“The Life” Cel ebra t in g the a r ts, culture, a nd s us t a inabilit y o f t he H awa iia n I s l a n d s For those who love life on Hawai‘i Island
September–October 2015 Kepakemapa–‘Okakopa 2015
Kumukahi Lighthouse
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
The Beacon Pele Spared
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Experience your pet deserves, Experience you can trust
Keauhou
Veterinary Hospital, LLC Jacob Head, DVM Kelly Korth, DVM “Growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii was a lesson in always trying to do more with less. We grew our food and raised our animals to put meals on our table. My family worked hard scraping to build our little farm out on the lava field an hour south of Kona. While I can’t say I always loved being so far from town, I always loved our life. It was simple. It was before computers and internet and all the things my kids have now. If I didn’t have anything to do my options were simple: go outside, study or play sports. I always gravitated towards sports. I have always loved the excitement of the game and being part of a team. I loved soccer and football and was always very active in both growing up. As I grew older and went off to college where I played football for CSU, and eventually on to veterinary school, I grew to love all things mountain sports related. I mountain biked, participating in the Leadville 100 and 24 hours of Adrenaline and other 24 hour mountain bike races. I learned to ski and found a great love for telemark skiing. I started riding road bikes and doing longer cycling events, while still playing indoor soccer. Then there was hiking. I have always loved to hike, and I have hiked all over, Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Utah, Africa, South America and the Bahamas just to name a few. I have climbed numerous fourteen thousand foot mountains over the years and always craved being able to go higher. The idea of challenging myself to do more, go a little bit further and learn something new has always been part of who I am. I have been skydiving and have bungee jumped numerous times. I loved every second of it! That zest for life and sports has never waned. When we moved back to the Big Island in 2007, I felt I had a unique opportunity to give back to my community and more importantly to the children in it. We (my wife Jolene and I) began looking for ways to get involved and sporting events seemed like a natural way to do that. Sponsoring various organizations and providing youth awards to young athletes felt like the right direction to go. In 2013, I was invited to be part of the Leukemia Foundation Team in honor of an amazing little girl. This was my first Triathlon and the rest, as they say, is history. I was HOOKED. Over the last few years I have become more and more involved in the sport and while I may never love running (I am getting better at it) and I may never be the greatest swimmer (I sink!), I really love the bike and I love the idea of pushing myself beyond what I think I can do. This year that thing is Ironman™ and while I have a goal in mind, my main goal is to simply finish. I feel like this is what coming home for me has meant. It is part of my journey to learn more academically, and to push myself physically, emotionally and mentally to exceed the expectations that I have set for myself. I cannot think of a better place or a better way to do that than here on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is my community, this is where my roots are, this is my home.”
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“The Life” Celebrating the a r ts, culture, a nd susta inabilit y of the Ha wa iia n Isla nd s
September–October 2015 Kepakemapa–‘Okakopa 2015
Art 25 Mele Murals Keauhou Mele Ko‘i Honua—Creation Chants By Fannie Narte
Business 65 Managing with Aloha: Mahalo By Rosa Say 84 Celebrating a Long-Time Advertiser with Ke Ola Lava Rock Realty
Culture 53 Legacy By Ku‘ulei Keakealani
Health 55 Healing Plants: ‘Ākulikuli kula Way more than a lowly weed By Barbara Fahs
Home 57 Heavenly Strength: The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls By Mālielani Larish
Land 75 Chayote By Sonia R. Martinez
Music
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
67 An Evening with the Multifaceted Lito Arkangel By Le‘a Gleason
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Ocean 47 The Beacon Pele Spared: Kumukahi Lighthouse By Denise Laitinen 63 Worldwide Voyage What Guides Us By Pomai Bertelmann
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NOVEMBER 2014 N O V E M B E9-16, R 10 -15
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People
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12 Then & Now St. Michael the Archangel Church By Fern Gavelek 19 Buzzy Histo “Ola Kupa‘āina” By Catherine Tarleton
33 Aunty Mele Kunewa Kekai By Catherine Tarleton 41 Clifford Kopp and the Waikūpua Brick Garden A Big Puzzle Solved, A Community Treasure Evolved By Karen Valentine
Find your fire. Ignite your power
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Spirit 11 He Nani Kou Aloha By Kumu Keala Ching
Ka Puana -- Refrain 86 From Soup to Nuts 77 recipes with a tropical twist plus hints, tricks and cooking tips By Sonia R. Martinez
Featured Cover Photographer: Kornelius Schorle Crossword Puzzle Island Treasures Farmersʻ Markets Hawai‘i Island Happenings Community Kōkua–Volunteer Opportunities Talk Story with an Advertiser
61 71 72 74 76 78 80
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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ACCOMODATIONS Dragonfly Ranch Healing Arts Center and B & B 59 Kalani 5 Kīlauea Lodge 14
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
ACTIVITIES, CULTURE, EVENTS Aloha Performing Arts Co. 66 Aloha Performing Arts Co. 18 Augie T’s “Laugh with the Stars” 76 Art Exhibition at Volcano Art Center 31 Bamboo Festival 4 Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival 64 Botanical World Adventures 60 “Building Communities” Home Expo 70 Concerts at Oneness Center 46 Cool Fusion Festival for Donkey Mill Art Center 80 Costume Party Benefit by West HI Assoc. of REALTORS® 23 Daniel Sayre Foundation Awards Ceremony 43 Dolphin Journeys 80 East Hawaii Jazz & Blues Festival Benefit for Vetarans 51 FairWind Big Island Ocean Guides 62 First Fridays in Downtown Hilo 56 Hawai‘i Artist Collaboration 15 Hawai‘i Honey Festival & Honey Cooking Contest 76 Hawai‘i Volcanoes Helicopter Tours 51 Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Tours 30 Hawaii Yoga Festival at Kalani 5 InBigIsland.com 58 Kohala Zipline 54 Kohala Grown Farm Tours 64 Kona Boys 52 Palace Theater 56
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ART, CRAFTS, JEWELRY Akamai Art Supply Blue Sea Artisans Gallery, LLC Cindy Coats Gallery Cliff Johns Gallery Dovetail Gallery & Design Gallery on the Green at Ho‘oulu Farmers’ Market Harbor Gallery & Charms of Aloha Hawaiian Dolls Hawi Gallery Art & Ukuleles Holualoa Gallery Holualoa Ukulele Gallery Isaacs Art Center (at Hawaii Preparatory Academy) Ipu Arts Plus Ipu Kane Gallery Jan Orbom Wood Sculpture Mary Ellen Clagett, Artist Mountain Gold Jewelers Pat Pearlman Designs Showcase Gallery & Beads Simple Elegance Gems Treasure Island Gallery of the Exotic
Send us your comments, letters, and photos! We take email, snail mail, submissions through our website, or posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter! HIeditor@KeOlaMagazine.com
24 24 26 18 32 39 68 29 54 32 32 24 32 54 29 26 28 32 18 24 27
AUTOMOTIVE Big Island Honda Precision Auto Repair
17 38
BEAUTY, HEALTH, NUTRITION 10 Day Cleanse Retreat at Dragonfly Ranch 78 Bailey Vein Institute 8 Douglas Dierenfield, DDS 69 Hawai‘i Island Adult Care 77 Hawaiian Healing Yoga Teacher Training Certification 34 Island Spirit Healing Center & Day Spa 66 Joan Greco, DDS, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 50 Kohana ili Skincare & Waxing 87 Kukui Lani Healing—Maxima May 82 Paradissimo Tropical Spa 81 Primordial Sound Meditation by Marlina Lee 73 Reiki Healing Arts 79 BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, HOME FURNISHINGS Aloha Metal Roofing 85 Closets ‘N Things 40 Concrete Technologies 20 dlb & Associates 85 Fireplace & Home Center 35 Hamakua Canvas Co, (Upholstery) 20 Hawaii Water Service Co. 35 Hawaii Electric Light Co. 38 HomeWorld 14 Indich Collection Hawaiian Rugs 7 Mason Termite & Pest Control 20 Neighborhood Power Solar 45 Pacific Gunite 83 Plantation Interiors, Teak Garden & Lanai 87 Statements 40 Tai Lake Custom Furniture 28 Water Works 40 Yurts of Hawai‘i 82 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES A Wealth of Wisdom Book Publishing 16 Action Business Services 85 Ano‘ano Care Home 21 Executive Networking Center 85 Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel 49 Ho‘oNani Day Center & Care Home 34 Kona Coffee Farmers Association 77 Lee Mattingly, Attorney 21 The UPS Store 72 Vacation House Check 4 PETS Captain’s Paw Pantry Maika‘i Veterinary Clinic, LLC Kapa‘au Veterinary Center Keauhou Veterinary Hospital, LLC
REAL ESTATE Cindy Griffey, RS, MacArthur & Co.|Sotheby’s Coldwell Banker-Daylum Properties Lava Rock Realty Kelly Shaw, RS, Koa Realty Kimi White, RB, Rainbow Properties Koa Realty Pacific Isle Lending Group, LLC Paradise Found Realty Phyllis Sellens & Co. Real Estate Opportunities Roy Dollwet, RS, Savio Realty
44 59 10 88 78 32 85 85 83 49
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD Ahualoa Farms Mac Nuts and Coffee Blue Dragon Restaurant Glow Hawaii Inspired Foods, Products & Services Gypsea Gelato Holukoa Gardens & Café Ho‘oulu Farmers Market K’s Drive In Kailua Candy Company Kona Coffee & Tea Kona Sweets Custom Cakes Lucy’s Taqueria Peaberry & Galette South Kona Green Market Sushi Rock & Trio
48 42 50 18 32 39 56 16 73 18 56 37 81 54
RETAIL AND GIFTS Aloha Kona Kids Hands of Tibet Hawaii Marine Center Kadota’s Liquor Kealakekua Ranch Center Keauhou Shopping Center Keauhou Store Kiernan Music Kings’ Shops Kona Commons Shopping Center Magic Garden Art Gallery & Boutique Paradise Found Boutique Parker Ranch Store Puna Kamali‘i Flowers Queens’ MarketPlace South Kona Macadamia Nut Co. The Spoon Shop
79 48 85 56 66 36 32 18 3 22 48 37 87 77 3 82 31
TRAVEL Jet Vacation Travel Agency
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UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘ĀINA I KA PONO.
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. [Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the Hawai‘i state motto.
Publisher, Marketing, Operations Barbara Garcia Bowman, 808.329.1711 x1, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com
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Ambassadors
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Submit online at KeOlaMagazine.com (go to Contact menu) Community Kōkua volunteer opportunities Editorial inquiries or story ideas Request advertising rates Worldwide Delivery 808.329.1711 x4, order online at KeOlaMagazine.com, Subscribe@KeOlaMagazine, or mail name, address, and payment of $30 US/$48 Canada for one year to: PO Box 492400, Kea‘au, HI 96749. Contact us for international rates. Subscriptions and back-issues available online. © 2015, Ke Ola Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved
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Aloha from the Publisher Ke Ola is a winner! We’ve always known that, yet it is wonderful to be ackowledged publicly. The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce (KKCC) recently awarded Ke Ola the 2015 Pūalu for Culture & Heritage, along with Earl Regidor, the Cultural Manager at Four Seasons Hualālai. KKCC’s website explains, “The Pūalu awards celebrate those who work together. The Culture & Heritage award is
From Our Readers
Sunrise at Cape Kumukahi by Kornelius Schorle See his story, page 61
From the Editor: Mahalo Yolanda for your letter. Although factually correct, the timing was off in our story. We apologize for this error. We will fix our online version to read: “However, soon after coming to power, Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and Kamehameha’s widow, Queen Consort Ka‘ahumanu, ended the kapu system that had been in place for centuries. Subsequently, the queen consort, influenced by Christian missionaries, embraced the new religion.” ✿ Our July–August Cover Readers have asked what the whole image of Pu‘ukoholā Heiau, by Bonnie Sol, looks like. Here’s the whole painting, looking south at Hualālai. Mahalo Bonnie for letting us crop your beautiful painting to fit the format of our covers. We’re happy to present it here in its entirety.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
✿ Dear Editor, In the feature story [Then & Now: Pu‘ukoholā, A prophecy fulfilled, past conflicts still healing] on page 17 in the July-August 2015 issue, it says; “However, soon after coming to power, Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and Kamehameha’s widow, Queen Consort Ka‘ahumanu, influenced by Christian missionaries, ended the kapu system that had been in place for centuries.” This misinformation is deeply disturbing. The missionaries did not arrive in the islands until April 4, 1820. The news they received at that time was: 1. The old king had died and Liholiho and co-regent Ka‘ahumanu were in rule. 2. The Kapu system was taken down when Liholiho sat in a public ceremony and ate with the women. 3. The old religion was abolished when Kahuna nui Hewahewa took a torch and burned down Ahu‘ena Heiau and the new king (Kamehmeha II) ordered the destruction of heiau throughout the kingdom. The Christian missionaries did not influence this decision in any way. It must be said that Queen Keopuolani and Ka‘ahumanu played a strong role in influencing the overthrow of the Kapu. The overthrow of the old religion was influenced by Hewahewa who through his prophetic giftings knew the missionaries when they came were bringing the knowledge of the true God. Yolanda Olson Historian, Mokuaikaua Church
presented to an individual or organization that has exhibited, through its actions, practices that promote island traditions and preserves our multicultural heritage.” We are honored to receive this award, especially in the good company of Uncle Earl, and we look forward to Dale Suezaki, KKCC Chair sharing his story in 2016. Barbara Garcia, Ke Ola publisher/owner Mahalo to everyone Kirstin Kahaloa, KKCC Executive Director involved in making this happen, especially our amazing writers and editorial team! Mahalo to each of our advertisers, past and present. By recognizing the value Ke Ola offers as a viable marketing platform, you enable us to continue our mission to perpetuate Hawai‘i Island’s heritage. You also provide the means for us to circulate 24,000 printed copies every two months—free to our readers—plus thousands more online. We take our responsibility to record and archive materials for the sake of history and future generations seriously, and look forward to many more years of sharing inspiring stories. Speaking of inspiring stories, I’ll stop writing so you can dig into this issue. It’s a winner all by itself ! Aloha pumehana, Barbara Garcia, Publisher
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Aia ke aloha i ka honua Honua o luna, Honua o lalo He nani kou aloha e ka Honua ē
Love abundantly upon the earth Higher earth, Lower earth Your love is beautiful, Earth
Kū kilakila ka ho‘oilina i ka mauna Mauna i mua, Mauna i hope He nani kou aloha e ka Mauna ē
A legacy so majestic upon the mountain Mountain before, Mountain after Your love is beautiful, Mountain
Hū a‘ela ka homelele i ke kahawai Kahawai o uka, Kahawai o kai He nani kou aloha e ke Kahawai ē
Purity become upon the stream River upward, River downward Your love is beautiful, River
Kapa maila ka maluhia i ka nāhele Nāhele i mua, Nāhele i hope He nani kou aloha e ka Nāhele
Peace spreads upon the forest Forest before, Forest after Your love is beautiful, Forest
Aia ke aloha i ka honua Honua o luna, Honua o lalo He nani kou aloha e ka Honua ē He mele nō Kou Aloha
Love abundantly upon the earth Higher earth, Lower earth Your love is beautiful, Earth Song of your love
He Nani Kou Aloha | Na Kumu Keala Ching
He nani kō nā mea like ‘ole, aia ka honua e pili i ke kino. ‘Ike ho‘i i ka lani, he nani ka honua o luna ā ‘ike ho‘i i ka honua, he nani ka honua o lalo. He mauna kō ka ho‘oilina o ka honua, aia ka mauna nui ā aia ka mauna li‘i. Hū a‘ela ka pono i uka ā kahe ke ola i kai, i laila ka pono o ke kahawai. Kapa maila ka maluhia o ka nāhele, ho‘omaka kou maluhia ā lama ka maluhia o ka nāhele. Eia ka nani o ka honua, he aloha pau‘ole!
Inspired by my journey from Sacramento, California through Mount Shasta to Ashland, Oregon on July 20, 2015. Observing the beauty and its stories as it relates to the native people of the land, much like my love for Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea has a legacy so majestic, a peace so abundant and capable of admiring the beauty of heaven and earth from its source. Your love is beautiful! Contact writer Kumu Keala Ching: kumukeala@nawaiiwiola.org
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Beauty is within everything, the Earth relates to the body. Observe the heaven, beauty is the earth above, admire the earth, beauty is the earth below. Your legacy is the mountain of this earth and stories are large and small within these mountains. Righteousness springs from the highest peak as it flows within the rivers to the lowest peak and there you will find the righteousness from its source. Peace blankets the forest; therefore, prepare before and after your walk within a peaceful place, the forest. Here is the beauty of the earth for love is unconditional!
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T H E N
&
N O W
St. Michael the Archangel Church
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
| By Fern Gavelek
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A
n 1855 landmark that housed North Kona’s Catholic community for more than 150 years, the original St. Michael the Archangel Church was damaged beyond repair during the October 2006 earthquake. A new church, reminiscent of the old was erected in March in the original building’s footprint and dedicated to a beaming crowd of 1,500 faithful. How both of these buildings came to be is a story of faith, and also one of perseverance demonstrated by a string of clergy and six generations of parishioners. The history of St. Michael’s begins in 1840, when two French priests arrived in Kailua-Kona from O‘ahu to bring Catholicism to Hawai‘i Island. The optimistic and hard-working members of the Fathers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary overcame a score of challenges to pave the way for the founding of St. Michael the Archangel mission. Today, a stone hitching post inside the Kona Plaza Shopping Arcade marks the location of the island’s first Catholic Mass. The French-based priests came to Kailua-Kona after facing strong Protestant opposition on O‘ahu. However, the
Original interior of St. Michael Church, date unknown photo courtesy The Society of Mary
Religious Tolerance Act passed in 1839 by King Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, paved the way for their welcome in Kailua-Kona. An American national named “Amala” befriended the two Palani (French) priests—Rev. Robert Walsh and Rev. Ernest Heurtel—and gave them a place to stay. They soon met Governor John Adams Kuakini, who invited the missionaries to reside in the late Queen Ka‘ahumanu’s vacant house, which was located just south of today’s Moku‘aikaua Church. Outside the house, the priests built a tiny, “native-style” chapel with a white cross above the entrance and celebrated Hawai‘i Island’s first Catholic Mass on July 5, 1840. Kuakini, who had recently built Hulihe‘e Palace and Moku‘aikaua Church, soon offered the priests a piece of land to build a church and school— the present location of St. Michael Church. By the end of 1841, 655 Catholics were recorded to have been baptized in Kailua-Kona, with missions set up in Waimea, Hilo, and Puna. According to North Kona’s Catholic Heritage… Remembered, Kuakini grew close to the medically adept Rev. Heurtel, who often cured the aging governor. The priest convinced Kuakini to build him a larger church on the recently gifted church grounds and a school was added.
