Denise Laitinen
Hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Denise has called Hawai’i home since moving to these islands in 1994. With a writing career spanning more than two decades, Denise is a regular contributor to Ke Ola publications and her work appears frequently in newspapers, magazines, and websites around the country. Passionate about sharing the stories of the people and history that make Hawai’i so unique, Denise’s motto is, “because people’s stories deserve to be told.” Denise is also a sought-after social media instructor who provides social media training for government officials, corporate leaders, and small business owners. Active in the community, Denise was nominated as Hawai‘i County Woman of the Year in 2009 and has served as president of the Big Island Press Club, as well as on the board of directors for the Social Media Club Hawaii. An ardent pet lover, she lives on the slopes of an active volcano in lower Puna with her cats and dogs.
Look For The Helpers: How Hawaii Tracker Became a Pivotal Community Resource
By Denise Laitinen Mr. Rogers, the beloved children’s TV show host, is known for saying, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You…
Hilo’s History Through the Banyan Trees
By Denise Laitinen During the 1930s, a virtual who’s who of celebrities, sports stars, and politicians including our nation’s 32nd president all made their way to Hilo. While here, many participated in planting a banyan tree on the Waiākea Peninsula.…
Hawai’i Island Is the Orchid Isle
By Denise Laitinen There was a time when fields of orchids covered wide swaths of East Hawai‘i, especially Kapoho in lower Puna. So popular were orchid flowers from Hawai‘i Island in the 1950s and 1960s that they were shipped to…
Hawai‘i Island’s Most Prolific Church Builder: Rev. John D. Paris
By Denise Laitinen Dotting the landscape along main highways and backcountry roads, historic churches in West Hawai‘i range from small wooden chapels to impressive stone structures. It may surprise people to learn the same man, the Reverend John D. Paris,…
Magical Creatures of Hamakua: A Second Chance at Life for Animals Large and Small
By Denise Laitinen Standing atop a hill in the middle of a large green pasture along the Hāmākua Coast, the Pacific Ocean extends far into the distance melding with the blue sky as birds sing and puffy white clouds float…
Puna Lights: A Beloved Holiday Tradition
By Denise Laitinen Stanward Oshiro is hard at work making the holidays a little brighter for Hawai‘i Island residents. His annual synchronized Christmas light and music display in lower Puna has become a community favorite for more than a decade,…
Then & Now: Obon Season–A Favorite Summer Tradition on Hawai‘i Island
By Denise Laitinen Summertime is obon season in Hawai‘i. Every year from June through August, the annual Japanese Buddhist tradition of obon festivals, or bon for short, takes place on Hawai‘i Island. These fun cultural events tend to draw large…
Dreams Do Come True: The Musical Journey of Kris Fuchigami
By Denise Laitinen Kris Fuchigami is a study in perseverance. After picking up the ‘ukulele at age 13, the Hawai‘i Island native readily admits he dropped out of band class in school because he struggled with reading music at the…
Hawai’i Island’s Famous “Painted Church”
By Denise Laitinen An incredible example of American folk art, St. Benedict Catholic Church in Captain Cook is one of the most well-known and colorful churches on Hawai‘i Island. Tucked into the slopes of Mauna Loa among coffee farms above…
100 Years of Worship: Ka Mauloa Church
By Denise Laitinen If you stop and listen on any given Sunday as you travel along Highway 11 in Kurtistown, you may hear the sounds of church parishioners singing in Hawaiian. Small in size and humble in nature with roots…
Preserving Waimea’s Historic Spencer House
By Denise Laitinen A courthouse, hotel, restaurant, gift shop, real estate and law office, and a family home; the historic Spencer House in the heart of downtown Waimea has been many things since it was built in the 1840s. Before…
One of Hilo’s Unsung Heroes: Mary Matayoshi
By Denise Laitinen A staunch supporter of education, Mary Matayoshi has created programs that have benefited generations of Hawai‘i Island residents. Her work has led to educational opportunities for thousands of people, however her name is not as well known…
Puka‘ana Church: Steeped in History and Spirit
By Denise Laitinen Like a lei of vibrant Hawaiian flowers, you will find small historic churches dotting the landscape around Hawai‘i Island. Like the flowers bound together in lei, many of the churches are connected, either built by the same…
John Dawson: This Octogenarian is Still Creating Meaningful Art in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
