Your Community Magazine
September–October 2016 Kepakemapa–‘Okakopa 2016
‘I‘iwi in Māmane
Dress to impress in your best black & white and come to downtown Hilo for
BLACK & WHITE NIGHT Hilo’s HUGE annual walk-about party First Friday Nov 4
SHOPS OPEN LATE _______ MUSIC IN THE STREETS _______ AFTER-PARTY at the Palace _______Theater SELFIE CONTEST
DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
EVENT INFO, ENTERTAINMENT LISTING, SELFIE SPOTS, CONTEST RULES:
downtownhilo.com/blackandwhite
September–October 2016 Kepakemapa–‘Okakopa 2016
Art 83 Featured Cover Photographer: Jack Jeffrey
Business NEW OCEANFRONT HOMES in Kona’s Most Sought-After Destination! Gated Resort Community within the beautiful Keauhou Resort. Over 40 exclusive Single Family Residences featuring multiple floor plans with open-air living concepts. Breathtaking Ocean & Golf Course Views. On-Site Sales Gallery Now Open!
PRICING FROM THE $900K’s 808.324.4030 brookfieldhawaii.com/holuakai
51 Managing with Aloha: Ho‘ohana as our Work Ethic By Rosa Say 96 Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser with Ke Ola Mountain Gold Jewelers
Culture 44 Myths and Legends of Mauna Kea By Leilehua Yuen
Health 59 Ke Ola Pono: Lā‘au lapa‘au Herbal Medicine By Leilehua Yuen
Home/Building 27 Renaissance at Honomū Successful former residents return to help lift a sleepy plantation town By Karen Valentine 61 Building with Bamboo, Local Style One man’s crusade to prove it can be done By Karen Valentine
Land
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
18 Mālama i ka ʽĀina: The Dryland Forest Hui ʽOhana Gathers for the Forest By Jan Wizinowich
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53 Hawai‘ i Island Festival of Birds Birdwatching— a heck of a lot of fun By Alan D. McNarie 87 Edible Bamboo By Sonia R. Martinez
The information provided herein is not intended to be and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to sell and shall not be used in any state where prohibited by law or where registration requirements have not been met. Equal Housing Opportunity. Model photography is for illustrative purposes only. All square footages are approximate. Seller reserves the right to modify or change features, specifications, finishes, pricing, incentives and availability without notice. © 2016 Brookfield Residential Hawaii.
Music 67 Rupert Tripp Jr. Continues to Joyfully Sing By Alan D. McNarie 79 Living Pono: Bula Akamu By Mālielani Larish
Ocean 39 Ulua Fishing Kau Lā‘au Style with Uncle Aku Hauanio By Denise Laitinen 73 Worldwide Voyage Hōkūle‘a crew members connect Hawai‘i with Canada’s First Nations in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
People 12 Then and Now: Parker, the little school that could By Catherine Tarleton
Your Health. Our Mission.
23 A Hidden Gem: Historic Honomū Local businesses join forces to mix the old with the new By Megan Moseley 34 Peace Through Mediation West Hawai‘i Mediation Center and Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center By Shana Wailana Logan 75 The Evolution of Kumu Auli‘i Mitchell Dancing from Hawai‘i to Aotearoa for the love of hula By Megan Moseley
Spirit 11 Kaulana Kō Kona By Kumu Keala Ching
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital
Ka Puana -- Refrain
• Offering primary care, surgery, orthopedics, rehabilitation, OB/GYN and more
98 Managing with Aloha—Second Edition By Rosa Say
Crossword Puzzle Farmersʻ Markets Island Treasures Hawai‘i Island Happenings Community Kōkua–Volunteer Opportunities Talk Story with an Advertiser
• Conveniently located in Waimea 71 85 88 90 92 94
• Emergency services available 24/7 for all your needs, large or small • Fully accredited Level III Trauma Center • Affiliated with The Queen’s Health Systems for easy access to top specialists
For appointments call
887-CARE
67-1125 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743 • www.nhch.com The Queen’s Health Systems is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit family of companies.
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital is part of The Queen’s Health Systems ‘ohana.
Back issues of Ke Ola available for purchase. KeOlaMagazine.com
15558 NHCH Ke Ola Magazine; 3.5 in w x 7.25 in h; cmyk
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Departments
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Advertiser Index
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Mahalo to our advertisers! By recognizing the value of Ke Ola Magazine for reaching new customers, they enable us to perpetuate and immortalize these important stories that deserve to be shared. Please visit them (in person, online, or by phone) and thank them for providing you this copy. Without them, Ke Ola Magazine would not exist.
ACCOMODATIONS Akaka Farms Vacation Rental Dragonfly Ranch Healing Retreat Kīlauea Lodge Kohala Village Inn
60 36 64 42
ACTIVITIES, CULTURE, EVENTS Bamboo Festival Body Glove Snorkel & Dolphin Cruises Botanical World Adventures Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Fundraiser Dolphin Journeys East Hawaii Jazz & Blues Festival FairWind Big Island Ocean Guides Four Seasons Hualālai Chef Fest Hilo Black & White Night Ho‘ōla for Punana Leo o Waimea at Kahilu Theatre Kona Boys Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Kona-Kohala Chefs Christmas at Kamakahonu Bay KWXX Ho‘olaule‘a Ocean Sports Palace Theater Paleaku Peace Garden Piko Learning Center Wedding Expo—From Mauka to Makai Wicked Good Time Benefit Halloween Party Witch’s Halloween Party
63 2 31 69 72 28 74 7 3 58 72 78 24 66 72 32 68 42 99 50 33
ART, CRAFTS, JEWELRY Ackerman Gallery 84 Akamai Art Supply 48 Cindy Coats Gallery 82 Cliff Johns Gallery/Champions Wood and Fine Art 43 Colette’s Custom Framing 88 Dovetail Gallery & Design 56 Dunphy Studios 43 Gallery on the Green at Ho‘oulu Farmers’ Market 54 Glyph Art Gallery 57 Harbor Gallery & Charms of Aloha 46 Hawai‘i Artist Collaboration Art Auction 90 Hawaii Wildlife Fund 20th Anniversary Celebration 22 Holualoa Gallery 56 Holualoa Ukulele Gallery 56 Isaacs Art Center (at Hawaii Preparatory Academy) 47 Ipu Arts Plus 56 Island Scrapbooking 58 Jeannie Garcia, Fine Artist & Oil Painter 52 Kimura Lauhala Shop 57 Kona Frame Shop 65 Michael Arthur Jayme Gallery/Studio 60 Mountain Gold Jewelers 48 Pat Pearlman Designs 56 Silver Botanica Jewelry 60 Simple Elegance Gems 82 Volcano Art Center Gallery 52 Volcano Garden Art 89 Woodshop Gallery 60
AUTOMOTIVE Precision Auto Repair
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BEAUTY, HEALTH, NUTRITION Bailey Vein Institute & Vein Clinics of Hawaii 86 Big Island Body Contours 26 Douglas Dierenfield, DDS 40 Dragonfly Ranch Healing Retreat 36 Dr. Ardolf & Associates 70 Hawi Apothecary 84 Jade McGaff, MD, presents the MonaLisa Laser Touch 36 Joan Greco, DDS, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 95 Kona Integrative Health 57 Mālama i Ka Ola Holistic Health Center 57 North Hawai‘i Community Hospital 5 Restorative Massage Hilo–Hope Delaney, LMT 93 Sheareen Gedayloo, MD 16 BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, HOME SERVICES Aloha Maiden Cleaning Services, LLC 68 Aloha Metal Roofing 97 Colette’s Custom Framing 88 dlb & Associates 97 Fireplace & Home Center 64 Hamakua Canvas Co, (Upholstery) 29 Hawaii Water Service Co. 88 Hawaii Electric Light Co. 70 Indich Collection Hawaiian Rugs 15 Kona Frame Shop 65 Mason Termite & Pest Control 41 Plantation Interiors, Teak Garden & Lanai 58 Renewable Energy 41 SlumberWorld Furniture 14 Smart Plumbing Hawaii 91 Statements 52 Tai Lake Custom Furniture 65 True Pure Clean Hawaii Cleaning Service 41 Water Works 62 Yurts of Hawai‘i 25 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Action Business Services 97 Aloha Design & Build Services 63 Aloha Plus Storage & Packaging 49 Ano‘ano Care Home 92 Hawai‘i Island Adult Care 37 Lee Mattingly, Attorney 49 Mailboxes–the Business Center 49 State Farm Insurance, Robert Shimabuku 76 StorQuest Self Storage 40 SuperGeeks 77 The UPS Store 17 TR’s Property Shop, LLC 76 PETS Aloha Pawz Maika‘i Veterinary Clinic, LLC Keauhou Veterinary Hospital, LLC
95 97 10
PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey North Wilson Photographer/Videographer 60 Peggy Ruelke Photography 80 Ke Ola Magazine recognizes the use of the ‘okina [‘] or glottal stop, as one of the eight consonants of (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai‘i such as Pāhoa). Ke Ola Magazine respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.
REAL ESTATE Cindy Griffey, RS, MacArthur & Co.|Sotheby’s Claire K. Bajo Spiritual Real Estate Coldwell Banker–Daylum Properties Hamamkua Coast Realty Hōlua Kai at Keauhou Lava Rock Realty Kelly Shaw, RS, Koa Realty Kimi White, RB, Rainbow Properties Koa Realty Pacific Isle Lending Group, LLC Paradise Found Realty Tony Buys Homes
62 40 5 29 4 8 100 91 56 97 97 50
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD Big Island Juice Café Ono & Volcano Garden Art Hilo Town Tavern Holukoa Gardens & Café Ho‘oulu Farmers Market Kailua Candy Company Kanpai Noodles & Sake Kings View Cafe Kohala Grown Market Kohala Village Hub Pub Kona Coffee & Tea Lucy’s Taqueria Nakahara Store Organo Gold Healthy Coffee & Tea Pāpa‘aloa Country Store & Cafe Peaberry & Galette Standard Bakery Sushi Rock & Trio
33 89 33 56 54 37 33 84 84 42 93 32 84 58 89 21 43 84
RETAIL AND GIFTS Aloha Kona Kids Backstage Dancewear Basically Books Glass from the Past Hands of Tibet Hawaii Marine Center Island Clutter Consignment Shoppe Kadota’s Liquor Keauhou Shopping Center Keauhou Store Kiernan Music Kings’ Shops Kona Commons Shopping Center Kona Stories Mana Cards Nakahara Store Pāpa‘aloa Country Store & Cafe Paradise Found Boutique Parker Ranch Store Puna Kamali‘i Flowers Queens’ MarketPlace Rainbow-Jo Boutique Vintage Adventure
26 32 32 60 30 97 17 25 20 56 43 38 94 21 47 84 89 21 16 81 38 33 77
TRAVEL Jet Vacation Travel Agency
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UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘ĀINA I KA PONO.
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. [Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the Hawai‘i state motto.
Publisher, Marketing, Operations
Barbara Garcia Bowman, 808.329.1711 x1, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com
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Gayle Greco, 808.315.7887, Gayle@KeOlaMagazine.com
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Eric Bowman, 808.329.1711 x 3, Info@KeOlaMagazine.com
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Sharon Bowling, 808.557.8703, Sharon@KeOlaMagazine.com
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Sharon Bowling, Eric Bowman
Production Manager Richard Price
Ambassadors
Emily T Gail • Fern Gavelek • Keala Ching • Mars Cavers Peaches Grove • WavenDean Fernandes
Ke Ola is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Ke Ola is a member of:
Worldwide Delivery 808.329.1711 x4, order online at KeOlaMagazine.com, Subscribe@KeOlaMagazine, or mail name, address, and payment of $30 US/$48 Canada for one year to: PO Box 492400, Kea‘au, HI 96749. Contact us for international rates. Subscriptions and back-issues available online. © 2016, Ke Ola Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Submit online at KeOlaMagazine.com (go to Contact menu) Community Kōkua volunteer opportunities Editorial inquiries or story ideas Request advertising rates
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Ke Ola Publishing, Inc. publishes the annual magazine
Aloha from the Publisher
The magazine is released at the beginning of each year. It shares stories about wonderful celebrations happening on our island home. It is also a great place to showcase local businesses to couples who are getting married and/or honeymooning on Hawai‘i Island. Lots of other folks choose to have their special occasions here, too, such as vow renewals, baby lū‘au, and anniversary parties. 12,000 copies of this special issue are distributed on Hawai‘i Island throughout the year, and we recently added several additional distribution spots. There are also more than 900 mailed to Travel Agents and Wedding/Event Planners in Hawai‘i, the Pacific Coast, and Las Vegas, in addition to our subscribers and professional offices island-wide.
We are thrilled that the September/October magazine you’re holding in your hands has grown and includes even more stories! This growth spurt is due to local businesses finding value in placing their advertising within the stories of Ke Ola Magazine, which is how we grow together. Over the years, businesses in the same geographic areas have joined together in their marketing efforts to bring more people to their communities via Ke Ola Magazine’s community advertising pages. Hawi’s page began in the September/October 2010 issue (our 11th) and continues to run in this, our 47th issue. Shortly after Hawi came Holualoa, Kainaliu, Keauhou, and Hilo, with the most recent addition being the village of Honomū. By divine providence, at the same time the Honomū community businesses got together for this marketing initiative, our editorial department was also working on two stories about Honomū, which are both included in this issue. The first story is from the historic perspective, followed by a story about the current renaissance that is taking place. We’ll follow up with more stories about our historic shopping villages around the island in upcoming issues. Also, we will always make room for more community advertising pages, as well as individual ads, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know. You’ll notice in this issue we have featured two music stories, one about West Hawai‘i’s Bula Akamu, the other about East Hawai‘i’s Rupert Tripp, Jr. Both musicians are equally inspiring for different reasons, which you’ll read about in their stories. An important aspect of Ke Ola Magazine is our community affiliations and the sponsorships we offer for nonprofit events. Take a look at our masthead for all the organizations we’re involved in. When you peruse the pages, note that many nonprofit event ads are co-sponsored by us. It’s one way we love to give back to our island home. We hope you’ll attend many of these events! It’s amazing we’re about to start working on our 2016 Holiday issue and the 2017 Hawai‘i Island Wedding, Honeymoon, and Special Occasion magazine already. This year is flying by! Enjoy our fall issue! Aloha pumehana, Barbara Garcia, Publisher
Hawai‘i Island Weddings, Honeymoons, and Special Occasions.
Hawai‘i Island Weddings, Honeymoons, and Special Occasions is the official magazine of the Hawaii Island Wedding Association. (HiWeddingAssociation.com)
Join us at the 2016 Wedding Expo on October 15, at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. (See details on page 99)
For more info please contact Barbara: call/text 808.345.2017, barb@keolamagazine.com
From Our Readers ✿ Aloha, A quick note to express my appreciation for Leilehua Yuen’s fine article about Rapid Ohia Death in July’s issue. Mahalo for such a thorough and thoughtful piece. Catherine G. Tripp San Rafael, CA We welcome your input and feedback. You may submit a letter at KeOlaMagazine.com under the contact tab.
‘I‘iwi in Māmane by Jack Jeffrey See his story, page 83.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Cover photo submissions and space reservations for advertising in the 2017 Hawai‘i Island Weddings, Honeymoons, and Special Occasions magazine, are being accepted until October 20, 2016.
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Experience your pet deserves Experience you can trust
Keauhou
Veterinary Hospital, LLC Dr. Jacob Head
78-6728 Walua Rd, Kailua-Kona, HI 808-322-2988 / Fax 808-322-2303 www.keauhouvet.com
Kaulana Ko Kona | Na Kumu Keala Ching
Kaulana kō Kona, ka makani ‘olu‘olu Pā ahe uka nō kō Kona
Famous of Kona, the gentle wind Gentle breeze blowing upward
Kaulana kō Kona, I kai ‘Ōpua
Famous of Kona, the ‘Ōpua clouds
‘O ke kai kaulana nō kō Kona
Famous upon the sea
Kaulana kō Kona, Ma Hualālai
Famous of Kona, Hualālai
‘O ka mauna malu nō kō Kona
Indeed of mountain that protects
Kaulana kō Kona, I kai mā‘oki‘oki
Famous of Kona, the choppy seas
‘O ke kai mālinolino kō Kona Kaulana kō Kona, Holoholo ka moana I ka moku lawai‘a nō kō Kona Kaulana kō Kona, I kai ā lua ‘O ka no‘eau kūpono nō kō Kona Kaulana kō Kona, Ulana ke aloha ‘O ka hala ‘ula nō kō Kona Kaulana kō Kona, Huaka‘i ka ‘Ōpelu Makana ‘ia nō kō Kona Kaulana kō Kōna, ka Heke iho nō Ka Heke iho nō kō Kona
Yet, sparkling seas Famous of Kona, Deep Sea fishing Many fishing boats Famous of Kona, two sea currents Filled with hidden ocean knowledge Famous of Kona, weaving of love Red pandanus of Kona Famous of Kona, ‘Ōpelu fishes Given as gifts by the people of Kona Famous of Kona, Indeed the greatest Greatest of all Kona
Hualālai. Me ia makani nei, aia ho‘i ka ‘Ōpua ala i ke kai mālinolino nō! Kaulana nō ka moku lawai‘a me ka mana‘o o ke kai ā lua. I ka ‘āina, ulana ho‘i ke aloha me nā ‘ohana like ‘ole. Ua like ke aloha o ka ‘Ōpelu la. Kaulana kō Kona, he Heke iho nō! Famous of Kona, presenting all the richness of Kona! The soft wind blows gently from the sea to the uplands of Hualālai. Upon this wind, ‘Ōpua clouds are noticed on the calm sea. Famous indeed, Deep Sea Fishing with knowledge of the two currents. The land of Kona weaves the compassion of all families; it is like the love of the ‘Ōpelu shared around the islands. Famous indeed Kona, greater than the best! Honoring our Kūpuna of Kona with all the richness they provide! The seventh verse was added to honor our weavers of Kona. Dedication to Aunty (Tūtū) Elizabeth Maluihi Lee. Contact writer Kumu Keala Ching: kumukeala@nawaiiwiola.org
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Kaulana Kō Kona, eia ho‘i nā mea waiwai kō Kona! Pā ‘olu‘olu mai ka makani aheahe mai ke kai mai ā i ‘uka ho‘i i ka mauna ‘o
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N O W A N D T H E N
Parker , the little school that could T
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
he 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 children,” produces National Merit Scholars and U.S. Presidential Scholars—100% of graduates are accepted into colleges. In statewide rankings of private schools, it is on par with Punahou and ‘Iolani year after year. Parker School has about 330 students, a little more than half on financial aid.
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The road from there to here In the winter of 1900, well known Honolulu lawyer and businessman Alfred Wellington (A.W.) Carter had been appointed by Elizabeth Parker as guardian and trustee to her infant daughter. Annie Thelma Kahilu‘onapua‘api‘ilani Parker was Parker Ranch’s sole heir. In the next 50 years, Carter would protect her interests, and expand them broadly, along with many facets of what was then a more rugged Waimea community. Carter found a ranch that was struggling. The livestock weren’t in the best condition and had not been bred properly. Many wild “pipi” (beef cattle) still roamed the landscape. The ranch paniolo (cowboys) liked to play as hard as they worked, and kept the town’s two saloons busy. A believer in industry, family, and faith, Carter set out to help strengthen those values in Waimea—as he was strengthening the cattle. To provide workers recreation options, he built ballparks,
| By Catherine Tarleton
a bowling alley, and a pool hall. For their families, he put up churches of all denominations, schools, and more. By 1915, he also opened a large recreation center, at a cost of $6,594.02. Named “Barbara Hall,” for his oldest daughter, it was fully equipped for elegant entertaining. “An orthophonic Victrola record player was provided with an appropriate repertoire, including classical, contemporary, and even Japanese renderings. Other musical instruments were available for use, including string and steel guitars, Kumalae ukuleles and bass violas, along with violins and bows,” according to Dr. William Bergin’s book, Loyal to the Land, Parker Ranch 750-1950. Barbara Hall became the social hub of Waimea, home to the ranch’s New Year’s Eve lū‘au, public dances, charity fundraisers, movies, the occasional large funeral, and most memorably, the Parker Ranch Christmas party. Community nonprofit Friends of the Future captured some of those memories in its book, Paniolo House Stories. “The event featured a huge, elaborately decorated Christmas tree and gifts for all of the children of Waimea. Brown paper bags contained apples, oranges, and nuts. Everyone looked forward to an evening of songs and the appearance of Santa Claus. With few cars, families walked from all over town to the hall, carrying their kerosene lanterns for light. Interviewees all fondly remembered the Christmas parties with bright lights, gifts, food, and songs. The ice cream served to all the children was one of the fondest memories. Parker Ranch families received additional gifts, including the famous Parker Ranch turkeys caught up at Waiki‘i and on the Mana Road.”
USO Club, 1942–44
Second life The Christmas parties went on hiatus during WWII, and Paniolo House Stories also gathered memories of a wartime Barbara Hall. Oral history interviewee Bea Leina‘ala Ho‘okahi Nobriga remembers listening to the radio on December 7, 1941. “All I heard was the President on the radio announcing, ‘This is war,’” she says in the book.. “All the ladies and all available girls that didn’t have to work or have a job went up to the hall.” The women, guided by Thelma Lindsey, made rolled bandages. “We cut fabric and made gauze in the blue paper. Everybody lined up, wash hands, had very sharp scissors,” Bea says. From 1942-44, Barbara Hall helped Waimea welcome 55,000 U.S. Marines to “Camp Tarawa” on the outskirts of town, where
Barbara Hall in the 1940s
they trained for the Battle of Iwo Jima. Almost overnight, hamburger stands, laundries, and souvenir shops sprouted all over town. Barbara Hall became a very busy USO Club. During that time, soldiers built additional structures at the Hall: the movie theatre, and what is now the school’s lower hall. It must have been hungry work, and Bea worked in the USO canteen. “They wanted meat, any kind of meat,” she says. “Hamburger— they go crazy; hot dog—they go crazy.” Before that, ground beef was not common in Hawai‘i kitchens. Bea says they sold a nice thick burger made with Parker Ranch beef for about a dollar, and all the troops ever wanted to drink was Coke. Meanwhile, Thelma Parker had grown up, married, and given
Barbara Hall, 1921
Parker School, 1979 photo courtesy Momi Naughton
Lower School Computer Coding Class, 2015
birth to Richard Smart in 1913. Richard’s parents died when he was only two years old. Again, Elizabeth “Aunty Tootsie” trusted A.W. Carter with the ranch while she raised grandson Richard. Richard would also rely on Carter, and later his son Hartwell, to capably manage the ranch, while the young man pursued what became a successful acting career in California and New York. He came home for good in 1960, and decided to re-christen the venue as “Kahilu Hall,” in honor of his mother, during the Ranch’s 125th anniversary celebration in 1962.