In addition to ministering and doctoring Kona residents, Rev. Heurtel traveled around the island to oversee new priests. Pioneers of Faith describes a typical journey as “climbing up and down the slopes of Mt. Hualalai on a narrow trail, scaling the Kohala mountains and wading through the gulches…All along the roads and trails there were hamlets of Hawaiians eagerly awaiting the visit of the priest—sick to be attended to, children to be baptized and catechumens to be instructed.” In 1844, Rev. Heurtel was instructed to plan a new, permanent St. Michael Church. The project progressed slowly, and due to deteriorating health, the pastor asked to be relieved of his duties. Rev. Joachim Marechal was then tasked with the Kona flock and its building project. According to Hawaii’s Missionary Saga, Rev. Marechal “was a powerful, active and attractive leader who won people’s respect, confidence and support.” He wholeheartedly went about constructing the church and recruiting volunteers from “all the Catholic communities of Kona, assigning to them a monthly quota of building materials such as lime, lumber and stones.” With few skilled laborers at his command, it took the priest two years to build the original St. Michael Church. It measured “a depth of 22 yards by 14 yards in width” and the sanctuary was another seven yards deep. Considered among the isle’s best buildings of its time, the church was a stone structure of lava rock and coral sand mortar. The floor was hard-packed dirt. The second floor housed a small living quarter for priests and a bell, gifted from France, tolled from a tower at the building’s mauka end. The church was dedicated in 1855 and during that same year, Rev. Marechal recorded the “2,654th baptism in the Konas.” Four years later, the 45-year-old priest died and was interred beneath the church he labored to build. With St. Michael Church completed, succeeding Kailua-Kona pastors turned construction efforts toward building St. Michael’s four mission churches. St. Paul’s at Kawanui (Honalo) in 1864 was patterned after St. Michael’s, the A-frame-style Holy Rosary Church at Kalaoa in 1874 and Church of the Immaculate Conception in Hōlualoa in 1880. Tiny St. Peter’s by the Sea Front of new St. Michael Church photo by Fern Gavelek
was first erected near La‘aloa Beach in 1880 and later moved in 1912 to its present Kahalu‘u location adjacent to Ku‘emanu Heiau. These smaller mission churches catered to Kona’s farming communities and are still in operation today as part of St. Michael’s Parish. Fast forward to 1940 when Rev. Benno Evers led a team of youth to build St. Michael’s outdoor Coral Grotto for the island’s Catholic Centennial Celebration. Residents dove off the Kona coast to collect 2,500 pieces of coral to fashion the grotto over the site of Kailua Village’s original well. The grotto became a popular Kailua Village landmark and photo opportunity for visitors. In 1955, a wooden convent with a chapel was dedicated on St. Michael’s grounds. The Sisters of the Holy Family (SHF) nuns were recruited to teach religious instruction. One of them wrote in the SHF newspaper, “The school bells have not yet rung out in the Kona area as our children are busily engaged in coffee picking…yet four sisters are ready to begin house visitation and encourage their little ones to attend Sunday Mass.” The sisters served Kona parishioners until the mid-1990s and the former Kailua convent was later repurposed into the parish administration building. Other dates chronicling the original church’s history are 1968, 1974, and 1982 when the stone structure suffered extensive ocean flooding. In 1993, parishioners and clergy transformed the dirt parking area into a paved lot with 80 parking spaces. The church grounds were landscaped, and the beautification earned St. Michael’s a 1995 Kona Outdoor Circle award. Next, the church’s interior was spruced up with a new altar, pews, statuary, and flooring financed by parishioners. Kona artists were commissioned to craft several stained glass windows; each depicted a different meaningful story for parishioners. “Our priests during the 1990s were persuasive in their homilies and gifted in raising money for whatever we needed to do church improvements, both inside and out,” remembers Susan Bender, long-time church office manager. “We enjoyed these many improvements for a decade before the earthquake.”
Confirmation Day at St. Michael Church, circa 1950s. photo courtesy St. Michael Church
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Decommission of original church, November 2, 2009. photo courtesy Tony Ambut
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On the morning of October 15, 2006, a 6.7 earthquake rocked Hawai‘i Island, damaging buildings old and new. The structural engineering firm of MKM & Associates deemed the church unsafe, noting the church’s disintegrating structure—caused by past flooding and age—could not be effectively repaired. Sadly, St. Michael’s was permanently closed and worship moved to a large tent on the church grounds. “After the church was closed, I felt like the Biblical Israelites wandering in the desert, looking for a place to pitch a tent and make a permanent home,” says Rev. Konelio Faletoi, known fondly as “Father Lio.” The current pastor of St. Michael’s faced the enormity of replacing the parish’s main facility that served nearly 2,000 families and a steady stream of visitors. A native of O‘ahu, Father Lio said the first challenge in replacing the church was bringing parishioners together to decide what to do. “Some wanted the church to be one way, others differently,” he explained. “A design was approved to keep the historical integrity of the original church,” Father Lio shared. “At the same time it addressed the needs of our growing congregation.” While St. Michael’s wasn’t listed on any official registrar of historic places, it was more than 50 years old and so a report was required to document its structural attributes before it could even be torn down. Acquiring a demolition permit was the first of many permits and lengthy studies that had to be obtained. “We worked with numerous agencies and organizations,” Father Lio recalled. In addition, the church’s location in a flood zone, a special management area, and the Kailua Village Business Improvement District also presented additional requirements and approvals. Experts analyzed everything from soil to resident bird life and completed a string of reports covering burials, archeology, Hawaiian culture, traffic noise, and more.
Mass at St. Michael Church, circa 1970s photo courtesy St. Michael Church
Meanwhile, a parish pledge drive kicked off to construct the new church campus. Finally, on November 2, 2009, the 1855 church was decommissioned in a special ceremony and then demolished. An archeologist located the interred remains of Rev. Marechal, which were put in a safe place to be re-interred under the new building. The termite-ridden former convent building was also subsequently torn down and administrative offices were temporarily moved to the parish hall at Immaculate Conception in Hōlualoa. Parishioners thought a groundbreaking ceremony on September 28, 2012 signaled the physical beginning of the new St. Michael’s—until the chosen general contractor unexpectedly rescinded the job. “It took a few months to again go through the bidding process but another contractor was secured and then work began in earnest,” detailed Father Lio. “Site preparation presented some unexpected challenges and that also lengthened completion time.” During excavation, workers uncovered the 1841 church’s footprint, which ran north and south, and unearthed an antique aspergillum, a liturgical implement used to sprinkle holy water. With construction in full swing on church property, parishioners had moved the large worship tent to a vacant lot at Honokohau Industrial Park. Congregants pitched in to make the facility comfortable and attractive, using hundreds of chairs and carpeting provided by local hotels. Parishioners also brought plants, and the tent’s interior was gaily decorated during holidays. “Visitors came and marveled at how nice it was there,” smiles Father Lio. “We were very blessed.” All the hard work paid off when the newly constructed St. Michael the Archangel Church was dedicated March 25.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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The new church was dedicated to a packed house on March 25, 2015. photo by Fern Gavelek
New interior at St. Michael Church photo by Fern Gavelek Illuminated by the morning sun, stained glass windows from the original church appear in the tiny Adoration Chapel, located at the back of the new church. photo by Fern Gavelek
A throng of 1,500 faithful jubilantly packed the newly hewn pews and spilled out on to the side lānai. Many of the congregants expressed tears of joy and an overwhelming sense of “coming home” filled the church. While the new church shares the same exterior profile and pale pink color as the 1850s church—complete with the bell tower—it is larger, measuring 9,500 square feet to seat 630. “We also incorporated several elements from the original church inside the new one,” details Father Lio. A baptismal font sculpted from a large piece of West Hawai‘i lava greets the faithful. It is surrounded by mosaic tiles etched with words that appeared over the altar of the original church: E Ku‘u Keiki: E Ho Mai No‘u Kou Pu‘uwai A E Ike Oe I Ku‘u AlaheleThe Lord Says to Thee: Give Me Thy Heart and Let Thine Eyes Keep My Ways. “Having the font at the entrance of the church reminds all who enter that it is in the waters of baptism that Christian life begins,” explains Father Lio. A floor tombstone near the altar marks the new resting place for Rev. Marechal. Behind the main altar is a private adoration chapel, and its outside doors are graced with two of the 1996 commissioned stained glass windows; they are brilliantly illuminated in the morning sun. The other two windows will be installed in the church’s future two-story parish center that will house a commercial kitchen, office, gift shop, and meeting rooms; its footings are already in place on the south side of the church. The front of the new St. Michael’s is elevated 21-feet to meet building code requirements, and the entrance is accessed via two semi-circular stairways. Cradled between the stairways is the
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restored, fresh water well that was historically used by the Kailua community. The landmark coral grotto was moved to front the future parish center. “The well has been preserved to serve as a central feature in the outdoor Waikūpua Brick Garden,” adds Father Lio. “We invited parishioners and the community to become part of the history of St. Michael’s by sponsoring a brick in the garden. (see story on p41) Local artisans crafted the church’s new altar, ambo (pulpit), and presider’s chair, while a local woodworker completed cabinetries in both sacristies. Hanging above the altar is a beautiful, 16-foot crucifix that was carved in Peru. “Assembling and mounting the crucifix was like saying a prayer; it was a very spiritual experience,” Father Lio shared. He concluded, “We thank all who donated their time, talent, and treasure, and we continue to believe our most important asset is the faith of our members who continue to carry Christ to the community and its less fortunate persons.” St. Michael’s has an ongoing Capital Campaign to pay off construction debt and build the future parish center. ❖ Contact St. Michaels: 808.326.7771, StMichaelParishKona.org Readers wanting more historic information on all of St. Michael’s five churches can purchase a copy of the parish’s 2009 book, North Kona’s Catholic Heritage…Remembered. Contact writer Fern Gavelek: ferng@hawaii.rr.com
Back of St. Michael Church, circa 1880s–1900s photo courtesy Father Bertram Collection
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
The new baptismal font bears the words that appeared over the original church’s altar: E Ku‘u Keiki: E Ho Mai No‘u Kou Pu‘uwai A E Ike Oe I Ku‘u Alahele-The Lord Says to Thee: Give Me Thy Heart and Let Thine Eyes Keep My Ways. photo by Fern Gavelek
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Historic Kainaliu, Kona’s original shopping village. Located 5 miles south of Kailua-Kona.
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BUZZY HISTO
“OLA KUPA‘ĀINA” | By Catherine Tarleton
Winners at the 2014 Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival
“H
ow can you not give them 10+? Everybody deserves a 10. They’re all winners,” says hula instructor, lei-maker, and floral artist Buzzy Histo from his Kalikokalehua Hula Studio in Waimea. A judge for the Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival (HKHF) for many years, Buzzy will bring his hālau back to defend their titles in the 33rd annual event September 9–10 at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay. “Ours was the first group—in over 30 years of the festival—to win all four divisions,” says Buzzy of the 2014 competition. “Men, women, co-ed, and overall. Plus solo wahine, third place.” Limited to twenty hālau, the Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival is a way to spotlight the mature dancers over age 55 and offer them a competitive experience. Sponsored by the Hawai‘i County Elderly Activities Division‑Special Programs, HKHF is the longest running kupuna hula festival in the world, welcoming dancers from the Hawaiian Islands, California, Japan, and Okinawa.
This year’s theme, “Ola Kupa‘āina” (A Person/Persons of the Land), challenges competitors to select a song about a place in Hawai‘i with special meaning for them. Kalikokalehua Hula Studio’s wahine group will perform Paniau by Helen Desha Beamer, written as a tribute to her friends’ beach home. “Paniau is in Puako, and my friend’s family used to own a home there,” says Buzzy. “That was the first huaka‘i (trip, journey) that I took on this island.” For their lei, he is recruiting friends from
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
near and far to gather kou flowers, the lacy orange blossom that grows in coastal areas. “Kupuna Hula Festival takes the whole year to prepare,” says Buzzy. “You want to be good and know the song inside and out.” The men’s group will dance Waikaloa by John P. Watkins, about a special place near Hāna, Maui. For hō‘ike, he chose the song Lei Nani. “We used to do it traditional like Aunty Genoa,” he says, “but I heard O’Brian Eselu sing it, and had to do it his way to honor him. It has more of a flare, more uplifting.” Under his gentle kāhea (to call, recite), the group moves forward and back in unison, hands draped with ribbon to represent their lei. “The group found me,” says Buzzy of his 16 dancers. He started teaching at the request of Waimea Seniors Club and the group evolved into a hālau. “Only Aunty Betty is left,” he says,
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referring to “the sunglass lady,” Betty Webster, 86, of Waimea, whose collection of 1,200+ shades is in the running for a Guinness World Record. Betty has been a hula dancer since age nine. “He is very akamai, very smart, very creative,” says Betty, “I wouldn’t say really strict. There’s more horsing around...I enjoy working with him.” Betty, like her hula brothers and sisters, works hard to perfect her performance, knowing that the HKHF judges will be evaluating them on overall appearance, presentation, hand gestures, and costumes. “It is very challenging,” she says. “The motions are not that simple...and you are judged very highly on your feet.” “We do formations; switching lines,” says Buzzy. “You want to enter competition, it’s so much more exciting, rather than everybody standing in the same place.” He enjoys working with
the kūpuna, and they with him. “He’s a character,” says student Sherry Pettus of Honoka‘a. “He always makes us laugh. He’s very patient with us. He’s a beautiful dancer and I love watching him dance...I love our Thursday mornings with him.” “Actually, they should be teaching me!” he says. “The kūpuna are willing to try stuff too—that’s the fun part about it—even if they never danced before, they want to try. You just have to have that desire.” Growing up in Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu, he danced with Aunty Lei Mendez of Hau‘oli Hula Studio and Luka and Kalei Ki of ‘Ilima Hula studio, as well as the late Uncle George Na‘ope. “I have good foundations,” he says, remembering how the stricter kumu would charge a $5 fine for forgetting a kukui nut lei, a $5 fine for a ti leaf lei that was brown.
Buzzy dancing with other Kumu Hula at the 2014 Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival while the judges deliberate. Buzzy with hula students Kimberly Puou, Diane Suganuma
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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Buzzy remembering one of many stories about his Uncle Etua Lopes.
“Uncle George was the meanest!” says Buzzy. “He was the only one who would whack us with the pū‘ili [bamboo rattle] or with his slipper. And you can’t go home to your mother and say ‘I got lickings in hula,’ because you’ll get lickings again!” Uncle George helped found the Merrie Monarch Festival in 1964. And with George Yoshida of the Department of Parks and Recreation, he also created HKHF in 1982 as an activity for senior citizens clubs. In between, in 1977, Uncle George took his hālau, including Buzzy, to the Merrie Monarch Festival competition. “It was held at the gym where they have the craft fair now,” says Buzzy. “They didn’t have a stage. We danced on the ground.” Over the next three years, he danced with Kumu Darrell Lupenui and the Men of Waimapuna, and in 1980 they danced on the big stage at Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium. “The roar of the crowd was so incredible,” says Buzzy. “And it felt like dancing in the clouds because you are above the audience. Our hula had lots of ku‘i steps (a strong, pounding foot motion) and the excellent choreography. It was super cool.” That year, they took home the first perpetual trophy ever awarded to a men’s hālau. In the five years that followed, Buzzy danced for Johnny Lum Ho, returning to the Merrie Monarch stage annually. He moved to Hawai‘i Island in 1984. “I came to the Big Island because this is the best island to pick all the native Hawaiian flowers,” he says. Like most artisans, Buzzy has a professional career as well. At first, he wanted to be a flight attendant, but after a few trips by plane, realized it was not for him. “I knew my feet had to be on the ground,” says Buzzy. “I’m an earthy person.” He worked at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows for 25 years as a server, although his passion and talent for hula and leimaking were always part of the job. With Pinkie Crowe, Director of Weddings and Romance and also an accomplished hula dancer, he would plan the annual May Day shows and other festivities. “Pinkie would come into the restaurant and say, ‘Sorry Buzzy, I have to take you away,’ because she needed a special flower arrangement or a lei...That was our job, to serve our guests,” he says with emotion, revealing a deeper aloha for his work and for service, in a place he obviously loved. His lei very much in demand, Buzzy’s hands are seldom still. His refrigerators are full of blossoms and greenery. And while you may find him sewing lei in his Waimea studio, he might be off giving hula lessons to a writer for Condé Nast Traveler, designing the floral set for Keali‘i Reichel’s concert at Kahilu Theatre, arranging flowers at Alan Wong’s lū‘au for Gourmet magazine, or teaching a lei-making workshop in Paris.
Buzzy expounding on a story about his Uncle Etua Lopes with Lanakila Manini and Ke Ola writer Gayle Greco.
“I asked my mother, ‘Why did you name me Buzzy? It always keeps me so busy!’” Indeed, with lei to make for 11 hālau at Merrie Monarch this year, he started about two months in advance, working first with the greenery, like palapalai. “KITV has been trying to get me [to make lei] for years, but I have to say no!” He learned to make lei from renowned lei-maker Hanai Ali‘i Hayashida of Waimea, whose father was a Parker Ranch paniolo for more than 50 years. Hanai Ali‘i taught Buzzy how to make Ni‘ihau shell lei as well, including the one he gifted himself for his 50th birthday. Recently, he celebrated his 55th birthday, entering the realm of the kupuna himself. When asked what his goals or dreams are, what’s on his ‘bucket list,’ if money were no object—he was stumped, speechless, his humility showing through the humor and stories. If one had to guess, it might be another win at this year’s Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival. Break a leg Buzzy and Kalikokalehua Hula Studio! ❖ Contact Buzzy Histo: 808.885.7487 Contact writer Catherine Tarleton: catherinetarleton@gmail.com Winners at the 2014 Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
For information about the 33rd Annual Hawaii Kupuna Hula Festival (expected to sell out quickly), visit their Facebook page (Facebook.com/pages/Hawaii-Kupuna-Hula-Festival) or contact Kelly Hudik, Elderly Recreation Services, 808.323.4340, kelly.hudik@hawaiicounty.gov.
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
HOURS: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tue. - Sat. Admission is free.
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For information, or to arrange group visits: 808-885-5884 or isaacsartcenter@hpa.edu WEB: http://isaacsartcenter.hpa.edu &
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The Isaacs Art Center features some of the finest Hawaiian and Asian art from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. All proceeds benefit the HPA Scholarship Fund, which assists promising young people in realizing their educational goals. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Art Center building, the original 1915 Waimea Elementary School that was moved to its current location, restored, and opened as an art gallery in 2004. We now celebrate 10 years of welcoming visitors to this vintage schoolhouse and invite the community to tour our unique art collection. Come visit the art center and enjoy!
PICTURED: Madge Tennant, Hawaiians Hanging Holoku, oil on canvas, 1940.
