Rick Fitch

Rick Fitch
Originally uploaded by luckycomehawaii

“NEW LIFE SHOW”

15 years on Maui

studio relocation sale

rik fitch

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

2008 February 22, 23, 24

10 a.m.-4 p.m

Gallerie Ha

51 N. Market St. Wailuku Town

244-3993





Howzit friends!



Hope you can make it. As many of you know, Rik is the artist whose works are reminiscent of Van Gogh, but with a local twist. They can be found at places like Koho’s Restaurant, as well as in international collections.



His works include some wonderful portraits from his student days in Vermont. For three days only, prices will be discounted 50%.

($500-1000.)





Whether you purchase or not, it will be fun to just drop in… and bring a friend.



Alo-hahaha!

The proposal to ban plastic shopping bags

Seeking to end the flow of windblown plastic shopping bags across the Maui County landscape, County Council members joined a worldwide debate on use of the petroleum-based bags Wednesday.

Manufacturing the bags requires millions of gallons of crude oil annually, can choke sea life that mistakes the bags for food and blow out of landfills to drape the tree limbs and roadsides, he said.

Discussion of the issue included a review of efforts elsewhere to deal with the problem of plastic bag litter. Last year, San Francisco became the first United States city to issue a complete ban. Countries from China to Ireland and Australia have instituted plans to either phase out or tax the bags.

county morgue.

WAILUKU — The County Council Policy Committee on Tuesday recommended authorizing the purchase of a site for a county morgue.

The county has already budgeted $2.9 million to buy the 8,324-square-foot, two-story Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii building on Wili Pa Loop, with additional funds available for renovations.

The county’s existing morgue is a small, cramped facility housed at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

“We outgrew it a lotta years ago,” said Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips.

Council members rejected former Mayor Alan Arakawa’s request for $4 million for the morgue project in 2006 but approved it when Mayor Charmaine Tavares made the same proposal last year.

The item is expected to go before the full council for first reading March 7.

Iao Valley Garden

Iao Valley Garden
Originally uploaded by luckycomehawaii

This is lovely Japanese garden in the Iao Valley on the island of Maui Hawaii. Such a wonderfully romantic place, peaceful and majestic. When ever I visit the Iao Valley I feel a sense of calm relaxation. The Iao Valley has water streams and small pools to swim in. This is a local favorite and also a tourist stop over, Free and easy to access.

international buyers

Hawaii: “Due to the weakening U.S. dollar, Hawaii is attracting more international buyers,” says Caron Broederdorf-Hill, owner of Caron B. Realty in Honolulu. “During the last quarter of 2007, two of the four most expensive properties on Oahu sold to Japanese nationals.” On Maui, there have been 20 closed residential, land, and condominium sales since January 1, 2008, priced at $900,000 and above for a total of $43,852,000.

FICO ALERT!

FICO ALERT!

It looks like lenders, landlords, insurance companies and employers aren't the only ones interested in credit scores these days - now the health industry is getting in on the act.

Credit industry giant Fair Isaac is working with Healthcare Analytics and Tenet Healthcare to create a new MedFICO score. This new credit score is intended to judge a person's likelihood of paying their medical bills and could debut as early as this summer.

Understandably, the new score is already raising concerns from consumer advocacy groups that fear it will be checked before patients are treated. They are afraid that people with low medical credit scores could receive lower-quality care than those with a higher MedFICO.

Wailuku Inn

In another matter, the committee voted 8-0 to recommend a 10-year conditional permit for the Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono to operate as a transient vacation rental. The vacation rental was initiated as a bed and breakfast more than 10 years ago by owners Janice and Thomas Fairbanks and has been expanded to 10 bedrooms on a half-acre property. The rentals are in a restored historic home at 2199 Kahookele St.

HAKU MO‘OLELO

HAKU MO‘OLELO
Since market pricing for real estate is subject to significant variability based on factors such as location, the Smiths in “Bubble, Bubble, Where’s the Housing Bubble?” (Brookings Panel on Economic Activity, March 31, 2006) offered that a realistic “fundamental value” can be based on rental value since that would reflect what the surrounding community (including the would-be buyer) can afford or is willing to pay. It has nothing to do with what’s fair in pricing. In a community in which there is a high demand for housing — as is the case around Hawaii — renters may share the unit to be able to afford it, but if they pay the rent, that establishes value.

Top 10 states for Foreclosures

1. Nevada – 1 in 61 households
2. California – 1 in 88 households
3. Florida– 1 in 95 households
4. Michigan– 1 in 102 households
5. Ohio– 1 in 107 households
6. Colorado– 1 in 109 households
7. Arizona– 1 in 112 households
8. Georgia– 1 in 142 households
9. Indiana– 1 in 196 households
10. Texas– 1 in 205 households


Nevada is the worst state having nearly 1 in 61 homes in foreclosure up 200 percent since last year. Since a huge portion of the market was speculation in Nevada and Las Vegas this was not the mortgage money that was lost but instead investment dollars. None the less, the combination of heartache and opportunity will remain the longstanding tradition that is Las Vegas.