Meet Sustainable Reggae Artist Sahra Indio
By Jessica Kirkwood Reggae—with its catchy rhythms and poignant messages—was born on the island of Jamaica in the 1960s and made its way to Hawai‘i nearly two decades later—right around the time Sahra Indio first landed here, too. “I identify…
The Life in Business: Coldwell Banker Day-Lum Properties/Day-Lum Rentals & Management, Inc.
Nancy Cabral has worked her way up from the little island of Moloka‘i to become a major player in the real estate and property management business on Hawai‘i Island. She came to Hilo in 1978 and has lived here for…
The Life in Business: Synergy
Synergy is “a collaboration of like-minded practitioners, artists and healers who believe in wellness on all levels of life.” Patricia’s Transitions, Trystin’s Therapeutic Massage, and Clay’s DreamScapes were finding it challenging to operate as individual practices, and that led them…
The Life in Business: Quindembo Bamboo Nursery
Peter Berg and Susan Ruskin came to Hawai‘i in 1987 specifically to start a bamboo nursery. “We located the nursery in Waimea, because it is near the beach and we foolishly imagined we’d have lots of time to hang out.…
The Life in Business: Ho‘oulu Community Farmers Market
About three years ago, the Keauhou Beach Resort asked Kumu Keala Ching if he could help to bring the community of Kona to the resort. The kumu hula and Hawaiian cultural teacher introduced several programs and events to educate the…
Ka Wehena: E Ho‘omalu o Hawai‘i Nei
E Ho‘omalu o Hawai‘i Nei …Blessings of Hawai‘i …Na Kumu Keala Ching… E ho’ōla mai ka honua ala …Heal the earth …E ola hou ka ‘ike kupuna …Revive the ancient knowledge …E ho’omana’o ka ‘oia’i’o pono’ī …Remember the righteous truth…
Be It Ever So Tiny, There’s No Place Like Home: Tiny Houses on a Big Island
By Cynthia Sweeney In 1970, the size of the average, single family home in the U.S. was 1,500 square feet. In 2009, in the country that originated the phrase “Super-size Me,” that average peaked at 2,630 square feet. After decades…
Burning Spirit: Inspirations with Master Painter David “Kawika” Gallegos
By Karen Valentine Someone or some spirit has been looking out for David Maes “Kawika” Gallegos. With divine timing and serendipity, and in spite of personal crises, deep heartbreaks and challenges, the right person (or angel) has appeared at the…
Every Store Has a Story: H. Kimura Store–Oshima and Kimura Families Still Operate Historic Kainaliu General Stores
By Hadley Catalano If you walked into Kimura Store as a child it was almost guaranteed that Mrs. Irene Kimura would give you a piece of candy. While that reason alone might be good enough for any seven-year-old to visit…
Lelehua Yuen: Living Within the Stories
Hawaiian Culture and History, Interpreted with Artistry By Paula Thomas She is bathed in bright light on stage in a white mu‘umu‘u, her hands ever so delicately miming the picking of a lei blossom and bringing it close for its…
Hands On, Minds Ahead! All Aboard Bluewater Exploration
By Fern Gavelek “Throughout the course of human events, mankind’s impacts on the environment have stressed the carrying capacity of our ocean, thus ruining the essence of why we love and enjoy areas such as the Keauhou-Kona coast. Experience has…
There’s Help for Orchid Brown Thumbs: Hilo Orchid Societyʻs Mission to Help Everyone Grow Orchids
By Denise Laitinen Julie Goettsch wants to set the record straight. The president of the Hilo Orchid Society (HOS) wants people to know that growing orchids isn’t complicated or difficult to do, especially here on an island known as the…
Behind the Scenes at the Lu‘au: History and ‘Ohana Craft a Memorable Experience
By Marya Mann The emcee’s voice sets the tone of enchantment for visitors to Hawai‘i, first through a culinary feast and into the dreamscape of a Pacific odyssey. They’ve been anticipating this evening for a long time, a climax to…
Search for the Heart of Kahalu‘u: E mālama i Nā Papa–Protect Our Coral Reefs
By Marya Mann It’s a courtship by the sea, except we’re sitting in a Bakken Foundation classroom north of Kailua-Kona, where ReefTeach trainers show color slides of brilliant and broken corals that flourish and die in Kahalu‘u Bay. They want…
Clean-Up Crusaders: Volunteer Groups Turn Out to Keep Hawai‘i Island’s Shorelines Beautiful
By Noel Morata It’s 8:30 on a stormy, drizzly morning at the lighthouse facing Hilo Bay. Assembled is a group of very dedicated people from the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, the Surfrider Foundation and members of Mālama Kaipalaoa. Even the hair…
