Local Foods: Going Bananas
By Brittany P. Anderson I used to think that all bananas were the same. Yellow skin, bland taste, mushy, and eaten on the go for breakfast. The Cavendish banana was all I had ever known. Chopping down the thick stalk…
Ka Wehena: Lei ‘Opua
Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō mai Lei ‘Ōpua la ‘O Hualālai kō Hawai‘loa He aloha kō lāua, lei ‘Ōpua la Noho uka i ka nani, mauna kū kilakila Kaulana ‘o Hualālai, malu kō Kona Eō mai ē, Eō mai la…
Surf’s Up! The 23rd Annual Shane Dorian Banyan Keiki Classic Returns
By Karen Rose Kailua-Kona’s hometown hero and big wave surfer Shane Dorian has taken his success in surfing and utilized his fame to establish a surf competition for Hawai‘i Island’s youth. Now in its 23rd year, the Shane Dorian Banyan…
Epic Origami: Folds and Creases for Awareness
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu In the origami world, there are two types of people: those who follow instructions, and those who create the instructions. Julien Lozi, an astronomer at Subaru Telescope in Hilo, explains how he is considered a “folder” of…
Hanauna Ola: Sustaining the Generations through Voyaging
By Jan Wizinowich For centuries, the spirit of the voyaging canoe lay dormant only to be reawakened with a question: Is it possible to sail a voyaging canoe to Tahiti using non-instrument navigation? Now, many years later on Hawaiʽi Island,…
Local Foods: For the Love of Chocolate – And a Recipe for Maunakea Truffles
By Brittany P. Anderson What better way to say ‘I love you’ than with a delightful chocolate candy? As Valentine’s Day approaches, lovers all over the country will be in pursuit of the melt-in-your-mouth confection. Victorian age etiquette books warned…
Kainani Kahaunaele: Revitalizing Hawaiian Music
By Mālielani Larish In 1999, after four months of sailing from Hawai‘i to Micronesia as a crewmember of the E Mau—Sailing the Master Home voyage, the day had arrived for Kainani Kahaunaele to give her gift to Mau Piailug. Papa…
Mālama Mokupuni: Caring for Our Island Environment
Coral Reefs Are Dying: Climate Change and Sunscreen Pollution By Rachel Laderman Hānau ka ‘Uku-ko‘ako‘a, hānau kana, he ‘Ako‘ako‘a, puka Born was the coral polyp, born was the coral, came forth In the Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant, ko‘a (the…
Managing with Aloha: Motivation is Kuleana’s Inside Job
“Kuleana is one’s personal sense of responsibility. ‘I accept my responsibilities, and I will be held accountable.’” Eleventh in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say All coaches fall back on a stable of self-coaching phrases they’ve learned…
Preserving Waimea’s Historic Spencer House
By Denise Laitinen A courthouse, hotel, restaurant, gift shop, real estate and law office, and a family home; the historic Spencer House in the heart of downtown Waimea has been many things since it was built in the 1840s. Before…
VASH Hawai‘i Island: Nonprofit Comes to the Rescue of Visitor Misfortune
By Fern Gavelek Your friend vacationing from Minnesota loses her ID and worries how she will get on the plane to return home. After a day at the beach, a guest at your vacation rental is in a traffic accident…
Making Life Colorfully Social for our Kūpuna
By Paula Thomas Since 1976, the Hawai‘i Island Adult Care (HIAC) in Hilo has provided quality care for elders and challenged adults as well as support for their families. Their life-enhancing programs include an art program thatʻs been led by…
Maunakea: A Mountain of Unmatched Amazement
By Britni Schock One of the most captivating mountains in the world is located in the Pacific Ocean on Hawai‘i Island. This dormant volcano, called Maunakea, is the tallest mountain on Earth, with its start about 23,000 feet below sea…
Hawai‘i Island Tea – Craft Brew
By Brittany P. Anderson The quest for Hawai‘i Island grown tea starts with the perfect storm of volcanic acidic soil and humidity. Those bold enough to take the journey tend to their plants with patience and a kind hand. The…
A Hospital for the Birds: Hawai‘i Wildlife Center