School days
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
In 1973, Paul and Anita DeDomenico came to the island from San Francisco, to establish the Hawaiian Holiday Macadamia
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May Day, 2016
Nut Company. Paul’s father had just sold the family’s business, Ghiradelli Chocolate Co., in San Francisco. With two children of their own to educate, the DeDomenico’s saw the need for a private day school in town. They founded Parker School within Kahilu Hall, which opened in 1976 for 58 students, grades 9–12. The following year, the middle school was added, 7–8 grades. “They had asked Richard Smart if they could use the building,” says Wendi Roehrig, who started teaching Art at Parker in 1978. “He was interested, and would come visit often.” Always a strong supporter of education, Richard formed an education trust for Parker School. He underwrote tuitions, did not charge rent, and had ranch workers help with maintenance. “I met Richard Smart at one of the graduations. We chatted about his art collection, and he said ‘Have your kids come over,’”
Parker Bulls Robotics middle school students recently participated in the school’s first ever “First Lego League” Tournament in Kealakehe.
says Wendi. “He would take them on tours. He was great with my kids—he had dreams for art in the schools.” When she taught a course in art critique, she would bring her high school seniors to his home, Puuopelu, to analyze original paintings by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and many more. Wendi retired after 30 years with Parker. She is also the proud mom of four Parker graduates. “I was there in the beginning,” says Wendi. “A lot of love went into that school. Community showed some real support.”
21st Century A new Headmaster, Carl Sturges, came on board in 2002, and in 2005, the “lower school,” was added. Emily Pagliaro, now the school’s Admissions Director, placed her daughter in the first grade at Parker the following year. As a member of the Class of 2017, she will be among Parker School’s first complete core K-12 group to graduate. “I give tours all the time and I get the privilege of introducing people to the school and people always comment how happy the kids are. Kids come up and say ‘Hi, how are you?’ ‘Where are you from?,’” says Emily. “One of the most surprising things to me is, it’s one of the first places kids visit when they come home from college. They come see their teachers.” She feels that Parker’s small size is a big asset. “We only accept 16 kids in kindergarten, 18 each in grades 1–5, and 36 each in 6–12, or 330 students total,” she says. “Everyone has different backgrounds. We have home-schooled kids, kids from the mainland, from off-island. The kids that are the core, from kindergarten, really are setting the tone.” As the first line of contact for families interested in the school, Emily says, “We spend a lot of time developing relationships—on the phone, on the tours, through the application process, and, once enrolled, helping the kids get integrated into the school.” “It’s been amazing,” she says. “The academics are great, the foundation, the social and emotional environment—the kids perpetuate themselves. You can’t prescribe that.” Headmaster Carl “Doc” Sturges says the same thing. “When donors visit, I try to set it up for when school is in session and the kids are around. The kids are articulate; they like to talk to people. The kids are selling the school.” “We are an odd combination of family almost,” says Doc. “Challenging academically, but not cutthroat competition. We have family meetings every Tuesday for upper and lower schools. Juniors and seniors mentor younger kids, and that’s a real healthy thing—you see that in a small school.”
Doc confirms that 100% of students are accepted into college in a normal school year, even if one or two elect not to go, or to go later. “We also have a very low attrition rate, about 9%,” Doc says. “That’s very, very low. Once people are here, people like being here.”
Today and tomorrow
Parker Ranch’s 125th Anniversary Holokū Ball, 1962
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Each year’s graduating class performs a hō‘ike for family and community. Class of 2016
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Parker School, like any school, has not been without its challenges. Tuition pays only 84% of the costs to educate students, so fundraising is a constant. With more than half of students on financial assistance, the need increases. In spite of changes in the ranch, the economy, and the evergrowing Waimea community, the school has thrived. Today they are one of four beneficiaries of the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust along with Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, North Hawai‘i Community Hospital, and Hawai‘i Community Foundation. Their leadership is sound; their faculty and student body strong; and their academic records remarkable. In the last five years, Parker has had 17 students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program and three by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They have sent graduates to a veritable alphabet of top universities, from American, Brown, Cornell, all the way to Yale. Their debate team, coached by Doc, won state championships in 2013 and 2015. “The top debate schools are Punahou— everybody knows Punahou, the President went there, ‘Iolani,
Kamehameha-O‘ahu, and us,” says Doc. “It just fits for us. A lot of our kids are theater kids. In big schools, kids specialize—in theater, sports, robotics, etc. In a small school they can do all these different things. We need everybody to play.” Parker sent five students to the Hawai‘i State Science and Engineering Fair this year; all came home with honors. Their yearbook, Limitless, won second place in the state Herff Jones Publishing Hawai‘i Yearbook Contest. Around Thanksgiving, Parker kids collected 4.75 TONS of food for Annunciation Church’s food bank. Looking forward, Parker School has land, plans and an ongoing capital campaign for a new 22,341-square-foot Sports and Activities Center. Large enough to house the entire student body, the center will include ball courts, a dance studio, robotics and technology labs, commercial kitchen, and other facilities. In February 2016, School founder Anita DeDomenico visited with her daughter Gina, and were honored with a special presentation, campus tour, and talk-story with students. “The 23 years we spent on the Big Island were the best years of our lives,” Anita says of the time, “We had no idea the Parker School would blossom the way it has—it is a great pride for me and would be for my husband as well.” Surely, she was speaking as well, for Richard Smart, A.W. Carter, and many, many others. ❖
Sports Pep Rally, 2016 Parker Students, circa 1980s
Contact Parker School: ParkerSchoolHawaii.org Contact writer Catherine Tarleton: catherinetarleton@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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Mālama i ka Ā ʽ ina:
A rare Uhiuhi blooms at Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative
The Dryland Forest Hui ʽOhana Gathers for the Forest | By Jan Wizinowich
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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xpecting lush tropics, many visitors are surprised when flying along leeward Hawaiʽi Island, to see a landscape dominated by seemingly barren lava fields. There are treasures there, remnants of dryland forests that in the past stretched continuously along the west side of Hawaiʽi Island. Six of those forest gems are the beneficiaries of active restoration efforts and members of the Dryland Forest Hui ʽOhana, which forms a modern ahupuaʽa (land division). It is demarked by the manaʽo (belief) of the people who are quietly working to preserve and restore those remnants. The hui (organization) began when Puʽuwaʽawaʽa volunteer coordinator, Elliot Parsons, asked fellow dry forest conservationists Jen Lawson, Wilds Brawner, and Kealakaʽi Knoche to help him verify the last known wild growth of ma‘o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei, the Hawai‘i State flower). “We all realized that collectively we had a lot more knowledge about dry forest ecosystems together than we did individually and we wanted to keep meeting at each otherʻs sites, learning from each other and learning each other’s plants, out-planting and restoration techniques,” says Elliot. The hui soon grew from three projects: Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative, Ka‘ūpūlehu Dryland Forest Preserve, and Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Volunteer Work Program, to include The Nature Conservancy’s Kīholo Bay (fish pond) Restoration Project, the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project, and the newest member, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Park.
In the spirit of lōkahi (unity), the group gathers once a month on a rotating basis, enabling each project to benefit from a concentration of professional work hours twice annually. The hui work days are an opportunity for crew members to share knowledge and special skills, as well as to accomplish massive tasks. The Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project (MKFRP), “The only subalpine dry forest in the state,” according to coordinator C. Kalā Asing, is at the top of the Dryland Forest Hui ʽOhana ahupuaʽa. It’s early on a Friday morning and the hui is gathered on Saddle Road at the Kilohana access gate. Equipped with various tools, we receive our instructions and travel up a rugged road to the palila Clearing fountain grass at Kipuka Oweowe on Puʽuwaʽawaʽa.
(Hawaiian honeycreeper) habitat enclosure. By the end of the day the initial Discovery Trail, a one mile interpretive loop, has been cut. Waimea born and raised, Kalā returned to Hawaiʽi Island from school and work on Oʽahu. “I was very excited that they had created this hui. First and foremost, just the practicality of being able to join forces with so many professionals. The amount of work we get done on hui days is absolutely ridiculous,” says Kalā. Traveling south, the next hui member is the Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative (WDFI), adjacent to Waikoloa Village. About 10 years ago, community members noticed that contractors were uprooting wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) trees to be transplanted in other landscapes and decided to do something about it, which led to the formation of the community based WDFI, a project with only two staff, yet on hui day that crew gets increased ten-fold. “Whether it’s clearing weeds, planting trees, or building trails, the hui is awesome. On one hui day, crews cleared four acres of fountain grass, a task that would have taken the Waikoloa crew a month,” says Executive Director Jen Lawson. “Have you tried this?” is a question that comes up often when the hui gathers and discussions range from land reconstruction to wildfire, which is a constant threat. “The collective mana‘o of the hui helps to brainstorm and vet ideas about reconstructing the landscape and prioritizing resources in the event of a wildfire through a different set of lenses,” says Jen. The hui also provides the opportunity to pool information on native species, such as the uhiuhi (Mezoneuron kavaiense), which is a very hard, close grained, black wood used by Hawaiians to make such things as ʽōʽō (digging stick), ihe (spear), laʽau melomelo (fishing lure), and pāhoa (daggers). “Uhiuhi is an endangered tree and we had 48 of them here [Puʽuwaʽawaʽa] and they were also at Waikoloa. Jen found recruitment (seedlings) there, yet we haven’t found too many over here and we’re exploring why that is. It gives us information about the plant. Having a multi-site approach across landscapes is crucial,” says Elliot. Continuing south, you will soon see Puʽuwaʽawaʽa mauka (upland) of the highway, a rounded, “many-folded” formation shaped much like a giant helmet sea urchin. Traditionally a richly diverse resource for early Hawaiians, Puʽuwaʽawaʽa ahupuaʽa, a state reserve, currently includes Puʽuwaʽawaʽa Forest Bird Sanctuary and Forest Reserve.
A ranching area beginning in the nineteenth century, its current multi-use nature makes for complicated management. “Every project has its complexity. I think we’re one of the more complex projects because we have public access trails, grazing, and conservation work. There are a lot of different lenses,” says Kealakaʽi Knoche, field coordinator. The largest of the hui projects, Puʽuwaʽawaʽa is the mauka area of an almost 39,000 acre ahupuaʽa that stretches makai (towards ocean) to Kīholo. Due to its size, the conservation strategy here is to create “exclosures” to protect still viable areas from grazing animals. On a recent hui day, a crew of about 20 tackled fountain grass at Kipuka Oweowe, an almost undisturbed 27 acre area containing mature lama (Diospyros sandwicensis) trees, close to the border with Ka‘ūpūlehu. “As part of this last hui day we were able to clear two to four acres of the fountain grass in the newer 17 acre portion of that area. That’s a really big deal for us,” says Elliot. Journey five miles further and you will come to Kaʽūpūlehu, located on the makai side of the road and made up of two enclosures: an original six acre and a second 70 acre area that stretches down the hillside towards the shore. “We’re super small, but we’re 76 acres of the best lowland dry forest in Hawaiʽi,” says site manager Wilds Brawner. As soon as you enter Kaʽūpūlehu, you are going down a steep slope through native forest. The 70 acre site opens out below the original six acres, where on a recent hui day more than a dozen crew members trudged up the hill with buckets containing about 200 pounds of keiki malina (Furcraea foetida), a hardy invasive, as well as several large gnarly mature plants. “What we’re trying to accomplish at Kaʽūpūlehu is to bring the dryland forest habitat back to a state of self-sustainability where the forest can do its best to compete with the weeds out there,” said Wilds. This is evidenced in clusters of hau hele ula (Kokia drynarioides), uhiuhi (Mezoneuron kavaiense), and kauila (Colubrina oppositifolia) that dot the landscape, fruits of previous hui work days. As the ‘alalā (native crow) flies southwest from here, you will come to Kaloko-Honokōhau, the site of an ancient Hawaiian settlement containing two large fish ponds—Kaloko and ʽAiʽmakapā bordered by dryland forest. Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park was established in 1978, with conservation and restoration work beginning in the 1990s.
Protected Wiliwili tree at Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative
The hui at Kīholo uses a raft to ferry logs out
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Cutting the Discovery Trail at Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project.
The large aliʽi (chief) fishpond and its surroundings, located at the north end of Kīholo, was gifted to the Nature Conservancy in 2011 by the Paul Mitchell estate. Marine Coordinator Rebecca Most, who began with the project at its inception, has a master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, yet for Rebecca, it isn’t just about the science. “I specifically went to projects that involved the community and put the heart and soul into conservation. I did a research project at Kīholo and fell in love with the place and the community,” says Rebecca. Rebecca heard about the hui and immediately saw the benefits of pooling resources. “I saw that it would be a great opportunity
Current Cultural Resource Program Manager, Tyler PaikuliCampbell, looks to ancestral knowledge for guidance. “The fish ponds are the focus as we restore the cultural landscape of the dryland forest,” said Tyler. “With the hui we were able to remove so much more of the invasive, non-native plants and allow natives to dominate again. It’s great to know that there’s all these other people and places doing the same thing. It gives us more confidence to push on every day,” adds Tyler. Traveling north a little further, you will find the area of Kīholo, the makai section of the Puʽuwaʽawaʽa ahupuaʽa. With its anchialine ponds, fresh water springs and healthy coral reef, Kīholo is another historically important settlement.
Keauhou Shopping Center
Working the slope at Ka‘ūpūlehu
Pau hana (after work) at Kaloko-Honokōhau
to learn more about native plants and increase our knowledge about restoration techniques. We’re working hard together, but we’re talking, bouncing ideas off each other,” says Rebecca. “With skilled professionals, we’ve been able to accomplish much more,” she adds. The Dryland Forest Hui ʽOhana is sharing knowledge, resources, and making connections to work towards the dream that these remnant forest roots will eventually extend out and connect the past with the future. “We’re all pioneers of this place again. We’re the tree planting generation trying to undo some of the damage that we’re now smart enough to understand we’ve done,” says Jen. ❖
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Contact writer Jan Wizinowich: janwiz@gmail.com
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Outplanting natives at Ka‘ūpūlehu
All of these projects welcome volunteer help and donations. Contact Ka‘ūpūlehu Dryland Forest Preserve: HawaiiForest.org Contact Kaloko-Honokōhau National Park: Nps.gov/kaho/index.htm Contact Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project: Hawp.org/mauna-kea-forest-restoration-project Contact Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Volunteer Work Program: Puuwaawaa.org/volunteer.html Contact The Nature Conservancy’s Kīholo Bay (fish pond) Restoration Project: Nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/ unitedstates/hawaii/placesweprotect/kiholo-preserve.xml Contact Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative: WaikoloaDryForest.org
A Hidden Gem: Historic Honomū Local businesses join forces to mix the old with the new | By Megan Moseley
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s locals and visitors alike stroll through the town of Honomū on their way to Akaka Falls, the remnants of yesteryear cannot be overlooked. Visiting Honomū, Hawaiian for “silent bay,” is like stepping into another time and place completely. With its paniolo-style architecture and historic landmarks, this quaint town appears to be preserved in the olden days. While the area’s yore draws people in, the people and the businesses of this former plantation neighborhood are giving the place a facelift in hopes of putting Honomū back on the map.
“Everything has changed so much,” recalls retired Honomū postmaster Marilyn Da Sa. Marilyn, now 80, was born and raised in Honomū. She’s an island girl who married an island boy. She grew up in Camp 45 One of the several churches in downtown Honomū.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
From Then to Now
surrounded by people from all around the world who moved to town to work at the Honomū Sugar Factory (where both her mother and her husband were employed for most of her life). Marilyn looks back on those times with a clear sense of nostalgia. She remembers the old Filipino store, now known as Jan’s store, the town’s school before it was shut down, and the former Ishigo’s bakery, currently home to Mr. Ed’s Bakery. “I think they still use the same pots and pans,” she says jokingly as she lets out a big laugh. To her, Honomū has changed a lot. She remembers when the theater was up and running, when people of all faiths flocked into town to attend one of the five different churches that reside there today, and longs for the taste of the old noodle factory that used to be open in town. Things have changed. New businessmen and women are opening up shop. New faces are coming and going and, for the most part, she’s OK with all of it. “Overall, I would say that yes, I like the changes,” she says.
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The Changes Right now the changes of the downtown area are all thanks to the local business people working together to catch the eye of the visitors who pass through. While each vendor is looking to expand into the future, none of them have forgotten their past. Take Mr. Ed’s Bakery for instance. Dean “Mr. Ed” Edmoundson opened the bakery in the old Ishigo building with his wife June in the early 2000s. June is fourth generation Honomū born and raised, and both of them take great pride in the area. He says he gets letters from people all around the world who left completely enamored by the town and its residents.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
The famous Mr. Ed’s bakery in downtown Honomū.
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He also believes that life is really coming back to the streets of Honomū admitting, “Honomū has never looked better, which is really exciting.” Dean believes people love visiting because there’s so much beauty to see and so many friendly locals who are sure to meet and greet everyone with a smile and warm aloha. “I think it’s the best little town on the island. We have so many wonderful shops and recommend everyone come visit and take the time to visit every shop!” he says. On the historic strip, there are multiple businesses that feature everything from locally grown coffee to beauty products, from jewelry to antiques. David Ackerman has lived in Honomū for more than 30 years and is owner of the local antique shop Glass From The Past.
David Ackerman, owner of Glass From The Past, in front of old records at the Honomūbased antique shop.
Honomū artist-in-residence Michael Arthur Jayme is working on a project in his gallery.
In passing by the store, one might be easily intrigued by the variety of bottles sitting in the window that can be seen from the street. True to its name, the bottles are antiques that are dug up around the island. He also sells vintage aloha wear, vinyl records, plantation era items, and an eclectic assortment of other antiques. In a way, David has been selling history for more than 15 years and says it’s the tourists on their way to the waterfall that have kept his doors open. It seems fitting that an antique shop
resides in what could be described as an antique town, and the opportunity to rent the former Honomu Garage came in 1997, just as David was looking to expand. “Not just anything could move in here,” he explains while pointing to the slanted concrete floors and explaining there were no windows. While Glass From The Past has been able to maintain the building’s antiquity, other business owners have decided to refurbish their inner décor. One of Honomū’s artist-in-residence, Michael Arthur Jayme, has a gallery a few doors down from David’s. Unlike David’s rustic vibe, Michael’s studio is clean, white, and bright with paintings. Stepping inside his doors is like walking into a modern museum. Michael features work from 15 different local artists, including himself. He’s often found creating art in the back of the gallery or visiting with customers. Michael says he had been traveling to the islands for many years and has always wanted to live there. He finally got his chance last year after selling his home in Arizona. When he moved, he brought with him his talent, vision, and expertise in the realms of all things of beauty, art and energy. “I’m here on the corner in the heart of Honomū. The pieces that I represent are things that I would also like to own. I feel like they’re extraordinary, and why shouldn’t you in your travels pick up extraordinary things to add to your collection?” he says. Next to Michael, is an artist studio featuring beautiful koa wood pieces by Aaron and Tamara Lewis. And just a few doors down is
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The Future of Honomū
Antique glass at Glass From The Past.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
another woodshop gallery owned by Jeanette McLaren and her ‘ukulele builder and woodworker husband, Peter. Jeanette says she first opened Woodshop Gallery in Honomū 21 years ago, where she sells gift items as well as clothing (aloha shirts included). To her, the town is attracting more visitors than ever. She’s elated about the changes happening to Honomū since Jude Kleila from Honomū Express purchased some of the town’s real estate in 2012. (Editor Note: See the story of Honomū Renaissance on pg 27 by Karen Valentine.)
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While the infrastructure of Honomū is evolving, it appears as if the people will remain the same and continue to maintain the pureness of the aloha spirit in all that they do. Almost every business owner, new and old, has the same “talk story” attitude about life. Many of them can be seen chatting it up with customers, telling them stories about the old mill, talking about the historic banyan tree or reminiscing about the good old days. “Everyone has a story,” Jeanette explains. “A lot of these little shops, the owners make or find the items themselves and that’s something visitors should see.” She also encourages anyone new to the area to really take a deeper look at this humble community. “Stroll around, have lunch in town and see the old stores and old history related to it. I would like people to stop and look at the shops in Honomū. Meet the people and the artists. Get to know us.” Honomū is located about 13 miles north of Hilo along the Hāmākua Coast. The town sits at about 300 feet above sea level and is known for its perfect tropical weather. Akaka Falls State Park is the area’s main attraction. The park is known for its 422foot waterfall. ❖ Contact writer/photographer Megan Moseley: meganr.moseley@gmail.com
Renaissance at Honomū
Successful former residents return to help lift a sleepy plantation town | By Karen Valentine
Series of historic buildings, formerly owned by the family of H. (Richard) Tanimoto, line Front Street in Honomū. Commercial real estate developer Jude Kleila is dramatically preserving and customizing the old spaces for new tenants.
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sleepy town sits with remnants of yesteryear, while locals and visitors drive by toward the Hāmākua Coast tourist attraction of Akaka Falls. Is there hope of rebirth, perhaps with the right formula of dreams and talent? Honomū—one of Hawai‘i Island’s formerly bustling plantation towns—might be getting lucky. It’s taken three or four individuals, each with major experience gained elsewhere, yet with roots here and most importantly the passion to come back “home,” to mount an ambitious revitalization campaign. One is Amy Setsuko Hanahiro, whose grandfather, Kiyoshi grew up in Honomū. He joined the Army, moved to O‘ahu, where he met Amy’s grandmother working at Schofield Barracks. Amy grew up there, while many Hanashiros remained on this island, including some in Honomū. During high school, she lived here for a time and then left to travel the world. Akaka Falls tourists, 1936
Now, decades later, Amy has become a successful, high-level hotel executive in Japan. In the next several months she is returning to open a fine, Japanese-style inn where the old Ebesu Hotel used to be. Her cousins, June and Dean Edmonson, run the bakery down the street. Real estate developer Jude Kleila’s grandparents had a home on Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona, where he and his mother stayed for months at a time during both of their childhoods, attending school here and developing a love for Hawai‘i. He remembers Kona from the old days and finds a similar, family-friendly feel in Honomū. Just so happens that Jude is a fifth-generation Italian-American New York commercial real estate developer who has gained expertise from the ground up, particularly in Florida and the Virgin Islands. He wanted to bring his young family back to Hawai‘i, where he says he wants to die.
Honomu Theater, one of five island theaters built by H. (Richard) Tanimoto
Honomu Theater in the ʻ30s
In 2012, Jude bought the row of buildings that includes the vacant old hotel, historic Honomū Theater building, a number of shops, and a restaurant on Front Street. In just four years, he’s made it a labor of love to thoroughly renovate the seven buildings in keeping with their old-Hawai‘i style. “I remember the aloha spirit and I remember the spirit and the beauty of Hawai‘i,” says Jude. I always wanted to come back. It took me 25 years. This is unlike any place I’ve ever been and I’ve traveled all over the world. It’s a perfect place to raise a family and plant roots. I’ve operated many businesses before, including our family business, which has exclusively been involved in commercial real estate since the 1980s.”
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Pāpa‘ikou native Phil Gillespie owned four successful hair salons in Southern California before returning with his wife Susan. They opened the first newly renovated space, a hair salon, in Honomū. Soon after, their apprentice, Keala Palea (right), bought the business from them.
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Arlene Ashida is the daughter of H. (Richard) Tanimoto, who built a chain of five movie theaters on the island, including the one in Honomū. She came back in the 60s to help the family, and to teach school at Laupāhoehoe. The strip of commercial buildings that Jude bought was owned by her when it went up for sale. Another local boy, Phil Gillespie grew up in nearby Pāpa‘ikou. He moved to O‘ahu and then the mainland, where he owned and operated four successful hair salons in Southern California. He too wanted to return. After meeting his wife, Susan, and delaying their move while they put three girls through college, they both came back to help Phil’s mother in Pepe‘ekeo and then decided to open a salon in the new Honomū. “It was the first new store we opened, a very cute little place,” says Jude. “We built the hair salon in their vision.” Phil and Susan established the salon and took on an apprentice, Keala Palea, whose family is also from old Honomū. After a short time, Keala offered to purchase the business, buying it from the Gillespies, who now work for her. Site of a plantation-era hotel of questionable reputate is dramatically transformed into a fine, Japanese-style inn under the proprietorship of Tokyo hotel executive Amy Hanashiro, whose family has roots in Honomū.
