Talking Hula with Kumu Aloha Victor
By Karen Valentine The conversation begins with a hug, even in the time of COVID-19. This serious kumu hula (hula teacher) tests himself regularly, not only for the health of himself and his students, but in life itself. After entering…
Hilo’s Ocean Center, Riding a Wave of Peace
By Sara Stover Tucked away at the end of Kalanianaole Avenue is a hidden gem. A haven of calm just past the hustle of Hilo’s port. “This is our classroom,” says Kalani Kahalioumi, director of special programs for Hawai‘i County’s…
Flavor of the Earth, with Recipe for Molten Lava Chocolate Cake
By Brittany P. Anderson Hawai‘i Island is well known for its volcanoes. The 2018 eruption saw fountains of lava shooting into the night sky, hurling glowing orange orbs into the heavens like rockets visible from homes and backyards in lower…
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…
Life is a Muse for Artist Sachi
By Fern Gavelek Sachi, the artist formerly known as Karla Musacchia, has been an award-winner since the 1970s. Before that, she mingled with celebrities in Malibu, was Playboy magazine’s first surfer girl centerfold, and appeared in Hollywood movies. The 74-year…
Aunty Aloha Shares the Gifts of Ho‘oponopono
By Catherine Tarleton It’s all experience. Have you ever thought you were doing something for somebody, and it turns out they’re actually doing something for you? That’s what happened with this writer and Allysyn “Aunty Aloha” Ahuna Bezilla, grandmother, devout…
Managing with Aloha—Strengths Management with Aloha: Our Talent, Skills and Knowledge
Series 3 on Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawai‘i’s Universal Values to the Art of Business. Eighth in Series Three on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say As Alaka‘i Managers, mentors, coaches and trainers in the workplace, this is the four-part…
Lopaka Rootz: Uplifting Listeners with Positive Vibes
By Mālielani Larish Transfixed with awe, a four-year-old Lopaka Rootz gazed upward at Ziggy Marley as he poured his soul into a performance on O‘ahu’s North Shore. Dreadlocks swaying to the irie vibes, Ziggy beamed his smiles directly at Lopaka,…
Stories in the Stars: Constellations Hawaiian Style
By Leilehua Yuen In January, four of Leilehua Yuen’s paintings of Hawaiian constellations were put on display in the Visitor Information Station of the Ellison Onizuka Center for International Astronomy. She began research for the illustrations more than 20 years…
Hāwane Rios Shares Her Soul’s Purpose
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu The first time Hāwane Rios fully comprehended a legend told in the Hawaiian language, it touched her so deeply that she wrote a song to remember it. It is the love story between Poli‘ahu (goddess of the…
Hawai‘i Wai Ola Is Stepping It Up To Test Coast Water Quality
By Rachel Laderman When government can’t catch up with a pressing environmental problem, concerned residents often step in. Here on Hawai‘i Island, water quality equates to quality of life, yet the state Department of Health (DOH) Clean Water Branch has…
Ka Wehena: Aia Kahi Kapu
Na Kumu Keala Ching Aia kahi kapu i ‘ike aku aiI ke ao ‘Ōpua, I ke ao loloaI ke ao Lono, welo i ka ni‘oAia kahi noho o nā kūpuna ola Aia kahi kapu i noho aku aiI ke kuahiwi,…
Traveling to the Unknown with a Recipe for German-style Fruitcake
By Brittany P. Anderson Much of the year has been spent at home, distanced from loved ones, and separated from friends. It is as if we’ve been on a long voyage without knowing where or when we reach our destination. …
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…
Hawaii Brown Bag Ministry: Helping Hearts, Serving Our Community
By Lara Hughes Helping people is a common theme that both John and Theresa Kaiwi have enjoyed throughout their lives. Theresa and John run Hawaii Brown Bag Ministry, in Hilo. John graduated from Kamehameha Schools and University of Hawai‘i at…
Managing with Aloha: The ‘Ohana in Business Model—Our Economy Done Better
Series 3 on Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawaii’s Universal Values to the Art of Business. Seventh in Series Three on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say When I left the hotel industry to work for the Hualalai Resort back in…