Three panels to the left of the Regal Cinemas Keauhou 7 at Keauhou Shopping Center. photo by Fannie Narte
Mele Murals Keauhou MELE KO‘I HONUA— CREATION CHANTS | By Fannie Narte
M
ele Murals is about sharing Hawai‘i’s stories—Our Stories—through art and narrative. These colorful murals command attention and have an enormous historical and cultural impact that will move our people forward as a community. The Estria Foundation (TEF) and the Mele Murals team, comprised of many local teachers, business and community leaders, cultural practitioners, artists, and students joined forces to produce another set of beautiful murals. The Mele Murals located at the Keauhou Shopping Center on the outside walls of the Regal Keauhou Stadium 7 Movie Theater have a total of seven panels. The three panels to the left of the movie theater entrance are featured in this second article in our Mele Murals series. The remaining four panels will be featured in an upcoming issue. ‘Ōpio (youth) from Ke Kula o ‘Ehunuikaimalino (KKOE) (lead school), Konawaena High School, Pūnana Leo o Kona, Innovations Public Charter Schools, Kanu o ka ‘Āina, and Kamehameha Schools Pre-School participated in this project. The ‘ōpio, under the guidance of Kumu ‘Ilikea Kam from KKOE, (lead kumu) and Kumu Kanoa Castro of Ho‘ala Arts, the Mele Murals club from Kanu o ka ‘Āina, and the team of cultural practitioners and resources, explore the meaning and kaona
Lily Dudoit and the staff at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay shared the stories of Kaukulaelae with the Mele Murals ‘ōpio on one of two huaka‘i (trips), which are part of the workshops where the ‘ōpio find the content for their Mele Murals. photo courtesy Evan Loney
West Hawai‘i school haumana (students), big and small, brought ike (knowledge), mana (spirituality), and hiki (ability) to create the Mele Murals at Keauhou Shopping Center. photo courtesy Evan Loney
(hidden meaning) of the mele’s lyrics in the context of past and present community issues in their workshops. The result of this exploration provides the content that informs their murals. The mele (song, chant) part of Mele Murals is inspired by Hawaiian music and chant. It celebrates and honors connection to the ‘āina (land), chronicles traditions and mo‘olelo (stories), and binds Hawai‘i’s people together with the past and the future. The three panels featured in this article are inspired by “Mele Ko‘i Honua,” or creation chants.
Mele Ko‘ i Honua Wākea lived with Papa, begetter of islands Begotten was Hawai‘i, an island Begotten was Maui, an island Wākea made a new departure and lived with Ho‘ohokukalani Begotten was Moloka‘i, an island Begotten was Lana‘i, an island The womb of Papa became jealous at its partnership with Ho‘ohokukalani Papa returned and lived with Wākea Begotten was O‘ahu, an island Begotten was Kaua‘i, an island Begotten was Ni‘ihau, an island
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
A red rock was Kaho‘olawe
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The panels represent three main sources of Hawaiian ‘ike (knowledge). They are Papahulilani (the realm of the heavens), Papahānaumoku (the realm of creation), and Papahulihonua (the realm of the earth and the ocean), which are from the Kumulipo, ancient creation chant. The combination of these three sources of ‘ike is “Papakū Makawalu.” Papakū (foundation) Makawalu (literally “eight eyes”) is a multifaceted phrase used to express the Hawaiian worldview of the physical, intellectual, and spiritual foundations from which life cycles emerge. The Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation states that Papakū Makawalu “is a methodical presentation of a holistic preview of the Hawaiian universe. It is an abstract from Wā ‘Umikūmākolu (Section 13) of the Kumulipo. Wā ‘Umikūmākolu begins with Palikū and Paliha‘a, the male and female ancestors of Haumea. Haumea is the ancestor credited for the pedagogy of categorizing and organizing the natural world.” The beginning of the unveiling ceremony, Nov. 29, 2014 photo by Renée Robinson
“Papakū Makawalu is the ability of our kūpuna (elders) to categorize and organize our natural world and all systems of existence within the universe. It is the foundation to understanding, knowing, acknowledging, becoming involved with, and most importantly, becoming experts of the systems of this natural world.”
Papakū Makawalu
The Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation provides the following description of the three houses of knowledge:
PAPAHULILANI
Papahulilani is the house of knowledge that studies all atmospheric cycles. It is the space from above the head to where the stars sit. It is inclusive of the sun, moon, stars, planets, winds, clouds, and the measurement of the vertical and horizontal spaces of the atmosphere. It is also a class of experts who are spiritually, physically, and intellectually attuned to the space above and its relationship to the earth.
PAPAHĀNAUMOKU
Papahānaumoku is the house of knowledge that studies all living organisms. It is the birthing cycle of all flora and fauna inclusive of man. It is the process of investigating, questioning, analyzing, and reflecting upon all things that give birth, regenerate, and procreate. It is also a class of experts who are spiritually, physically, and intellectually attuned to things born and the habitat that provides their nourishment, shelter, and growth.
PAPAHULIHONUA
Papahulihonua is the house of knowledge that studies all earth cycles. It is inclusive of earth and ocean. It is the ongoing study of the natural earth and ocean and its development, transformation, and evolution by natural causes. It is also a class of experts who are spiritually, physically, and intellectually attuned to this earth and its relationship to the space above and the life forms on it. The Mele Murals project is a success because of the many people who are involved. Lily Dudoit and Nani Kupihe shared the stories of Kaukulaelae and ‘Anakala Mahealani Pai, ‘Anake Kalani Kahulamu, and Malia Kipapa shared the mo‘olelo of Kahalu‘u with the youth. The staff at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay and ‘Anakala Tava Taupu also helped our participating youth learn the stories in the panels. After much study, research and exploration, the youth transfer their vision to the walls with the help of lead artist, John “Prime” Hina III, Founder and Director of 808 Urban, a Hawaiian nonprofit arts organization, and Estria Miyashiro, Founder and Creative Director of The Estria Foundation and the Mele Murals project. Local kōkua (volunteer) artists Miho Morinoue, Lindsay Lander, Kawika Duncan and Kathleen Abood were a part of this creative team.
Description of the Three Mele Murals
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Kumu ‘Ilikea provided the following descriptions of the three panels, which includes comments by the participating ‘ōpio.
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Papahulilani, photo courtesy Evan Loney
PAPAHULILANI
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
This panel depicts the eight Hawaiian Islands in the heavenly realm. The kaona is that the eight Hawaiian Islands also represent the eight planets of our universe. Malie Sarsona, a student from Kanu o ka ‘Āina, said that the wall “made me think of makawalu as more than seeing through different perspectives, but to see through the eyes of Kaho‘olawe, Hawai‘i, Saturn, Neptune, and even Mars.” The compass is a tribute to the courage of our Polynesian ancestors who navigated distant voyages using the stars to guide them. Kumu ‘Ilikea says, “The sun represents kanaka (mankind) in relationship to our universe.”
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The painting is divided into eight spaces, which represent the concept of makawalu, or looking at everything from a different perspective “of eight eyes” in which layers of knowledge are uncovered. The “eye of Laniakea” is also present on this panel and can be seen at a distance. Laniakea (immeasurable heaven) is the name of a supercluster of galaxies, which includes our galaxy, the Milky Way. Nainoa Alefaio, a student from KKOE, added that the “eye symbolizes our ancestors watching over us, and the red lines coming out of the center represents the Hawaiian blood lines.”
Papahānaumoku, photo courtesy Evan Loney
PAPAHĀNAUMOKU
Kumu Keala Ching giving the blessing. photo by Renée Robinson
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Kumu ‘Ilikea says, “Papa Hānau Moku is described as the lifegiving realm, which is depicted in this panel as envisioned by the students of KKOE.” “Papahānaumoku,” says Nainoa, “is anything that is living.” Hualālai stands tall in the background of this panel as the foundation and main water source of Keauhou. The hands in the foreground are facing downward to show that we are stewards of the land. Nainoa says that the two hands represent humans working on the ‘āina. “Huli ka lima i lalo is one of the many ‘ōlelo no‘eau (wise proverb) told to us by our kūpuna,” says Malie. “They repeated over and over, ‘Turn your hands down to the honua. When your hands are up, you are begging for things to be given to you. Don’t be lazy.’” The ho‘okupu (ceremonial gift) is symbolic of giving back. The fetus within the ho‘okupu represents new life and new beginnings, with a hāpu‘u fern shoot as the piko (center). The gnarly trees shown at the base of the mountain are known as the “Menehune trees” of Kaukulaelae. The bumps on these trees are likened to the muscles of the Menehune, miniature legendary beings of strength and wisdom. Nainoa says that he saw those trees on the grounds of the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay. “I thought the trees were really cool and represent Papahānaumoku because she is a living reproducing organism.” The kūmū or red fish represents Kanikanika‘ula, the fishing heiau at Kaukulaelae at Keauhou Bay.
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Papahulihonua, photo courtesy Evan Loney
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
PAPAHULIHONUA
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At the center of this panel is the Hāpaiali‘i Heiau of Kahalu‘u. Hāpai means to elevate and ali‘i means chief or chiefess. When combined, Hāpaiali‘i means to elevate the chiefs or chiefess’. The Hāpaiali‘i Heiau served as a birthing place for those of ali‘i lineage. During the restoration of Hāpaiali‘i, two sets of measurements were found. It was the significance of Hāpaiali‘i during the winter and summer solstices that helped confirm the location of the traditional perimeter lines. Carbon dating was used to determine the age of Hāpaiali‘i, as well as indicate that there was a fire source on the heiau. Research also revealed that this heiau had its own water source. This heiau was likely used as a lighthouse for wa‘a (canoes) returning to Kahalu‘u at night. Ke‘eku is the heiau standing off to the right side, which has walls of 30-degree angles. Wherever the ali‘i are present, there you will find niu (coconut) trees. Kahalu‘u once flourished with niu. The niu is symbolic in Hawaiian culture. The coconut trees are known as one of the first navigators, having fallen from above, they would travel the ocean and find their way elsewhere. Coconut water is prized as being pure and untouched. This served as yet another water source to the already plentiful area of Kahalu‘u.
The two whales, or koholā, are depicted here as offering reverence to this heiau. The three circular shapes represent our three piko, symbolizing the past, to honor those who came before us; the present, to
The Mele Murals ‘ōpio (youth) are taught to become docents for their murals. Kaneala Kaaihue of KKOE shares with Wallie Kimura-Nobriga, Pre-School Director, and staff of Kamehameha Schools Preschools, the mana‘o behind the Papahulihonua wall at the Keauhou Shopping Center. photo courtesy Evan Loney
“ Our work honors the last commands of King David Kalākaua,
‘ Look to the keiki, teach them, groom them, show them wonder, and inspire them.’” -Mele Murals, The Estria Foundation
signify us and those who are a part of us; and the future, looking to what we can see in the times to come. In addition, Nainoa says that the three circles represent the songs the whales sing. He says, “We painted the whales coming out of the water because they are reaching out to the ancestors.” The Mele Murals project is dedicated to creating social change by empowering local communities through the creation of art. TEF requires engagement from stakeholders and a sense of ownership among the people who live in the communities where their projects are located. This requirement calls everyone in the community to come forward and kōkua or help, and that’s what happened. In addition to the many participants in this project, the hard work and dedication of the staff at KKOE, Kumu Steve Gardner, Mele Murals club advisor at KKOE, and the team of supportive parents were instrumental to its success. The generosity and support from Kamehameha Schools, The Bill Healy Foundation, and Kristin Kamakau of Colliers International were tremendous. Support from local businesses such as Longs Drugs, Subway,
KTA, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, and Peaberry & Galette were also important to the success of this project. After many months of planning and work, members of the community and the team of participants gathered to celebrate the mural’s completion at its unveiling in November of 2014. At that time, participating ‘ōpio were invited to share their mana‘o (belief). They stepped forward, one at a time, telling the stories of the murals in their own words. They became Storytellers. They stood tall and shared their experiences with confidence. They became Leaders. These murals now stand as monuments, holding our precious stories until they are rediscovered and the stories are retold again and again. Each time Our Stories are retold, our people move forward as a community, and as a nation. ❖ Contact The Estria Foundation and Mele Murals: Estria.org Additional Source: EdithKanakaoleFoundation.org Contact writer Fannie Narte: info@fannienarte.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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Aunty Mele Kunewa Kekai | By Catherine Tarleton
The celebration party the last night of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, Oct. 28, 2012.
A
t the far north end of Kona’s Old Airport, a rock and coral trail leads to the quiet cove at Makā‘eo, once a thriving and fully sustainable fishing village. To the left, a tongue of lava forms a shallow pool; beyond, the pyramid-shaped rock named Pōhakuloa stands watch. A soft breeze takes the edge off a hot day. Naupaka offers some shade. “My Aunt Mary Kailiwai was my mother’s midwife. She raised me,” says Mele Hau‘oli Kunewa Kekai, whose family home once stood just north at the point called Pāwai. “I would stay with her in Kona six months and come down here six months to fish with my father, John Nuela Kunewa.” Like many families in the 1940s, Aunty Mele’s were coffee farmers; their year planned around coffee picking from July to December. In the first half of the year, she helped her father, a fisherman and The hand of a wonderful charter boat captain out of woman who has lived well Kailua Bay. and makes beautiful lei.
“They would go flag-line fishing from the sampan boat,” says Mele, referring to a technique that used a long main line with multiple baited hooks, suspended by floats with flags. “People don’t lay line like we used to do. They caught marlin, ‘ahi—all kinds of fish. They went out early in the morning. By the time they reached in, it was almost dark.” “He was one of those Native Hawaiian pioneers with charter boats, along with Henry Chi, Chuck Machado, the Parker Brothers, George, and Phil,” says niece Rolinda Bean. “If he wasn’t out working for people, he was working to provide for the family. Not only fish, but gathering—seaweed, ‘opihi (limpets), and others and feeding the ko‘a (fishing ground). At the reefs offshore, families would go out and feed the fish smashed pumpkin, avocado, taro... so that fish was abundant when the families needed it.” Part of the generations-old Makā‘eo fishing culture that dates back to the 15th Century, Mele and her father would feed the young fish in the shallow water, the ko‘a, giving them vegetables and fruit so as not to attract the larger predatory fish. The waters off Makā‘eo were rich with fish: ‘ōpelu (mackerel scad), ‘ū‘ū (soldier fish), po‘opa‘a (hawkfish), halalū (young akule, big-eye scad), ulua (crevalle, jack or pompano), manini (tang), humuhumunukunukuāpua‘a (triggerfish). When the time came, some of these might become bait and some, dinner. Her father fished for the family by canoe, which he pulled up onto Pāwai, the narrow beach on the north end, for safe harbor. Mele points to the place their house stood, to the pond, and the burial area. At the time, before the airport was built in 1948, Makā‘eo had a large anchialine pond, surrounded by a marsh environment
USGS aerial view of the original Kona Airport still in operation after Oct. 1, 1954.
where ducks and birds would feed, according to a Culture Impact Assessment (CIA) done in 2010 for Kimura International. The CIA included interviews with Mele and family members. Mele remembers ponds full of ‘ōpae‘ula (shrimp), seafood such as crabs, ‘opihi, kūpe‘e (snails), pipipi (small mollusk), and different kinds of limu (seaweed). In the interview, she says, “We come down, we come over here. It’s like a playground for you. It’s a safe playground for you and your family around here.” Five homes stood in Makā‘eo, and rows of tall coconut trees in the long stretch of sand that’s now an abandoned runway.
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Performing at the Hawaii Kupuna Hula Competition, Sep. 10, 2014.
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Dancing with Kumu Keala Ching the last night of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, Oct. 28, 2012.
Sharing her beautiful falsetto singing the last night of the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, Oct. 28, 2012.
“The whole area used to have a lot of coconut trees and sand,” says Mele. “That’s where they buried the people who died in jail. One time we wanted to catch ‘a‘ama crab, and we were waiting for darkness to come. All lying down in the sand...my cousin turned over on her side, and a skull was right next to her!” Mele was born on New Year’s Day in 1938 in Kailua-Kona, where the Seaside Hotel is now. She attended Kailua Elementary School, walking all the way from Makā‘eo and arriving at 9am. “After school, Dad would meet me at the shoreline with the canoe, and I would get on the canoe and come back here, change clothes, and get ready to go out with him to fish,” says Mele. “You cannot get seasick when you gotta go work. You
cannot have a problem.” After long hours, the two returned as the sun was sinking. “When we came in, my dad would see everybody on the sand and he would say, ‘Give fish to everyone,’” says Mele. “I would grumble and he would say, ‘Don’t grumble. If you give from your heart, you get more next time...You count everybody, make a string, and you give them.’” “Fishing was so hard. My grandfather understood, the more you give the more you will receive,” says Rolinda. “It’s like when you make your first lei, you give it back to the forest as a thank you for the materials. You give, give, then keep one for yourself. The practice of mastery is in place.”
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
In the seventh grade Mele moved to Konawaena, which had a different school year to allow students to help pick coffee, including herself, her brother, and four sisters. “When they picked coffee, they picked 10– 12 bags per person,” says Mele. “The first crop was not too bad, and the second; by the third, it was a really heavy load.” As a student, she learned to fly an airplane, when she and a girlfriend joined the Civil Air Patrol. “We used to fly almost every month to Hickam and certain areas we had to go; we went all around Pearl Harbor,” she says. After graduating from Konawaena, Mele went to work at the Ocean View Hotel as a babysitter, and later at Kona Palms, where Pancho & Lefty’s is now. “Everybody had to be in top shape, neat, clean, from your shoes all the way up. Your uniform had to be spick-and-span, no wrinkles,” says Mele. “When you take pride in what you do, you have to dress well.”
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Aunty Mele singing Aloha ‘Oe at the IRONMAN® World Championship Triathlon finish line, midnight with Mike Reilly and Diana Bertsch.