It’s important to Jude that each space have the personal involvement of the tenants. “My plan was to first purchase the strip, then get the right mix of businesses that cater to both the local residents and visitors: shops, the hotel, and finally food and beverage service. Then we hope it develops the momentum to thrive. I’m not a philanthropist. If I can do something that’s first really appealing to me on a personal level, have it be supported by a community, and at the same time it is old Hawai‘i, that will be rewarding.” The next space to be renovated was the old hotel space that had been vacant for decades. “While first looking at the building, I fell right through the floor,” he laughs. His wife SherryLee concurs. “The floors were Swiss cheese.” “At one time Honomū was known as a real rough-and-tumble place,” says Jude. “There were three bars, and each night the patrons would beat each other up on the street out in front and then go to the hotel to lick their wounds.” There evidently were enterprising women who would help them with that. “So I’m walking around and thinking this could be a nice B&B. I put a notice on Craigslist, asking if anyone was interested in a space in Honomū. Several responded and one was Amy Hanashiro. After a lengthy correspondence we came to an agreement, worked together, and designed the Hanashiro family, 1945 One of the boys is Amyʻs father.
New owner of the Honomū Inn, Amy Hanashiro, and her cousin Michael Hanashiro, are both relocating from Japan to Honomū. Michael will help Amyʻs husband Masanori run a new Japanese diner there.
space in accordance with her vision, which is to cater to the Japanese market.” “When I visited,” says Amy, “I walked into the bakery to get a pastry and saw an old photo on the wall. I asked who that was and they said it was the Hanashiro family, who owned the bakery! It turned out to be my cousins, whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years!” Now Amy’s daughter, Michiko, is here to oversee and take care of the almost-finished hotel space until Amy can be there fulltime. At the present, she is still employed in Japan as a very busy executive assistant manager at the exclusive Oakwood Premier Tokyo apartment/hotel in the center of the city. “She’s worked her way from the bottom to the top,” says Michiko. Amy started as a housekeeping manager in hotels in Guam, where she settled after first graduating school in Hawai‘i, then traveling to San Francisco and Australia. “She worked her way up and became manager at Westin, where she worked throughout my childhood.” Amy worked with Westin, opening hotels all over the world, and eventually moved to Japan, where they lived first in Sapporo, Hokkaido, then moved to Tokyo for her present job. Coming back to Hawai‘i is a dream that will soon come true, as she is eligible for retirement after the end of this year, says Michiko. “The dream is my mother’s and father’s. This is their retirement, which is funny, because if you know my mom, she loves to keep busy always.” Amy has already collected a vast network of potential guests for the Honomū Inn, from famous Hawaiian sumo wrestlers to distant family members who hear of the inn and want to visit. The design of the Honomū Inn space includes bathrooms with lower sinks and toilets that will include heating and bidet features. The décor is minimalist, clean, and light. Amy has a love of miniature tea sets and other fine arts and crafts, which she plans to incorporate into the rooms. They will add to the blend of KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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Old-style boardwalk reconstructed with locally grown Eucalyptus robusta
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
historic and modern. She organizes a large art fair in Tokyo and hopes to do something similar here. An original wall mural featuring Akaka Falls is seen as you descend the wide staircase. The artist is Wile‘e Gillespie, daughter of Phil and Susan. Jude, whose experience in St. Croix with astronomical electric rates has made him more energy conscious, has installed LED lighting throughout the new spaces. In the hotel, the lighting has a historic look, and there are beautiful wood floors, white painted walls and plantation-style details. In addition, he purchased innovative controls called Watt Stopper, where hotel guests must insert a card into a slot to turn on the power and remove it when they leave. Clean and sleek, throughthe-wall air conditioning units are slim and quiet, as the individual condensers sit on the roof. They only run when rooms are occupied. Along the fronts of the buildings is a new boardwalk, constructed with locally harvested and milled Eucalyptus robusta, which has a look similar to koa.
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Continuing the theme of “all in the family,” at the end of the boardwalk is a space being renovated to become a Japanese diner, which will be operated by Amy’s husband, Masanori Kishima, who is currently the head chef at Oakwood Premier. “That’s where my dad would come in,” Michiko says. “He will run the diner, be head chef and do the cooking, everything. The style we are looking for is more obento for lunch, and for dinner shabu shabu, which is a kind of hot pot with vegetables and meat.” They hope to open the diner sometime around the end of the year or first of next year and have enticed another cousin, Michael, to return from Tokyo and be part of the enterprise. “We also want to support family members at the bakery down the road with a complimentary card where guests could get hot pastry, coffee, and bakery goods.”
Original wall mural by Wile‘e Gillespie, daughter of Phil and Susan Gillespie. In art deco style, it depicts Akaka Falls, images of plants growing along the path there and two sea creatures that are endemic to Hawai‘i and live at the falls. On the left side is the rare ‘o‘opu or goby fish, which climbs the falls with a special sucker on its underside, spawns there and returns to the sea. On the right is depicted the ‘ōpaekala‘ole shrimp. Completed wall photo by Karen Valentine/personal photo courtesy Wile‘e Gillespie
1/2 page (3.5w X 9.75v) Proof 2: 5/19/16. ©Design Copyright by MARKETING SOLUTIONS NORTHWEST. All rights reserved. 509)
The old married with the new: LED lighting graces the stamped tin ceiling installed in the remodeled restaurant.
Contact Jude Kleila: honomuexpress@gmail.com Contact writer/photographer Karen Valentine: karenvalentine808@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Another traditional offering as a Japanese inn, Michiko says, is to offer services such as laundry, as well as a personalized welcome basket for each guest, tailored from background information they provide on a registration card. Tenants in place when Jude purchased the buildings included five existing businesses. “Even though Honomū was in decline, it had commerce, although it wasn’t in the condition we’re improving it to now,” says Jude. We went in and started doing one space at a time. The most important take-away, I feel, is we didn’t just throw on a coat of paint. We have deeply preserved the buildings and put in infrastructure. And in doing so, it’s now safe, viable and within legal requirements.” There were a few challenges and some remain, including the renovation of the historic theater building. The county wouldn’t allow a regular septic system, Jude says, because of relatively new rules calculating standardized water usage deduced from a guideline he thinks came from a large city. “The hair salon couldn’t use the amount of water they estimate for one month in two years!” So they installed a special micro sewage treatment plant in the back to handle wastewater. The developer thinks it might be the only one on the island at this time. “The theater is really in the worst state of repair. Half of it had fallen down—the entire screen and stage portion in back is now missing. It is a 5,000 to 6,000 sq. ft. space that needs an operator; many ideas have been tossed around. A bunch of things need to come together to make the theater building happen.” The building’s status being on the historic registries makes it tricky, too. “The bottom line is we’re committed to doing something.” The momentum is underway. With all the history, talent, and passion being injected into the little town, it’s certain to thrive into the next decades to come. “With the attraction of Akaka Falls, we have built-in traffic as well as a local community to serve. My bottom-line thesis is that if there is a project that can make it in the modern era, then Honomū can,” says Jude. “It should go. We’ve already finished most of what I set out to do. At a certain time, with food and beverage coming on line, we’ll see what happens. In a few months we’ll know.” ❖
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Hilo’s historic waterfront district is home to landmark buildings, unique shops, restaurants, galleries, museums, cultural and interpretive centers, and lots of green space. You’ll find shopping, dining, and entertainment, served local-style. Want to experience aloha? Come to Hilo! Find out more – Check out the new online resource: downtownhilo.com A project of the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association
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2016 Access to Justice Conference L–R: Erika Ginnis, KMC; Zaheva Knowles, WHMC; Jessie Basquez, Kauai Economic Opportunity; Bevanne Bowers, Maui Mediation Services; Gina Tumasone, WHMC; Sandi Alstrand, KMC; Diane Petropulos, Maui Mediation Services; Tracey Wiltgen, Mediation Center of the Pacific; Julie Mitchell, KMC; Chelsea LaFrance, WHMC
Peace Through Mediation I
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
| By Shana Wailana Logan
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n this modern world of violence and rampant injustice, there are few solutions more powerful than peaceful mediation. Ancient Hawaiians would call it ho‘oponopono (to make right), a process which allows families and community members to resolve disputes before they escalate into violence or hate. Today, however, we have the court system deciding many of our disputes—costly for the taxpayer as well as the parties involved. Mediation is an affordable and more peaceful alternative to this rigid system, offering personalized solutions that are driven by the people themselves, not by judges and lawyers.
Mediation in the Courts
The Honorable Ronald Ibarra, Chief Judge for the Third Circuit on Hawai‘i Island, describes how mediation began in today’s court system and the vital role it plays. “Mediation and arbitration were always available as an alternative to litigation even prior to the legislature and the Supreme Court enacting laws and court rules. Prior to the arbitration law and/or court rule on Alternative Dispute Resolution being passed, a judge would refer a case to mediation upon agreement of the parties. Today, the Circuit Court Rule 12.2 authorizes a judge to refer cases to mediation and arbitration,” he says. “The cases that are generally favorable for mediation are those where the issues are highly emotional. These include Family
“True peace…is the presence of justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Court, i.e., divorce, property settlement, child custody. In District Court, landlord-tenant dispute and small claims. In Circuit Court, cases that involve boundary disputes, complex litigation where the cost of litigation may be higher than the monetary value of the case. Mediation would be less costly and would resolve the matter quicker than litigation,” he says.
Hawai‘i Island Mediation Centers
There are two independent mediation sites on Hawai‘i Island that are utilized by the court system: the West Hawai‘i Mediation Center (WHMC) in Waimea, serving Nā‘ālehu to ‘Ō‘ōkala and the Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center (KMC) in Hilo, serving East Hawai‘i. For decades, they have been facilitating dispute resolution, assisting individuals and groups finding solutions and achieving their goals. “We empower people to come together—to talk and to listen, to explore options, and to find their own best solutions. To achieve this mission, we offer mediation, facilitation, and training to strengthen the ability of diverse individuals and groups to resolve interpersonal conflicts and community issues,” says KMC Executive Director Julie Mitchell.
“Our type of mediation is called ‘facilitative mediation’ and we use the Hawai‘i diamond model. That means that we start out in joint session and then move into private sessions at the beginning, in the information gathering phase (top of the Judge Ibarra diamond). After a mediator caucus, we continue in private sessions and then regather in a joint session, in the negotiation phase (bottom of the diamond),” she says. Ku‘ikahi means “treaty, covenant, agreement, feeling of unity, peace, and reconciliation” in Hawaiian. The mediation centers do this well, and provide quality, low and even no-cost mediation services. Funded by the Hawai‘i State Judiciary, the Hawai‘i State Attorney General, the County of Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i Island United Way, and countless other community donors such as the Cooke Foundation and the HEI Charitable Foundation, they are able to help those who cannot afford the cost of these services. “The mediation centers provide a great public service,” says Judge Ibarra. “The cost to mediate is extremely reasonable,” he added. “WHMC is committed to ensuring that all Hawai‘i Island residents have equal access to justice, which is why we provide our services for free or low-cost,” says WHMC Executive Director Zaheva Knowles. “While we provide our services to all West Hawai‘i residents, more than 50% of those we serve have incomes of $21,000 or less per year. This tells us that community mediation centers play a critical part in the public legal services framework in Hawai‘i.”
Mediators
KMC Staff: Julie Mitchell, Erika Ginnis, Sandi Alstrand, Jenifer Aveiro photo by Shana Logan
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
At the centers, volunteer mediators are well trained to facilitate dispute resolution. Kenith Simmons is a retired English Professor from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and has been a volunteer mediator at Ku‘ikahi since the 1990s, after she, herself, received mediation services at the center. “The service to the community out of this place is phenomenal. The listening skills I learned in mediator training from the
Mediation Center have helped me greatly in my work as a volunteer mediator,” Kenith says. “We are there to listen and to help both parties articulate their concerns. We try to help them find common ground and a mutually satisfactory solution to the problem.…and they do. It’s hard work, but as the fear level goes down, and the process goes along, it eventually works out. Even when there is not an agreement, people are still glad to be able to tell their side of the story. What they need is just to be heard.” Community members are invited to become volunteer mediators by attending a center-sponsored Basic Mediation Training. KMC offers this training in the fall and WHMC in the spring. Mediators are also now present in some of Hawai‘i’s public schools. WHMC started its program almost 15 years ago with an emphasis on elementary students. In 2012, in response to unsettling data about bullying, depression, and violence in Hawai‘i’s middle and high schools, WHMC initiated a peer mediation pilot program aimed at serving these students, starting at Kohala Middle School and rapidly expanding between 2013 and 2015. In the 2015–2016 school year, WHMC’s peer mediation program trained 252 peer mediators, potentially impacting 5,210 students at 14 West Hawai‘i schools. Three additional schools are slated to start programs in the 2016–2017 school year. “We are very proud of our peer mediation program and our partnership with the Department of Education,” says Zaheva. “Following the success of the peer mediation program, we are now looking to expand our youth programs by developing a school-based restorative justice pilot program that is grounded in Hawaiian cultural values and practices such as ho‘oponopono.” “This process has proven effective in schools around the United States and in Hawai‘i, changing the way students understand and resolve conflict in their lives,” says KMC’s Julie. “During the 2015–2016 school year, Ku‘ikahi’s peer mediation trainings taught 174 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at six elementary schools critical communication skills such as active listening, restating,
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and brainstorming solutions.” Common disputes include gossiping, bullying, and fighting. “Changes include improved self-esteem, listening, and critical thinking skills, and school climate for leaning, as well as reduced disciplinary actions and fewer fights,” says Julie. “These skills are transferable outside the classroom.”
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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In 2015–2016, WHMC mediated more than 350 court-and self-referred cases and provided foreclosure mediation services to more than 40 families facing the loss of their homes through foreclosure. Hilo resident Kaloa Robinson was referred by the Circuit Court to Ku‘ikahi for help mediating his mortgage foreclosure. After working Kaloa Robinson, KMC Participant in various government and photo by Shana Logan community positions for many years in Washington D.C, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i Island, Kaloa was poised to take on the world. His future was bright as he lived, worked, and raised his family on Hawai‘i Island for years until he found out he had cancer. He had to leave the island for six months for treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center in Texas. As time went on, he could not work due to his continued treatments—and soon the airfare to the mainland was draining his bank account, which made it hard to pay his mortgage. He says his bank was no help, losing important documents and providing shoddy customer service, adding undue stress for Kaloa and his family. The solution for him was to participate in Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center’s Foreclosure Mediation Program. “Ku‘ikahi helped us navigate through the bank’s processes, even finding a contact person to send all our documents to, so they wouldn’t get lost,” he says. “They were very diligent. It took several months, but we finally got through it with their help.” “Healing came from a place of peace, and miracles helped us through it,” Kaloa says, speaking of the enormous assistance he received during his time of need from his friends, family and the center. “Together with the West Hawai‘i Mediation Center, our joint Foreclosure Mediation Program has helped approximately 200 families to save their homes. Approximately 85 additional families were able to leave gracefully, on their own terms, by negotiating short sales, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and cash for keys,” says Julie.
Community Education
The mediation centers also offer trainings to the public through various venues. “We are very proud of our ‘Finding Solutions, Growing Peace’ free Brown Bag Lunch Series held at the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney in Hilo. This has been a vibrant lunch-and-learn opportunity that has grown significantly since we started it a year ago. We’ve had a series of fascinating speakers on a wide variety
of topics related to communication and transforming conflict,” Julie says. They also offer more public workshops and trainings, including professional development seminars. These educational programs empower people with the skills they need to promote peaceful solutions at home, in the workplace, and throughout our communities. WHMC provides similar trainings and workshops for West Hawai‘i residents and volunteer mediators. Recent offerings include a domestic violence prevention training and a training on landlord/tenant issues offered in partnership with the Legal Aid Society in Kailua-Kona.
Find Your Solutions, Be Empowered
For anyone seeking a more peaceful resolution to their personal or pubic dispute, mediation is a proven method of finding solutions and bringing about renewed harmony in our community and our private lives. As global citizens, we know that conflict often starts locally, and now, with the help of social media, small disputes can bring about large-scale outrage and discord both nationally and internationally. Therefore, it is good to be armed with the power to extinguish the hate that follows many unresolved issues, and use peaceful resolution as an important tool to bring about true change. Kaloa is grateful he chose mediation to resolve his dispute. “Ku‘ikahi Mediation, through their expert volunteers, helped guide me through a corporate maze…without having to hire an attorney,” he says. “The volunteers at Ku‘ikahi were experts in their field and
knew how to streamline and navigate us to resolutions.” If you or someone you know needs help with a dispute in Leroy Grose and Kealakehe Intermediate peer mediators court, may be bound for court, or may be outside of the court system, you are encouraged to seek out mediation as a proven, affordable process. No one is denied services due to an inability to pay. Contact the West Hawai‘i Mediation Center or the Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center for more information on how you, too, can be empowered by peace. ❖ Contact Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center: 101 Aupuni St., Suite PH 1014 B-2, Hilo; 808.935.7844, HawaiiMediation.org Contact West Hawai‘i Mediation Center: 65-1291 Kawaihae Road, Suite 202, Kamuela Waimea: 808.885.5525 • Kailua-Kona: 808.326.2666 WHMediation.org Contact writer Shana Wailana Logan: slogan808@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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Ulua Fishing Kau Lā‘au Style
with Uncle Aku Hauanio | By Denise Laitinen
Kau lā‘au, traditional Hawaiian ulua fishing, is not for the impatient or faint of heart—or talkative. Growing up close to the ocean in rural Puna with his four brothers and sisters, Aku spent his youth diving and fishing, living on the ocean’s bounty. “Everything that the ocean gets to give—nenue (chub fish), ‘opihi (limpets), ‘a‘ama (crab), wana (Hawaiian sea urchin)—we made use of all the resources. I remember seeing so much fish. We were catching all kine: moi (threadfish) to āholehole (endemic fish) to mo‘ilili. If there was no mo‘ilili around, we’d go after ohua (young manini).” It was the ulua fishing that made the biggest impression on Aku. “My grandpa and dad would go kau lā‘au fishing. It was pretty wild watching them do this style fishing,” says Aku. Kau lā‘au fishing involves carrying a fishing pole as tall as a three-story building along a rocky sea cliff, inserting one end of the pole into a lava crack or crevice and dangling the pole over the edge of the cliff. Special bait has to be caught in advance and sewn to the fishing hook (an art form in itself). If a fisherman is
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
f
ishermen rarely share their secrets, yet Uncle Aku is about to tell me the special ingredient to his fish soup. Not just any soup; soup featuring ulua, the most sought-after shoreline fish in Hawai‘i. “Coconut milk makes a big difference,” says Clarence Hulihee “Aku” Hauanio, with a twinkle in his eye. A lifelong fisherman, Aku learned how to cook fish from his grandfather, who was born and raised in Kalapana, as were Aku and his father. “Back then, the old folk would boil the fish head and bone then add garlic and ginger,” says Aku. “Already the ulua is kinda fatty and the coconut milk adds to the flavor,” he says with a big grin. Such delicious soup is savored and enjoyed down to the last morsel—for its tastiness and also for the effort and planning that went into catching the fish that provided the meal. Just as Aku cooks his soup the old Hawaiian way, so too he practices a form of ulua fishing that he learned from his grandfather—a style rapidly fading from Hawai‘i’s shorelines. “Hawaiian-style ulua fishing is different—it’s not like you just wake up and decide to go fishing today,” explains Aku.
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Kau lā‘au fishing off the coast of Kalapana. The hook is dangled in the crashing surf so the ulua fish cannot see the hook.
lucky enough to catch a fish he must then haul the 30–120 pound fish up a sheer 20–30 foot cliff using two ropes that work as a pulley system. If it sounds simple, it’s not. A lot of planning, skill, and a little luck all factor into kau lā‘au fishing. One of the first things Aku had to learn was to be quiet. “They [my grandfather and father] didn’t like to take the kids along because after a while we would get restless and start talking and it would scare the fish away. I would go and not say too much, just observe and listen.” He also observed the tides and the phases of the moon—critical components of fishing during ulua season, which runs for roughly six months of the year from early spring to early fall. “You gotta go at high tide. If you go at low tide there’s no fish. When the water is real high the fish come in to feed, maybe 10
feet away from the cliffs. You need plenty white water on the inside [close to shore] so the fish cannot see the hook.” Checking tide calendars, the phase of the moon and weather reports is done days in advance of actually fishing because in order to go fishing, you need bait—and not just any bait. Aku uses eels as bait when kau lā‘au fishing. Catching the eels can be an adventure in and of itself that takes an hour or more. “Some days the eels don’t even bite,” adds Aku. “You go down Pohoiki; you not going to catch anything because the eels will see you coming. If you go Ahalanui you might get some over there.” Like any true fisherman, Aku doesn’t give up the name of his best eel hunting spots. Once caught, the eels are placed in the freezer and prepared the morning of the fishing trip. “The front part of the eel is cut up for the chum and the back part is for the hook.” The eel tail has to be de-boned and then carefully sewn to the large hook using twine, weaving it around the top of the hook so water doesn’t get into the tail of the eel. “De-boning the eel’s tail makes it nice and soft, which is more attractive to the ulua,” says Aku making a wiggling motion with his arm. “You can really see the difference when you put the baited hook in the water.” He stresses the importance of making sure the top of the hook and fish are sewn tight, “because if water gets into the pockets where the bone used to be it makes the eel stiff again.” Each fishhook might take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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to prepare and Aku typically takes four hooks with him on any given fishing trip. At this point, he’s already invested close to five hours into the fishing trip, and he hasn’t even started fishing. Then there is the fishing gear itself. When kau lā‘au fishing, Aku uses traditional Hawaiian fishing poles made from a single ‘ōhi‘a tree, weighing roughly 75 pounds and more than 30 feet in length. The poles have to be just the right length, the right thickness, and most importantly, forked at the tip. That means lots of time in the forest looking for just the right tree. “You don’t want them too big,” explains Aku. “The tip needs to be the right size and it needs to be forked, because if not, then the fish won’t bob in the ocean. If the wood is too stiff, it will break. If the pole is too big, it will be too stiff and breaks the fish’s mouth.” The wood needs to be soft to be flexible—yet not too soft. After finding the right ‘ōhi‘a tree, the bark is removed and the wood is left to dry—preferably under a house or other area where it is not exposed to the sun or rain. Aku’s current kau lā‘au pole is 33 feet long and is unusual in that the tree forked and then the two branches of the fork grew toward each other. This makes the pole even better for fishing because the ropes used to haul the fish up from the ocean don’t slip out of the “Y” shape at the end of the pole. Using simple knots to hold them in place, two lines of rope are attached to the pole on either side, which act as a pulley system. A large hook at least six inches long is attached to this pulley system using an additional rope. Aku explains that you want two
Because kau lā‘au fishing poles weigh close to 70 pounds and are taller than a three story building, it often takes two to three people to set up the pole.
