Ka Puana: Pu‘uhonua
By Linda Ching In the Hawaiian world order, there was always room for forgiveness. Transgressors of the strict and sacred laws of the land could always find redemption and a second chance waiting if they could make it to the…
The Life in Business: Paradise Found Realty
After attending college and enjoying traveling to Europe, India and Nepal Lorraine Kohn moved to the Big Island in 1977, and found it was a great place to raise her two sons, Chris and Donny. She became a Realtor in…
The Life in Business: Aloha Business Services
Jeff Turner came to the Big Island 20 years ago. As a CPA who also had real-life experience as an entrepreneur, he found he understood the challenges of business owners better than most accountants. He started serving Kona clients in…
The Life in Business: Down to Earth
Down to Earth is a Hawaii-born pioneer of healthy eating. It was started in 1977, when a group of friends in Wailuku, Maui, turned their vision into a business dedicated to improving the health of Hawaii’s island communities. Since then,…
The Life in Business: Shipman House Bed and Breakfast
What is now the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn has been in Barbara Andersen’s [Shipman] family since 1901. Seventeen years ago, when she returned to her childhood home of Hilo, she says the house “looked like the movie set…
John Keawe: Hawai‘i Island-Born Slack Key Master
By Ke Ola Music Correspondent Colin John It’s a slightly overcast, late summer day in the little town of Hawi in North Kohala—one of those typical Kohala mornings where blazing sunshine mingles with the threat of rain. Clouds march majestically…
The ABCs of Making Cheese
By Noel Morata Among the forgotten skills of homemade foods in a fast-food world is the fine art of crafting cheese. Taking a cheesemaking class is a great introduction to learning this craft; you do not have to invest in…
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:…
Crafting Hawaiian Woods
By Denise Laitinen Milo. ‘Ohi‘a. Koa. These are just some of the beautiful woods native to our island. As interest surges in using all things local, so does interest in using Hawaiian woods. Big Island woodworkers are turning out dining…
Between a Rock and a Soft Place: Hawai‘i Island Retreat at Ahu Pohaku Ho‘omaluhia
By Cynthia Sweeney Jeanne Sunderland recalls first being brought to the “gathering place of the stones” by her teacher, Kumu Tommy Sullivan, over 20 years ago. They arrived by canoe and were silent as they explored the land. Like a…
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…
Scott Seymour Nurtures a Family Floral Tradition
By Fern Gavelek Scott Seymour has an eye for decorating with plants, whether it’s planting on a sloping hillside or designing a table centerpiece, the self-taught, flower-arranging guru is the go-to guy in Kona for spectacular flower arrangements. A landscape…
Tail-Wagging Aloha
By Denise Laitinen Sydney Andrade’s face lights up when I walk into his room, but it’s not me that he’s excited to see. It’s my companion Clancy. A pit bull mix I adopted from the Hawai‘i Island Humane Society’s Kea‘au…
Superfoods! Made Here on Hawai‘i Island
By Fern Gavelek In the search for healthier eating, many people boost their diets with supplements. Hawai‘i Island is not only a cornucopia of locally grown foods, but it’s also home to some highly regarded supplements. These locally made products…
Folk Art of Bobbi Caputo Brings Family Coffee-Picking Memories Back to Life
By Hadley Catalano It’s summer vacation for Bobbi Caputo. It’s the late 1950s and though she hasn’t yet reached adolescence she’s already versed in the ways of the coffee farming world. Sandwiched between Leonora and Faustino Orpilla, her mother and…
John Tanaka: WWII Hero, Inventor, Artist, Novelist
By Catherine Tarleton John Tanaka’s life spans 80-plus years across two centuries and throughout, he has remained youthful, inventive, positive and forward-thinking. His ageless face and energetic voice make one wonder if there’s a fountain of youth hidden in John…
Terri’s Vision: Showcasing Native Hawaiian Art
By Prana Mandoe “I want our people to know we can succeed,” says Terri Napeahi, proprietor of Papa Mū Gallery and President of Perpetuating Indigenous Hawaiian Arts, or PIHA, a nonprofit venue for Native Hawaiians to develop and show their…
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…