She remembers long days in the hot sun when the hotel workers went on strike. To keep operating, the management staff had to work, and she did not approve of some union workers’ attitudes. “I told them, ‘You don’t treat them like somebody you don’t know. Show respect.’” When her stint on the picket line was pau (finished), she went fishing. “I would go to Honokōhau with an ice chest and hook halalū (young of the akule, a fish, about 14 or 15 cm long),” she says. Then, in keeping with family tradition, she dropped them off at the kitchen where the striking workers’ meals were
L–R: niece Rolinda Bean, Aunty Mele,
experience. Volunteers weren’t allowed to have cameras behind the finish line, so I don’t have a picture of her surrounded with all the beautiful lei.” Kumu Keala Ching, who also contributes to Ke Ola, is another fan of Mele, finding her life and stories inspiring. “Aunty Mele is the wife of my father’s grand uncle, and it was a pleasure to make the connection with a family of Kona,” says Kumu Keala. “I am now connected with Aunty Mele through Rolinda Bean, my dear friend for the past 15 years. So, I would say I know Aunty Mele for the past 15 years.” “Understanding Aunty Mele’s story, I have been inspired daily just sitting and hearing her speak, sharing her stories the way she wants to and feeling blessed to be loved by an Awesome Woman,” he says. (Tears now begin to run down my face.) “When I speak about Aunty Mele, everyone I speak to gains a smile instantly...Aunty Mele is truly a blessing and a strength within our community, yet very humble. I love Aunty Mele!” The sun is high and hot overhead as we wrap up our conversation. The few visitors to Makā‘eo have finished their walk and gone. The women gather their chairs and bags, making their way back to waiting cars and the present day. We have talked about many things—history, culture, fishing. Most of all we have talked about the kind of wisdom, of mastery as Rolinda says, that comes with doing. Only hard work and awareness earn that. “I’m a water person. I’m a fisherman,” says Mele. “You gotta use your common sense.” Amen. ❖ Contact writer Catherine Tarleton: catherinetarleton@gmail.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
prepared. “I always told them, ‘Don’t daughter April Wong forget my crew!’” And if someone was unfamiliar with her favorite fishing spot, she had a warning. “If you don’t know how to fish, better not fish in this section because you and that pole are going to end up in the water.” She worked briefly at the King Kamehameha Hotel in 1965 and then took a position at the Kona Inn. Former boss William Mielcke of Kailua-Kona remembers her fondly. “Mele and Hank were old friends. Their arms were always open with aloha,” he says. Mele met Henry “Hank” Kekai when he was a bartender at the King Kamehameha Hotel. Hank, brother of notable surfer Rabbit Kekai, had moved away from Waikīkī for a change of pace and relaxed into bodysurfing along the Kona coast. “Dad would bodysurf at Kona Tiki’s,” says daughter April Wong. “Ali‘i Drive had reef sticking up. You had to know what you were doing. He also liked to bodysurf at White Sand when there was no sand.” “My husband was a deckhand and a fisherman,” says Mele. “He would catch ‘ahi or aku (bonito) and go by KTA and tell people, ‘Don’t buy fish; I will wait for you.’ Then, ‘How many in your family?’ If it was seven, he gave them seven fish. That’s all he wanted to do was see them smiling...When you have a lot, better to give than to sell.” As a young woman she was also a competitive canoe paddler. “Paddle fishing is different from regular regatta paddling. I had to learn regatta paddling. That’s why we practice,” says Mele. “Frank Henriques was our coach. And in 1959, we won State Junior Women in Honolulu,” she says with a smile, adding, “We thought we were pau, then the coach says, ‘No way, you’re going out with the Senior Women, too,’ and we took first place, too.” She is a lifetime member of Kai ‘Opua, Hawai‘i’s oldest organized canoe club, founded in 1930. She still works with them from May to December, during race season, although she now works in the t-shirt tent instead of the official’s boat, where she served for many years. That’s not all that keeps Aunty Mele active. Ke Ola editor Renée Robinson first met Aunty Mele at the IRONMAN® World Championship Triathlon, where Mele has worked as a volunteer coordinator for 32 years. “She asked if I’d help at the finish line from 6pm to midnight and give the athletes lei,” says Renée. “It was an amazing
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Clifford Kopp and the Waikūpua Brick Garden
A BIG PUZZLE SOLVED, A COMMUNITY TREASURE
EVOLVED
| By Karen Valentine
photo by Karen Valentine
I
t seems that Dr. Clifford Kopp has found his calling in life: to take the most difficult challenge and make all the pieces fit together. As a Kailua-Kona prosthodontist, he practices the dental specialty of fitting new teeth into difficult spaces in people’s mouths. As a community volunteer, he helps organize parades, fireworks displays, and other big projects such as the Higashihara Park playground.
As a child, Cliff loved jigsaw puzzles. As an adult, he finds the most difficult and largest jigsaw puzzles in the world and assembles them. In 2011, he completed a 32,256-piece puzzle— the world’s largest—measuring nineteen by seven feet. It took him 56 days, assembling eight sections of 4,032 pieces each. Cliff says he gets intense and single-focused during the times he works on puzzles, often ignoring other daily tasks or issues of life. It’s a lot like the ancient Greek mathematician, puzzle maker, and inventor Archimedes, who it is said ran naked through the streets shouting, “Eureka!” after discovering the law of buoyancy in the bathtub. Forgetting he had no clothes on, he wouldn’t let anything come between him and his work. Ideas came to him at any moment, and he would scribble them on any available surface.
September–October 2015
“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” – Deepak Chopra
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The brick garden project was laid out on a large poster board, which sat upon the pool table in Cliff’s home for weeks prior to construction, littered with colored cardstock depicting each of the bricks. photo by Karen Valentine
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
The Waikūpua Brick Garden design features the three crosses of Calvary surrounded by bricks engraved with the names of people who were contributors or memorialized in the garden. Waikūpua means “blessed water,” and the well forming the keystone of the garden leads to an underground water source of the same name. Working with Cliff was graphic artist John Lewis, who contributed his time and talent to the project.
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Ideas usually came at 3am for Cliff, he says, while contemplating his latest geometric puzzle—the beautiful and complex Waikūpua Brick Garden at the recently rebuilt St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona—composed of 2,500 bricks of various sizes, arranged in a 32-foot diameter circle. Just imagine the challenge of fitting so many rectangular pieces into a circle and creating a beautiful and meaningful work! At least 1,200 of the bricks are engraved with designs—either personalized for someone who bought a brick, or scribed with quotations from the Bible, or depicting aspects of the history of the church. The idea for a brick garden as a feature of the first Roman Catholic Church on the island, which was irreparably damaged in the October 15, 2006 earthquake, came as a means to raise funds for its reconstruction. Barbara Kossow, administrative specialist for the County of Hawai‘i and a member of St. Michael’s Church, had worked with Cliff to design and build a brick garden at the new West Hawai‘i Civic Center. Inspired by that project’s success, Barbara proposed the idea to church officials, who then invited him to help. The local dentist and community volunteer, who is of Jewish, not Catholic, heritage, didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge. After all, it was a puzzle and a challenge, too. However, he laughs, “The Civic Center’s brick garden was elementary school level, while this one is a PhD in brick gardens!” “My first thought after the first meeting with the church staff was, ‘You’re crazy if you try this.’ One minute later, I thought, ‘You’re even more out of your mind if you don’t do this. When
The brick garden project is discussed during a January 2015 visit by Monsignor Francis Cilia of California (left). Father Lio Faletoi is on the right and Dr. Clifford Kopp in the center. photo courtesy John Lewis
would you ever get the chance to work on an iconic church that was taken down by an earthquake?’’’ There is an old well located in the center of the entrance to the new church. Below it runs an anchialine water source named Waikūpua, which runs from the top of Hualālai mountain, passes beside St. Michael’s, and enters the sea at Hulihe‘e Palace. Waikūpua in simple form means “blessed water.” The design for the new brick garden, now named Waikūpua Brick Garden, begins at the well and stretches makai (to the ocean) toward Ali‘i Drive. When people approach the church from Ali‘i Drive, they are greeted by the garden and invited to walk over it, exploring all of its messages. The basic design proposed by Cliff features the three crosses of Calvary—a large one in the center and two smaller ones on either side. Alterations, details, and levels of complexity evolved from there. The Rev. Konelio “Father Lio” Faletoi, pastor of St. Michael’s says, “I thought it was a great idea to do a brick garden and have it open to the whole community, not just St. Michael’s members. We put a sign out at the entrance inviting people who were interested in a brick to contact us. So what you see here are parishioners, visitors, people from all over the world. It really highlights the diversity of our community. The church has served the needs of the community since 1840 and will continue to serve the needs of the community here.” The brick garden project began on Mother’s Day, 2014 and was completed just in time for the dedication of the new St. Michael’s on Annunciation Day, March 25. KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
A beehive of activity with masons and other volunteers working together for three days accomplished the finished brick garden just in time for the dedication of the new St. Michael’s on March 25, 2015.
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The center cross is bordered with the names of 64 individuals important to the church’s history. In this corner are the pastor who built the original church in 1850, Fr. Joachim Marechal, and the current pastor, Fr. Kanelio Faletoi, who rebuilt the church in 2015.
September–October 2015
Chief mason and supervisor Aisea Tuikolovatu, right, watches Sam Fale‘ofa as he lays a brick featuring the names of his parents with the design of the Tongan coat of arms. “We had a lot of Tongans working the project as masons,” says Cliff. Church volunteer Robert Matsumoto also served alongside Tuikolovatu as project co-manager. photo courtesy Barbara Kossow
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As the design continued to percolate in Cliff’s brain, orders for bricks were coming in. People had the option of buying a small, medium, or large size brick, and to date, some 1,200 bricks have been ordered of a total of 1,600 possible engraved bricks. Additional bricks make up the spaces and other parts of the design. Cliff knew he had to fit them all together, so he calculated the ratio of the brick sizes based on the numbers of orders for each. They were being requested at a ratio of one large to two medium to nine small bricks. Then, he devised a square made up of one large, two medium, and nine small engraved bricks, with six more blank bricks. This 19-brick square would be repeated 150 times within the circle. For a long time, Cliff was concerned about the brick grid placement being too linear. “The radical change in the design occurred in October, when I changed the basic layout from linear to a non-linear geometry— difficult to do with bricks. The effect became that the only thing that was seen as linear were the actual crosses, and the design began to flow to the exact center of the middle cross, that of Christ. I knew immediately of its greater potential, and all of the other concepts started falling into place from there over the next couple of months.” Throughout the project, he says, Cliff worked directly with graphic artist John Lewis, to whom he gives all credit for the individual artistry of the bricks, and also for his patience in keeping up with all adaptations to the overall design. There are three other significant parts of the layout. One is a “lei” of larger bricks arrayed around the well. They feature drawings of the five historic churches of the parish, laid out from north to south in the order of the churchsʻ locations from Kohala to Ka‘ū, with St. Michael’s in the middle. “As immigrants arrived in the late 1800s to work the plantations, outlying churches were built,” Cliff explains. “They became the outposts of the parish, and priests of that time would have to either walk or ride donkey to administer to the people. I wanted to illustrate that history.” The second significant part of the design is a “glow” around the center cross, composed of 64 reddish-colored bricks engraved with the names of individuals who played important roles in the church since 1839, including pastors, associate priests, sisters and deacons, and one brick for Pope Francis. The third feature that people find intriguing is a series of 12 bricks placed in a central “column.” You can follow them as you walk from the entrance, around the cross, and toward the well. They’re called the Genesis bricks, appropriately beginning at the entrance with “In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.” This quote from Genesis 1:1 in the Bible is repeated in 12 languages chosen mainly from the 12 most common Hawai‘i immigrant cultures. There is even one in Hawaiian Pidgin. (See end of the story.) There are hundreds of stories in the bricks—too many to mention in this story. A visit to the brick garden is a wonderful experience of discovery, similar to walking through a cemetery and imagining the people whose names are on the grave markers. As each one of the engraved bricks was delivered, Cliff laid them out in squares in his driveway, 156 of them, all numbered. He had already allocated spaces for them on a large plan for the garden, which sat upon his pool table for months, filled with colored index cards. As the church renovation neared completion, it came time for laying the bricks. “This was not setting bricks, this was setting a puzzle,” he says. The only problem was, “It was 16 days before the dedication, and there were no masons. I was stuck. The site itself was a train wreck.”
Each brick has a story. The large memorial brick in the center contains a quote that puzzled Cliff for a long time—Ebed Koum. After much research, he realized it is in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, and it means “My servant, come unto me.”
At the entrance to the brick garden, Cliff gestures to a series of bricks imprinted with the text from Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning…” The inspiration was to translate that Bible verse in 12 languages. (Listed at the end of this story.) A short distance away on either side of the English version are two “guardian” bricks, Archangel Michael on the left, namesake of the church, and on the right “The Holy Spirit,” also in Hawaiian. The rays of the sun, Cliff says, inspire everyone in Kona and are a fitting illustration of the Holy Spirit. photo by Karen Valentine
September–October 2015
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Characteristically, he says, “You don’t fear. You accept the idea that it’s going to happen and let it evolve.” Examining some business cards on a bulletin board, he came up with the name of Aisea Tuikolovatu, a local mason whose company works on a lot of major projects. Against all odds, he was both available and willing to pitch in with bricklayers, ‘ohana and aloha. It all shifted into high gear, and Cliff says he worked 21-hour days for seven consecutive days, during which he says he could be somewhat intense. It’s a description with which Barbara Kossow agrees. “I served as a liaison between Cliff and St. Michael’s,” Barbara explains, “—a buffer between Cliff and others because he can be difficult to work with. It’s only because he is a perfectionist. He takes care of detail. That’s what I like about working with him.” The bricks were laid over a period of three days just prior to the dedication. Volunteers from the church and community all came together to help, and a traditional Hawaiian blessing was performed by Kahu Danny Akaka as the first brick was laid. The Akaka family is also recognized on a brick. The entire project was a person-to-person experience for Cliff, too. Each order that came in for a brick had to be examined for possible misspellings and to have some of the details confirmed with the person ordering it. He would often call or email the individual, talking about the words and the possible artwork to be added to it. “I talk story with a lot of people,” says Cliff. “We were setting the lights up on Good Friday morning. A small woman was there peering over the bricks. She looked about 88 years of age. She said, ‘I’m looking for my husband.’ I said, ‘What is your husband’s name?’ ‘Henry,’ she said. ‘And his last name?’ ‘Kekai.’ ‘Was there any artwork on it?’ ‘A dove,’ she said. We walked around, and out of 1,000 bricks there at the time, we both found it. She took her little wooden cane and went tap, tap, tap. I said to myself, ‘That’s why we built the garden.’” ❖ For information on ordering a brick, contact St. Michael the Archangel Church, 808.326.7771. Orders will close sometime this fall. Waikūpua Brick Garden and the church are located at 75-5769 Ali‘i Dr., Kailua-Kona Contact Dr. Clifford Kopp: cdkoppdds@hawaii.rr.com Contact writer Karen Valentine: karenvalentine808@gmail.com
The stone wall behind the Waikūpua Brick Garden is illuminated at night. photo courtesy Bronsten Kossow
GENESIS 1:1 IN 12 LANGUAGES
CHINESE:
1:1
ENGLISH: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1 FILIPINO: Nang pasimula ay nilikha ng Dios ang langit at ang lupa. ~ Kabanata 1:1 FRENCH: Au commencement, Dieu créa les cieux et la terre. ~ Genèse 1:1 HAWAIIAN: I kinohi hana ke Akua i ka lani a me ka honua. ~ Kinohi 1:1 HAWAIIAN PIDGIN: Da time wen eryting had start, God wen make da sky an da world. ~ Da Start 1:1 JAPANESE:
1:1
POLISH: Na początku Bóg stworzył niebo i ziemię. ~ Rodzaju 1:1 PORTUGUESE: No princípio criou Deus os céus e a terra. ~ Gênesis 1:1 SAMOAN: Na faia e le Atua le lagi ma le lalolagi i le amataga. ~ La Kenese 1:1 SPANISH: En el principio crió Dios los cielos y la tierra. ~ Génesis 1:1 TONGAN: Nae fakatubu e he Otua i he kamataaga ae lagi mo mamani. ~ Ko Jenesi 1:1
T H E
B E A C O N
Kumukahi | By Denise Laitinen
P E L E
S P A R E D
Lighthouse Legend has it that Chief Kumukahi, who resided in Kapoho, was competing in hōlua (Hawaiian sled) races when he mocked Pele who had disguised herself as a beautiful woman. Pele’s wrath was swift and destructive. She chased Kumukahi to the sea with a river of lava, destroying Kapoho and its residents and creating the cape that bears the chief’s name. Located in lower Puna, Cape Kumukahi is the eastern most part of the Hawaiian Islands and readily identifiable on any map of Hawai‘i Island as the tip pointing out on the right hand side of the island.
photo courtesy Harry Durgin
Meaning “beginning” or “origin,” Kumukahi is also where the rising sun first shines upon Hawai‘i every day. It is said to be the landing spot of gods and goddesses who traveled here from Kahiki (Tahiti), including the god, Kumukahi, and his wives who were adept at manipulating the sun. Hence, the area is known as a place of mana and healing. The ancient Kukii Heiau is nearby. Perhaps it is only fitting then that in this barren desolate landscape covered with ‘a‘ā lava, the sole structure on this cape is a beacon of light. It’s interesting to note that when Pele most recently visited the area during the 1960 lava flow that destroyed the town of Kapoho, Kumukahi Lighthouse was the only structure spared on the peninsula. For more than 70 years, Kumukahi Lighthouse has stood tall at the edge of the sea providing guidance to mariners as they make their way along the rocky coastline. Nothing stands between it and California save 2,500 miles of open ocean. The lighthouse has endured much over the years, including earthquakes and two devastating lava flows. More than 20 years in the making, the lighthouse did not come easily to the Puna coastline.
A much-needed beacon
Cape Kumukahi, 1960 photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard
At the turn of the nineteenth century, sailing was the only form of transportation to and from the Hawaiian Islands, and ships from around the world docked in Hilo—the only deep-water port in east Hawai‘i Island—to pick up and deliver goods. Exporting crops and cattle via ship was crucial to Hawai‘i Island’s economy. In 1904, Hawai‘i’s Lighthouse Board gained control of all lighthouses in the state and embarked on a campaign to ensure
that signal lights were installed at key approaches to the various islands. Between 1906 and 1908, funds were secured from Congress for Kīlauea Lighthouse on Kauai, Makapu‘u Point Light on O‘ahu, and Moloka‘i Lighthouse in Kalaupapa on Moloka‘i. During that time, a request was also submitted to fund a desperately needed lighthouse at Kumukahi. Noting that there had been several shipwrecks near Kumukahi, the Board pleaded for a powerful light to be installed. In their 1908 request for a lighthouse at Kumukahi the Lighthouse Board wrote: “There is at present no landfall light for vessels bound to Hawai‘i by way of Cape Horn. This is the first land sighted by vessels from the southward and eastward. The shipping from these directions now merits consideration, and with the improvement of business at Hilo and the opening of the Panama Canal, the necessity for a landfall light on this cape grows more urgent.” Although they made repeated requests annually, the Lighthouse Board’s pleas went unanswered for more than two decades. It wasn’t until 1927 that V.S.K. Houston, the Hawai‘i Territory delegate to Congress, made an ardent request for a lighthouse at Kumukahi noting that there was no prominent light eastward of Moloka‘i to guide either ships or planes. By that time Hilo was the second largest port in the territory and military airplanes had started transpacific flights to Hawai‘i. Congress finally authorized funds for a lighthouse, and on December 31, 1928, the U.S. government bought 58 acres of land at Cape Kumukahi from the Hawaiian Trust Company for $500. (Today’s equivalent after factoring inflation would amount to $6,786.47 according to saving.org.)