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lines in place in case one of the lines slips out of the fork at the end of the pole. Like the pole, the ropes need to be strong in order to handle the weight of the ulua, which can run more than 100 pounds. “My grandpa used to use aho (cotton line). Nowadays they only sell the small cotton line used for the rigging of canoes, but we need the bigger lines for this type of fishing. I use nylon line.” With the poles and lines ready to go and the hooks prepared with the bait, it takes two to three people to carry and set up the long and heavy fishing pole (another reason you have to plan in advance to go fishing is to coordinate everyone’s schedule.)
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
The long kau lā‘au fishing pole needs to be inserted into a crevice in the lava at an angle, so the fish doesn't drag the pole into the ocean.
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The cliffs have to be jagged and uneven in order to find a crevice of sufficient size in which to wedge the pole about 8–10 feet from the edge of the cliff. Cliff height is important too. “Before I even put the hook on my line, I use my line to lower the pole over the edge of the cliff. If the cliff is too high, then it’s harder to haul up the fish.” “You have to find a hole or crevice to put the end of the pole in and then find rocks to hold it down. The pole needs to set up at an angle too. If you have it flat, the fish will pull the pole right into the ocean.” Preparing the baited hooks, loading and unloading the heavy fishing poles, carrying them along the rough sea cliffs and getting the poles set up takes a lot of work and effort. “You have to have two to four people to make it comfortable in what you’re doing because of all that is involved with your hooks and pole. It takes a lot of time to set up.” Many of the spots Aku and his family have fished over the generations have changed due to Mother Nature. In November 1975, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake, quickly followed by a 7.7 quake, struck just west of Kalapana. The quake, which caused millions of dollars in damage and triggered a tsunami that killed two people, resulted in large swaths of the Puna coastline sinking—in some areas by as much as 10 feet. “After the coastline sunk during the 1970s, that jammed up some of our fishing areas,” says Aku. “Now the water splashes right on the area where we used to fish.” His father and uncles found other places to fish ulua, then some of those spots were covered when lava destroyed Kalapana in the 1990s. Aku persevered and found new places along the Puna coastline. Places where he taught his son to kau lā‘au fish, just as his grandfather had taught him. For all the hard work and effort, Aku says he prefers the old style way when it comes to catching ulua. “This is better than most other reels and pole fishing—you can bring up a bigger game. It’s different when you fight a fish on this pole than on a regular pole. On a regular pole, the fish is just
Uncle Aku showing the large fish hook used to catch ulua in kau lā‘au fishing.
going to run and run, but on a kau lā‘au fishing pole it’s faster to bring up the fish.” Sometimes the ulua eat the chum, yet won’t bite the hook. If an ulua gets away, it will come back the next time it sees the fisherman’s hook and scare away the other fish. “Ulua will become what native Hawaiians call ‘au‘a,” explains Aku. “If a fish bites the hook a certain way, the hook breaks the fish’s jaw and it swims away. The ulua will then come around and chase all the other fish away. I’ve seen that happen lots of time.” All told, Aku and his fishing companions might spend 8–10 hours fishing, not including the time they spent catching and preparing the bait or preparing the poles. Aku says they rarely leave the sea cliffs empty handed. “We usually always catch something; they come around.” The prized fish are then dried on rocks. “The bigger uluas are better dried. They’re pretty tasty when dried.” No part of the fish is wasted though, with the bones and head being used for soup. Now retired after working for 29 years at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Aku still goes fishing a couple times a week, although given the strenuous work involved in kau lā‘au fishing, these days you’re more likely to find him in his fishing boat off of Pohoiki. Yet Aku feels it’s important to teach younger generations, kama‘āina and visitors alike, about traditional Hawaiian fishing methods. “Nowadays you don’t see anyone doing this style of fishing.” In order to help perpetuate Hawaiian culture, Aku gives demonstrations across Hawai‘i Island and the state, explaining the art and science of kau lā‘au ulua fishing. If you’re really lucky, he’ll even share his fish soup recipe with you. ❖ Watch Uncle Aku in a video from January 14, 2014 at Puana Ka ‘Ike sponsored by the Keauhou–Kahalu‘u Education Group. Vimeo.com/85576871 Contact writer Denise Laitinen: Denise@DeniseLaitinen.com
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Myths and Legends of Mauna | By Leilehua Yuen
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n English, when we speak of literature, we generally classify works as fiction or non-fiction—made up or true. How does one define true? Sometimes, a story that does not adhere to quantifiable data, yet draws on emotion and archetype conveys more truth than a recitation of data can. Often, we call such stories myths. The late mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote “. . . there are two totally different orders of mythology. There is the mythology that relates you to your nature and to the natural world, of which you’re a part. And there is the mythology that is strictly sociological, linking you to a particular society.” Myths are part of a society’s common attempt to explain humanity’s role in the universe. Campbell also wrote, “Myth makes a connection between our waking consciousness and the mystery of the universe. It gives us a map or a picture of the universe and allows us to see ourselves in relationship to nature.” Legends serve a different purpose. Legends are told as history and often emphasize characteristics of individuals they portray in order to teach moral legends. Both myths and legends—especially legends—may be based on actual people and events. Mo‘olelo, generally translated to English as “story,” usually is told with a purpose, to teach, explain, or record something. Myth is often mo‘olelo. Ka‘ao, a less well-known term, is a bit more narrow in concept. Often told for entertainment, ka‘ao may be more fanciful and romantic than mo‘olelo. Legends tend to be constructed more like ka‘ao, though they often are used like mo‘olelo.
Kea
Mo‘olelo, ka‘ao, myth, and legend enfold Mauna Kea like the clouds that wreath the great mountain. Their words, like raindrops, bring life to the landscape of the mind. Some stories, like the mists, conceal then reveal what has been before us all along. Sometimes they are told simply, other times they are told in all their depth and complexity. There are many stories, for each migration brought its own traditions and understandings. The stories evolved, for each generation built on the traditions and history of its forebears. Each ‘ohana tells the stories in its own way to bring the understanding of the past to the future. The Hawaiian language newspapers, many of which are now available online through resources such as nupepa.org and the University of Hawai‘i’s libweb.hawaii.edu Hawaiian newspaper collection are a fascinating way for people to find mo‘olelo and ka‘ao related to their own family stories. In the July 20, 1836 edition of Ke Kumu Hawaii, we find that the “poe kahiko, olelo lakou ua hanau maoli mai no keia pae aina, na Wakea laua o Papa, e like me ka hanau keiki ana.” The people of ancient times said that the birth of the Hawaiian archipelago was from the joining of Wākea and Papa, the same way children are born. In the January 31, 1912 edition of Ke Au Hou, John H. Wise discusses a genealogical chant for Kauikeaouli. One line says, “Hanau ka mauna, he keiki mauna na Wakea.” The mountain is born, a child from Wākea. The beautiful poetry references the legendary birth of the mountain from the mating of Wākea and Papa.
Deities of Mauna Kea
Most famous of the deities of Mauna Kea probably is Poli‘ahu, the beautiful snow goddess who makes the summit her home, and she has sisters who are equally important. In the March 27, 1862 edition of Ka Hoku o ka Pakipika, Kahauanu wrote about a trip up Mauna Kea. “. . . a hiki ma kahi i kapa ia o Poliahu, nui loa ke anu, a manoanoa no hoi ke ku ana o ka hau malaila, aole o kana mai. Ua noho iki no malaila, e kilohi ana ma o, a maanei o ka mauna, a e nana aku ana ia Maui. . . e nana mai ana ia Hilo nei, i ka waiho kahela ae i ka malie. . . . ma e imi i kela kiowai i kapa ia o Kahoupokane, ma kahi kokoke no i Poliahu, kahi hoi a Lilinoe i noho ai, kela wahine noho i ke anu o Maunakea, a lawa pono ka makemake.” “We came to the place called Poli‘ahu. It was very cold, the ice was numbing. It was incomparably cold. We rested a bit there, gazed here and there at the mountain, we were looking at Maui. . . we were looking at Hilo that was spread out before us in the calm. . . . then sought that pool of water called Kahoupokane, close by Poli‘ahu, the place where Lilinoe lived, that woman who dwells in the chill of Maunakea, sufficient in their preference.” In the February 22, 1862 Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, a mele inoa (name chant) for Keanolani (one of Princess Ruth Ke‘elikōlaniʻs names), mentions Lilinoe, younger sister to Poli‘ahu. “Kokohi mai o Lilinoe, ka wahine noho i Poliahu.” The fine mists of Lilinoe darken, the woman who dwells with Poli‘ahu.
The Birth of the Islands
Long, long ago, when the world was new, Wākea, the Sky Father, looked down and saw the beauty of Papa, the Earth Mother. Her ocean garment flowed about her body, moving gracefully, and the bioluminescence glimmered like the stars above in Wākea’s kīhei of night. From this love was born mountains which rose high above Papa’s waves, touching the face of their father. He placed beautiful lei of clouds on their heads, and Papa placed beautiful lei of sea foam on their necks. Over time, other children were born to Papa and Wākea. Coral children, fish children, and seaweed children. Grass children, tree children, and bird children were born. Four legged children that crept and ran across the ground were born. At last, two legged children were born to live on the great sea mountains and tell their stories.
public domain
These beings embody the forces of the mountain itself. The battle between Pele, goddess of the volcano, and Poli‘ahu created the dense basalt of the mountain, as the magma was cooled by glaciers. As beautiful, nurturing, unforgiving, and deadly as nature, the stories encode lessons and warnings. They show that Hawaiian people had a deep understanding of the geological, meteorological, and hydrological forces that shaped these islands and their ecology, though the ka‘ao and mo‘olelo often describe them in terms of romance. The most famous of these stories,
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the courtship of Aiwohikupua, is part of the longer mo‘olelo, The Romance of La‘ieikawai.
Aiwohikupua
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
This Lothario of Kaua‘i pursued the Puna chiefess, La‘ieikawai. She rejected him. On his way home, he followed the Hāmākua coastline. Passing Laupāhoehoe, he saw a beautiful chiefess surfing and proposed marriage to her. She exchanged her snowy kīhei for his feathered cloak before he set sail for home to prepare for the wedding. On his way home to Kaua‘i, he stopped at Hāna, Maui, and met Hinaikamalama. He gambled with her, and lost. As he,
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himself, was the forfeit, he had to agree to marry her. However, he delayed the wedding on the excuse that he had to make a journey. The journey was to fetch Poli‘ahu. When Hinaikamalama learned of the wedding, she traveled to Kaua‘i and joined the wedding celebrations. At a game of kilu she demanded her right to speak, and told how Aiwohikupua had cheated her. Poli‘ahu, infuriated, returned to Mauna Kea. Aiwohikupua agreed to fulfill his vows to Hinaikamalama, and took her to the wedding house. Each time they took each other in their arms, Poli‘ahu would cover them with either the icy cold of her snows or the searing
heat of the summit sun. At last Hinaikamalama could not take it any longer and returned to Maui. Because of his infidelity, Aiwohikupua was left alone. Perhaps the cold and heat flowing from Mauna Kea and then receding encode memories of periods of glaciation and warming in the Pacific Basin? Less famous today, the story of Kahānaiakeakua teaches an important lesson about the Wao Akua, the high alpine regions of Mauna Kea reserved for the gods. Though the language of ancient Hawai‘i had no word for “hypothermia,” it was a recognized physiological effect. Kahānaiakeakua was lucky. In other stories, the young man is found in the spring, after Poli‘ahu removes her kapa of snow.
Kahanaiakeakua
Before humans learned to be more than just another kind of animal, they had no chiefs. The first chief was the son of Kū and Hina, and was reared by Kāne and Kanaloa, and given the name Kahānaiakeakua. He was married to his sister, Paliula. One day while hunting on the slopes of Mauna Kea he became lost in the mist. Every which way he turned, he felt he was traveling farther and farther upslope. The ferns and small creeping plants seemed to cover his path and prevent his return to lower ground. Finally he broke out of the forest onto stony ground, where he was met by a beautiful woman. He was instantly overcome with desire for her. Though he had been cold as he walked, he now felt warm. He felt lightheaded, and strange in his stomach. His vision became black around the edges, and all he could see was the white and glowing beautiful woman ahead of him. When she embraced him, his body felt numb, and when they began to honi (kiss), it was as if she inhaled all of his breath, and he became faint. Losing all sense, he simply followed her about, desiring only to be near her. At last she tired of him, and returned him to the forest from which he finally made his way to the home of his parents, who nurtured him back to health. He became a very knowledgeable kahuna in sorcery and sacrifice. Paliula finally forgave him for his infidelity and they were reunited.
THE ISAACS ART CENTER at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, 65-1268 Kawaihae Road, Kamuela, Hawaii. Adjacent to the HPA Village Campus. HOURS: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tue. - Sat. Admission is free. For information, or to arrange group visits: 808-885-5884 or isaacsartcenter@hpa.edu. WEB: http://isaacsartcenter.hpa.edu &
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
The Isaacs Art Center features some of the finest Hawaiian and Asian art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. All proceeds benefit the HPA Scholarship Fund, which assists promising young people from Hawai‘i in realizing their educational goals. From September 9 to November 12, IAC will showcase works by Madge Tennent, whose legacy “towers above the entire roster of Hawaiian artists in originality and breadth of vision,” (David W. Forbes). Portrayed with increasing power between 1925 and 1965, Tennent’s majestic Hawaiians captivated audiences locally and abroad, traveling to exhibitions in London, Paris, Sydney, Cairo, Auckland, Chicago, San Francisco, and the New York World’s Fair. Experience the exceptional at this Isaacs show.
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Kahoupokane
She is the goddess of Hualālai, and a master kapa maker. When the heavy rains come from the mountains, she is throwing water on her kapa as she beats it. When thunder rolls, that is the sound of beating the kapa. The flash of lightening is when she flips the bright new kapa over to beat the other side. The morning after a storm, her kapa can be seen drying on the mountains, shining in the sunlight. On a sunny day, when there is thunder and a fine misty rain with no clouds, you know she is pounding their summer garments.
Kalauakolea
A sister of Poli‘ahu, she is a musician and chanter, and sometimes sings and plays with Lilinoe.
Kukahau‘ula
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Kū, as he appears in the red of the rising sun. He pursued Poli‘ahu and is identified with the highest peak of Mauna Kea. The name also is identified with a chief of Waimea, Kohala, who married a Ka‘ū woman named Lilinoe. When his people did not like her, the couple retired to Mauna Kea where they lived in a cave. The bodies were seen and identified by Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III. After that discovery, the bodies were hidden away by their family’s last surviving retainer, Pohe‘epali.
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Lilinoe
Goddess of fine mist. She also is the goddess of Haleakalā, dead fires, and of desolation. She dresses Poli‘ahu’s hair so that it is soft and fine, and floats like a cloud about her. She was married to Nana-nu‘u, the mortal who survived the great flood, and made his home in a cave high on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The name also is identified with a woman of Ka‘ū who married a Waimea, Kohala chief named Kūkahau‘ula.
Mo‘oinanea
This great ancestress lizard or dragon is the progenitress of a vast clan of fresh-water-dwelling beings. She sometimes participates in arranging marriages for chiefly children, and in the story told by Ahu‘ena Tayor, was the intermediary for the courtship of Kūkahau‘ula and Poli‘ahu.
Poli‘ahu
The icy goddess of Mauna Kea was not easy for swains to approach. Poli‘ahu, whose name means “cloaked bosom,” or “temple bosom,” is a legendary daughter of Wākea who dwells at the summit of Mauna Kea. As the chill snow goddess, she is the antithesis of her fiery archrival, Pele.
It is Poli‘ahu who spreads her beautiful white kapa across the summit of Mauna Kea in the winter, and adorns the mountain with her pink and gold cloak in the summer. She is the goddess of Mauna o Wākea (today often called Mauna Kea), snow, ice, and cold. The summit of Mauna Loa also is hers, though she occasionally still has arguments with Pele regarding that. She is the eldest daughter of Kāne. Her younger sisters are her ladies in waiting. Many men have pursued her, yet she always ends up alone. Perhaps this is a warning that the summit is not a place where humans are meant to remain.
Waiau ( Waiaie )
She is the guardian of the lake which bears her name. She bathes Poli‘ahu, and refreshes her drinking gourd with sweet water that she can fetch by using her bird form to fly from place to place.
Myth: A usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon. (merriam-webster.com) Legend: A story coming down from the past; especially: one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable. (merriam-webster.com) Mo‘olelo: Story, tale, myth, history, tradition, literature, legend, journal, log, yarn, fable, essay, chronicle, record, article; minutes, as of a meeting. (From mo‘o ‘ōlelo, succession of talk; all stories were oral, not written.) (wehewehe.org)
Contact writer/photographer Leilehua Yuen: kumuleimanu@gmail.com Bibliography Beckwith, Martha Warren; The Hawaiian Romance of Laieikawai Campbell, Joseph; The Power of Myth 22-23; Reflections 56 Ke Au Hou; Vol 3 # 4; 31 January 1912 Ke Kumu Hawai‘i; 20 July 1836 Westervelt, William Drake; Hawaiian Legends of Ghosts and Ghost-Gods Mauna-a-wakea.info/maunakea/B2_kukahauula.html Ulukau.org/collect/nupepa/index/assoc/HASH0152/4948d89a. dir/090_0_003_004_029_01_ful_19120131.pdf
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Ka‘ao: Legend, tale, novel, romance, usually fanciful; fiction; tell a fanciful tale. ho‘o.ka‘ao To tell tales; story telling. (wehewehe.org) ❖
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It’s
WICKED GOOD TIME KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
West Hawaii association of realtors® 4th Annual COSTUME PARTY & Silent Auction Benefit
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Friday October 28th 5:30 – 9:00pm At Daylight Mind Coffee Company in Kona Proceeds to benefit the West Hawaii Association of REALTORS® 2016 Charity of Choice:
Hospice of Kona Costume Contest | Pupus |Cocktails | Music | Dancing Costume Encouraged! Prizes For: Best Overall Costume | Best Couple Costumes
Tickets Presale $35.00 or at the door $40.00 Purchase Tickets at (808) 329-4874
Mahalo to our event sponsors & community for your continued support
Managing with Aloha Ho‘ohana is the value of worthwhile work. Work with purpose, and full intention. Work so it matters, and becomes fulfilling. Third in Series Two on Managing with Aloha.
Ho‘ohana as our Work Ethic
H
whether or not a person has been delivering on their work ethic, or hasn’t adequately bothered to do so. As we say in Managing with Aloha, has it been intentional enough, to matter to that person, and to factor into our business. Oddly, we will usually sidestep the integrity part of work ethic in those appraisals though, uncomfortable with challenging it. We focus instead, on the specifics of job quality, and a person’s emphasis on that quality: Have they taken personal responsibility for assuring work quality? Have they been diligent about it, dedicated to it, and disciplined with it? When we rate that person on teamwork, we’re rating if they’ve been collaborative in their job performance, so their work ethic becomes desirably contagious, getting magnified in partnering and group endeavor as well. If you visit my Managing with Aloha website, you’ll read this on the About page: “We work on work here. In my mana‘o (feelings driving one’s beliefs) people are too big for jobs and always have been. We don’t fit into them completely enough. Jobs tend to be about specialization, and while there’s merit in expertise, we humans are magnificent generalists. Work however, can be a whole different matter, for work as Ho‘ohana is a values-driven concept of abundance and growth, and it allows us more freedom to explore and experiment: We can be curious without apology. We can be more imaginative.” Imagination is a funny thing within the workplace though. We usually don’t allow for imagination immediately, not until a person has proven themselves with quality baseline work, delivered with exceptional work ethic. Let’s speed that up. Let’s not assign an unreasonable timeframe to perfunctory “baseline expectations.” Allow for imagination and creativity sooner. Let’s be sure we Ho‘ohana as our value, and celebrate intrinsic, breath-of-Aloha work each and every day. When we talk about culture-building by managing with Aloha as philosophy, we’re really talking about creating an environment for work expression to happen, making it easy, natural, and rewarding for people to work in an exemplary way natural to their Aloha Spirit, and imbued with work ethic of the highest caliber. Next issue: We revisit ‘Imi ola, the value of mission and vision. Contact writer Rosa Say: RosaSay.com, ManagingWithAloha.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
o‘ohana values the work ethic we most admire. I’m constantly able to observe work ethic within my client work and partnerships, and I notice: Work ethic is more than professionalism in the Aloha Intention we call “Working with Aloha.” We think of good work ethic as a desirable character trait, because we value usefulness, and we admire noble effort in worthwhile productivity. We acknowledge hard work as work ethic, equating it with discipline, diligence, and even with moral character or civic virtue. We recognize that there are extremes, such as workaholic behaviors, and nose-to-the-grindstone habits at the polar opposite of big-picture thinking and all-team awareness. Overall, we live in times where we ache for work ethic’s comfortable middle ground, where notable, team-conducive and missionreliable work habits dwell in workplace culture, yet those habits won’t drain us—we can have the lifestyle of living with Aloha too. In Hawai‘i’s ‘ōlelo, hana is the Hawaiian word for work. Hana is quite the four-letter gem, for it packages ha, the breath of life, and na to imply intrinsic belonging. Thus hana, is work belonging to the breath of our life’s expression of who we are, what we can do, and what we are meant to do. The work of hana celebrates our identity, and to Ho‘ohana is to identify with our work purposefully and intentionally, so all the work we do matters, and feels worthwhile to us. Universally, we consider “ethic” quite a gem as well, and not just in business. We think of a person’s ethic as being connected to their dignity and integrity. Our ethics are what we stand up for as our standard-bearer, our convictions; they are our moral principles. When we think of work ethic, we associate it with people individually as their human brand, and their brand is what we hope for as our guarantee of the quality of their work. Most of us don’t differentiate between a person’s values and their moral principles. In hiring and partnering, we’ve selected someone expecting we’ll get both. We expect their values and moral principles will indeed be reflected in the work they’ll do for us, with work ethic the result. Therefore, in performance appraisals, we often rate work ethic as the first thing we associate with job performance. We aren’t really rating the particulars of a person’s ethics, because we assume everyone wants to be branded with good ones; we rate
| By Rosa Say
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Restoring The Voice Of Hawai`i’s Native Forests
September 3rd - October 9th
Recognition by Margaret Barnaby
Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park 9am - 5pm daily. Free; park entrance fees apply
www.volcanoartcenter.org
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Sponsored by the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
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Hawai‘ i Island
Festival of Birds Birdwatching— a heck of a lot of fun | By Alan D. McNarie
I
t’s one of the biggest, yet least-noticed spectator sports on earth. More people participate in birdwatching than go to NFL football games, according to at least one study. There are websites, magazines, and festivals devoted to it, and it’s particularly suited to Hawai‘i—yet Hawai‘i has done relatively little to draw attention to that fact. That’s about to change. On September 24–25, Hawai‘i Island will play host to the First Annual Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds—Ha‘akula Manu, at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa and elsewhere around the island. The festival will include, among other things, panel discussions with wildlife biologists and birding experts, a class on painting birds with local artist Gretchen Grove, a bird photography class with wildlife photographer Jack Jeffrey (whose work graces this cover, see story on page 83), a silent auction of bird-related items, from art to binoculars—and of course, birdwatching tours, both on land and sea. General admission to the festival is $10, and there are special fees for some events, including tours and workshops. The complete list of events and fees can be found at HawaiiBirdingTrails.com. The festival will also mark the opening of the Hawai‘i Island Coast-to-Coast Birding Trails, the state’s first serious attempt to foster birdwatching touristry. “The state of Hawai‘i is one of the few states that does not have a birding trail identified,” notes Jack Jeffrey, who’ll also be leading a special tour emphasizing bird photography. “The birding trail is not a physical trail, like a hiking trail,” explains festival manager Lisa Brochu. “It is a route that has been identified with a number of birding hot spots around the island. We really need to help people understand how important it is to preserve the natural areas that support the native species.” Birdwatching, she adds, is also “a heck of a lot of fun”—a family activity that can happen in a natural area or “your own backyard.” The trail will begin at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park, whose ancient Hawaiian fishponds are among the best places in Hawai‘i to see endangered native wetland birds such as the koloa (Hawaiian ducks) and ae‘o (black-necked stilts). It will then ascend the old Saddle Road, passing through the māmane forests, where a little endangered grey, yellow and white honeycreeper, the palila, still flits from branch to branch and the the pueo (Hawaiian owl) hunts by day in the mists. The route then joins Daniel K. Inouye Highway to cross the Saddle and descends through
koa and ‘ōhi‘a forests where other honeycreepers, such as the scarlet-and-black ‘apapane, orange ‘ākepa and a plethora of LGBs (little green birds) such as the ‘amakihi and the Hawai‘i creeper feed among scarlet lehua blossoms. It culminates Hiloside at Loko Waka fishpond in Keaukaha, a good spot to see migratory birds. In birding parlance, anybody can be a “birdwatcher,” yet true “birders” take it to another level: keeping detailed records of their sightings, often posting them at ebird.org and providing data for professional researchers. Many keep “life lists”: records of all the species that they’ve observed in their lifetimes. Jack, a retired wildlife biologist who spent most of his career restoring native ecosystems in Mauna Loa’s remote Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge, still conducts birders on tours there. Some of his guests, have life lists in the thousands—one visitor claimed 7,000 different species. There are only 10,000 living species of birds world-wide. “When you start, every bird you see is a new bird,” he observes, “but when you start getting into the thousands, you have to go to special places to find a new bird. People spend a lot of money going to those special places. Hawai‘i is one of them.”