Home on the Ka‘u Range: The Kuahiwi Family Ranch and Natural, Free-Range Beef
By Denise Laitinen When Captain John Vancouver presented King Kamehameha with cattle on the Big Island as a gift in 1793, no one imagined the impact it would have on the future of the island. Kamehameha placed a kapu on…
Then & Now: Pu‘ukohola
By Robert Oaks Pu‘ukoholā Heiau, on the northwest coast of Hawai‘i Island, played a critical role in the unification of the island chain by King Kamehameha I in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Indeed, of all the national…
Then & Now: Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau
Second in a series of profiles on Hawai‘i Island National Parks By Robert Oaks Traditional Hawaiian society was regulated by a series of rules—kapu—the violation of which led to severe punishment, often including death. Examples of violating a kapu included…
2012 Transit of Venus: Hawai‘i Island Best Place to See a Rare Astronomical Event
By Jon Lomberg June 5, 2012 On June 5, 2012, the Earth, Sun, and the planet Venus will briefly line up, and Venus will slowly move across the Sun’s face, like a tiny eclipse. This is in fact the rarest…
Earl Bakken, at 88, Has Many Dreams Come True
Visionary Philanthropist Wants Kids to Have a Better Future By Fern Gavelek He goes to bed every night with pen and paper at his side. “That’s because I dream of ideas while falling asleep,” says Earl Bakken, M.D. HON. C.…
Every Store Has a Story: The Saito Family and Pa‘auilo Store
By Hadley Catalano It might just be that a simple bento roll is what has kept the Saito family of Hāmākua in business all these years, and helped their family store to recently reach its 63rd anniversary. You may have…
Leo Sears: Curtain Going Up
By Catherine Tarleton Little did Leo Sears know, back in Kansas, that his first onstage experience in a local high school play, Curtain Going Up, would be an appropriate title for his own life drama and career. Even though his…
Marked Teachings: Tattoo as Transformative Art
By Jessica Kirkwood The tattoo is not just a form of art, but a sacred dance in symbolic healing. Marked in momentum, the rhythm beats fast from the coiled snake. Journeying, thoughts come forth from the void. Let them go.…
Save the Bees, Save the Planet: Listening to the Buzz with Bee Oracle Alison Yahna
By Marya Mann A honeybee swarm came to Alison Yahna and it changed her life forever. The bees came in a swirling rush, alighting on a small cedar tree near her home. With help from a friend she moved the…
The Plight of the Honeybee: Big Island Honeybees are Vital to Keeping Us Fed, Our Skin Soft and Even Healing Cuts on Fish Fins
By Denise Laitinen Raw honey may look like liquid gold, but it is the bees themselves that are worth their weight in gold. “Albert Einstein once said that without honeybees the human race as we know would end in seven…
The Nene Project: GPS Tracking Reveals the Hawaiian Goose Doin’ What Comes Naturally
By Fern Gavelek Hawai‘i’s beloved state bird, the nēnē, is making a comeback, and a new Hawai‘i Island study has revealed some fascinating facts about the Hawaiian goose and how we can help it thrive. The good news is the…
Money Does Grow on Trees: Puna Programs Help Backyard Farmers Sell Excess Produce
By Denise Laitinen When I was a kid my dad would say, “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” Well, it turns out Dad was wrong. Thanks to the efforts of two separate food co-op programs in Puna, people are tapping into…
Community Building with ‘Ukulele: Andy Andrews and Fun with P.U.K.A
By Shirley Stoffer Andy Andrews, co-founder of the legendary ‘Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz in California, is now bringing his love of people, music and fun to the Big Island of Hawai’i. Those of us who know him were certain…
Up from the Ashes: Pit-firing Ceramic Vessels with Tim Freeman
By John J. Boyle A close examination of a pit-fired ceramic vessel created by potter and philosopher Tim Freeman reveals details reminiscent of Hawai‘i’s active volcano. The artist, who makes his home near Kīlauea’s burning, living fire, is exploring creation…
Carousel of Aloha: Bringing a Dream to Life
By Alan D. McNarie Juanette Baysa has a dream. It’s not a dream that will lead to an end to all war or a universal source of clean energy or anything that ambitious. It’s just the sort that helps to…
