Hands On History: Relive the Life of Kona’s Coffee Pioneers
By Fern Gavelek Step back in time to the 1920s–40s and relive the simple, yet arduous, life of Kona’s Japanese immigrant farmers during Hands On History at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. It was a time when Kona farmers…
Strike up the Band! Hawai‘i County Band Entertains Hawai‘i Island for Over 130 Years
By Karen Rose A great band makes music sound effortless—a cacophony of notes drifting through air like oxygen. Elements of music such as pitch, tempo, texture, and volume, when analyzed individually hold great importance, yet when married together, create an…
Blue Zones: How Hawai‘i Can Live Longer
By Alan D. McNarie It’s a sunny, humid summer morning in North Hilo, and 30 or so people are gathered in the shade of a temporary tent shelter at the Kalalau Ranch, on the Hāmākua side of the Wailuku River,…
Gary Eoff: One Artist’s Voyage
By Jan Wizinowich Like the cordage he weaves, Gary Eoff’s art stretches back through time to honor and connect with the ancestors. Previously from California, Gary and his wife Karen came to Hawaiʽi in 1980 to surf and visit Karen’s…
Island Stowaways: Invasive Pests on Hawai’i Island
By Brittany P. Anderson Born from fire, Hawai‘i Island sprang from the bottom of the ocean. Cooling lava breached the surface of the sea, and our island was born. Plants and animals traveled thousands of miles to reach the new…
Ho‘ina Hōkūle‘a — Hōkūle‘a Returns
By Leilehua Yuen Hōkūle‘a now begins her final leg of the Worldwide Voyage—traveling the Hawaiian Archipelago to approximately 30 ports. Her crew will get to share their adventures with some 100 schools on various islands. After circumnavigating the Earth in…
Hawai‘i Artist Collaboration: A Masterful Art Happening
By Karen Valentine What happens when you bring together a group of 42 master artists and craftsmen, put them in a confined space for only four days, and task them with producing fine art worthy of a gala charity auction?…
The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation: In the Memory of One Lost Life, Others Have Been Saved
By Karen Rose In August of 1997, the lives of Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre were about to change forever. Their 25-year-old son Danny set off to hike Kapaloa Falls, the 500-foot waterfall located in the back of Pololū Valley…
Recipe for Sweet Kabocha Soup: A Taste of History
By Brittany P. Anderson As I stroll around the farmer’s market, a woman in front of me turns to her travelling companion, “Look, there’s a kabocha!” She pushes her sunhat back off her forehead to feast her eyes on the…
Managing With Aloha: Invoke Lōkahi for Harmony and Unity
“Lōkahi is the value of harmony and unity. People who work together can achieve more.” Ninth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say If ever there was a time for Lōkahi, it is now. As the Roman…
Ka Wehena: No‘u ē, Aia e ka Lā
No‘u ē Na Kumu Keala Ching Aia lā kahi kapu i mua o‘u ‘Ō ihola ka pono no‘u ē Eia maila ka ‘i‘ini a‘e nō Nene‘e akula ke ala no‘u ē I laila ala kahi kapu nō No‘ono‘o ka pono…
John Dawson: This Octogenarian is Still Creating Meaningful Art in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
By Denise Laitinen Lots of five-year olds like to draw, but few at that age know they want to be an artist when they grow up. Fewer still grow up to actually become an artist—and a famous one at that,…
Twilight at Kalāhuipua‘a’s 20th Anniversary: A Time of Remembrance, Preservation, and Community Service
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco “My first impression of the property and ponds was that I didn’t think there were places like this that still existed.” says Danny “Kaniela” Akaka, reminiscing back to a day in 1972 when he first stepped…
HawaiiCon: Magic and Mōhihi‘o*
By Catherine Tarleton Every day, people travel from around the planet to bask in the Hawai‘i Island sun, immerse in the ocean and feel the warm culture of aloha. This fall, that welcome extends to those from far, far away…
Jackie Pualani Johnson: She Really Is Something!
