 after a battle with drug addiction, “The Scott” is now open for business and waiting for its first patients, Founder and CEO Kat Conway said Tuesday. Conway, an entrepreneur who lived on O‘ahu’s North Shore as a child and has now been sober for more than 20 years, spent more than a decade developing the concept since Lavin, her ex-fiancee, passed away. She said she picked Kaua‘i because “there’s something so special about the land” and “it reminds me of the old-time Hawai‘i I used to know.”
Speaking on the phone from California, where she has designed the “Coola Hula” pool cover-up skirt, Conway said there are 32 treatment centers in Malibu alone, which gives alcohol and drug users “no place where they can go and hide out and really heal.” While the admission prices for the center are not revealed on the Web site, Conway said they are “competitive” with other rehabilitation centers. “We are vastly private and secluded. Our only focus is to change your life and help you learn to live a life of sobriety so that you can become the person that you were meant to be,” Conway writes in a message on The Scott’s Web site. “Free from addiction and achieving new dreams that I personally promise are yet to be discovered!”
The Scott has a roster of Ph.D’s and Psy.D’s and will be visited by world-renowned psychiatrists, therapists and art therapists, its Web site states. The team already includes a state-certified addiction counselor, a holistic and Ho‘oponopono practitioner, and a neuroscientist and lomi lomi massage expert. The 10,000-square-foot estate includes a spa and a path to a secluded beach. Up to eight patients at a time are served by a chef, trainer and butler. Conway declined to say where the center is located because she hopes it can keep a low profile that helps patients heal.
Dr. Brigitte Lank, a consultant to the center, is the former president of the Board of Directors for the National Council on Alcoholism and other Drug Addictions and has launched and consulted on several highly successful high-end alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers and frequently appears on ABC Nightline, a press release states. While the center will seemingly target off-island patients, its success at serving its clients discreetly could eventually be a boon to local families struggling with drugs as well. In addition to the creation of local jobs, Conway said part of the proceeds from The Scott will be donated to the Scott J. Lavin Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has among its goals the treatment of recovering alcoholics or drugs users on Kaua‘i and throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Conway also committed to having one space available for someone who cannot afford the intensive treatment if the nonprofit receives enough donations, and said she hopes to one day open a nonprofit residential treatment center or sober living house for the people of Kaua‘i. For more information, visit
www.the-scott.com.
There was more news about hotel occupancy on Kauai in the Feb 20th Garden Island article "Occupancy slide drives hotels to foreclosure." — "Hotel occupancy continued to slide in December 2009 to some 50 percent on Kaua‘i and averaged about 60 percent for the entire year, according to statistics released by Hospitality Advisors and Smith Travel Research earlier this week. Calling 2009 a “tumultuous” year for hotels, Hospitality Advisors reported hotel revenues for the 50th state fell by $741 million during the year. “Although the occupancy rate of 50 percent is alarming, it’s not unusual, especially during the economic environment we’re in,” Office of Economic Development Director George Costa said in an e-mail Friday. November and December typically signify some of the “lowest occupancy periods of the year.”
Kaua‘i has “experienced a cycle of very low and rebounding occupancies” within the past 30 years, including following Hurricane ‘Iwa in 1982 when hotel occupancy rates were also some 50 to 60 percent, Costa said. This time, however, hotels are reportedly struggling to stay afloat, according to data from Hawai‘i real estate firm Colliers Monroe Friedlander. Three resorts on island — ResortQuest Kaua‘i Beach at Maka‘iwa (now called Aston Kaua‘i Beach at Maka‘iwa), Aloha Beach Resort and Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort (now called Kaua‘i Beach Resort) — are either 60 days or more late on their mortgage payments or the lender has foreclosed upon the property and “taken back title,” said Colliers Monroe Friedlander Vice President and Division Manager Mark Bratton on Friday. There are others heading in a similar direction, he said. “It was so easy to borrow money two to three years ago and you could borrow quite a lot,” Bratton said. “Since room rates have gone the other way, they can’t service the debt.”
The situation is “happening more to hotels than any other groups of properties” because they are so reliant upon hotel room rates which fluctuate on a daily basis, he said. “They are all having trouble.” “Hotels will have difficulty maintaining profitability or breaking even if occupancies remain at 50 to 60 percent or drop lower,” Costa said. “Depending on the owner’s financial reserves and their ability to draw on these, they may be able to stay in business for several years if all other factors remain constant.” Costa cites a “main area of concern” to be the price of oil which has been steadily rising for more than a year now and settled at around $80 Friday. The prices will affect travel and the cost of doing business, he said. “That’s why it’s even more important to develop renewable energy projects that will eventually help to lower the cost of electricity and that can be passed on to visitors in the way of affordable vacations, and residents in less to pay for basic services and have more disposable income,” he said.
