November-December 2012

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S eptember- Oc to be r 2012 2012 November–December Nowemapa–Kēkēmapa 2012

The Life of the Culture Makahiki: Codes for Regeneration

The Life in Health Natural Plant Medicine Is Everywhere You Look

The Life at Home Perpetuate Native Culture With Your Landscaping

The Life in Music A Breath of Fresh Air: Lena Naipo and Kahulanui

The Life of the People Lighting the Path: Kumu Keala Ching’s Passion

... and more

"Imua with Poinsettias" by Esther Szegedy Complimentary HAWAI‘I Copy

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"The Life" Celebrating the ar ts, culture and sustainability of Hawai‘i Island

November–December 2012 Nowemapa–Kēkēmapa 2012

The Life in Spirit 11 Pono Ke Ola Pono Na Kumu Keala Ching

The Life of the Culture 19 Makahiki—Codes for Regeneration The Ancient Hawaiian New Year Festival By Marya Mann

The Life in Health 67 Natural Plant Medicine Is Everywhere You Look By Barbara Fahs

The Life of the People

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

25 Lighting the Path Kumu Keala Ching Liberally Shares His Passion for Hawaiian Culture By Karen Valentine

4

31 Kona Pre-Teen Bodyboarder Making Waves Twelve-year-old Calvin Cerrone Featured on a Nationally Produced Bodyboard By Denise Laitinen 35 Music Rocks Her World Quack Moore and Her Beloved Palace Theater By Paula Thomas 49 Every Store Has Its Story Holy’s Bakery in Kapa‘au By Hadley Catalano

The Life of the Land 13 Then & Now: Kohala Ditch By Bob Oaks 57 “Beetle Juice” Inoculates Kona Coffee Against Coffee Beetle Borer By Margaret Kearns 77 Ambrosia...Food of the Gods By Sonia R. Martinez

Back issues of Ke Ola available for purchase. KeOlaMagazine.com


celebrate

life

The Life as Art 41 Esther Szegedy Whimisical Art And Storyteller By Stephanie Bolton 85 Immerse Yourself in Art The Paradise Studio Tours By Noel Morata

The Life at Home 71 Getting Back To Hawaiian Roots Perpetuate Native Culture With Your Landscaping By Denise Laitinen

NOV 4-7

Shaman in the Kitchen

NOV 12-18

Ecstatic Dance & Movement Retreat

DEC 3-9

Belly Dance Superstars Retreat

The Life in Music 63 Soaring to the Sound of Music Meet Dennis and Christy Soares, Founders of the Big Island Music Awards By Jessica Kirkwood 79 A Breath of Fresh Air— Lena Naipo and Kahulanui By Shirley Stoffer 93 Anela Strings Angel Music by Timeless Troubadours By Marya Mann

Ka Puana -- The Refrain 106 Feng Shui For Hawai‘i Gardens The Flow of Chi Energy in the Tropical Landscape By Clear Englebert

Departments Hawai‘i Island Farmers Markets Island Treasures Community Calendar Community Kōkua The Life in Business

75 88 96 101 102

KE OLA READERS RECEIVE 20% OFF CULINARY FESTIVAL PACKAGES. USE DISCOUNT CODE 2012KOFEST WHEN BOOKING.

with generous support from: County of Hawaii

kalani.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

NOV 3-11

Puna Culinary Festival

5


Advertiser Index

Please support these businesses! Their advertising is what brings these stories to life and keeps Ke Ola complimentary across Hawai‘i Island.

AccomModations

Kalani 5 Kīlauea Lodge 40 Shipman House Bed & Breakfast 39

Activities

Big Island Eco-Adventures Zipline Dolphin Journeys Hilo Hula Days Kohala Ditch Adventures Kona Boys Volcano Eco-Adventures Tours Volcano Rain Forest Tour

54 18 38 12 32 40 42

Art Hawai‘i - App with Aloha Big Island Glass & Art Gallery Blue Ginger Gallery Blue Sea Artisans Cliff Johns Gallery Cindy Coats Gallery Elements Gallery Da Bead Shop Desgins by Shirley Donkey Mill Art Center Dovetail Gallery & Design Fabric Gift Shoppe Images of Paradise Ipu Hale Gallery Ironwood Custom Framing & Design Island Edges Beads Kiernan Music Living Arts Gallery Kailua Village Artists Galleries Martin & MacArthur Mountain Gold Jewelers One Gallery Paradise Studio Tour Pele’s Glass Creations Pele’s Hokulele Gallery Quilt Passions Rainforest Gallery at Niaulani Shelly Maudsley White Gallery Showcase Gallery & Beads Simple Elegance Gems Studio of Sticks and Stones Treasure Island Gallery of the Exotic Trudy’s Island Arts Visions of the Tropics Volcano Art Center Wishard Gallery

91 84 34 27 47 43 55 65 86 50 46 70 84 47 56 39 34 55 78 15 16 38 87 45 91 65 40 46 34 84 84 44 27 87 40 45

Big Island Honda Hilo & Kona Subaru Lex Brodie’s Tire & Service Center

60 82 59

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Art, Crafts, Jewelry

6

Automotive

Beauty, Health, Nutrition

Abundant Life 74 Anti-Aging and Stress Relief 50 Awakenings, Joni Peterson Hoadley 66 Baily Vein Institute 62 Blue Dragon Bodywork 107 Douglas Dierenfield, DDS 30 Discovery Screening Breast Thermography 52 Facial Fitness 82 Gabriela’s Salon 98 Hair Dezigns by Francis 74 Hamakua Hairbrush Co. 43 Health in Motion 55 Hilo Massage Clinic Day Spa 21 Joan Greco, DDS 60 Lotus Center 92 Marla’s Hair 46 Maile Medicinals 94

NAET Hawai‘i 89 Nat. Balance Acupuncture, Rolfing & Massage 7 New Vibrations Healing & Learning Center 78 Obstetrics & Gynecology, Christina Collins, md 60 Ohana Hearing Center 12 Progressive Medical 66 Randy Ressler, DDS 52 50 Randall Cislo, DMD Sole Comfort Footwear 101 Spa & Yoga Studio at Kona Beach Hotel 92 Swami’s Healing Arts 21 Studio B Salon 50 92 TLC Chiropractic Valerie Cap Master Haircutter 22 Vog Relief Herbal Capsules 82

Building, Home Furnishings

Aloha Adirondack Chairs 105 Alii Woodtailors 44 Bamboo Too 104 Bryan Booth Antiques & Restoration 87 Concrete Technology of Hawai‘i 14 dlb & Associates 30 Habitats Hawai‘i 4 Hawai‘i Water Service Co. 58 Hawai‘i Electric Light Company 30 HomeWorld Furniture 4 Indich 24 Koehnen’s Interiors 37 Kona Hillscapes 59 Kona Shoji Design 44 KUMUkit Solar Electricity 10 Paradise Plants Home & Garden Center 70 Plantation Living 81 Quindembo Bamboo Nursery 14 Statements 70 Trans Pacific Design 17 WaterWorks 72

Business & Professional Services

Action Business Services 102 Aloha Business Services 104 Ameriprise Financial, Andrew D. Spitz 12 Allstate Insurance, Steven M. Budar 18 Allstate Insurance, Kris Speegle 50 Conference & Tea Center 56 Entrepreneur’s Source 102 Hawai‘i Community Federal Credit Union 2 Great American Self Storage 74 Homes Group Personalized Home Oversight 17 Island Mailbox Plus Internet Café 39 Jet Vacation Travel Agency 96 Kona Concierge 94 Konaweb.com 104 Linda Meyer Web Design 102 Red Road Telecom 92 What to Do Media 3

Culture

Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden Crackseed, Etc. Hawi Gallery Art & Ukuleles Holualoa Ukulele Gallery ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center Kimura’s Lauhala Lyman Museum & Mission House Nā Wai Iwi Ola W.M. Keck Observatory

Entertainment

Aloha Performing Arts Co. Hilo Harvest Festival Kiernan Music Kona Surf Film Festival Kona Music Society

66 56 55 47 18 46 38 21 95 100 39 34 33 64

Palace Theater Waimea Ocean Film Festival

Non-Profits

Big Island Giving Tree Hospice of Kona Three Ring Ranch Project Hawai‘i, Inc.

Pets

East Hawai‘i Veterinary Center Keauhou Veterinary Hospital Miranda’s Pets

Real Estate

38 30 105 100 103 78 18 48 92

Aloha Kohala Realty Cindy Griffey Schmidtknecht, RS Coldwell Banker-Daylum Properties Lava Rock Realty Paradise Found Realty The Commercial Group The Real Estate Book

80 95 92 28 32 65 103

Abundant Life Natural Foods Amici Italian Bar & Grill Banjy’s Paradise Bar & Grill Blue Dragon Restaurant Crackseed, Etc. Gio’s Gelato Food Fusion Catering Hilo Bay Soup Co. Hilo Coffee Mill Holukoa Gardens & Café Ho‘oulu Farmers Market Island Naturals K’s Drive In Kaleo’s Bar & Grill Keauhou Farmers Market Keauhou Store Kohala Coffee Mill KTA Superstores Lava Lava Beach Club Mi’s Italan Bistro Mi’s Wine & Cheese Shop Mike’s New York Pizzeria Peaberry & Galette Pizza Hawai‘i Sushi Rock Waikola Village Market

74 34 22 107 56 34 74 76 56 47 76 68 33 83 88 46 54 58 99 80 81 83 91 12 55 22

Aloha Kona Kids - Rentals Aloha Kona Kids - Retail Store Basically Books & Petroglyph Press Big Island BookBuyers Buddha’s Cup Coffee Golden Egg Cash Assets Hawai‘i’s Gift Baskets Hawai‘i Loofah Farm High Country Farm Protea Flowers Hula Moose Kadota’s Liquor Kailani Surf Co. & Frush Fruit Pops Keauhou Shopping Center Kona MacNet Kona Stories Kona Rising Coffee Co. Olivia Claire Boutique Paradise Found Boutique Patricia’s Transitions & Synergy Perfect Harmony Queens’ Marketplace Rainbow-Jo Clothing Sweet Wind Books & Beads

12 27 39 83 46 78 76 34 76 68 99 33 90 103 91 34 55 91 82 18 107 38 56

Restaurants, Food

Retail, books, Gifts


"The Life" Celebrating the ar ts, culture and sustainability of Hawai‘i Island

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 and Operations Barbara Garcia Bowman, 808.329.1711 x1, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com

Editor and Art Director

Renée Robinson, 808.329.1711 x2, Editor@KeOlaMagazine.com

Advertising Sales and Business Development

East North South West

Adrienne Poremba Ed Gibson Mars Cavers Ed Gibson

808.935.7210, KeOlaAds@yahoo.com 808.987.8032, Ed@KeOlaAds.com 808.938.9760, MarsCavers@gmail.com 808.987.8032, Ed@KeOlaAds.com

Distribution and Subscriptions

Sharon Bowling, 808.557.8703, Subscribe@KeOlaMagazine.com

Creative Design

Michael Mark P., Creative Director, Mana Brand Marketing 808.345.0734, ManaBrandMarketing.com

Advertising Design

Karen Fuller, 808.769.8151, fullerdesignz@gmail.com Stephanie Schreiber, 808.315.7182, alohadigitalarts@gmail.com

Copy Editing/Proofing Production Manager Richard Price

Ambassadors

Eric Bowman • Keala Ching • WavenDean Fernandes Mariana Garcia • Fern Gavelek

Ke Ola is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Ke Ola is a member of Hawai‘i Alliance for a Local Economy (HALE), supporting the “Think Local, Buy Local” initiative. Submit online at KeOlaMagazine.com (go to Contact page) Calendar submissions Community Kōkua (volunteer) opportunities Editorial inquiries or story ideas Request advertising rates or visit KeOlaAds.com Worldwide Delivery 808.329.1711 x3, order online at KeOlaMagazine.com, or mail name, address, and payment of $24 US/$48 International for one year to: P.O. Box 1494, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745. © 2012, Ke Ola Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

KeOlaMagazine.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Sharon Bowling • Adrienne Poremba

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Mahalo Ke Ola Contributors! Richard Price, prepress production

Renée Robinson, editor social media

Barbara Garcia, publisher social media

Mike Portillo, story graphics Sharon Bowling , distribution subscriptions proofreader Keala Ching, kumu writer

Eric Bowman, bookkeeper photographer

Fern Gavelek, writer social media

Adrienne Poremba, East Hawai‘i advertising proofreader

Ed Gibson, West Hawai’i advertising distribution

Mars Cavers, South Hawai’i advertising distribution

Stephanie Bolton, writer

Marya Mann, writer

Alan McNarie, writer

Karen Valentine, writer cofounder

Stephanie Schreiber, ad designer

Karen Fuller, ad designer

Cynthia Sweeney, writer

Shirley Stoffer, writer

Jessica Kirkwood, writer

Catherine Tarleton, writer

Noel Morata, writer

Hadley Catalano, writer

Denise Laitinen, writer Pete Hendricks, writer

Robert Oaks, writer

Barbara Fahs, writer

Sonia Martinez, writer

Paula Thomas, writer Waven Dean Fernandes, ambassador

Margaret Kearns, writer

John (Jack) Boyle, writer Jon Lomberg, writer


Hau‘oli Ho‘omaika‘i a Mele Kalikimaka! Literally translated as Happy Day of Greatness, or

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! As we complete our fourth year of publishing, we give thanks for the opportunity to bring the pages of Ke Ola, “The Life” of Hawai‘i nei, to our readers. The joy we receive when people tell us how much the stories of Moku ‘o Keawe, perpetuated through Ke Ola’s pages, mean to them is what energizes us to tell more. There are many stories about the people and places that make this island so special. We look forward to sharing them with you in 2013 and beyond. In case you’re wondering, this is all made possible by our advertisers, who provide the funding to make sure these complimentary copies get published and circulated on this island and world-wide. Please remember to mention you saw their ad in Ke Ola, and even better, spend some money at their businesses. We fully support the Think Local, Buy Local campaign of the Hawai‘i Alliance for a Local Economy (HALE). So—go do your holiday shopping with our advertisers, and read this issue later! Also, Ke Ola gift subscriptions make great stocking stuffers! Because of our advertiser’s support, we were able to sponsor several events in this issue by donating ad space and silent auction gift certificates. It’s one way we give back to the community. Another is the first Community Kōkua, page 101, with free listings for non-profit groups looking for volunteers. See what interests you, and kōkua (help). It feels just as good to give as to receive. Enjoy Your Holidays! Barbara Garcia, Publisher

Renée Robinson, Editor

KeOlaMagazine.com Facebook.com/KeOlaMagazine LinkedIn.com/in/BarbGarcia Twitter.com/KeOlaMagazine

✿ Dear Editor, Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy my “bi-monthly fix.” Keeps me up to date on Hawai‘i Island businesses, events, etc. I notice your Hawai‘i Island coverage expands with each issue. Terrific! D.P. Scully, San Francisco, CA

A Mission of Enduring Gratitude, September-October, 2012

✿ Dear Karen, Only a parent who has lost a child could write it like that! Frank is a friend of mine so I already knew the facts. That first page and the way you wrote it! Wow! I felt like I was there experiencing it all right along with everyone involved. What a special story and the way you told it. I wish I could have known Danny. Frank and Laura must be very pleased with your story. Mahalo for your creative talent with the written word. Deb Sims, Keauhou-Kona, Hi ✿ Dear Karen, That was one of the most powerful and emotionally forceful pieces of journalism I’ve ever read. I could barely read after the first page because of the tears. It transported me right back there 15 years earlier. It wasn’t just me either. I was at the Bank of Hawai‘i and a manager I know called me over to her window. She had recently lost an adult daughter after a long fight with a liver disorder. She reached both hands out to me and said that she had just read your piece. The tears were running down her cheeks as we held hands and I started to cry again. Thank you, thank you! I’m sending copies to my daughter and to Danny’s mother. I have no idea how to nominate a journalist for a Pulitzer, but Karen, you deserve one. Frank Sayre, Kailua-Kona, HI

Ka Puana, September-October, 2012

✿ Aloha, Just wanted to say thank you for your great piece about my book, Child Of The Storm, in the newest issue of Ke Ola Magazine. Great job and I love it very much! Much mahalo. Kirk Lee Aeder, Waikoloa, HI

On the Cover

“Imua with Poinsettias” by Esther Szegedy See story on page 41. Also see Esther-Szegedy.com

Ke Ola apologizes for omitting Margaret Kearns and Shirley Stoffer from the list of Contributing Writers in the masthead of the Sept/Oct issue. Send us your comments, letters, and photos! We take email, snail mail, submissions through our website, or posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter! Editor@KeOlaMagazine.com

Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 | KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Joining the Ke Ola ‘ohana as the new editor is exciting, and very humbling. Mahalo to Karen Valentine, Ke Ola’s former editor and cofounder, for the strong foundation she created. She left some big shoes to fill, and I’m usually barefoot. Karen will continue to contribute to Ke Ola as one of our writers. Please enjoy her story about Kumu Keala Ching on page 25. Mahalo Nui to those who make Ke Ola fabulous: ~ Barbara Garcia, Publisher—for your vision and passion. ~ Our ad sales reps—for making the magazine happen in a symbiotic relationship with the advertisers. ~ Our wonderful advertisers—for your financial support which enables us to distribute 23,000 complimentary copies around Hawai‘i Island. ~ Our writers and photographers—for making each story come alive. ~ Our proofreaders—for your careful eyes to make sure we’re consistent, and correcting the typos and punctuation. ~ Our story designer—for your creative mind and magical designs. ~ Our advertising designers and agencies—for giving each ad its own special look. ~ Our production manager—for your expertise in pulling all the pieces together into one beautiful magazine. ~ Our distribution and subscription manager—who ensures these magazines end up everywhere they are supposed to be! Moving forward, you will see the addition of new writers and new departments as we fully embrace Ke Ola’s mission to perpetuate the life and culture of Hawai‘i. For starters, we are adding Health articles, see Natural Plant Medicine Is Everywhere You Look on page 67. If you know of a story or subject that would be good for Ke Ola’s readers, l'd love to hear from you.

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Pono Ke Ola Pono | Na Kumu Keala Ching

E Ka Lani ē E ka lani ē, e E ka lani ē, e E ka lani ē, e E ka lani ē, e E ka lani ē, e E ka lani ē, e

ho‘olono mai ‘oe alaka‘i mai ‘oe ho‘ōla mai ‘oe hui kala mai ‘oe ho‘omalu mai ‘oe ho‘omalu mai ‘oe

Chief, Chief, Chief, Chief, Chief, Chief,

hear me deeply guide me always heal me from within forgive me truthfully anoint me forever anoint me forever

Enlighten pathway Seek clarity Honor dignity Pleasant living Spread the love

Aia Ka ‘I‘ini Aia ka ‘i‘ini i ke ala o ka lani ‘Ani’ani ko‘u ‘ike i mua o’u ‘Ohu’ohu ka ‘ōpua piha ke aloha Aloha akula i ke ola ē Aloha maila nō i ke ola la

Honorable pathway of heaven Clarity is my knowledge before me Abundant are the clouds of compassion Living to give compassion Living to receive compassion

E Ho‘olama Mai E ho‘olama mai ‘oe ia‘u E ho‘olama mai ‘oe ia‘u E ho‘olama mai ‘oe ia‘u E ola, e ola, e ola mau

Inspire me deeply Enlighten me always Encourage me from within Life, life, life forever

E Ke Ola e E ke ola ē, e mālamalama ē E ke ola ē, e ‘ālohilohi ē E ke ola ē, e kapukapu ē E ke ola ē

Indeed Indeed Indeed Indeed

life is enlightened life is brightness life is dignified life

H

e koho nō ia, na‘auao a ‘i‘ole na‘aupō! Huli wale ke ola pono i loko o ka na‘auao me ka hana i hāhai ‘ia nā kūpuna pono ‘ole a pono. Me kēia ‘ike, e ‘ike paha ke ala kūpono i kou ola. Inā, huli wale i ka na‘aupō, noho wale i ka pō me ke kaumaha o kou ola hele ‘ole. Indeed you have a choice, enlightenment or ignorance! Seek the righteous life of enlightenment by following your ancestors, good or bad. With this knowledge, you can seek the righteous way for you. The path of not knowing is the path of ignorance, which could lead to a life of sadness or darkness that goes to nowhere. Be inspired to seek the rightful path to live a righteous life. Always have a way to make things right, or find the righteousness in the wrong. Live right by finding a rightful path, a way of life—Keala! Mahalo Grams! Contact Kumu Keala Ching: kumukeala@nawaiiwiola.org

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Ala Ka Lamalama A – Ala ka lamalama ē E – ‘Eli ke aliali ī I – ‘I‘ini ke kapukapu ō O – Ola ka ‘olu‘olu ū U – ‘Uhola ke aloha ē

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KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012


Kohala Sugar Mill, showing flume. –photo courtesy of Hawai‘i State Archives

Then & Now: The Kohala Ditch | By Robert Oaks

F

or over a century, like the other Hawaiian Islands, Hawai‘i Island depended heavily on sugar cane as a major component of its economy. The story of how sugar barons controlled the Kingdom, Territory, and State of Hawai‘i in the late nineteenth century and well into the twentieth need not be recounted here. Global competition ultimately brought an end to Hawaiian sugar, and today it continues in a much reduced form only on Maui. Even so, if we look closely, we can still see the influence of sugar, especially in North Kohala. Sugar production needed water, an enormous amount of water. To produce a pound of sugar required up to 500 gallons of water. One million gallons was required every day for even a relatively small 100-acre plantation. The problem, of course, is that even though Hawai‘i Island usually has an abundant supply of water, it is not always in the right place. In areas such as Hilo and Hāmākua, rainfall is plentiful, though not always consistent. In other areas such as Kohala, however, the rain falls in the wrong places, or doesn’t fall much at all. Droughts meant disaster, not only due to lack of water, but also because of the increased danger of canefield fires. Irrigation was the ultimate solution. Even in areas of East Hawai‘i where water was usually plentiful, production generally increased with regular irrigation. However, irrigation required the transportation and diversion of water, a major engineering

and technological feat in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Hawaiian sugar industry depended on moving large quantities of water over long distances through tunnels, flumes, and ditches, many of which remain in use more than a century later. By 1920, the sugar industry on all the islands diverted 800 million gallons of water each day and pumped an additional 400 million gallons from wells, which were especially significant on O‘ahu. Because these water projects did not receive support from the government, only the significant financial resources of the “Big Five” sugar planters, and men like California industrialist Claus Spreckels made them possible. Although small irrigation ditches existed in the 1850s, it was not until the 1870s that the large-scale construction of ditches began with Sam Alexander and Henry Baldwin’s Hāmākua Ditch on Maui (not to be confused with the later Hāmākua Ditch on Hawai‘i Island). Sprekels built a second ditch, completed in East Maui in 1879. Hawai‘i Island’s ditch projects started later than the ones on other islands and benefited from the lessons learned. The need was greatest in Kohala where by 1900 five small plantations had each tried individually for several years to get more water. Their attempts resulted in small, unreliable, and easily contaminated supplies. It was clear that these independent efforts, lacking the financial resources of Alexander and Baldwin or Spreckles, were doomed. The Bishop Museum and Bishop Estate, which owned much of the watershed in the area, undertook to build an irrigation ditch that would sell water to the plantations. 13

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Michael O’Shaughnessy. –photo courtesy of Hawai‘i State Archives

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

❁Continued from page 13

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After a feasibility study suggested that the idea was both practical and profitable, two ditch companies were formed. The Kohala Ditch Company, established in 1904, was the first. The Hāmākua Ditch Company (again, not to be confused with the Hāmākua Ditch on Maui) followed in 1906. The five Kohala plantations—Union Mill, Kohala Sugar, Niuli‘i Plantation, Hālawa Plantation, and Hawi Sugar—committed to buying water, and the Kohala Ditch Company sold stock and bonds to finance the venture. The chief engineer for the project was Michael O’Shaughnessy, an Irish-born civil engineer, who was then completing a ditch on Maui. O’Shaughnessy would go on to fame (or infamy) as the developer of the Hetch Hetchy water system that still delivers water to San Francisco and surrounding communities from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The March 1905 Kohala contract with O’Shaughnessy stipulated that the ditch had to be finished in 15 months. It was an ambitious project over very rough territory. The difficult terrain ruled out the use of large equipment, meaning that most of the work would be done by manual laborers. Building wagon access trails on the edge of the Kohala cliffs was more terrifying than building the ditch itself. In some places, wagon trails were impossible, so work crews cut five-foot wide paths for pack animals. Among the workers were 600 Japanese contract laborers, paid an average wage of one dollar per day. They could earn more by shaping rocks into square blocks, used to line the walls of some of the tunnels. For this work, still visible in the tunnels, they received five cents per block. Hand drilling by Japanese workers was cheaper than using air or electric drills to bore through the lava. It was obviously rough work. According to O’Shaughnessy, the Japanese “seemed to like this class of work and made a success of breaking rock where other nationalities were a failure.” During construction, seventeen workers died from various causes. Many mules also died when they fell off the steep cliffs, many of them over 1,000 feet high. Even the sturdiest of workers, according to one report, were so exhausted after a few weeks of work in the dark and cold environment that they required hospitalization. To add to the difficulty, it rained nearly every day from April through July in 1905. Despite the difficulties, the first section of the ditch was completed in June 1906; the second portion a year later. The entire Kohala Ditch was 26 miles long, though the name “ditch”


Damage from 2006 earthquake.