By Britni Schock Growing up, Jackie Pualani Johnson was drawn to drama from a young age. Born and raised in Hilo, Jackie started her journey in theater during high school. After nearly 40 years of working with the UH Hilo…
Kohala’s Hawai‘i Institute of Pacific Agriculture: Growing an Interest in Food Farming
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu At the UH Hilo Commencement Ceremonies held in May 2017, the numbers of graduates in various fields were impressive. However, a disturbing trend surfaced, with only 18 graduates completing a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and fewer…
Kohanaiki: Connecting the Past to the Future
By Jan Wizinowich Tutu Papa moves quietly in the dark of his Kohanaiki mauka hale (mountain-side home) in final preparations for a makai (ocean-side) gathering journey, collecting the supplies he will need for the day and a lunch of dried…
Lauhala Has Strong Roots in Puna: ‘Aha Pūhala O Puna Weaving Club celebrates its 25th anniversary
By Karen Valentine “Nānā i ke kumu” is a Hawaiian proverb—‘ōlelo no‘eau—commonly used throughout the culture to express the correct way of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, and even from the wisdom…
A Depository of Stories: Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou
By Catherine Tarleton “I never thought I would be in the museum business,” says Wayne Subica, director of the Hawai‘i Plantation Museum in Pāpa‘ikou. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, the old Onomea Plantation Store is filled with an ever-expanding…
Darlene Ahuna: Celebrating Traditional Hawaiian Music
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco The sound of her voice is unmistakable, a resounding ha‘i (falsetto) spun with the grace of serenity. You are in the presence of Darlene Ahuna, a Hawaiian traditionalist singer and musician who has been playing music…
A Garden Fit for a Queen: Celebrating Lili‘uokalani In Her Garden’s Centennial Year
By Brittany P. Anderson & Leilehua Yuen As the sun rises steadily over Hilo Bay on a bright Saturday morning, a group of college students rake leaves at the far end of Lili‘uokalani Gardens. While dozens of early morning walkers and…
Edible Flower Power: A Recipe for Floral Ice Cubes
By Brittany P. Anderson My puppy, Ku‘u Lei, bounds around the backyard plucking flowers from their branches, then playfully running about with flowers in his mouth like a little prince. He only drops the flowers to chew on their petals.…
Ka Wehena: Moemoeā
Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō ka Lani, nani ao Ao melemele a‘e nō Noho puni ka ‘Ōpua Pua lei Kahiki moe Moemoeā, moemoeā Ola ke ola, lani ao Ao poli makamaka Kau aku i ka poli Lipolipo, komohana Moemoeā, moemoeā…
Managing with Aloha: The ‘Ohana in Business
By Rosa Say Nine key concepts shape Managing with Aloha as a culture-building workplace philosophy. Key Concept 6 is the ‘Ohana in Business. As written in Managing with Aloha, the value of ‘Ohana “becomes a sacred ‘Imi ola form for…
Kilauea Drama and Entertainment Network Celebrates 15 Years on Stage
By Alan McNarie Fifteen years ago, Suzi Bond had a career crisis. She’d been directing summer musicals for Volcano Art Center for years when that organization decided to end its theater program. “My first impulse was to crawl under my…
Kalani Pe’a: Hawai‘i Island Born and Bred Artist Brings Home a Grammy
By T. Ilihia Gionson He’s come a long way from the entertainment tent at the Hawai‘i County Fair! As Kalani Pe‘a stood on the stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to accept the Grammy for Regional Roots Album…
Kohala Watershed Partnership: Bringing Life Back to the Land
By Jan Wizinowich Kohala Mountain stands like a cloud-cloaked monarch, crowned with a 50,000 acre forest that feeds the streams and people of Kohala. The tradewinds bring warm water into the cool mountains and create a constant source of moisture…
A Place to Call Home: Celebrating the 50th Model Home
By Brittany P. Anderson While the locations have changed and more programs have joined the project, the core of Hawai‘i Community College’s Model Home Project has remained the same over the past five decades—offering hands-on learning to students, and affordable…
Historic Campus Gets New Life, New Vision
By Ma’ata Tukuafu The parking lot is brand new. The short walk is breathtaking as the sun shines through the lush trees and the road curves, opening up to beautifully renovated buildings. This is the Kohala Institute at ‘Iole (KI),…
Abled Hawai‘i Artists: Promoting a ‘Renaissance of Inclusion’ in our Hawai‘i Island Community
By Paula Thomas Mar Ortaleza’s work centers around helping adults with disabilities live a fuller life. An employment specialist at the Hawai‘i Island nonprofit Full Life, Mar’s job is to help his clients develop skillsets and find gainful employment. He…
