Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School Celebrates 130 Years
By Catherine Tarleton Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School sits on seven ocean-view acres of Hāmākua hillside, its 19 buildings and covered sidewalks painted Dragon (their mascot) green and gold. 611 students, grades 7–12, work and play here. In its 130-year…
Ha‘akoa: Perpetuating Tradition, Creating Cultural Practice
By Marcia Timboy A custom can be a protocol or belief that has been practiced by an individual or a group for a long time. When a custom is transferred from generation to generation, it takes the form of tradition. Tradition…
A Lifetime in the Trees: The Vision of Skye Peterson, Treehouse Aficionado
By Lara Hughes Skye Peterson moved to Honolulu on O‘ahu in 1980. He was a young pilot flying small planes, and he didn’t really like the work or life in the city, so he moved to the countryside of Lanikai…
Malama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Invasive or Essential? A Rare Moth Depends on a Roadside Weed
By Rachel Laderman A tiny shining orb on the underside of a leaf—is it the egg of an endangered, endemic moth? A team of volunteers systematically turns over every leaf on tree tobacco shrubs along a transect near Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Forest…
Island Treasures: One Gallery
The inspiration behind One Gallery was to provide a place for Hawai‘i Island artists to come create, display, sell, and very importantly be supported and inspired by the other local artists. Several times a week guests come and meet the…
A Dream of the Heart: Island Artists Jane and Linus Chao
By Jan Wizinowich In the most positive sense, the Chinese saying “May your life be interesting” certainly applies to Jane and Linus Chao, island treasures who have been creating and teaching art for the last 50 years. Primarily watercolor artists…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Akamai Art Supply
Akamai Art Supply’s customers come from all walks of life: professional artists, hobbyists, beginners, schoolteachers, children, tattoo artists, lure makers, sign painters, and people who want to change the color of their sofa or dye their jeans. Everyone is welcome…
Empowering Women and Girls to Reach Their Highest Potential: American Association of University Women
By Karen Rose In 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, then a member of the Continental Congress, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we will be determined to foment a…
Hawaiian Islands Land Trust: A Legacy of Land
By Brittany P. Anderson There is a place on Hawai‘i Island where clouds come down from the sky to walk amongst the trees. Noe kolo (creeping mist) overcomes the jungle as an ‘i‘iwi (scarlet honeycreeper) call rings out—its location masked…
“Miloli‘i aku nei au lā…At Miloli‘i there was I…”
By Marcia Timboy The opening line of this famous mele (song) about one’s huaka‘i (journey) from Miloli‘i to seek experiences in bigger cities, was composed by John Makuakane in the 1930s. Over the years many kama‘āina (residents) of Miloli‘i leave…
From Kapa to Kalo: Bernice Akamine
By Karen Valentine As an artist, Bernice Akamine has gone far beyond the basic skills of applying artistic talent to media. When one reaches the pinnacles of art, one has put heart and soul into practice, not to mention, as…
Letting the Bees Be: A Simple, Sustainable Approach to Bee Farming
By Sara Stover Can bees smell fear, or is this a myth? The Bee Boys are the ones to ask, with their noses inches away from hundreds of wild honeybees on a daily basis. The Bee Boys are Kevin O’Connor…
Creative Filmmaking on Hawai’i Island
By Ma’ata Tukuafu Beautiful and diverse Hawai‘i Island, with its verdant rainforests, black sand beaches, and seasonally white-capped mountains, has been showcased in many films made over the years. From 1918’s The Hidden Pearls to the most current film productions,…
Ka Wehena: Kaulana Ni‘ihau Noho Mehameha
Na Kumu Keala Ching ‘Ae, Kaulana Ni‘ihau Noho Mehameha Kaulana Ni‘ihau noho mehameha Aia Kawaihoa, Poli o Lehua Pi‘i a‘ela ‘o Paniau uka ala Alaka‘i Ni‘ihau, Mokuola ēNoho Ni‘ihau i Kauanaulu Pu‘uwai Aloha o ka ‘Ohana Ho‘omana Ni‘ihau i Pu‘uwai…
A Taste of Hawai’i Island’s Vanilla Industry: Anything but Plain
By Brittany P. Anderson As the day’s first light sneaks over the horizon, a light green orchid blooms in a tangle of vines. A flurry of activity buzzes around the flower. With a swift hand, the orchid is pollinated, ready…
Kamehameha’s Birthplace, and the Many-Layered History of Kokoiki, Kohala
By Jan Wizinowich Kamehameha’s birth was a legacy that ultimately unified the islands, but that legacy began many generations before. His birthstones, located in Kokoiki, lay next to Mo‘okini Heiau, built in 480CE, on the northwest tip of the peninsula…
Managing with Aloha: Ready, Steady, Pono!