–photo courtesy of Surety Kohala Corporation

❁Continued on page 16

Hāmākua Flume. –photo courtesy of Hawai‘i State Archives

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

is somewhat misleading and possibly makes the enterprise seem simpler than it was in reality. When it went through the mountains, it consisted mainly of tunnels. There were 57 tunnels in all, the longest of which was 2,500 feet, nearly half a mile. The entire effort included 16 miles of tunnels and only six miles of open ditch. The remainder consisted of flumes, built over steep ravines and canyons. The ditch itself was lined either with cement or stones as far as Hawi; the tunnels had cement linings; and the flumes, which were seven feet wide and six feet deep, were caulked and tarred. Built at a relatively low cost of $694,000, the ditch returned a profit for many years, both from the sale of water and from rent obtained for land the company owned in Kohala and Hawi. In addition to making money for its investors, the irrigation resulted in nearly doubling the yield of Kohala canefields. When the Kohala Ditch was complete, the investors turned their attention to the Hāmākua coast. As in Kohala, Hāmākua plantations tended to be small and independent. This situation was different from just about everywhere else in the islands, where plantations were larger, with one or two dominating a given region. Large plantations could afford to build their own ditches; small plantations could not, and thus they depended on profit-seeking corporations to supply needed water. The Hāmākua Ditch Company, formed in 1904, and soon renamed the Hawaiian Irrigation Company, built two ditches.

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❁Continued from page 15

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O’Shaughnessy started the project as chief engineer, and he soon left after a dispute with one of the financial backers. The Upper Hāmākua Ditch, rushed to completion by January 1907, was not a financial success. Because of its hasty construction with unlined ditches, it was prone to leak. The access trails and flumes deteriorated. Maintenance was constant and expensive. By 1915, its original flow was reduced by one-half, as much as 85 percent of the water was lost before it reached its destination. Expensive repairs that year, which virtually reconstructed the ditch in many areas, helped somewhat, yet by the end of the 1920s maintenance and additional work stopped. The Lower Hāmākua Ditch, on the other hand, did turn out to be a good investment. Opening in the summer of 1910, the ditch was 25 miles long and included 45 tunnels. Like the Kohala ditch, the construction crew consisted mostly of Japanese, plus some Hawaiians, Koreans, and Chinese. They earned one dollar a day on this project to bring water to Hāmākua coast plantations. In addition to irrigation, the sugar industry in both Kohala and Hāmākua needed water to transport harvested cane from the upland fields to the mills, which were usually located on the coast. The difficult terrain of Hawai‘i Island made this goal especially difficult. The solution was an elaborate network of flumes—ditches and wooden chutes that traversed gorges— literally washing the cane down the mountains to the mills. At the mills, more water was required both to process the cane into raw sugar and to generate electricity. For ninety years the sugar mills of Kohala relied especially on the Kohala Ditch. Even after the sugar industry came to a close in the 1970s, the ditch continued to provide water to other farmers and one of Hawai‘i’s two dairies. The Kohala ditch still moves eight to ten million gallons of water each day to North Kohala. Additionally, by the late 1990s, 22,000 tourists were drawn each year to the adventure of “Flumin’ Da Ditch” in kayaks, gracefully floating through back country rainforests and tunnels. Just how essential the ditches were to the area became suddenly apparent on October 15, 2006, when a pair of earthquakes (6.7 and 6.0 on the Richter scale) and resulting landslides severely damaged the ditch systems, shutting off the flow of water to North Kohala. Access trails were also destroyed, making repairs difficult. Well water provided only partial relief, and residents realized that restoring the ditch was vital to their economic livelihood for both agriculture and tourism. Because the ditch’s owner, the Kohala Ditch Company, could not afford the projected multi-million dollar repair cost, the prospect of leaving the ditch unrepaired brought community leaders together. With grants from FEMA, other Federal agencies,

The Kohala Ditch today. –photo by Robert Oaks.


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For further reading: Oaks, Robert F. Hawai‘i, A History of the Big Island. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. Schweitzer, Sophia V. Big Island Journey. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing, 2009. Schweitzer, Sophia V. and Michael Gomes. Kohala ‘Aina. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing, 2003. Wilcox, Carol. Sugar Water, Hawai‘i’s Plantation Ditches. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 1997. Contact Kohala Ditch Adventures: KohalaDitchAdventures.com Contact writer Robert Oaks: boboaks@pacbell.net

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

and the state, a massive repair effort was soon underway. It took two years and nearly $6,000,000, and eventually the water began to flow again in some portions of the ditch. In another year, the water returned to North Kohala. The project involved rebuilding the main water inlet, replacing several large elevated flumes deep in the Kohala valleys, as well as repairing tunnels and ditch segments; in some places, pipes were installed to replace the open ditch. Concurrent with the post-earthquake rebuilding of the Kohala Ditch, community leaders took it upon themselves to form the Kohala Ditch Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation and sustainable operation of this engineering marvel. Today the water supplies sod farms, a dairy, cattle ranches, vegetable farmers, and floral growers. And again the tourists have returned for a leisurely float. Bill Wong, a fourth generation native of Kohala and his wife Sandie rekindled the concept of the former “Flumin’ Da Ditch” organization. Their company, ATV Outfitters and Kohala Ditch Adventures, began offering tours again in 2010. They now employ 30 people, making them one of the largest employers in the area. Many of the employees are also from long-time Kohala families who have lived in the area for several generations. Those who take these tours will find knowledgeable guides who will relate the region’s history and culture, while taking visitors to lush and beautiful areas of the island that otherwise would be largely inaccessible. They will also gain an appreciation for both the engineering complexity and the back-breaking work that went into completing the ditches, tunnels. and flumes over a century ago. It is hoped that the Kohala Ditch will remain in service to the community, Island, and State for at least another 100 years. Special thanks to Mike Luce for assistance in developing this article.

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Flume Repair, 2006. –photo courtesy of Surety Kohala Corporation.

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Modern-day Makahiki Celebration at Keauhou Beach Resort, 2011.

–photo by Renée Robinson

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xcitement filled all the hearts. It was a November night before Makahiki, around the time of the new moon, and the faint group of whiteblue stars, the Pleiades, was about to rise in the east, signaling the return of Lono and the start of the rainy season in ancient Hawai‘i. From young to old, everyone knew that the star constellation, known in Hawai‘i as Na Huihui o Makali‘i, was in legend the source of the Polynesian and Hawaiian people. The children ran to the ocean to bathe, for they must be clean and pure before the coming of Lono, the great spirit of Makahiki. Grandmothers bathed the babies, teens splashed in the waves, while adults started small fires along the beach, outlining the shore in stars of fire. Reflected in the great rolling waves, the firelight was soon joined by the morning star, and then Makali’i arose. Makahiki—rising Pleiades, the new year, the regeneration of the cycle of life—had begun!

Let the Story Be Told

In ancient times, Makahiki was not just a holiday. The whole four-month season of

Makahiki—Codes for Regeneration The Ancient Hawaiian New Year Festival |

By Marya Mann

Ho‘oilo, was a time to celebrate the god Lono who provided peace and the fruits of the harvest. Now, after centuries during which such festivities were relegated to Hawai‘i’s pagan history, and after decades of hidden rituals and colorful and limited public celebrations, Hawaiians are rediscovering and recommitting to one of the most sacred and vital of all Hawaiian festivals. There are gaps in the knowledge of Makahiki, for kāhuna and kūpuna who practiced the native religion were literally chased down by missionaries, scuttled into caves, forced underground, and often killed in an attempt to abolish the old ways. Yet the ceremonies, rhythms, and purposes of this significant annual event have been reawakened by those who view Makahiki as a way to look back at our stellar ancestry, and also an invigorating new way to move forward with wisdom, cooperation, and appreciation for sustainable living. Cultural historian David Malo described Makahiki in his book, Hawaiian Antiquities, as an astonishing change in the normal fabric 19

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

of life. For at least half of every eight-day period, everyone abstained from fishing and farming. Ceremonies honoring Lono, the god of fertility and agriculture, dominated social and religious activities. “This time of regeneration also worked as a system of conserving resources,” writes Malo. “During the Makahiki certain kapu would be enacted, forbidding the gathering of specific limu (seaweeds), i‘a (fish), ‘ai (foods), or other important materials. By doing this, these things were allowed to replenish and maintain a healthy population.” Everyone prayed to Lono for the health and prosperity of themselves, their families, the whole community and the land. Lono, by the way, was not a vague god. He played a major part in a quartet of gods within one unity; with Kū, Kane, and Kanaloa, Lono functions as the hydrologic system of the island. “Lono works with the electromagnetic field of Earth to create clouds from the water vapor,” writes Lani Kukini‘elele, recorder and advocate for the Temple of Lono. “The clouds drop their rain and the trees and crops grow. Lono feeds the people. The clouds then move up into the mountains and drop their rain. The rain runs down the rivers and back to the ocean. “Kane is the fresh water. Kū is the ocean where the first single cell organism appeared and from which all life is descended. Kū feeds the people (gives life). Kū sends tsunamis and other destructive forces (takes life). Kū also provides the water that is the foundation of life. Kanaloa is the sun. The sun heats the ocean and the water vapors rise.” From these basic teachings, people could understand how the natural cycles of life functioned in pure form, and how to work

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with the natural ecosystem to survive and thrive. Their bodies, as microcosms of the larger field of life, were also subject to cycles. Through purification, strength-training, surfing, sports, and hula dancing, they prepared themselves for the challenges and joys of a festival that included purification, reverence, play, obligation, and the riches of Makahiki.

Lono Comes “He is almost here. Lono is coming,” the children hurried each other to gather for the colorful procession. At its front, wearing a red kapa robe, a man carried a pole with a small carved figure of a human head. That was Lono Mauka. Lono’s spirit was supple. It had entered that figure to travel around the island. Beneath the figure, another pole was tied that crossed the long pole and from it hung a glorious white kapa blowing like a sail in the wind. The crowd became very quiet as the poles were set on the ground. Then everyone placed gifts in the catchment between the poles—fruit, favorite kapa, a ball of twine. One of the men in the procession carried colored cords and tied knots in the blue when one family gave gifts, red for another ‘ohana. One color cord stood for one family. A knot meant a good gift, and the man’s colored cords were bulging with knots.

First Phase of Makahiki

Makahiki began with spiritual cleansing and making ho‘okupu, offerings to the gods. All war was outlawed to allow unimpeded

Offering ho‘okupu at Keauhou Beach Resort’s Makahiki Celebration in 2011.

–photo by Renée Robinson


passage of the image of Lono, which consisted of a 12-foot wooden staff mounted with a small carved head. An even longer cross-piece, tied to the upper part of the staff, dangled lei, feathers, and foliage. White kapa, as big as a ship’s sail, billowed from the cross bar. This was often called the akua loa, the “long god,” the idol that would be carried around the island in the official procession. Each ahupua‘a, or land division stretching from the mountains to the sea, created its own “short god,” the akua poko, which joined the akua loa for their journey around the island. The festival proceeded in a clockwise circle around the island with the ocean to Lono’s left; to his right were the upland forests, realm of Kū. The journey symbolized the respite from Kū’s world of strife and separation. All kapu and class restrictions were relaxed during this time and people mingled freely in Lono’s domain of peaceful living, agriculture, healing, and music. When the Kāhuna of Lono arrived at each community, members celebrated and offered gratitude for their prosperity. The representatives of Lono collected bounty from the farms and ranches—pigs, taro, sweet potatoes, dried fish, kapa, and mats made by industrious artisans. Bird feathers, gourds, medicinal plants, and handicrafts graced the offering mats. With no money or medium of exchange, everyone offered their best, high and low, humble and great. Heiau, or temples, in each ahupua‘a were built to receive offerings. The word ahupua‘a, in fact, comes from ahu (altar) and pua‘a (pig) or pig’s altar.

The Lono Makua is dressed with lei of ferns and foliage to foster land relationship. Makahiki 2011 at Keauhou Beach Resort. –photo by Lillianne Souza

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Second Phase—Celebration of Regeneration, Hawaiian Olympic Games

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The second phase was a time of le‘ale‘a, pleasure, and regeneration: hula dancing, the sports of boxing, wrestling, and lava sled racing at courses like the Keauhou Hōlua. Paddle sports, surfing, canoe races, swimming, relays, bowling, javelin marksmanship, as well as singing, making music, and feasting filled the days. People came from near and far to engage in athletic contests, dance the hula, and feast on culinary delights: coconut puddings made from taro or sweet potatoes. These activities took place inside various pu‘uhonua at each stopping place on Lono’s journey around the island. During ancient times, the pu‘uhonua was a land-based sanctuary for healing and redemption. The Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau we know today in West Hawai‘i is only a remnant of what was once a sanctuary that extended from the present site of the national park to Honokōhau Harbor north of Kailua Kona, according to Lani. “The pu‘uhonua was the heart of the Lono kuleana. The pu‘uhonua was essentially the backup for the entire civilization. Their purpose was to maintain a spiritual land bank, with temples throughout the islands.” The Kāhuna of Lono and Kū managed the area, cultivated crops, practiced medicinal plant healing, and performed spiritual ceremonies to connect practitioners with the elements of healthy, sustainable living. They taught practical skills of navigation, netmaking, and personal development based on thousands of years of knowledge. As Kāhuna gazed appreciatively upon the offerings of fruits, vegetables, and crafts, they observed the range of skill and nuance in crafts-making, hula dancing, and singing. They would also evaluate the health of the people and the land. “The Kāhuna, operating from their base in the pu’uhonua, constantly monitored and evaluated the civilization to know what measures were necessary to sustain the civilization and maintain the peace,” writes Frank Kamealoha Anuumealani Nobriga, the Kahuna of the Temple of Lono. “From their observations, they would know where to send help after Makahiki,” the Kahuna explains. That Temple first-aid could take the form of ho‘oponopono if some internal conflict was the cause, a change in who served as chief, or how farming methods could be improved. Makahiki, the season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter wrapped into one earthcentric celebration of a 25,000 yearold system of regeneration, still brings life to the ‘āina and its inhabitants. Together in song and dance, the spirit of the people lives on.

Third Phase—Tax Canoe to Lono

According to some historians, in the last phase of Makahiki, the wa‘a ‘auhau, or tax canoe, was loaded with ho‘okupu and taken out to sea where it was set adrift as a gift to Lono. The chief would go off shore in a canoe and when he came back and stepped on shore, a group of warriors threw spears at him. He had to deflect or parry the spears to prove his worthiness to continue to rule. The story of Makahiki would end there, with a lei-bedecked canoe sailing off into the sunset, were it not for the ritual of net-


Pleiades

Lani Kukini‘elele, aka Lanny Sankin, recorder and advocate for the Temple of Lono.

–photo courtesy of the Temple of Lono

Makahiki Today

While it’s still harvest time and the festivities still honor the cycles of death and rebirth, Lono and Kū, feast and famine, and the regeneration of abundance, which is what Lono and Makahiki were about, some feel that the Kāhuna of the Temple of Lono are missing. “While their religion is now re-emerging from hiding, their right to practice is still not guaranteed,” asserts Lani. “The Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau, for example, is occupied by the United States National Park Service that attempts to require traditional religious practitioners to secure a permit to use their own sacred lands.” This has not stopped organizers in Waimea, Hilo, Puna, Honoka‘a, and Kailua Kona from perpetuating Makahiki activities in a moveable feast. This year’s festivities, fostered by Hawai‘i Island’s Kumu Keala Ching will be held at the Keauhou Shopping Center. All agree, Makahiki holds within its ceremonial features social and ecological codes that can help us regenerate our world. The Pleiades still rise in the eastern sky, the Temple of Lono still practices to preserve the people for seven generations into

the future, and hula dancers still thrill to perform the ancient mystery of bringing divine play into the physical body. ❖ Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou! Resources Malo, David. Hawaiian Antiquities. Honolulu, HI: Bishop Museum Press, 1997, p146. Curtis, Caroline. Stories of Life in Old Hawai‘i. Honolulu HI: Kamehameha Schools Press. p167-197. Nobriga, Frank Kamealoha Anuumealani, Kahuna, Temple of Lono with Kukini‘elele, Lani (aka Lanny Sankin). Paper presented to the U.S. Supreme Court re State of Hawaii, et al. v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs, et al., No. 07-1372. Contact writer Marya Mann: MaryaMann.com

Makahiki Events

Kailua Kona: E Mau Ana Ka Hula—The Hula is Perpetuated, Keauhou Shopping Center, Saturday, Nov. 17, 8 am to 5 pm Hula dances and games will be offered. nawaiiwiola.org Puna: At Kalani, Makahiki activities include the farm-to-fork Puna Culinary Festival Nov. 3-11. PunaCulinaryFestival.com Honoka‘a: Contact lanakila_nyce@yahoo.com or nalaniludwig@gmail.com to sign up for workshops and learn more about Hawaiian Culture and Arts. HamakuaTimes.com Statewide: AlohaFestivals.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

shaking. A large net, the net of Makali‘i, was tied together and filled with kalo, mai‘a, niu, ‘uala and ulu, then held by four men at each corner as the Kahuna waited for silence. Then together they shook the net to scatter gifts into the waiting hands of the community. Everyone remembered the legend that a ruling chief had once intervened during a drought and famine, and by shaking down a net from heaven that overflowed with food, he was able to help feed the hungry people. As time moved on, all members of the community came to realize each person can intervene and help feed each other, help to make things right.

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gentle, humble, and graceful man commands a presence on stage or facing a group of students—rapt and listening intently. A kumu hula (teacher of hula), kumu ‘ōlelo (… Hawaiian language), kumu oli (… chant), practitioner of ho‘oponopono (peacemaking) and lomilomi (Hawaiian massage). Perhaps most evident to readers of Ke Ola magazine, composer, Kumu Keala Ching speaks softly and carries huge mana. Some say he calmed the ocean waters with his chants during an annual New Year’s ʻhi‘uwai (water cleansing ceremony). Who is this multi-faceted and perhaps enigmatic man? Kumu Keala Ching seems to be most comfortable around the keiki (children) who parade proudly, if somewhat disorderly, across the stage during the annual hō‘ike performance of hula students of Nā Wai Iwi Ola, the educational foundation and hula hālau that he heads. In colorful hula dress and bright green lei almost too large for their bodies, they grin. Parents and grandparents in the audience beam. The kumu himself has a childlike twinkle in his eye as he leads them through their carefully practiced dances. Kumu Keala, on another day, will just as readily lead a group of adults through the song and movements of “The Hokey-Pokey,” leaving them smiling and laughing at themselves. A graduate of the University of Hawai‘i

Lighting the Path

Kumu Keala Ching Liberally Shares His Passion for Hawaiian Culture |

Keala Ching

– photo by Alvis Upitis alvisupitis.com

By Karen Valentine

in the field of early childhood education, and currently pursuing his master’s degree in the same field, Keala says his intent is to awaken the inner child in all of his students—of all ages. “My belief is that each one of us has a child within us. Studying early childhood education helps me connect with this inner child.” Kumu Keala comes from humble beginnings, having been raised in Nānākuli on the Wai‘anae Coast of O‘ahu, a place that, even in ancient times, was known as a dry and povertystricken area. It is heavily populated with native Hawaiians who struggle within the environmental conditions and the lingering effects of the decimation of the race. While growing up, Kumu Keala was somewhat uncertain how to synchronize his Hawaiian-ness with the American culture in which he was living. The story of how he got his name may help explain how he has overcome and even capitalized on this dichotomy. Atypical of someone with 75 percent native Hawaiian blood, Kumu Keala Ching has only three names: Michael Keala Ching. All his friends had a string of Hawaiian names. His mother gave him the name Michael, and his maternal grandmother provided the name Keala. “All my life, my grandmother has been the one who guided me, took care of me, watched over me. One time I asked her to elongate my Hawaiian name, and she refused, saying that, when you get older, you will understand your 25 name. It is just Keala.

❁Continued on page 26


of being a Hawaiian were all about. I really didn’t speak the language when I was growing up, yet I knew how beautiful the language was. When I went to school to gain the language, it was like a waterfall. Everything just started to overflow. The language, the dancing, the chanting, the composition, the ho‘oponopono—everything that I do now is because I decided to go and learn,” Kumu Keala explained. “It comes very naturally. It’s almost like I’m communicating with the spirit world, that’s how wonderful it is!” His first attempt to compose in Hawaiian language, and speak his composition, came when his family asked him to give a Hawaiian pule (prayer), at Thanksgiving dinner. The Hawaiian chant is a prayer that asks the spirit to come into us and hear our words. Many Hawaiian chants use the word kūpuna to refer to ancestors or the spirits of a place who have passed on yet remain as guardians.

The Word

As in all spiritual beliefs, the word has power, and we must carefully choose our words, says Keala.

I ka ‘ōlelo no ke ola, i ka ‘ōlelo no ka make.

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

In the word there is life, in the word there is death.

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Kumu Keala Ching and Keiki – photo by Alvis Upitis, alvisupitis.com

“This ‘ōlelo no‘eau, or saying, comes from the fact that, in ancient Hawai‘i, a kahuna ‘anā‘anā could pray someone to death or counter another’s death prayer. It says that words can either be a source for healing or destroying, and so we need to be careful with our words,” says Kumu Keala. “If you speak the truth, you will continue to live. If you don’t speak the truth, you will fail. Choosing wise words will keep you alive.”

