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.…
Then & Now: Hawai‘i & Leviathan–The Fascinating Tale of Whaling Ships on Hawai‘i Island
By Pete Hendricks They had been swimming the Pacific Ocean for millennia. As humans extended their reach eastward, southward, and northward across the great ocean, leviathan and Polynesian often crossed paths. Thus, the first Polynesians to populate Hawai‘i incorporated the…
Konabob and the Unique Kona Walkingbass
By Shirley Stoffer Bob Stoffer, known as “Konabob” to many people in Hawai’i and around the world, had loved Hawai’i and Hawaiian music for a long time before moving to the island. He listened to Hawaiian music at his bakery…
A Master Chinese Brush Painter: Shirley Pu Wills Practices the Art of Imagination and Chi
By Fern Gavelek It’s both what you see and what you don’t see that create the magic in Chinese brush painting. “The thing about Chinese brush painting is you imagine what’s not there,” says Shirley Pu Wills of Captain Cook.…
Gille Legacy: The Man Who Paints With His Nose
By Cynthia Sweeney Gille Legacy does not have the distractions that the rest of us do. Unable to use his body since birth, he is not confined to it and lives largely—both figuratively and literally—in his imagination. And the peace…
Ka Hana No‘eau i ka Hulu: “The Art of the Feather”
By Noel Morata Early Hawaiians believed that birds had symbolic spiritual power and their feathers carried magical properties, including keen eyesight, endurance and speed. These qualities would add to the value of garments utilizing feathers, which were created specifically for…
Hawaiian Quilting: Creating Treasures, Passed Down from Generation to Generation
By Margaret Kearns Scattered around Hawai‘i Island, small groups of women—and a handful of men—are using passion and knowledge, skill and patience, hands and hearts to save what they say is a dying art. Hawaiian quilting is literally a labor…
A Beloved Daughter Retires: Fanny Au Hoy
By Fern Gavelek She walks through the treasure-filled rooms—fingering the china, straightening a photo frame, smoothing a quilted bedspread and then opening wide an upstairs window. As the fresh air fills the stately bedroom, Aunty Fanny turns around and grins.…
Professing Change
By Jessica Kirkwood As humanity faces ecological degradation, increasing social and economic inequality and a growing sense of fear, dissatisfaction and unrest, UH-Hilo Professor Dr. Catherine Becker wants her students to imagine and create a Hawai‘I that is environmentally sustainable,…
Pages from Cowboy Romance and Reality: Paniolo Preservation Society Saddles Up
By Catherine Tarleton When I was a little girl, I caught horse fever early and as fervently as a suburban D.C. kid could. I read every horse book in two libraries, drew pictures, wrote stories and fought my brother for…
Mushroom in a Bottle: A Gourmet Fungus, from Hamakua to the White House
By Denise Laitinen The mushroom—actually a fungus—grows on a lot of different matter in the wild, from tree logs to cow pies. It’s called “substrate,” as opposed to soil. In cultivation, the substrate makes a difference in the quality and…
Ka Wehena: Ke Ao
Na Kumu Keala Ching Ua hāmama ka ‘īpuka o ke ao Ke ao (i) ‘ike ‘ia o ke ālaula Lālau ho’i ke aloha o nēia ola E ola ka makani (i) lawe aku ai ka ‘i’ini He ‘i’ini i mālama…
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…
Taro, ‘Ohana and Jerry Konanui
By Marya Mann Lau or Lū’au ~ Leaf Turning over a new leaf this magical year of 2012? Think of making that a taro leaf. For a taste of the divine, simmer it into a soothing soup with coconut cream…
