Ka Puana–The Refrain: My Year in a Yurt
Following are excerpts from Pa‘auilo resident Jen McGeehan’s book, My Year in a Yurt. Used with permission. Look Up! There are many elements to yurt living that make it both unique and enjoyable. The ceiling is just one of them.…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: BMW of Hawaii
When customers first walk onto the 2.5-acre property of the BMW parking lot in Kailua-Kona, they are greeted by BMW staff who stay within sight and earshot to answer any questions, and are allowed to browse at their leisure. “It’s…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides
The beginning of Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides is a recognizable one. The family-owned company was started by Michael and Janet Dant, when they built their first boat in 1969 in Monterey, California, and planned a trip through the…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Hawaii Marine Center
Tucked away in the Shipman Industrial Area, Hawaii Marine Center is no small business. Manager Glenn Marsteller grew up on the North Shore of Maui and was raised in the ocean—surfing, scuba diving and boating. He worked for Valley Isle…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Maika‘i Veterinary Clinic
Alfred Mina, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) has a deep-seated interest in caring for animals and for serving the Hilo community. He was born on Kaua‘i and raised in Hilo on Hawai‘i Island. As a child, he was active in…
Passionately Yours: Liliko‘i
By Sonia R. Martinez There are many varieties of Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis), or as we know it in the islands, liliko‘i. The most commonly used in Hawai‘i is the yellow fruit (flavicarpa). A less common variety also seen in…
Island Treasures: South Kona Macadamia Nut Company—South Kona
By Aja Hannah Meris Farwell, a soft-spoken and petite woman, hand scoops a bag of Tamari-flavored macadamia nuts. Flavored with shoyu (soy sauce), the reddened nuts drop into 4oz and 8oz packages. Each package of South Kona Macadamia Nuts is…
Island Treasures: High Fire Hawaii Gallery & Studio—Hilo
By Le‘a Gleason Shannon Hickey was born and raised in Chicago and has lived in Hawaii 25 years. She holds a degree in Art from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and was deeply involved in ceramics and printmaking during…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Kelly Shaw, Realtor®
Kelly Shaw, an independent Realtor® with Koa Realty in Hōlualoa, believes in having goals and meeting them today instead of tomorrow. In Long Island, New York at only 25, Kelly was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Like taking a page out…
Mark Yamanaka: “Just a regular dude that loves music”
By Catherine Tarleton Only in Hawai‘i. Only in Hilo, actually, can you buy a car, turn on the radio, and drive away listening to a hit song by the guy who sold it to you. Nine-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner…
Featured Cover Artist: Kira Kamamalu
“Have you ever had the feeling that you were doing exactly what you were meant to do?” Hilo-born 31-year-old Kira Kamamalu is going into her eighth year as a professional artist. She says that painting is the thing she feels…
Ancient Hawaiian Agricultural Practices at Sacred Sites in North Kohala
By Jan Becket Archaeological surveys in Hawai‘i yield valuable knowledge about the traditional life of a place, and yet it is often knowledge that is inaccessible to the community where the surveys are conducted. Many contracts call for reports to…
Boone Morrison: Hawai‘i Island’s Leading Restoration Architect
By Alan D. McNarie When I was about 11, my folks were touring the gold rush country,” reminisces Boone Morrison, sitting in the architect’s studio behind his house in Volcano. “We showed up in Sacramento and they were restoring Sutter’s…
Managing with Aloha: Kuleana
By Rosa Say Kuleana: The value of personal responsibility; “I accept my responsibilities, and I will be held accountable.” Eleventh in an ongoing series. One of my goals for our Hawai‘i is fully woven into the mission and healthy work…
The Mana Anointed: Steve Grossman
By Peter Michael McCormick Mana, a supernatural or divine power, Mana, miraculous power; a powerful nation, authority; to give Mana to, to make powerful; to have Mana, power, authority; authorization, privilege; miraculous, divinely powerful, spiritual; possession of Mana, power. From…
Fire and Ice: Kumu Dane Kaohelani Silva’s Life of Spirit and Service to Health
By David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac. As the late afternoon sun warmed his back and shoulders, the chiropractor, acupuncturist, and teacher of Long Life Lomilomi walked briskly across his garden, following a well-worn path between tall ‘ōhi‘a trees bedecked with scarlet…
Aloha ‘Āina: Waimea I Uka
By Ku‘ulei Keakealani On April 20, 2008 a group assembled on a misty Waimea morning. The destination was somewhat clear and somewhat vague, i uka, to the uplands, was our chosen destination. Were we on a journey for answers? Perhaps.…
Healing Plants: Māmaki, The “Stingless” Stinging Nettle
By Barbara Fahs You might have seen dried māmaki leaves for sale at your local drug store or farmers market. Tea made from this endemic Hawaiian plant is tasty and popular. Known as Pipturis albidus, māmaki is a perennial shrub…
World Wide Voyage–Threads That Tie: The Hōkūle‘a Crew Connecting Hawaiian Culture to the World
By Le‘a Gleason Hawai‘i is a place where we navigate community and culture, finding a delicate balance between reverence for the past and enthusiasm for the future. It’s with this same careful attention to culture that we watch from afar…
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.…
Dressing for a Holokū Ball
By Leilehua Yuen The first three rules my Nana, my paternal grandmother, drummed into my head about looking good in a holokū were: Posture Posture Posture They are still valuable rules today. Perfect posture and a sense of panache enable…
The Holokū
By Leilehua Yuen I remember as a girl longing for the day I would be deemed “a young lady,” mature enough to be allowed the privilege of wearing high heels, makeup, and that most elegant dress, the holokū. In our…
Ka Wehena: Ahi a Pele
Na Kumu Keala Ching ‘Ae, Mai Kahiki mai ke ahi a Pele Mai Kahiki mai ke ahi a Pele I pae Nihoa i ka poli o Hawai‘i Mai Kahiki mai ke ahi a Pele Kaha ‘Iwa i Kawaihoa e Pele…