The Way

There is the word, and there is the way—the path: ke ala. In “Keala is a very significant name to me,” he says, “because most chants or compositions written by Kumu Keala Ching, he it means ‘the path.’ I honor both names, because both names incorporates the phrase, ke ala, in its many meanings and also as are so significant. Archangel Michael is said to be in charge a kind of signature. Ironically, he lives in a home he purchased in of protection, courage, strength, truth, and integrity, offering direction on our paths. You have Archangel Michael and you have Keala—both mean ‘the path.’ Hawaiians know there is a purpose to our names; names are not just given. Today, I understand both of my names, because they have been the guide to what I am doing.” Opportunity came to young Kumu Keala and he was able to attend Saint Louis School, a prestigious private school for boys, taking the bus every day across the mountain range. Friends from school introduced him to hula and he eventually joined the hālau of Darrell Ihi‘ihilauakea Lupenui, the Men of Waimapuna. Still his quest to know his Hawaiian-ness was unfulfilled. After graduation, he attended Leeward Community College. “I decided, for myself, to study Hawaiian Kumu Keala stands in front of the language, knowing that there was a part house he purchased through of me that felt incomplete, yet feeling very the Hawaiian Homelands program. complete. I knew I was Hawaiian, and – photo by Karen Valentine 26 I didn’t really know what the specialties


1999 on Hawaiian Homelands in the ahupua‘a or land division of Kealakehe. Keala-kehe translates to the “path of the spirit.” As a youth, Keala Ching had three goals. One was to dance in the Merrie Monarch Festival. One was to paddle the grueling 26-mile Moloka‘i-to-O‘ahu canoe race. One was to own his own home. He has now accomplished all three. In 1983, Keala completed the nine-man Moloka‘i-to-O‘ahu race as part of the team of Leeward Kai Canoe Club, and finished among the leaders. In 1986, at the age of 20, Keala danced on the Merrie Monarch stage with the Men of Waimapuna, winning first place in both the Kahiko Kane and ‘Auana divisions. To this day, he believes it was the highest scoring kahiko performance in the history of the competition. “Hawaiian Homelands,” says Kumu Keala, “is one of the greatest gifts left to us Hawaiians by Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana‘ole.” The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1921 set aside 200,000 acres of land to enable and assist native Hawaiians to obtain ownership of their ancestral lands. Kumu Keala was fortunate to have the opportunity to purchase his house on an ahupua‘a—Kealakehe—that was once the home of two great-great grandfathers on his mother’s side. “I know this is my home,” he affirms. Upon coming to Hawai‘i Island, he taught at a language immersion school in Waimea. At the same time, he began his own adult classes in Hawaiian language, then hula in Kailua-Kona.

Following his life’s path with certainty of purpose, in 2000 he founded Nā Wai Iwi Ola, which has grown into a foundation that supports the teaching of Hawaiian culture in a broad sense. The name means “The Waters of Ancestral Knowledge.” “The reason we started our foundation was to bring together the elders and the children, and it was really to take the children on a journey outdoors, knowing that learning was best there. We were invited first by elders of the Keahuolu area (in North Kona) and the Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center. The knowledge came from the elders of that ahupua‘a. We taught the children the protocol of the historical use of the area, which focused on the fishing, fishponds, how to take care of the land, and how to understand the ocean and its currents.” Subsequently they were invited to Honomolino and Miloli‘i to learn the methods of catching ‘ōpelu in the open ocean, to Waipi‘o Valley to work with kalo (taro), lo‘i (ponds), and to spend a weekend with the crew of the Makali‘i, Hawai‘i Island’s voyaging canoe. The pathway of learning then extended across the seas to Europe and Japan, where Kumu Keala has established connections with hula hālau in Switzerland and Japan to teach their students Hawaiian culture, values, and arts. “All this effort is for the foundation. It is helping our children walk in the footsteps of our king, David Kalākaua, who traveled around the world and was received royally by other countries. They were surprised and impressed with his compassion for people and his desire to form treaties of friendship. It is such a

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012


❁Continued from page 27

Contact Kumu Keala Ching: nawaiiwiola.org Contact writer Karen Valentine: karenvalentine808@gmail.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

joy to see the world through the eyes of our children,” says Kumu Keala. The keiki who travel with Nā Wai Iwi Ola have first completed seven or eight years of study with the school. They learn hula, the language, and oli before they can go out as ambassadors for Hawai‘i. A graceful and accomplished dancer, Kumu Keala has continued his own study of hula under his current kumu, Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett, and graduated in the ‘ūniki rites of a kumu hula. He established his own hula hālau, Ka Pā Hula Nā Wai Iwi Ola at Kealakehe. He has a kūpuna group, Nā Wai Puna o Kona, and periodically teaches Hawaiian language classes. Kumu Keala feels that it is important to keep the language 1986 Merrie Monarch, alive through composing meaningful Men of Waimapuna chants and songs that are relevant in contemporary times. “Do we know the true meaning of these chants today?” asks Many traditional Hawaiian chants have been written down and Kumu Keala. “No. In the old times, they wrote for situations that placed into collections. After a century or so, it is difficult to know happened then. Many of these chants were put into collections just what the intent of the composer was. In the oral tradition of by some individual—did they know exactly what the composer Hawaiians, there were certain ones entrusted with knowing the had in mind? Probably not. My desire is to create songs, chants, chants and passing them down. After the oral tradition faded, and stories that depict the moment for which it is written. I as the missionaries taught Hawaiians to read and write, the encourage others to use the chants to continue to hold the light compositions were then recorded on paper. inside themselves.” What is Kumu Keala’s goal for teaching Hawaiian culture? “For me, it’s to help everyone—non-native and native—to feel comfortable in their own skin, truly understanding where they are, where they have come from, and how to integrate all of that together. We teach these values that we all talk about: the aloha Kumu Keala instructs spirit, the lōkahi spirit, the pono spirit. My goal is to help you attendees at the annual understand that certain things in these values are truly what we Hi‘uwai, or water blessing, all can live by, no matter what culture you come from. One of the where each one participates most important values is aloha. It is compassion. Well, Europeans in the ceremony to start have compassion, Japanese have compassion, Polynesians have the new year. compassion, even if they don’t use the word aloha. – photo by Karen Valentine “Every culture has these values. If you understand them, then you can feel comfortable in your own skin, and not always think that the grass is greener on the other side. If we are to understand these words that have been left to us, as Hawaiians, then it really helps us to understand who we are in our own skin. Many of the teachers of the Hawaiian culture feel that it needs to go through some purification: teaching only Hawaiians. That’s not my view, hence I can’t speak for those that feel that way.” Kumu Keala Ching is generous with sharing the knowledge entrusted to him. He feels it is the only way—ke ala—that will keep the Hawaiian culture alive, vital, and spreading aloha all around the world. As in oral tradition, he entrusts with his students the responsibilities of holding the teaching and responsibly sharing it with others—carrying the torch and passing it along to keep the pathways alight. ❖

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Calvin Cerrone isn’t your average 12 year-old. He was the title winner of 12-and-under Regional USBA (United States Bodyboarding Association).

Kona Pre-Teen Bodyboarder Making Waves Twelve-year-old Calvin Cerrone Featured on a Nationally Produced Bodyboard|

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“Calvin is an awesome, outgoing individual. He works hard at bodyboarding,” adds Waldo. As Calvin progressed through the bodyboarding competition season earlier this year, other sponsors started knocking on his door. In April, after winning first place at USBA Kaua‘i, Calvin sent a video to Custom X Hawai‘i team manager and professional rider Jacob VanderVelde. “[Jacob] helps me out a lot with everything I do, he’s really helped me with my career,” says Calvin. VanderVelde quickly signed Calvin, who became the first-ever 12-and-under bodyboarder to be signed by the California-based company. “I had an eye out for a young grom (kid) coming up in our sport,” says VanderVelde. “Calvin was the perfect fit with his clutch style, positive attitude, and he’s a well-raised kid.” “It’s nice to see younger riders taking up bodyboarding and especially at a high performance level,” says Debbie Colwell, founder and owner of Custom X. While a lot of bodyboards are geared toward teenagers, there are fewer options for younger kids Calvin’s age. “So we’ve designed an advanced board for groms,” adds Colwell. With Calvin’s input, Custom X designed the XG—a light, hydrodynamic bodyboard. The board was released this past summer and is available on Hawai‘i Island at Millers Surf and Sport in Kailua-Kona. “We’re stoked that he has lent his name to this project,” says Colwell. Other sponsors have also jumped on board. Alpha Campaign, an O‘ahu-based clothing line recently added its name to Calvin’s sponsor list. In fact, the company expanded its product line to surf shops in West Hawai‘i because of its sponsorship of Calvin. In addition to his current sponsors Custom X, Alpha Campaign, Ally Fins, and Millers Surf, Calvin’s father says additional sponsorships are also in the works. His growing list of sponsorships is not surprising given that Calvin recently competed in his first pro bodyboard event on the mainland. In early September, Calvin and his mother traveled to Point Pleasant, New Jersey so he could compete in the 2012 Scion Jenks Pro, which is the USBA National Tour’s champion deciding event.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

alvin Cerrone is not your typical pre-teen. While most 12-year-old boys are glued to video game consoles, Calvin has been winning bodyboarding competitions around the state and racking up sponsors faster than you can say “barrel roll.” As if that weren’t enough, Custom X, a leading maker of bodyboards, created a new bodyboard specifically for kids his age, and Calvin is the featured rider on the board’s packaging. Calvin and his family moved to Hawai‘i Island from Arkansas when he was five years old, and live on a coffee farm in Holualoa. When he was six, Calvin started surfing, and according to his mother Amy Cerrone, has refused to ride anything else but his bodyboard for the last three years. Bodyboarding is a family affair. His father, Mike Cerrone, is a professional surf photographer. Calvin, his older brother Ivy, and their father are in the water “whenever there are waves,” Calvin quips. The articulate pre-teen says he prefers bodyboarding to surfing because, “You can surf heavier waves and you can do more stuff. You get bigger barrels on a bodyboard.” A straight-A student at West Hawai‘i Explorations Academy, this seventh grader has had a busy year. Of the eight United States Bodyboarding Association (USBA) competitions he participated in this year, Calvin won or placed top three in half of them. And he took fourth place at the USBA Banyans event where he competed in the 18-and-over age bracket. He wrapped up the bodyboarding season, which runs February through August, with the title of 12-and-under Regional USBA Champion. “We fulfilled our goals for this year,” says Calvin’s father with a smile. And Calvin’s parents aren’t the only ones proud of him. Millers Surf and Sport in Kailua-Kona was the first to sponsor Calvin a couple years ago. Mark Waldo, the owner, says he takes a lot of factors into consideration before offering a sponsorship to a budding athlete. “It’s very important to have really good character,” notes Waldo, who has been sponsoring local bodyboarders for the past eight years. “Because they are representing my company, I look for an individual who works hard and has a good disposition. It takes way more than talent to get sponsored, although Calvin has plenty of talent.”

By Denise Laitinen

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❁Continued from page 31

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

For Calvin, it was his first time competing outside of Hawai‘i and his first procompetition. Held during a 10-day period, the actual competition only takes place for Mark Waldo of Millers Surf with Calvin. two-andMiller’s support several local bodyboarders a-half days and was one of Calvin’s earliest sponsors. when wave conditions are right. Similar to winter surf events on the north shore of O‘ahu, officials wait until waves reach certain heights and conditions before they give the go ahead for competition. “A lot of different elements need to be right for the waves to break the best way possible,” explains Calvin. “All the competitors have to wait during the 10-day period for the right conditions.” If at the end of the 10-day period the conditions still aren’t right, event officials can opt to hold it in a different location or go for whatever waves they can get.

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Fortunately for Calvin, there were good waves this year. He came in fifth place in the open amateur men’s division 18 years and older. Given that he isn’t old enough to be called a teenager, it was an impressive finish against a field of adult competitors. He also took second place competing in the 13-and-under category. “I’m happy the way I competed and I really enjoyed surfing those waves.” He also got an opportunity to meet several professional bodyboarders. “I got to hang out with a lot of professionals and hang out with my friends from other islands,” says Calvin, noting that several bodyboarders from across Hawai‘i attended the competition. “It was a pro-event, so the major names from all around the country were there,” adds his mother Amy. “I definitely got some recognition and put myself out there for different people to realize what I can do,” says Calvin. “He got a lot of praise because he was the littlest kid out there in the scariest waves,” adds Amy. Calvin’s mother made sure the trip wasn’t spent entirely at the Jersey shore. She saw to it that he learned about history while visiting nearby Philadelphia and New York. Since his return from New Jersey Calvin has his sights set on another goal: O‘ahu’s north shore. “Next year I’m going to do the Pipeline Pro Trials and hopefully get into the main event,” says Calvin. He’s referring to the legendary surf spot known as Banzai Pipeline at ‘Ehukai Beach Park on O‘ahu’s north shore, famous worldwide for its dangerous waves in the wintertime. The International Bodyboarding Association (IBA) Pipe Challenge held


next February is one of the top surfing competitions held at Pipeline and is one of eight events in the IBA Grand Slam Series for the undisputed World Championship of Bodyboarding. “It’s a big deal for a kid my age to make it into the Pipe trials,” says Calvin. “Here on Hawai‘i Island, I want to make sure I train as much as I can to mentally and physically prepare myself for this winter,” adds Calvin. “I’m also going to be practicing at Pipeline this winter.” Calvin’s mother is well aware of the risk of a young person in large waves. “It gets really big and really dangerous at Pipeline,” notes Amy. However, she also knows that this is her son’s passion and something at which he has spent years practicing and honing his skills. Over the years she has also come to appreciate the close-knit bond of the bodyboarding community. “I’ve become really comfortable with him in the water and I’ve come to understand that the bodyboarding community really looks out for everyone, especially the kids.” Still she admits, “It’ll be terrifying if he’s out there in those conditions, yet I know he’s not alone.” A goal as ambitious as competing at Pipeline doesn’t come without sacrifice however. Starting in January Calvin’s mother, who is a teacher at the same charter school Calvin attends, will start homeschooling her son because he will miss so much school during next year’s bodyboarding competition.

“I’ll have to take three weeks off for the Pipeline trials [because there’s a waiting period for that competition] and several weeks off for other competitions and it just wouldn’t work out,” explains Calvin. “One of his teachers at his charter school Jacob Vandervelde of recommended that he be Custom X (left) is one of homeschooled, pointing Calvin’s mentors and out that Calvin is a sponsors. Both are wearing well-behaved straight A Alpha Campaign clothing. student,” explains Amy. “She said ‘This is his path, this is what he’s good at and this [homeschooling] is what he needs to do to make that happen.’” Being a schoolteacher herself, Amy is confident she can homeschool Calvin during the upcoming bodyboarding competition season and help him maintain a sense of balance between school and sport. For now, Calvin has his sights set on the ocean, not history books. “Right now I just want to make it into the Pipe contest,” he says. Given the wave of success Calvin experienced in 2012, there’s every reason to believe that 2013 will be even better for this Hawai‘i Island grom. ❖

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Photos courtesy of Mike Cerrone Surf Photography. Contact writer Denise Laitinen: wahineokekai@yahoo.com

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Music Rocks Her World

Quack Moore and Her Beloved Palace Theater

| By Paula Thomas

T

–all photos courtesy of Daniel Nathaniel

❁Continued on page 36

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

he Palace Theater is a vintage and singular jewel on the Hilo landscape. Located on Haili Street just off the bayfront, the theater is undergoing steady restoration and refurbishment. Overseeing the transformation from “deteriorating” to “shabby chic” is one Quack Moore. Quack and her namesake It seems fitting. Both are in the stage of reinvention. The Palace was built in 1925 to enrich an already vibrant Hilo town booming from the sugar industry, and lacking a stage and theater. The Palace thrived, more or less, for almost 60 years before age, and circumstance, and lack of funds began to take its toll. By the 1990s, it was boarded up. That was around the time that Quack Moore, née Cheryl Hardwick, was shifting out of the artful, cultured, and zany life as a New York City musician and composer, and into a slowerpaced, land-tied life on Hawai‘i Island. She lives on a 30-acre macadamia nut farm with her second husband, Richard (Rick) Moore, and needed to reinvent herself. As luck would have it, one of the first places she visited after moving lock, stock, and barrel in 2001 was the Palace Theater. Astute, then-president Stuart Hussey asked her to serve on the board, and she said yes. By 2002, she was the temporary second president of the newly founded Friends of the Palace Theater, the entity that provides the resources to operate and restore the theater. “I was so naïve,” she admits. “I took the temp job, and it was not like there was a line behind me,” she notes dryly. “What did I know about non-profits? I was just flying by the seat of my pants. I had to learn everything from scratch: compliance, building codes, how to write “grantspeak”(gag),

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

how to raise money … I had zero experience in non-profit management or operating a theater.” The thing about Moore is that she is f-u-n-n-y and selfeffacing. Be charmed; yet don’t be fooled by Moore’s easy humor. She has guts, grit, and enough energy to light up most of Hilo. Anything she sets her mind to, well, just help her or get out of the way. She’s a special cocktail of New York edge, an artistic genius with a fierce passion for music, and incredibly skilled at directing talent to make something BIG work. This year, the 11th annual musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” graced the Palace stage. The whole idea of doing musicals was Moore’s. “It would bring in money and it would be FUN,” she thought back in 2001. The Palace had no repertory company and Hilo has a vibrant, fantastic arts community: actors, directors, dancers, choreographers with prime-time, big-time experience. That made it possible. The key was not to interfere with signature events already on the local arts calendar, so October was chosen as the month of the musical. Hawai‘iana Live! was another brainstorm. Now in its sixth year, this signature Hawaiian cultural event, held every Wednesday

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Quack Moore with the River City band from “The Music Man”

from 11 am to noon, is funded and supported by the CPEP (County Product Enrichment Program). and managed through the Research & Development Department of Hawai‘i County. Funding comes from HTA (Hawai‘i Tourism Authority). The weekly event brings visitors in during the day and through a mixed-media production, artfully showcases the cultural heritage of the Islands, a heritage that captivated Moore at her first Merrie Monarch Festival. Bringing in revenue is an ongoing struggle, as is continuing the building renovations. Revenue is generated from rentals for community performances and events, and about 30 percent comes from art house films (down from 70 percent ten years ago). Quack’s focus is on getting the building in shape. “The Palace has great bones, yet there was not much in it when we started,” she laments. Logic and money dictate what gets done when, and how. Safety and structural issues always take priority and range from a simple doorknob change to complex roof replacement. Hawai‘i foundations and local organizations and donors are among the Palace Theater’s regular supporters, as is a New York foundation. Much of the café, lobby, and office renovations are reflections of her husband Rick’s handiwork, thanks to local donations of supplies. All kinds of specialized equipment

for projection, lighting, and sound have come from grants and industry partners. 2012 is the “year of the roof.” The $100,000 project is only about $20,000 short as of the start of fall. “I’ll do anything to get more money for the roof,” she says. “I’m like the Palace ‘ho’,”she quips.

The Real “Quack”

Some people are born to be doctors, or teachers. Cheryl Hardwick was born to play the piano. It is a profound and passionate love affair that began when she was just five: A piano arrived at her family’s house in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, about an hour’s drive southwest of Pittsburgh. The piano was a new one, purchased by her grandmother and meant for the elder’s house that was under construction. Cheryl’s mother had agreed to store it until the new house was ready. The piano never left the Hardwick house. As Quack tells it, she just felt drawn to that piano and started to play it. “Sitting down at the piano and playing just felt right,” she said simply. An only child, she started with lessons, performed in recitals, and got better and better teachers as her skills improved. Long before she reached high school, she set her sights on leaving Brownsville—“I was dying to get out”—and becoming a concert pianist. Her goal: college and a master’s in music from The Juilliard School in New York City. During high school, her grandmother upgraded the piano to a grand. At Chatham College, as a music major, she got to play with musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and continued to perform in competitions. She connected with famed pianist Eunice Norton, who lived in Pittsburgh at the time and had trained under Artur Schnabel. When she applied to Juilliard, she got in on a scholarship. Like many people who are very hard-working, Quack’s youth included farm life. The family farm in Washington, Pennsylvania was a gathering place for aunts, uncles, cousins, and “had the typical array of animals—cows, ducks, sheep, goats, cats, and dogs,” she recalls. The animals amused her, especially the ducks and their quacking. Because she imitated their sounds so readily, and apparently very well, her cousins nicknamed her “Quack.”

33 Years in New York City

Although she dreamed of becoming a concert pianist, Cheryl Hardwick found work playing for ballet and dance classes and rehearsals for performing groups. Then came a few OffBroadway plays, some Broadway plays, and big and little gigs all over the city. It was not a concert pianist’s dream, and yet it was a life. One of her most bizarre jobs was playing piano for the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse on the Lower East Side. She followed in after Barry Manilow and a young singer named Bette Midler had decided to move on. In the circles she ran in—writers, musicians, performers—she met people like writer Susanna Moore (her husband’s sister), comedian and producer Lorne Michaels, and musician Paul Schaeffer. In 1975, the latter invited her to join their foray into late night television on NBC. Cheryl Hardwick was hired to help drive the band’s rhythm section on the very first NBC Saturday Night broadcast on October 11, 1975, on keyboards along with Paul Shaeffer. Michael O’Donoghue, a founder of National Lampoon, and later to become her first husband (he died in 1994), was among the first writers. She stayed with the Saturday Night Live show for 25 years. “You know,” she said wryly, “sometimes you


sections, improvising transitions, always working the music to accommodate scenery changes, timing needs. As she rehearses all the singers and directs choruses, Quack can pick out the nuances of tone, the balance of voices or lack thereof, within a matter of bars. She understands how to draw people out, quiet them down, shut them out, coach them in dynamics, tone. She can write all the orchestral music and conducts the band and singers. This is what jazzes her, what makes her rock, what makes her tick, what brings her great joy. She knew it could, and that’s why Quack and Rick Moore settled in East Hawai‘i when they visited the islands in the late 1990s looking for a place to live. One of the reasons for choosing Hilo was the presence of the Palace Theater. “I won’t live in a town that doesn’t have an old theater,” she said. “It tells a lot about a community when there is an old theater in town. It means that the arts are valued and that there is a history of performing arts there.” Quack worries that a whole generation—people now in their 30s and 40s—have no memories of the Palace because it was boarded up during their childhood. Working to restore it, and provide entertainment gives her something to do, and it raises money and builds awareness of the theater for the future. What fascinates one about Quack Moore is her inimitable strength of spirit and passion, and the arc of her life that one can see coming full circle. From Brownsville, Pennsylvania to Hilo, Hawai‘i: an aspiring concert pianist rises to new and unanticipated challenges, then resettles back to her roots: a farm, a small town, and a theater, with a grand piano on the stage. Let the music continue! ❖ For information about the theater: HiloPalace.com Contact writer Paula Thomas: Paula@DelphiPacific.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

bumble into things … the gig that turned into a career.” At a party she hosted early in her New York career, her Pennsylvania past caught up with her. She had invited her close cousin from Pittsburgh, and as everyone was mingling, drinking, and talking, he asked someone where “Quack” was. The response: “Who?” Then, “What did you call her?” Once he explained, the old nickname stuck. Whimsical Quack’s talent seems Quack Moore boundless. In 1989, she joined the Sesame Street composing team, and they won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition in 1990 for their work with Sesame Street. She created over 30 songs for the show, e.g. “14 Carrot Love,” “DiscoToothbrush,” “Grouch Girls Don’t Wanna Have Fun”, and she voiced one of the Oinker sisters. Today, when her fingers fly over keys and she’s in front of a band, she is home. Music is her Muse; the keyboard, her avenue to the divine. More often than not these days though, musicals aside, Quack Moore plays classical concerts, a return in her “retirement” to earlier dreams. It is worth noting her prowess as a musical director. She edits the score, sometimes shortening or lengthening

37 37


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ide, bright eyes, and dancing vivid colors… am I describing her artwork or Esther, herself? Upon meeting for lunch at the Holuakoa Gardens and Cafe one Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of learning some of the colorful details of the life of this compelling local artist. Usually working in watercolor pencils and wax water based pastels, Esther Szegedy’s artwork has rich, lively colors that play wildly on the page. She paints animated animals, extravagant exotic flowers, active island children, and Polynesian ladies. When she arrived on Hawai‘i Island 20 years ago, she was doing educational publishing, which she says can sometimes be painfully boring. “I’d get an assignment and sit for five minutes and just cry. Then figure out how to make it interesting. Sometimes they’d make me do something I nearly felt ashamed of because I felt like I was helping to reinforce stereotypes. The publishers hired me to do different ethnicities, and then they

By Stephanie Bolton

wanted everyone to look as Caucasian as possible. This really drained the creative process of its innate joy. I was often upset by this, and at the same time this is partly what inspired me to write my own stories as well as illustrating them.’’ “If I’d draw children running and jumping and there was a belly button showing, they’d have me erase the belly button. I got so mad that now when I do my own work everything has a belly button. Dogs, birds, EVERYTHING! It is my way of rebelling. I make sure everything has a belly button … except for snakes, only because I can’t figure out where their belly button should go!” She laughs. Currently Esther is working on a book about a surfer dog. “I didn’t want to make him any specific breed so that more people could relate to him. It’s based on when I used to swim with the dolphins almost every day. I decided to make the main 41 character a dog instead of a human because I thought it would be more fun. ❁Continued on page 42


KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

❁Continued from page 41

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In the story the dog ends up on a boogie board out in the ocean and encounters everything from dolphins, ulua, swordfish, rays, and sharks—just like I did, and I thought it would be more fun with a dog having these experiences.” Esther Szedgedy moved to Hawai‘i Island from New Mexico. She had wanted to live in Hawai‘i since she was five years old: she was convinced that God had made a terrible mistake placing her in Toronto. Drawn to fishing, swimming, and sunshine, she hated the winter and lived for the summer; she had a canoe and a rowboat, and drove her family’s motor boats every chance she got. Esther was born in Toronto, Canada to Hungarian parents and began her first days of school not knowing a word of English. “My parents moved from Europe to Canada after being in a refugee camp in Great Britain, so they spoke British English with a very heavy Hungarian accent and the Canadians couldn’t understand them! So they didn’t want to teach me English because they were afraid I would pick up their accent.” “Canada was not a racially mixed place back then, as it is now,” she explained. They moved into an Irish neighborhood and Esther found herself to be in the only family on the street with dark eyes and dark hair. Needless to say, she knew what it was like as a child growing up feeling very different and alone; something that actually fuels wonderful inspiration for her own stories for children. At eighteen years old she went to an art school with hopes of becoming a book illustrator. Her first professor had these ‘encouraging’ words to impart, “You have no talent whatsoever; go home, become a housewife, and forget about art.”