While occupancy rates have dropped, the average price of a hotel room was actually higher in 2009 than in prior years on Kaua‘i. The average daily rate for 2009 was some $186, while rates for the month of December were around $200, according to Hospitality Advisors and Smith Travel Research. Average daily rates in 2004 were about $177 and $184 in 2005 when the economic tides had not yet turned. “There’s no question that Kaua‘i is dependent on tourism,” Costa said. “It can be argued what the exact percentage is, but well over 50 percent of our economy either relies on or is affected by the visitor industry.” The accommodations and food service sector of the industry employs about 24 percent of the Kaua‘i workforce alone, he added.
Economists are currently forecasting a “slow, gradual recovery” that could take at least two to three years, Costa said. If — and only if — there is a quick economic turnaround, “it would mean visitor arrivals would increase” and businesses could start rehiring employees who were laid off during 2008 and 2009, Costa said." Uhhh...do you think the room rate of $186 has anything to do with this? I was just in Oahu where I paid $79 a night at the Ala Moana Hotel. These are Kama'aina rates but you can book a room for slightly over $100. As Kamaa'aina, they provide late check out at 4PM which is nice if you are spending your last day in Oahu before catching a late flight home. Plus, internet is available for free in all rooms!
"Goats become heroes in Kauai tour" is the name of the article from the Feb 14th Honolulu Star Bulletin. - "Peggy's favorite treat is banana peels. Precious loves being a midwife. Sweetheart craves attention and has no qualms about butting everyone else out of the way to get it. Ryan Wooton knows the idiosyncrasies of each of the 40 milking goats at his family's 15-acre Kauai Kunana Dairy, the only dairy on Kauai. All of the goats have names and distinct personalities. From their milk, the Wootons make eight varieties of gourmet cheese, including marinated artichoke, sun-dried tomato and garlic chive chevre. They also manufacture goat milk soap, shampoo, lotion and conditioner.
The dairy is a partnership between Wooton; his parents, Bob and Louisa; and his wife, Sarah. In addition to the cheese and beauty products, they sell free-range chicken eggs, certified organic produce and a host of items made from them, including pestos, salsas, vinaigrettes, guacamoles, juices, cookies, breads and granola. Hives yield honey and beeswax for lip balms, lotions, salves and soap. A weekly two-hour tour led by Wooton and Sarah sheds light on all aspects of the bustling, multifaceted business. "We started the tour in 2008 to give visitors something different to do and see," Wooton said. "We've found that people are interested in learning where their food comes from. We begin by serving fruit bread with honey, lilikoi goat cheese and lemonade. We grow or make everything that participants taste on the tour."
Launched in 1999, Kauai Kunana Dairy is an outgrowth of the farm that Bob and Louisa started two decades earlier. They primarily grew tomatoes and greens back then. Today their family cultivates hundreds of varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs ranging from beets, basil and bananas to lesser-known tomatillos, kohlrabi and tat tsoi. Guests can taste anything that catches their eye as they stroll through the grounds. Wooton and Sarah explain the best ways to prepare them and also describe the sustainable practices that earned the company a Green Business Initiative Award from the Kauai Rotary Club last year. "For instance, all of our mulch comes from tree and hedge trimmings around the farm," Wooton said. "We make 90 percent of our fertilizer out of mulch and goat and chicken manure. We no longer buy plastic bags to pack our customers' purchases at the farmers markets. Instead, we use recycled bags or sell reusable bags at our wholesale cost. We also reuse cardboard boxes as weed suppressants in the aisles of our gardens, where they eventually compost."
During the tour, participants see the gardens, orchards, beehives and jungle that's home to 70 free-range chickens, but the highlight, no doubt, are the stops they make at the goats' pens. Friendly and curious, the animals always come to the fence to greet guests and nibble on branches from nearby hedges that they bring. In one pen are the pregnant does; in another are the "milking mamas"; in a third are Luther the buck and little ones no more than a year old. At least 100 babies are born at the dairy every year between February and May. Only five females are kept for breeding and milking purposes; the rest are sold. "Visitors on one tour saw twin goats being born right before their eyes," Wooton said. "Sometimes we see babies that are just a few minutes old. We bring out kids that are several days to several months old so guests can pet them, hug them and get a memorable picture with them."
