Talk Story with an Advertiser: Lyman Museum and Mission House
The Lyman Museum led by Barbara Moir, Executive Director, and Richard Henderson, Board Chairman, is one of only four nationally accredited museums in the State of Hawai‘i and a Smithsonian Affiliate. This year marks the 180th anniversary of the arrival…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Golden Egg Cash Assets
The Golden Egg is a women-run, locally owned store that buys miscellaneous gold, silver, platinum, dental gold, silverware, and gold and silver coins. One of their policies is that you will never feel pressured to sell anything that you are…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Facial Fitness Hawai‘i
Marty Dean started Facial Fitness Hawaii in 1993 because she understood there was a need for a holistic approach to skin and body care. Constantly keeping up with the latest education, she is a living example of walking her talk…
Heart of Palm
By Sonia R. Martinez One item often missing in most farmers’ markets is the heart of palm, so when you find it, it’s like striking gold. You can harvest heart of palm from any kind of palm tree, including the…
Island Treasures: Martin & MacArthur
Martin & MacArthur has been making fine furniture longer than any individual or company in the history of Hawai‘i. They are the fine furniture maker of ‘Iolani Palace and fine Hawai‘i resorts such as the Royal Hawaiian, the Moana Surfrider,…
Island Treasures: Blue Ginger Gallery
Till Ami Meyers brought her silk art to Hawai‘i in 1985. Today she creates one-of-a-kind paintings in all medias and still designs and merchandises for other artists. Her interest in art began at an early age when her mother introduced…
A Brief History: Hula
“Hula is not just a dance, but a way of life, an ancient art that tells of Hawai‘i’s rich history and spirituality.” (this is attributed to many) Peter T. Young In 1830, Ka‘ahumanu issued an oral proclamation in which she…
Giving Back, Paying Forward: Kona Brewers Festival
By Catherine Tarleton What do potato chips, compost, microscopic algae, high school seniors, runners, recyclables, bicycles, beer, and some of Hawai‘i Island’s best chefs have in common? They’re all part of the Kona Brewers Festival (KBF), a three-day celebration March…
Managing with Aloha: Aloha is Our Rootstock
Aloha is a value, one of unconditional love. Aloha is the outpouring and receiving of the spirit. Second in an ongoing series. By Rosa Say I remember my year a decade ago quite vividly, for in 2003 I began to…
W. M. Keck Observatory: Seeking Answers to the Greatest Questions About Our Universe
By Jon Lomberg Ask any astronomer to short-list the world’s best telescopes and W. M. Keck Observatory’s twin instruments on Mauna Kea will be at the top of everyone’s list. The combination of a perfect site, generous funding, and cutting-edge…
We Are All in the Same Canoe: One Island Sustainable Living Center Promotes Sustainability on Hawai‘i Island
By Barbara Fahs With a modest budget and big vision, the One Island Sustainable Living Center in Hōnaunau is accomplishing some amazing feats toward farming education and sustainability. The terms ‘sustainable’ and ‘sustainability’ are bandied about a lot today. To…
Every Store Has a Story: Kīlauea General Store
By Alan McNarie Nestled in a grove of feral bamboo in old Volcano Village is a love affair that looks like a general store. There are some outward signs that this is more than just a store: the big mural…
Mālama Honua—Care for the Earth: The Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūle‘a and the Hikianalia
By Keith Nealy It is no surprise to the majority of people in the world that our planet is suffering from climate change; the depletion of natural resources; the degradation of our land, sea and air—conflicts that result from overconsumption…
Kūpuna Talk Story: Herb Kawainui Kāne, Father of the Hawaiian Renaissance
By Keith Nealy As a filmmaker and storyteller, I have been blessed with the gift of sharing the mana‘o (knowledge) of more than 60 of Hawai‘i’s most revered kūpuna in spirited conversations exploring the cultural legacy they carry in their…
Ko Bo Kahui Ho‘oilina Ola: Bo Kahui’s Living Legacy
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco One person can make a difference, and everyone should try,” said John F. Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address. Craig ‘Bo’ Kahui was seven years old at the time and living in Kalihi on O‘ahu. One…