Pueo (Owl) photo courtesy Bonnie Nims
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
What makes Hawai‘i special for birders is its large numbers of endemic and endangered species. “Endemic” birds evolved here and are found nowhere else. “Endangered” birds are so rare that they could soon become extinct. Hawai‘i, because of its long isolation, has a large number of endemics—and because it’s no longer isolated, many of those birds are now endangered—rare prizes to add to a life list. Hawai‘i is particularly special because of a single family of birds. “Over 350 species of honeycreepers evolved out of one bird that came from Asia,” says Jack. “There are only 18 species left. Seven exist on the Hawai‘i Island.” Those survivors often aren’t doing well. Only about 2,000 palila (honeycreeper) remain, for instance. The ‘ō‘ū, a little green honeycreeper with a parrot-like bill and (on males) a yellow head, is so rare that it may already be extinct. Some honeycreepers are not just rare, they’re pretty weird. Take, for instance, one of Rob Pacheco’s favorite birds, the endangered ‘akiapōlā‘au. Rob owns Hawaii Forest and Trail, which has been conducting bird tours on the island for 23 years. An ‘akiapōlā‘au sighting is still a highlight on any of those tours. To feed on grubs in trees, it’s evolved a very odd bill. “It has a long curved top bill, and a lower bill that’s short and straight like a woodpecker’s,” explains Rob. “It uses the lower bill to drill into the wood, then uses that top bill to pry that wood away to reach and expose the larva, then it dislocates its lower jaw and brings those two bill tips together like ‘Akiapōlā‘au (honeycreeper) pinchers to photo courtesy Jack Jeffrey grab them.”
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‘Alalā (Crow) public domain
One endemic Hawai‘i Island bird won’t be seen on the new trail: the ‘alalā, the Hawaiian crow. The huge black birds—adults are about a foot and a half long—are extinct in the wild. At one point, their numbers were down to about a dozen birds in a captive breeding facility: the San Diego Zoo-run Keauhou Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary now has over a hundred ‘alalā. It had planned to release some back into their native habitat this September; however, the release date has now been moved to November. That doesn’t completely eliminate the possibility of seeing one. The Center holds an open house every January, and allows a limited number of tours at other times, with advance reservations. Those who wish to explore the possibility of visiting should contact the Center. ‘Alalā are omnivorous, extremely intelligent, and long lived; they’ve been known to reach 29 years of age in captivity. All of these traits would normally make for a very hardy species. So why is it hovering on the edge of extinction? The answer: Entire ecosystems, including birds, are collapsing under the onslaught of a horde of introduced species, unnaturally selected and brought here by humans.
Had Darwin visited Hawai‘i instead of the Galapagos, he might have written a somewhat different theory of evolution. Trapped on the most isolated archipelago on earth, a tiny number of root species—including no large native grazing animals, and no endemic predators larger than an ‘io (Hawaiian hawk)— have evolved into a system that’s cooperative as much as it is competitive. The ‘alalā in the wild, for instance, ate 30 species of native fruits, and the trees relied on them and other birds to spread their seed. Other birds, such as ‘apapane and ‘i‘iwi, evolved long curved beaks to feed on nectar and pollinate flowers in place of bees. Survival of the fittest, in Hawai‘i, became survival of those who fit in. What’s happening now, however, is Darwinism on steroids: hypercompetitive species from all over the globe are rampaging through delicate native ecosystems like bullies at a tea party. Cattle and Mouflon sheep have wrecked forests that evolved without any defenses against grazers or browsers. Roof rats leap from tree to tree like bare-tailed squirrels, attacking eggs and nestlings in a forest canopy that, for millions of years, had no predators at all except for hawks, owls and ‘alalā. ‘Amakihi Wikipedia/ Noah Kahn USFWS
once regularly heard the songs of endemic birds such as the wren-like ‘elepaio. Now the ‘elepaio songs are mostly gone, replaced by the whine of mosquitoes. Hope remains, however, at least for some birds—and part of that hope may lie in recruiting birdwatchers and others as volunteers to aid in habitat restoration. Hakalau Wildlife Refuge is one shining example. “Hakalau wouldn’t be what it is today without volunteers,” says Jack. “Planting trees, picking seeds, weeding, working in the greenhouses, providing environmental education. . . . People came up, had a good time and told their friends.” For years, Jack worked on forest restoration with classes brought over from O‘ahu by an environmental law professor named Denise. Standing on the porch of the Hakalau ranger cabin on one of these trips, Jack told her, “Someday this cabin is going to be surrounded by forest, and all the birds are going to be here, but it’s not going to happen in our lifetime.” Denise kept bringing her classes every year for nearly two decades. One day, they were standing on the cabin lānai again. All around the cabin, now, koa trees were growing. “Denise said to me, ‘Jack, what birds do you hear?’” he remembers. He listened for a few moments, then replied, ‘I‘iwi, ‘akiapōlā‘au, ‘apapane, ‘elepaio, ‘ōma‘o, ‘amakihi.” “You used to be able to see all the way to the ocean. Now there all these koa trees are there,” Denise replied, “And you’re still alive.” “That was an ‘aha’ moment for me,” says Jack. “In less than 20 years, it’s happening.” ❖ Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact
Volunteer to help with native bird habitat restoration: Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge: friendsofhakalauforest.org/volunteer Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: nps.gov/havo/getinvolved/index.htm, Fhvnp.org/volunteer Kohala Watershed Partnership: kohalawatershed.org/volunteers.html Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project: Evensi.us/volunteer-outplanting-daytrip-kaohe- game-management-area/175512853
Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds— Ha‘akula Manu September 24-25, 2016
Celebrate Hawai‘i’s unique blend of birds—from native honeycreepers found nowhere else in the world to common backyard birds from five continents. The first annual Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds—Ha‘akula Manu, brought to you as a program of Peoples Advocacy for Trails in Hawaii (PATH), will signal the official opening of the Hawai‘i Island
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Chameleons from Africa climb to the forests’ uppermost twigs and devour anything up to a third of their body size, including nestlings and even occasional adult birds: a YouTube video, a few years ago, showed a Jackson’s chameleon in Honolulu gulping down a sparrow. House cats kill rats, which is good. Not good is they also depredate birds—especially seabirds, which for millions of years had been able to nest safely on the ground in Hawai‘i. The cats are joined in that slaughter by mongoose, also introduced to eat rats—except rats are active at night, when mongoose are asleep (and unlike roof rats, mongoose don’t climb). Kahili ginger, gorse, and strawberry guava are choking out whole forests. Worst of all, perhaps, are mosquitoes carrying avian malaria, for which most Hawaiian birds have no immunity. Fortunately, Alaskan mosquitoes haven’t made it here, yet. Asian tiger mosquitoes, among others, are spreading farther each year. Residents of Volcano, 3,600 feet above sea level,
Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds: HawaiiBirdingTrails.com Hakalau Wildlife Refuge: FriendsOfHakalauForest.org Keauhou Bird Sanctuary: 808.933.2988 photographer Bonnie Nims: bonnienimsphotography.smugmug.com photographer Pamela Bell: pambellphotography@yahoo.com writer Alan D. McNarie: amcnarie@yahoo.com
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Who Should Come
The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds—Ha‘akula Manu is a place where residents and island visitors with all levels of interest in birding and nature study can come together to discover and celebrate the diversity of Hawai‘i’s birdlife and the habitats that support them. If you’re a resident of the island (including students) with a desire to experience the wild and natural resources of your island home, an avid birding and nature tour group in search of Hawai‘i’s wildlife, or a casual nature enthusiast visiting the island, we’d love to see you at the first annual Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds—Ha‘akula Manu. Saturday, September 24 All Saturday activities feature the birds of Hawai‘i and are held at Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay. Sunday, September 25 Sunday activities begin and end at various points in Kailua-Kona and Hilo (to be determined) and at Waiki‘i Ranch. Schedule and tickets: HawaiiBirdingTrails.com
Female ‘Elepaio Wikipedia ©Eike Wulfmeyer
Holualoa Village See more at: HolualoaHawaii.com
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Coast to Coast Birding Trail (another first for the state!). The Trail’s 90-mile cross-island route links a remarkably varied set of locales, featuring a broad representation of island birdlife, nature, geology, history, and scenic vistas. Rising from sea level to 7,000 feet and back again between the two tallest mountains on earth, the trail passes through desert with a few Pueo inches of rain annually photo courtesy Pamela Bell and through tropical rainforest with nearly 300 inches of rainfall a year. Imagine the trail’s diversity of landscapes and climates matched by the diversity of birds, including endangered waterbirds and forest birds, migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, including such notable species as Nēnē, Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi, ‘Ōmao, Hawai‘i ‘Elepaio, ‘Apapane, ‘I‘iwi, Hawaiian Hawk, Hawaiian Coot, and the endemic sub-species of the Black-necked Stilt, and Short-eared Owl (Pueo), and numerous established non-native species.
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hat is lā‘au lapa‘au? Is it herbal medicine? “Witch doctor” stuff? Homeopathy? Bush medicine? Is it real? Bogus? Compatible with biomedicine? I have seen practices of lā‘au lapa‘au that would fit any of the above. Lā‘au lapa‘au is a traditional medical practice, as defined by the World Health Organization: “Traditional Medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.”
Ke Ola Pono: Lā‘au Lapa‘au—What is it? Herbal Medicine | By Leilehua Yuen
Something I hear a lot these days that really bothers me is people saying that they only want to take “natural” remedies, nothing with “chemicals.” E kala mai! EVERYTHING we ingest is made from chemicals, and there are a lot of harmful natural things. Taken improperly, some lā‘au can actually be toxic. Overuse of lā‘au can be as harmful as overuse of any other medicine. ‘Awa misuse can lead to scaly skin rashes, eye inflamation, trembling, liver and kidney damage. Noni misuse can lead to stomach problems and kidney damage due to the high potassium content. Because lā‘au growth is affected by soil and weather conditions, time of year, and a myriad of other things, the active chemicals are not always consistent as those prepared by quality pharmaceutical companies. The knowledgable and skillful practitioner knows how to compensate for the differences and craft medicines that are equally effective in their own scope. Lā‘au lapa‘au is most effective when used as part of a wholistic lifestyle incorporating practices that encourage and integrate spiritual, mental, physical, and environmental health. This means caring for the environment where the lā‘au grows, planting appropriately, or wildcrafting with care and respect. It means harvesting properly, without abusing or stressing the resource. It means being in harmony with the people around us. It means caring for our own bodies as our most immediate environment. “E ke Akua, e aloha mai ‘oe i ka mea i mi ia . . .” O Deity, give love to the one who is sick. . . A favorite lā‘au for skin and hair This freshens and rejuvenates dry skin and scalp. Be sure to do a small test patch and check for irritation. Ingredients 3 ripe heads ‘awapuhi (shampoo ginger) 5 inches ‘awapuhi root 1 quart water Thoroughly scrub the root to remove all dirt and skin. I use a small wire brush. Grate the root very fine. Bring the water to a boil and add to the root. Allow to cool. Strain. This may be misted on, or patted onto the skin and scalp as needed. Keep in the refrigerator. I do not keep it longer than three or four days. For added benefit and to tighten skin, massage the viscous liquid from the ‘awapuhi heads into skin and scalp, let dry, then rinse off. Contact writer Leilehua Yuen: kumuleimanu@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Lā‘au, in this context, means medicine. The larger meaning is trees and plants. So, yes, lā‘au lapa‘au is herbal medicine. Originally, of course, it used only native Hawaiian plants (those which were here growing wild when the first settlers arrived), naturalized plants that were brought by the settlers and escaped into the wild, and kanu plants (those cultivated for specific purposes). Lapa‘au is medical practice. So, lā‘au lapa‘au is a medical practice which specializes in using plant-based medicines. In my own experience, most Western-trained doctors have been respectful and interested in learning about lā‘au lapa‘au. Laymen have been the ones more antagonistic toward the practice, considering it “witch doctor” medicine. The easy answer is that this comes from watching too many old movies! A deeper conversation with them finds that often people who have only been exposed to biomedicine see a dichotomy between physical and spiritual health. You go to a doctor to heal your body, and you go to church to heal your spirit. In Hawaiian medicine, this is not the case. Pule (prayer) is an important part of lā‘au lapa‘au. I was taught that the body cannot fully heal if the spirit is not healed as well. People who have never experienced this integration of physical and spiritual sometimes do not see the relevance of prayer and ceremony, and associate it with “Hollywood witch doctors.” I would consider lā‘au lapa‘au to be like bush medicine, though I associate that term with Australia. Yes, it is real, and used appropriately can be an important and effective part of health maintenance. Yes, there are some bogus practitioners and many bogus preparations on the market. Is it compatible with biomedicine (Western/modern medicine)? I would give that a qualified “yes” with cavaets. Some herbal preparations should not be used with some biomedicines. For example, ‘awa (kava) is known to interact with 562 drugs used in biomedicine. Some of the interactions are insignificant, some may be beneficial in certain circumstances, and some can be very problematic. Those choosing to combine modalities should work with both the kahuna lā‘au lapa‘au and MD so that they each are aware of the other treatments and can provide the most beneficial synergy for the patient.
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Danny Li at the entry to his sustainable bamboo Eco-Cabana. Custom mango wood doors are also made from local wood. The prayer flags are a gift from the widow of Anson Chong, whose farm supplied some of the bamboo for the house.
BUILDING WITH Bamboo, Local Style One man’s crusade to prove it can be done here has been a lot of talk over the years about the viability of locally grown bamboo as a building material in Hawai‘i. Here we must distinguish between building homes imported from elsewhere and building homes from bamboo grown in Hawai‘i. Large plantations in Vietnam and Indonesia provide bamboo for homes in those regions, and enterprising businesses have brought them to Hawai‘i, after harvesting and building there, disassembling into a kit form, shipping it here and putting it back together. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing. The homes are strong and attractive. They are actually approved by Hawai‘i building code authorities. On the other hand, why not grow the bamboo here, support local farmers and build with local labor? The answer is complicated. One local resident, Danny Li—who loves bamboo—has invested the majority of his retirement funds, he says, into building a bamboo home that’s sustainable, functional, lightweight, and even portable! In his career, Danny was involved with million-dollar custom homes on O‘ahu before embarking on his bamboo building crusade on Hawai‘i Island. “I’ve worked in construction, building custom homes in Honolulu for over 30 years,” he shares. “For over a decade I had been wanting to build an ecological bamboo frame house. I went to a number of conferences sponsored by the Hawai‘i Bamboo Society, and that’s when I really got inspired to build with bamboo. It’s a renewable resource and can be grown locally.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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| By Karen Valentine
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Bamboo—or ‘ohe in Hawaiian—is said to be one of the “canoe plants” brought here by early Polynesian settlers in their oceanic navigation. It has had an incredible number of practical uses throughout the centuries, including as a building material. “This versatile and giant member of the grass family is able to grow more rapidly than any other plant. After two months of growth it is the size it will remain for its lifetime. Bamboo is one of the most useful and practical plants for humankind, providing water storage, food, raw materials for household and garden use, musical instruments, and more. This plant may have originated in India or Java. Overall, there are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo, all of them relatives of sugar cane and corn. This vigorous and fertile plant flourishes in warm moist forests. Growing to more than 50 feet high, some bamboo can reach 100 feet in height….” [www.canoeplants.com] “With the goal of creating a lighter, simpler, sustainable home that has a small ecological footprint, I started building my house here while still working in Honolulu. This was the only place where I thought I could try out my ideas,” says Danny. “I finally decided it was time to move here.” Danny studied architecture and structural engineering. He has worked as a project manager, estimator, and subcontractor in Honolulu, and he has developed his own designs and specialized techniques for bamboo construction. His bamboo dream house, which he has named “Eco-Cabana,” was built over a 10-month period, and in July 2011 he celebrated its completion with an open house for friends.
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“This is my own design. I didn’t copy anybody else’s design. My brackets are made locally. Again, I’m committed to doing most everything locally,” he states. “Why are we importing plywood and lumber from Oregon or Canada and burning up fuel? There would be jobs for local people once it [bamboo building] gets going. In the short run, it does not necessarily save money because there’s also the economy of scale. Better than that, we’re saving fuel, and bamboo is basically renewable.” Danny chose to build his Eco-Cabana in three modules, which are bolted onto concrete pilings and bolted together. If needed, they can be moved to another site. Being fascinated with tent houses, he also tried to make his house as lightweight as possible, while maintaining the strength of a standard built home. He has already moved the house once, from its original site in Hilo to a parcel in Orchidland. Altogether, it measures slightly more than 900 square feet. “I’m very confident that this would be resistant to earthquakes or hurricanes. It did very well during the tropical storm from [Hurricane] Iselle two years ago, even though the wind was down to maybe 45 mph when it reached here,” he says. Danny sourced his bamboo from four different local farms. The major structural supports, columns and rafters, are the Guadua species, most of which he bought from Ninole Orchard in Hāmākua. Guadua angustifolia bamboo is considered to be the strongest bamboo in the world. In South America it is widely used in construction. “For years I’ve been working with efforts to get approvals with
If the bamboo beam is larger than the saddle on the steel bracket, then a smaller piece of bamboo is fitted inside a hole that is cut into the larger piece.
Another bracket with a double saddle connects a roof beam and horizontal lintel.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
codes,” he says. Many others have been on the same crusade. Jacqui Marlin, president of the Hawai‘i chapter of the American Bamboo Society, shares: “There are a few excellent construction grade bamboos growing on the island—Guadua angustifolia (strong but thorny and spreads out); Bambusa hirose (excellent strength and compact growth) and Gigantochloa atroviolacea (black, strong)—and probably there are others but in my thinking hirose has the most promise.” “From what I understand, and I could be wrong, building codes require that bamboo be certified by the ICC (International Code Council) and this is very specific to each species of bamboo and for each property on which it grows. The cost for this is prohibitive, upwards of $60,000 for each. So our original plan for a test plot here to have certification done would not benefit any other grower.” A Maui company, Bamboo Living, which imports bamboo kit homes from Vietnam, has succeeded in having the particular Guadua bamboo that it uses—from the grower in Vietnam— certified in Hawai‘i. “They use one particular species from there, spent big money to test and certify that,” says Danny. “The county approved only that one. “Hirose type is also good. It’s locally available, very strong. The hirose bamboo I’m using is from my long-time friend Anson Chong’s farm. Anson was an early supporter of the Hawai‘i Bamboo Society.”
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He has met others, as well, who are growing that variety here. “The problem right now is people want to grow more, but because of not being able to get a permit, the demand is low. They’re stuck. It’s a waiting game. I heard that in one trial, after they tested five different local types, the county says it wasn’t tested with a certified lab. Anyway, it’s a chicken or egg thing. They’ve been trying to do it for the last four or five years.” Nevertheless, Danny was committed to proceeding with his modular, moveable home and bamboo building ideas. The first step, after harvesting the bamboo, is to have it pressure treated, similar to standard lumber. “HPM has a treatment plant. If you make arrangements with them, they’ll treat it for you with Hi-Bor borate solution, putting it in the same pressure tank as their lumber.” On December 6, 2010, he and his crew poured four concrete footings to support module A, which would contain the kitchen, living room and small bath. “These footings use only 25 percent of concrete compared with slab construction,” he stated. Within the crawl space they assembled I-joists and box beams with strong metal connectors. “It’s another part of my own creation,” Danny says. “The big beams are hollow inside, formed with two-by-fours and plywood. They are lighter weight than solid beams, but the strength is equal or even better. It saves materials actually. In the interior, they’re finished with bamboo veneer.” The three modules are framed separately and later joined together. They can be unbolted and moved on a flatbed truck.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Hemp cloth covers the ceiling, while white awning fabric lets in light at the top of the wall. The main box beam and clerestory windows can also be seen.
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The subfloor is constructed of a strong, structural plywood, to which the load-bearing poles are fastened with special brackets and bolts. “Unlike standard construction lumber, which comes in fixed sizes, bamboo, of course, is not uniform in thickness, so there’s quite a lot of custom work. The diameters and curves are different,” Danny says. “In building with bamboo you have to make special brackets because bamboo is not an industrial product. My structural poles are fastened to the floors with custom brackets and large bolts to ensure strong joints against hurricane and earthquake loads. At the top, I found an innovative way to attach the bamboo rafters to the box beams.” Another unique feature of the Eco-Cabana is fabric walls. Exterior walls are finished with a Tyvek underlayment and covered with awning fabric—Sunbrella. “Sunbrella is a breathable fabric, and it’s waterproof to go along with the lighter, simpler structure. “Sunbrella has held up surprisingly well, and still looks new.”
Module B contains the large back lānai and a bedroom, while Module C is the master bedroom with a small lānai. The upper walls are awning fabric with no underlayment. “At night this almost becomes a lantern.” Ceilings are covered with hemp cotton fabric, which is also breathable, letting some air in between the waterproof roofing and interior. The roof is also finished with Sunbrella fabric, laid over a durable, waterproof 40-mil EPDM rubber roofing membrane. Decks are constructed of attractive, locally grown Eucalyptus robusta, and custom local mango wood doors finish the entrance as well as a sliding door to the module-B bedroom. The Eco-Cabana is also energy independent. It includes a custom biological filtration system for wastewater and sewage. “Better than a cesspool,” says Danny. It has solar photovoltaic electric, solar hot water and water catchment systems. Solar water heating panels are on brackets that can be readjusted if moved to another site. “I call my philosophy LSB,” says Danny, “lighter simpler better building technology, using local materials that are sustainable with a small ecological footprint. I would like to build more like this.” ❖ Contact Danny Li: dlimay7@flex.com, EcoCabana.tripod.com Contact writer and photographer Karen Valentine: karenvalentine808@gmail.com
The Eco-Cabana consists of three modules bolted together, allowing them to be moved to a different site. Photovoltaic solar power and solar water heating are on the roof, which is also covered with awning fabric with EPDM rubber liner. All contribute to the builder’s philosophy of lightweight and sustainable building on a small ecological footprint.