Back to the ‘Āina: Strengthening Hawai‘i Island’s Food System
By Brittany P. Anderson The afternoon heat hangs heavy over the field. Two farmers continue their work seemingly unaffected by the weather. Arms and legs bundled up to avoid being burned by the sun, they pluck beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes…
Sharing Aloha Spirit Worldwide
By Catherine Tarleton What does Aloha Spirit look like in places outside of Hawai‘i? To find out, we asked an ipu (gourd) artist who grows them in both Kona and California, a kumu hula who teaches in Asia and Europe,…
200 Years at Mokuaikaua Church: Preserving a Beacon of Faith in Kailua Village
By Fern Gavelek The first Christian church established in the Hawaiian Islands lives on today as an active and caring fellowship called Mokuaikaua Church. Founded in 1820, the church is commemorating its 200th anniversary with a massive preservation of its…
Hobby Garden: A Happy, Sustainable Learning Center
By Stefan Verbano Every other day, the big four-engine seaplanes would roar over Johnson Lum’s grandfather’s home on the main Fiji island of Viti Levu. The Sunderland Flying Boats were on rescue and reconnaissance missions over vast, isolated stretches of…
Embrace the Bitter with Recipe for Stir-Fry Bitter Melon
By Brittany P. Anderson You’ve probably come across bitter melonʻs mass of coiled tendrils, deeply lobed green leaves, and small yellow flowers. Their distinctive warty oblong light green fruits hanging on the vine waiting to be picked. Bitter melon is…
Managing with Aloha: A Language of Intention: Our “Language of We”
Series 3 on Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawai‘i’s Universal Values to the Art of Business. Sixth in Series Three on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say Language of Intention is Key Concept 5 in a Managing with Aloha practice, wherein…
Ka Wehena: Kohala Ku‘u ‘Āina Aloha
Na Kumu Keala Ching Aia‘o Kohala ku‘u lei Aloha‘A‘ahu hulu mamo kau i ka poli Eō mai ke Ali‘i Kaulana ē Kohala Ku‘u ‘Āina Aloha lā He ‘āina kupaianaha, Kaulana nā ‘ōiwiNoho ka pono, ‘imi ho‘i ke ‘ala ē Eō…
Hawaiian Naming Traditions: A Cultural Legacy
By Jan Wizinowich According to Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language professor Dr. Larry Kimura, Hawaiian language was and still is a “treasure house embedded with the whole way of seeing the world. It adds to the…
Holualoa Gallery: A 30-Year Retrospective with Matthew & Mary Lovein
By Kristina Anderson For more than 30 years, Matthew and Mary Lovein’s Holualoa Gallery anchored the center of this small art hamlet in the lush upcountry of Kailua-Kona. Not only was the gallery location central and highly visible, the Loveins…
Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary: A Living, Teaching Tool
By Fern Gavelek The sun goes in and out of rain-filled clouds while driving up Koloko Mauka to the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary (KCFS). Upon arrival, the air is cool and damp, smelling of dew and moist earth. The sun…
Wood Valley Temple and Its Fascinating Historical Journey
By Karen Valentine Those who wonder how a small, yet world-renowned, Buddhist temple ended up in a remote valley not far from an active volcano, may realize that a scholarly account isn’t adequate to tell the story. There must be…
Pana Jones: From Ocean Waves to Airwaves
By Sara Stover “I’d say I wanna go back to my little grass shack but I’m already hereAin’t no disappearing, for me it’s clearI’m on a high, livin’ life aquaticSpear into my crystal, my blue simplistic, tropical, unique, diverse, exquisite……
Bo Williams: Island Teen Proves “It Takes a Village”
By Fern Gavelek Restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic presented island youth with a variety of challenges: online school instruction, cancelled sporting events, and minimal, in-person interaction with friends. With the help of his community, a Hawai‘i Island teen…
Hāmākua Jodo Mission, A Beacon for Peace
By Jan Wizinowich Like a guardian spirit, the Hāmākua Jodo Mission (HJM) sits on a slope above the old plantation community of Pā‘auhau, backed by the gravestones of the many generations of members who attended and contributed to the temple.…