Humble beginnings A simple wooden tower 32 feet tall was constructed housing an automatic acetylene beacon with 390 candlepower. (Candlepower is the measurement of radiance at a light source such as a spotlight. The measurement is based on the light produced by a single candle.) Visible for only 12 miles out to sea, the beacon was so weak it was barely bright enough for interisland sailing, never mind larger merchant ships rounding Cape Horn, or commercial airplanes. Between 1932 and 1934, the lighthouse was substantially improved when the wooden tower was replaced with a 125foot tall steel tower. Given the barren and rough terrain of the coastline, a course road was built from Highway 137—commonly referred to as Red Road—to the lighthouse. Two five-room KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Shoreline along Kumukahi photo by Denise Laitinen
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homes for the lightkeepers were built. Because the land is so desolate at Cape Kumukahi, the homes were built more than half a mile away closer to Highway 137. Water tanks, a laundry room, tool shed, fuel storage building, and even sidewalks were installed. Two rotating aerobeacons were installed with each light offering 1,700,000 candlepower, increasing the visibility to 19 miles out to sea. Flashing every six seconds, only one light was used at a time with the second light in place as a back up. The beacon was powered by two generators stored in a building at the base of the lighthouse. Given that Cape Kumukahi lies on the east rift zone of Kīlauea volcano, where minor earthquakes are frequent, a special foundation was designed for the lighthouse. Its base consists of two stacked concrete blocks with a layer of sand in between in Cape Kumukahi, 1929 order to guard the tower photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard against toppling during an earthquake. When it was finally completed in 1934, Kumukahi Lighthouse was the tallest steel tower in the entire territory of Hawai‘i.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Keepers of the light
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The first head and assistant lightkeepers assigned to Kumukahi Lighthouse were Charles K. Akana and William J. Watkins, respectively. Their main duty was to maintain the lighthouse by scraping away the sea salt and repainting the tower, as well as maintaining the generators. Akana served as lightkeeper for only one year and a couple years later in 1937, Watkins transferred to Makapu‘u Light house on O‘ahu. Frederick Nihoa manned the lighthouse as head lightkeeper from 1938-1942. Perhaps the most well-known lightkeeper associated with Kumukahi Lighthouse is Joe Pestrella. Assigned to the lighthouse in 1938 as an assistant lightkeeper, Joe took it upon himself to build an orchard next to his living quarters in his spare time. Using his own money, he cleared the land and brought in soil and planted a variety of trees, including lemons, mangoes, tangerines, and even bay leaf. In 1951, Sidney Estrella became assistant lighthouse keeper and maintained the station until 1956. In the years to come, both men were recognized by the Coast Guard for maintaining the lighthouse in exceptional condition.
Pele comes calling
z z a J Proceeds to Benefit the Hawaii Island Veterans Memorial Inc. , a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization.
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Cleanest air in the Northern Hemisphere The tall tower is also used as a monitoring station to test air quality. Because nothing stands between Cape Kumukahi and the U.S. mainland except thousands of miles of open ocean, it enjoys some of the cleanest air in the Northern Hemisphere. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other organizations monitor the air at Kumukahi Lighthouse to determine air quality for the entire state, as well as the impact of air pollution from other countries. ❖ Contact writer Denise Laitinen: Denise@deniselaitinen.com TM
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Life was peaceful for several years along the Puna coastline until a lava flow threatened Kapoho in 1955. Pestrella stayed at his post to watch over the lighthouse as the lava advanced. The following year, he received the “Civil Servant of the Year” award from the U.S. Coast Guard for his bravery in staying at his post. At the time, Ludwig Wedemeyer, leader of the Hilo Coast Guard station, noted it was the first time a Hawai‘i Island resident had received such an award from the Coast Guard. Pele came calling again in 1960 when fountains of lava erupted from cracks in the ground after a series of earthquakes rocked Kapoho in January of that year. County officials and firefighters worked feverishly to erect berms and spray the lava with water in attempts to divert the flow from the town of Kapoho. At first it appeared that the lava was headed away from the lighthouse, but it changed directions heading straight for it. Pestrella’s wife and baby son were evacuated with the rest of the Kapoho residents with Pestrella quoted as saying he wouldn’t leave until he could feel the heat of the lava on his backside. Indeed, Pestrella only evacuated when the lava started melting the gate to the lighthouse entrance. Both lightkeepers’ homes and Pestrella’s prized orchard were destroyed, as was the town of Kapoho. Incredibly, the lighthouse was spared. When the lava flow was within feet of the tower, the advancing lava split into two streams and went around the tower flowing into the ocean and sparing the lighthouse. To this day, you can still see where the lava split into two streams in front of it. The lighthouse and Pu‘ula Congregational Church in Kapoho both survived the 1960 lava flow. You can read about Pu‘ula Church in the May–June 2015 issue of Ke Ola. Shortly after sparing the tower, lava ignited the generators that supplied power to the light beacon causing the lighthouse to go dark. A temporary light was set up as a navigational aid on the Coast Guard cutter Basswood, which anchored offshore of Cape Kumukahi. After the 1960 eruption ended, an electric line was run from Kapoho Beach Lots to the lighthouse to restore power, and the light became automated. Joe was transferred to a lighthouse on O‘ahu, and when he retired in 1963, he was the last civilian lighthouse keeper in Hawai‘i. Today, Kumukahi Lighthouse remains automated and is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard’s 14th District Aid to Navigation Team (ANT) based in Honolulu. Its beacon light flashes every 15 seconds with a range of 24 nautical miles.
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Getting to Kumukahi Lighthouse
Lightkeepers of Kumukahi Lighthouse Head lightkeeper: Charles Akana, 1934 Asst. lightkeeper: William Watkins, 1934–1937 Head lightkeeper: Frederick E. Nihoa, 1937–1942 Asst. lightkeeper: Joe Pestrella, 1938–1942
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Head lightkeeper: Joe Pestrella, 1942–1960 Asst. lightkeeper: Sidney Estrella, 1951–1956
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From Hilo: Take Highway 11 south to Highway 130, the Keaau-Pāhoa bypass. Travel for nearly 12 miles, and turn left onto Highway 132, Kapoho-Pāhoa Rd. About two-and-ahalf miles down Hwy 132 the road takes a sharp left after Lava Tree State Park. Continue a little more than four miles to the intersection of Highway 137 and continue straight. The road will be rough gravel for 1.5 miles and dead ends at the lighthouse. There are no facilities or water available at the lighthouse. The steep rocky coastline is not conducive to swimming. There are however,a series of unimproved trails that can be accessed by four-wheel drive vehicles.
photo by Denise Laitinen
Legacy
| By Ku‘ulei Keakealani
It is the gifts I inherited from the ones before me and I ponder on the things I have or the things I do, that were transferred to me. The features on my face perhaps was one thing that was bequest unto me, an attribute that makes me....me. I have possessions, both tangible and not, that also make me who I am. That has in essence trained me, and whether I knew it or not was preparing me for life. The execution of study that when applied displayed the knowledge or the cognition process that when in practice was about the learning. This then becomes the pattern, the activities, and/or exercises of my unique genetic endowment that become my normal and the implementation set forth by effort is engrained in what is hereditary. I set the example or even become a model. For it is through the usage and utilization of all that is my legacy I pass on and ultimately is what I do. It is therefore that I conclude: Legacy is what was done, what we do, and will continue to do. What I do is—LEGACY!
We will continue to ride the rodeo—LEGACY! We will continue to wrap the Pā‘ū—LEGACY! We will continue to plant tomorrow’s homeland forests—LEGACY! Stories will continue to be told upon cultural landscapes—LEGACY! To each and every ‘ohana and the legacy that you hold I say, “Ea—Life!” Contact writer and photographer Ku‘ulei Keakealani: kuumehananani@yahoo.com
‘Ā
kulikuli kula is a fun word to say, and the plant bearing this name has as much to offer in the kitchen as it does in the medicine cabinet. Also known as purslane and often considered a weed, this low-growing succulent plant belongs to the Portulaca family. Its origin is in question, with some botanists believing the first Portulaca evolved in India or Iran. You might have grown other members of this family as colorful ornamentals in your garden. The “Moss Rose” variety is readily available as a bedding plant
Healing Plants: ‘Ākulikuli kula Way more than a lowly weed |
at nurseries in most climate zones. The Portulacas are tolerant of hot, dry weather, sporting succulent leaves, and some varieties have one-inch flowers reminiscent of cactus blossoms. Hawai‘i’s most common Portulaca, the ‘ākulikuli kula, is known in the botanical world as Portulaca oleracea. It thrives in warm, relatively dry environments on all islands except Kaho‘olawe, from sea level to about 3000 feet. Unlike its cultivated cousins, it bears only tiny yellow flowers. Four species of Portulaca exist in Hawai‘i, such as the endemic Portulaca villosa and Portulaca lutea, native to all of the main islands. An endangered species, Portulaca molokiniensis, hails from Maui and Kaho‘olawe. The introduced Portulaca pilosa originated in Asia and tropical America—it is classified as an invasive species in Hawai‘i.
How to grow ‘Ākulikuli kula
Culinary and Nutritional Uses
Purslane has long served as an ingredient in such countries as Crete and Uzbekistan. Martha Washington used it pickled in a recipe calling for sweetmeats. It failed to attract a large fan base until recently. Today, purslane is available for sale at gourmet farmer’s markets and is used at elegant restaurants. Like certain fish, such as salmon, ‘ākulikuli kula is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are known as important nutrients for the heart. It also contains beta-carotene, a fat-soluble compound that converts to vitamin A. Add ‘ākulikuli kula raw to salads for a lemony peppery flavored zing that also adds a bit of crunch similar to a cucumber. Added to soups, it lends a taste similar to arugula. One recipe calls for purslane along with avocados for an unusual taco. Stewed with pork in a tomatillo sauce, purslane makes for a delicious Mexican-style dish.
Medicinal Uses
The antioxidants and Omega-3 oil contained in all of the Portulacas make the plant especially healthful. According to Michael Tierra in his popular book, The Way of Herbs, plants that provide antioxidants can be helpful in combating cancer. Portulaca oleracea has antibacterial properties, according to a paper published in Pacific Science in 1950. The authors believe this plant was used in ancient times for general debility. They also state that the plants in their study, including Portulaca oleracea, were used as “cathartics, vermifuges, emollients, astringents, analgesics, and counterirritants… as well as for their action in preventing infection and for treating an infection once it had begun.” In modern times, purslane can be used to boost insulin levels and the immune system, relieve asthma, treat psoriasis, reduce heart arrhythmia, prevent headaches, and as an antidote to excessive caffeine consumption. You can get your daily dose of purslane by brewing it into tea, blending it with olive oil for a tangy pesto sauce, stir-frying it, or pickling it. No known contraindications or adverse effects for the consumption of Portulaca oleracea exist. If you are pregnant or nursing, talk to your health care provider before taking it or any herb or drug. Photo courtesy Forest and Kim Starr Contact writer Barbara Fahs: bfahs68@gmail.com References/Sources:
• ChicagoTribune.com/dining/recipes/sns-food-recipes-sides-purslane-story.html • Drugs.com/npp/purslane.html • Epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/purslane-and-avocado-tacos-with-pico-de-gallo-51240610 • Gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene3552.html • GardenGuides.com/67691-grow-purslane.html • Hear.org/pier/species/portulaca_pilosa.htm • HiHort.blogspot.com/2012/08/weed-or-food-ubiquitous-purslane.html • MayoClinic.org/drugs-supplements/beta-carotene/background/hrb-20058836 • MexConnect.com/articles/2211-juana-perez-pork-with-greens-puerco-con-verdolagas-de-juana-perez • NativePlants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Portulaca_villosa • NativePlants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Portulaca_molokiniensis#environmentalinformation • OrganicAuthority.com/eco-chic-table/dont-pull-the-purslane.html • StarAdvertiser.com/features/20110511__Tangy_purslane_packed_with_omega-3s__ vitamins.html?id=121609414
The Antibacterial Properties of Some Plants Found in Hawaii. A. Bushnell, Mitsuno Fukuda, and Takashi Makinodan. Pacific Science, volume IV, July 1950. (ScholarSpace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/ handle/10125/9005/vol4n3-167-183.pdf)
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
‘Ākulikuli kula makes an attractive and soft groundcover plant. If your property does not already have this common plant, dig up a clump from a friend’s yard and transplant it to a spot that gets plenty of sun. Soil quality is not important; it will even grow on bare lava rock when it spreads on its own. ‘Ākulikuli kula is resistant to most insects and plant diseases. However, it can provide cover for the giant African snail and other garden pests, so watch for the existence of these creatures. It is not considered invasive, although it can spread widely in your garden. If this happens, it’s a good opportunity to pull some up, wash it thoroughly, and add it to a salad.
By Barbara Fahs
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First Friday every month, galleries, stores, & restaurants are open late with music, entertainment, and free fun for the whole family!
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HEAVENLY STRENGTH: THE INN AT
Kulaniapia Falls | By Mālielani Larish
The Residence (bottom building on the aerial photo above)
hen Jane and Lenny Sutton first explored their property, they experienced the same awe that guests feel upon arriving at The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls. Peering over dense jungle, the Suttons spied a glimmer of a waterfall in the distance. After carving a path to the riverside with a machete, they encountered 120-foot-tall Kulaniapia Falls for the first time, standing transfixed by its beauty and power. The waterfall continues to enchant guests from around the world who stay at the Sutton’s bedand-breakfast on the ridge overlooking the falls. “We decided almost immediately that we were going to make it into a B&B,” Lenny recalls. “It seemed appropriate because the property is so beautiful we didn’t want to make it private.” Prior to arriving on Hawai‘i Island, the Suttons lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Lenny worked as a charter boat captain. After Hurricane Hugo devastated the Virgin Islands in 1989, the Suttons decided that they needed a major
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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Living area in the Harmony House. Chinese characters above the outside entrance.
September–October 2015
life shift. Lenny spotted a small line ad in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald that was mailed to them that read “22 acres, close to Hilo, mac nuts, waterfall.” The Suttons purchased the property sight unseen. Several months later, the Suttons landed in Hilo and experienced the location for the first time. Although the land had zero infrastructure and an abundance of weeds, the Suttons were delighted by the scope and magnitude of the water features on site. “When we first saw the property we were overwhelmed…we thought that we were on the wrong property,” Lenny says. After three years of clearing brush, planting the landscape, designing and building the first guesthouse, and equipping the property with water and power, the Suttons hosted their first guests at The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls in 1997. Jane takes care of the paperwork, billing, and legal requirements, and makes sure that the employees have what they need to do an outstanding job. The first guesthouse that Lenny built, The Residence, features four upstairs guest rooms with private balconies and baths finished in Italian marble. The shimmering curly koa floors in this guesthouse are befitting a queen, so it makes sense that each guest room bears the name of Hawaiian royalty. Inspired by Burmese architecture, The Residence’s double roof helps to maintain a cool interior.
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Guests convene on The Residence’s covered lānai every morning to dine on Lenny’s magnificent macadamia nut waffles, baked goods, local fruit, and an assortment of coffee and tea while enjoying a superb view of Kulaniapia Falls. A common area called the ‘Ohana Room connects to the lānai; guests swap stories, use the computer, and refill on coffee and tea here. Lenny and his staff treat the guests with genuine aloha, answering their questions and talking with them for the pure pleasure of getting to know them. “That’s the best part about operating this B&B—meeting my guests,” Lenny says with a smile. Next, Lenny built The Pagoda, a single-family home inspired by the multiple tiers and gracefully arching eaves of Japanese pagodas. It offers some of the most incredible views of Kulaniapia Falls and includes a kitchen, dining room, bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, and a spiral staircase. Guests who book The Pagoda are allowed to bring pets with prior permission. Just mauka of The Pagoda stands Harmony Guesthouse, the newest building on the property. It is a scaled-down replica of one of the palaces of The Forbidden City, an imperial complex in Beijing that housed Chinese emperors from the 1400s to the 1900s. Harmony Guesthouse contains six rooms, each with private bathroom, flat screen TV, and hardwood floors made from local Eucalyptus robusta trees. Lenny designed the interiors of the rooms with Chinese art (replicas from the Sung dynasty), antiques, and custom-made cabinets that the Suttons purchased on vacation in Hong Kong. To pay homage to The Inn’s namesake waterfall, which means heavenly strength in Hawaiian, the bright red Chinese characters
The Pagoda living room
above Harmony’s entrance also translate to heavenly strength. Lenny found the name Kulaniapia on a 1905 land survey map made by C. Brewer, the company that grew sugarcane on the property before selling it to the Suttons. “Kulani” means heavenlike. “Apia” by itself is the Hawaiian word for cornstarch (a key ingredient in haupia, a traditional Hawaiian dessert), but when paired with the word “kulani” it takes on the significance of something that becomes solid and strong. The strength behind the waterfall not only mesmerizes guests with its beauty—it also powers the lights and appliances. The Inn derives 100 percent of its electricity from the Wai‘au River through a fully permitted hydroelectric system that Lenny installed 10 years ago. The system produces four kilowatt-hours of non-stop electric power and consists of a diversion works, a power station near the base of the pond, a big battery bank, and five inverters. The river even powers Lenny’s car, which is a plugin Volt. The excess power generated by the system preheats the water for showers, which are otherwise heated by solar. Obtaining the numerous permits for the hydroelectric system required three years of focused work. “We had to have streambed biologists from all over the state doing population counts of the ‘ōpae (fresh water shrimp) and ‘o‘opu (Gobiidae, nicknamed gobies) that we have living in the stream,” Lenny says. “We had to do mitigation plans so that they would not get sucked into the intake. It was quite a lengthy process, but we were successful…I’m very happy with it.” As part of their lifecycle, some species of native Hawaiian ‘o‘opu travel up multiple waterfalls after spending three to six months as larvae in the ocean. The ‘o‘opu alamo‘o (Lentipes concolor) that live above Kulaniapia Falls have traveled up 40 waterfalls to get there! The Inn further contributes to the sustainability of Hawai‘i Island by recycling, buying local fruits and flowers, and tending the 700 macadamia nut trees on the perimeter of the property. While strolling the two miles of trails at Kulaniapia, it is easy to understand why some guests have epiphanies during their stay here. Walking the path to the bottom of the waterfall is a genuine treat. Before arriving at the pond, there is a delightful rock face on the right-hand side where sparkling rivulets of water flow past moss and maidenhair ferns. Upon reaching the pond’s edge, you can feel the cool mist from the falls caressing your skin as you fully absorb the grace and energy of Kulaniapia Falls. Lenny says that some guests “are actually moved on a spiritual level by the tranquility and the natural beauty of the property, and for me personally, that is the greatest reward.”
Guests are allowed to borrow stand-up paddleboards or kayaks for playing and swimming in the 300-foot-wide pond at the base of the waterfall, but every guest must receive permission first. Heavy rains further upslope can transform the waterfall into a thundering coffee colored torrent. Today, however, the waterfall is a pearly white, three-tiered masterpiece with a thin necklace of water to the left of the main falls. Electric blue dragonflies play in the reeds at the pond’s edge, and breezes ruffle the palm trees above the falls. Leaving the sheltered cabana near the pond and meandering along the river, the trail offers views of the three smaller
September–October 2015
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The Residence kitchen and dining room
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All the Adventure. All the Fun. All in One Location.
waterfalls, framed by an emerald ridge of native uluhe (false staghorn) fern. A large wooden deck that cantilevers over the river invites guests to pause, rest a spell, and breathe deeply. The trail opens up into a bamboo garden that features 15 bamboo species planted in 2001. Some of the species are rare, and some, such as the impressively tall clump of Bambusa gigantea from South India, are the largest specimens in a private collection. An easy switchback trail leads back to the buildings, with ample benches along the way to enjoy the vistas and contemplate the occasional bamboo leaf fluttering to the ground. The gentle melody of a resonant wind chime greets guests as they walk from the bamboo garden trail to The Residence. When guests drive away from The Inn, passing two serene Buddha statues observing the gate, they often feel compelled to return. In fact, The Inn at Kulaniapia hosts many guests who return on multiple occasions, and Lenny feels honored by that fact. Online guest reviews consistently praise the friendly staff, amazing location, and tranquil atmosphere of the Inn. Although The Inn is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Hilo, it feels like a secluded retreat with a dazzling waterfall as its heartbeat. Indeed, Lenny credits Mother Nature for doing the “heavy lifting” on the property. “I’ve just had the opportunity to present it to the public,” he says. While a rainbow shines at the base of Kulaniapia Falls and soft Hawaiian music plays on the breakfast lānai, Lenny reflects on the evolution of the property. From clearing trails to decorating rooms to greeting guests with a smile, Lenny’s enthusiasm shaped every step of the process. “It’s been a total labor of love. This has been a canvas for me to imagine what this property could look like, so it’s been a privilege, sincerely, to be able to work on this…I feel blessed every morning.” ❖ Contact The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls: WaterFall.net Photographs courtesy The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls Contact writer Mālielani Larish: malielarish@gmail.com
BotanicalWorld.com 808-963-5427 • Toll-Free: 888-Zip-Isle 947-4753
16 miles north of Hilo on Hwy 19 at Mile Marker 16 Open 9:00am – 5:30pm daily.