“Rightness and balance. The feeling of contentment when all is good and right.” Nineteenth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say In Managing with Aloha’s first edition, I stated, “Pono is rightness and balance.” I made a…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Ironwood Picture Framing, LLC
Gregg and Sue Sorbets are 25-year residents of Hawa‘i Island and have a passion for its art, native flora and fauna, unique culture, and its people. For the past three years, theyʻve owned and operated Ironwood Picture Framing to help…
Cool for the Summer: Vanilla Lemonade Granita with Whipped Banana Cream
By Brittany P. Anderson Lemonade is the official drink of summer. When I was 11 years old, my sister and I briefly had a lemonade stand. We sold cups of lemonade during rush hour when cars were stopped in traffic on our street. She…
Featured Artists: Joalene Young & Louie Perry III
Featured Cover Artist: Joalene Young Joalene Young grew up surrounded by beauty in the art colony at Laguna Beach, California, where she lived until the age of 44. In school, she majored in English and minored in art. She married…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: TR’s Property Shop LLC
TR Odeh comes from a family of success stories. His mom was running a thriving steakhouse when he was born and she took him to work with her immediately after, and his dad owned a trucking company that delivered jeans…
Mālama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Saving ‘Oha Wai—How a Rare Hawaiian Plant Has Been Given Life
By Rachel Laderman “When we think something is gone and we find it again—there aren’t adequate words to describe it,” says Rob Robichaux, University of Arizona professor and rare plant recovery collaborator. “It’s beyond thrilling.” In about 1999, the last…
4-H Clubs Inspire Kids “To Do”
By Fern Gavelek “It teaches kids life skills…It led me in the right direction and helped me while going through teenage moments…It offers projects for positive youth development…It enables kids to master a skill and chart their own direction…” What…
Russell Ruderman: A Lifetime of Adventure and Purpose
By Lara Hughes Many of us know Russell Ruderman as a Hawai‘i State Senator and owner of the local Island Naturals stores. What many of us may not know is Russell’s background, and how he arrived on Hawai‘i Island. Starting…
Island Treasures: Mountain Gold Jewelers
Often called “the best little jewelry store on the Kohala Coast,” Mountain Gold Jewelers is a different kind of jewelry store and design studio. Moses Thrasher, founder of Mountain Gold Jewelers, has a long history of offering original fine jewelry…
Heart and Memory: An Old Plantation Store Still Serves Community
By Catherine Tarleton The 1930s were boom years for the sugarcane industry. Kohala Sugar Company, a giant consolidation of seven sugar mills in North Kohala (Kohala, Union, Niuli‘i, Hawi, Halawa, Hō‘ea, and Star) employed 600 people, and produced 45,000 tons…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Kimberly A. K. Parks
Kimberly A. K. Parks provides real estate services with aloha, everywhere on Hawai‘i Island. Kim originally started in escrow. She shared with us, “I enjoyed this field of the work—it intrigued me, and after nine years in escrow services, I…
Ka Puana: Proverb 651—He kāhiko ho‘okahakaha no ia kula
Louise Hawkins: A Centenarian and World Angler
By Paula Thomas How many people do you know who are 100 years old and I.G.F.A. World Record holders? Hawai‘i Island resident Louise Hawkins is in both rarefied categories. Louise’s past is rich with stories of exploits with all kinds…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Keauhou Shopping Center
Keauhou Shopping Center, known as “Kona’s legendary gathering place,” is the centerpiece of the Keauhou Resort. A modern getaway surrounded by rich Hawaiian history, this legendary retail destination in Kailua-Kona offers shopping, dining, services, and entertainment for all. The eclectic…