Kauai Kunana Dairy is sanctioned by Animal Welfare Approved, a nationally recognized
certification program that sets and monitors strict animal welfare standards. An AWA representative inspects the company annually to ensure the goats are treated humanely, have plenty of shelter and pasture, and are not fed any antibiotics or hormones. Five breeds of goats produce 10 gallons of milk per day (35 gallons during the summer). In the "milking parlor," tour-goers learn how the goats are milked. They also view the areas where cheese and other products are made. Their visit concludes with a tasting of several delicious items. Wooton says the tour gives people the opportunity to experience life on a family-owned farm that promotes sustainability and proper stewardship of the land and animals.
"It's also a great option for kama'aina," he said. "Many people who've lived in Hawaii all their lives don't know what being a farmer is like. Just about the only things in your closet are boots, jeans and T-shirts. You work long hours. At the end of the day, you're dirty and exhausted. More often than not your body aches, but you feel like you've accomplished something good. You shower, eat dinner, go to sleep early and get up early the next day ready to do it all over again."
Here is the information on the tour:
KAUAI KUNANA DAIRY FARM TOUR
Meet at: Kauai Kunana Dairy, Kilauea, Kauai. Directions are given when the tour is booked.
Offered: Thursdays at 10 a.m. Day and time change with the seasons.
Cost: $20 per person; children under 12 are free (accompanied by an adult). Includes tastings of cheeses fruits and other products in season.
Phone: (808) 651-5046. Advance reservations are required.
Notes: Wear casual, comfortable clothing and sandals or closed-toe shoes (no slippers, please). Don't wear straw hats near the goats because they look like tasty treats to them. Participants should be able to walk on their own on sometimes rough, uneven terrain. Strollers and wheelchairs can't be accommodated on this tour. All of Kauai Kunana Dairy's products are available through mail order and at the farmers' markets in Waipa, just past Hanalei (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.); Hanalei (Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.); and Kauai Community College in Lihue (Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.). Some products can be found year round at Healthy Hut, Papaya's and Banana Joe's. Between April and November, when cheese production increases, stores such as Foodland in Princeville, Kilauea Town Market and Kukuiula Store carry the dairy's cheeses. Among the establishments on Kauai serving the cheeses are Bar Acuda; Duke's Canoe Club; Merriman's; Lighthouse Bistro; Hukilau Lanai; and the restaurants at the Sheraton Kauai, St. Regis Princeville Resort and the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.
There's going to be a new restaurant on Kauai, headed up by the prior owner of A Pacific Cafe, which we all loved when it was in existence. Per the Feb 19th Pacific Business News article "Jean-Marie Josselin to open Kauai tapas bar." - "Jean-Marie Josselin, one of the 12 original Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs, will open his latest restaurant at Kukuiula Village on Kauai in early May. Construction on the 3,453-square-foot Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill, which Josselin is opening with business partner Andrew Ha, is already under way at Kukuiula in Poipu. A series of job fairs will take place March 10 to 12 to hire restaurant staff. Josselin’s last Honolulu restaurant was A Pacific Cafe in Ward Centre, which closed in November 2000, right before Josselin opened the restaurant 808 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The commercial Kukuiula Village is part of the 1,010-acre luxury Kukuiula subdivision being developed on Kauai’s South Shore by Kukuiula Development Co.,a partnership between Hawaii-based A&B Properties and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based DMB Associates Inc." I loved "A Pacific Cafe" when it was in the Kapaa Shopping Center way back when.
Per the Feb 22nd Pacific Business News - "Honolulu: 52nd in wealth study." A new study identifying the wealthiest cities in America ranks Honolulu No. 52. Portfolio.com and Bizjournals analyzed all 420 U.S. cities with populations above 75,000. The study’s six-part formula was geared to identify the nation’s most affluent communities, which it calls wealth centers. Honolulu’s per capita income is $33,369 and its median household income is $60,531Approximately 6.8 percent of Honolulu households have incomes of $200,000 and higher. The median home value is $606,800 in Honolulu, which has a population of 371,148. The wealthiest city in America is Newport Beach, Calif., while the city ranking 420th is Reading, Pa.”
Well there you have it. Now on to your real estate update. Remember, the update reflects only what has happened for the last month in terms of what came on the market, went into escrow and sold. For a full list of available properties, please email with your request. And don't forget to call or email before buying and selling to get the facts.
Aloha Elaine
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