“Keep it hot and fresh” could be the motto for Waikapu on 30 owner Barbara Kikuchi, who runs the popular plate lunch stop on Honoapiilani Highway in Waikapu. “We’re kind of like a truck stop,” said the former hotel sales and marketing executive. Kikuchi also worked for six years in media and employee relations for Maui Electric Co. “I’m not a trained chef,” she said. But she knows her customers aren’t exactly looking for haute cuisine. “It comes out like you were cooking at home,” Kikuchi said. And her simple, home-cooking approach works well. “People are coming back,” she said, “plenty of repeat customers.” The business sells an average of 200 to 250 plate lunches daily, and “we do lots of saimin and burgers and deli sandwiches are flying out the door.”
While Kikuchi is enjoying success in her seven-year-old business, she contemplated shutting down two years ago when her targeted clientele of construction workers and local families scaled back on eating out. Kikuchi’s family urged her to carry on and pledged to help out. “If I didn’t have them, I don’t know if I would be here today … You need a strong family backing when times are hard,” she said. Kikuchi adjusted in the down times by accepting catering jobs, some of which have turned into regular clients.
“You always have to re-evaluate and see what you need to do to stay in business,” she said. After one such business evaluation, Kikuchi decided to start an outdoors Friday night dinner featuring Hawaiian food at her store beginning this summer. Kikuchi also remains loyal to her commitment to use local products, from growing her own luau leaves to purchasing locally-grown taro for her popular Hawaiian plates. She has no plans to expand the store. “We don’t want to lose the mom and pop, the local feel. That’s what I love about my store, I know my customers. If I were any bigger, I wouldn’t be able to talk to people and get to know them.”
An internship in the Maui Smart Grid project energized three people to launch businesses aimed at helping Hawaii reach its clean energy goals. They are Patricia Boulet, Green Energy Consulting; Stamati Stamatiou, Mati Consulting; and Austin Van Heusen, Van Heusen Energy Consulting. Each of them had been enrolled in the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui program through the University of Hawaii Maui College. And each has a goal to help both residential and commercial clients become more energy efficient.
“Energy efficiency is often overlooked but it is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce your electric bill,” Boulet said. “Getting an energy audit is the first step in understanding your energy use and how to lower your electric bill without reducing the quality of your life.” A certified home energy auditor, Stamatiou said every home audit in the Smart Grid project resulted in finding opportunities for energy savings, many at low or no cost to homeowners. Van Heusen, who now interns at Green Building LLC, said his energy consulting business assesses energy usage and then makes recommendations for energy efficiency upgrades.
Stamati Stamatiou
Stamatiou said he formed Mati Consulting nearly two years ago with a desire to apply the energy efficiency principles and green building concepts he studied in school. “My goal is to be a part of the solution to the issues facing our island and our planet, specifically through promoting the implementation of energy efficiency measures,” Stamatiou said. Boulet said she believes a successful business will mean following her passion — promoting green technology and energy efficiency, and following through — “Making sure that these recommendations make sense to my clients both logically and to their wallets.” Van Heusen said he would like to help build a green work force that is beneficial to both Maui’s economy and environment.
Volunteers with the American Association of Retired Persons Tax Aide Foundation are once again providing free tax preparation assistance. The group on Maui has been providing help for more than 30 years now. “In the early days, we did it by hand. Now we’ve got computers,” said Barbara Workman, a 19-year volunteer and AARP’s district coordinator for the Tax Aide project. The program is open to the public, and all volunteers are certified through the AARP Tax-Aide Program. You do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use the service or to volunteer. AARP targets low- to moderate-income people.
It’s the gratitude shown for the tax return help that has motivated 88-year-old Dorothy Hew, one of the original volunteers who now focuses her time on welcoming walk-in clients at the Kahului Union Church site. “I just feel like we’re helping people who know absolutely nothing about taxes,” Hew said. “These people need help and they appreciate the help.” According to Workman, even the simplest tax return could cost upwards of $100 each if prepared by a tax professional. “We know a lot of people come to us year after year because they simply can’t afford to pay to have their taxes done,” Workman said.
