‘Tis the Season to Celebrate
By Sonia R. Martinez In Hawai‘i, as everywhere else I have lived, the holidays are a time of celebration and entertaining. Opening our homes to guests is always a daunting experience; I have found, however, that by keeping the menu…
Island Treasures: Cindy Coats Gallery
Cindy Coats says the one thing that has surprised her as an artist is that she’s never lacking in creativity. “I really haven’t run out of ideas,” she says with a laugh. “If someone told me 10 years ago that…
Island Treasures: Hawi Gallery
When Richard Bodien first opened the Hawi Gallery in 2011, he had no idea that this self-proclaimed Hawaiian museum would evolve into one of the most unusual shops on Hawai‘i Island. “We started selling stuff people wanted, like ‘ukuleles. From…
The Merrie Monarchs of Hulihe‘e Palace: The Men Who Sing for the King
By Karen Valentine A group of men who love music and love to sing Hawaiian songs gathers together on one Sunday each month to sing their hearts out on the lānai at Hulihe‘e Palace in Kailua-Kona. They have staying power,…
Hōkūle‘a has Departed on the Most Challenging Leg to Date: South Africa
The crew of the Hōkūle‘a set sail for South Africa, the most ambitious leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage yet. This leg of the voyage—navigating the unpredictable and sometimes dangerous Indian Ocean—is a historic first for the Polynesian Voyaging…
ArtWavEs: Nourishes the Children
Imagine a world where care and understanding go hand-in-hand with dignity, respect, creativity, and longevity. Imagine a world which offers education for the body, brain and the deep soul. The founders of Feed the Children Kona imagined such things, and…
Featured Cover Photographer: Warren Fintz
This issue’s cover photographer is 39-year-old Warren Fintz, who says taking pictures is an honor, not just a profession. “I believe that a picture I take of the land or of an event at a certain time captures that moment…
Lower Puna’s Historic Catholic Churches
By Denise Laitinen From the outside, the Star of the Sea, a modest green church sitting on the side of the road in Kaimū looks unassuming. It is simple in design, small in size, and its paint is peeling. Just…
“Try Wait”: Fishermen and Families Work Towards a Sustainable Fishery at Ka‘ūpūlehu
By Catherine Tarleton Around the world’s oceans, fish and seafood populations are shrinking at an alarming rate due to overfishing and other factors. In Hawai‘i, specifically on the West Coast of Hawai‘i Island, anecdotal and scientific data point to steep…
Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy Reduces the Schools Carbon Footprint
By Megan Moseley The students at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA) are pushing the term “going green” to new heights thanks to the construction of the school’s state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind energy laboratory. The $3.7 million, 6,100-square-foot facility is truly unique. Replete with…
From Soup to Nuts
Sonia has been writing the Local Agriculture food column in Ke Ola magazine since the Jan–Feb 2012 issue. We are thrilled to feature her latest book filled with ono (delicious) recipes. Author Sonia R. Martinez is a Honomū resident. These…
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Lava Rock Realty
REALTOR® Broker Peggy Yuan was licensed in 1990 and loves her Hawai‘i real estate experience. Peggy says it was always her dream to own and operate her own company, and when an opportunity presented itself 10 years ago, she took…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel
John Roth, owner of Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel on Hawai‘i Island, said the firm is all about providing the Hawai‘i Island community with the education they need to make the best decision possible when it comes to estate planning.…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Parker Ranch Store
The Parker Ranch Store is locally owned and operated and has been in business since 1988. Owners Randy Kurohara and Connie Ichinose saw the tremendous opportunity that the Parker Ranch Store had to support their vision of promoting their Aloha…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Kona Commons
Kona Commons is located just makai (ocean side) of Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway on Makala Boulevard in Kailua-Kona. It offers a mix of locally owned and national retailers, including Hawaiian Island Creations, Jeans Warehouse, Ultimate Burger, Target, Ross, Petco, Sports Authority,…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Mason Termite and Pest Control
Years ago, Tommy Mason followed his twin brother from O‘ahu to Hawai‘i Island, fell in love with it, and they never left. When they started doing termite and pest control, Tommy never thought he’d one day own a business doing…
Chayote—A Different Kind of Squash
By Sonia R. Martinez The chayote (Sechium edule) also known as mirliton, vegetable pear, hayato-uri (Japanese), pipinola, or chocho, has many names all over the world. Pronounced cha-YOH-tey, the pear-like vegetable is a member of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family,…
Island Treasures: Ipu Kane Gallery
Artist Michael Harburg carves and dyes gourds in the Ni‘ihau technique, an ancient art that had died out until Doctor Bruce Kaimiloa Chrisman, a local dermatologist, rediscovered how to do it. Michael read an article about Bruce and became curious…
Island Treasures: Hamakua Canvas—Honomū
Laurie Lloyd’s story begins on Kodiak Island, Alaska—the other Big Island. Her 25 year background in commercial fishing and owning a sailing charter business for a decade taught her many skills, including net building and sail repair. In 2008, her…
An Evening with the Multifaceted Lito Arkangel
By Le‘a Gleason Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight: Lito Arkangel is kolohe. He’s not just the literal English translation of the word, “rascal.” There is something much deeper to the spirit of this 40-year-old trickster-turned-musician/teacher. He’s much…
Managing with Aloha: Mahalo
Mahalo The value of thankful perspective. Thank you, as a way of living. Live in thankfulness for the richness that makes life so precious. In Managing with Aloha, I share several stories of the Alaka‘i Nalu, the leaders of the…
Worldwide Voyage: What Guides Us
A plaque sits in the aft hatch of the wa‘a (canoe) and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of the wa‘a. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing…
Featured Cover Photographer: Kornelius Schorle
The definition of panorama is “an unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer.” For lifelong photographer, panoramist, and Hawai‘i Island resident Kornelius Schorle, the world is his view and he is forever the observer. “My art is not…
Heavenly Strength: The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls
By Mālielani Larish When Jane and Lenny Sutton first explored their property, they experienced the same awe that guests feel upon arriving at The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls. Peering over dense jungle, the Suttons spied a glimmer of a waterfall…
Healing Plants: ‘Ākulikuli Kula, Way More than a Lowly Weed
By Barbara Fahs ‘Ākulikuli kula is a fun word to say, and the plant bearing this name has as much to offer in the kitchen as it does in the medicine cabinet. Also known as purslane and often considered a…
Legacy
It is the gifts I inherited from the ones before me and I ponder on the things I have or the things I do, that were transferred to me. The features on my face perhaps was one thing that was…
The Beacon Pele Spared—Kumukahi Lighthouse
By Denise Laitinen Legend has it that Chief Kumukahi, who resided in Kapoho, was competing in hōlua (Hawaiian sled) races when he mocked Pele who had disguised herself as a beautiful woman. Pele’s wrath was swift and destructive. She chased…
Then & Now: St. Michael the Archangel Church
By Fern Gavelek An 1855 landmark that housed North Kona’s Catholic community for more than 150 years, the original St. Michael the Archangel Church was damaged beyond repair during the October 2006 earthquake. A new church, reminiscent of the old…
Clifford Kopp and the Waikūpua Brick Garden
“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” – Deepak Chopra By Karen Valentine It seems that…
Aunty Mele Kunewa Kekai
By Catherine Tarleton At the far north end of Kona’s Old Airport, a rock and coral trail leads to the quiet cove at Makā‘eo, once a thriving and fully sustainable fishing village. To the left, a tongue of lava forms…