17 th Annual Bamboo Festival
will be at Nani Mau Gardens again this year on Sept. 18 from 10am–3pm. While there, you will be able to see and purchase many varieties of bamboos; visit craft vendors, educational speakers, artists, food, a silent auction, and more. Plus you will be able to tour the 22-acre botanical gardens. Nani Mau Gardens is located at 421 Makalika Street, Hilo. For more information, visit hcabs.webs.com.
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Featuring
Rupert Tripp Jr. CONTINUES TO JOYFULLY SING | By Alan D. McNarie
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“It’s just been crazy,” he says. “I can’t walk these days. I can still play, but I’m struggling to play, and struggling to sing.” What happened in the wake of that accident has been a tale of music, faith, and endurance—and perhaps above all, it’s a love story. One night during the Labor Day weekend of 2009, Rupert’s wife Adele was babysitting their pastor’s children in Volcano, where the family lives, when Rupert called to say he’d finished his gig at the Malolo Lounge of the Hilton Waikoloa, and was starting home. About fifteen minutes or so later, the phone rang again. This time it was Rupert’s phone, but a stranger’s voice. “I was driving back at 11pm and this drunk driver ran into me at, I think, 90 miles per hour, according to the police,” Rupert recalls. He later learned that the other car’s driver, his wife, and one daughter had died; the family’s only survivor was a young girl with cerebral palsy, who’d been securely strapped in her seat. Somehow, despite his horrific injuries, Rupert stayed conscious long enough to give a bystander his phone and ask the man to call Adele. Their pastor drove her to the hospital in Waimea. “Walking in there, I could hear a lot of crying and wailing, and I didn’t know what to expect,” she recalls. The crying was coming from a room where friends of the family that had hit Rupert were gathered. Rupert was in the next room, alone.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
t’s Thursday night at Café Pesto in Hilo, and Rupert Tripp Jr. is singing and playing his guitar. It’s not easy. Café Pesto is famous for its food, yet the many glass windows and the high ceilings make for lousy acoustics. Much of Rupert’s patter between-songs is lost in the noise of people trying to speak loud enough to be heard over the voices of all the other people trying to speak loudly enough. When Rupert sings, though, you can hear all the words. He hasn’t got his amp cranked to anything like loud, yet his gentle and rich voice sings each word carefully, as though he loves it and wants his audience to love it, too. He’s doing mostly upbeat cover songs—House on Pooh Corner, What a Wonderful World—though at one point near the end of his set, he launches into Leonard Cohen’s haunting Hallelujah. He also includes another song where each stanza ends in “Hallelujah”: a piece he wrote himself. Its refrain defiantly affirms that despite past sorrow, “we will joyfully sing.” That expression of joy in the moment, in song, takes a special poignancy, given what Rupert’s been through since 2009. A Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and member of the popular guitar trio Kohala, he’s still in constant pain from a car accident that broke his spine, five of his ribs, his femur, his collarbone, one forearm, cracked his sternum, and left him with nerve damage.
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For the next two months, she would not leave his side for more than an hour and a half at a time. Rupert spent about 10 days in a fog of pain in the Intensive Care Unit. “I remember a number of times opening my eyes and seeing a big number of people, but not knowing who they were. I recognized my wife’s voice, my mom’s voice, but that was about it.” “Adele,” he says, “was a bedrock for me.” He credits his wife for an intervention with the doctors that may have saved the use of his legs.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Rupert and wife Adele lead their Song and Dance Ministry Hallelujah Ministries.
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Adele recalls that moment vividly. The doctors had done a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the upper half or Rupert’s body, and found that his upper spine was “unstable.” They wanted to operate immediately, however Adele insisted that they finish the scan first. “Not that I’m a doctor or anything, but you’ve got him stuck in that machine for 45 minutes, and you’re only going to do half the body?“ As it turned out, she was right. “Actually the bottom was worse than the top, because it was going into paralysis already.” When Rupert was medivacked to Honolulu, Adele went, too. Family and friends soon followed, in such numbers that Adele finally had to ban them to the waiting room, so Rupert could get some rest. Still, she says, “They would come for support for all of us, in the waiting room.” Their daughters—Pualei, who was in college at the time, and Leyla, who was a high school junior—both got support from their schools so they could be frequent visitors. Rupert and Adele have been close for a long time. Though both Hawaiian, they first met at a hotel in Japan, where he was performing while she danced hula. “I didn’t know he was the one,” Adele admits. “I kind of enjoyed hanging out with him. I had just turned 18, so life was— there were so many things ahead of me.” When they returned to Hawai‘i, she remembers, “I thought I’d never see him again, but he never left. He pursued the relationship, and I’m very grateful to him for that.” The car accident and its aftermath aren’t the first crisis they’ve
Cover of CD to be released soon
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
weathered together. For 10 years, they were both addicted to crystal methamphetamine. They finally got off it together, with the help of a second, mutual bedrock: their faith. “I definitely put my faith in God and he helped us through,” Rupert says. “Today, she and I are ministers at our church.” In 2003, he released a solo album of mostly original gospel music, For an Audience of One, on his own label, RTJ records. It earned him a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nomination for Religious Album of the Year (2004). That’s the third bedrock: music. Rupert’s been playing music professionally since a time when he was still learning arithmetic. “I actually grew up in a musical family,” he says. By the time Rupert was nine, he was the band’s drummer and featured singer in the family band, the Tripping Hawaiians. When he was 12, he got his first solo professional gig at Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel. He was the musical director for his junior class at Kamehameha Schools. After graduating, he joined the armed services, and won base talent contests at three of the four bases where he served. After his enlistment expired in 1984, he returned to Hawai‘i and went back to playing professionally. He joined a former classmate, Weymoth Kamakana, to form their own band, Nalu, which put out four albums, garnered several Nā Hōkū nominations and put out a string of popular songs such as Pualei, which he wrote for his daughter, and In Your Hawaiian Way. Since Nalu disbanded, Rupert has played with several other bands and musicians. One popular YouTube video, for instance, features Rupert, Brother Noland, Lito Arkangel, and Kris Fuchigami playing tasty licks on Coconut Girl. He’s probably best known, though, as one third of the guitar trio Kohala. For the past 13 years, the band has put out 10 albums featuring its innovative blend of folk, smooth jazz, and Hawaiian music. It’s become an international musical ambassador for the islands, playing in venues as far-flung as Nashville and Tokyo. Rupert has also done two non-gospel solo albums: Heart to Heart and Live at Volcano’s Lava Rock Café. He was at work on a new gospel album, Righteous Son Rize, when the collision happened. He hopes to finally finish it this fall. It’s been a slow and painful road back. It took Rupert six months before he could rejoin Kohala for a live gig. He’s done two tours of Japan with Kohala since the accident.
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
The Tripp family. L–R: Wife Adele, daughters Kapualei and Layla with Rupert
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His health made him decide to stay out of the band’s planned 20-city Japanese tour this fall—which is too bad, he says, because “I love that tour.” The pace, however, is just too grueling. “When you have something like this happen, it’s quite the challenge” says Adele, “But God is good, and that’s where we put our trust, that it all works out for good.” “Strangers,” she says, “sometimes come up to Rupert to say how he’s inspired them: ‘When they have a headache, they think about what it takes for him to even get up in the morning, and then they remember how blessed they are.’” “I tell him, ‘You don’t know how many people you helped today just by driving past them.’” She’s also grateful that her daughters have had their father to experience life with them: to see them go to college, graduate, and fall in love themselves. Pualei now has a master’s degree and her first son, Caleb Ka‘ōpuaikal‘i Kekumuikawaiokeola Borge, arrived August 6, 2016. “Now he has to write a song for his grandson,” Adele says gleefully. Rupert is also still bringing joy to his fans. For now, he’s playing the restaurant circuit: Monday and Tuesday nights at Kaleo’s in Pāhoa, Wednesdays at Volcano’s Lava Rock Café, and Thursdays at Café Pesto. “I’m kind of at 80 percent,” he says. “I can handle the restaurant performances. The restaurant is kind of laid back, performing in the background. I have friends who come and see me and say, ‘We couldn’t even tell. It sounds great.’ But I could tell. I could definitely tell.” Even at 80 percent, though, he’s better than many players ever get. On these solo gigs, he’s often playing melody and countermelody at the same time, sounding like two separate guitars playing at once. His complex guitar notes drift, as natural as air, through the noisy crowd; the voice reaches in among the conversations, drawing out applause after each song. That night at Café Pesto, he was scheduled to stop at 8 o’clock, and repeated cries of “Hana Hou, Rupert!” from the crowd coaxed him back to the mic for one more song. He’s still singing, still making his guitar sing—pain, muscle spasms and nerve damage aren’t going to stop him. Hallelujah! ❖ Contact Rupurt Tripp Jr.: 808.985.7474, ruperttrippjr@yahoo.com Contact Alan D. McNarie: amcnarie@yahoo.com
Crossword Puzzle | By Myles Mellor
This page is for Ke Ola readers to have FUN while learning about the Hawaiian culture and this wonderful island we call home. Some answers are in English, some are in Hawaiian. Some answers will be found when you read the stories and ads in this issue. Feel free to use the online Hawaiian electronic library.wehewehe.org Oh yes, you can find the answers on page 91. Your feedback is always welcome. HIeditor@keolamagazine.com
DOWN 1 Hawaiian word for a story told for entertainment 2 Opened a bit, as a door 3 Crisp fruit 4 Hawaiian volcano 5 Fish catcher 6 Word meaning joy in Hawaiian 7 Edible grass that produces nutritious, young shoots 10 What waves do on a shore 14 The Hawai‘i State Flower, 3 words 17 Dormant Hawaiian volcano, 2 words 18 Hawaiian concept of the value of worthwhile work 20 To a higher place 24 To appear, in Hawaiian 26 The human circle of aloha 27 Cattle 28 Path in Hawaiian 30 The Earth Mother, in Hawaiian 33 Drink holder 35 Hawaiian word for sun 37 Placed above
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
ACROSS 1 Hawaiian cultural educator, composer, and song writer, 2 words 6 Weight measure, for short 8 Coconut Green is a Hawaiian product of this drink 9 ____kai, Hawaiian word meaning leadership and initiative 11 Living organisms—we like the native ones best 12 Dawn time 13 It’s used to move a boat along 15 Colorful part of a flower 16 Type of shark that lives in Hawaiian oceans 19 Hawaiian singer who wrote the song “Legends,” Bula ____ 21 It means front in Hawaiian 22 Hawaiian word meaning to breathe 23 Hawaiian food made from kalo (taro) 25 Hawaiian word meaning attracted 27 Sugar source 29 Hawaiian word for life 30 Hawaiian word meaning stingy 31 Hawaiian word meaning humility 32 The Sky-Father in Hawaiian 34 It means spiny lobster in Hawaiian 36 Ike___ Hawaiian concept for seeking knowledge and wisdom (2 words) 38 Hawaiian word for power 39 Hawaiian word for fence 40 Chicken creator
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Worldwide Voyage
Hōkūle‘a crew members connect Hawai‘i with Canada’s First Nations in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
© 2016 Polynesian Voyaging Society All photos: ‘Ōiwi TV • Photographer: Na‘alehu Anthony
Crew members were welcomed by the Nova Scotia community, dignitaries, and members of the Mi’kmaw (pronounced “Meeg Maw”) Nation on the Yarmouth dock. The celebratory arrival ceremony featured cultural dances and the rhythmic beating of drums. Feathers were presented by a representative of the Mi’kmaw to each Hōkūle‘a crew member as a symbol of peace and unity. Chief Deborah Robinson of the Acadia First Nations (Mi’kmaw Nation) spoke at the event. “The Mi’kmaw as part of the indigenous community of Canada, has always struggled and continue to strive to protect Mother Earth and all the natural resources for the future. The preservation of our environment and conservation of the resource is of utmost importance to us as the Mi’kmaw. We all have the same goal—in ensuring a future for our children, and for children for generations to come.” Hokulea.com/track-the-voyage
Mi’kmaw dancer and Mark Kimura share a traditional honi.
Mi’kmaw dancer, with Hawai‘i Island resident and pwo navigator Kalepa Baybayan, and Mi’kmaw Chief Deborah Robinson
Nainoa Thompson and crew receiving feathers
“BEST SNORKEL CRUISE ON THE BIG ISLAND” WEST HAWAII TODAY READER’S POLL
Fair Wind II and Hula Kai at historic Kealakekua Bay & site of the Captain Cook Monument Information & Reservations 808.322.2788 | www.fair-wind.com
Kumu Auli‘i as Kahu for Kamehameha Day at the Kamehameha Statue in Hilo.
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umu Auli‘i Mitchell’s life story is one of song, dance, ‘ohana, and aloha. His practice has taken him around the world and he has touched many lives. “I was birthed in the sands of Kakuhihewa, the island of O‘ahu,” he says. “I spent about 23 years of my life in California. My schooling was there, but the life of us was all of our culture.” Auli‘i grew up on his mother and father’s ipu (gourd) farm in Southern California before moving to Hawai’i Island. While growing up in California, he watched as his mother Aana, a well-respected kumu hula who learned from his grandfather Charles Kahiwahiwa Cash, perpetuated his family’s tradition at the Ho‘olaule‘a held in Alondra Park in Lawndale, California each year. “I grew up under the feet of dancers.” he explains with a smile. It shows. By the time Auli‘i turned 12, he found himself following in his mother’s footsteps, earning the title of Kumu Hula (master level hula teacher) before even entering adulthood. He learned to carry the practice with him for years to come, spreading his knowledge, culture, and aloha around the globe. For years he was educated in a kapu (sacred) system. Only a few cultural practitioners hold the ancient practice and protocol in the kapu system today. Lolle DaCosta, a student of Auli‘i, says Aana was “a tiny woman with the power of a giant, certainly a force with which to be reckoned.” He doesn’t speak in-depth about his kapu hula upbringing, however, his demeanor and the look in his eyes makes it evident learning in such a way differs greatly from the type of hula instruction dancers experience today. Although that exchange may have been challenging, it seems
The Evolution of Kumu Auli‘i Mitchell DANCING FROM HAWAI‘I TO AOTEAROA FOR THE LOVE OF HULA
| By Megan Moseley
The Evolution of Auli‘i Kumu Auli‘i working on the tapa, or barkcloth, in Tonga.
After years of instructing a hālau on Hawai‘i Island, Auli‘i decided to pursue a different path. In 2014, he was invited
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
to have molded Auli‘i in many ways. “I can hardly put it into words. One time we were sitting in the audience during a performance when his mother called out, chanting to her son and he chanted back as he made his way to her. You could feel the energy of generations pass between them. It was a ‘chicken skin’ moment. The air was vibrating from it,” Lolle says. Auli‘i has continued their legacy of the hula ‘olapa (dance) through three hālau (hula schools), and now at 55-years-old, his journey as a kumu hula has him sharing his practice with dancers as far away as Aotearoa (New Zealand).
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Kumu Auli‘i stamping kapa at the Fresh Gallery Ōtara in South Auckland, New Zealand.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
to attend a master’s degree program in applied indigenous knowledge at the Māori institution Te Wānanga O Aotearoa. There, Auli‘i became the first, and only, international student to enter the program that honored indigenous peoples’ roots and knowledge in a very profound way. Those selected were handpicked based on their decades of knowledge. “You could not simply apply, you had to be recommended via your community,” he explains. “My support letters had to come from those who have witnessed my family’s tradition.” There were 40 people participating in the cohort. Most had a Māori background, and one was from Tonga. Auli‘i studied under the program of “He Waka Hiringa,” He Waka (the canoe) and Hiringa (the inner desire). Auli‘i says he entered the program as the tuakana (eldest sibling) of the Māori people. (Based off their ancestry, the Polynesians first arrived in Hawai‘i then to Aotearoa. This is what
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Auli‘i means when he describes being the eldest sibling of the Māori). However, when he left, Auli‘i says he felt more like the teina (younger sibling), admitting he learned more about their culture and practices than vice versa. Throughout their studies, the students learned to respect and celebrate their differences as a well as their similarities. Auli‘i says he also began to delve deeper into how Hawaiian culture and Polynesian culture supported and compared to more western styles of science—social and otherwise. For the past 13 years, Auli‘i has been working as a cultural anthropologist and specialist in the disciplines of archaeological and cultural impact studies, with a primary focus on Hawai‘i. He currently works as a Cultural Project Anthropologist for Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i. Through this master’s program, he began to reflect upon the Hawaiian way of knowing compared to western philosophies. Using the Kumulipo (the Hawaiian creation chant) as an example, Auli‘i says Hawaiians have been anthropologists for many, many years, they just didn’t have a title. In his discipline of archeology, he says the very act of radiocarbon dating can be compared to Hawaiian mo‘o kū‘auhau (genealogy). “We can trace our lineage and use that to tell who we were and where we were at certain times in our history. These are comparable methodologies,” he says. The program encouraged this type of critical thinking, and Auli‘i and his peers were able to use their own ancestral knowledge as research. “We were allowed to use the stories of our elders as references and even our dreams as references,” he says. “And we began to recognize that our own knowing was our own theory and found it hard for western theory to support our own knowing.” The students were also asked to focus on how they experienced transformation of ‘ohana and community through an applied cultural practice. Naturally, Auli‘i chose hula. However, it wasn’t until his second year that he was able to find the inspiration he needed to write his exegesis. A year into the program, Auli‘i was still searching for the answer to how hula had transformed his community and ‘ohana. The answer finally came to him one night while attending a dinner with his cousin and the U.S. Ambassador. Serendipitously, the
ambassador approached Auli‘i and his cousin and asked them to assist him with creating an authentic Hawaiian Village for their annual Pasifika Festival, the largest Polynesian festival in the world. Auli‘i didn’t hesitate to commit. Eventually, his participation in planning and coordinating the event led him to Amo Ieriko and his wife Maile Giffin. Auli‘i describes them as “true entertainers,” and was pleased to learn about their deep interest in all types of Polynesian dancing. They later joined Auli‘i’s new hālau, Hālau O Moana Nui a Kiwa of Aotearoa. Pasifika Festival’s Hawaiian Village genuinely reflects Hawaiian culture. “Auli‘i was instrumental in creating that authentic culture, not only in music and dance but also in arts and crafts, and food,” Amo says. As the popularity of the Hawaiian Village has grown over the years, so has the hālau. Auli‘i currently trains 25 dancers and recently led them to the King Kamehameha competition on O‘ahu. His experience meeting Amo and Maile, starting the hālau, and finding a new ‘ohana in Aotearoa, gave him what he needed to complete his research. He describes the process as incredibly humbling. “They opened my eyes and my world to share my generations’ of knowledge,” he says. Through this progression, Auli‘i realized what he was experiencing was truly similar to what his mother experienced teaching dance in California. His life had finally come full circle. “The Hawaiians of California, they really honored it and were The Hula Ki‘i (Hawaiian puppetry) researched and created by Kumu Auli‘i with funds from the Atherton Family Foundation grant.
Hālau O Moana Nui A Kiwa at the King Kamehameha Competition on O‘ahu.
serious about learning it and it was not taken for granted at all. It was really cared for and nurtured. I found the same thing in Aotearoa,” he says.
The Kumu Auli‘i
Almost anyone who knows Auli‘i, will say he’s compassionate, kind, full of aloha, and one strict kumu. “He’s no nonsense. Don’t muck around,” Maile says. “If he was correcting you, he would always say it with love and with aloha, but he would absolutely tell you what you have done as a dancer.” That being said, everyone still adores him. “Everyone is very close to him,” Maile says. His student Lolle agrees. She says his devotion to the dance encompassed his life and even helped change her understanding of the world around her. “I learned that respect for all things permeated all life activities, the importance of beginning with chants, asking permission to gather, listening, and stilling yourself to wait for a response to proceed. I was fascinated with the timelessness and privilege of the gifts that he shared with me. I learned patience and humility,” she says. While hula has been his life’s passion, the kumu has also pursued other works to support him spiritually, culturally, and financially.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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“We never charged for hula,” he explains. “It was truly our practice. So I had to find a job and career that would make my practice live.” That’s how Auli‘i found the field of anthropology. He graduated in 2003, when the islands were being opened up to heavy development and later joined an archeological team as the cultural expert to assist with preservation efforts, which he still does today. He currently works with developers to provide assistance and understanding regarding Hawaiian culture. “We’re able to help them tune into the mo‘olelo of the oral traditions, and myths, and legends of our people connected to certain places,” he explains. He is a member of the O‘ahu Island Burial Council which advocates for the recognition of lineal and cultural descendants and the determination of the iwi kūpuna, or cultural remains, of his ancestors. Auli‘i says he enjoys his profession, yet there are times when his job description and cultural identity may clash.
Kumu Auli‘i in Tonga observing a plant that is native to Hawai‘i.
“As Hawaiians, we ho‘onana, we don’t ask questions.” he says. “For us it’s difficult, because if we don’t ask questions we don’t get the keys to our own sites, and we need to be there. We have to be there.” That has been part of Auli‘i’s mission. He’s worked to preserve environmental and archeological sites throughout the islands and also Hawaiian education by teaching at Kua O Ka Lā New Century Public Charter School in Puna and acting as president and co-founder of Ho‘oulu Lāhui. It’s apparent that Auli‘i continues to protect Hawaiian culture, whether that be through education, dance, or environmental assessments. He is a true kumu who can teach us all a little something about life. “My advice would be to learn something good enough to teach it. And give it away. Share it with everyone, any chance you get.” ❖ Contact writer Megan Moseley: meganr.moseley@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13
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Kona Coffee Cultural Festival hosts more than 40 events over 10 days! Fun activities for all ages and interests and, of course, loads of opportunities to taste Kona Coffee and experience the celebrated lifestyle of nearly 200 years of Kona’s famous brew. The souvenir $3 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival button is required for event attendance and may be purchased at all events and select Kona retail and farm locations.
konacoffeefest.com
LIVING PONO:
Bula Akamu | By Mālielani Larish
Bula and his lovely wife, Ashley photo courtesy Ranae Keane EmotionGalleries.com
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itting on the white sands of Kamakahonu Beach, framed by the lush slopes of Hualālai Volcano and the dazzling waters of Kailua Bay, Bula Akamu closes his eyes and breathes deeply. Two hundred years of history unwind before his inner vision; he can see King Kamehameha I walking the shoreline and praying in Ahu‘ena, the heiau that he built across from the beach. Hands trembling with emotion and eyes glazing with the start of tears, Bula writes down the lyrics for a song called Legends.
Look your keiki in the eyes. We’ve got all the best things in life; all we’ve gotta do is open our eyes.