By Denise Laitinen Lots of five-year olds like to draw, but few at that age know they want to be an artist when they grow up. Fewer still grow up to actually become an artist—and a famous one at that,…
Taiko Drumming
By Denise Laitinen There is something intrinsically mesmerizing about percussion—drummers performing in unison, beating out rhythms both simple and intricate. That rhythmic enchantment has led in part to the rise in popularity of Japanese taiko drumming across Hawai‘i Island, the…
A Safe Haven For Hawai‘i Island Cats and Dogs
It’s a typical Monday morning for Mary Rose Krijgsman and the crew of dedicated volunteers who are busy feeding the more than 250 cats and 78 dogs plus several chickens and pigs at the Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kurtistown.…
Kohala Youth Ranch
By Denise Laitinen A man is standing on the outer edge inside a round horse pen in scenic North Kohala trying to get a horse, who is standing in the middle of the ring, to obey his non-verbal commands. It’s…
Kukuau Studio
Build it and they will come. And come they have. Since opening Kukuau Studio in downtown Hilo two years ago, musician and music/vocal teacher Bub Pratt has created a community center that provides music instruction by day and performance art space…
Unusual Places to get Married on Hawai’i Island
In our ongoing series featuring unusual places to get married on Hawai‘i Island, we take a look at botanical gardens and waterfall sites that are perfect for that special ceremony. These unique wedding locations range from state parks such as…
100 Years of Giving: Hawai‘i Community Foundation Celebrates a Century of Helping Hawai‘i Island
By Denise Laitinen Nonprofit organizations can impact our lives in so many ways that we aren’t always aware of how much we benefit from their services. For 100 years, Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) has been helping nonprofit organizations statewide, including…
Ulua Fishing Kau Lā‘au Style with Uncle Aku Hauanio
By Denise Laitinen Fishermen rarely share their secrets, yet Uncle Aku is about to tell me the special ingredient to his fish soup. Not just any soup; soup featuring ulua, the most sought-after shoreline fish in Hawai‘i. “Coconut milk makes…
Trickey House
By Denise Laitinen Over the years, finding Robert Trickey’s house had become something of a Don Quixote adventure for me. When my quest began, I didn’t know that the house belonged to Robert Trickey or that a famous architect designed…
Sounds of Old Hawai‘i: Kalapana Awa Band
By Denise Laitinen Travel to the end of Kapoho–Kalapana Road in Kaimū on a Wednesday night and you’ll find the weekly night market at Uncle’s Awa Club in full swing. Long communal picnic tables are packed with folks enjoying all…
Laupāhoehoe Music Festival: Celebrating and Supporting the Community
By Denise Laitinen On April 23, one of the largest and most beloved annual events on the Hāmākua coast will take place at Laupāhoehoe Point Beach Park. Now in its 11th year, the Laupāhoehoe Music Festival draws residents and visitors…
Unusual Wedding Locations: Ranches
Hawai‘i Island is unique in its rich paniolo (cowboy) history and nowhere is that more evident than in North Kohala. The first paniolos on island date back to 1833, when three vaqueros—Spanish/Mexican cowboys—arrived at Kawaihae Harbor to teach Hawaiians how…
Gathering Na Ali‘i
This March an inspirational event will take place on a Sunday morning in a small Hawaiian church in lower Puna. The event is Nā Ali‘i Sunday—a gathering of royal societies that will come together to honor both God and Nā…
Tom Kuali‘i: Superman Doesn’t Always Wear a Red Cape
By Denise Laitinen Veteran’s Day is November 11, and in this article we highlight a Hawai‘i Island veteran who has served both our country and our island community. We write of Tom Kuali‘i. This is Tom’s story. Sometimes supermen wear…
Long Time Advertiser: HomesGroup-Hawai‘i
For nearly 50 years, Bill Sanborn has been in the business of providing “peace of mind.” Bill and his partner, Sue Moss, owners of HomesGroup-Hawai‘i, make sure off-island homeowners don’t have to worry when it comes to the care of…
Lower Puna’s Historic Catholic Churches
By Denise Laitinen From the outside, the Star of the Sea, a modest green church sitting on the side of the road in Kaimū looks unassuming. It is simple in design, small in size, and its paint is peeling. Just…
The Beacon Pele Spared—Kumukahi Lighthouse
By Denise Laitinen Legend has it that Chief Kumukahi, who resided in Kapoho, was competing in hōlua (Hawaiian sled) races when he mocked Pele who had disguised herself as a beautiful woman. Pele’s wrath was swift and destructive. She chased…
