Mālama Mokupuni: Caring for Our Island Environment — A Rare Night Visitor: ‘A‘o, the Newell’s Shearwater
By Rachel Laderman The strange, croaking-squawking calls started in August. Was it a sick chicken? A keiki’s squeaky toy? A lost donkey? I asked neighbors, I did a web search. I stayed up to listen closely: it had to be…
Talking Story With Jerry Benson, Master Canoe Builder
By Mary L. Moody When I first met Jerry and Leina‘ala Benson in October 2011, I was unaware that their neighbor and good friend, Herb Kāne, had died earlier that year, in March. Having recently moved to the island from…
Featured Artists: Ginger Anne Sandell & Tina Clothier
Featured Cover Artist: Ginger Anne Sandell A constant companion in Ginger Anne Sandell’s life is the creative force that drives her to the easel and compels her to lay paint on canvas. Her mother, an artist herself, encouraged her in…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Liko Lehua Café
Dawn Kāneali‘i-Kleinfelder’s dream as a young entrepreneur was to open a small burger shack offering pastas, salads, sandwiches, plate lunches, and of course her family’s famous butters. That dream came true in 2011 with the opening of the Liko Lehua…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: E.F. (Eddy) Cash-Dudley, Attorney
Planning for, and making, end-of-life decisions is not easy. Neither are navigating issues regarding divorce and child custody. That’s why E.F. (Eddy) Cash-Dudley provides a variety of legal services with a caring and personal touch. Her advice to clients is,…
E Palekana Me Ka Manō: Be Safe With Sharks
By Wendy Noritake I have a daily ritual of swimming in the ocean, enjoying nature, and anticipating what magic I might see. One morning in October, I swam with a friend in the warm turquoise waters at Nishimura Bay, in…
Beauty and the Beasts: The Art and Craft of Hawai‘i’s Big Game Lures
By Jim Harrold If you ever venture on a Kona sportfishing charter, you’ll likely note that the fanciful handcrafted lures trolled behind the boat don’t look anything like common bait for ono, mahimahi, ahi, and marlin. The colorful lure heads,…
Education on the Ocean: Pua Ka Ilima Treats Keiki to Sailing Adventures
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu It was a 19-day adventure on the open seas for Ralph Blancato and his crew to pilot a 42-foot sailboat from California to Hawai‘i Island. In July 2022, Ralph and his team of three people sailed successfully…
On Hawai‘i Island You Can Pick The Weather You Want
By Walter Dudley One reason Hawaiʽi is known around the world as paradise is that the climate across our island chain is about as perfect as any place on Earth. But what many people don’t realize is that Hawaiʽi Island…
Planting the Forest Back Together
By Rachel Laderman The Kealakekua Forest Nursery (KFN) is the biggest native plant nursery in the state, and it is run with a big heart, driven by love for the land and Hawaiian heritage. It provides seedlings for many reforestation projects,…
Backyard Chickens for Food Self-Sufficiency
By Rachel Laderman When times get tough, people get chickens. It’s a practical way to gain more food security. A chicken coop in the yard also reduces the environmental footprint created by shipping eggs from the mainland’s large-scale, high-production poultry…
Featured Artists: Jane Chao & Shay Niimi Wahi
Featured Cover Artist: Jane Chao Jane Chao was born in Harbin, Manchuria, China, in 1929. Her father was in the military—his job was to keep the railroad safe in northern Manchuria which was under Japanese occupation. He was working for the…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Big Island Motors
David De Luz Sr. started selling used cars in the Bayfront area of Hilo 61 years ago, naming it Big Island Motors. From those humble beginnings with a small car lot, David expanded his business to selling travel trailers, then…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Ma‘ata Tukuafu, RS
Whether she is listing a multimillion-dollar home or helping her clients search for a modest dwelling, Ma‘ata Tukuafu puts in the same amount of effort and commitment. Before Covid, Ma‘ata was a property manager, and obtained her real estate license…
Ka Puana: E lei no au i ko aloha
I will wear your love as a wreath Encircling you with love this holiday season!
FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i: Lifesaving Training for the Next Generation of Spearfishers
By Sara Stover On a breezy Saturday morning at the beginning of the summer, 25 of Hawai‘i Island’s youth willingly gather in a classroom at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA). Dylan Currier and Sandy Hammel of Freediving Instructors International are demonstrating…
Petroglyph Press: 60 Years of Sharing Local Culture, History, and Storytelling
By Nancy S. Kahalewai For six decades, the Reed family has been busy printing and publishing in downtown Hilo. Petroglyph Press, Ltd. owners David and Christine Reed are now celebrating the 60th anniversary of the business that David’s parents, Steve…
Featured Artists: Trish Helms Kimball & Susanna Anderson
Featured Cover Artist: Trish Helms Kimball Trish Helms Kimball grew up on Hawai‘i Island and has lived here for most of her adult life. Her family’s home was in Hilo, and they often spent weekends and summers at their beach…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Keauhou Shopping Center
Keauhou Shopping Center, “Kona’s Legendary Gathering Place,” has a great selection of merchants and incredible community events that draws both vistors and residents. It is the centerpiece of Keauhou Resort, a modern getaway surrounded by rich Hawaiian history. Once the…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Event Center at Arc of Hilo
The Event Center at Arc of Hilo offers customers a spacious, modern venue for wedding receptions, graduations, birthday parties, conferences, and celebrations of life. The Arc of Hilo started in 1954, serving youth and adults with disabilities. Their event center…
Ka Puana: He keiki aloha na mea kanu.
Beloved children are the plants.
At Home in the Caldera: Koa‘e Kea, the White-Tailed Tropicbird
By Rachel Laderman If you have trekked to Halema‘uma‘u in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to see the lava fountaining in the caldera, you may have caught the sweeping movements of a white bird carving loops from the steaming caldera floor…
Casa de Las Palmas: Hilo’s Sanctuary for Rare and Endangered Palms
By Sara Stover On an unassuming country road outside of Hilo, perched above the ancient waters of Waiākea Stream, grows a menagerie of rare and endangered palms. Before you even step foot onto the grounds of Casa de Las Palmas…
The Many Hands, Feet, Wings, Paws, and Hoofs of Lili House Farm
By Nancy S. Kahalewai What do Arthur the mini-donkey, Wilma and Fred the African desert tortoises, and Tommy the American heritage turkey have in common? They all get to roam and graze on a carpet of sweet grass on the…
Ipu Stories—From Seed to Stage
By Nancy S. Kahalewai There are few things as unique as the feel, shape, sound, texture, decoration, source, and even lineage of a Hawaiian ipu drum. Pahu (drums) are part of the bedrock of traditional Hawaiian hula traditions, dancing, and…
Featured Artist: Alexander Rokoff
The paintings featured on this issue’s cover and table of contents were both created by the same artist, Alexander Rokoff. The cover’s Blind Shepherd is about ‘aumakua (personal gods). Alexander explains, “To me, it feels similar to the Native American…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Jade Painting, LLC
Jade Painting recently opened their Hawai‘i Island office, although they’ve had full-time workers here for more than five years. Started on O‘ahu in 1974, the founder, John Wyman, Sr. loved the Hawaiian Islands so much, that he started his own…
Island Treasures: Ginger Sandell
How many people have you known who could create fine art as well as they “crunch numbers?” Ginger Sandell can do both, and do them well! Fully retired from her CPA career in 2020, Ginger is finally able to focus…
Ka Puana: A Satisfaction with the Land
Sonny’s Healing Journey Began with Music
By Carole Gariepy If you’ve stopped at Punalu‘u Bakery in Nā‘ālehu on a Thursday or Saturday, you’ve likely had the pleasure of enjoying the mellow music of Sonny Ramos. His Hawaiian and American melodies fill the air and provide an…
