Then & Now: Kaloko Honokōhau National Historic Park
The Last in a Series of Profiles on Hawai‘i Island’s National Parks by Robert Oaks The Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, located south of the Kona airport, provides clues to the lifestyle of early Hawaiians. Atop seemingly barren and inhospitable lava…
Carly Smith: A Humble Powerhouse of a Musician with Deep Musical Roots
By Shirley Stoffer Carly Smith has music in her blood, and music IS her lifeblood—it’s what makes her tick. “Music is medicine to me. It’s part of every aspect of my life,” she says. Carly hails from a family that…
A Home Built Around Orchids: Love of a Flower Inspired a House Project
By Denise Laitinen When Julie Goettsch saw the orchid wall at the Kahala Resort on O‘ahu back in 1969 she vowed to herself that someday she would have a similar wall in her home. It took 40 years and a…
A Mission of Enduring Gratitude: One Boy’s Life Opened a Door for Community Caring
By Karen Valentine A beam of light filters through the thickly compacted branches towering overhead, highlighting the myriad hues of green: from light and delicate fern shades to deep and mysterious jungle tones. “My cathedral,” 25-year-old Daniel “Danny” Sayre calls…
Talking Story with Uncle Robert: Revered Puna Kupuna Holds Court at the End of the Road
By Denise Laitinen If you live in Puna, chances are you know where to find Uncle Robert’s. No need for directions—everyone knows that his family’s four-acre compound can be found at the end of Kapoho-Kalapana Road. The site of Uncle…
“Cowman A-Moo-Ha”: On the Run for World Peace
By Fern Gavelek It’s easy to spot the Kailua-Kona resident known simply as “Cowman” running races and triathlons all over the world. Sporting his trademark, horn-topped helmet and hand-drawn t-shirts, Cowman has been competing in marathons and triathlons for over…
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…
Hawaiian Petroglyphs Tell Stories of the Past
By Margaret Kearns K‘i‘i pōhaku – the name Hawaiians gave their petroglyphs – are found scattered throughout the island chain. The largest, most concentrated fields of ancient rock carvings, however, are found here on Hawai‘i Island, where smooth, pahoehoe lava…
Healing the Land Takes a Big Vision: Andre and Jyoti Ulrych and Starseed Ranch in Kohala
By Cynthia Sweeney This is the rugged and windswept coastline where King Kamehameha I rested after warfare. This raw and scenic countryside is also old, depleted sugarcane land, devoid of nutrients, with elevated levels of arsenic and unfit for growing…
Every Store Has a Story: Glenwood’s Hirano Store
By Hadley Catalano Every day, while working in her husband’s family store, Shinae Hirano would watch as her elderly father-in-law, Naojiro Hirano, picked up her eldest daughter at the store after primary school. Taking her by the hand, he would…
Atmospheric Art: Revealing the Island’s Inner Light
By Marya Mann From the searing cauldron of Kīlauea Volcano to the cool surfing waves of Waipi‘o Valley and the breathtaking summits of Hualālai and Mauna Kea, he had space to stretch out and explore all the edges, opposites and…
Debbie Hecht Loves Open Spaces: A Tireless Campaigner for the 2-Percent Land Fund
By Hadley Catalano Debbie Hecht is not your typical sign-waving activist. For the past eight years, since the Tucson, Arizona transplant relocated to the Big Island, Hecht has become the leading voice on what she considers to be one of…
Immersion with a Mermaid: This Kona Marine Mammal Has a True Tale to Tell
By Marya Mann In a challenge so unifying it has inspired global support among indigenous people, surfers, artists, marine scientists, models, musicians, boat captains, photographers, filmmakers, businesspeople, angel card readers and even Flipper’s original trainer, one Kona resident stands out.…