Hula Instruments: The Rhythm of the Dance
By Denise Laitinen “I le‘a ka hula i ka ho‘opa‘a”—the hula is pleasing because of the drummer. The well-known quote from Mary Pukui’s seminal book, ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, means that although the attention is given to the dancer, the drummer and…
The Fabric of Community: Kapa Artist and Kumu Hula: Micah Kamohoali‘i
By Stephanie Bolton Micah Kamohoali‘i is a professional artist who was born and raised on Hawai‘i Island. His family members are descendants of the Pele clan and the shark people of Waipi‘o Valley. He is the Executive Director for The…
Then & Now: 50 Years of Merrie Monarch Festival–Nānā I Ke Kumu…Look to the Source
By Karen Valentine Something extraordinary happened in Hilo, Hawai‘i, in 1963—something no one would have guessed would blossom into the pinnacle of celebration and recognition of excellence in the Hawaiian cultural practice of hula. This year, the Merrie Monarch Festival…
Ka Wehena: Kīpaipai
Na Kumu Keala Ching Pi‘i mai ka lā i Ha‘eha‘e Hālau ola kū i ka lewa Waiwai ka ‘i‘ini e holomua Ua kau ka ‘ike i ka nu‘u ala E ala mai, E naue mai, E noke mai e Pi‘o…
Adorning the Dancers: Understanding the Plants of Hula
By Denise Laitinen Standing next to the kahua hula (dance platform) that overlooks Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, you can see a plume of steam and gasses rising from the crater, home of the volcano goddess Pele.…
Ka Puana: A Ranching Legacy Honored
“Smart’s enjoyment of life was in singing, acting, and ranch managing, in that order. That imposition of Broadway on ranch economics was ultimately responsible for certain adjustments to the supporting cast at Parker Ranch – that is, firings, new job…
The Life of Business: WaterWorks
Verne Wood, founder of WaterWorks, is a pioneer in the business of water catchment services and products on an island where many homes are independent of the County water system and rely on collecting rainwater. The company began more than…
The Life of Business: Hawai‘i Biological Dentistry
Dr. Randy Ressler may be the most musical dentist in town! “Music has always been a big part of my life,” says the owner of Hawai‘i Biological Dentistry in Kailua-Kona. He’s been performing since he was 10 and he helped…
The Life of Business: Island Edges Beads
Sharon Turner retired from being a high school theatre teacher in Arizona. Looking for something different and creative, she took a few classes in jewelry making. A native of Phoenix, the single mom of two boys taught there for 26…
The Life of Business: Big Island Coffee Roasters
Brandon Damitz and Kelleigh Stewart have combined their expertise in biological and culinary sciences and organic farming to create a business that offers the finest local products to the public along with support for other coffee growers in commercial roasting,…
Island Treasures: Hawaiian Macadamia Granola
Barbara Andersen, owner of the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast, developed her own special recipe for island-style granola to serve her guests at the breakfast buffet—something that reflects Hawai`i Island. “I started tweaking recipes, adding and subtracting ingredients, until I…
Island Treasures: Pele’s Glass Creations
Glass artisan Dave Karl, who lives close to actual lava flows in Puna, wanted to create the beauty of the lava eruptions. With Pele as his inspiration, he developed a special way of playing with glass to replicate lava explosions.…
Then & Now: Hawai‘i & Leviathan–The Fascinating Tale of Whaling Ships on Hawai‘i Island
By Pete Hendricks They had been swimming the Pacific Ocean for millennia. As humans extended their reach eastward, southward, and northward across the great ocean, leviathan and Polynesian often crossed paths. Thus, the first Polynesians to populate Hawai‘i incorporated the…
Contemporary Hawaii Woodworkers: the Wood, the Art, the Aloha
Koa is Hawai‘i. It provides that sense of place, that connection to the ‘āina (land) that is uniquely Hawai‘i. With a property known as chatoyancy (sha-toy-an-cee)—the ability to shimmer like a cat’s-eye gemstone—figured or curly koa wood is like no…
Warabi—Fiddlehead Ferns
By Sonia R. Martinez Whether you know them as warabi (Japanese), ho‘i‘o (Hawaiian) or ostrich fern (most of the mainland), the fiddlehead ferns are the young, edible, tightly coiled shoots of the fern that resemble the end of a violin…