Karen Rose
Karen Rose is a writer and journalist living on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Her writing focuses on food, wine, travel, culture, and arts and entertainment. She holds a graduate degree in cultural anthropology and is the executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii Island.
Paddling for Hope: Derek Park Fundraises for Breast Cancer Education and Early Detection
By Karen Rose The “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Haddon Surgeon said that hope itself is like a star—not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, but to be discovered in the night of adversity. Nine years ago, paddler Derek…
For the Love of Horses: Linda Tellington-Jones Proves Touch is Worth a Thousand Words
By Karen Rose It’s been said that a horse doesn’t care how much you know, until she knows how much you care. Local horse whisperer Linda Tellington-Jones would agree. Linda is founder and owner of Tellington TTouch Training, a global…
Mālamalama and Kona Pacific Celebrate 100 Years of Waldorf Education
By Karen Rose On September 19, 2019, Waldorf education proudly marked its 100-year anniversary worldwide. The first Waldorf school was founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919 and is based on the educational philosophy of Austrian social reformer, Rudolf Steiner. Today…
Art Runs in the Family
By Karen Rose The familiar saying, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” is true for one talented artistic family living on the island of Hawai‘i. Maya Sorum worked as the resident artist at Mauna Lani Resort for 36…
‘Tis the Season to Share More Aloha
By Karen Rose The celebratory season is upon us, and nothing brings out community generosity like the spirit of the holidays. Sharing aloha is a year-round activity in Hawai‘i; however, there’s something special about winter celebrations that compel us to…
Start Fishing! The Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament Celebrates 60 Years
By Karen Rose On August 21, 1959, statehood was granted to the territory of Hawai‘i, making it the 50th state in the union. Two days later, the first Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) was introduced to Kona. This year marked…
Empowering Women and Girls to Reach Their Highest Potential: American Association of University Women
By Karen Rose In 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, then a member of the Continental Congress, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we will be determined to foment a…
Leche de Tigre: Celebrating 10 Years of Dancing and Grooving
By Karen Rose The Island of Hawai‘i is no stranger to those who love to wander. One trip to paradise can easily leave visitors yearning for a free and spirited life filled with palm trees and warm breezes. This bohemian…
Where are the Whales? Humpback Whale Sightings are on the Decline
By Karen Rose The Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum said that in the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught. Researchers at the National…
It’s Tiki Time! Three Island Artists Turning Idols into Art
By Karen Rose Romanticized images of Hawai‘i and Polynesia abound in Hollywood films and dramatizations of island life. One of the most iconic images of Hawai‘i adopted by popular culture is the tiki. Tikis are wooden carvings created to represent…
Beautiful Mele: Mark Saito Shares Aloha Through Song
By Karen Rose There are many ways to aloha with others. Feeling the spirit of aloha is a shared experience, and one of the most meaningful ways to feel this spirit is through song. Local Hawai‘i Island musician Mark Saito…
Brother Noland: Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Shares his ‘Less Talk, More Do’ Philosophy
By Karen Rose Ancient wisdom declares it is best for one to pass their days through song, therefore letting their whole life be a song. Hawaiian recording artist Brother Noland, also known as the “Father of Jawaiian Music,” follows this…
Ocean Education: Unlocking the Mystery of Underwater Marine Life for Hawai‘i’s Keiki
By Karen Rose The famous French underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau famously said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Junior Program instructors at Jack’s Diving Locker agree, and are striving to inspire…
Manta Pacific Research Foundation: Conserving and Protecting the Ballerinas of the Ocean
By Karen Rose ”The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves,” says marine life artist Wyland. Keller Laros, president of the Manta Pacific Research Foundation (MPRF), agrees. Keller and his wife Wendy founded MPRF in 2002 out of their passion…
Kahakai Elementary School Art Program Leaves No Child Behind
By Karen Rose Former Director of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Alexander famously said, “When we teach a child to sing or play the flute, we teach her how to listen. When we teach her to draw, we…
huiMAU: Cultivating Healthy ‘Āina and Strong ‘Ohana
By Karen Rose “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono” is typically translated as “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” However, according to No‘eau Peralto of huiMAU, a more appropriate translation is, “The sovereignty of…
Surf’s Up! The 23rd Annual Shane Dorian Banyan Keiki Classic Returns
By Karen Rose Kailua-Kona’s hometown hero and big wave surfer Shane Dorian has taken his success in surfing and utilized his fame to establish a surf competition for Hawai‘i Island’s youth. Now in its 23rd year, the Shane Dorian Banyan…
Strike up the Band! Hawai‘i County Band Entertains Hawai‘i Island for Over 130 Years
By Karen Rose A great band makes music sound effortless—a cacophony of notes drifting through air like oxygen. Elements of music such as pitch, tempo, texture, and volume, when analyzed individually hold great importance, yet when married together, create an…
The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation: In the Memory of One Lost Life, Others Have Been Saved
By Karen Rose In August of 1997, the lives of Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre were about to change forever. Their 25-year-old son Danny set off to hike Kapaloa Falls, the 500-foot waterfall located in the back of Pololū Valley…
Kona Dance and Performing Arts Creates More Than Great Dancers
Beyond Shuffle Steps and Pointed Toes By Karen Rose Five, six, seven, eight! Every dancer is well acquainted with these four numbers. For the young students of Kona Dance and Performing Arts, their training goes beyond dance and into life…
Gene ‘Uncle Bucky’ Leslie
By Karen Rose Gene Leslie, also known as ‘Uncle Bucky,’ was born and raised in Kona, yet unlike his Hawai‘i Island contemporaries, he found himself rubbing elbows with the rich and famous in the inner circles of Hollywood and New…
Kainaliu Town
Venturing south from Kailua-Kona is the charming town of Kainaliu. Whistle-stop in size, this quaint, island-style locale is named for an ancient canoe bailer who served under King Keawenuia‘umi in the 16th Century. Kainaliu means “bail out the bilge,” and was…
Hawai‘i Maintains Japanese Tradition of Mochi Making
By Karen Rose Hawai‘i’s culture is unique. Many of the state’s traditional practices are a fusion and adaptation of customs brought to the islands by multiple ethnic groups who migrated here to start new lives. These varying immigrant groups each…
Spirits of Ocean and Land: Wayne Levin and Jozuf Hadley Team Up for Multi-Media Exhibit at Kahilu Theater
By Karen Rose What do a pidgin poet and an underwater photographer have in common? In the case of Wayne Levin and Jozuf Hadley, it’s a love of the spiritual aspects of artistic expression. This fall, the Kahilu Theatre in…