Featured Cover Photographer: Kornelius Schorle
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drive. “That’s the one thing I escaped with from East Germany, my little camera,” he said. Since then he hasn’t stopped taking pictures, although panoramics are his specialty. More than just taking aesthetically pleasing photographs, Kornelius says he views his work as art, as an expression of himself. “I let the eye in my brain guide the picture. I found a whole new art form; I found freedom,” he said of breaking out from traditional photography. Some of his photographs have uniqueness to them that resemble a Vincent Van Gogh painting. “Painters have influenced me, not photographers,” he states. Moving from traditional and into the more creative has helped Kornelius evolve both as a person and as a photographer. “I think the work stands on its own, but the philosophy behind the work is really more important than the work itself,” he says. “The philosophy of the person who creates it is more important.” Having been a photographer for more than six decades, he now lives in East Hawai‘i where he doesn’t have to look hard for inspiration. And what exactly brought this lensman to the island anyway? “The trade winds, the clean air, and the lovely Hawaiians,” he says. “All of Hawai‘i is my studio,” he declares. “The island itself makes it possible for me to create beautiful art any day, everyday.” View Kornelius’ work: LongSkinnyPics.net, YourShot.NationalGeographic.com/profile/592062
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
he definition of panorama is “an unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer.” For lifelong photographer, panoramist, and Hawai‘i Island resident Kornelius Schorle, the world is his view and he is forever the observer. “My art is not work. It is only my vision,” Kornelius declared regarding his work as a world-renowned panoramic photographer. The 73-year-old Kea‘au resident is a true master of his craft. Kornelius is now known as the only doctor of panoramics, a title given to him by the president of the International Panorama Association. He’s composed a test to certify panoramic photographers, previously owned a camera store in California, and is currently the only photographer with 95,000 panoramic images from all around the world. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This creative genius doesn’t just use cameras, he makes them, too. He designed his first camera during his earlier days as a photographer longing to do, and see, more. He describes using regular cameras, “Whenever I took photographs I always had this feeling that something was missing.” One of his inventions includes the Schorlex, which is a panoramic camera that is manufactured in Germany, his former homeland. Prior to coming to America, Kornelius actually escaped East Berlin with bullets flying towards him—with only a small 35mm camera in hand—a true testament to the man’s passion and
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©2014 Polynesian Voyaging Society Photo: ‘Ōiwi TV • Photographer: Nā‘ālehu Anthony
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Worldwide Voyage
| By Pomai Bertelmann
be with my family and friends of the canoe again. I miss them, so it’s good to be here.” These men and women who he speaks of are here with us in spirit, they are with us in our dreams, they are with us as the stories of the experienced are retold and are given life once again.
©2014 Polynesian Voyaging Society Photo: ‘Ōiwi TV • Photographer: Nā‘ālehu Anthony
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
plaque sits in the aft hatch of the wa‘a (canoe) and memorializes all those who committed themselves and their lives to the legacy of the wa‘a. These men and women sacrificed, so that we could be here today, sailing on this vast ocean of Moananuiākea in the wake of our predecessors. The fullness of the Akua moon rises astern of Hōkūle‘a as the great arms of Kānehoalani, the sun, reach longingly for the watery depths of Kanaloa below. This vast liquid realm he governs has been our home for a number of days. As we meld into our time on the ocean, we deepen our personal relationships with our Mama Hōkūle‘a and the vast number of kūpuna who encircle us each day. Heiau and Te Ariki Tū, our kumuhonua, are the center of our universe and enable our lā to stand in place like the great trees of the forest. They encase our pe‘a who capture the wind that La‘amaomao creates for us. Tumoanatane, Tommy, and the consistent Kawainui, whose work is never ending, guide us to our destination with each intentional dip into Kanaloa. At our ceremony at Rangitahua, Uncle Mel shared, “Being on the canoe is a way for me to
What Guides Us
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In the light of the full moon and the brilliance of the sun, the radiant eyes of Kiha Wahine o Ka Mao o Malu Ulu o Lele come to life. She is the feminine, the Hina, the Haumea. She watches over us day in and out, subtly encouraging, vigorously reminding, and gently enmbracing our collective fluidity through her ancient stare. It is not by chance that on this leg of the voyage, a majority of our sustenance from Kanaloa is landed on the Hina side of the wa‘a where she resides. It is as though she is calling out to the realm of the sea to feed the kanaka honua who are under her gaze. The wind lifts her hair and like tentacles of Fa‘atupuitehau, the great he‘e of the Pacific whose arms stretch far and wide connecting people, she connects the kanaka honua of the wa‘a to the nuances of the elements. She is the center of the great net that brings all the necessary elements together, enabling the canoe to rightfully take her place on the ocean. She is made of a native wood of our forests, becoming a representation of Lea, the goddess of canoe builders often times represented in the form of the ‘Elepaio bird and the wife of Kūmokuhāli‘i. Her ties to the Honua and the Kanaloa encourage us as kanaka honua to achieve balance in our lives so that transitions in our life can happen seamlessly and with fluidity. ❖ Fa‘atupuitehau He‘e of Mo‘orea Tahiti, bringing genealogies of the Pacific together
Hina/Haumea Mother, Kupuna, Creator, Genesis Kanaka Honua Canoe Member Kawainui Center Sweep
Kūmokuhāli‘i God of the forest, God of canoe builders
Kumuhonua Mast Step
©2014 Polynesian Voyaging Society Photo: ‘Ōiwi TV • Photographer: Nā‘ālehu Anthony
Learn more and connect with the Worldwide Voyage
Lā Standing Rigging, Mast, Spar, Boom
Lea/Le‘a Goddess of canoe builders, ‘elepaio, wife of Kūmokuhāli‘i/Mokuhāli‘i
Pe‘a Sail Tommy Side Sweep, ‘Akea Hull Tumoanatane Side Sweep, Ama Hull
Hokulea.com LearningCenter.Hokulea.com Hokulea.com/track-the-voyage
September–October 2015
Used with permission by Pomai Bertlemann.
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Mahalo
The value of thankful perspective. Thank you, as a way of living. Live in thankfulness for the richness that makes life so precious. Seventeenth in an ongoing series.
Managing with Aloha: Mahalo | By Rosa Say
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They caught on quickly; I’d have to say less and less as time went by. In fact, their Mahalos became the best part of the meeting by far. One week we went overtime on other business, and I nearly got a revolt when I tried to adjourn without giving them the time to speak they expected: Sharing their Mahalos had become genuine, generous, candid, and thought-provoking for us all. Thereafter, I was sure I did not commit the cardinal sin of encroaching on their time to acknowledge each other. They loved it when someone new joined the group or I’d invited a guest—they wanted to show off! Wonderfully, they didn’t want to show off that they did something, they sincerely wanted more people to hear about how terrific their peers were, and how proud they were to be associated with the team. It amazed me how articulate and giving they were when a newcomer could hear their stories. They also started to show me how perceptive they were— they caught everything. They learned more about each other because they were beginning to understand more about what someone else appreciated—it differed greatly for each of them individually, and they unknowingly shared intuitive revelations which made my own job of managing them far easier. They uncovered all the cause-and-effect relationships of the team for me in a very short amount of time. And over their needed healing time, the depth of the actions taken by this team was incredible—it became embarrassing to have someone say thank you for something minor or trivial, hence the assumptions of basic good productivity in the team grew. They tried so much harder, and they were increasingly aware of how their spoken words of thankfulness affected their peers. I was deeply proud of them. There is a word for “thank you” in every culture around the globe. Adopting a practice similar to this one that worked so well for the Alaka‘i Nalu can serve any business well, for there are rewards inherent in it for both the person giving thanks and the one being acknowledged for their good deeds. ~ Rosa Say Next issue: Nānā i ke kumu, the value of well being. Contact writer Rosa Say: RosaSay.com, ManagingWithAloha.com
September–October 2015
n Managing with Aloha, I share several stories of the Alaka‘i Nalu, the leaders of the waves at the Hualālai Resort. My favorite is the story of their “Mahalos.” I am certain the value of Mahalo gave them the gift of healing. There was pilikia (trouble) among the ranks when this group of watermen became my gift, and it was clear we had to ho‘oponopono; clear the air and make things right. To begin in a small but consistently occurring way, we started a practice of “sharing our Mahalos” at the end of each weekly operational meeting. Until it became their habit, the only assignment they had each week was to catch someone else on the team helping them. They were to say thank you then and there, and they were to also share their Mahalo at the next weekly meeting with the entire group, adding a few words on why the favor given meant something to them. Initially, I discovered they couldn’t graciously accept it when someone said “thank you.” It was hard for them to just say “you’re welcome” and leave it at that—far easier to crack a joke or look at someone else and say, “Yeah brah, you should do that too sometimes,” using sarcasm and humor to build a defensive wall around their bravado. In those early weeks, I’d often ask them to just listen quietly and not respond at all other than nodding in acknowledgement that they’d heard the thanks they were given, and remembered how and why it happened. More ground rules were spontaneously added as we continued, such as picking a different person each week to break down the buddy-to-buddy favoritism. With each wisecrack I’d have to say, “Either you start being sincere, or I add another rule you gotta remember.” I also learned to model the behavior I wanted, ending the meeting with my own Mahalos for each of them; “Mahea, thank you for taking the initiative to start early Friday without being asked to: Hui Wa‘a (the name of our community paddle) was easier for all of us because you took the time to reassign those late sign-ups. Daniel, thank you for taking care of those kids who got so badly sunburned at King’s Pond: Their parents called me to convey how thoughtful and patient you were, and your actions add to the reputation of our entire team” ... and so on for each one in turn. If their names were not spoken, the silent message hung uncomfortably in the room that they had not earned any recognition that week. Making something up was the gravest sin: This was a rule never spoken, yet desired and understood by all.
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AN EVENING WITH THE MULTIFACETED
Lito Arkangel | By Le‘a Gleason
Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight: Lito Arkangel is kolohe. He’s not just the literal English translation of the word, “rascal.” There is something much deeper to the spirit of this 40-year-old trickster-turned-musician/teacher. He’s much more pono (positive) than pilau (rotten). And it’s in speaking and studying Hawaiian words just like these that Lito has embodied his spirit, his unique self, his passion for teaching others, and his passion for sharing those teachings through song. So no, Lito Arkangel is not JUST kolohe. That said, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sitting in the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel’s Wai‘oli Lounge on a crowded Thursday night—overlooking the gentle waves that lap at Moku Ola (aka Coconut Island) and roll slowly into Hilo Bay—Lito has a lot of stories to tell about his less formidable past. Nowadays, he plays here every Thursday, and when the sun sinks below the horizon and it’s just dark enough, the overhead lights go out and are replaced by purple-blue stage lights that make this feel like an old-fashioned lounge or seventies dance club. When the crowd warms up, then the stories come out, and Lito waits carefully until they’re ready to really listen, gauging his impromptu set-list—which varies between traditional Hawaiian music, contemporary, country, and more— by who walks in the door and whether they seem engaged. To say that Lito was a kolohe child is really an understatement, as if there is any one word that can define a person with such a diverse past. He comes from the old plantation town of Ola‘a (now known as Kea‘au), where his family experienced the economic hardships that many did when Puna Sugar Plantation finally closed in the mid-eighties. They later moved to Keaukaha, and to escape the stress of this hardship, he tried what all the other kids were doing—staying out late and experimenting with some mischief life had to offer. He picked up the ‘ukulele at an early age, and never thought much of it. “When I was 16, I was 21 already. Those trials allowed me to grow and get wise. I wasn’t just rascal, I was very intelligent, so I would never make the same mistake twice. I would find new mistakes to make. I developed this wisdom that could only have been attained by…having that character. Anyone with potential has potential to do the greatest good or the greatest evil,” he wisely explains.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Commentating with waterman Rocky Canon at the World Stand Up Paddle Championships at Turtle Bay North Shore, O‘ahu 2014.
Performing at Nāpua Restaurant
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Some down time while in the middle of the Persian Gulf aboard the USS O’Brien DD-975, 1996.
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It was his time in the Navy that later lead him to channel his kolohe energy into something much more keen, and to eventually choose the path of “greatest good,” or to be pono. Today, although that same sharp-witted spirit fuels him, it is honed in a much more controlled way. Lito is akamai (smart). Joining the Navy—an impromptu decision—was a life changing period for Lito. “Before the Navy I never really tasted the outside world—it was the first big decision I ever made—so the first year was major withdrawals. Eventually, I grew out of it, and I got the highest rank you could get in five years. I said I just wanted to be on shore duty, but they said ‘we need you on the ship’ because my evaluations were too good. So I got out, and I saw Hawai‘i in a totally different way,” he says. Soon after, when he had his first son, Lito realized it was time to do what he needed to do, not just what he wanted to do. So he began focusing on playing private parties and gigs as background music, and not headlining the party scene. It was time to get serious. Over the next 10 years, he became an educator, husband, father of three, full-time musician, and sports team coach. He committed to educating at the University of Hawai‘i, where he lectures in Hawaiian Studies and Kinesiology, and is continuing to work on a degree in Hawaiian Language At the top of this pyramid of support he’s built will always sit his music. He calls it a pyramid because underneath his music lies a strong foundation of family, hard work, a commitment to education, and culture. So all the years of struggle and never giving up and doing it with heart regardless if it’s a room of five people or 500, at least it’s a paid practice he says. Even though he’s a teacher by day, he focuses on educating people through the art of song, no matter what the payback. “I realized that that’s what I do—I engage people. Whether it is from the entertainment or the educational perspective, I’m still
Jamming at Puhi Bay, Keaukaha, HI with his “big braddahs” whom he has performed with and learned so much from throughout the years. L–R: Adam Kay Sr., Rupert Tripp Jr., Lito, Uncle Kivin Kalauli, the late Uncle Richard “Piggy” Kaleohano, July 2009.
doing both. It’s like brother and sister; their mother is the art of engagement, but their father is passion. If you’re not passionate about it, you can’t master the art of engagement,” he says. Sitting here in the Wai‘oli lounge, we can’t exchange more than a couple of sentences without someone coming up to Lito to say ‘aloha,’ shake hands, and talk story. He’s already a master of engagement. And he uses those skills to tell his listeners about Hawaiian culture. “I’m so passionate about [sharing Hawaiian culture through music] because it’s a great way to not only perpetuate the culture…but there are so many songs that are so deep and have so much more meaning, morals and analogies that you can relate to,” he says. Lito is focused on being the best musician he can be, and leading by example. When he plays a song, be it original or a cover, he strives to play it the best that he can, every time. “If I’m gonna do a cover song I have to do it and learn it out of respect for the original composer. After I play it…a million times, then I have to play it some more. After you’re sick of it,
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Celebrating Litoʻs “big brother” Rupert Tripp Jrʻs birthday L–R: son Chaden, wife Rayna, daughter Brieanna, Rupert Tripp Jr., brother-in-law Clifford Kawaha, sister Julianne, son Davin, mother Sherry
is only when your style starts coming out. All these struggles helped me find myself,” he says. “It’s like striving for perfection, knowing that you’ll never ever reach it. To practice and learn every song, because there is a song for every moment. If it hits your heart, you learn it and apply it and it’ll hit their heart too.” By striving to do his best, he can then show others how to reach their own potential. “In some subliminal indirect way, they’re gonna get it, sooner or later, because you focused on your potential. I’ve done it, time and time again. Guys come up to me that never could care less for Hawaiian music, saying, ‘after you sang that song, I look at people differently.’ You can’t lecture anybody. You’ll waste your voice. Instead, you show them through music. So the music is my spear tip. All my experience and my ability to tell stories that get you to see things in different perspective is the shaft of the spear,” he says. After 10 years of performing, Lito just recorded his first album last year and is working on his second. The first CD, Me Ke Aloha, pays homage to Hawaiian culture by spanning over 200 years of classic Hawaiian music. It featured 12 songs written by legendary artists such as Edith Kanaka‘ole, Robert Cazimero, and Queen Lili‘uokalani herself. The second will be a selection of artfully rendered covers of modern songs, each with a distinct feeling that “this is Lito Arkangel.” That’s all he wants people to think when they hear his songs on the radio. “Not too many people have the power to entertain people with music. It’s a power and a responsibility. Along with that come all the
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doors of temptation,” says this hardworking dad and husband, continuing, “children don’t listen to what you tell them, they follow what you do. I want to show [my children] how to succeed. I want to teach them to attain their goal no matter what it is, but foremost to find themselves. I introduce them to everything so that they can in turn find themselves, whether they like it or not, just that they’re introduced to it.” Lito says that it’s only through maintaining his humility that he can keep his busy life balanced. His wife Rayna and the support of his ‘ohana (family) help him to see that his actions have way more influence than his words. To succeed, he has consciously walked past the doors of temptation naturally open to professional entertainers. In his spare time, he listens to silence now. If anything, he’ll occasionally listen to instrumental jazz, Tibetan gongs, or Thelonious Monk. He says, “If I sing one song and it changes your life, that’s awesome. That’s just one small example of what music can do. Don’t be scared, try. How will you know if you don’t try?” He excuses himself to begin his set in the now-packed restaurant. “When I go on stage, you will see me change,” he says. The auntys are here, so he’s going to start with some traditional Hawaiian songs. As some members of the younger generation slip in and order drinks, he scans the crowd and settles on some covers of songs by James Taylor and The Beatles. Halfway through his set, he stops, scans the crowd intently, and decides they’re ready. He’s going to play another Hawaiian
song now, and he’s going to tell a story about the song first, a story about the history and culture behind the tale he’s about to sing. It’s Lito Arkangel’s time to engage and educate, and that’s his job. Lito Arkangel plays Thursdays at the Wai‘oli Lounge at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel 6–8:30pm and Tuesdays at Nāpua at the Mauna Lani Beach Club 5:30–8:30pm. ❖ Wai‘oli Lounge and iCafe: QueensCourtRestaurant.com Nāpua: NapuaRestaurant.com Contact Lito Arkangel: LitoArkangel.com Contact writer Le‘a Gleason: lgfreelancehawaii@gmail.com
Lito’s first on-stage performance (age 8) playing for his Grandfather’s retirement party from Puna Sugar in 1983 at Seven Seas Lū‘au Hale (Aunty Sally’s Lū‘au Hale)
LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING, BUILDING & BUDGETING With Expert Resources to Help
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
l& Rentas hip Ownetrance Assis
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“Building Communities” Home Expo Saturday, September 12, 2015 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Prince Kuhio Plaza
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1321 Kinoole Street Hilo, HI 96720 808-935-0827 HawaiiIslandRealtors.org
Hom Buyere & Sel s lers
Crossword Puzzle | By Myles Mellor
This page is for Ke Ola readers to have FUN while learning about the Hawaiian culture and this wonderful island we call home. Some answers are in English, some are in Hawaiian. Some answers will be found when you read the stories and ads in this issue. Feel free to use the online Hawaiian electronic library.wehewehe.org Oh yes, you can find the answers on page 77. Your feedback is always welcome. HIeditor@keolamagazine.com
DOWN 1 Buzzy Histo, a judge for many years at the Hawaii ___ Hula Festival 2 River in Hawaiian 3 Hawaiian word for shadow 5 Hawaiian word for love 6 One of the ingredients in Sonia’s Cuban Mojo Sauce, 2 words 8 Kailua-Kona prosthodontist who solves huge jigsaw puzzles, Clifford ___ 11 Hawaiian idiom meaning “there it is” 13 The couple (Jane and Lenny) who own The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls 16 Everyone 18 DNA cousin 20 Hawaiian word for a food plant 22 Hawaiian word for to strike 24 Modern philosopher who said “There are no extra pieces in this universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill.” 25 Hawaiian word for a large mackerel type fish 27 Land, as in ___ Incognita 28 Hawaiian sled 29 Kumukahi lighthouse stands on this coastline 31 Hawaiian word for a playing card 34 Vanity 35 Hawaiian word for a fence
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
ACROSS 1 Aunty Mele Kunewa ____, a wonderful singer, hula dancer and lei maker 4 Type of squash also known as vegetable pear 7 It’s short for Alaska 9 Hollow, as a tree, in Hawaiian 10 Hawaiian word for the timbers, the sides of a ship 12 Leaves out 14 Hawaiian word for a surgeonfish 15 Loud confusing talk in Hawaiian 17 Long tailed parrot 19 Hawaiian word for path or trail 21 Hawaiian word for trouble 23 Musician/teacher, ____ Arkangel 26 Storage area in a canoe 29 Goodness in Hawaiian 30 Exists 32 Medicinal and cooking herb its Hawaiian name is ‘Ākulikuli kula 33 The ___ Murals Keauhou, stories painted on walls 36 American national who helped the two French priests who founded the original St. Michael the Archangel Church in North Kona 37 Hawaiian word for thank you!
