Kupuna Talk Story: Kenneth Francis Brown–Native Son, Holistic Visionary Inspires the Future of Hawai‘i Island
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversation exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Messages to Mars: Artist Jon Lomberg Sends Relics from Today for Civilizations Tomorrow
By Jon Lomberg NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars last August to begin a two-year study on Mars at Gale Crater, near the Martian equator. The crater has features that were formed by water long ago, so it is a…
The Life and Legacy of Guy Toyama: Remembering a Green Power Hero and Friend
By Susan Cox The first time I met Guy Toyama was about nine years ago. A mutual friend arranged a business meeting between us. I didn’t live on Hawai‘i Island yet, even though I dreamed about finding a way to…
Ka Puana: Maile Connects with Her Ancestors
An excerpt used with permission of the publisher KoaBooks.com Late that night…A gecko straddled the limb of a guava tree above the freshwater pond, alert to the rustle of Maile coming down the jungle path. Passing beneath the lizard’s perch,…
Hawai‘i Island Business: Sole Comfort
By Sara Hayash Some people shop for shoes based primarily on style. At Sole Comfort, located in the Hilo Shopping Center, you can find shoes that don’t sacrifice comfort in the name of fashion. After opening his current podiatry practice…
Hawai‘i Island Business: Sushi Rock
By Lily Hoskinson-Weinstein Ten years ago, Peter Pomeranze decided to take a leap of faith and start a restaurant purely inspired by all the available products here on the island; the bounty of fresh produce, island grass-fed beef, Hāmākua goat…
Hawai‘i Island Business: Amici Italian Bar and Grill
By Sara Hayash Amici means “friends” in Italian, and this is the feeling that owner and chef, Gianni Saffoti, strives to provide at Amici Italian Bar and Grill in Kona. “I wanted it to be a place where people can…
Island Treasures: Living Arts Gallery, Hawi
By Lily Hoskinson-Weinstein Connie Firestone and Mary Sky Schoolcraft have been working side by side at the Living Arts Gallery since its inception in 2009 with the motto, “Take Heart, Make ART.” Connie’s series of Guardians studio paintings are sleek,…
Island Treasures: Simple Elegance Gems, Kailua-Kona
By Lily Hoskinson-Weinstein When you buy something made with passion and love, you can feel it. Wendy Greenfield has been collecting stones all her life, and when she moved to Hawai‘i Island five years ago, she expanded her creative outlet…
In The Shadow Of The Sandalwood: The Plight Of The Wiliwili
By Stig Lindholm In Hawaiian legend, when the god Kāne threw his calabash into the void of space, everything Hawai‘i was created: the sky, the earth, and the ocean. Then, in and upon those mediums, Kāne bestowed life. To the…
Ka Puana–The Refrain: Island Naturals Cookbook
This book can be found at: Island Naturals Hilo Island Naturals Kona Island Naturals Pahoa Basically Books Book Gallery Hilo Big Island BookBuyers Kona Stories Waimea General Store Seaweed Salad If you aren’t eating seaweeds, you are missing out on…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Lyman Museum and Mission House
The Lyman Museum led by Barbara Moir, Executive Director, and Richard Henderson, Board Chairman, is one of only four nationally accredited museums in the State of Hawai‘i and a Smithsonian Affiliate. This year marks the 180th anniversary of the arrival…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Golden Egg Cash Assets
The Golden Egg is a women-run, locally owned store that buys miscellaneous gold, silver, platinum, dental gold, silverware, and gold and silver coins. One of their policies is that you will never feel pressured to sell anything that you are…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Facial Fitness Hawai‘i
Marty Dean started Facial Fitness Hawaii in 1993 because she understood there was a need for a holistic approach to skin and body care. Constantly keeping up with the latest education, she is a living example of walking her talk…
Island Treasures: Martin & MacArthur
Martin & MacArthur has been making fine furniture longer than any individual or company in the history of Hawai‘i. They are the fine furniture maker of ‘Iolani Palace and fine Hawai‘i resorts such as the Royal Hawaiian, the Moana Surfrider,…
Island Treasures: Blue Ginger Gallery
