Kona MacNet
Brian Parnell, manager of Kona MacNet, is passionate about “all things Apple.” It’s a good thing, because he shares that passion with everyone who walks into the store in the Henry Street Shops in Kailua-Kona. Parnell has been the manager…
ATR Properties, Inc.
A strategic career change in 1991 set Geri Stephens on a new path to success in commercial real estate and a thriving business in vacation rental property management. As a self-described “local girl,” she realizes that she’s come a long…
Ali‘i Custom Gates
Decorative metal gates are a popular feature of fine homes and businesses all over the island. Ray Huff, owner of Ali‘i Custom Gates, realized that the climate here can be harsh on some metal surfaces. “We saw the need for…
Legend of the Gourd, a Legend of Ka‘ū
Retold by Caren LoebelFried Long ago in Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i, there lived a young man and woman who loved each other very much. Although they were both from families of ali‘i, their parents did not approve of the relationship. And so…
Koehnen’s Interiors
Koehnen’s Interiors has deep roots in Hilo and the home furnishings store has survived more extreme challenges than most—two tsunamis, four floods, several sugar strikes and all of the fluctuating economies since 1929! Karyl Franks, manager, tells the story: “My…
Then & Now: Mahaiula Bay–Surfing & Shipwrecks
By Pete Hendricks When the northwest ocean swell is big—usually in fall and winter—a large offshore patch of surf can be seen clearly from Ka’ahumanu Highway, three miles north of Keahole Airport. Mahaiula Bay—now known as Kekaha Kai State Park—has…
Sailing 101: The Sailing Club at Hilo, Na Hoa Holomoku of Hawai‘i
There is nothing like being out on the bay in Hilo, especially on a sunny and windy day, one perfect for those who enjoy sailing these deep blue waters. You can expect an ever-changing pattern of cloudy skies and rain,…
Coffee Wives Created a Cottage Industry with Lauhala
By Fern Gavelek Times were especially tough during the 1930s Depression Era in Kona. Cash was scarce among residents of the Kona Coffee Belt along the slopes of Hualalai. To help subsidize their families between coffee seasons, Holualoa wives and…
A Paniolo Family’s Tale: Ichiro Yamaguchi, Son of Parker Ranch’s First Japanese Cowboy
By Catherine Tarleton In 1920, American women voted in their first presidential election; commercial radio was born; and the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000 and a curse. In the Territory of Hawai‘i, Waikiki boasted five…
Community Sharing, Local Style at a Hands-On Lu‘au
By Andrea Dean Ever been to a lu‘au and got to make your own lau lau? (Say that 10 times fast!) Ka Hana No‘eau and the Hawai‘i FFA (Future Farmers of America) Foundation have created the Kohala Style Lu‘au, where…
The Enchanted Gardens of Ira Ono
By Devany Vickery-Davidson In the fern forest of Volcano Village is a magical place, full of art, music, wonderful food and enchanting gardens. The spot is Volcano Garden Arts (VGA), and Ira Ono is the maestro who orchestrated this virtual…
Saving Kanaloa
By Denise Laitinen When a rare Blainesville’s beaked whale—which resembles a dolphin—stranded on Maui’s south shore last August, a volunteer alert was issued via Facebook and email. Volunteers with the Hilo Marine Mammal Response Network (HMMRN) were put on notice…
Ken Love: Hawai‘i’s Fruit Guru & Avocado Advocate
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Ken Love personifies the word “localvore.” He has been passionately preaching about local fruits and vegetables long before it was in vogue. I first heard of Ken in 2008, when reading Adam Leith Gollner’s book, The Fruit…
A Bit of the Bayou in North Kohala: This Louisiana Boy Farms Hawaiian Crawfish
By Richard Mark Glover Barefooted, Lance Caspary wades into the rice pond and lifts a triangular trap out of the water. As white caps curl below in the sea along the rugged North Kohala coastline, the sun sparkles from Lance’s…
Ka Wehena: Ho‘ola Hou
I ke alaula, ke ala o ke Akua Ho‘āla ‘ia (‘o) Ka‘ōnohiokalā Kūkuna ke ola, pi‘i i ka lani Kūlia a’ela i ke au houKūlia a‘ela i ke au houI ha‘eha‘e la o Kumu Kahi Puka maila ka lā, Pi‘i…
Rob Yamanoha: One Akamai Hilo Music Man
By Colin John Driving over Saddle Road and into Kaumana, on the mauka side of Hilo, I am looking forward to speaking with the multi-talented Rob Yamanoha. Still a young man, Rob wears many musical hats: guitarist, songwriter, producer, performer,…
The Mindscapes of Ken Charon
By Marya Mann If we could climb inside Ken Charon’s dreamy paintings for a fantastic journey, we might feel the summer breeze on our faces as we trek up an emerald green volcano and wake up in a manger where…
Lee Michael Walczuk: the Man Behind the Mask
By Alan D McNarie It’s evening in Hilo, a couple of nights before Halloween. In the workshop space in the utility building behind East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, Lee Michael Walczuk is holding a special mask-making class. It’s not to make…
Dancing with Paint: Artist Kathleen Kam Choreographs the First of a Series of Downtown Hilo Murals
By Alan D. McNarie “I can paint faster than I can write. I have a nickname: “Dances with Paint,” jokes Kathleen Kam, as she works in a face of a lauhala weaver that she’s painting on the wall of downtown…