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Hamakua Canvas—Honomū
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September–October 2015
aurie Lloyd’s story begins on Kodiak Island, Alaska—the other Big Island. Her 25 year background in commercial fishing and owning a sailing charter business for a decade taught her many skills, including net building and sail repair. In 2008, her husband, Denby was transfered to Juneau, Alaska to work for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as Commissioner. Having sewn all her life, Laurie began a custom canvas sewing business, responding to the need for boat canvases. She honed the skills of bending stainless frame, fabricating dodgers, biminis, and full enclosures for fishing boats and yachts. There was also plenty of custom upholstery. After Denby’s retirement, Laurie packed up and moved everything on the ferry across the Gulf of Alaska back to Kodiak. There, she began a new shop, which she sold in 2012. Laurie has sewn projects for homeowners and businesses alike—the USCG, the Navy Seals, the Alaska State Ferry System, ADF&G, hundreds of boats, airplanes, and autos. Each job is a custom job. In August 2014, they sold their home on their beloved Kodiak Island and moved to the Hāmākua Coast. And again, her custom canvas sewing business is thriving. Laurie takes great pride and satisfaction in her work and enjoys the customers. She will set up an appointment to meet
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Laurie at the Wailea Food Share
with a client and discuss their needs, look at fabric books, take measurements, and work up an estimate. She is now taking on all sorts of upholstery and sewing projects—including furniture, drapes, utility bags, covers for heavy equipment and coffee processing. Her most recent creation was for an outrigger three-paddle padded tote bag. Laurie is willing to create many things, so contact her for your next project! Hamakua Canvas Co., LLC PO Box 52, Honomū 808.936.2235 hamakuabelle@gmail.com
Hulakai paddle cover
Ipu Kane Gallery—Hawi
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| Le‘a Gleason
rtist Michael Harburg carves and dyes gourds in the Ni‘ihau technique, an ancient art that had died out until Doctor Bruce Kaimiloa Chrisman, a local dermatologist, rediscovered how to do it. Michael read an article about Bruce and became curious about the technique. He decided he had to try it himself. After 10 successful years showing his work in his former gallery, Ipu Hale, which was in Hōlualoa, he now owns Ipu Kane Gallery in Hawi, which is filled with gourds of all shapes and sizes, bearing many different intricate designs. Michael explains the process of his art. Throughout the world people have decorated dry gourds. The following technique is done on a green gourd that has recently matured. “[You] engrave it skin-deep and scrape all around the outline of your picture. You open up the gourd and fill it with dye for about three weeks. The interior of the gourd rots away and all the seeds and pulp will come out
then. By capillary action it pulls the dye from the interior of the gourd to the outside of the shell. Afterwards, you scrape off the skin of the gourd, and the dye will be left underneath it,” Michael explains. Since there weren’t other artists to learn from, Michael had to develop his own techniques and has since taught others. For example, he used instant coffee as a brown dye. He has also figured out other methods to increase creativity in the process. For example, he now has a way to use multiple colors by localizing dyes on the inside of the gourd. Plus, he discovered that by maneuvering the way he initially scrapes the design, he can create shading to make more intricate pictures. His designs range from what he calls “Hawaiian pretty” (turtles, Hawaiian species, prints that look like iconic Hawaiian images), to more traditional pictures that are reminiscent of petroglyphs or Hawaiian tribal prints. For a beautiful gift for family or friends, stop by Ipu Kane Gallery. Ipu Kane Gallery 55-3435 Akoni Puli Hwy, Hawi 808.884.5313 ipuguy@yahoo.com
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Hawai‘i Island Farmers Markets East
North
Sunday 9am–1pm Laupāhoehoe Farmers Market. Next to the Minit Stop on Hwy. 19. Local products.
Saturday and Tuesday 2–6pm, Tuesdays 8am–6pm, Saturdays * Hawi Farmers Market, North Kohala, across from Post Office and Nakahara Store under the banyans.
Daily 8am–5pm Pana‘ewa Hawaiian Home Lands Farmers Market, Puainako and Ohuohu Streets by Walmart, Hilo.
Saturday 8am–1pm Waimea Town Market at Parker School, 65-1224 Lindsey Rd., Waimea/Kamuela.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Saturday 7am–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).
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Saturday 7:30am–2pm Honoka‘a Farmers Market, Mamane St., Honoka‘a, Honoka‘a Trading Co., Old Botelho Bldg. Tuesday and Friday 2–5pm Kekela Farms Organic Farmers Market, 64-604 Mana Rd., Waimea. 100% organic. Wednesday 9am–4pm Waimea Mid-Week Farmer’s Market at Pukalani Stables, site of the Paniolo Museum. Pukalani Road in Waimea.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 7am–4pm Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo. 30 vendors. Wednesday and Saturday 6am–4pm * Hilo Farmers Market, corner of Mamo and Kamehameha Ave., downtown Hilo. 200 vendors. Saturday 7am–noon * Kino‘ole Farmers Market. Kino‘ole Shopping Plaza, 1990 Kino‘ole St., Hilo, Sunday 7am–2pm Pāhoa Village Farmers Market, Luquin’s/Akebono Theater parking lot in Pāhoa. Sunday 6am–2pm * Maku‘u Farmers Market, Kea‘au-Pāhoa bypass road.
Daily 7am–5pm Kea‘au Village Market, 16-6550 Old Volcano Rd., Kea‘au Wednesday Evenings 5–9pm Farmers Market Kalapana end of Kalapana-Kopoho Rd, (Rte 137), next to Kalapana Village Cafe. Local grown produce, ono grinds and live music. Saturday 7:30am–4pm Keaukaha Pana‘ewa Farmers Market. Railroad Avenue, across from Home Depot, Hilo. Homegrown produce offered by Hawaiian Homelands lessees. Saturday 8am–noon * Outer SPACE Ho‘olaulea at Uncle Roberts Awa Club, Kalapana Saturday 8am–1pm * Hilo Coffee Mill, 17-995 Volcano Rd., Mountain View (on Hwy. 11 between mile markers 12 and 13).
South
Sunday 6:30am–10am * Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, 1000 Wright Rd., Volcano Village. Saturday and Wednesday 8am–2pm Na‘ālehu Farmers Market, Ace Hardware lawn.
West
Saturday 8am–noon * Keauhou Farmers Market, Keauhou Shopping Center, Keauhou. Saturday 7:30am–10am Waikoloa Village Farmers Market, 68-3625 Paniolo Ave., Waikoloa Community Church parking lot across from Waikoloa Elementary School. Saturday 9am–noon Holualoa Gardens Farmers Market 76-5901 Mamalahoa Hwy, Holualoa Sunday 9am–2pm South Kona Green Market Captain Cook, Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden Wednesday 8:30am–1pm Kings’ Shops Farmers Market Waikoloa Beach Resort Kohala Coast Wednesday 9am–2pm Ho‘oulu Community Farmers Market, Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay Wednesday 2pm-Dark Kona Sunset Farmers Market In front of K-Mart, Makalapua Center Wednesday–Sunday 7am–4pm Kona Village Farmers Market, corner of Ali‘i Drive and Hualālai Rd.
* EBT accepted: KohalaCenter.org/ebt/markets.html Please send info on new markets or changes to sharon@keolamagazine.com
Chayote
A different kind of squash | By Sonia R. Martinez
T
he chayote (Sechium edule) also known as mirliton, vegetable pear, hayato-uri (Japanese), pipinola, or chocho, has many names all over the world. Pronounced cha-YOH-tey, the pear-like vegetable is a member of the Cucurbitaceae, or gourd family, and it is treated like a squash since it can be substituted in most recipes calling for squash. The chayote is a climbing vine that resembles a cucumber, both in the way it grows and in its leaves. It grows all over the tropics, and it is most popular in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and it can grow in most northern gardens for the summer season since it is a fast growing and producing vine. Some varieties are smooth skinned while others feel like they are covered with Velcro™, and the color can range from green to tan to almost white. The single seed is edible after cooking and has a mild, nutty flavor. The immature fruit needs no peeling, and yet it is advisable as it can be covered with little spines on the surface. Chayotes will keep from two to three weeks in the refrigerator. On their own, they are low in fat and calories, containing only 40 calories per 1-cup serving, making it a wonderful main ingredient or used in recipes. It can be added to stir-fry, soup, stew, or as a side dish sautéed with onions, garlic, and herbs. It teams well with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and corn for a delightful and summery succotash. Not only are the fruits edible, the entire plant is edible. The vines are fibrous except for the tips. The last six inches can be eaten raw or cooked, same as the fruits. The vine tips are good in salad, stir-fry, stews, and soups. They are also good used as greens, cooked with onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Mild tasting like zucchini, with a slightly citrus tang, their denser texture requires more cooking time than zucchini. The easiest way I have found to cook them is to boil them for just 1015 minutes or so. You want them cooked, yet not too soft. Peel
and cut them in thin slices. Marinate the slices in your favorite Italian salad dressing and grill them to serve as a side dish at your next cookout. Another easy way to cook chayote is to microwave it. It stays green and crisp-tender. To microwave, cut a chayote into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a microwave dish. Add 1/4 cup water and cover; cook on high for seven to eight minutes or until tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife. Drain off excess water, add butter, and season to taste and serve, or mix with other ingredients when preparing a dish. Tender raw chayote can be thinly sliced, julienned, or diced and added to salads, slaws, or salsas for a delicious crunch. They can also be stuffed and baked as an au-gratin. And they are delicious pickled!
Quick Chayote Refrigerator Pickles
Place the vinegar, water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in a pot. Bring to boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for about five minutes. In the meantime, rinse, drain, peel, and slice the chayote and onions. Trim the tops off the chile peppers; slice and seed—or not—depends on your taste. Pack the chayote and onion slices in clean glass jars. Pour the simmering pickle liquid to the top, and insert cinnamon sticks and star anise into the jars. Put aside to cool. Seal tightly and refrigerate without opening for at least two days. They will last a few weeks as long as they are refrigerated. Contact writer Sonia R. Martinez: SoniaTastesHawaii.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
10–12 chayote, peeled and sliced 3 large red onions, thinly sliced 5–6 Hawaiian, Habanero, or Jalapeño chile peppers 1 liter white vinegar 1 cup water 1–2 cups brown sugar, packed, or to taste 6–8 cinnamon sticks Star anise—I used one whole package, about 2-dozen pieces
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Hawai‘i Island Happenings
Wondering what’s happening around Hawai‘i Island? Visit these businesses and organizations websites for the most up-to-date event calendars.
Konaweb
KonaWeb.com shirley@konaweb.com Shirley Stoffer, 808.345.2627
Hawai‘i The Big Island
BigIsland.org calendar@bigisland.org Sherry Bracken, 808.334.1521
Quick Eventz
QuickEventz.com info@quikeventz.com
Akebono Theater–Pāhoa
Facebook.com/AkebonoTheater 808.965.9990
Aloha Theatre–Kainaliu
Aloha Performing Arts Company ApacHawaii.org info@apachawaii.org 808.322.9924
Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden
BishopMuseum.org/greenwell pvandyke@bishopmuseum.org Peter Van Dyke, 808.323.3318
Basically Books
BasicallyBooks.com bbinfo@hawaiiantel.net 808.961.0144
Donkey Mill Art Center DonkeyMillArtCenter.org 808.322.3362
Downtown Hilo Improvement Association DowntownHilo.com 808.935.8850
Food Hub Kohala
FoodHubKohala.org karla@andreadean.com Karla Heath, 808.224.1404
Friends of NELHA
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
FriendsOfNelha.org 808.329.8073
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Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i
Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art/ EHCC
Kahilu Theatre–Waimea
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
Kailua Village Business Improvement District
HawaiiHomeGrown.net editor@hawaiihomegrown.net
EHCC.org arts@ehcc.org 808.961.5711
Volcano Art Center
VolcanoArtCenter.org julie@volcanoartcenter.org Julie Callahan, 808.967.8222
Holualoa Village Association HolualoaHawaii.com
ImiloaHawaii.org vrecinto@imiloahawaii.org 808.969.9703 KahiluTheatre.org 808.885.6868
HistoricKailuaVillage.com kailuavillage@gmail.com 808.326.7820
Kalani Oceanside Retreat Kalani.com 808.965.0468
Honoka‘a People’s Theatre
KAMA Hawaii Keiki Guide
Hulihe‘e Palace
Kona Historical Society
HonokaaPeople.com hpt@honokaapeople.com 808.775.0000
daughtersOfHawaii.org info@daughtersofhawaii.org 808.329.1877
KamaHawaii.com KAMAHawaii@hawaii.rr.com 808.987.3302 KonaHistorical.org khs@konahistorical.org 808.323.3222
Hawai‘i Island Happenings
Wondering what’s happening around Hawai‘i Island? Visit these businesses and organizations websites for the most up-to-date event calendars.
Kona Choral Society KonaChoralSociety.org 808.334.9880
Kona Stories Bookstore KonaStories.com ks@konastories.com 808.324.0350
Lyman Museum
LymanMuseum.org ebenton@lymanmuseum.org Emily Benton, 808.935.5021
Nā Wai Iwi Ola (NWIO) Foundation NaWaiIwiOla.org kumukealaching@nawaiiwiola.org Kumu Keala Ching
North Kohala Community Resource Center NorthKohala.org info@northkohala.org 808.889.5523
One Island Sustainable Living Center
Palace Theatre–Hilo HiloPalace.com info@hilopalace.com 808.934.7010
Society for Kona’s Education & Art (SKEA) Skea.org 808.328.9392
UH Hilo Performing Arts Center ArtsCenter.uhh.hawaii.edu artscenter@hawaii.edu 808.974.7310
Resort and Shopping Center Cultural Events Log onto websites for event calendars
Keauhou Shopping Center KeauhouVillageShops.com 808.322.3000 KingsShops.com 808.886.8811
Kona Commons Shopping Center KonaCommons.com 808.334.0005
Kona International Marketplace
West Hawaii Dance Theatre and Academy
Prince Kuhio Plaza
Whdt.org vh2dns4@ilhawaii.net Virginia Holte, 808.329.8876
ShopsAtMaunaLani.com/events.html 808.885.9501
Kingsʻ Shops–Waikoloa
Waimea Community Theatre WaimeaCommunityTheatre.org 808.885.5818
The Shops at Mauna Lani
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
KonaInternationalMarket.com 808.329.6262 PrinceKuhioPlaza.com/events 808.959.3555
Queens’ MarketPlace–Waikoloa QueensMarketplace.net 808.886.8822
One-Island.org/hawaii hawaii@one-island.org 808.328.2452
Service with ALOHA! Tropical Flower Shipments to all 50 States MAILE LEIS (we ship to California) Custom event packages Wedding & Funeral Services Local Deliveries (Puna, Volcano, Hilo) Quality Service and Local Products www.punakamaliiflowers.com KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
CALL (808)982-8322 TO ORDER TODAY!
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To submit volunteer information for your nonprofit, kokua@keolamagazine.com
AdvoCATS Methodist Church Palani, Kailua-Kona
3rd Saturday, 10am Trap, neuter, spay, community education, colony feeding, management. Contact Cathy or Nancy advocatshawaii@aol.org 808.327.3724 AdvocatsHawaii.org
Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Hilo, Kea‘au, Pāhoa, Pāhala Oceanview, Hāmākua
Monday–Friday, 2:30–5pm Volunteers needed for after-school youth programs 808.961.5536 Bgcbi.com
Calabash Cousins Hulihe‘e Palace Grounds, Kailua-Kona
2nd Tuesday of the month 1–2:30pm Men and women who support the mission of Daughters of Hawai‘i. Contact Sabine Andresen ccousinskona@gmail.com 808.329.9555 CalabashCousinsHawaii.com
CommUNITY cares Kailua-Kona
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm Saturday, 9am–2pm
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Community Kōkua Volunteer Opportunities
Community suffering from cancer, medical hair loss, domestic abuse. Contact Tiana Steinberg communitycareshawaii@gmail.com 808.326.2866
Donkey Mill Art Center Holualoa Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture
Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm Volunteers help in arts education program. Contact Anne Catlin donkeymill@gmail.com 808.322.3362 DonkeyMillArtCenter.org
Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art (aka East Hawaii Cultural Council) Hilo
Monday–Friday, 8am–3pm Volunteer in the art galleries, performing arts, classes, workshops, festivals. exec@ehcc.org 808.961.5711 Ehcc.org
Friends of NELHA Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Keahole Kona
Monday–Friday, 9am–noon Share Ocean Science/Technology using deep ocean water. 808.329.8073 EnergyFutureHawaii.org
Hamakua Youth Foundation, Inc. Hamakua Youth Center, Honoka‘a
Daily, Mon. Tue. Fri. 2–5:30pm Wed. 1–5:30pm, Thu. 2–8pm Serving Hamakuaʻs school-age kids. Contact T. Mahealani Maiku‘i HamakuaYouthCenter@gmail.com 808.775.0976 HamakuaYouthCenter.wordpress.com
Hawai‘i Island Humane Society Kona Shelter, Kailua-Kona
Monday–Saturday, 9am–5pm Need volunteers 16 or older, parent/child team 6 or older. Contact Bebe Ackerman volunteer@hihs.org 808.217.0154 Hihs.org
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Wai‘ōhinu Coastline, Ka‘ū
SE Hawai‘i Island beach cleanups. Ongoing 7:45am Contact Megan Lamson meg.hwf@gmail.com 808.769-7629 WildHawaii.org
Hospice Care North Hawai‘i Hospice, Waimea
Monday–Friday, 8am–4:30pm Care for families facing serious illness.