The service is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis Saturdays (except March 30) at Kahului Union Church; and on the second and fourth Mondays at the Kihei Community Center. Tax aide volunteers will also help appointment-only clients at the Kaunoa Senior Center, 270-7308; and the West Maui Senior Center, first and third Tuesdays, 661-9432. Taxpayers need to bring a photo ID and Social Security cards for all family members. If filing married filing jointly, both spouses must be present. Participants also need to bring 2011 federal and state tax returns and current tax documents. Free e-filing of returns can also be done. The AARP Tax Aide Foundation has 24 certified counselors and five client facilitators volunteering this year on Maui. They completed 1,200 tax returns last year and expect to do at least that many again in 2013.
Maui and its dormant volcano, Haleakala, is providing a unique vantage point for scientists and astronomers to study and monitor all kinds of situations in space. That work is explained in a newly-released, short film called “Maui in Space.” Produced by Maui Economic Development Board, the video, according to physical scientist Dr. Stacie Williams of the Air Force Research Laboratory, shows a collaboration by MEDB, the Air Force and the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy. “Our society revolves around using space…The video shows Maui’s global contribution to space situational awareness,” Williams said. “It’s an educational video that shows the importance of the work being done here.”
MEDB, with support from the County of Maui, produced the film as an introduction to astronomy on-island and the Department of Defense’s efforts in work and research around space situational awareness. “I think MEDB did a nice job,” said Williams, who appears in the video along with other Air Force Lab officials and researchers with UH’s Institute of Astronomy. The video provides information on high-tech instruments such as the 3.6-meter, Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) telescope and how it’s used at the Maui Space Surveillance Site atop Haleakala.
Williams said the film will help her to carry out the Air Force’s commitment to Maui and the community as she uses it to educate teachers and inspire students in grades K-12 to explore the field of math and science. “What I want to do is show it to students so that they can see you don’t have to leave Maui to work in high-tech careers. There are jobs here,” she said. “I think it’s very important to show children that science can be engaging and very interesting and this video does that.” Williams said the film could also help orient island newcomers and new employees in the technology field on Maui. “I think it’s a nice introduction for them to know what’s going on here,” she said.
After 20-plus years in the business, geotechnical engineer Theresa Nunan has fulfilled a lifelong goal to become independent and establish her own company. Now she’s sharing her passion for engineering with young people, hoping they’ll get past the stereotype that “engineers are nerds.”
A mother of two sons, one of whom is studying aerospace engineering in college, Nunan said: “Engineers are often creative people.” To do their jobs, they must be innovative and thrive in a variety of skills including project leadership, effective communication with people and sound financial management of time and resources. “Engineering can be a very exciting and innovative field,” she said. “There are a lot of aspects to it.”
National Engineers Week is set this year for Feb. 17-23. As part of the celebration, Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology Project will present “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” on Feb. 21. The event is open to 7th- and 8th-graders with applications due Feb. 13 to bristol@medb.org. Host organizations include Maui Electric Co. and the County of Maui Wastewater Reclamation Division in Kihei. For more information, contact Mapu at mapu@medb.org. Nunan has previously served as a career-shadowing mentor and a coordinator of Engineers Week events featuring math contests for middle school students. “To expose kids at an early age to what they can do with their math and science skills, I think is great,” Nunan said. “I would have loved to have what they have today when I was going to school.”
She said the field of engineering is vast, with options ranging from aerospace to environmental and geotechnical engineering, a branch of civil engineering that specializes in soil and rock foundation. Nunan, a native of Maine, settled on Maui after 22 years of work in her home state. She said she chose geotechnical engineering because it takes her both indoors and outdoors. “I love it because of the balance of field work and office work and lab. I get it all,” she said.
“Keep it hot and fresh” could be the motto for Waikapu on 30 owner Barbara Kikuchi, who runs the popular plate lunch stop on Honoapiilani Highway in Waikapu. “We’re kind of like a truck stop,” said the former hotel sales and marketing executive. Kikuchi also worked for six years in media and employee relations for Maui Electric Co. “I’m not a trained chef,” she said. But she knows her customers aren’t exactly looking for haute cuisine. “It comes out like you were cooking at home,” Kikuchi said. And her simple, home-cooking approach works well. “People are coming back,” she said, “plenty of repeat customers.” The business sells an average of 200 to 250 plate lunches daily, and “we do lots of saimin and burgers and deli sandwiches are flying out the door.”
