A Mele Kalikimaka to All: ‘Elves’ Around Hawai‘i Island Helping ‘Ohana in Need
By Catherine Tarleton This is the first in an occasional series where Ke Ola Magazine highlights some of the important work of our on-island nonprofits. Enjoy learning about these two organizations and please support them. If you have a favorite…
I Live. I Love. I Race. Kailua-Kona’s Own Triathlete Bree Wee
By Margaret Kearns “Nice.” Who would expect that to be the first descriptor for a fiercely competitive triathlete? That, however, is the word heard repeatedly from fellow competitors, fans, sponsors, and trainers when asked about Hawai‘i Island’s most stellar female…
Speaking the Language of Love: A Conversation with Kahuna Kalei‘iliahi
By Cynthia Sweeney Our kāhuna, or our indigenous elders are our spiritual and physical connection with where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. Kāhuna have optimism about our spiritual evolution on this planet and…
Sounds of Peace: A Joyful Noise in Honoka‘a
By Catherine Tarleton What does peace sound like? In Honoka‘a, on Peace Day, September 21, it sounds like marching bands and taiko drums, ‘ukulele music, bon dance, bells, and gongs. It might sound like rock and roll with a mix…
The Journey of Hula Competition: The Experience of One Haumana
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco When you are asked to be in a hula festival, contest, or competition, the journey for oneself starts at that moment. Inevitably, it is really not about the contest at all; it is about the passage…
Craftsmanship that Sings: Big Island Ukulele Guild
By Le‘a Gleason I am no stranger to the tangy smell of sawdust and the intense groan of power tools, as my father is an ‘ukulele and guitar builder who has successfully made a name for himself over the last…
Community Supported Agriculture Grows Up on Hawai‘i Island
By Cynthia Sweeney Each Thursday, Lark and Steve Willey pack up their specially outfitted van with boxes of freshly picked spinach, beets, leeks, mushrooms, and other seasonal fruits and vegetables from their farm in Waimea, and deliver them door-to-door. In…
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…
Kama‘āina Land Child: Barbara Kamilipua Nobriga
By Denise Laitinen Look up the word kama‘āina in the dictionary and chances are you won’t see Barbara Nobriga’s name and photo. But you should. Literally translated, kama‘āina means land child. According to the hardcover edition of the Hawaiian Dictionary…
Giving Back, Paying Forward: Kona Brewers Festival
By Catherine Tarleton What do potato chips, compost, microscopic algae, high school seniors, runners, recyclables, bicycles, beer, and some of Hawai‘i Island’s best chefs have in common? They’re all part of the Kona Brewers Festival (KBF), a three-day celebration March…
Every Store Has a Story: Kīlauea General Store
By Alan McNarie Nestled in a grove of feral bamboo in old Volcano Village is a love affair that looks like a general store. There are some outward signs that this is more than just a store: the big mural…
Ko Bo Kahui Ho‘oilina Ola: Bo Kahui’s Living Legacy
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco One person can make a difference, and everyone should try,” said John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address. Craig ‘Bo’ Kahui was seven years old at the time and living in Kalihi on O‘ahu. One…
The Fabric of Community: Kapa Artist and Kumu Hula: Micah Kamohoali‘i
By Stephanie Bolton Micah Kamohoali‘i is a professional artist who was born and raised on Hawai‘i Island. His family members are descendants of the Pele clan and the shark people of Waipi‘o Valley. He is the Executive Director for The…
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…
Youth Invade Volcanoes National Park with Enthusiasm: Internship Program, in its Third Year, Exceeds Expectations
By Alan D. McNarie “I always thought that geology was just historic things in the past,” muses Tyler Atwood. “But here the volcano changes every day. The entire elevation of where you stand changes every day. They just paved Chain…
There’s Help for Orchid Brown Thumbs: Hilo Orchid Societyʻs Mission to Help Everyone Grow Orchids
By Denise Laitinen Julie Goettsch wants to set the record straight. The president of the Hilo Orchid Society (HOS) wants people to know that growing orchids isn’t complicated or difficult to do, especially here on an island known as the…
Money Does Grow on Trees: Puna Programs Help Backyard Farmers Sell Excess Produce
By Denise Laitinen When I was a kid my dad would say, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” Well, it turns out Dad was wrong. Thanks to the efforts of two separate food co-op programs in Puna, people are tapping into…
Community Building with ‘Ukulele: Andy Andrews and Fun with P.U.K.A
By Shirley Stoffer Andy Andrews, co-founder of the legendary ‘Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz in California, is now bringing his love of people, music and fun to the Big Island of Hawai’i. Those of us who know him were certain…
Coping with Cancer: A Journey and a Place to Chill at Kokolulu
By Cynthia Sweeney He is a professional counselor who has traveled the world giving workshops in stress reduction using techniques such as acupressure and massage. He also spent 20 years studying qigong with a Chinese monk. She is an oncology…
The Parrots of Pana‘ewa
By Alan D. McNarie It’s noon on a Wednesday at the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo, and Jan Comstock and Zoe are having some quality time at a picnic table. Let’s play “find the nut,” says Jan. “Mac nut,” says…
Chefs of the Future Benefit from “Christmas at the Fairmont”—Dining with the Chefs: 22 Years of Delicious!
