NEWS & NOTES Changing of guard at Makai Recently, Makai Properties experienced a changing of the guard. After establishing the company in 1979 and building the firm to one of the largest, most successful real estate brokerages on Kaua’i and
NEWS & NOTES
Changing of guard at Makai
- Recently, Makai Properties experienced a changing of the guard. After establishing the company in 1979 and building the firm to one of the largest, most successful real estate brokerages on Kaua’i and in Hawai’i, Bob Keown, owner and principal broker, last month officially closed the sale of the business to long-time agents within the company. The purchase price was not disclosed.
The new entity is Makai Properties, LLC, whose members consist of Rick Shaw, principal broker, and Roberta Charles and Kelly Liberatore, brokers in charge. They will continue to do business from locations on the Southshore of Kaua’i, at Poipu Kai Resort, and the West Kaua’i office in Waimea town.
With much press of late on the many development projects currently going through the county permitting process, Keown said he had been romanced in recent years by several real-estate-franchise operations whose leaders were anxious to establish a presence in the resort area of Po’ipu. With so much anticipated growth, Makai Properties leaders, with their experience and key locations, were seen as being part of the most viable company to serve the blossoming Southside community, he said.
It was finally a decision Keown made based on loyalty to the long-time agents who had helped build the company over the many years that placed the operations in the hands of Shaw, Charles and Liberatore.
According to Hawaii Information Service statistics, since 1990 Makai Properties has been the number-one producer of annual gross sales volume islandwide. In those years, the combined annual sales volume of this company was $837 million, nearly $200,000,000 more than the closest competitor.
Shaw is a 26-year veteran to Kaua’i real estate, and transferred to Makai Properties in 1987 after many years as a top producer at Prosser Realty. Charles joined Makai Properties in 1984 as a new licensee, with a background in real estate sales and development. Over the years, she has been acting broker in charge as back up to Keown. Liberatore started with the company as Shaw’s assistant in 1993, and progressed through property management to residential sales before she opened the Makai Properties’ location in Waimea and established the only full-time, full-service, real-estate office on Kaua’i’s Westside.
Maui horse whisperer coming to Kaua’i
- Equine behavioral and training expert Franklin Levinson will be on Kaua’i Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, presenting “The Way of the Horse Workshop.” Levinson, described as an outstanding facilitator, horseman, riding instructor and trainer, will help participants create the most powerful connection they have ever had with their horse, he said. He will teach participants how to maintain that connection, too, he said.
Participants at the event will learn effective communication, willing partnership, shared vision, skillful action, and thoughtful decision-making, he said. Levinson encourages guests to bring their biggest issues to the arena, to learn the secret techniques of the horse whisperer, and to try their own hand, one-on-one, with their own horses.
According to organizer April Layne, pre-registration is required. Interested parties must register by this Wednesday, June 15. The two-day workshop will run from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.
Attendees must arrive by 8 a.m. The cost for the two-day event is $300 plus tax per person. The one-day rate is $175 plus tax. The fee includes morning refreshments and lunch. For more information, including how one can audit the workshop, please contact Layne at 823-8232 or 346-1706.
Cruise ships calling on Nawiliwili
- Tomorrow, Monday, June 13, the Pride of Aloha, 850 feet long, calls on Nawiliwili Harbor, arriving at 7 a.m. and remaining overnight, leaving Tuesday, June 14, at 1 p.m. This Wednesday, June 15, Norwegian Wind, 754 feet long, arrives at 8 a.m., leaving at 5 p.m. the same day.
SunTrips adds six flights to Hawai’i
- Kaua’i began receiving additional air passengers effective Wednesday, June 1, when leaders at SunTrips added six flights per week to Kaua’i, Honolulu, Maui and Big Island, in order to meet increased demand during the summer, they said. There are now 11 flights per week from Oakland, Calif. to Hawai’i. SunTrips also offers flights among the Hawaiian Islands under an agreement with Aloha Airlines. SunTrips is a subsidiary of RCG Cos. Inc. “We are seeing strong demand for SunTrips’ vacation packages,” said William Goldstein, RCG chief executive.
Hawaiian Airlines does well with DOT
- Hawaiian Airlines leaders won top marks in April from officials in the U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) for their on-time performance, fewest number of flights canceled, and for excellent baggage handling, according to a company spokesperson. The DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report cited Hawaiian Airlines’ performance in these categories as the best among all air carriers for April. Hawaiian Airlines leaders emerged from bankruptcy protection Wednesday, June 1.
Kauai Board of Realtors chooses scholarship winners
- Leaders at the Kauai Board of Realtors announced the six winners of their 2005 scholarship program last week. According to board members, they are committed to keeping the Realtors for Education programs available for all Kaua’i youth.
The winners are Cedric Macadangdang, who plans to attend the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of California; Shelcie Takenouchi, who plans to attend the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of California; Jenna Lynch, who plans to attend Dartmouth College and major in medical research; Cody Iddings, who plans to pursue journalism education at Point Loma Nazarene University and wishes eventually to return to Kaua’i; Peterson Dela Cruz Jr., who wants to be a computer engineer and is weighing several college options; and Jennifer Lindsey, who will major in marine biology at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
Two Kaua’i schools win contest runner-up prizes
- Members of the Kula Elementary School sixth grade, and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School seventh grade, each won $500 runner-up prizes for their schools as part of the American Savings Bank Careers in Banking Contest.
According to a spokesperson at American Savings Bank, the winners of the contest were students from Nu’uanu Elementary and Moloka’i High School. Leaders at those schools each received $1,000.
The contest was part of a Financial Literacy Month educational push in Hawai’i. Both public- and private-school students statewide participated in the contest. Students were asked to answer the following question: Suppose you had $1 million to spend on your community. How would you spend it?
“We had a variety of responses from the students, from giving food and shelter to the homeless to putting money back into the education system to pay teacher salaries,” said Anna Marie Springer.
“It was so hard to choose a top class. It wasn’t in our original plan, but there were so many good entries we decided to award runner-up prizes and recognize schools on each island.” Entries were graded on originality, creativity, diversity and feasibility.