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wonder, how can I be a children’s book illustrator if I don’t have children?” This question led her to investigate the lives of some of her favorite children’s book illustrators. Maurice Sendak who wrote and illustrated Where the Wild Things Are never had children. Beatrix Potter who wrote and illustrated The Tale of Peter Rabbit never had children. Dr. Seuss never had children, and when this was commented on by an interviewer, his answer was: “Let me put it this way: you make ‘em; I entertain ‘em.” So it became clear to her that having children was certainly not mandatory for writing and illustrating great children’s books. “In all seriousness, I feel there is no way you could be a fulltime illustrator and be a full-time mother, they both require so much focus. And the reason that Dr. Seuss could be a therapist

❁Continued on page 44

Esther Szegedy with Stephanie Bolton

–photo by Stephanie Bolton

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

And after completing 33 etchings she showed them to her etching professor who said, “Destroy these and forget they ever happened.” Esther began to wonder what she was doing there. Instead of taking his advice, she left school, and two years later opened the first of three stores that sold mostly her own work for the next 13 years—everything from books to CD covers. Even though the business was successful, she began to feel caged between those walls and longed for more freedom. So she went back to school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to become a therapist. In her therapy practice, art once again made its way back into her life as a useful tool in helping her to connect with patients. She interned in Boston, working in locked wards with schizophrenic patients, often with convicted criminals. She loved the work, and constantly took issue with the Harvard-trained psychiatrists’ diagnoses. Because she had patients’ artwork to prove her differing observations, eventually the psychiatrists conceded to her points. She was very popular with the patients and very unpopular with the psychiatrists. “After this, I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and many of my patients were Navajo or Hopi Indians. They cared less about sitting and talking, yet loved to work with their hands. Giving them art projects helped them to heal themselves.” Illustrating children’s books was still the longing of her heart and she eventually got agents and entered the world of educational publishing before finally moving to where the five-year-old Esther knew she truly belonged—Hawai‘i. When I asked Esther if she had any children of her own she said, “All my life I have worked for them and I began to

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❁Continued from page 43

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and an illustrator is because he had a wife to answer the phone and take care of absolutely everything distracting. All he had to do was sit in his studio and draw. When I read his biography, I said I needed a wife, and then I got one.” This remark confused me, “You have a wife?” I asked. “Yes,” Esther said with a sly smile inching across her face, “It’s my husband. He does everything better than me: cooking, washing the car, doing my framing…” He was living in France at the time, and was visiting an artist friend on Hawai‘i Island who wanted me to meet him. “But I didn’t want to date a guy from Paris! Even Volcano is too far of a drive, Paris is definitely too far to go.” However, she agreed to meet him for a coffee at Borders. When he stepped out of his car she saw his face and thought, “That’s it. That’s the man I’m gonna marry.” And she thought she had lost her mind. “I was perfectly happy not having a boyfriend, living in my little cottage in Kealakekua, swimming with the dolphins every day, and now I wanted to marry a man I’d only known for five minutes … what?!” Now Esther is working on writing and illustrating her own children’s books, and her husband is taking an interest in book binding. He helped her fashion some prototypes of the works in progress. When she took them to schools, the kindergarteners would rush up to her after she finished the story and want her autograph. “They didn’t realize the books were handmade and that I wasn’t a famous writer. I’m still looking for someone to publish these books.” Reading in the schools was great experience for Esther to see if her stories were working. She could tell the children were engaged because they didn’t run off to do something else after


a few minutes, instead they would sit and listen. A teacher remarked, “I’ve never seen them sit still this long for anybody.” Esther went to the schools a lot when she lived on the west side of the island. If the children were older, she told them how to fashion their own books. I asked Esther how she ended up getting her work into fine art galleries and she told me, “It was on a dare! Somebody from Holualoa said that The Fairmont Orchid Hotel was showing artists’ work every other Friday. They told me I should try this—everyone else was doing it. So I finished some paintings down at the Old Airport on the picnic tables because my little cottage in Kealakekua was too dark to do artwork in. When I brought the paintings to the first gallery and unwrapped them, the manager picked one up and went into the gallery. He took something off the wall and started hanging my artwork on the wall. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he liked my painting better than what had been there and I was one of the first local artists that they represented.” Esther’s artwork continues to sell well in local galleries, particularly her depictions of cats and dogs. “I don’t have a dog personally,” says Esther. “I have a cat and I had a duck. I did a portrait of my duck that was bought by the State Foundation in Honolulu and they tell me (which may or may not be true), that it’s hanging in the Mayor’s office in Honolulu. I laughed! I do all this Hawaiiana and instead they buy my duck in a superman cape?” ❖ Contact the artist: Esther-Szegedy.com

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

Contact writer Stephanie Bolton: mauna.lea.studios@gmail.com

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For a truly unique experience, visit historic Holualoa Village, rich in culture, coffee farms, quaint shops and some of the best art in the state of Hawaii. Located on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai, it is a little cooler and only a 15 minute drive from the Kailua-Kona coast to scenic Mamalahoa Hwy. 180. Plan to spend a few hours to have breakfast or lunch at Holuakoa Gardens, and visit the dozen unique shops, studios and galleries all within strolling distance. This is a nottoo-distant, off the beaten path favorite, for both locals and visitors for festivals, sightseeing and shopping.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

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November & December Holualoa Village Events Photos of last year’s events, along with maps and information about Holualoa Village are available at: www.holualoahawaii.com

Saturday, November 3, 2012 Holualoa Village’s 14th annual “Coffee & Art Stroll” helps kick off the ten days of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival with free coffee samples from over two dozen local coffee farms, each presented on the front lanais of the upcountry town’s historic buildings. Along with tasting dozens of famous Kona coffee brands, visitors will be able to talk with the farmers that actually grow and process the award-winning brews and get ‘farm direct’ prices. The event begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m.

Historic Holualoa Village comes alive with the lighting of the town Christmas tree at dusk in front of the Holualoa library. The 16th annual “Music & Light Festival” features local slack key guitar and vocal holiday music on three stages throughout the town. Just before sunset Santa arrives by convertible and greets keiki from his tent next to the Holualoa Gallery in the center of town all evening. Nearly two dozen of the festively lit classic wooden buildings, many of which are now art studios and galleries, will host free refreshments and holiday specials until the event closes about 8:30 p.m.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Saturday evening, December 1, 2012

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I

t’s pie day at Holy’s Bakery in Kapa‘au, where handmade empty pie shells, stacked high on baking racks, are waiting to be filled with the Hori family’s signature frozen buttered peach, pear, coconut, and apple pie recipes. While the customary smells of baking won’t be wafting from the small wooden shop tucked behind the Nambu Building on Holy Bakery Road in the heart of the old sugar plantation town, the sight on assembly day, where 750-800 wholesale pies are being filled, weighed, and packaged, is impressive. And the product is even more remarkable! The historic North Kohala shop, whose name comes from the mispronunciation of Hori (sounding like Holee) has, for the past 82 years, been preparing pastries, fresh breads, and doughnuts for the plantation workers, families, and generations of Hawaiian residents. “My father, Yoshio Hori, opened the bakery in 1930 to feed the G.I.’s and traveling Japanese salesmen who stayed at the Nambu Hotel during the war,” bakery matriarch Margaret Hori explained. Her father’s business originally opened down the street, then moved behind the hotel when his uncle bought the old Nambu building. “The bakery became famous, the men would line up at 4 am for fresh white bread and we would deliver bread and anpan, a Japanese sweet roll filled with bean paste, to the camps in Kohala.”

Every Store Has It’s Story Holy’s Bakery in Kapa‘au

| By Hadley Catalano

While Yoshio was born in Honolulu in 1903, the family returned home to Hiroshima, Japan, where the young entrepreneur was raised. When Yoshio was a teenager, his family moved back to Hawai‘i, settling in North Kohala where he met his wife Miyako Yanagida. The couple had eight children. “My parents already had five children by the time they opened the bakery,” Hori explained, noting that her father gained baking experience while working at a Greek restaurant in Honolulu before opening his own shop. “We started out by mixing everything by hand and making the bread in a metal oven on top of the two-burner kerosene stove (which is still used in the shop today to boil potatoes and make coconut filling). We worked in the bakery and my mother worked in the hotel, which was very busy during the war.” The introduction of the pies into the bread and pastry production line was Margaret’s idea, a 60-year-old legacy who has kept the bakery popular. Margaret, now in her 80s, is still in the family business with her grandson Ryan Mullen and the occasional help of her retired brother, Richard Hori. “I tried different recipes using coconut, peach, pear, and apple and then my sister would taste them,” Hori recalled, noting it was around the same time that the Hori family built a home adjacent to the business, where Margaret still lives today. “Then Cash ‘N Carry in Hilo wanted to buy the pies, so we began selling them to grocery stores in 1950.”

❁Continued on page 51

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KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

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Margaret Hiro and her grandson, Ryan, in Holy’s Bakery, 1980 –Courtesy of the Hori family

ret Hiro r with Marga ke or w ry ke A ba

❁Continued from page 49

Pie shells ready for pie assembly day

The secret to the yummy pies

❁Continued on page 53 Margaret Hori, 82-years-young, still directing operations at Holy’s Bakery

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

The family recipes have remained the same for the past four generations, a tradition that has earned the family a well-known reputation, a street name in memoriam, and a sought after inventory that keeps the pie days busy and the bread baking days frequent. “We have three to four pie days a month and a bread baking day about once a week,” Mullen, 34, explained about the tactical

side of frozen pie assembly and fresh bread production. “We make roughly 750 pies total of peach, pear, and coconut pies on those days and 800 apple on apple pie days.” The schedule of the six-hour-long assembly production is what Mullen referred to as an art, not necessarily a science. Knowing the ins and outs of baking and having the ability to adjust quickly in the wholesale trade is a valued commodity. The demand of pies for retail markets, holiday dinner tables, local restaurants, and the in-store freezers determine the amount

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❁Continued from page 51

Ryan Mullen, 34, runs the family bakery with his grandmother, Margaret Hori

ingredients. It’s now ready to be boxed and trucked to KTA stores across the island, shipped to grocery stores on Moloka‘i, Maui, and Kaua‘i, or placed in the in-store freezer. “When you’re born into the business it’s hard to keep doing it. I also understand that if the younger generations don’t take over, they are killing off part of their heritage. Hopefully my kid will want it,” Mullen reflected, speaking of his 7-year-old son, Kaze. Although Holy’s has updated machinery, the application of the pie process is still handmade, from the crust to the packaging. Improvements come in the form of fresh ideas and diverse bakery items, including focaccia, brioche, and potato bread rolls. And while any week might have the Hori family baking 1,200 loaves of bread, or preparing 5,500 pies to fill their Thanksgiving orders, it’s the quality and consistency of the simple, handmade products that allow Holy’s Bakery to continue to run a successful business. “My grandmother is really the backbone of this operation,” said Mullen, noting that she took over many of the day-to-day business logistics before his great grandparents passed more than 20 years ago. “I see everyday how many people appreciate our product and that gives me pride going into work everyday.” ❖ Holy’s Bakery can be reached at 808.889.6865. Contact writer Hadley Catalano: hadleycatalano@gmail.com

Simple white cardboard boxes are used

Buttered pear pies ready to ship to KTA stores on Hawai‘i Island

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

of days devoted to constructing the frozen treats. There are no preservatives in Holy’s Bakery goods so stock is made to order. Assembly days begin early, 6 am as the Hori family and a couple of local part time workers, who grew up in town and refer to Margaret as their hānai (adopted) grandmother, file into the modest red wooden landmark with a sign outside the doors that reads, “Please Toot Your Horn for Your Order.” Two days in advance both the bottom and top crust dough layers, handmade out of shortening, flour, sugar, and buttermilk, have been made and neatly folded into aluminum foil 9-inch baking pans and stacked on baker’s racks waiting for the deposit of two cups of filling. The filling is simple; canned apples, peaches, pears, or coconut folded together with sugar and a few spices. The secret is the use of roughly an entire stick of butter—seven patties layered on the bottom crust and seven over the top of the filling that melt into the pie and crust when baking to create a unique flavor profile reflective of old fashioned homemade desserts. “It’s been the same recipe for all these years,” said Mullen, who grew up in the bakery alongside his mother and grandmother. He can recount the countless weekdays he spent with his family in the business before leaving to travel on the mainland. “I realized when I came home, that we are doing the same thing now that I was taught back when I was a kid. It’s about the consistency and taste. I realized the value our product has, how famous the pies are, and I started reaching out more, getting more contracts and meeting new customers.” While Mullen spoke, he placed the top crust onto the buttered peach pie his grandmother filled and sealed the dough layers with a crimper, creating a fork-like imprint around the edge. The pie is then brushed with evaporated milk and placed inside a white cardboard box with the Holy’s Bakery logo and short list of

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KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

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Fresh Picked Kona Coffee

“Beetle Juice” Inoculates Kona Coffee Against Coffee Beetle Borer | By Margaret Kearns

G

reenwell is a name synonymous with Kona coffee in Hawai‘i with patriarch Henry Nicholas Greenwell lauded as the marketing genius who put the region’s highly-sought brew on connoisseurs’ radar worldwide more than 150 years ago. Greenwell, a native of England and would-be sheep farmer, left home in the 1840s in search of a sheep station in Australia. By 1850, however, he found himself standing on the fertile, volcanic soil of rural Kona after a circuitous, eventful route via Australia, California, and O‘ahu. It was the beginning of the Greenwell Farms coffee growing and cattle ranching legacy here on Hawai‘i Island which, at one time, encompassed tens of thousands of acres stretching from Honokōhau south to Kealakekua—the heart of the island’s Kona coffee district. Today, the family continues to farm 35 acres of coffee adjacent to the original homestead (now the Kona Historical Society Museum) together with 40 acres of their original coffee

❁Continued on page 58

Coffee Beetle Borer

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❁Continued from page 57 Hawaii Water Service Company Proudly providing high-quality water and wastewater utility services to Hawai’i since 2003.

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farm holdings located above Konawaena High School. Managed by Henry’s great-grandson Tom Greenwell, and Tom’s brotherin-law Steve Hicks, the estate property “…includes trees more than 100-years-old that were planted by my Great Grandmother Elizabeth in 1903,” Tom Greenwell says. Encompassing an area 20 miles long and two miles wide on the slopes of Hualālai and Mauna Loa, the Kona district has produced coffee continuously for more than 200 years. Now 600 independent farms, averaging just three acres in size, cultivate the bean that commands prices that are among the highest in the world, according to records from the Kona Farmers Association. And while it is indisputably the most acclaimed growing area in the state, it is just one of many coffee producing regions in Hawai‘i that contribute to a $30 million per year industry. On the flip-side, Kona is also the region currently threatening the physical and economic health of Hawai‘i’s coffee industry, according to Greenwell, who is also immediate past president of the Hawai‘i Coffee Association. “Up until 2010, Hawai‘i was just one of two coffee producing regions in the world not affected by the Coffee Borer Beetle—the most destructive of all coffee farm pests. In September 2010 that changed. The beetle was positively identified on farms in Kona,” he says. For 150 years, growing coffee here has been relatively easy compared to other areas of world, he says. “We’re blessed with ideal conditions—ideal soil, weather, and elevation among them. That’s not to say we haven’t had our share of challenges over the years: drought, other pests, and high labor costs—although nothing is as potentially dangerous as this,” Greenwell says. Farms across the region have seen crop yields diminish by up to 50 percent over the past two years, he says, with the average loss in the 25 to 30 percent range. “I’m trying to be optimistic about the current crop levels, and I really don’t think the numbers will improve substantially in 2012.” His measures are based on industry statistics as well as what he is personally seeing on the more than 300 farms his mill purchases beans from each year for the production of Greenwell Farms coffee. Exactly when and how this dreaded beetle arrived in Kona is a “big question mark,” he says, adding, “There are 101 ways it could have gotten here, no one knows for sure. What’s important now is containing the infestation and eventually eliminating it entirely.” To do that, he encourages farmers to adopt Kona Coffee Cherry Integrated


Kona Snow at Greenwell farms

Pest Management techniques which have proven to be most successful in combating the pest in other coffee growing regions worldwide. It begins with the basics:

Owners of vacant property with feral coffee trees growing on it also need to be respectful of their neighbors, Greenwell says. “If those beans are not picked or are not cleaned up off of the ground, they will harbor the Coffee Borer Beetle. Even with our usually light breezes, these beetles can be easily blown onto neighboring, operating farms,” he says. With more and more educational programs now being presented by individual mills, Hawai‘i coffee associations and state government entities, Greenwell says, things are beginning to improve as area farmers determine the methods most effective for their properties and vigorously implement them. “In addition, we recently received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture and the State Department of Agriculture to assist us with research, infestation tracking, and elimination efforts on a large track of land in South Kona that contains hundreds of coffee farms,” he says. And new “weapons” are constantly emerging. About a year ago, a local company, Symbiotic Solutions, headed by President Anita Mitchell, developed a concoction based on a naturally occurring fungus found right here on Hawai‘i Island. Brewed by consultant and inventor, Gaillen Wraye, the

❁Continued on page 60

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

• Educating workers about the pest; • Developing and implementing strategies to control and eliminate the beetle that are most effective on each individual farm; • Stripping and cleaning the trees of all un-picked beans; • Removing all discarded beans littering the orchards’ ground; • Spraying the trees with Beauveria Bassiana, a natural insecticide highly regulated by the EPA, in the appropriate season when female beetles are most vulnerable (the beetles are “homeless” during blossoming when their host, the coffee bean, has not yet formed); • Removing trees that are no longer being farmed.

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The Careful Process of Picking Coffee

❁Continued from page 59

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

Big Island Honda Kona supports the Big Island

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You’ll see our company name attached to quite a few functions here on the Big Island. We believe in supporting local, quality events...like the 4th of July Fireworks, the Peaman races at the pier and tons of local school and community events. Please remember us when you are in the market for a new or pre-owned vehicle. That’s all we ask... we’ll be there for you.