By Catherine Tarleton Things are hopping at Hawai‘i Wildlife Center in North Kohala—hopping, chirping, swimming, feeding, fledging, healing, and eventually flying. “Last night, we transported in a seabird from O‘ahu and a pueo (owl) from Kaua‘i,” said President and Center…
Lake Waiau
By Karen Valentine Like a deep and mysterious woman, she lies nestled in her bed of ancient lava within the majestic pinnacle of the sacred mountain Maunakea. One of the few tropical alpine lakes in the world, Lake Waiau has…
Ka Wehena: E Ho‘Ola Ē, Eia Launa‘ole Ē, I Laila Ē
Na Kumu Keala Ching E Ho‘Ola Ē E ho‘ōla ka mana ē, e ho‘ōla ka mana ē E ho‘ōla ka ‘uhane ē, e ho‘ōla ka ‘uhane ē E ho‘ōla ke ola ē, e ho‘ōla ke ola ē E ho‘ōla ē,…
Family of Service
By Catherine Tarleton For the Medeiros ‘ohana of “First Lava Flow” (Honokua) in South Kona, service is a way of life. Both Clarence Medeiros and daughter Kareen did military service in the U.S. Army, yet their legacy of helping others…
Ka Wehena: ‘Ohai‘ula
Na Kumu Keala Ching I ka nani ‘o ‘Ōhai‘ula Ma ke kai hāwanawana Malu ‘ia ‘o Mauna Kea Pili maila (‘o) Pu‘u Koholā Eō mai ē, e ala ē Eō mai ē ‘o ‘Ōhai‘ula Lana mai nā kūpuna Puka maila…
50 Years of Inspired Art at Hilo’s Wailoa Center
By Leilehua Yuen Since 1967, the Wailoa Center has graced Pi‘opi‘o, an ‘ili kūpono (chiefly holding place) in the Waiākea ‘ahupua‘a (district) of Hilo. The center was part of an effort to create a green zone and recreation area after…
Meet Hawai‘i’s Dr. Doolittle, Paul Breese
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu When Paul Breese and Jean DeMercer-Breese began co-authoring their book about the history of the Honolulu Zoo, they had no idea it would take ten years to complete. Paul Breese served as director of the zoo from…
The Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hāmākua
By Mālielani Larish On a balmy Thursday afternoon, the sounds of Hawaiian oli (chant) break the calm of downtown Honoka‘a. A student from Lanakila Mangauil’s Papa Oli class stands in the doorway of the Hawaiian Cultural Center of Hāmākua, embodying…
Managing with Aloha: Let’s Talk Story with Kākou Invitation
“Kākou is the value of inclusiveness. All of us. We are in this together. Learn to speak the Language of We.” Tenth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say Ask anyone how they see your management style…
One of Hilo’s Unsung Heroes: Mary Matayoshi
By Denise Laitinen A staunch supporter of education, Mary Matayoshi has created programs that have benefited generations of Hawai‘i Island residents. Her work has led to educational opportunities for thousands of people, however her name is not as well known…
At Kilauea Military Camp: Morale, Welfare and Recreation are Served Along with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Eyes light up when visitors to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) arrive during the holidays and they see the seemingly incongruous row of small cabins, lined up in military precision, bedecked with colorful holiday decorations, each one…
A Taste of History: The Magic of Malasadas
By Brittany P. Anderson I can still remember the first time I tasted a malasada; fresh and warm, the sugar glistening. First, there was the crunch of the fried outside as I bit into it, then the rich soft eggy…
Sustainable Living and Learning at Hawaiian Sanctuary
By Brittany P. Anderson Along the densely forested stretch of Pahoa–Kalapana Road, towering albizia reach into the sky. In their lacey shade sits the Hawaiian Sanctuary, a 44-acre haven tucked away from the busy thoroughfare. There is no large gate…
Puka‘ana Church: Steeped in History and Spirit
By Denise Laitinen Like a lei of vibrant Hawaiian flowers, you will find small historic churches dotting the landscape around Hawai‘i Island. Like the flowers bound together in lei, many of the churches are connected, either built by the same…
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…
Hale Ohia Cottages’ Hidden Charms: Volcano Cottages Celebrate 25th Anniversary
By Alan D. McNarie Nestled among a grove of sugi pine trees, a mile or two from the entrance to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, is a unique lodging experience—or rather, twelve experiences. It all began with a large residence, a…