Bula Akamu sees resources and opportunities all around him, and this has helped him develop a fascination with music into a career as a professional musician. When Bula performs, it is as if he draws the mana (power) from his surroundings up through his body. His ‘ukulele and guitar playing is smooth, precise, and rich with technical details, and his voice and chiseled features convey every nuance of emotion. Whether singing the hauntingly beautiful Hawaiian falsetto or sharing his rendition of a pop song, Bula plays a variety of genres with ease. As a boy growing up in the quiet plantation town of Pāhala, Bula enjoyed playing outside, fixing cars, and learning everything Hōkū Amphitheater at Four Seasons Hualālai L–R: Bula Akamu, Moa Noble, Duncan Bamsey, Andrea Lindborg, Jason Aiono-Tupuola
photo courtesy Ranae Keane EmotionGalleries.com
about the ocean from his father. Bula’s Hawaiian-Chinese-Filipino family lacked material wealth, yet they bestowed him with the riches of music and love. When his father, grandfather, uncle, and brother came together to create Hawaiian music, Bula watched and learned. Bula expresses immense gratitude for his parents, who taught him respect, humility, and how to live pono (righteously) and love everyone. He especially tries to emulate his father, who he says is the kind of Mr. Aloha who will love you no matter what. Today, Bula’s listeners feel that genuine warm-heartedness when he interacts with his two main audiences: wedding guests and passengers of the Body Glove Sunset Cruise. One wedding client named Kacey said that Bula was “very kind, responsive, and took the time to try and get to know us as a
L–R: brother Chris, Dad, Bula performing in 2004
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
couple as best he could before the wedding. Our guests were very impressed!” Another client commented that he “kept everyone loose, having fun, and brought a feeling of ‘ohana (family) into the entire day that was truly special.” For the last three years, Bula has won the Couple’s Choice Award from WeddingWire.com, an online marketplace for wedding planning. It is difficult to believe that at one point, Bula wanted to pursue a different career. When Bula started studying sports and exercise science during his first year of college, he found himself jamming in his dorm, forming bands, and performing for his peers instead of studying. He realized that it was time to follow his passion.
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The Akamu family celebrating Bula’s high school graduation.
L–R: Bula, Mom, Dad, sister Sae, brother Chris
He auditioned for and was accepted to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he could finally feel like a kid in a candy store, surrounded by amazing musicians and the ideas that he needed to advance his talent to new levels. He soaked up new styles like jazz, R&B, world, soul, and blues, and learned the intricacies of written music. “I became addicted to learning and I was excited that I was excited to learn!” he recalls. Exceeding his own expectations, Bula earned a Master’s Degree in music after six and a half years at Berklee. Back in Hawai‘i, Bula started to build his reputation by performing at resorts and restaurants. However, he knew that something was missing. He had a broader vision of sharing his art, his heart, and his knowledge with youth, and in 2011, he jumped on the opportunity to teach Hawaiian Studies at Kahakai Elementary in Kailua-Kona. When Bula talks about the students at Kahakai, you can feel his already-infectious enthusiasm increase a notch. “Kids are great!” he says “Whatever comes out of my mouth, they soak it in.” When he discovered high-quality Kamaka ‘ukuleles gathering dust in storage, he could already see them in student’s hands, their iPads and smart phones temporarily forgotten. Bula started an after school ‘ukulele program with five pupils, and when that number swelled to 150 students, the Kahakai ‘Ukulele Ensemble was officially born.
Famous for their spirited performances, the ensemble has won first place in the marching division of the annual Kailua-Kona Christmas and Kona Coffee Lantern parades for the past four years. The kids dance, spin, and play ‘ukulele behind their backs and between their legs. Bula loves seeing the diversity of kids, from all ages and skill levels, come together as a whole to share the joy of music. “My only job is to get them excited about music,” Bula says, so he chooses popular top 40 songs with positive messages for them to learn. If you walked into Bula’s classroom, you wouldn’t see tables and chairs. The students sit down, ‘ohana style, on the floor. “I get everyone involved, even the quiet one in the corner. It’s fun!” Bula exclaims. Bula aims to teach the keiki so that they have the passion and knowledge to teach themselves. He wants them to be able to listen to a song and think I can figure out how to play this! He is delighted when he sees his students teaching each other and going home to teach their parents. Due to the interest expressed by non-Kahakai youth, Bula has spent the last three summers teaching the Akamu Music Academy, which is a month-long course in guitar, voice, and music theory offered twice during the break. Students from O‘ahu and Maui
have attended the program, which gives students the chance to record themselves in Bula’s studio as a culminating project. Bula is proud to give his students the best of both disciplines: the intuitive, by-ear method of knowing music and the structured, by-the-book method of understanding music. Besides the music, Bula wants his students to know the value of pono, of living in goodness, uprightness, and morality. In fact, Bula composed a song titled Living Pono for his new CD. When an inquisitive nine-year-old came to Bula after school to ask him “What is the meanest thing you can do to somebody?” Bula used the unusual question to foster an understanding of pono. Bula replied that not being there for someone is one of the meanest things you can do. “There are many times when someone needs you and just being there for them is a huge deal. I met a lot of friends who had hardships, so I’m that person who they sit down and talk story with,” he says. The support of friends and family is an essential part of Bula’s life. He confides that the entertainment business can flip you around and toss and turn you with offerings of money and fame. He keeps coming back to the needs of his loved ones to stay strong and grounded, knowing that many musicians have lost health and mental well-being because of their talent and ambition.
Kahakai ‘Ukulele Ensemble at Ahu‘ena Heiau
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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Kahakai ‘Ukulele Ensemble performing at the Hui Kako‘o Concert at Keauhou Shopping Center, May 2016
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Contact Bula Akamu: AkamuMusic.com Contact writer Mālielani Larish: malielarish@gmail.com
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
In addition, Bula credits exercise, a healthy diet, and time in the ocean with energizing him for a demanding schedule. Bula met his lovely wife, Ashley, while he was performing at the Hilton Waikoloa. They exchanged vows on a double-hulled canoe that was launched from the same beach where Bula penned the song Legends. Bula and Ashley form a great team: Ashley coordinates and manages the wedding center at the Royal Kona Resort and Bula is the musician at the altar singing sweet melodies while the bride and groom walk down the aisle. Bula may be a stranger when he
arrives at the ceremony, yet by the end of the day everyone feels like Bula is part of the family, too. The key to Bula’s success as a wedding and cruise ship entertainer, is his ability to cater to a range of musical tastes. Bula’s first CD, which he recorded fresh out of college, experiments with genres like acid jazz, pop, R&B, and funk. He collaborated with Grammy-nominee L.T. Smooth on the project. Debuting this fall, Bula’s new CD contains original tracks showcasing his skill with the whole spectrum of Hawaiian music. The soothing, relaxing songs feature slack key guitar, piano, and saxophone, and Bula’s messages of caring for our precious children and land. The CD, called Honi Honi, will be available on iTunes and at Bula’s gigs. Reflecting on his journey so far, Bula is simultaneously excited and at ease. Although he has stepped down as a Hawaiian Studies teacher to dedicate more time to music, he will continue to teach the Kahakai ‘Ukulele Ensemble. “It’s nice to enjoy what you are sharing and what you are giving to the world,” he says. “I’m just proud that I earned my music career, and I feel accomplished that I am doing what I love.” Back at Ahu‘ena Heiau, which is dedicated to the Hawaiian god of peace and prosperity, the ancestors are smiling. ❖
808.329.8385
‘Amakihi on Lehua
Featured Cover Photographer: Jack Jeffrey
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hotographer and Hawai‘i Island resident Jack Jeffrey lives his life for the birds. His passion for nature photography and training as a wildlife biologist have made him a powerful force in the effort to preserve and raise awareness of Hawai‘i’s endemic bird species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Originally from Massachusetts, it was while attending school on the island of Guam, that Jack discovered photography as a way of capturing and studying natural scenery and wildlife. “My boss at Guam Fish and Game was a photographer and gave me hints, let me borrow camera equipment. I sold a scenic photo to a local magazine and was hooked,” he says. Jack says that working with other photographers has helped him improve his own craft. An opportunity to shoot with National Geographic nature photographers in the 1980s gave him a chance to pick up more of the technical skills that would allow him to put his passion into practice. Not long after his first sale, he visited Hawai‘i Island, and has lived here permanently since 1974. “Came to Hawai‘i for a two-week vacation to check out opportunities, and the rest is history.” Jack fell in love with the many native bird species on this island, and recognizes the dire need for conservation efforts. ‘I‘iwi on ʻŌhelo
Pueo at Sunset
‘Apapane on Lehua
The American Bird Conservancy calls Hawai‘i “the bird extinction capital of the world,” and Jack uses his talents and training to change this in any way he can. In fact, when he’s not working on his own photographs, he regularly leads photography and bird-watching tours through Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. “Hawai‘i has given me great opportunities, and enhanced my love of native birds and their habitat. It also has allowed me to give back, and to help Hawai‘i’s declining bird populations and their habitat,” says Jack, adding that his photos have been used in many books and magazines to aid in conservation and education attempts. Jack has received national recognition for his efforts, including receiving the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography in 2002, and being named the Hawai‘i Audubon Society Conservationist of the Year in 1998. He says. “If my photography can educate the masses about the plight of Hawai‘i’s birds and their habitat, then I’ve done my job.” Contact Jack Jeffrey: JackJeffreyPhoto.com Palila
Hawai‘i Island Farmers Markets East
West
Saturday 8am–noon * Keauhou Farmers Market, Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou. Saturday 7:30am–10am Waikoloa Village Farmers Market, 68-3625 Paniolo Ave., Waikoloa Community Church parking lot across from Waikoloa Elementary School. Saturday 9am–noon Holualoa Gardens Farmers Market 76-5901 Mamalahoa Hwy, Holualoa Sunday 9am–2pm South Kona Green Market Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
Wednesday 9am–2pm Ho‘oulu Community Farmers Market, Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay Wednesday 2pm-Dark Kona Sunset Farmers Market In front of K-Mart, Makalapua Center Wednesday–Sunday 7am–4pm Kona Village Farmers Market, corner of Ali‘i Drive and Hualālai Rd.
Saturday and Tuesday 8am–2pm, Saturdays * Hawi Farmers Market, North Kohala, across from Post Office and Nakahara Store under the banyans. Saturday 8am–1pm Waimea Town Market at Parker School, 65-1224 Lindsey Rd., Waimea/Kamuela. Saturday 7am–noon Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market, 67-1229 Mamalahoa Hwy at Lindsey Rd, Waimea. Behind the post office across from Kahilu Theatre. Fresh locally grown produce, flowers, plants and value added food items, and crafts. Saturday 7am–noon Waimea Nui Farmers Market 64-756 Mamalahoa Hwy (Hwy 11), Waimea Fresh produce, ono food, live entertainment, family friendly Tuesday and Friday 2–5pm Kekela Farms Organic Farmers Market, 64-604 Mana Rd., Waimea. 100% organic. Wednesday 9am–4pm Waimea Mid-Week Farmer’s Market at Pukalani Stables, site of the Paniolo Museum. Pukalani Road in Waimea
Sunday 9am–2pm * Hamakua Harvest Farmers Market, Honoka‘a Hwy 19 and Mamane St. Quality farm products, live music, educational workshops, covered eating area. Sunday 9am–1pm Laupāhoehoe Farmers Market. Next to the Minit Stop on Hwy 19. Local products. Daily 8am–5pm Pana‘ewa Hawaiian Home Lands Farmers Market, Puainako and Ohuohu Streets by Walmart, Hilo. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 7am–4pm Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo. 30 vendors. Wednesday and Saturday 6am–4pm * Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo. 200 vendors. Saturday 7am–noon * Kino‘ole Farmers Market. Kino‘ole Shopping Plaza, 1990 Kino‘ole St., Hilo, Sunday 7am–2pm Pāhoa Village Farmers Market, Luquin’s/Akebono Theater parking lot in Pāhoa.
* EBT accepted: KohalaCenter.org/ebt/markets.html Please send info on new markets or changes to sharon@keolamagazine.com
Daily 7am–5pm Kea‘au Village Market, 16-6550 Old Volcano Rd., Kea‘au Wednesday Evenings 5–9pm Farmers Market Kalapana end of Kalapana-Kopoho Rd, (Rte 137), next to Kalapana Village Cafe. Local grown produce, ono grinds and live music. Saturday 7:30am–4pm Keaukaha Pana‘ewa Farmers Market. Railroad Avenue, across from Home Depot, Hilo. Homegrown produce offered by Hawaiian Homelands lessees. Saturday 8am–noon * Outer SPACE Ho‘olaulea at Uncle Roberts Awa Club, Kalapana Monday–Saturday 10am–6pm * Cheek Dimples Farm Stand Hwy 11, Mountain View Saturday 8am–1pm * Hilo Coffee Mill, 17-995 Volcano Rd., Mountain View (on Hwy. 11 between mile markers 12 and 13).
South
Sunday 6:30am–10am * Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, 1000 Wright Rd., Volcano Village. Saturday and Wednesday 8am–2pm Na‘ālehu Farmers Market, Ace Hardware lawn.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Wednesday 8:30am–1pm Kings’ Shops Farmers Market Waikoloa Beach Resort Kohala Coast
North
Saturday 7:30am–2pm Honoka‘a Farmers Market, Mamane St., Honoka‘a, Honoka‘a Trading Co., Old Botelho Bldg.
Sunday 6am–2pm * Maku‘u Farmers Market, Kea‘au-Pāhoa bypass road.
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Edible Bamboo | By Sonia R. Martinez
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Contact writer Sonia R. Martinez: SoniaTastesHawaii.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
amboo is a grass. That was news to me. I knew you could eat the bamboo shoots or young canes, as I had eaten the canned varieties many times, however, I did not know what to look for or how to harvest or prepare them. Once you taste the real thing, you will never, ever, eat bamboo shoots from a can again. There is a huge clump of bamboo growing at the bottom of our driveway and we have a friend who has been coming by every so often, for years, to harvest the new shoots. During one of his harvesting visits, I asked him to show me what to look for and how to prepare it. He was very helpful and cooperated for a “how-to” photo shoot. Afterwards, I was finally able to prepare and taste fresh bamboo shoots for the first time. Bamboo shoots look funny when first emerging through the ground. Some can be straight and some are curved and “horn-like.” The shoots are harvested when they’re no more than two weeks old. Any older and they can be fibrous and tough. According to some sources I checked, bamboo shoots are high in fiber, a good source of potassium, and contain few calories (one cup of half-inch long slices contain only 14 calories) and hardly any fat, making it an ideal food to snack on or add to a salad. After the shoot is dug up and cut, you start peeling the layers of green wrapped around it; below that is a shiny pink layer of “skin” similar to the skin on fresh ginger. This layer needs to be trimmed off. Most varieties of bamboo need to be cooked before they are eaten, although there are some varieties that can be eaten raw such as Nastus elatus, Dendrocalamus brandesii, Phyllostachys dulcis, and Phyllostachys vivax, although my sources said the last two taste better cooked. Unless you know positively that your bamboo is edible raw, cook the shoots for at least 20 minutes. Our friend told me his family cooks them for one hour. I opted for safe and also cooked them for an hour. The bamboo shoot can be stored raw, in a refrigerator, while still whole and unpeeled. Just place it in the vegetable crisper drawer, for no longer than two weeks as it then starts developing a bitter taste. Keep the shoots away from sunlight as much as possible, since that also can make it develop a bitter taste.
After peeling and trimming the root end, you slice it, dice it, or julienne the shoots, then boil them in fresh water. After cooking, rinse in cold water, drain, and store in a lidded container in the refrigerator until ready to use. The cooked shoots can also be drained and frozen. So far, I have used them only in salads. One particular salad we named “Yard Salad” because every single component, except the chèvre, came from our yard. A typical “Yard Salad” can consist of strips or slices of cooked bamboo shoots on a mix of lettuces, spinach, and other greens, such as Malabar spinach leaves, Okinawan spinach leaves and a chiffonade of Dawn Dewa spinach leaves; whole mizuna leaves, nasturtium leaves, a chiffonade of Italian or sweet basil, leaves of lemon basil, ruffled and plain purple basil, snippets of flat or Italian parsley, the little topknot of pineapple sage, snipped chives, or any other garden greens or herbs. You can add seeded and sliced sweet banana peppers, tomatoes, and other fresh garden vegetables. To add color, sprinkle pineapple sage blossoms, marigold petals, nasturtium blooms, or any other edible flowers. My favorite vinaigrette for this salad is made with liliko‘i syrup (equal amounts juice and sugar then boiled to reduce) and white vinegar. You can add a few garlic cloves and ginger slices to it, if you wish. Besides salads, bamboo shoots are also excellent used in a stir-fry. One of my friends, says he likes to use the raw varieties in salads using much the same ingredients as one would find in the Thai version of Green Papaya Salad; just replace the thinly shredded bamboo shoots for the green papaya. He also says that fresh palm hearts and Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes) will work in this dish.
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The Kona Coffee and Tea Company—Kailua-Kona
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efore Jan and Dan Bolton were the owners of The Kona Coffee and Tea Company, they were running Bolton, Inc. a Hawai‘i Island construction company. In 1997, they planted coffee on a plot of their 254 acre farm. When the trees reached maturity and produced beans, on a lark, Jan and Dan entered their first coffee competition. To their surprise, they Dan and Jan Bolton, Owners received prestigious awards, which was the catalyst to more acres of coffee planting, additional accolades and the opening of their first store in 2003. The Kona Coffee and Tea Company presently produces coffee on 130 acres of their Waiono Farm and is recognized as one of the largest single estate, family-owned coffee farms on Hawai‘i Island. From the farm, the hand-picked cherry (a term for the red skin of a ripe bean) is taken to the Bolton mill for processing. After milling, the “green beans” (the color of unroasted/raw beans) are taken to their master roaster where they are roasted to desired roasts, bagged, and distributed to their outlets for sale. These same roasted beans are also utilized in The Kona Coffee and Tea Company’s cups of freshly brewed coffee and their artisanal espresso drinks. The Kona Coffee and Tea Company’s cafés offer delicious menu items of both sweet and savory varieties. They also host delectable “foodie” events at their Village Café location, which is also licensed to serve beer and wine. This provides a platform for food and wine pairing events. One such affair is their
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quarterly “Supper Club” that showcases local food components with single estate wines. Another wine and dine occasion is the annual “Pairings Dinner,” which happens in November during the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. This year’s Pairings Dinner is slated for Wednesday, November 9th from 6–9pm. The company strives to encompass a multitude of events and demographics. They welcome other functions as well—from local artist exhibitions to open mic sessions to Salsa or Tango dances and even princess tea parties; it’s all about gathering people for good food and fun. Besides being located in the only U.S. state that produces coffee, what sets The Kona Coffee and Tea Company apart is their “hands-on” practice from planting seeds to brewing coffee and every step in between. All of their 100% Kona coffees and Hawai‘i-sourced teas can be found in their cafés or online along with many unique, ancillary items. The Kona Coffee and Tea Company— Purveyors of 100% Kona Coffee Village Café, 74-5588 Palani Rd, Kailua-Kona 808.365.5340 Daily, 6am–6:30pm Harbor Café 74-5035 Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy, Kailua-Kona 808.329.6577 Mon–Sat, 6:30am–5pm; Sun, 9am–3pm KonaCoffeeAndTea.com These stories are special features for our advertisers.If you have a business you would like to have featured, please call 808.327.1711 x1.
Volcano Art Center Gallery—Volcano
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oted year after year as the best gallery in East Hawai‘i, the Volcano Art Center Gallery is a must-see stop in Volcano. Located in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park near the Kīlauea Visitor Center, the gallery features both traditional and contemporary art that is inspired by Hawai‘i’s unique environment and rich cultural heritage. Volcano Art Center (VAC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 1974 by a band of eclectic and energetic artists. Today, more than 41 years later, Volcano Art Center continues to operate a successful fine art gallery showcasing handcrafted art work by more than 230 local artists, as well as developing and offering educational programs for residents, keiki (children) and visitors to Hawai‘i Island. The historic building, originally the 1877 Volcano House Hotel, is a welcoming backdrop for the finely-crafted furniture of native woods, hand-blown glass from Hawai‘i’s top glass artists, jewelry featuring precious and semiprecious stones and metals, and an outstanding collection of two and three dimensional works in paint, photography, clay, fiber, and mixed media. VAC also offers uniquely Hawaiian arts such as kapa, gourd carving, and woodworking sourced responsibly from local wood sources. Centered at Kīlauea, home to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano, of creativity, of fire, the environment has inspired the Hawaiian people and their crafts, songs, dances, and legends for centuries. The gallery also offers award winning, free, cultural programs on a regular basis.
Traditional Hula Kahiko outdoor performances are held on a monthly basis, where hula hālau come to HVNP to share this traditional form of hula and chant while facing photo courtesy G Brad Lew is Halema‘uma‘u crater, the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele. In these free, authentic, outdoor performances, spectators experience ancient sounds, rhythms, and dance in the natural setting of Kīlauea volcano. Additionally, the Aloha Friday Cultural Demonstrations are offered every Friday from 11am–1pm. These free events feature Hawaiian practitioners sharing various aspects of their culture—both in conjunction with Hula Kahiko performances and as stand-alone, weekly storytelling and hands-on activities that include making lei, gourd instruments, and hula implements, and ‘ukulele playing. In the 1990s VAC developed the Niaulani Campus, an educational circa 1877 facility in Volcano Village. The campus includes art facilities for classes and workshops and an old growth rainforest with free guided tours every Monday morning. VAC invites all to visit their website for program and event details. Volcano Art Center Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea Visitor Center Daily 9am–5pm (except Christmas Day) 808.967.7565 VolcanoArtCenter.org
‘Something for Everyone’ 808-339-7614 35-2032 Old Mamalahoa Hwy Papa‘aloa, HI 96780 papaaloacountrystore@gmail.com Hwy 19 @ mile marker 24
Local Plates Pizza, Burgers Sandwiches Salads, Smoothies Pastries, Espresso Spirits, Groceries Local Produce and Products Propane Service Clean Restrooms! Mon-Sat ~ 7am-7pm
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Hawai‘i Island Happenings Wondering what’s happening around Hawai‘i Island? Visit these businesses and organizations websites for the most up-to-date event calendars.
Konaweb
KonaWeb.com shirley@konaweb.com Shirley Stoffer, 808.345.2627
Hawai‘i The Big Island
BigIsland.org calendar@bigisland.org Sherry Bracken, 808.334.1521
InBigIsland
InBigIsland.com tony@inbigisland.com 808.333.6936
Quick Eventz
QuickEventz.com info@quikeventz.com
Akebono Theater–Pāhoa
Facebook.com/Akebono-Theater-232555183354 808.965.9990
Aloha Theatre–Kainaliu Aloha Performing Arts Company
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
ApacHawaii.org info@apachawaii.org 808.322.9924
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Basically Books
BasicallyBooks.com bbinfo@hawaiiantel.net 808.961.0144
Donkey Mill Art Center
DonkeyMillArtCenter.org 808.322.3362
Downtown Hilo Improvement Association DowntownHilo.com 808.935.8850
Food Hub Kohala
FoodHubKohala.org karla@andreadean.com Karla Heath, 808.224.1404
Friends of NELHA
FriendsOfNelha.org 808.329.8073
Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network HawaiiHomeGrown.net editor@hawaiihomegrown.net
Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art/ EHCC EHCC.org arts@ehcc.org 808.961.5711
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Volcano Art Center VolcanoArtCenter.org julie@volcanoartcenter.org Julie Callahan, 808.967.8222
Holualoa Village Association HolualoaHawaii.com
Honoka‘a People’s Theatre HonokaaPeople.com hpt@honokaapeople.com 808.775.0000
Hulihe‘e Palace
DaughtersOfHawaii.org info@daughtersofhawaii.org 808.329.1877
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i ImiloaHawaii.org vrecinto@imiloahawaii.org 808.969.9703
Kahilu Theatre–Waimea KahiluTheatre.org 808.885.6868
Kailua Village Business Improvement District HistoricKailuaVillage.com kailuavillage@gmail.com 808.326.7820
Kalani Oceanside Retreat Kalani.com 808.965.0468
Kona Historical Society KonaHistorical.org khs@konahistorical.org 808.323.3222
Kona Choral Society
KonaChoralSociety.org 808.334.9880
Kona Stories Bookstore KonaStories.com ks@konastories.com 808.324.0350
Hawai‘i Island Happenings Wondering what’s happening around Hawai‘i Island? Visit these businesses and organizations websites for the most up-to-date event calendars.