Coffee Borer Beetle Solution (affectionately known as “Beetle Juice” by some 50 farmers currently using it) is sprayed on the trees even though it is not a topical insecticide. Rather, it enters the trees’ systemic systems, inoculating them against the beetle, preventing the female from successful “nesting” in the bean. Wraye’s work focuses on strengthening the immune system of plants with naturally existing micro-organisms to prevent crop damage, and to preserve healthy, balanced ecosystems. “This method of interacting with the plants and their environments was formulated after years of observing the relationships of microorganisms and their host partners,” he says. He spent 25 years as a Natural Resource Manager for the government of British Columbia, Canada. Exactly what are the ingredients in this “Beetle Juice”? According to Wraye, the solution is comprised of water, molasses, proprietary organic ingredients, and plant-friendly micro-organisms. “It’s function,” he says, “is two-fold. First, it establishes bacteria colonies that assist resident coffee fungus to facilitate a change in the tree so it no longer attracts the beetle. These colonies then work in a symbiotic fashion within the tree, changing the internal environment of the cherry so it’s inhospitable to the beetle and larvae. “We have had prior previous success with a solution using the same concept to eliminate mosquitoes on local farms,” Wraye says. “I was actually approached by a group of those farmers, asking if I could come up with something similar to fight the Coffee Borer Beetle … and so I did. And we’re seeing positive results!” Letters from satisfied customers:

Big Island Honda Kona 75-5608 Kuakini Highway, Kailua Kona 329-8101

“We had cut back our 700-plus coffee trees because of the CBB Beetle. We knew Gaillen of Symbiotic Solutions and agreed to do a controlled testing of the ‘Beetle Juice.’ We were interested in testing the solution as it is nontoxic and works with the trees’ internal defensive systems. It was easy to apply under the leaves with a backpack sprayer, and because it’s all natural, we did not have to dress up in haz-mat suits. The solution is absorbed and distributed systemically, and the bacteria cultures are transported to the coffee cherry. We like this internal system as rain does not wash it off and humidity conditions do not change its viability. This works even if the neighbors aren’t spraying their coffee. One third of our trees were sprayed twice, two months apart, one third was sprayed once, and one third was not treated. After our first


picking of each group we pulped the cherry and weighed the beans. We floated the bad beans in water and weighed them to determine a percentage. These preliminary results are very encouraging. The initial losses in bad beans were 25% for the untreated trees, 16% for those sprayed just once, and only 4% for the trees that were sprayed twice! We are awaiting further assessment of the dried coffee for final results. We are very excited with our results and plan to continue using CBB Solution!” ~ Stephanie Schreiber, Aloha Farms “Our coffee farm has used “Beetle Juice” for two applications. We appreciate Gallien’s hands-on help, as he personally looked at our trees then gave recommendations. Even though the solution is still in the experimental stage, the wet milling report on our first round shows there is less damage from the beetles than last year. We look forward to when our trees are fully resistant to the Coffee Beetle Borer.” ~ Kay Dixon, Sugai Kona Coffee

With the solution’s success to date, Wraye hopes many more farms will incorporate the solution as part of their Integrated Pest Management plan, further encouraging symbiotic and earth-friendly solutions for other problems facing Hawai‘i’s agriculture industry. ❖ For more information on the Coffee Borer Beetle Solution: SymbioticSolutions.biz For more information on the Coffee Borer Beetle in Hawai‘i: KonaFarmersAssociation.com, HawaiiCoffeeAssociation.com. Contact writer Margaret Kearns: margaretekearns@gmail.com

“Beetle Juice” ready for delivery

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Pati en

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Christina Collins, M.D. F.A.C.O.G. Ph: (808) 331-2300 Fax: (808) 331-2330

75-5905 Walua Rd., Suite 3 Kailua Kona, HI 96740

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

“I was looking for a better solution than the countless traps and monthly spraying of Botanigard. In early July I came across the Symbiotic Solution and decided to try it out. The first harvest had a 10% bug rate, due to infected beans prior to spraying. This time I am not seeing any bugs in the ripe cherry or green beans on the trees, and the traps are all but empty. Over the last year I also had a problem with another beetle attacking a number of Tahitian lime trees on the property. Commercial products, extensive pruning, and sealing of the damaged branches did not work. With nothing to lose, I decided to spray my lime trees with the Symbiotic Solution. Within a week I noticed new growth from previously dead branches and no further damage. ~ Murray Taylor

Now Accepting N ew

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–photo by Dennis Soares

Soaring to the Sound of Music

Meet Dennis and Christy Soares, Founders of the Big Island Music Awards

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founding the upcoming Big Island Music Awards (BIMA) to showcase local artists. It all began with a conversation. “I want to put on a music festival,” declared Dennis. “Well isn’t that going to cost a lot of money?” asked Christy. “She’s the total antithesis to where I’m at, which is good. She’s the practical one,” he confesses. Christy obviously gave him the go-ahead because this year is the Second Annual Big Island Music Awards. “There are so many gifted artists and musicians here, it’s mind blowing. The idea in starting BIMA was to recognize musicians who otherwise probably wouldn’t be recognized for what they do,” he explains. “The money generated from the BIMAs goes back to the musicians in our community.” Unlike most music contests, there is no submission fee. “As long as you meet the criteria you are welcome to submit your music. It’s kind of like the American Idol of Hawai‘i.” The Big Island Music Awards are voted through a public choice panel with at least thirty different categories ranging from Children’s music, Reggae, Slack-key and ‘Ukulele to Latin, Rock, and Ska. “The BIMAs will be five times more impactful than last year. I’m sure of that.” He reveals how difficult it is for mid-line artists to make a living on our island. “There’s not a lot of money here. If you make a hundred dollars for a three-hour night, you are making big money!” So what prompted Dennis and Christy to pursue music on this island of hard-knocks? First, they adore it here. “I love this island. And I love Hilo because it’s so kama‘āina. It reminds me a lot of growing up in Kailua as a kid where a lot of people knew each other and the support was there,” says Dennis. Second, it was inevitable. After working at a few Hawai‘i Island franchises that eventually closed their doors, Dennis and Christy found themselves at a road block, uncertain of their next move. Music seemed their obvious, most satisfying choice. “We’ve performed most

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itting side by side in a music composition class back in 1986, Dennis and Christy had no idea they would someday get married, live on Hawai‘i Island, and compose over fifty CDs together (and counting). Dennis, born and raised on O‘ahu, and Christy from Redding, California met at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. Even though Dennis studied philosophy, education, and literature while Christy studied arts and humanities, it was their common passion for music that connected them. A year into their relationship they recorded their first album “Child Again,” featuring a composition of Christy’s original songs. Soon after, they recorded their first collaborative album, appropriately titled “In the Beginning,” which contained “Spiraling Upward,” the track they eventually sang to each other on their wedding day. They became a strong, supportive pair in both marriage and music. Performing shows across Northern California they covered a range of styles from James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and Joni Mitchell to America and the Eagles, along with their ever-accumulating repertoire of originals tracks. Christy’s small stature, long blondish-red hair, and relaxed smile contrasts Dennis’ tall, robust figure and deep inset eyes, that may suppose a darker, more serious nature. And that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Both are equally soft spoken, gentle, and more than willing to share in some good, old-fashioned, honest conversation. Dennis admits that over time he developed two very strong desires that pulled him back to Hawai‘i. “I had successful, well-paying jobs and I was good at what I did. However, I wanted to come home. And it wasn’t to record music. It was to spend time with my mom, and to start my own church as I had just been ordained as a minister.” And so he and Christy bought land on Hawai‘i Island, sight-unseen. Today they play over twenty instruments between them. They have been nominated for thirteen Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards (Hawaiian Grammys), have won five Big Island Music Awards, and were 2010 Hawai‘i Music Award Winners. They’ve opened for major talents such as Cyril Pahinui, John Keawe, and Jeff Peterson at venues like Volcano Arts Center, the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, and the Palace Theater. Equally notable is their community involvement which includes hosting concerts and

| By Jessica Kirkwood

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of our lives. I said, let’s just do music and nothing much else.” non-denominational church of metaphysics and philosophy. “It’s not And so music became their unyielding focus. “I wouldn’t trade as much a church as it is an open community committed to spiritual music for a chance to make more money. It’s all or nothing for us. growth,” says Dennis. “We like to connect with like-minded, energyWe either sink or swim doing this,” he says. “We know the Universe positive people. People who embrace wherever they’re at, and that’s is going to provide for us. We don’t always know how that’s going not always easy to do.” to look or how it’s going to work out, and we do know that it will Dennis gives talks about Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Daoism, because we’ve set the intention and we’re fully committed.” He and other eastern philosophies. “Meditation is important. Music is continues, “Being rich has nothing do to with it. You couldn’t pay important,” he says. “My philosophy is to embrace change, to learn to someone to manifest your intentions.” go with the flow. It’s more of an intuitive way of being.” Their personal concert hall rests between their house and He reveals that when he’s unashamed and unabashed, his Source recording studio, tucked among budding ōhias and fern forests. will freely deliver the goods. “All the melody and words come out of Even though it seats one hundred and twenty people, it has maxed at nowhere. Afterwards, I’ll be like, my gosh, where did that come from? an impressive eighty. “Being in Mountain View makes it challenging to And it’s all in my intention.” get a full house,” he laughs. They’ve hosted slack-key artists such as “He never has writers block,” offers Christy. “In fifteen minutes John Keawe, Cyril Pahinui, Sonny Lim, Kenneth Makahukane, he’ll have one or two great ideas for a song.” The outcome of his and Ben Kahili. creative outpouring “It’s a nice venue. has resulted in It’s open-air, yet the release of it’s covered, and a whopping ten you can see the albums in 2011 and greenery behind the seven this year. stage,” says Christy. He has also “After the published two books concerts we this year: Poetry gather for kau kau for the Child Within (potluck) time.” is a collection of Kenneth Johnny Kai Their concert venue twenty-four poems, Brittni Paiva with Makuakane Lifetime also doubles as a while Out of the Trophy BIMAs Performing BIMAs Achievment Sunday gathering Darkness Into The

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place for their Oneness Center, a

–photos by Ronald Newberry

Light is a personal

Kona Music Society

and Artistic Director Susan McCreary Duprey

ANNOUNCE OUR 23RD SEASON: ➡ Sunday, November 25, 2012 - 4:00 PM: Annual Messiah Concert ➡ Sunday, December 16, 2012 - 4:00 PM: Makaʻeo Pavilion - Old Airport A Free Community Holiday Concert ➡ Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 4:00 PM: Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem

For more information and tickets call 334-9880 or visit us at www.konamusicsociety.org


retrospective on living with a mental disorder. “I have a condition that they have labeled bipolar disorder—and I’m not afraid if you print that, by the way. I’m not ashamed of it.” Dennis says he wrote the book for anyone who has a mental challenge, especially those who may be in denial. “Having a mental illness or bipolar disorder, if you want to call it that, is not a curse. It’s actually a blessing in disguise. It can be a powerful, powerful tool in your life. If you can learn to embrace it, respect its power, and deal with it responsibly, it can help you become more open and help release your inner creativity.” Dennis reminds me that there is no limitation on creative ideas, and there’s no limit to the number of ideas we can have, no matter what obstacles fall on our path. He is living proof. “You don’t have to have a lot of money to be wealthy, we don’t, that’s for sure. What you need to be is a spiritual being, take whatever spirit gives you, work with it, and move forward.” “One of my role models was Andy Griffith. He was like a dad in my household. When he died it really impacted me. I created the song ‘So Long’ in G Kilauea Tuning [a tuning style for slack key guitar] to honor him.” Dennis continues, “So many people who have been so impactful on our lives are gone. I look around and realize we’re all moving, and we’re all moving in synch. I move ten years, you move ten years. How much time do we really have? I don’t want to let a moment go by without offering one hundred percent of what I can do.”

To participate in the Big Island Music Awards, artists may submit original material online between November 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013. Online voting will commence during the last two weeks of February. The Dennis and Chris awards ceremony will be April –photo by Sears Portrait Studio 8, 2013 at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center. The Soares perform on the first Saturday of every month at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View. Other performance locations include Luke’s in Hawi and in Hilo, Le Magic Pan, Ohana Grill, and the Hilo Burger Joint. ❖ To participate in BIMA: bigislandmusicawards.com For more information: dennisandchristysoares.com Contact writer Jessica Kirkwood: jkirkwood23@hotmail.com

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Gotu Kola

Natural Plant Medicine is Everywhere You Look | By Barbara Fahs

Y

Common Examples of Wild Medicinals

ou already know about them. Those dandelions you struggle to keep out of your lawn? Medicinal. The persistent weeds in your vegetable garden? Many of them have uses as medicine. Even some “weeds” that grow on bare pāhoehoe (smooth lava), such as pohe kula, and ‘uha loa, were used as medicine by Hawaiian people of a former era.

Identifying Wild Medicinals

Before you pull or poison any plant, check with a local nursery, or search the library or internet to learn about the plants on your property. Even though you might not use all of the plants you find, knowing about them can help their population to thrive and survive, especially if they are native Hawaiian plants. A good book for identifying the plants that grow in Hawai‘i is Polynesian Herbal Medicine, by Dr. W. Arthur Whistler. It contains nearly 100 pages of photographs and detailed descriptions of plants that have known medicinal properties, including ways in which earlier residents used them.

‘Uha Loa

‘Uha Loa: The pale green ‘uha loa (Waltheria americana and W. indica) is possibly an early Polynesian introduction that belongs to the Amaranth plant family. It thrives in hot, dry areas. Kumu Dane Silva of the Ohana Learning Institute writes, “‘Uha loa may be used both internally and externally. Consuming it as a tea or oral rinse has both traditional and scientific support for selfcare and prevention of inflammatory disorders.

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External use as a topical or transdermal application improves circulation in the inflamed extremities.” In earlier times, other uses included drinking the juice from its root bark for sore throats. The roots, leaves and flowers were mixed with other plants for asthma: to prepare this medicine, practitioners pressed out the juice, then strained and heated it. Patients were instructed to drink it daily for five days. A tea was also made from the leaves and was Lau Kahi said to assist those suffering from arthritis. Pohe Kula: Commonly called gotu kola (Centella asiatica), this dainty little vine grows in lawns and on bare rock. It came to Western Polynesia through early European explorers and spread its way east to Hawai‘i as other Polynesian peoples learned of its medicinal value. Although it has been used for a wide array of ailments, such as medicine for migraine headaches to its current day use as a memory enhancer, pohe kula was not commonly used as medicine in Hawai‘i. Because it grows here, we can take advantage of its powers.

Lau Kahi: This member of the Plantago genus is sometimes called plantain. It grows in some form on nearly every continent of Earth. Early Europeans introduced this plant—several species exist in Hawai‘i. Everywhere that a species of Plantago grows, indigenous populations used it for similar purposes: It’s a potent healer of all skin ailments, such as cuts, abrasions, bites, rashes, and burns. When made into a poultice, lau kahi helps to prevent infections and it can speed the healing of external infections such as staphylococcus. Mimosa Pudica: You know it as “sleeping grass” or “sensitive plant” and it is one of the weeds you love to hate. It’s a prickly little groundcover plant that seems to grow everywhere. It’s hard to pull out because it has thorns and a persistent root system. And it has value as a sleep aid. In the Central American country of Belize, traditional healers prescribe this plant to calm the Mimosa Pudica


nerves and promote restful slumber. Modern residents sometimes dry the leaves, grind them into a powder, and then sprinkle it over the final meal of the day. They also smoke the dried leaves for a similar effect. Even the roots have their use—as an aphrodisiac. When steeped in grapeseed oil, these roots have an interesting effect when used in massage.

Growing Medicinal Plants

Spreading the News

Classes about wild medicinal plants are available on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and O‘ahu. David Bruce Leonard of the Earth Medicine Institute, and author of the book, Medicine At Your Feet, offers herb walks and daylong courses in herbal first aid and wild wisdom. His 100-hour wildcrafting certification course includes information on gathering protocols, plant identification and expertise about 30 different plants. He brings in guest teachers for topics such as herbal cosmetics, breath, Earth-centered practices, and wild edible plants. ❖ facebook.com/EarthMedicineInstitute Hawaiian Sanctuary, near Pāhoa, offers permaculture courses, herbal plant medicine workshops, and is instrumental in promoting Hawaiian culture and sustainable development. HawaiianSanctuary.com One Island Sustainable Living Center in Honaunau holds many events and workshops on growing and using various plants, including medicinals. facebook.com/pages/OneIsland-Sustainable-Living-Center-Hawaii/374108626353 Mahalo for all the pictures: Forest and Kim Starr, hear.org/starr

Pohe Kula

Contact writer Barbara Fahs: Hiiakas.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Even common herbs such as basil have medicinal properties. According to Michael Tierra in his book, The Way of Herbs, sweet basil is helpful for indigestion, fevers, colds, flu, kidney, and bladder ailments when brewed into a tea. If you already have an herb garden or grow a few kitchen herbs in pots on your lanai, you know how well they fare. Most medicinal herbs thrive in poor soil, or very little soil and full sun. You needn’t fertilize them and many require very little water. They are the perfect plants for people who claim to have “black thumbs.” Growing medicinal plants in containers is a good way for city dwellers and those with limited space to create a household pharmacy. Start small and choose common plants from a local nursery. When you begin growing herbs, focus on the ones you can use in cooking. Adding fresh basil, oregano, thyme, and other herbs to a jar of pasta sauce will definitely liven up your spaghetti and other Italian dishes. Fresh cilantro might fool your guests into thinking that your store-bought salsa is homemade. As you gain more confidence in your gardening abilities, expand your herb garden—and your thinking—to include other plants that are commonly used as plant medicine. Everyone sometimes receives a cut, scratch or insect bite, so plants such as comfrey are useful to have on hand. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is one of the easiest plants to grow. Its leaves look like fuzzy spinach and its roots are a powerful healing aid for skin problems and broken bones. Take a look at your personal health issues and choose plants that will help to ease your conditions. Remember, however, to confer with a qualified medical practitioner before you stop taking any prescribed medication in favor of plant medicine. Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing. Preparing and using Medicinal Plants making plant medicine can be as easy as boiling water. Medicine made from plants is more effective and convenient than eating them or applying

them to the skin in their native form. When you make plants into simple medicines, you can store them and transport them more easily than fresh plant material. Teas—Brew any fresh, leafy herb into tea in minutes. Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of your herb (including flowers) in an 8-ounce teacup and then cover it with boiling water. Allow it to steep, or sit, for five to 10 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. Then strain and enjoy with honey, sugar, agave, or stevia. For a therapeutic dose, drink one to three cups of tea each day until your symptoms are gone. Poultices—Make a strong tea (called a decoction) from the fresh plant you want to use on your skin. Chop half a cup of herbs and add it to one pint of water. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes and then allow it to cool. Strain and then spread the mushy herbs on your skin. Tape it on if you want to leave it on overnight. Otherwise, leave it on for 30 minutes to one hour. Repeat as needed. Tinctures and herbal vinegars—Preserve any fresh herb by combining it with alcohol or apple cider vinegar. For either liquid, fill a jar one-third full with chopped herbs and then fill with vodka, rum, brandy, or vinegar. Cap it tightly and allow it to steep in a cool, shady place for 30 days, and shake it daily. Then strain and bottle it in dropper-top bottles. Take one to three full droppers one to three times a day until your symptoms clear up. Herbal Oils—Chop herbs and place them in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill with the oil of your choice: olive oil is good for cooking, and grapeseed oil is preferred for massage. Set your jar in the sun for up to one week or bake in a 150-degree oven for 3 hours. Cool, strain and use on the skin or in your favorite foods. Salves—Easily make salve, or ointment, by making an herbal oil. After it’s finished, heat it and then add a small amount of melted beeswax. Pour into small jars. If you wish, add a few drops of purchased essential oil to each jar before you add the hot salve.

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Close up of a native Hawaiian white hibiscus

Getting Back to Hawaiian Roots Perpetuate Native Culture With Your Landscaping

addition to them looking beautiful, is that they often require less water than introduced or invasive plants. “We have plant species that have co-evolved with the environment so they have low water requirements,” explains Schirman. It’s an important consideration for many Hawai‘i Island subdivisions where residents have to pay for private or county water. One of the most important reasons to use native Hawaiian plants is also the most basic. Simply put, the plants are Hawaiian. According to the Bishop Museum, the aloha state has more endangered plants and animals per square mile than any other place on the planet. And 90 percent of native plants in Hawai‘i are endemic, meaning they are found only here in the Hawaiian Islands. Equally important, native Hawaiian plants are inextricably tied to the history and culture of Hawai‘i. “What makes Hawai‘i unique?” asks Schirman, who was a Hawaiian studies professor at UH-Manoa before becoming a licensed landscaper and launching a native plant business 13 years ago. “If we look at our culture, the base of our culture is the plants. If we have an endemic plant in Hawai‘i that’s associated with a cultural practice, that cultural practice is thereby endemic. If the plant goes extinct, then that practice and a bit of our culture goes extinct as well,” explains Schirman. “The idea is to help propagate and grow these native plants in people’s yards. Then they’ll be able to continue these cultural practices associated with these plants. “For instance, if we plant palapalai in our yard, as opposed to going into the forest to harvest it, then we’re allowing those forest patches to grow and be used only for special occasions because for everyday material we have it right in our yard.” If planting native plants is important then planting rare and endangered plants is even more important. “The idea is to propagate the endangered plants and put them into the landscape,” he says. “The thought is that you’re putting

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W

hen you think about landscaping your yard, your thoughts are probably along the lines of what plants will look pretty, what will grow, and how easy it will be to maintain. You’re probably not thinking about perpetuating native Hawaiian culture or being able to tell stories to your friends and family during your next barbeque. Yet using native Hawaiian plants around your home enables you to have attractive landscaping that is cost efficient, low in water use, culturally important, AND makes you seem knowledgeable to your houseguests. Some people think that having native Hawaiian plants in the landscaping might be a burden because they require more care and attention. In reality, the opposite is true. “Using native plants is the most environmentally conscious way of landscaping your yard,” says Matt Schirman, a Hawaiian plant specialist and co-founder of Hui Kū Maoli Ola. The landscaping company works to educate legislators and businesses about the importance of native Hawaiian plants and also provides native plants to local big box stores. “Because they’re not invasive, the native plants aren’t going to take over your yard,” adds Schirman. “Since these types of plants are literally right at home, he adds, these plants require less maintenance, which in turn means less fertilization and pruning.” So what types of native plants should you use in your yard? Factors such as elevation, pressure variations, rainfall, wind, and topography should be considered before selecting a particular plant species. Given that Hawai‘i Island is home to 11 of the 13 climate zones found in the world, each of which has its own unique ecosystem and weather characteristics, it’s a good idea to check with a local nursery or landscaper to determine what native plants work best for your area. Whichever native plants you choose, the benefits are bountiful. One benefit of using native Hawaiian plants, in

| By Denise Laitinen

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one more plant into the ground that will be able to grow and reproduce seeds.” Incorporating rare and endangered native plants is as easy as using commonly found plants in terms of maintenance and water use. However, you will want to consult a landscaper or nursery to find out about purchasing such plants. Sometimes people just don’t realize how easy it is to use native plants Both the hāpu‘u fern in the or they are new to foreground and the the island and don’t white hibiscus in the understand what background are kumulipo plants. is and is not a native plant. During the last housing boom on Hawai‘i Island, it sometimes seemed as if entire subdivisions sprouted seemingly overnight, especially in west Hawai‘i. All too often the landscaping reflected scenery reminiscent of mainland locations with non-native plant species, such as bougainvillea shrubs and fountain grass (which happens to be a highly flammable plant).

However, Schirman says he has noticed a trend over the past decade of more and more people becoming interested in using native plants around their homes. He recalls property owners in the west Hawai‘i subdivision of Hualālai contacting him a few years ago wanting to use native plants around their newly built home. The homeowners have a keen interest in conservation, yet travel frequently, so he needed plants that are low maintenance. Since the house was designed with entertaining in mind, they also wanted plants that were pretty, yet could also be educational. After receiving general input from the homeowners and looking at the environmental parameters, such as shade, sun, wind, and water availability, Schirman looked at the aesethics.

Incorporating native Hawaiian plants into the landscaping, no matter your yard size, adds beauty and helps perpetuate Hawaiian culture.


The ‘āhinahina plant, currently found only on Maui, is a rare native Hawaiian plant. By planting endangered plants in your yard, you increase the chances of the plant reproducing.

Mahalo to Ethan Tweedie for his photography used in this article. EthanTweedie.com Contact writer Denise Laitinen: wahineokekai@yahoo.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Most landscapers use themes when creating a landscape. When it comes to native Hawaiian plants, Schirman says people can use medicinal plants, things that they can harvest and use as medicine, or plants that tell a story. “The plants for this particular house were selected more for their storytelling than their medicinal uses because the owners are really committed to using and promoting native plants,” says Schirman, who opted to use 31 different species of native plants, including several kumulipo plants. The Kumulipo is Hawai‘i’s creation chant. More than 2,000 lines long, the chant describes the origin of all life on earth. The chant describes how as species evolved in the ocean, they also began to evolve “partners” on land. It is premised on the idea that all things in nature, including humans, are related like family, and that they must depend on each other for there to be balance and harmony in life. To that end, the Kumulipo describes how living things in different kingdoms are paired, such as fish and plants. Thus, kumulipo plants are plant species described within the Kumulipo that have an ocean counterpart. “In the Kumulipo there is something created on land that looks after something that was created in the ocean,” explains Schirman. “This Kumulipo connection is very much part of the modern discourse on watershed management,” says Schirman. “It’s really something our ancient ancestors understood. They understood that we need to have something on land that protects things in the ocean. We need to watch our land management to protect our ocean.” One of the kumulipo plants Schirman used in his landscape design is the hāpu‘u fern. The native hāpu‘u fern is a “The story behind kumulipo plant, meaning it is hāpu‘u is that it’s paired with an ocean counterpart also the name of in Hawai‘i’s creation chant. the Hawaiian sea bass,” explains

Schirman. Part of the grouper family, Hawaiian sea bass are called hāpu‘upu‘u in Hawaiian. They are similar to the hāpu‘u plant because they grow very slowly and there are not that many in Hawai‘i. Statewide, the last remaining large stands of native hāpu‘u are found here on Hawai‘i Island. Their numbers are being rapidly reduced by clearing and development, except in protected areas such as Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. However, not all kumulipo plants are rare or native. The ti leaf plant is not native to Hawai‘i and is used frequently in cultural practices. “Ti leaf is a Polynesian-introduced plant that came into these islands a couple thousand years ago with the original Polynesian settlers. It’s one of those plants that has proven to not be an invasive species because it’s been here for 2,000 years, and it’s not a specific native plant.” It’s a plant commonly found in yards all over Hawai‘i Island, yet few people are aware of its Kumulipo connection. “Ti leaf is found within the Kumulipo,” explains Schirman. “It’s called lau‘ī—a contraction of the word lau and ki, so it brings those two words together and basically means ti leaf. “The fish counterpart is the lau‘īpala or yellow tang fish. Translated, lau‘īpala literally means yellow leaf. Pala means to be overly ripe. So Ti leaf plants, which are commonly if you look at the overly found in yards across Hawai‘i ripe leaves of the ti plant Island, are also important for their they are yellow, very many uses in cultural practices. much like the lau‘īpala you see in the ocean,” says Schirman. In addition to kumulipo plants, Schirman used several rare and endangered plants around this particular property. ‘Uki‘uki is a blueberry plant, and its flowers are the only native lily in Hawai‘i. While the blueberry itself is not edible, ancient Hawaiians used the blueberry to dye kapa. Schirman says one of the very rare plants he used at this particular property is the ‘ohai. A native plant, the only place it grows on Hawai‘i Island is in South Point. He also planted āhinahina, which is typically only found on Maui. In all, Schirman used 31 different varieties of native and endangered plants around the property. You may not be able to use as many native plants in your yard, however incorporating just a few will go a long way to promoting an environmentally conscious landscape. And you can bet that after your next dinner guests hear the story of the ti plant, whenever they see one they will probably think of the yellow tang fish. ❖

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East North

Saturday and Tuesday 2–6 pm, Tuesdays 8 am–pau, Saturdays Hawi Farmers Market, North Kohala, across from Post Office and Nakahara Store, under the banyans.

