Three Iconic Women’s Organizations: Hilo Woman’s Club, Zonta International, Soroptimist International of Kona
By Paula Thomas For decades, Hawai‘i Island women have taken up causes in support of improving the lives of women and families. In the case of the Hilo Woman’s Club, the impact has extended to arts and culture—even the local…
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i
By Leilehua Yuen This year’s Hilo Lei Day Festival will be held on May 1, at Kalākaua Park, the original town square of Hilo, and the site of Hilo’s Lei Day celebrations in the 1920s. May 1, celebrated around the…
Invoking the Warrior: Hula Kane
By Karen Valentine The line of kane (male) hula dancers lies in the shadows, poised to walk onto the Merrie Monarch Festival stage. Their kumu (teacher) takes his place behind the pahu (drum) and raises his arms along with his…
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…
VASH Hawai‘i Island: Nonprofit Comes to the Rescue of Visitor Misfortune
By Fern Gavelek Your friend vacationing from Minnesota loses her ID and worries how she will get on the plane to return home. After a day at the beach, a guest at your vacation rental is in a traffic accident…
Making Life Colorfully Social for our Kūpuna
By Paula Thomas Since 1976, the Hawai‘i Island Adult Care (HIAC) in Hilo has provided quality care for elders and challenged adults as well as support for their families. Their life-enhancing programs include an art program thatʻs been led by…
Family of Service
By Catherine Tarleton For the Medeiros ‘ohana of “First Lava Flow” (Honokua) in South Kona, service is a way of life. Both Clarence Medeiros and daughter Kareen did military service in the U.S. Army, yet their legacy of helping others…
Meet Hawai‘i’s Dr. Doolittle, Paul Breese
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu When Paul Breese and Jean DeMercer-Breese began co-authoring their book about the history of the Honolulu Zoo, they had no idea it would take ten years to complete. Paul Breese served as director of the zoo from…
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…
At Kilauea Military Camp: Morale, Welfare and Recreation are Served Along with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Eyes light up when visitors to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) arrive during the holidays and they see the seemingly incongruous row of small cabins, lined up in military precision, bedecked with colorful holiday decorations, each one…
Hale Ohia Cottages’ Hidden Charms: Volcano Cottages Celebrate 25th Anniversary
By Alan D. McNarie Nestled among a grove of sugi pine trees, a mile or two from the entrance to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, is a unique lodging experience—or rather, twelve experiences. It all began with a large residence, a…
Blue Zones: How Hawai‘i Can Live Longer
By Alan D. McNarie It’s a sunny, humid summer morning in North Hilo, and 30 or so people are gathered in the shade of a temporary tent shelter at the Kalalau Ranch, on the Hāmākua side of the Wailuku River,…
Hawai‘i Artist Collaboration: A Masterful Art Happening
By Karen Valentine What happens when you bring together a group of 42 master artists and craftsmen, put them in a confined space for only four days, and task them with producing fine art worthy of a gala charity auction?…
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…
HawaiiCon: Magic and Mōhihi‘o*
By Catherine Tarleton Every day, people travel from around the planet to bask in the Hawai‘i Island sun, immerse in the ocean and feel the warm culture of aloha. This fall, that welcome extends to those from far, far away…
The Spirit of Kohala Lives on at the Christmas Lu’au
By Jan Wizinowich The story of the Hawi Christmas Lū‘au is the tale of a plantation community finding and holding its heart. Although sponsored by the Mormon Church, the entire community participated, beginning weeks in advance. You offered what you…
Sing-Song, Sing-Along! Celebrating 25 Years with the Kona Choral Society
By Fern Gavelek With one thing in common—the love to sing—Kona Choral Society’s 70-some members rehearse weekly to perform concerts for the enjoyment of the community. This year, KCS is marking its 25th year with a new name, additional performances,…
From Soil to Toil: Celebrating Kona’s Finest Crop and the Volunteers of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
By Aja Hannah For 44 years, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival has celebrated the coffee pioneers, farmers, and artisans alongside the coffee bean, itself. This year the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is one of the winners of the 10 Best…
Kāko‘o ‘o I Nā Keiki (Support the Keiki) to Advance the Common Good for All Hawai‘i Island Keiki
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco A child’s big, innocent eyes gaze out into the distance. He waits street side, anticipating excitement, yet remaining ever-so-patient. He is surrounded by his ‘ohana who summon the minivan down the street. Reminiscent of waiting for…
A Place to Remember: POW-MIA Memorial Garden at West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery
By Barbara Fahs Every year we honor the men and women who have fought for our freedom on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Susan “Awapuhi” Graffe emphasizes we should honor them every day. Awa, her husband Paul, along with generous volunteers…
Toward a Firewise Community: Follow the Lead of Kohala by the Sea
By Denise Laitinen Kohala by the Sea is the little community that could. This group of Hawai‘i Island residents has achieved a status reached by few communities in the entire country: they’re part of the nationally recognized Firewise Communities program.…
What Withstands the Test of Time? The Lyman Mission House
By Le‘a Gleason Imagine sailing for six months, leaving the cool Atlantic Ocean, and passing into the breezy Pacific Ocean to land in a foreign place. The rain soaks the thatched roof of your new home creating an ever-present dampness…
Royal Order of Kamehameha I: Moku O Keawe
By Russell Paio and Peter T. Young Editor’s Note: In respect for Moku O Kona, this story will not include the diacritics of the modern Hawaiian language, with the exception of the name of the Hawaii Island–East side, Hilo area…
A Place Like No Other: Dragonfly Ranch
Nestled in the South Kona hills, just along the treeline where the shade of great monkeypods cools the earth below, is a place so heavenly one could hardly believe it’s there. Descending the hill to Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical…
Every Store Has a Story: B. Ikeuchi & Sons, Inc. Hardware Store
By Barbara Fahs At the gateway to historic Waipi‘o Valley, in the town of Honoka‘a, the B. Ikeuchi & Sons, Inc. Hardware Store has been serving up essential supplies to local residents since 1918. It holds the record for being…
Kolohe Diamond: Aunty Maile Spencer Napoleon
By Catherine Tarleton It could be “Twilight at Kalahuipua‘a,” or another cultural event on Hawai‘i Island where people gather to enjoy music, hula, and camaraderie by the ocean. As the audience waits for the first strum of ‘ukulele, the sun…
Kalapana Remembered: Reminiscing with Mayor Billy Kenoi About his Childhood Home Before Pele Reclaimed It
By Denise Laitinen Kalapana. Synonymous with the destructive power of Madame Pele. Little signs remain of the community that was destroyed by lava flows from Kūpa‘ianahā vent between 1986 and 1990./ Those born in the remote fishing village of Kalapana…
Lighting the Way: Honoka‘a People’s Theatre Ventures into a New Century
By John J. Boyle …Long shot from above right, wide shot closes in on the hand painted marquee… It is 1939, and downtown Mamane street is a walker’s paradise. Soft evening air, light linen shirts and skirts, some kimonos, some…
Christmas on Parade: Celebrating the Season Island Style
By Barbara Fahs When the weather is warm, we might not feel very Christmasy. Leave it to the Aloha State to come up with original, distinctive ways to make this time of year all its own. Santa, known here as…
