Damaged heiau repaired, thanks to volunteers

A tsunami-damaged ancient Hawaiian heiau has been restored.

Ahuena Heiau Inc. is a nonprofit organization of volunteers from West Hawaii serving as primary caretakers of the heiau, a stone platform used for worship. The group said the yearlong effort to restore the heiau in Kailua-Kona involved 3,000 hours of volunteer service.

The heiau is on the grounds of King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, which sustained damage from the tsunami triggered by the March 11 earthquake in Japan. The heiau is also on the national and state registers of historic places.

It is considered one of the most culturally significant sites in Hawaii.

The project was funded in part by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Homeowner tax exemption gets a boost

Kauai County officials announced last week that more property tax relief is available for some homeowners, as the tax exemption for owner-occupants has been increased to $120,000 from $80,000 of appraised value.

The increased tax exemption can be claimed by households with income of no more than $56,400.

Applications for the additional home exemption and other tax relief programs are available at neighborhood centers and at the Real Property Assessment office next to the Motor Vehicle Registration counter in the Lihue Civic Center’s Kapule Building.

In addition, applications can be downloaded from www.kauai.gov. For more information, call 241-4224 or go to www.kauaipropertytax.com.