Saturday 7 am–noon Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Farmers Market, 64-759 Kahilu Rd., located at Kuhio Hale Bldg. (off of Mamalahoa Hwy., two miles east of Waimea town). Saturday 7:30 am–2 pm Honoka‘a Farmers Market, Mamane St., Honoka‘a, Honoka‘a Trading Co., Old Botelho Bldg. Tuesday and Friday 2–5 pm Kekela Farms Organic Farmers Market, 64-604 Mana Rd., Waimea. 100% organic. Wednesday 9 am–4 pm Waimea Mid-Week Farmer’s Market at Pukalani Stables, site of the Paniolo Museum. Pukalani Road in Waimea.

Please send info on new markets or changes to sharon@keolamagazine.com

Saturday 8 am–noon Keauhou Farmers Market, Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou. Saturday 9:30 am–2 pm SKEA Farmers Market Hōnaunau, Hwy. 11 between mile markers 104 & 105. Saturday 7:30 am–1 pm Waikoloa Village Farmers Market, 68-3625 Paniolo Ave., Waikoloa Community Church parking lot across from Waikoloa Elementary School. Sunday 9 am–1 pm South Kona Green Market, Captain Cook, Kealakekua Ranch Center (behind ChoiceMart and Ace Hardware). Wednesday 8:30 am–1 pm Kings’ Shops Farmers Market, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Kohala Coast. Wednesday 9 am–2 pm Ho‘oulu Community Farmers Market, Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay Wednesday – Sunday 7 am–4 pm Kona Farmers Market, corner of Ali‘i Drive and Hualālai Rd.

Saturday 7 am–noon Kino‘ole Farmers Market. Kino‘ole Shopping Plaza, 1990 Kino‘ole St., Hilo,

Daily 8 am–5 pm Pana‘ewa Hawaiian Home Lands Farmers Market, Puainako and Ohuohu Streets by Walmart, Hilo.

Saturday 7:30 am–4 pm Keaukaha Pana‘ewa Farmers Market. Railroad Avenue, across from Home Depot, Hilo. Homegrown produce offered by Hawaiian Homelands lessees.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 7 am–4 pm Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo. Sunday 7 am–2 pm Akebono Farmers Market. Luquin’s/Akebono Theater parking lot in Pāhoa. Sunday 8 am–2 pm Maku‘u Farmers Market, Kea‘au-Pāhoa bypass road. Sunday and Thursday 2 pm–dusk, Thursdays Dawn–2 pm, Sundays Pepe‘ekeo Farmers Market. Off Hwy. 19 on Ka‘akepa St. Produce and foods. Tuesday – Saturday 7 am–5 pm Kea‘au Village Market, 16-6550 Old Volcano Rd., Kea‘au Wednesday & Friday 5–9 pm Uncle Robert’s Awa Bar and Farmers Market in Kalapana at the end of Kalapana-Kapoho Road (Route 137), next to Kalapana Village Café. Locally grown produce, ono grinds, artisans, awa bar and live music.

Saturday 8 am–noon SPACE Farmers Market, Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education, 12-247 West Pohakupele Loop, Kalapana. Saturday 8 am–1 pm Hilo Coffee Mill, 17-995 Volcano Rd., Mountain View (on Hwy. 11 between mile markers 12 and 13). Saturday and Wednesday 6 am–4 pm Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo.

South

Friday 2–6 pm Green Market, Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle, Ocean View. Sunday 6 am–9 am Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, 1000 Wright Rd., Volcano Village. Saturday and Wednesday 8 am–noon Na‘ālehu Farmers Market, Ace Hardware lawn.

Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 | KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Saturday 8 am–1 pm Waimea Town Market at Parker School, 65-1224 Lindsey Rd., Waimea/Kamuela.

West

Sunday 9 am–1 pm Laupāhoehoe Farmers Market. Next to the Minit Stop on Hwy. 19.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012


Ambrosia...Food of the Gods | By Sonia R. Martínez

“T

his time of year, our farmers markets are bursting with a riot of color and rainbows of fruits just in time for holiday entertaining. The Holidays … a time when we tend to over indulge with rich and heavy foods is the perfect time to serve Ambrosia…a dessert that is called a salad!

Although the origins of this dessert are lost in the mists of time, the Ambrosia Salad as we know it started appearing in menus and American cookbooks in the last quarter of the 19th Century. Before then, there were variations of fruit combinations served as a salad, yet the key ingredient in the “Ambrosia” was the inclusion of grated ‘cocoanut’. Ambrosia Salads became quite popular in the American south where they are still seen on holiday tables. A sample recipe from 1877 called for: “Six sweet oranges, peeled and sliced (seeds and as much of the core as possible taken out), one pine-apple peeled and sliced (the canned is equally good), and one large cocoa-nut grated; alternate the layers of orange and pine-apple with grated cocoa-nut, and sprinkle pulverized sugar over each layer. Or, use six oranges, six lemons and two cocoa-nuts, or only oranges and cocoa-nuts, prepared as above.” —Buckeye Cookery, Estelle Wood Wilcox (Buckeye Publishing: Minneapolis) 1877 (p135). A 1930 cookbook explains: “Ambrosia. Equal quantities of fresh grated cocoanut and sliced oranges. You must not use canned cocoanut, and the oranges must be carefully peeled and cut across, not up and down. Sweeten to taste.” —Old Southern Recipes, Mary D. Pretlow (p135). A bit of background: living in Hawai‘i we take our pineapples for granted. Almost every yard has a few pineapple plants growing, or we can find them at any farmers market all year ‘round. Back during the early days of sailing schooners and adventure seeking seafaring captains, pineapples were considered very exotic and were brought to New England markets where only the very wealthy could afford them. Pineapples started appearing in table centerpieces, holiday wreaths and at the tables of the most discriminating hostesses and soon became known as a symbol of hospitality.

Contact writer Sonia R. Martínez: SoniaTastesHawaii.com Photos courtesy Sonia R. Martinez

Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 | KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

am·bro·sia (am-broh-zhuh) n. 1. Greek and Roman Mythology The food of the gods, thought to confer immortality. 2. Something with an especially delicious flavor or fragrance. 3. A dessert containing primarily oranges and flaked coconut.

In South Carolina, where we lived for many years, Ambrosia was traditionally served during the Christmas holidays or even as part of the dessert course during Christmas dinner. As you can see, the original Ambrosia Salad was simply cut up fresh tropical fruits (although one recipe said canned pineapple was alright to use!), grated coconut and pulverized (powdered) sugar. Through the years the recipe has been transformed and all kinds of other ingredients have been added, such as canned fruits with less fresh fruit added. Not to be a purist, but in my opinion, the ‘modern’ additions of whipped topping, puddings, yogurt or sour cream and finishing off with maraschino cherries and/or marshmallows does not an ambrosia make. Since we can find so many beautiful fruits available in our farmers markets almost all year ‘round, I like to make my Ambrosia as a tropical fruit salad and let the fruit make the statement without any of the other nonfruit additions. Additions I do like are pomegranate seeds, when the fruit is available, and sometimes grapes or even sliced Kiwi fruit (although none of them grow here on the island) for a bit of color. It is a very forgiving recipe because you can use whatever fruit is available in any combinations you prefer. I start by hollowing a pineapple shell with a pineapple corer, a very handy gadget that cores and slices at the same time, leaving an intact container which can be used to serve the salad or for other purposes. Of course, we always save the green tops to replant! The pulp can then be chopped and placed in a glass bowl, where you will add slices of small apple or finger bananas and mix them well. The pineapple pieces and juice help prevent the banana slices from turning color. Building on this base, I add sliced oranges or tangerines or both; diced mango, diced papaya, starfruit slices, chopped persimmon and red dragon fruit when these fruits are in season; locally grown fresh strawberries, freshly grated coconut. Often I will add chopped candied ginger, chopped and toasted macadamia nuts, pomegranate seeds, grapes or Kiwi fruit. Sometimes I will squeeze a bit of Rangpur lime juice. If the fruit is not sweet enough, I may add a little bit of powdered sugar, although I usually don’t as I prefer the taste of the fruit to shine through. Mix all fruit together and serve from a large clear glass bowl, the hollowed pineapple shell or in individual stemmed wine or martini glasses. Happy Holiday Season!

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

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Kailua Village Artists

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Porcelain by Betty Gerstner

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Mosaic by Kathleen Jaeger

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Queen Lili‘uokalani Birthday event in Hilo

–photo by Sharon Bowling

A Breath of Fresh Air—Lena Naipo and Kahulanui | By Shirley Stoffer

A

loha, Hawaiian music fans! Remember the excitement you felt the first time you heard the sweet harmonies of the group, Hui ‘Ohana? Or when you first heard the banjo, fiddle, and dobro on Peter Moon’s Sunday Manoa 3 album, or the rousing piano accompaniment on Nā Palapalai’s first album? You were not the same after hearing that music, were you? Well, that is how I felt the first time I heard Lena Naipo’s band, Kahulanui, break out the horn section for their performance of “Rocking Chair Hula.” Pure delight. It was almost impossible to stay in my seat with that “jitter-bugging” beat going on! It’s not that the genre didn’t exist before. There is a history of the “big band” sound in Hawaiian music, beginning in 1928 when bandleader, Johnny Noble, hired half-Hawaiian vocalist, Ray Kinney, to promote Hawai‘i as a visitor destination. They performed on an hour-long national radio show originating in San Francisco, and recorded a series of 110 singles which are collectors’ items today. The band performed for a year at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, and in 1936, Noble and Kinney were

hired by Decca Records to put out a series of Hawaiian records, which resulted in phenomenal sales for the record company. Harry Owens, composer of the song “Sweet Leilani,” led an orchestra, with Ray Kinney on vocals, which played at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s opening in Waikīkī in 1934. Kinney’s own orchestra played the Hawai‘i Room of New York’s Hotel Lexington from 1938 to 1942 to rave reviews. During a brief trip to Hawai‘i in 1940, Kinney discovered vocalist Alfred Apaka, and hired him as vocalist for the Lexington Hotel’s Hawai‘i Room. That band toured 157 military bases and clubs, and was a favorite of members of Hawai‘i’s 442nd Regiment. Those were the days of the famous “Hawai‘i Calls” radio show, and people were infatuated with “all things Hawai‘i.” In 1949, Ray formed his own Royal Hawaiian Hotel orchestra. Lena Naipo, bandleader of Kahulanui, was exposed to the “best of the best” of Hawaiian music from a young age. He is originally from Waimanalo, O‘ahu. His grandfather, Robert Kahulanui Naipo, was an alternate bandleader of ‘Iolani Palace‘s 79 Royal Hawaiian Band.

❁Continued on page 80


The “cool cat” himself, Lena Naipo

–photo by Shirley Stoffer

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

❁Continued from page 79

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His father, Rodgers Naipo, was a bass player for the legendary Hawaiian falsetto singer, Aunty Genoa Keawe, and had his own band. Lena and his father would often visit Aunty Alice Namakelu, famous for inventing the wahine slack key guitar tuning. She wrote some songs for Rodgers’ band and coached him on his Hawaiian language pronunciation. “My father got plenty of scoldings from her about his ‘olelo!’” Lena laughs. Lena started playing ‘ukulele when he was about 10 years old. “Bass is my main instrument,” he says. “My father taught me the basics, and my idol, Jesse Kalima, Jr., taught me a lot too.” Lena was like a sponge, soaking up technique from great players. “I would watch Violet of the Liliko‘i Sisters play ‘slap-style’ bass. She ripped!” Lena learned slap-style himself. Later, he would fill in on bass, backing up Aunty Genoa when his father couldn’t make it. “I play guitar with Kahulanui,” he says, “because guitar is easier to play when you’re singing.” School was difficult for Lena. Reading and writing was a huge challenge to him. His teachers were very understanding and supportive. “Probably due to a combination of my personality and my music aptitude. I was excused from school to go traveling the world with the Hawaiian Airlines promotional tour when I was 14,” Lena says. “My teachers knew that performing music was what I was going to do with my life. They considered it ‘handson’ learning. I played my first professional gig at 14. I was the youngest stand-up bass player in Hawai‘i. I had to stand on a milk crate to play.” Some of Hawai‘i’s top musicians were hired by Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines to travel around the world, performing Hawaiian music to stir up excitement about Hawai‘i as a vacation destination. Lena’s father was one of them. “I wasn’t hired for the Hawaiian Airlines tour until 1979-’81 when I was older,” Lena says. “I toured with Andy Cummings (the composer of the iconic


❁Continued on page 83

The Core Four— Tim, Patrick, Lena, and Duke

–photo by Shirley Stoffer

Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 | KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

song, “Waikiki”) in Europe. People hear that and say, “You’re not old enough to have known him!” Lena laughs, “He was only in his sixties then.” Lena visited exotic locations all over the world on those tours: Singapore, the pyramids of Egypt, temples in Mexico, and the jungles of South America, to name a few. Kahulanui, Lena’s band, has a core group of four members who appear at most performances. At the wonderful “core four” performances, you won’t get the same high-energy sound that the horn section provides, but you will hear a bit more of the mellow, sweet, sometimes jazzy side of the band. There will be many hot licks (mainly from Duke Tatom’s innovative leads on ‘ukulele) and upbeat songs in the mix, as well. The “core four” of Kahulanui are Patrick Eskildsen on electric bass and vocals; Duke Tatom on ‘ukulele and vocals; Tim Taylor on drums/ percussion and vocals; and, of course, Lena Naipo on lead vocals and guitar. There is an impressive display of talent from each member during performances, both as individuals and as part of an ensemble. Lena is very proud of “his boys” (band members). “I do the arranging; I tell them what I hear in my head and what I want, but I can’t take credit for their harmonies; they figure those out themselves. I hope this band will help the boys ‘go someplace’ with their music,” he says. There are some very accomplished musicians in the group, and Lena encourages them to shine, and to try new things. For example, he heard Patrick, the band’s bass player, singing along with an old Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs song in his car once, and now Patrick is performing the song with the band. His falsetto has a classic vintage flavor to it on the piece. Duke, the band’s ‘ukulele player, and Lena have been performing together since they had a job at the Four Seasons 15 years ago. Duke is given plenty of room to “go for it” on his ‘ukulele leads during performances. Tim, drummer/percussionist extraordinaire, is also given creative license in the band—when was the last time you heard bar chimes played behind a traditional slack key guitar piece? These four members have been playing together for about five years. Kahulanui’s exciting horn section is comprised of Jesse Snyder on tenor sax, Duncan Bamsey on baritone and alto saxophones, Andrea Lindborg on trumpet, and Garry “Railroad” Russell on trombone. Russell has played with many famous musicians in his music career, including Englebert Humperdinck and Frank Sinatra. Lena has a mastery of what I will call “effective understatement” in his music arranging. His use of harmonies and unisons in the band’s performances is amazingly nuanced— thrilling would be a good word for it. His expertise comes

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–photo by Kirk Shorte

❁Continued from page 81

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KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

from many years of absorbing and retaining the fine points of performance by his mentors, bandmates, and other musicians. This kind of learning you don’t get in school. I was asked by Lena to mention in this article his desire that young people who have learning challenges should still have hope for themselves. Even though it’s hard for them, he wants them to know that they each have something valuable to offer the world. “I used to hide from shame when I couldn’t read in school. Those kids should know that it is still possible for them to become successful.” Kahulanui’s signature visual image relies heavily on what I would call the “cool cat” look, and their classy pork pie and

fedora hats are responsible for a big part of it. When music producer/guitarist Charles Brotman ran into a rep from San Diego Hat Company at an autograph signing in a resort retail store, he told the rep to go watch Kahulanui perform. Lena told me,“They came to see us play, and from then on, they’ve supplied our hats.” He shakes his head in happy amazement at this perk. The band just finished recording their first album, “Kahulanui: Hula Ku‘i; Back in the Day,” with the horn section and guest steel guitarist Greg Sardinha, at Charles Brotman’s Lava Tracks Recording Studio in Waimea. Though he’s played in other bands in his 30 years on Hawai‘i Island, I asked Lena why this band is getting so much attention “all of a sudden.” He replied, “Well, what did you say? It’s something different, isn’t it? Have you ever heard anything like it before? All I know is that after we played with the horn section at the Keauhou Shopping Center’s free concert a few months ago and they put the performance on local TV, we ‘exploded’! I started getting calls from everyone… Mountain Apple (a music distributor of some of Hawai‘i’s top performers)… you name it!” It turns out that, over the years, Lena Naipo has developed a reputation for his unique and interesting interpretations of music. When I first heard his band at the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kona fundraiser this past August, the first thing I had to say to him after the event was, “What a breath of fresh air!” ❖

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KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012


Immerse Yourself in Art The Paradise Studio Tours

| By Noel Morata

T

he concept creating open studio tours in Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) originated between Karen Hagen and Patti Datlof, pottery and cement artists, creating unusual and very colorful cement-based sculpture and objects. “After schlepping heavy concrete crafts and household gifts to art fairs all around the island, I wanted to find an easier outlet in HPP so I wouldn’t have to keeping carrying all these heavy pieces around,” laughs Karen. Tossing around ideas with Patti and raku pottery artist Margaret Lynch, the three decided to create an open studio outlet for artists within HPP and invite the community to shop and support local artisans living in this large subdivision. Not surprisingly, each artist knew other artists in the community who were also interested in creating an open studio tour concept. It was the start of a great collaboration with artists in HPP to support each other and build a local following within their community.

Artists to meet in December

–photo by Noel Morata

of

signer Jewelry de n d, la k Glory Kir ears-young -y e n -o eighty

–photo by Noe

l Morata

Now in its sixth year, the Paradise Studio Tour starts the holiday shopping season after Thanksgiving. The artwork and crafts cover the entire gamut from ceramics to mosaics, stained and fused glasswork, jewelry and clothing, gourds and wooden paddles, quilts and beads to various mediums of painting in watercolor, oils and acrylic. It’s a diverse and extensive collaboration of amazing talent within the community. There are 13 shared studios around Hawaiian Paradise Park to enable buyers to view multiple artists within each section. At one group show you may get a mixture of different artistic mediums being presented. “The sponsoring artist for each shared studio

❁Continued on page 86

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❁Continued from page 85 decides who will show along with them at that particular location,” says Michelle Deis. “We help to fit other artists into a spot so most of the exhibits complement each other.” Michelle, also an artist, creates exciting jewelry pieces made of intricate bead work with stones and found objects. Her entire collection is very colorful and tactile, and the small to large pieces are well-priced considering they are one-of-a-kind custom jewelry. There is quite a diverse collection of artists and interests within the group, and it also spans a large age group. The oldest artist is eighty-one-year-old Glory Kirkland, a self-taught jewelry designer who creates detailed braiding work called Kumihimo (the Japanese art of cord making via braiding and done on a

More artists to meet

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

–photo by Noel Morata

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marudai stand for faster and more complex cording). She finishes each piece with a jeweled centerpiece done with intricate bead work on stones attached to the beautiful braiding. Glory spends her free time showing and giving demonstrations of her craft at seniors and craft events at Sangha Hall, and local bead shops. One of the younger Paradise Studio Tour art members, Daniel Moe, is a glass artist working in slumped and blown glass. He gets the motivation and inspiration for his works by going out into nature, taking long hikes onto the lava fields out in Kalapana. “On more than one occasion, after going out to the lava fields to bring a glass offering and to gain some clarity and inspiration,” he says, “I feel the presence of Pele and I am usually graced with some acknowledgement and guidance to my glassworks.” Many of his glass vessels reflect the hot red lava flowing onto the dried black lava. He has recently combined waterfall and lava imagery onto glass sculpture, vessels, and ornaments. As part of their mission to help the arts community, ten percent of each artist’s total proceeds are donated every year to an arts program in schools within the Puna community. The donations are rotated annually between Pāhoa, Kea‘au High and Hawai‘i Academy of Arts and Sciences school in Pāhoa. “This year’s contributions will be donated to the Pāhoa High School art department,” says Ann Kalber, the board president. In 2010 alone, they contributed $1,800 for art materials to the high school at Kea‘au. “It’s an important goal for our organization to support local arts programs at the schools,” says Ann Kalber. “This annual event helps each school recipient to purchase necessary art supplies so it doesn’t have to come out of the individual teachers’ salary,” she states. Surprisingly, Ann explains, an art teacher told her some years ago that each art department


diverse arts and crafts from artists residing in east Hawai‘i. It will be a fun way to see some beautiful artwork, talk story with the artists, and support locally made artwork from this community during the holiday season. ❖ Thirteen shared art studios throughout Hawaiian Paradise Park will be open for studio visits on December 1 and 2, 10 am–4 pm. For more information: 808.895.6601, ParadiseStudioTour.com Contact writer Noel Morata: NoelMorata.com

Upcoming Artist Seminar In collaboration with the Paradise Studio Tour Artist Collective, Michelle Deis will be facilitating an artist seminar on running the business-side and increasing art sales. This program slated for mid-January is open to the public. The group collective supports artists’ visibility within the community along with creating opportunities for exhibiting their work. Now they are taking it a step further to help each artist learn how to market and develop their business. The seminar will show how to promote, create social media tools, develop person-to-person networking skills, and teaching one’s art as a part of increasing sales. For more information: Michelle@ArtistsWithAloha.com KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

is only allocated $1.25 per student per year for art supplies, which is barely enough to constitute an art program. Ann is also an artist at the hui. She creates brightly colored children’s clothing and beautiful lavainspired photography. Some artists take their own initiative to help the community with art-inspired outreach programs. Cheryl Sheldon, or Hopper as all her friends call her affectionately, goes out to the community in her Michelle Deis brightly painted Volkswagon –photo by Noel Morata bus and sets up various art programs. One such activity includes children painting a Matson shipping container in Hilo. Hopper also sponsors the non-profit program “Art Uprising,” a mobile art enrichment for kids and “Art Day Saturday” at the Hilo farmers market on Saturdays, a free hands-on make and take crafts experience for kids of all ages. For the Paradise Studio Tour at her new studio on Kilia Street, she will have a make-and-take activity for children and adults, where you can create a holiday ornament using recycled materials. Come see her paintings and tie-dyed clothing, and also partake in the fun and make a Christmas ornament to take home. The Paradise Studio Tour is a wonderful opportunity to see the

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Studio of Sticks and Stones

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alking into Jennifer and Scott Kekuhaupi’o Manley’s Studio of Sticks and Stones is like stepping back into time, while at the same moment putting your best foot forward. An opportunity awaits to experience first-hand how the heart, soul and sweat of creating something from nothing can produce fine craftsmanship and a commitment to innovation, while still having a lot of fun. Late 18th century curbstones from Nānākuli train depot, stag horns from Queen Emma’s Summer Palace, and Royal Palms from the ‘Iolani Palace line the flower beds to the showroom and shop. Visitors touring their workshop have a chance to see up close the variety of local and exotic woods from the raw log form and mill scraps to progressive stages required for the finish work that Jen and Scott pride themselves on. Their showroom presents an array of Jennifer’s turned Norfolk oil and wax burning hurricane lamps with a large variety of awarded hair picks. Koa, ebony, pink ivory, milo, true kamani, kou, macadamia, and more. Turned bowls, umeke boxes, and jewelry adorn the antique furniture of the Manley’s’ Great Grandmother. On the walls are Scott’s engraved, polished, and chiseled slate art on salvaged and hand quarried slate roofing shingles originally from Binghamton, New York. They arrived in Honolulu during 1927, and were once on the Kawaiaha’o Church. Established in 1820 by the first missionary’s, the church

houses the portraits of Hawai‘i’s kings and queens. With permission, the Manley’s salvaged the slate in 1992. A Certificate of Authenticity, signed and personalized, accompanies each piece. Scott uses fine-tipped, hand-held engravers and chisels to create petroglyphs, sea and landscapes, voyaging canoes, turtles, mantas, and fishermen, and also finely detailed architectural renderings of historical buildings and monuments. Many tell a story within a story. “I suggested to Jen that if we retire we’re going to do balloon animals and hand puppets, something a little lighter to work with. She just smiles and rolls her eyes,” Scott Jokes with a grin. “Maybe someday someone will put us up on these walls.” A few recipients of their work include: The president of Tahiti; mayors of Chiba, Japan, and Rapa Nui; Senator Dan Akaka, Governor Abercrombie, Aunty Genoa Keawe, Keali’i Reichel, Amy Hānaiali’i, Melissa Rivers, Andy Irons, and former President of Kamehameha Schools, Mike Chun. The Manley’s embraced their talents to produce art unique to the Studio of Sticks and Stones. Wood and slate hanging oil lamps, jewelry boxes, wall lockets, and natural edge custom wood framed slate art combine a historical, ancestral. and contemporary flare which perhaps indeed shows that something may come from nothing.