Till Ami Meyers brought her silk art to Hawai‘i in 1985. Today she creates one-of-a-kind paintings in all medias and still designs and merchandises for other artists. Her interest in art began at an early age when her mother introduced…
W. M. Keck Observatory: Seeking Answers to the Greatest Questions About Our Universe
By Jon Lomberg Ask any astronomer to short-list the world’s best telescopes and W. M. Keck Observatory’s twin instruments on Mauna Kea will be at the top of everyone’s list. The combination of a perfect site, generous funding, and cutting-edge…
Mālama Honua—Care for the Earth: The Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūle‘a and the Hikianalia
By Keith Nealy It is no surprise to the majority of people in the world that our planet is suffering from climate change; the depletion of natural resources; the degradation of our land, sea and air—conflicts that result from overconsumption…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Herb Kawainui Kāne, Father of the Hawaiian Renaissance
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversations exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Ka Puana: A Ranching Legacy Honored
“Smart’s enjoyment of life was in singing, acting, and ranch managing, in that order. That imposition of Broadway on ranch economics was ultimately responsible for certain adjustments to the supporting cast at Parker Ranch – that is, firings, new job…
The Life of Business: WaterWorks
Verne Wood, founder of WaterWorks, is a pioneer in the business of water catchment services and products on an island where many homes are independent of the County water system and rely on collecting rainwater. The company began more than…
The Life of Business: Hawai‘i Biological Dentistry
Dr. Randy Ressler may be the most musical dentist in town! “Music has always been a big part of my life,” says the owner of Hawai‘i Biological Dentistry in Kailua-Kona. He’s been performing since he was 10 and he helped…
The Life of Business: Island Edges Beads
Sharon Turner retired from being a high school theatre teacher in Arizona. Looking for something different and creative, she took a few classes in jewelry making. A native of Phoenix, the single mom of two boys taught there for 26…
The Life of Business: Big Island Coffee Roasters
Brandon Damitz and Kelleigh Stewart have combined their expertise in biological and culinary sciences and organic farming to create a business that offers the finest local products to the public along with support for other coffee growers in commercial roasting,…
Island Treasures: Hawaiian Macadamia Granola
Barbara Andersen, owner of the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast, developed her own special recipe for island-style granola to serve her guests at the breakfast buffet—something that reflects Hawai`i Island. “I started tweaking recipes, adding and subtracting ingredients, until I…
Island Treasures: Pele’s Glass Creations
Glass artisan Dave Karl, who lives close to actual lava flows in Puna, wanted to create the beauty of the lava eruptions. With Pele as his inspiration, he developed a special way of playing with glass to replicate lava explosions.…
Contemporary Hawaii Woodworkers: the Wood, the Art, the Aloha
Koa is Hawai‘i. It provides that sense of place, that connection to the ‘āina (land) that is uniquely Hawai‘i. With a property known as chatoyancy (sha-toy-an-cee)—the ability to shimmer like a cat’s-eye gemstone—figured or curly koa wood is like no…
The Life in Business: Coldwell Banker Day-Lum Properties/Day-Lum Rentals & Management, Inc.
Nancy Cabral has worked her way up from the little island of Moloka‘i to become a major player in the real estate and property management business on Hawai‘i Island. She came to Hilo in 1978 and has lived here for…
The Life in Business: Synergy
Synergy is “a collaboration of like-minded practitioners, artists and healers who believe in wellness on all levels of life.” Patricia’s Transitions, Trystin’s Therapeutic Massage, and Clay’s DreamScapes were finding it challenging to operate as individual practices, and that led them…
The Life in Business: Quindembo Bamboo Nursery
Peter Berg and Susan Ruskin came to Hawai‘i in 1987 specifically to start a bamboo nursery. “We located the nursery in Waimea, because it is near the beach and we foolishly imagined we’d have lots of time to hang out.…