Use provided contacts for information (Listings provided on a space available basis) Contact Catrinka Holland volunteer.coordinator@northhawaiihospice.org 808.885.7547 NorthHawaiiHospice.org
Hospice of Hilo East Hawai‘i Laupāhoehoe to South Point
Ongoing Volunteers for staff support and care to patients and families at the end-of-life. Contact Jeanette Mochida jeanettem@hospiceofhilo.org 808.969.1733 Hospiceofhilo.org
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i Hilo
Tuesday-Sunday 9am–5pm Assist with tours, shows, education programs and membership. Contact Roxanne Ching rching@imiloahawaii.org 808.969.9704 imiloahawaii.org
Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center Kahalu‘u Beach, Kailua-Kona
Daily 9:30am–4:30pm ReefTeach Volunteers educate visitors on reef etiquette and protection. Contact Rachel Silverman rsilverman@kohalacenter.org 808.887.6411 KahaluuBay.org
To submit volunteer information for your nonprofit, kokua@keolamagazine.com
Kalani Retreat Center Kalapana
Varied Schedules Seeking volunteers: skilled trades/ maintenance, housekeeping, kitchen, horticulture. Contact Volunteer Office volunteer@kalani.com 808.965.7828 Kalani.com/volunteer
Kohala Animal Relocation & Education Service (KARES) Kamuela/Kona Shopping Area
Saturdays and/or Sundays, 11am–4pm Volunteers needed to assist with pet adoption events. Contact: Deborah Cravatta pets@kohalaanimal.org 808.333.6299 KohalaAnimal.org
Kona Choral Society Kailua-Kona
Seeking volunteers for help with box office and ushering at our concerts. Contact John Week info@KonaChoralSociety.org 808.334.9880 KonaChoralSociety.org
Kona Toastmasters Kailua-Kona
1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6pm
Community Kōkua Volunteer Opportunities
Contact Lynn Bell contact@konatoastmasters.com 808.989.7494 KonaToastMasters.com
Lions Clubs International Various Locations, Kailua-Kona
2nd Tuesday, 5:30pm “We Serve” is the motto of Lions Clubs International. Contact Lani 808.325.1973 lanika@hawaii.rr.com
Make-A-Wish Hawaii
Ongoing Granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. info@hawaii.wish.org 808.537.3118 Hawaii.Wish.org
North Kohala Community Resource Center Kohala Welcome Center, Hawi
Daily 9am–noon or noon–3pm Greet people to North Kohala with aloha. Contact Juanita Rivera juanita@northkohala.org 808.889.5523 NorthKohala.org
Paradise Ponies, Carousel of Aloha Hilo Coffee Mill, Mountain View Ongoing
Use provided contacts for information (Listings provided on a space available basis)
Seeking volunteers to create the Carousel of Aloha Pavilion. Contact Katherine Patton carouselofaloha@gmail.com 808.315.1093 CarouselOfAloha.org
Soroptimist International Kona Kailua-Kona
Parrots in Paradise Sanctuary Kealakekua
Sundayʻs Child Foundation Kamuela
Flexible hours Monday–Friday Sanctuary for displaced parrots. Contact Dorothy Walsh Dorothy@parrotsinparadise.com 808.322.3006 ParrotsInParadise.com
Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary Kurtistown
Ongoing Volunteers needed to help care for the animals, repairs and maintenance to the Sanctuary, and help with the office paperwork. Contact Mary Rose mail@rainbowfriends.org 808.982.5110 RainbowFriends.org
Snorkel Day for People with Disabilities Kahalu‘u Beach Park, Kailua-Kona 3rd Friday, 10am–2pm Volunteers needed. Contact Stephanie Kovatch snorkelday@deepandbeyond.org 808.326.4400 x 4017 DeepAndBeyond.org
Monthly Meetings Enriching the lives of women and girls in our community for more than 40 years. SIKona.org
Serving at-risk youth aged 6 to 17 Volunteers needed islandwide. Contact Lauren Rainier requests@sundayschildfoundation.org 877.375.9191 SundaysChildFoundation.org
The Pregnancy Center Kailua-Kona (serves the entire island)
Monday–Friday Volunteers needed and appreciated! Free pregnancy testing, ultra sound, and client support. Contact Matthew Schaetzle, Director tpc@tpckona.com 808.326.2060 TpcKona.com
Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii Kailua-Kona Volunteers are the heart and soul of this program. All levels of expertise needed. Contact Nancy Bloomfield nannygirl@hawaii.rr.com 808.937.7903 ThhKona.org
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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Mason Termite and Pest Control
Talk Story with an Advertiser
| By Le‘a Gleason
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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ears ago, Tommy Mason followed his twin brother from O‘ahu to Hawai‘i Island, fell in love with it, and they never left. When they started doing termite and pest control, Tommy never thought he’d one day own a business doing it. Today, Tommy and his wife, Yvette, are the proud and successful owners of Mason Termite and Pest Control. Their Yvette and Tommy Mason company offers a variety of solutions for eliminating termites and pests in and around homes and commercial buildings across the island, and business is good. “In the 16 years I’ve been in this industry, I’ve never been out of work a day,” Tommy says. He has found success by “learning how to do things, doing the right thing, and then staying the course,” he says. The business has changed with the times, offering new and creative methods for reducing disruptive pests as times and techniques change. Tommy says there are solutions for all customers’ needs and their budgets. “There’s always bumps in the road [but] nothing we can’t handle. Taking one thing at a time and being honest to myself and to customers is one of the best things I can [do] to go to sleep and wake up with a smile on my face no matter what challenges come,” says Tommy. Yvette runs the office side of the business and is happy to work with customers for consultations, estimates, and to help them figure out which services will suit them best. Tommy says she’s the one who keeps everything together. “She’s actually the brains behind the whole operation. Without her I don’t know where this company or I would be. She schedules everybody, makes sure they look good, do good, they’re compliant, and we have everything in order and up-todate with the latest thing and the newest product. She keeps everybody on top of everything. She’s the backbone of the whole company,” Tommy says about his wife. Mason Termite and Pest Control offers free quotes, free information, and free consultations. They encourage anyone interested to call and speak with Yvette, who can help work with their individual needs. Mason Termite and Pest Control 73-5577 Kauhola St, Bay #6, Kailua-Kona 808.557.3333 MasonTermiteAndPestControl.com
Kona Commons
Talk Story with an Advertiser
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Kona Commons 74-5450 Makala Blvd., Kailua-Kona KonaCommons.com, Facebook.com/konacommons Onsite Contact: Nancy Sakamoto, Property Manager, CBRE 808.334.0005
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
ona Commons is located just makai (ocean side) of Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway on Makala Boulevard in KailuaKona. It offers a mix of locally owned and national retailers, including Hawaiian Island Creations, Jeans Warehouse, Ultimate Burger, Target, Ross, Petco, Sports Authority, and Office Max. It’s a mix of lifestyle shopping, a fashion mall, a food court, and big box power center all-in-one. Kona Commons is a one-stop shop for kama‘āina and visitors where they can find everything they need and a whole lot of what they love! The beautiful architecture, gas torches, landscaping, and water feature allow customers to shop and dine in an attractive, island reflective setting complemented with large mosaic tile murals from a local artist who depicts Hawai‘i Island activities and scenery. Kona Commons sponsors several annual events. The annual St. Pet-Tricks Day is an extravaganza focusing on pets and features a pet kissing and pet trick contest, training and grooming demos, and photos with furry friends! Customers are encouraged to donate canned and unopened bags of dog and cat food to Hawaii Island Humane Society, KARES, and Advocats. As the proud sponsor of the Aloha Keiki Run held in June, Kona Commons welcomes keiki and their families to the center to participate in this fun run, enjoy face painting, games and live entertainment. This year, 360 keiki registered for the fun run and it was a morning of fitness and fun for the entire family. An annual holiday tradition, Kona Commons kicks off the holiday season each year with Kailua Kalikimaka Dinner and a Movie, a family-friendly event featuring a holiday movie shown on a big screen in the Kona Commons parking lot. The event includes photos with Santa, prize giveaways, and popcorn. See what we have in common at Kona Commons where you’ll find the latest trends—whether you’re tall, small, or have a tail!
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Parker Ranch Store
Talk Story with an Advertiser
| By Le‘a Gleason
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
WHY REEVENT
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WHEEL
WHEN YOU CAN REDISCOVER IT? Yurts are helping many people nationwide to get out of debt, simplify their lives, and live more harmoniously with nature.
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he Parker Ranch Store is locally owned and operated and has been in business since 1988. Owners Randy Kurohara and Connie Ichinose saw the tremendous opportunity that the Parker Ranch Store had to support their vision of promoting their Aloha Grown brand and mission: support local, sustain the ‘āina, and share the aloha. Connie and Randy acquired the store in 2010 during a down economy, but that didn’t deter their tremendous faith in both the management and staff. In addition, they wanted to keep the ownership local and with a vested interest in Hawai‘i Island. They see the Parker Ranch Store as a cornerstone to the Waimea experience. “The Parker Ranch Store is more than just a clothing and gift store. It is a part of our Waimea community, connecting our community and visitors with the rich history of Parker Ranch and the paniolo lifestyle,” says Randy. Connie and Randy feel that Parker Ranch Store supports the vibrant culture of sustainability that resonates from historic Waimea town with its rich ranching history. “We feature some of the best locally grown and made products; original and exclusive clothing and accessories that promote our sense of environment, our culture, and our farming and ranching lifestyle,” says Randy. “We also saw the opportunity to help shape the future of the Parker Ranch Store through new merchandising and branding efforts in addition to a more vertical integration with our other business, Creative Arts Hawaii,” says Connie. Store manager Tracey Akau says that the Parker Ranch Store supports local products by promoting merchandise from more than 50 different local businesses. Products range from soaps to coffee, clothing, art, lotions, cookies, and much more. “We [also] give back to the community through our Aloha Grown Malama Honua fund that has provided grant funds to local schools and organizations that promote sustainability through education and service. Through the Malama Honua, two percent of all Aloha Grown products sales are set aside to give back to the community annually,” Tracey explains. The owners say they see Parker Ranch Store playing a bigger role in keeping the history of the Parker Ranch and the paniolo lifestyle alive. As our community continues to seek greener and more sustainable solutions, they will do their part in promoting this as well. Parker Ranch Center, Kamuela 67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy E126, Kamuela 808.885.5669 shop@parkerranchstore.com ParkerRanchStore.com
Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel
Talk Story with an Advertiser
| By Megan Moseley
L–R: W. Kumu Belcher, attorney, Randall Roth, attorney (of Counsel), John G. Roth, attorney, Dayva Keolanui, Office Manager
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Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel office@hawaiitrustlaw.com HawaiiTrustLaw.com Hilo—808.930.655 26-238 Hawaii Belt Road Kailua-Kona—808.325.4224 75-5737 Kuakini Highway, Suite 201 Kamuela—808.334.3343 65-1230 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite F-102 These stories are special features for our advertisers. If you have a business you would like to have featured, please call 808.327.1711 x1.
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
ohn Roth, owner of Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel on Hawai‘i Island, said the firm is all about providing the Hawai‘i Island community with the education they need to make the best decision possible when it comes to estate planning. “My favorite part of the job is getting to know my clients so that I can provide them with a complete estate plan that suits them,” he said. “I love how my clients feel afterward and when they thank me for providing them with peace of mind.” John formed Hawaii Trust & Estate Counsel in April of 2014. Prior to that, he worked for several years at various firms and has taught estate planning as an adjunct law professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. You may also see him on the UH Hilo campus, where he periodically teaches a business law course. In his spare time, he also writes an advice column for North Hawaii News titled “Just Ask John,” where he offers free advice about estate planning. John works alongside his father, Randall Roth, and Hilo-native William “Kumu” Belcher. With their combined forces, they provide various planning options to clients including estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, charitable giving, Medicaid awareness, asset protection, and dispute resolution. The firm focuses on everything from drafting wills to tax planning, but if you asked Roth what their true focus is he’d reply “the people.” “We take time to get to know our clients as people and understand their goals and concerns. This makes it possible for us to provide a personalized estate plan that provides peace of mind for each client.”
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Lava Rock Realty
Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser with Ke Ola
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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EALTOR® Broker Peggy Yuan was licensed in 1990 and loves her Hawai‘i real estate experience. Peggy says it was always her dream to own and operate her own company, and when an opportunity presented itself 10 years ago, she took it enthusiastically and opened Lava Rock Realty in Kamuela. The company is a full real estate service provider, dealing with properties across Hawai‘i Island, something not all real estate offices offer. Her agents specialize in different aspects within the company. In addition to running her own company, she also serves on multiple real estate and community boards and committees and volunteers in the community. Peggy is well known on the Kohala Coast for having trained many of the agents who work in that area. She has been a mentor to many, who have become very successful following her advice. She also says over the years, she has seen the business change dramatically. “When I first started in this industry, a purchase contract was front and back on a single sheet, and now we are at 14 pages minimum...with additional addendums...it can sometimes add up to 20–25 pages. There are also more liability issues due to transparency in our industry with technology and the availability to access information,” Peggy says. In addition, the influx of technology has also created changes in the way she communicates with her clients. She says it’s easy for them to locate homes on their own online. Her job now is more about educating them once they do find a property, so they can feel comfortable in the decision making process. “Most people don’t need a real estate agent to find property anymore, so I’ve changed my philosophy. Once they find the property, [it’s more about] how I am able to understand their needs and explain the pros and cons of the property, because we are the local experts,” she says. Many prospective clients are looking to relocate from the mainland or elsewhere and don’t always understand what it’s like to live in Hawai‘i, so she shares information with them. It’s not about making a sale—it’s about being sincere to help buyers and sellers find what’s right for them. Since she sells properties across the island, she also helps to make sure people are choosing a home in an area and climate that suits their needs. She informs them about the complexities of living on an isolated island, including the higher cost of living. “I actually recommend people new to the area to rent first before they buy, so they can become familiar with the island and areas before they plunge into their purchase. When they’re ready, they’ll come back,” she says. “My new favorite term is ‘knowledge is power.’ In addition to having the knowledge of the homes themselves, you have to know about the locale, the culture, the state and county codes affecting the property. Only then can you educate your clients. Instead of focusing on the transaction, I like to educate them so they walk away with an understanding and knowledge to feel
| By Le‘a Gleason
at ease with their decision. I have a lot of returning clients and prospective people who come back to me in a year and say, ‘I remember you,’” she says. Peggy also works with international clients, as she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. “You have to look at the different customs, and a lot of my clients don’t speak English, so you have to really educate them about how things are done in America and here in Hawai‘i, including our contracts and processes,” she says.
Peggy P. Yuan Principal Broker/Owner
For Peggy, the greatest joy in being a REALTOR® is helping people realize the dream of living in Hawai‘i. “I take a lot of pride and gratitude from helping first time homebuyers and handing them their keys,” she says, “Past clients from 10 to 20 years ago still call me and I’m glad I can still help them.They’re clients for life.” Lava Rock Realty 65-1298 B Kawaihae Road, Kamuela 808.887.2500 Peggy@LavaRockRealty.com LavaRockRealty.com
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KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
Keaau, Shipman Park
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Ka Puana–The Refrain
Sonia has been writing the Local Agriculture food column in Ke Ola magazine since the Jan–Feb 2012 issue. We are thrilled to feature her latest book filled with ono (delicious) recipes.
About Sonia
I was born on the island of Cuba and have always been drawn to tropical climes and cuisines. For the last twenty plus years I have lived on the Island of Hawai‘i in a beautiful rainforest where I love to grow herbs, collect cookbooks, play with recipes, visit farms, learn and report about new sustainable growing techniques, read voraciously, and work on crossword puzzles. My passion for food and cooking led me to own kitchen/gourmet shops and cooking schools first in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and later in the Miami, Florida area. After moving to Hawai‘i, my son Anthony and I owned and operated the Akaka Falls Inn, a B&B, cooking school, gift shop and deli/gourmet shop in Honomū for several years. Author Sonia R. Martinez is a Honomū resident. These excerpts are used with permission.
Cuban Mojo Sauce
Pronounced moe-hoe (not moe-joe, the slang word for charm, spell, talent, or sex appeal . . . although our Cuban Mojo Sauce can be sexy!) The best mojo sauces are very garlicky! Since it can keep refrigerated for quite some time, it is best to make a large batch at one time. Scant amount olive oil, best quality you can afford Onion, sliced thinly Garlic cloves, one whole head per cup of liquid, peeled Hawaiian Alaea or other sea salt Dried oregano, to taste Pinch of cumin, or to taste Sour orange juice* Olive oil Mash the garlic and salt into a thick paste with a mortar and pestle. Sauté the onion briefly, until barely translucent; add the garlic and salt paste, the oregano and cumin and quickly stir to heat it through. Add the sour orange juice and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan to medium-hot and then remove from heat. Quickly whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture; set aside to cool. Can be kept in the refrigerator until ready to use; heat briefly before using. Mojo Sauce can be used as a marinade for pork and chicken and I love it served over plain boiled yuca (cassava). *Sour oranges are just what they sound like. Used mostly for cooking and sauces in Caribbean countries. If no sour oranges are available, I use a half and half mixture of orange juice and lime juice, which is a close approximation of the taste.
Paletas de Mango
Paletas are ice cream popsicles. They can be made using any combination of fruit, cream, yogurt, or juices. I found my “still in box, never used” paleta molds at a yard sale for $1. One of my best investments! 2 medium mangos, seeded, and peeled ½ cup water ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup lemon juice 3 (6 oz) cartons vanilla low fat yogurt Popsicle molds (2–3 ounce size) or 4 ounce paper cups Wooden craft sticks
Combine mangoes, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Add yogurt, cover and blend again until well combined. Spoon mixture into the popsicle molds or paper cups and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. To serve, remove from mold or peel off paper cups. Yield: 6–12 popsicles, depending on the size of the mold. Mine yielded 4. Source: The original recipe was one my sister shared with me, but it was a bit too involved, so I simplified it. Contact author Sonia R Martinez: SoniaTastesHawaii.com From Soup to Nuts is available from the author, local bookstores, and the publisher TheLarryCzerwonkaCompany.com
KeOlaMagazine.com | September–October 2015
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