95-5867 Hwy. 11, Nā‘ālehu Between mile markers 64 and 65. 808.939.7056 StudioOfSticksAndStones.com


Visions of the Tropics

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“Our 4-inch stone coasters and 6-inch stone trivets make elegant gifts for visitors and kama‘āina alike. We have recently added light switch plates to the product line which feature original Hawaiian artwork by Hawai‘i Island artist Candice Lee,” says Valerie. The coasters are featured in Martin & MacArthur in the King’s Shops Waikoloa, Big Island Marketplace in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Gifts and Sundries in the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Onny’s Island Collections in the Kona International Market, and the Dreams of Paradise Gallery in downtown Hilo, their website, and at fine galleries on other islands.

valerie@visionsofthetropics.com 808.883.9491 visionsofthetropics.com If you have a locally-made product—an Island Treasure—which you would like to see featured here, please call 808.329.1711 x 1.

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

e make stone coasters and trivets which feature vintage Hawaiian images to serve as a constant reminder of the beauty of the islands that we call home.” say Sean and Valerie Walker, owners of Visions of the Tropics. All of our coasters are hand-made on Hawai‘i Island and feature bottocino marble, vinyl feet for furniture protection, and hooks for wall hanging. The images are applied through a heat transfer process known as sublimation that immortalizes vintage Hawaiian images. Valerie started making stone coasters while working as a fashion designer in California’s Bay Area. In 2004, she and her husband Sean, a general contractor, bought one way tickets to Hawai‘i Island along with their soon-to-be-born daughter, Venus. “To us, Hawai‘i Island is paradise. We wanted to live here, raise our daughter here, and run our businesses here.” The beauty and culture of the islands prompted Valerie to focus on vintage Hawaiian images to capture the spirit of aloha. Working with her husband, she began production of stone coasters and trivets out of their home in Waikoloa Village. As soon as she was able, their daughter Venus began helping with the production and packaging, making Visions of the Tropics a true family business.

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–photo by Alvis Upitis alvisupitis.com

Anela Strings:

Angel Music by Timeless Troubadours |

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t’s just after sunset and Kristin Aria Shaw’s graceful fingers are dancing on her Celtic harp. Irminsul’s long hair billows in a soft breeze coming off the sea as his body vibrates with arpeggio sequences coming through his keyboard. I’m getting chicken skin. The two members of Anela Strings are playing live in Kailua Kona, and if we are observant, we realize that if the gods went on a quest for the sound of light, they would find the sonic miracle in Anela’s music. If we are open enough, we may sense that their music is more than entertainment. “It’s the language of the Holy,” says Irminsul. Anela is the Hawaiian word for “angel,” while the “strings” are the combined majesty of their two lever Celtic harps: his black mahogany 36-string Troubador IV by Lyon and Healy and her Italian red mahogany Salvi concert grand pedal harp with 38 strings. “We call our music the Language of Angels,” says Kristin, “because we go to a place that is not of this world to create it. The music is a language that speaks to the heart, the mind, and the body. It heals and clears you. We want to share their penetrating energies so you feel them,” says Kristin, an artist from Holualoa who also plays the West African djembe drum (prounounced jembe). Irminsul, a Mormon-raised pagan, plays Celtic harp as well as a two-keyboard stack of high-frequency electronic resonance, and he also composes. The acoustics in the room are superlative; the cushioned chair soft and comforting. From the moment they begin the concert with “Orbs” from their “Seven Rays” CD, my whole body relaxes.

The words cease in my mind, making writing about the music like dancing for the radio, yet I can’t help describing the vision before me. Kristin’s regal 5’7” triangular harp stands like a star, center stage. Seated a step away from it, she keeps time with her djembe and her feet. Her eyes and eyebrows signal the rhythms while her hands perform a drumming ballet, patterns every bit as breathtaking to the ear as the ones she plays on her Salvi harp. Irminsul manipulates his keyboard like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, swaying and swinging his head, turning thick amplifier knobs, fingering keys, and adjusting switches on his Roland JX-305 upper deck above the main keyboard. With what are apparently third and fourth hands, or wings, he pounds out harmonies that jostle his ruffled Beethoven shirt, vibrating in three-quarter time to the beat of Kristin’s drum. A two-person band may seem small, and yet their sound is big. They call it “inspirational world music,” and you’ll likely find it in the instrumental New Age category under Ambient, Relaxation, or Meditation genres. Don’t expect Pollyanna music; their angels have passion and power they are not afraid to use. Kristin moves to the rhythm of the djembe. It is no ordinary drum. It is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum from West Africa which Kristin plays with her strong, bare hands. As she leads into “Sojourn,” we start to feel something lost long ago. We don’t know what it is, and the tears come. Irminsul zips up into a minor key, and Kristin’s drum rises to a crescendo. She looks to Irminsul. They lock eyes and at this wonderful signal, they stop. No sound. Silence. Waves of vibration, the air seeming sweeter to breathe, because of the silence. “Kristin had a dream and she called me up,” Irminsul finally begins again, speaking into the microphone in the candlelight. “That’s usually the way it happens. We worked on that spark from there and it led to this song, “Field of Birds.”

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KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

A Live Concert

By Marya Mann

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❁Continued from page 93 Both play their harps. Kristin’s hands are like a bird’s beak pecking at sonic food. Her long blonde hair floats up from her necklace of pearls and flutters in the wind. The music is steady and fills us. A violet light shines in the creamy auburn pillar of Kristin’s harp and is reflected in the window beyond. It reminds me of the violet-colored vine cascading off the lanai of their rehearsal studio overlooking Kealakekua Bay, where I visited a few days before.

Intermission: Backstage with the Troubadours

Irminsul’s colorful 3-D computer generated artwork lined the walls and echoed the exact shade of violet. Although originally from Utah, he worked as an animation artist for a Los Angeles outfit, living abroad in Japan and China before he gave it up for a career in music. “It’s almost like you just know when it’s over,” he says. “That’s the way it was with the jewelry thing too,” adds Kristin, who was born in Portland and made her living selling customdesigned crystals, gemstones, and porcelain jewelry before a mid-life career switch. “I was hanging in there because it was an income and I was raising a family.” On Hawai‘i Island since 1985, Kristin has also worked as a therapeutic massage therapist and Reconnection facilitator while raising her two sons, Chama, now 33, living on Hawai‘i Island, and 28-year-old Michael who lives in San Francisco. Things changed after Irminsul and his wife moved to Hawai‘i Island in 2009 and the two performers met for the first time. Kristin answered an ad for musicians posted by Irminsul on Craigslist. She auditioned, and was accepted into the band

immediately. “7 Rays” CD cover It was a match made in heaven. The two harpists played their glissandorich escapades in perfectly harmonized wholes, without rehearsing anything. It just flowed. “When I first met Irminsul, I had this eerie… like whoa… feeling. I already knew this guy from somewhere. He was very familiar.” Their bond—creative and professional—deepened as they explored their mutually rich treasure troves of Celtic music and multi-cultural spiritual traditions. There were differences too: while Kristin attended music school from the age of seven to sixteen and worked hard on harp scales and arpeggios, Irminsul was given a gift of staggering proportions. “I’m self-taught,” he says modestly. Drumming was the natural gift given to Kristen, and together, their separate talents have soared.

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They began with a World/Celtic band, The Kona Harp Ensemble, and performed house concerts before a show at the Aloha Theatre sold out. In 2010, Irminsul and Kristin branched off from the Ensemble to start Anela Strings with the intention of writing all their own original music. They both credit the “big energy” of Hawai‘i Island for fostering their collaboration and inspiring the heavenly energy of angels. “I don’t know whether it’s this island, or just this side of this island,” says Irminsul. “Something here is really big when it comes to the angelic stuff. I came from Utah, of all places. And I’m a pagan, a good old Mormon-raised-pagan. It’s amazingly surprising to me that I’ve become what I’ve become.” Hawai’i Island is indeed “angel central” for them. “It couldn’t be better suited for our work here,” he says.

Back at the Concert

The glow of violet light has permeated everything when Kristin speaks. “Grace is one of the highest forms of energy. There are no steps or static, she says. “It’s just a matter of asking, receiving, and being there.” In “Heart Chakra,” the thunder comes. At the drum, Kristin looks down to the right at a point on the dappled floor, the candlelight burnishing between the awesome abyss and an awakening. The drums, synthetizer, the harp, the heat, the temperature of the flame of the one light, the one heart, flicker robustly inside of each. Irminsul touches his hand to his heart. He’s a tall man, built for the outdoors, and yet with delicate, agile limbs. Kristin is a perfect partner to balance his insistent crescendos and

decrescendos with her earth goddess steadiness, the sacred feminine with fire in her laughing eyes. “Dreamweaver” empties the mind and fills the soul with a blending of tones, a vibration of innocence and vigor, and the arpeggios continue, infinity of energy. My mind goes, Ahhhhh… Now they accelerate the pace with pieces from the “Archangel” CD, which won a Big Island Music Award in 2011. “Raphael’s Song,” a metered drumming with intense synthesizer undertones, stirs people to dance in the aisles. One of the most popular cuts on iTunes, “Raphael’s Song” can “sound as thunder, ripping the very fabric of the waking world,” he noted. “It can also speak as a Mother, whispering a shimmering call for us to return to our true natures,” she added. A recent re-release of “Firesong” jumpstarts your neurons and makes your cells leap up and arabesque; “Fantasy in C” sparks the same settling sensations as Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” and illustrates the continual refinement that devoted artists are willing to put into their work. Through the meditative interplay of the harp and electronics, Anela Strings’ music takes our hearts on a journey as the whole reassembles into a more unified state. We reconnect with a planetary field that reminds us to believe in ourselves as whole, and in nature as a Holy thing. You don’t even have to believe it. Just listen to the music. ❖ RESOURCES: Manuel, Peter. Popular Music of the Non-Western World, (1988) p 236–241. For events and private functions: AnelaMusic.com Contact writer Marya Mann: MaryaMann.com

W. M. KecK ObservatOry 20th anniversary Gala Saturday, March 16, 2013 For information and sponsorship opportunities: 808.881.3814 or dgoodwin@keck.hawaii.edu www.keckobservatory.org

Ethan Tweedie Photography

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November-December 2012 ❖ C A L E N D A R ❖

November Moku o Keawe International Hula Festival Nov. 1–3 Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort Multi-day festival featuring hula hālau from Hawai‘i, Japan and elsewhere. competition includes kūpuna, kahiko and ‘auana hula divisions. Workshops and cultural classes throughout the event. 808.886.8822, mokuokeawe.org

Big Island Farm Fair

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

Nov. 1–4 Kailua-Kona Popular event that showcases Big Island agriculture. Local produce for sampling, sales, exhibits, displays, community education, cooking demos, clinics, kids activities, and entertainment. Old Kona Airport State Park. 808.775.8015 ekfernandez.com/events/bigisland.asp

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10th Annual West Hawaii Community Seed Exchange Friday, Nov. 2, 3–5 pm. Free. Captain Cook Share seeds, ideas and get to know your community of “seed” people at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. Contact Lyn Howe seedproject@kohalacenter.org 808.756.5310, kohalacenter.org/seedbasicsworkshop/about

Black & White Night Friday, Nov. 2, 5–9 pm. Free. Downtown Hilo Annual strolling party where everyone dresses in black and white. Live music venues, dancing, fashion shows, a treasure hunt through town, free food, and events. Also a Black, White & Gold Ball takes place from 8 pm–midnight. 808.935.8850, downtownhilo.com

Petroglyph Press 50th Anniversary

St. James Circle Christmas Bazaar

Hilo Harvest Festival

Friday, Nov 2, 6–9 pm. Downtown Hilo Everyone is invited to Basically Books/ Petroglyph Press to celebrate our anniversary during Black & White Night. Live music, refreshments, and free drawings. Book signing by artist/author Dietrich Varez. 808.961.0144 BasicallyBooks.com PetroglyphPress.com

Saturday Nov. 3, Noon. Waimea Collaboration of St. James Episcopal Church, Waimea Country School and Small World Preschool featuring a Christmas Store, baked goods and preserves, food booths, and plant sale. Contact Karen Sanchez. stjameshawaiioffice@gmail.com 808.885.4923, stjameshawaii.org

Saturday, Nov. 10, 1–5 pm. Hilo Come experience the bounty. Featuring a BIBA honey-tasting challenge, entertainment, info booths, plant sales, seeds, and FOOD harvested from downtown Hilo's edible landscaping, and prepared for you by local restaurants. Mo‘oheau Bandstand & Park, Downtown Hilo. 808.935.8850, downtownhilo.com

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

Wine, Cheese, Chocolate and More!

People and Land of Kahuku

Nov. 2–11 Kailua Kona (See spotlight) The annual Kona coffee harvest and 180-coffee heritage is celebrated every November at this award-winning festival. Various venues. 808.326.7820, konacoffeefest.com

Sunday, Nov. 4, 4–7 pm, Fee. Hilo Annual culinary event benefits the Hilo Medical Center and community projects. Enjoy locally grown food plus wines, cheeses and chocolate along with entertainment and silent auction. Moku’oka Ballroom at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. 808.935.2957 hilomedicalcenterfoundation.org

Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 am–12:30 pm. Free. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park A guided 2-mile hike exploring the ways people lived on the vast Kahuku lands in the park, from the earliest Hawaiian settlements through today. Moderately difficult; boots, long pants, raingear are recommended. 808.985.6011

Moku O Keawe Kapa Festival

Voices From Our Past: Kona Oral Histories

Big Island Fall Arts Festival Exhibit Nov. 2–21, Free. Monday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm. Hilo The 36th year of this “must see” show of the creativity and talent in all media of Hawai‘i Island artists. Meet the artists on Friday, Nov. 2 from 5:30–7:30 pm. at an opening reception. East Hawaii Cultural Center. 808.961.5711, ehcc.org

Puna Chefs and Farms Culinary Arts Festival Nov. 3–11, Fee. Puna Experience a full week of culinary delights at Puna dining spots, hands-on classes, discovering secrets of creating wholesome, delicious Hawaiian-Pacific cuisine, including sustainable aqua and agriculture production, and meal presentation.Kalani Oceanside Retreat in Pāhoa in Puna. 808.965.0468, kalani.com

Nov. 8–10, 9 am–2:30 pm. Free. Kailua Kona A three-day kapa workshop for both expert and beginner kapa artists. Hawaiian arts, Hawaiian music, hula performances, and food will create a festive atmosphere. Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens, Hwy.11 in Captain Cook in Kona. 808.323.3318, bishopmuseum.org

The Art & Traditions of Hula at Kīlauea Saturday, Nov. 10 Volcano Kumu Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah present a hula kāhiko “informance” at the hula platform 10:30–11:30 am; plus cultural/ craft demonstrations from 9:30 am–1:30 pm. Volcano Art Center Gallery, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free. Park entrance fees apply. 808.967.8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 5:30–7 pm. Free. Kailua Kona University of Hawai‘i students will interpret stories from residents of Kona’s early days, ranchers, coffee farmers, merchants and storekeepers, politicians, professionals, teachers and more—all of them with an indomitable, independent spirit. West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kona. 808.323.3222, konahistorical.org

Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit Friday, Nov. 16–Jan. 2, 2013, 9 am–5 pm. Free. Volcano Gallery artists working in a wide variety of media, materials, and techniques present a creative and unique collection of one-of-akind wreaths. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volcano Art Center Gallery. Park entrance fees apply. 866.967.8222, volcanoartcenter.org


❖ C A L E N D A R ❖

Spotlight

Coffee Festival Parade 2011

42nd Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

November 2-11 Kona The 10-day, award-winning festival features more than 40 events. Local favorites are: the Kona coffee cupping competition, Kona coffee cooking and recipe competitions, barista showcase, art exhibits, and various cultural events

honoring nearly 200 years of coffee growing history on Hawai‘i Island. The festival brings together farmers, artisans, food, and beverage connoisseurs with a series of events that go well beyond the cup! Connoisseur or not, the

festival is fun for the entire family—for residents and visitors alike—with parades, a Miss Kona Scholarship pageant, farm tours, Holualoa Village Coffee & Art Stroll, and coffee picking contests all part of the mix.

For a complete schedule of events and admission fees: KonaCoffeeFest.com

Selected Festival Events Sunday, Nov. 4

Saturday, Nov. 10

Holualoa Village Coffee and Art Stroll Holualoa Village Sample estate-grown Kona coffee from two dozen area farms at art galleries and shops in this mountainside artists’ community. Gifts, a keiki art contest, live music and more. A great way to spend a Saturday with beautiful views of Kona. 9 am–3 pm. 808.322.8484 holualoahawaii.com

UCC Hawai‘i Kona Coffee Picking Contest Holualoa Coffee pickers from all experience levels including pioneers, pros, novices and keiki (children) compete. Festival-goers are invited to join in and test their ability at hand-picking Kona coffee. 7:30 am Registration 8:30 am Competition

Kona Coffee Marketplace Festival of Artists and Ethnic Foods Makaeo County Pavilion (Old Airport Events Pavilion) Community groups, Kona coffee farms and civic clubs gather to serve up Kona‘s edible heritage. Artists, crafters, food and entertainment round out this Festival favorite. 9 am–3 pm.

KTA Super Stores Kona Coffee Recipe Contest and Big Island Showcase Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa Amateurs, culinary students, keiki and professional chefs create favorite entrée and dessert recipes featuring 100% Kona Coffee. Hawai‘i Island product displays, samples, and door prizes. 12:30–3:30 pm

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Parade Kailua-Kona Floats, marching bands, groups in colorful ethnic costumes and lanterns light up the parade route to celebrate Kona’s coffee heritage. 5:30 pm.

UCC Hawaii Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Pageant Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa Talented young women will be crowned Miss Kona Coffee, Miss Aloha Hawai‘i and Miss Kona Coffee Outstanding Teen 2013. Tickets $30 plus Festival button and are available at Gone Again Travel, Kona Coffee & Tea Company, Kimura Lauhala Shop, and Wally’s Watch Service. Doors Open 5:30 pm. Pageant starts 6:30 pm.

Thursday, Nov. 8 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition Finals Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa Professional cupping judges have narrowed the field and the finalists compete for prestigious awards and industry recognition. 9 am–2 pm.

Sunday, Nov. 11 Aloha Makahiki Concert Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa Ancient Hawaiian Makahiki blessing by Kumu Mika Keale-Goto with Hālau Keale Keauhou, Coffee Lei Contest . Left to Right: Michele Armaral, Fanny Au Hoy, Lei Souza

6th Annual Celebration of E Mau Ana Ka Hula

Volcano Village Artists Hui Annual Art Studio Tour & Sale

Holiday Affair: Tea Time and Lighting Festival

Saturday, Nov. 17 Keauhou A tribute to King David Kalākaua presented by Kumu Hula and students from Hawai‘i, Japan and Europe. Vendors will feature local made items and ono food. All are welcome to hula workshops on Friday, Nov. 16. nawaiiwiola.org

Nov. 23–25, Daily 10 am–4 pm. Volcano Thanksgiving weekend tradition, meet and buy photography, fiber art, raku ceramics, painting, pottery, quilts, prints, textiles, wood sculpture, and drawings directly from the creators. Maps to the artists' studios available at businesses and galleries in Volcano Village and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com. 808.987.3472, eherb@hawaii.rr.com

Saturday, Nov. 24, Noon–5 pm, Free. Holualoa Get into the holiday spirit with the Donkey Mill ‘ohana. Artist demonstrations, live music, family art activities, food and treats, hot beverages and handmade, original artwork. Donkey Mill Art Center in Kona. 808.322.3362, donkeymillartcenter.org

Lavaman Keauhou Triathlon Sunday, Nov. 18 Kailua Kona An Olympic distance triathlon—1.5k swim, 40k bike ride and 10k run—open to individual athletes and relay teams of all ages and ability levels. Sponsored by the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa and Keauhou Resort. Also Lavaman Keauhou Expo, and Lava Kids Youth Aquathon and Lavakids Dash on Saturday, Nov. 17. lavamantriathlon.com/keauhou

Kīpuka ‘Akihi Forest Hike Saturday, Nov. 24, 10 am–3 pm, Free. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Join rangers on a challenging 1.5-mile hike to a kīpuka or isolated geologic island of remnant native vegetation to discover the rare plants and trees. Participants limited. Bring raingear, garden gloves, daypack, insect repellent, water, lunch. Meet at HVNP Kahuku Unit in Ka‘ū on Hwy. 11 between MM 70 and 71. Registration 808.985.6011.

Kona and Tokyo. Traditional Hawaiian music and hula with renowned musicians including Aaron Mahi, George Kuo, Stephen Akana, and more. Free with Festival button. 1:30–3:30 pm.

