An Album for the Community: Martin Charlot’s Konawaena Mural
By Mālielani Larish As he approached the entrance to Konawaena High School’s Ellison Onizuka Gym, Martin Charlot gazed up at the mural that wraps around the gym’s façade—a mural painted by his own hands more than 40 years ago. On…
Petroglyph Press: 60 Years of Sharing Local Culture, History, and Storytelling
By Nancy S. Kahalewai For six decades, the Reed family has been busy printing and publishing in downtown Hilo. Petroglyph Press, Ltd. owners David and Christine Reed are now celebrating the 60th anniversary of the business that David’s parents, Steve…
Fukushima Store: Repurposing a Historical Building
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu When you walk into Union Pasifika Tattoo shop in Waimea, you are greeted with a multitude of things to look at: a dragon and tiger intertwining in a mural on the walls and ceiling, colorful artwork, vintage…
Then and Now: Reflections on World War II and Its Current Relevance
By Pete Hendricks 2020 marks the end of World War II in the Pacific in 1945, 75 years ago. The fear, uncertainty, and anxiety in the days after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack changed the way of life in Hawai‘i…
To Walk with the Ancestors: Lapakahi and the North Kohala Coast
By Jan Wizinowich Lapakahi State Historical Park (LSHP), a significant cultural complex along the leeward coast of North Kohala on Hawai‘i Island, is a time portal through which we can glimpse the thriving life of Hawai‘i’s early settlers and a…
The Meaningful Construction of Daifukuji Soto Mission
By Fern Gavelek The burgundy-colored building with white trim on Highway 11 at the entrance to Honalo (South Kona) is the landmark Daifukuji Soto Mission. The temple sits a bit off the road on the mauka (mountain) side, adjacent to…
Kea‘au, A Point in Time
Compiled by Peter T. Young and Barbara Garcia ‘Ōla‘a or Kea‘au? What happened to ‘Ōla‘a? That seems to be the question for some, because in the district of Puna, what once was called ‘Ōla‘a is now called Kea‘au. Forests once…
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…
Beloved & Humble Puna Stronghold—o Pohoiki
By Marcia Timboy “On her way to Kīlauea, Pele initially carved out a crater called Malama, inland of her landing place at Keahialaka. Pele was dissatisfied with this crater, and proceeded to excavate another nearby crater called Pu‘ulena, which she…
Then & Now: Kaimū Beach, Kalapana, Kapoho–The Only Constant is Change
By Stefan Verbano Through a break in the shrubbery beside Highway 130, the lava field reveals itself for the first time. After a long, gradual bend in the road heading downhill from the turn to ‘Opihikao, strawberry guava-laden jungle falls…
A Bygone Era — Hilo’s Old Courthouse and Police Station
By Marcia Timboy If walls could talk, an 86-year-old building in downtown Hilo would have a myriad of stories to tell of a wahi pana (special legendary place). In an area where ruling chiefs governed during the pre-contact era, and…
Pāhoa Town: Then and Now
By Tiffany Edwards Hunt Pāhoa’s old-timers will tell you that living on the East Rift Zone, they have dealt with flowing lava before. The volcanic soil attracted the Puna Sugar Company to the area, making Pāhoa rich in the history…
Anna Ranch: A Chapter of Waimea History
By Catherine Tarleton Behind the white rail fence and trellis gate, across the lawn and gardens at the foot of Waimea’s rolling hills, inside the gracious white house with blue-striped awnings on its sunny bay windows, lives a story. Opening…
Then & Now: Obon Season–A Favorite Summer Tradition on Hawai‘i Island
By Denise Laitinen Summertime is obon season in Hawai‘i. Every year from June through August, the annual Japanese Buddhist tradition of obon festivals, or bon for short, takes place on Hawai‘i Island. These fun cultural events tend to draw large…
The Big Island Press Club: Then and Now
By Paula Thomas and Lara Hughes Celebrating 50 Years The Big Island Press Club is the oldest running media and journalism organization in existence on Hawai‘i Island. In September, the club celebrated 50 years of protecting the public’s right to…