By Devany Vickery-Davidson It’s the Big Island’s largest Christmas party and it’s all for a good-tasting, good cause. Each Christmas since 1989, The American Culinary Federation (ACF) of Kona Kohala Chefs have worked to raise funds for culinary education while…
Canine Professionals: Hawai‘I Island Dogs Perform and Go Where Man Cannot
By Denise Laitinen They may look like any other dogs, but Kaimi can tell if a fire was intentionally set. Nalu can tell if you have drugs in your car. If you’re lost, Magnum will find you, and if you’re…
Extra Helpings for All: No One Goes Hungry as Island Restaurants and People Pull Together
By Fern Gavelek An old Hawaiian proverb goes: O ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi malihini—”Love is the host in strange lands.” The saying is given a profound explanation in A Little Book of Aloha, Hawaiian Proverbs and Inspirational Wisdom:…
Kalani Honua: Creating Heaven on Earth—Earth Art, Tomato Teachings, and Hula Blessings
By Marya Mann On a sun-drenched afternoon, I find myself walking the sacred grounds of Kalani Honua, the original nature, wellness, and Hawaiian cultural eco-village in the heart of Puna’s lush, green southern coast. Richard Koob, dancer, farmer and raconteur…
Then & Now: Murder & Movies in Old Honoka‘a Town
By Ann C. Peterson For many decades, sugar was king throughout the island chain, and in no place was this more so than in the folksy village of Honoka‘a in the northeast district of Hamakua. At its core, Honoka‘a embodied…
Slammin’ at the Gym: Local Youth Discover the Sport of Poetry
By Alan D. McNarie The bleachers of Pahoa High School Gym are packed with cheering, clapping students. The noise is deafening. But this isn’t a basketball game, or even a pep rally. It’s…a poetry reading? It’s Guinevere Balicoco’s turn at…
Angel of Aloha
By Jessica Kirkwood Kalau Iwaoka will tell you without hesitation that her life’s goal is to be the embodiment of Aloha. And so far she’s good at it—really good. If you passed her on the warm and weathered street of…
Then & Now: Multi-Cultural Holualoa—The “Long Sled”
By Ann C. Peterson When King Kamehameha ruled from Kamakahonu (near today’s Kailua Pier), he would look up to the slopes of Hualalai and know that all was good. This is where he had built Kuahewa, an extensive, dry-land farming…
Hut Ho! “Octo-Paddlers”: Pull Together for Fun and Fitness
By Fern Gavelek At 6:30 every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, a canoe full of paddlers heads out of Keauhou Bay for a morning workout. They come from all walks of life and hail from different parts of the world.…
Plantation Era Is Gone, and Pahala Lives On: Historic Preservationist Julia Neal Uses Hammer and Wood to Pull the Community Together
By Ann C. Peterson When the Pahala Sugar Mill closed in 1996, after 135 years as the town’s major employer, the village of Pahala in the Big Island’s southern district of Ka‘u went quiet. Some folks moved, but many local…