Lyman Museum
LymanMuseum.org membership@lymanmuseum.org Liz Ambrose, 808.935.5021
Nā Wai Iwi Ola (NWIO) Foundation NaWaiIwiOla.org kumukealaching@nawaiiwiola.org Kumu Keala Ching
North Kohala Community Resource Center NorthKohala.org info@northkohala.org 808.889.5523
One Island Sustainable Living Center One-Island.org hawaii@one-island.org 808.328.2452
Palace Theatre–Hilo HiloPalace.com info@hilopalace.com 808.934.7010
Society for Kona’s Education & Art (SKEA) Skea.org 808.328.9392
UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
Resort and Shopping Center Cultural Events Log onto websites for event calendars
Keauhou Shopping Center
Queens’ MarketPlace–Waikoloa
Waimea Community Theatre
Kingsʻ Shops–Waikoloa
The Shops at Mauna Lani
West Hawai‘i County Band
Kona Commons Shopping Center
ArtsCenter.uhh.hawaii.edu artscenter@hawaii.edu 808.974.7310
WaimeaCommunityTheatre.org 808.885.5818 WestHawaiiBand.com westhawaiiband@gmail.com 808.961.8699
West Hawaii Dance Theatre and Academy Whdt.org vh2dns4@ilhawaii.net Virginia Holte, 808.329.8876
KeauhouVillageShops.com 808.322.3000
QueensMarketplace.net 808.886.8822
KingsShops.com 808.886.8811
ShopsAtMaunaLani.com/events.html 808.885.9501
KonaCommons.com 808.334.0005
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
Kona International Marketplace KonaInternationalMarket.com 808.329.6262
Prince Kuhio Plaza
PrinceKuhioPlaza.com/events 808.959.3555
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To submit volunteer information for your nonprofit, kokua@keolamagazine.com
Community Kōkua
Use provided contacts for information (Listings provided on a space available basis)
Volunteer Opportunities
AdvoCATS
CommUNITY cares
Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island
Donkey Mill Art Center
Methodist Church Palani, Kailua-Kona 3rd Saturday, 10am Trap, neuter, spay, community education, colony feeding, management. Contact Cathy or Nancy advocatshawaii@aol.org 808.327.3724 AdvocatsHawaii.org Hilo, Kea‘au, Pāhoa, Pāhala Oceanview, Hāmākua Monday–Friday, 2:30–5pm Volunteers needed for after-school youth programs 808.961.5536 Bgcbi.com
Calabash Cousins
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Hulihe‘e Palace Grounds, Kailua-Kona 2nd Tuesday of the month 1–2:30pm Men and women who support the mission of Daughters of Hawai‘i. Contact BK Calder president@calabashcousinshawaii.com 808.329.9555 CalabashCousinsHawaii.com
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Kailua-Kona Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm Saturday, 9am–2pm Community suffering from cancer, medical hair loss, domestic abuse. Contact Tiana Steinberg communitycareshawaii@gmail.com 808.326.2866 Holualoa Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm Volunteers help in arts education program. Contact Anne Catlin donkeymill@gmail.com 808.322.3362 DonkeyMillArtCenter.org
Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art (aka East Hawaii Cultural Council)
Hilo Monday–Friday, 8am–3pm Volunteer in the art galleries, performing arts, classes, workshops, festivals. exec@ehcc.org 808.961.5711 Ehcc.org
Friends of NELHA
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Keahole Kona Monday–Friday, 9am–noon Share Ocean Science/Technology using deep ocean water. 808.329.8073 EnergyFutureHawaii.org
Hamakua Youth Foundation, Inc.
Hawai‘i Island Humane Society
Kona Shelter, Kailua-Kona Monday–Saturday, 9am–5pm Need volunteers 16 or older, parent/child team 6 or older. Contact Bebe Ackerman volunteer@hihs.org 808.217.0154 Hihs.org
Hamakua Youth Center, Honoka‘a Daily, Mon. Tue. Fri. 2–5:30pm Wed. 1–5:30pm, Thu. 2–8pm Serving Hamakuaʻs school-age kids. Contact T. Mahealani Maiku‘i HamakuaYouthCenter@gmail.com 808.775.0976 HamakuaYouthCenter.wordpress.com
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund
Hawaii Adult Literacy/Volunteer Training
Hospice Care
Hawai‘i Community College, Kailua-Kona Ongoing 11am–3:30pm Training to teach low-literacy adults to improve their reading and writing. See website for more info. volunteer@hawaiiliteracy.org HawaiiLiteracy.org
Wai‘ōhinu Coastline, Ka‘ū SE Hawai‘i Island beach cleanups. Ongoing 7:45am Contact Megan Lamson meg.hwf@gmail.com 808.769-7629 WildHawaii.org North Hawai‘i Hospice, Waimea Monday–Friday, 8am–4:30pm Care for families facing serious illness. Contact Catrinka Holland volunteer.coordinator@northhawaiihospice.org 808.885.7547 NorthHawaiiHospice.org
To submit volunteer information for your nonprofit, kokua@keolamagazine.com
Community Kōkua
Use provided contacts for information (Listings provided on a space available basis)
Volunteer Opportunities
Hospice of Hilo, East Hawai‘i
Serving Laupāhoehoe to South Point Ongoing Seeking volunteers to provide staff support and care to patients and families. Contact Jeanette Mochida jeanettem@hospiceofhilo.org 808.969.1733 HospiceOfHilo.org
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i
Hilo Tuesday-Sunday 9am–5pm Assist with tours, shows, education programs and membership. Contact Roxanne Ching rching@imiloahawaii.org 808.969.9704 imiloahawaii.org
Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center
Kahalu‘u Beach, Kailua-Kona Daily 9:30am–4:30pm ReefTeach Volunteers educate visitors on reef etiquette and protection. Contact Rachel Silverman rsilverman@kohalacenter.org 808.887.6411 KahaluuBay.org
Kalani Retreat Center
Kalapana Varied Schedules Seeking volunteers: skilled trades/ maintenance, housekeeping, kitchen, horticulture. Contact Volunteer Office volunteer@kalani.com 808.965.7828 Kalani.com/volunteer
Kohala Animal Relocation & Education Service (KARES)
Kamuela/Kona Shopping Area Saturdays and/or Sundays, 11am–4pm Volunteers needed to assist with pet adoption events. Contact: Deborah Cravatta pets@kohalaanimal.org 808.333.6299 KohalaAnimal.org
Kona Choral Society
Kailua-Kona Seeking volunteers for help with box office and ushering at our concerts. Contact John Week info@KonaChoralSociety.org 808.334.9880 KonaChoralSociety.org
Kona Toastmasters
Kailua-Kona 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6pm Lynn Bell contact@konatoastmasters.com 808.989.7494 KonaToastMasters.com
Ku’ikahi Mediation Center
Hilo Ongoing Become a volunteer mediator via Basic Mediation Training and apprenticeship. info@hawaiimediaiton.org 808.935.7844 ext. 5 HawaiiMediation.org
Lions Clubs International
Various Locations, Kailua-Kona 2nd Tuesday, 5:30pm “We Serve” is the motto of Lions Clubs International. Contact Lani 808.325.1973 lanika@hawaii.rr.com
Make-A-Wish Hawaii
Ongoing Granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. info@hawaii.wish.org 808.537.3118 Hawaii.Wish.org
North Kohala Community Resource Center
Kohala Welcome Center, Hawi Daily 9am–noon or noon–3pm Greet people to North Kohala with aloha. Contact Juanita Rivera juanita@northkohala.org 808.889.5523 NorthKohala.org
Paradise Ponies, Carousel of Aloha
Parrots in Paradise Sanctuary
CranioSacral & Massage Therapy for chronic pain and stress dissolution. In practice since 1999. My focus and intent is your ultimate well-being and balance. Referrals & Prescriptions Welcome
Hope Delaney, LMT Principal Massage Therapist License MAT7602
Most Insurance Accepted (808) 896-9387 www.restorativemassagehilo.com RestorativeMassageHilo Mention this ad–Save $20 on your first session!
Kealakekua Flexible hours Monday–Friday Sanctuary for displaced parrots. Contact Dorothy Walsh Dorothy@parrotsinparadise.com 808.322.3006 ParrotsInParadise.com
Kurtistown Ongoing Volunteers needed to help care for the animals, repairs and maintenance to the Sanctuary, and help with the office paperwork. Contact Mary Rose mail@rainbowfriends.org 808.982.5110 RainbowFriends.org
Snorkel Day for People with Disabilities Kahalu‘u Beach Park, Kailua-Kona 3rd Friday, 10am–2pm Volunteers needed. Contact Stephanie Kovatch snorkelday@deepandbeyond.org 808.326.4400 x 4017 DeepAndBeyond.org
Sundayʻs Child Foundation
Kamuela Serving at-risk youth aged 6 to 17 Volunteers needed islandwide. Contact Lauren Rainier requests@sundayschildfoundation.org 877.375.9191 SundaysChildFoundation.org
The Pregnancy Center
Kailua-Kona (serves the entire island) Monday–Friday Volunteers needed and appreciated! Free pregnancy testing, ultra sound, and client support. Contact Matthew Schaetzle, Director tpc@tpckona.com 808.326.2060 TpcKona.com
Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii Kailua-Kona Volunteers are the heart and soul of this program. All levels of expertise needed. Contact Nancy Bloomfield nannygirl@hawaii.rr.com 808.937.7903 ThhKona.org
Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai’i Island (VASH) Islandwide Ongoing Volunteers need to provide assistance to visitors who experience misfortune while visiting Hawai‘i Island. Training provided. Contact Phoebe Barela west@vashbigisland.org 808.756.0785 Kona 808.756.1472 Hilo VashBigIsland.org
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Hilo Coffee Mill, Mountain View Ongoing Seeking volunteers to create the Carousel of Aloha Pavilion. Contact Katherine Patton carouselofaloha@gmail.com 808.315.1093 CarouselOfAloha.org
Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary
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Law Office of Lee Mattingly Talk Story with an Advertiser
Kona’s destination for SHOPPING& DINING
Explore
Enjoy
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Shopping: Hawaiian Island Creations Jeans Warehouse Office Max Petco Ross Dress for Less The Vitamin Shoppe Target
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Dining: Dairy Queen / Orange Julius Genki Sushi McDonald’s Panda Express Subway Taco Del Mar Ultimate Burger Services: AT&T Bank of Hawaii Century 21 All Islands Sprint Supercuts T-Mobile Trixx Beauty Salon Verizon Go Wireless
Located at 74-5450 Makala Blvd Gateway to Historic Kailua Village www.konacommons.com
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ee Mattingly first came to know Hawai‘i Island when she was paddling for Lanikai and participated in the Queen Lili‘uokalani race. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of Hawai‘i for the past 15 years and moved her practice to West Hawai‘i in 2013. When Lee first moved to this island, she became involved in Hawaiian culture classes, including hula, lawai‘a (Hawaiian fishing), and Hawaiian language. Taking the time to introduce herself to this place, gave her a greater understanding of the responsibility of living here. Lee’s connection deepened while on a journey to Mauna Kea with her Hawaiian studies class, where the group joined with others, making ti leaf lei and hiking to Lake Waiau to wrap the lei around the lake. Ti leaf lei at Lake Waiau A fellow haumāna (student), Ian Shortridge, took the photograph (to the right) that has become a treasured part of Lee’s office. It is a reminder of Aloha Spirit and respectfulness to this island and the mauna—to ask permission to move forward. Lee says, “Aloha Spirit is a reminder to attorneys, while they perform their duties, to treat people with deep care and respect, just like their ancestors did. By learning and applying this lesson of Aloha to real life, attorneys can contribute to a more respectful practice with fellow attorneys and clients. To share knowledge, to show compassion and to encourage each other to become better attorneys.” The focus of Leeʻs practice is on the area of Family Law that includes; divorce, child custody, paternity cases, and modifications of orders. She has knowledge in the areas of elder care, school law, and employment law. Lee has a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and is available for half-day or full-day mediations. She also represents various musicians and recording artists in negotiating contracts and protecting their ownership rights. Lee attended Baylor Law School and graduated with a concentration in Litigation. She continued her legal education by taking classes at the Richardson Law School in Mānoa, O‘ahu and continues to attend legal education classes in Hawai‘i. Taking the time to learn the strength and passion of this island has allowed Lee’s law practice to grow and thrive as a partner to this community, and to incorporate that strength and passion in her practice. Law Office of Lee Mattingly—Attorney-Mediator 75-170 Hualalai Road, Suite D., Kailua-Kona 808.326.2220 These stories are special features LeeMattinglyLaw.com
for our advertisers. If you have a business you would like to have featured, please call 808.327.1711 x1.
Radiance Network, Inc: Mana Cards Talk Story with an Advertiser | By Meagan Moseley
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Radiance Network, Inc. Publisher of Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom communication@catherinebecker.com ManaCards.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
atherine Becker, owner of Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom, says it was with a deep respect for Hawai‘i’s culture that these Hawaiian-like tarot cards were born. Whether it was the surf at Honoli‘i or the sacredness of Mauna Kea, Catherine felt inspired by Hawai‘i Island’s mana (power) and wanted to share what she had learned with others new to the islands. The deck consists of 44 cards, each featuring an image that symbolizes the essence of the Hawaiian word, a brief chant that activates its message, a teaching, and an interpretation. Catherine chose to have 44 cards in the deck because the number four and multiples of four were considered sacred by ancient Hawaiians. The idea for the cards came to her in 1998, the centennial of the illegal overthrow of Queen Lili‘uokalani. Catherine had just moved to the islands from Buffalo, New York and noticed tourists talking loudly and roasting hot dogs on the lava near Pele’s altar. She began to see life through the eyes of her host culture and noticed how the influx of visitors was causing environmental destruction. “I created the Mana Cards to foster more reverence and understanding about Hawai‘i’s culture, environment, and the need to protect them,” she explains. Catherine decided to use her background in intercultural communication, plus her lifelong study of spirituality and healing to start Radiance Network, Inc., the company that publishes Mana Cards. She hopes the cards will promote better understanding of Hawai‘i and encourage others to live a life that is pono (right). Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono, the motto of the state of Hawai‘i, is commonly translated as, “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” “Pono is not an end point; it is a process. To move toward pono is to enter into harmony and among various parts of oneself, in all relationships, within and between communities, with the environment. Pono is our driving value, which means that we continually evaluate the impact of our activities. It also means that we take responsibility to honor our sources and give back,” says Catherine. The cards have successfully done just that. People around the world tell Catherine about their profound experiences using the cards. Interested in seeking transformation and learning more about Hawai‘i? Mana Cards are available in English, German, Italian, and Japanese.
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Mountain Gold Jewelers
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser with Ke Ola
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
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ountain Gold Jewelers is a well-known specialty retailer exemplifying the best of hand-crafted, artisan gold jewelry on Hawai‘i Island. Founded July 1977 in Lāhainā, Maui, Mountain Gold Jewelers has a long history offering fine jewelry and related services that are affordable and accessible to everyone. A tradition of outstanding design, extraordinary workmanship, and exemplary customer service sets Mountain Gold Jewelers apart from others in this industry. Owner and master goldsmith, Moses Thrasher, moved his business to Hawai‘i Island in 1986. Often called “the best little jewelry store on the Kohala Coast,” Mountain Gold Jewelers is a different kind of jewelry store and design studio. Moses has been a goldsmith for more than 40 years, working comfortably in 14K, 18K, and platinum. From his workbench prominently displayed in the store, Moses can design and make anything you can imagine. The magic began when Moses envisioned his true love draped in jewels. Not being able to afford such a luxury, he got the idea that he could learn to make it. While driving on the back roads of the Hopi reservation in Arizona, he came across a crudely painted sign that read “Jewelry.” At the end of the road was a weathered wooden house, which appeared to be abandoned. He walked inside and discovered two jewelry cases. “What a shock! It was the most beautiful jewelry I had ever seen.” Hearing banging outside, he found an older, Indian man crouched over a tree stump pounding on a piece of metal with a hammer. “As I stood there, I observed that he had a well organized, semi-outdoor jewelry workshop. I was fascinated! I knew that I needed to stay.” “He hardly spoke to me for two days. Then it was ‘hold this’ and ‘fetch that.’ By the time I left I had observed practically every jewelry-making technique there is. I was on fire! I wanted to stop everything and make jewelry right then.” Later, Moses discovered that the Indian man was Charles Loloma, the foremost American Charles Loloma Indian craftsman of the 20th century. “Had I known that, I never would have had the nerve to expect that I could spend so much casual time with him. This was my apprenticeship. This was my brush with a
master... And soon my first pieces were made for my sweetheart. I realized my vision of her draped in jewels.” In addition to design, Moses is exceptionally talented in intricate jewelry repair, alteration, and restoration. “My focus has always been on providing a range of choices for jewelry customers who seek quality and value. For this reason, I design and provide jewelry to meet my customers’ taste and expectation for excellence and attention to detail. Most of my clients are local residents, so I have learned to keep their budget in mind. I constantly challenge myself to find the most efficient design or repair solution, and try to offer two or more alternatives.” Although much of the jewelry is designed and crafted by Moses, jewelry by other designers and manufacturers is displayed as well. This allows customers a wider variety of choices. Featuring diamonds, opals, and pearls of all kinds, Mountain Gold Jewelers is also well known as a source for estate and antique jewelry. His love and understanding of this genre of jewelry has won Moses the trust and acclaim of individuals, retail jewelers, museums, and galleries. Mountain Gold Jewelers exemplifies the best of hand-crafted, artisan gold jewelry. For years, his combination of outstanding design, extraordinary workmanship, and a commitment to excellence has earned Moses a large following of local, national, and international clients. Mountain Gold Jewelers Kawaihae Shopping Center, upper level 61-3665 Akoni Pule Hwy., Kawaihae Mon–Fri, 11:30am–7:30pm Sat, Noon–6pm; Sun, closed 808.882.4653 MtGold.com
This story is a special feature for our long time advertisers. If you have a business you would like to have featured, please call 808.327.1711 x1.
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Keaau, Shipman Park
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Ka Puana–The Refrain Author Rosa Say is a Waikoloa resident. These excerpts are used with permission.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2016
Managing with Aloha Second Edition is available from Basically Books, Kona Stories, and other local bookstores.
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Aloha—Aloha is a value, the outpouring and receiving of the spirit. Ho‘ohana—To work with intent and with purpose. ‘Imi ola—To seek life. Our purpose in life is to seek its highest form. Ho‘omau—Perseverance. To continue, to perpetuate, to renew. Kūlia i ka nu‘u—Achievement. Pursue personal excellence. Ho‘okipa—The hospitality of complete giving. ‘Ohana—Family. ‘Ohana is a human circle of complete Aloha. Lōkahi—Harmony and unity, cooperation and collaboration. Kākou—Inclusiveness. Learn to speak the Language of We. Kuleana—One’s personal sense of responsibility. ‘Ike loa—To know well. Seek knowledge and wisdom. Ha‘aha‘a—Humility. Be humble, be modest, and open your thoughts. Ho‘ohanohano—Dignity. Cultivate respectfulness. Alaka‘i—Leadership and initiative. Mālama—Stewardship. To serve and to honor, to protect and care for. Mahalo—Thank you, as a way of living. Nānā i ke kumu—Look to your source, and find your truth. Pono—Rightness and balance. Ka lā hiki ola—Optimism, hope, and promise.
Think of your employees as business partners In my own interviews, Ho‘ohana would be the foundation of an alliance between me and candidate, a collaboration that helped with my matchmaking by uncovering the passion people had for the work they do. With these first conversations our professional relationship began, based on the honesty with which candidates shared personal goals with me, and my honesty on the connection I saw, or truthfully did not see, between their goals and our mutual business success. Yes, mutual success. Not only would we be manager and staff, boss and employee, we would be business partners. There has to be a win in the partnership for both the business and the employee.
Do not underestimate the power there is in the simple fact that an employee enjoys what he does every day. When you enjoy something, feeling you thrive within doing it, you don’t want to give it up. When employees love their role in your company, they nurture a growing interest in your success, understanding they have much greater job security in a healthy business. They will work with you to ensure that health, including financial health and the numbers—the bottom line you need and want. They will go one step further. When they have passion for what they do, they put up a hand that beckons you to involve them even more. In essence they are saying, “Let me work on the business too, not just in it.”
The Daily Five Minutes (a partial excerpt) Perhaps my most valuable lesson in ‘Ike loa was the one born at Hualālai out of our desire to know our employees well. We instinctively knew we could manage better the more intimately we knew those we managed. The Daily Five Minutes is a simple conversation habit: Each day, without fail, managers are to give five minutes of noagenda time to at least one of their employees. My initial goal, was actually to give my team of managers daily practice in the art of listening well, and in being a ‘good receiver.’ I was trying to come up with a solution for the common complaint heard when an employee is frustrated enough to go over his or her managers’ head, saying “my manager doesn’t ask for my input and feedback, and if I do give it, he or she doesn’t really listen well to what I’m trying to explain to them.” I reasoned that if managers had no agenda themselves with this Daily Five Minutes, relinquishing that agenda discretion to their employees, they wouldn’t half-listen as they mentally prepared what they’d say when they could get a word in. The managers were coached to listen more intently in order to respond better to whatever was being shared with them—to listen with more curiosity and genuine interest. Employees were brought into the plan and openly told about the program, so they’d know what to expect, and did their part too. They were asked to welcome the conversation, and
set a goal of ‘talking story’ to their manager a bit more often. They were then asked to always have something prepared as their agenda, and be ready to fill the silence when a manager approached them and asked, “How about a break from the action here, let’s step away and Take 5? What have you got for me?” In the process of learning to better converse, better listen, and self-develop this habit, people greatly improved their own approachability. Managers nurtured a circle of comfort for their employees to step into and talk to them whenever time presented itself, and conversations were elevated in how people regarded them—they worked! The Daily Five Minutes became more personal after professional issues were settled. Employees started to share their lives with managers—what they did over the weekend, how their kids were doing in school, how they felt about a local news story or community issue they were involved in. Managers began to know their employees very well, and became much more perceptive about sensing their coaching opportunities. Their employees began to relate to them more as people and not just as managers—they asked their managers to share more about them, and the help they might need. They were practicing the art of ‘Ike loa together within Aloha intent. Contact author Rosa Say: RosaSay.com, ManagingWithAloha.com