The Messiah Sunday, Nov. 25, 4 pm. Fee. Kailua Kona Perennial holiday favorite by Frederich Handel performed by the orchestra and chorus of the Kona Music Society. Audience may bring a score and “sing along.” Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa ballroom. 808.334.9880, konamusicsociety.org

Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce’s 4th Annual Auction Bid for Hawai‘i Nov. 26–Dec. 10 Online Shop, Dine, Give Local from the convenience of your desktop. Contact Carrie McKnight. 808.329.1758, kona-kohala.com

Annual Na Makua Invitational Christmas Crafts Gift Fair Friday, Nov. 30, 4–9 pm, Free. Saturday Dec.1, 9 am–4 pm, Free. Hilo One of the top gift fairs in the entire year, vendor invitation-only event is sourced from Hawai‘i’s top artists and all made in Hawai‘i. At the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. 808.966.4647, namakua.com

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DECEMBER Christmas at Hulihe‘e Palace Saturday, Dec. 1, 6 pm. Fee. Kailua Kona This gala holiday celebration features a royal holiday dinner in honor of Queen Emma, live and silent auctions, special Christmas trees and live musical entertainment. A benefit for Habitat for Humanity and the Daughters of Hawai‘i. 808.329.9555, Lolly Davis for Daughters of Hawai‘i. 808.756.1008, Chris Krueger huliheechristmas.org

Waimea Christmas Fair and Twilight Parade

Sip & Savor

Stay & Play

Celebrate

Bikinis & Boardshorts Welcome Lunch, Dinner & Cocktails

Book Your Cottage on the Beach

Beachfront Event Lawn Weddings & celebrations for 10 to 1,000 people

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

808.769.LAVA

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LavaLavaBeachClub.com

Get Some Sand Between Your Toes at Waikoloa Beach Resort

Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 am, Free. Parade at 5:30 pm. Waimea Highly anticipated celebration features a day full of arts, crafts, music, and Yuletide season activities, capped by a festive parade— including Santa and a brigade of lighted trucks— from historic Church Row to Waimea Park. 808.936.0670, waimeatown.org

Holualoa Music and Light Festival Saturday, Dec. 1, 5:30–8: 30 pm. Holualoa Witness the lighting of the town Christmas tree, hear various musicians perform Christmas music around the village, and receive treats from the galleries and shops. You may even see Santa himself! 808.322.8484, holualoahawaii.com

Anela Strings: Music of a Higher Place Saturday, Dec. 1, 7 pm. Fee. Volcano Kristin Aira Shaw and Irminsul perform this holiday concert that merges the harp’s ancient and stirring sound with heart thumping percussion, and expansive electronic vistas. at the Volcano Art Center Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. 808.967.8222, volcanoartcenter.org

6th Annual Paradise Studio Tour Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 1– 2, 10 am–4 pm Kea‘au 45 Artist at 13 studios will feature paintings, pottery, fiber art and much more! Download full color brochure of studios, artists and map. Hawaiian Paradise Park, 10 miles outside Hilo. 808.557.0931 or 808.982.9839 paradisestudiotour.com


❖ C A L E N D A R ❖

Na Mea Hawai‘i Hula Kahiko Performance Saturday, Dec. 15, Free. Volcano Traditional hula and chant performed outdoors featuring Kahula ‘O Nawahine Noho Pu‘ukapu at 10:30 am; also Hawaiian cultural demonstrations from 9:30 am–1:30 pm. Volcano Art Center Gallery at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park entrance fees apply. 808.967.8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Christmas Jubilee Craft Fair

Christmas at Hulihe‘e

Palace

4th Annual Hospice of Kona Benefit Golf Tournament Sunday, Dec. 2 Big Island Country Club Tournament benefits Hospice of Kona patients and families. Call to reserve a team spot, sponsor a hole, or make a donation. Fantastic prizes for the winners! Joe Spencer at info@hospiceofkona.org 808.324.7700 Friday–Saturday, Dec. 7–8, 3–10 pm. Fee. Kohala Coast Resort This festival showcases the best surf films from Hawai‘i and the world. Music, art, food, beverages, and live bands. Benefits the Seathos Foundation to help the world’s oceans. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Kohala Coast. Chad at chadkona@gmail.com 808.936.0089, konasurffilmfestival.org

Christmas at The Fairmont Orchid: Dining With the Chefs Saturday, Dec. 8, 5:30–8 pm. Fee. Kohala Coast Resort Holiday gala with tantalizing cuisine by top Island chefs, handcrafted ales, wines and Kona coffee, plus entertainment and live auction. A scholarship fundraiser presented by the American Culinary Foundation, Kona Kohala Chefs Association. 808.329.2522, konakohalachefs.org

Hali’a Ka Nani Holokū Ball Saturday, Dec. 15 Kailua Kona Nā Wai Puna o Kona presents: A Memory of the Beauty of the Holokū Ball. Dinner, dancing and entertainment. Pūpū reception 4–5 pm, Dinner 5:30 pm. $50 donation per person. Tickets and information visit nawaiiwiola.org

Waimea Community Chorus Holiday Concert Saturday, Dec. 15, 7:30 pm. Fee. Sunday, Dec. 16, 3 pm. Fee. Waimea The 65-voice chorus presents their 19th Annual Holiday concert featuring Rutter's "Magnificat" and a variety of lighter numbers, as a fundraiser for Kahilu Theatre. $15/adult, $13/senior and student, $10/child. Contact Barbara Kopra. bkopra@hpa.edu, 808.885.5818, waimeacommunitytheatre.org

World of Magic Performance Sunday, Dec. 16 Hilo Sponsored by the Hilo Elks Lodge. Featuring professional jugglers, acrobats, and balloon artist to entertain and delight all ages. We expect a visit from Santa too! Lily 808.935.1717 hiloelks759@hawaiiantel.net

“Joy to the World” Community Concert Sunday, Dec. 16, 4 pm. Fee. Kailua Kona This performance features holiday favorites by the voices of the Kona Music Societies adult and youth choruses along with guest artists and a “sing along.” Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area Pavilion. Contact Sonia sscadden@hawaii.rr.com 808.329.7133, konamusicsociety.org

Kadomatsu Making and Mochi Pounding Thursday, Dec. 27, 10 am–1 pm. Fee. Kailua Kona For centuries, the New Year has been the most celebrated custom in Japan. Join this food, culture and family event for mochitsuki (rice

ONGOING EVENTS

Mochi Pounding at Historic Wailea Village

Hilo Hula Days

Saturday, Dec. 29, 8 am–1 pm. Hāmākua Coast Celebrate New Year with demonstrations and participation in traditional Japanese mochi pounding and making of rice cakes. New Year’s crafts, calligraphy and floral arrangements, taiko drumming, Hawaiian entertainment, local lunch, and more. Akiko’s Bed and Breakfast, Hwy. 19 on Hāmākua Coast, MM-15. 808.963.6422

Kokua Kailua Village Stroll

COMING IN JANUARY The 3rd Annual Waimea Ocean Film Festival January 3–6, Waimea and Kohala Coast January 8–11, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai This dynamic, world-class film festival is held on Hawai‘i Island each January. The event includes films, Q&As with filmmakers, presentations, receptions, art, and more. Fee. Waimea Ocean Film Festival Office info@waimeaoceanfilm.org 808.854.6095, waimeaoceanfilm.org

Please use provided contact in each listing for more information.

Nov. 1, 6, 12, 13, 20, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 Dec. 4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 18, 24 11 am–1 pm. Mo‘oheau Bandstand, Hilo 808.935.8850 downtownhilo.com Nov. 18, Dec. 16, 1–6 pm. Kailua Kona Enjoy the many vendors and restaurants while you stroll Kailua Village. 808.329.9555 historickailuavillage.com

Afternoon at Hulihe‘e Palace

Presented by the Daughters of Hawai‘i Palace Grounds Nov. 18, 4 pm. Band appearance remembering King Kalākaua, Palace Curator Aunty Lei Collins and Bandmaster Charles “Bud Dant. Dec.16, 4 pm. Event remembering Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. huliheepalace.net

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9th Annual Kona Surf Film Festival

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2:30 p.m.–8 p.m. Kailua Kona Moku'aikaua Youth Ministry is having its Christmas Jubilee Craft Fair. Featuring a steak fry, bake sale, farmers market, handmade items, jewelry, and much more! Contact Heidi Featherstone. office@mokuaikaua.com, 808.329.0655

pounding), making a kadomatsu (gate pine), plus learn ways of tasting “rice spirit” for purity and strength. Donkey Mill Art Center. 808.322.3362, donkeymillartcenter.org

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  

  

   

 

KeOlaMagazine.com KeOlaMagazine.com || Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012 2012

Hawai‘iana Live Every Wednesday, 11–11:45 am, Fee. Palace Theatre, Hilo Sharing the history and traditions of the Hawaiian Culture. hilopalace.com, 808.934.7010

Kona Historical Society

Lectures, Tours, Book Presentations Various Locations and Dates konahistorical.org, 808.323.3222

 Kona Stories Book Store  Words & Wine Author Event  1st Tuesday, 6 pm. Free. 

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Keauhou konastories.com, 808.324.0350

Lyman Museum Programs Hilo Cultural programs, lectures, and events. 808.935.5021, lymanmuseum.org

Na Makana O Hulihe'e Palace 2nd Wednesday, noon–4 pm. Free. Kailua Kona Local made products marketplace. Contact Sabine Maeva Andresen. ccousinskona@gmail.com, 808.324.0179

One Island Sustainable Living Center

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Hōnaunau Ongoing sustainability events and programs. hawaii@one-island.org 808.328.2452 one-island.org/hawaii

Snorkel Day for People with Disabilities 3rd Friday, 10 am–2 pm. Free. Kahalu‘u Beach Park Need participants, volunteers, and event sponsers. Contact Stephanie Kovatch deepandbeyond@gmail.com 808.326.4400x4017 deepandbeyond.org

UH Hilo Performing Arts Center Year-round Arts Events artsctr@hawaii.edu 808.974.7310, artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu  

    

ZUMBA at Volcano Art Center Mondays, 5:30–6:30 pm. Contact Julie Callahan julie@volcanoartcenter.org 808.967.8222, volcanoartcenter.org

MEETINGS Kona Toastmasters 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6 pm Contact Lynn Bell contact@konatoastmasters.com 808.989.7494 Konatoastmasters.com

Hawai‘i Island Network of Artists Nov. 7th, 5:30 pm–7 pm. Hamakua District Community Meeting

Contact Tiffany DeEtte Shafto. info@HINArtists.org 808.967.8222 HINArtists.org

WORKSHOPS Rainwater Harvesting Class Friday, Nov. 14, 6 pm. Fee. Hawai‘i Innovation Center How to install a basic rainwater harvesting system. Contact Jennifer Ruggles jenniferjangles@gmail.com 808.896.7656 greencollartech.com

Seed Basics and Production Workshop for Farmers and Gardeners Nov. 3–4, 8 am–4:30 pm. Fee. Captain Cook Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden Contact Lyn Howe seedproject@kohalacenter.org 808.756.5310 kohalacenter.org/seedbasicsworkshop/about

RESORT AND SHOPPING CENTER CULTURAL EVENTS Keauhou Shopping Center keauhouvillageshops.com 808.322.3000

Kings Shops–Waikoloa kingsshops.com 808.886.8811

Kona International Marketplace konainternationalmarket.com 808.329.6262

Prince Kuhio Plaza

princekuhioplaza.com/events 808.959.3555

Queens Marketplace–Waikoloa queensmarketplace.net 808.886.8822

The Shops at Mauna Lani

shopsatmaunalani.com/events.html 808.885.9501

Disclaimer: Calendar listings are submitted by the producers of the events and are subject to change. They are accurate as of the time Ke Ola goes to press, which is sometimes one to two months before the event. Please call the contact number in the listing to confirm the event. Ke Ola is not responsible for event changes or cancellations. If you have an event you would like included in this calendar, please submit via the form on our website, keolamagazine.com, or email to calendar@keolamagazine.com. Deadline for the January/February issue is November 25, 2012.



Paula Wilson, EA • Action Business Services

The Life in Business

Tax planning is a year round event!

Keauhou Farmers Market

808-329-3403

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

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s a not-for-profit organization, the Kona County Farm Bureau began the Keauhou Farmers Market to provide local farmers with an outlet to directly market their products to the community. Farmers experimenting in the production of new crops may also use the market as a means of “test marketing” to determine community interest in a particular product. The Farmers Market was also organized to serve as an educational opportunity to expand public awareness and build preference for agricultural products grown and freshly harvested on Hawai‘i Island. Through our Farmer-Chef Program we have promoted an increased use of local agricultural products in West Hawai‘i’s restaurants. The Keauhou Farmers Market location was selected through collaboration between Keauhou Resort, Keauhou Shopping Center, and the Kona County Farm Bureau. The location is great because it is located in a community center and provides plenty of parking for our customers. The primary customers who regularly shop at the Keauhou Farmers Market are those seeking a diversity of fresh islandgrown fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers, macadamia nuts, 100% Kona Coffee, fresh baked goods, as well as an assortment of unique value-added food products. As of July, 2012 the Keauhou Farmers Market participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program making our products available to more members of the community. The Keauhou Farmers Market is made up of about thirty vendors It is the only farmers market in the community dedicated exclusively to offering farm-direct produce and value-added products containing ingredients from locally grown agricultural products. The Kona County Farm Bureau is represented by a board of directors. Seven years ago, the Board made the decision to organize a local farmers market as one means of working toward our purpose as stated in our Bylaws: “To represent, protect and advance the social, economic and educational interest of the farmers of North and South Kona.” Hawai‘i brings in over 80% of our food from out-of-state. By making the commitment to purchase more locally grown food, our community can reduce our dependence on imported food.

Keauhou Shopping Center, Saturday, 8 am-Noon 78-6831 Ali‘i Drive, Kailua-Kona 808.324.6011 info@keauhoufarmersmarket.com KeauhouFarmersMarket.com


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Island Mailbox Internet Café

Rhonda Nichols with Elenor and Grace

475 Kinoole Street in downtown Hilo Across from central fire station 808.969.7587 Info@islandmailboxplus.co

Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary Hawaii’s only accredited wildlife rehab and exotic animal sanctuary hosts 2-hour educational programs for visitors. Come see all the exotic creatures that share our island home, meet our 125 resident animals and learn how they communicate with each other.

Excursions offered several times a week Children over the age of 6 are welcome Minimum donation of $35 per person Group size is limited

To book your reservation email visit@3rr.org or call 808-331-8778

www.ThreeRingRanch.org

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

ven though Rhonda spent 11 years growing up in foster care, she is a survivor and a doer. She graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin with a B.A. in Biology. “Go Packers!” Her vision expanded when she lived in Nepal while serving two years in the Peace Corps before moving to Hawai‘i in 1994. She had done extensive work in child welfare advocacy, both in Hawai‘i and on a national level. In 2000, she moved to Hawai‘i Island. She opened Nichols Public House in 2005, and still operates the Hilo Burger Joint, located at 777 Kilauea Avenue. Her current passion is Island Mailbox Internet Café. It has been almost one year since Rhonda took over the operations of the mailbox services. In that time, she has expanded the services to include a café. With her experience in the restaurant business, she saw how adding a full service café to the services would help her customers. The café focuses on fresh local ingredients and specializes in soup, salad, and sandwiches with a Mediterranean-inspired island fusion. Rhonda wants to remind people that her team does more than just gourmet burgers. She plans to use this café as a launching pad for the catering services offered by Hilo Burger Joint. “We can now provide professional gourmet catering and bar service for public and private events.” Island Mailbox is an alternate choice to the long lines at the post office, especially during the upcoming holiday season. It features 300 private mailboxes, free Wi-Fi, and several computers for internet access. The one-stop shop can help you with photocopies, printing, and faxing. And they provide full service shipping and custom packaging—the same flat-rate shipping the post office has and even some unique, regional flatrate shipping options. Do you need to ship or receive Fed Ex and UPS? No problem, they can handle it for you. Always a visionary, Rhonda is expanding the services to include a stand at the farmers market for onsite flat rate shipping. Hungry? Time to check out Island Mailbox Internet Café.

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The Life in Business Bookkeeping • Payroll • Accounting Taxes • Consulting • Payment Processing Jeff Turner

Jim Primm

“Your Trusted Business & Tax Advisors”

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

Free Initial Consultation • Personal Professional Service

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808-329-9220 • www.AlohaBusinessServices.com

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Kalani

Kalani Volunteers

any people don’t realize that Kalani is a 501(c)3 registered charity using business-like activities to fund nonprofit and charitable work as a social enterprise for the past 37 years. All proceeds from guest stays go to recreation, education, and Hawaiian culture preservation in Puna, the poorest district in Hawai‘i. Kalani contributes nearly $10 million to the local economy. They estimate that 90% of the money spent at Kalani stays in the state, given their devotion to buying local and supporting local businesses. This is particularly evident with the food served at their lanai, rated amongst the best places to eat in East Hawai‘i. The majority of the produce comes from local farmers, and they serve organic, local meat and produce as much as can be sourced. Kalani provides 50 classes a week to the local community, free or by donation, in Hawaiian culture, yoga/wellness, and the arts. With the support of the County of Hawai‘i and the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, they contribute two major festivals a year to the district: the Puna Music Festival in May, and the Puna Culinary Festival in November. Kalani stewards three archaeological sites: a heaiu, which was dedicated to Lono and Kanaloa, gods of agricultural and ocean abundance, peace, and prosperity; a hālau, which taught crafts and trades to the people of Kama‘ili from the 1700s until the early 1900s; and a preserved burial site. Kalani is also unique as it is a truly supportive, vibrant environment. The majority of the departments are staffed by an award-winning volunteer program, with volunteers coming from all over the world for one-three months. Having people who are drawn to the supportive, healthy atmosphere is the reason our guests experience incredible aloha and community when they visit, helping to create a safe environment for people to learn, grow, and transform. The Puna district is filled with sacred Hawaiian cultural sites, including Cape Kumukahi, where the sun first rises on the Hawaiian archipelago, and Kahuwai, where the Polynesian canoes first landed. Kalani hopes to be a big part of changing how Puna is viewed, to one where Puna is seen as a cradle for culture, innovation, and sustainable living. Kama‘āina are particularly welcomed at Kalani with special rates and packages. Join us for a class, event, or workshop while in the area. The Kalani website is filled with over 200 events, workshops, and other activities throughout the year.

12-6860 Kalapana-Kapoho Rd, Pāhoa 808.965.7828 kalani@kalani.com kalani.com


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Treasure Island Gallery of the Exotic Zan Kukuimālamalama Myers Owner

75-5744 Ali‘i Dr #51, Kailua-Kona 808.327.5500 TreasureIslandGallery.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

he first time Zan came to Hawai‘i Island was 1968–1972. She was a hippie and lived at the beaches—Kalapana, Haleiwa, Kalalau Valley, and Spencer Beach Park. As a licensed massage practitioner she traded back, neck, and shoulder massage for fish. She dried seaweed and salt, and gathered fruit in the mountains. Zan resonated with the ‘āina on a level she’d never experienced before. It was like she had been here at another time, so she decided to delve in. She studied hula (dance), ōlelo (language), oli (chant), and herbal medicine. She even started a native botanical garden. A piece of her heart stayed here when she left with tears in her eyes. Over 20 years ago that piece was recovered when she was able to move back here full-time. A fourth-generation Californian, Zan studied six years at California State University at Northridge—art, education, English, health, and physiology. When living in Australia, she worked in sales and marketing for a New Zealand company. Treasure Island began with her deep love for the profound Hawaiian culture. As an artist herself, she began to see the incredible inspiration here and sought out artists who tell the story of Hawai‘i. Zan is an island girl. The closer to the ocean, the better. She lives mauka (upland) in a native forest where she grows coffee (amazing Ka‘ū coffee). When looking for the perfect location for the store she wanted to see, hear, and smell the ocean while at work. The perfect place ended up being in the Kona Inn Shopping Village—quaint, historic, and charming. People who come into the store are not there to buy trinkets. They want stories and legends. They want to know about the symbols, the history. They are fascinated with Hawai‘i. What is this made of? Who’s the artist? Why is this special? What does this mean? Their experience and appreciation of Hawai‘i deepens as the Treasure Island staff takes the time to explain. The hula community, both here and abroad, can find implements for dance at Treasure Island. Locals are able to buy gifts for friends and family in other places they can be proud of— gifts with a historic and cultural connection. Zan believes people are drawn to the islands, especially Hawai‘i island, because of aloha. It is the foundation of all that is good. People feel the mana on deep levels, even if they are not aware. And they come for something much more visceral than the weather. The Hawaiian culture is based on aloha. She says, “It is our responsibility, as people who are embraced everyday by aloha, to spread and share it with everyone we meet.”

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g tice fen n’t prac in it, e v “I could e li idn’t be d it I if i shu elieve in uldn’t b o w I .” k d r an it wo ’t seen if I hadn

KeOlaMagazine.com | Nowemapa/November—Kēkēmapa/December 2012

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ood gardens symbolize abundance because they truly are a literal source of abundance. Food gardens provide exercise and better nourishment and help sustain the planet. They are auspicious anywhere, and the bigger the better. Situate them for the best sun. (Ours is in the front yard.) Food gardens require care, but that’s the message that goes out into the neighborhood—that you care enough to make food production a priority. If you’ve got a food garden, be proud of it! Feng shui derives from nature, and the best feng shui works with nature, using organic methods rather than chemicals. Herbicide use is very popular in Hawai‘i, resulting in dead areas that look scorched—that’s not good feng shui. If you must use weed killers, be sure to remove all dead plants afterwards. For life above the soil, there must be life below the soil—and the more life, the better, from a feng shui point of view. Biochar is pure charcoal—no chemicals added to help it burn in a grill. Once the biochar has been inoculated with microorganisms and dug into the soil, it can cut your use of fertilizers in half. The charcoal pieces are fairly small, but not powder-fine. Just as fermented foods like poi add healthful microorganisms to our bodies, the charcoal, with microorganisms living on its many tiny surfaces, adds them to the soil. Soil teeming with microbes supports healthy plants. [biochar-international.org/groups/hawaii] GMO (genetically-modified organism) plants are the antithesis of good feng shui. Nature has been left far behind in that technology. As Marcia Bjornerud says in The Autobiography of the Earth, “The belief that we can engineer what evolution has done in four billion years—and expect the results to be predictable and controllable—is a sign of our youth and ignorance.” Hybrid seeds are acceptable because they’re not far removed from natural cross-breeding. They may not be good for seedsaving though, because the new keiki plants don’t generally have the qualities of the parent plant. I mostly use non-hybrid seeds in our vegetable garden. It’s very easy to save seeds from our own vegetables and replant. A quick replanting of seeds from your own peppers (capsicum, not pepper spice) or pole beans germinates almost instantly.

Clear Englebert is a natural at feng shui. His practice began in Hawai‘i in 1995. He brings systems and design skills in organizing, maintenance, and horticulture. He works with residential, retail, office, and landscapes.

FungShway.com

I’m very grateful for my hybrid Jersey King asparagus, which produces well in Hawai’i. We grew it from male crown starts. If we grew from seed we’d have a mixture of male and female plants. Only the female plants produce seeds, and they are plentiful, like weeds. By the way, asparagus and coconut appreciate a big drink of seawater every so often; they both evolved around it. I’m a great believer in edible landscaping—food looks beautiful to me. Edible plants can be used for any of the plant solutions that are mentioned in this book. If you need to screen harsh energy from view, fruit trees will do the job. Most fruit trees are best kept low so that the fruit can be easily harvested. This includes mango/ ‘ulu, j’aboticaba, citrus, and Surinam cherry. The flavor of the dark-fruited Surinam cherry is preferred by many people. Some fruit trees, such as avocado, don’t make the best screens because they drop most of their leaves once a year. There are also hedge plants with edible leaves, such as chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa), which is also called tree spinach, and katuk (Sauropus androgynus). The leaves of both plants should be eaten cooked, not raw. Not everyone wants or can have trees, but there are several edible plants that can climb trellises or dead trees, providing other screening options. Many edible plants have rounded leaves and are suitable for welcoming energy at the front of your property. If you are a food gardener, you will probably meet more food gardeners. That in itself is a blessing, because food gardeners tend to be very nice people. Some islands have seed exchanges in various districts. If there’s one in your area, join in and share your garden’s seeds and starts—if there isn’t, consider organizing one. Teach your children to love spending time outside and to appreciate nature. It’s good for a child’s chores to include yard work. At pre-school age, I started helping in my grandmother’s gigantic vegetable garden; I first dug and planted my own garden as a 4-H Club project when I was in the fourth grade. My quick, colorful success with zinnias got me hooked, and I haven’t stopped since. You can purchase this book at your local bookstore. Connect with author Clear Englebert: FungShway.com


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