HPM: 96 years of Perseverance
By Mālielani Larish “Mike, wake up! There’s no school today!” Roused from sleep by his neighbor’s excited shouts, Michael Fujimoto awoke gradually. As the news percolated into his consciousness, Michael thought to himself, “Wow, that’s great!” He could spend the…
Kainaliu Town
Venturing south from Kailua-Kona is the charming town of Kainaliu. Whistle-stop in size, this quaint, island-style locale is named for an ancient canoe bailer who served under King Keawenuia‘umi in the 16th Century. Kainaliu means “bail out the bilge,” and was…
Parker, The Little School that Could
By Catherine Tarleton The red ranch building with the wide white porch rail is 101 years old, and has lived three different lives: as a social hall, USO, and now Parker School. This small school, originally created to serve “indigent…
Then & Now: The Old Hilo Hospital
“Yes, there are ghosts,” says Lizby Logsdon. “Most people would agree. I haven’t heard anything recently, but it’s not uncommon for the elders to hear children outside playing when there are no children outside.” Lizby is the Community Outreach coordinator…
Halema‘uma‘u Crater: Volcanoes and Science
By Alan D. McNarie Hawai‘i Island’s tourist industry got a big boost last spring when Madame Pele chose to peep out of the windows of her home. Lava rose for a few weeks in the pit of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, at…
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…
Every Store Has Its Story: The Greenwell General Store becomes ChoiceMART
By Le‘a Gleason Standing on the event lawn at Kealakekua Ranch Center (KRC), looking all the way down to the sun-kissed Pacific Ocean, it’s easy to tell there’s something special about this place. In fact, a rich history surrounds KRC,…
Through the Years: Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art
By Le‘a Gleason Lourdan Kimbrell is running late. It’s because he’s at the airport picking up photographs for an upcoming show of Kohala’s archeologically significant areas. Inside the Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art (HMOCA), it’s not just the Director, Lourdan,…
Then & Now: Kīlauea Lodge–Warm Up, Freak Out, Chow Down: Friendship, Ghosts, and Gourmet Cuisine
By Alan D. McNarie Even from a distance, the fireplace in the dining room of the Kīlauea Lodge and Restaurant in Volcano is an impressive structure. Large memorabilia imbedded in the fireplace matrix grab your gaze: Hawaiian poi pounders, dinosaur…
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…
What Withstands the Test of Time? The Lyman Mission House
By Le‘a Gleason Imagine sailing for six months, leaving the cool Atlantic Ocean, and passing into the breezy Pacific Ocean to land in a foreign place. The rain soaks the thatched roof of your new home creating an ever-present dampness…
Every Store Has a Story: B. Ikeuchi & Sons, Inc. Hardware Store
By Barbara Fahs At the gateway to historic Waipi‘o Valley, in the town of Honoka‘a, the B. Ikeuchi & Sons, Inc. Hardware Store has been serving up essential supplies to local residents since 1918. It holds the record for being…
Then and Now: Hulihe‘e Palace – From Mansion to Museum
By Fannie Narte Located in the center of Historic Kailua Village on Ali‘i Drive and surrounded by water on three sides is a museum called Hulihe‘e Palace. To its north is a small beach called “Niumalu,” where honu (turtles) often…
Lighting the Way: Honoka‘a People’s Theatre Ventures into a New Century
By John J. Boyle …Long shot from above right, wide shot closes in on the hand painted marquee… It is 1939, and downtown Mamane street is a walker’s paradise. Soft evening air, light linen shirts and skirts, some kimonos, some…
Then & Now: Hilo Sugar Mill/Wainaku Center
By Denise Laitinen Situated on the sea cliffs just north of Hilo and tucked behind old concrete walls is the former Hilo Sugar Mill, which in its heyday processed 1,400 tons of sugar a day. Now, surrounded by tropical flowers…
