Hawaii inside Out Magazine March - April 2017

InsideOu

THE RESOURCE GUIDE TO OUR ISLAND

OAHU

MARCH+APRIL 2017

Jazz All That

Blue Note celebrates first anniversary

ZERO WASTE

Lanikai Charter School leads a new revolution

EMPTY BOWL

Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild fills need for Aloha Harvest

WOMEN’S MOVEMENT Females-only 10K run races to its 40th year

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Contents D E PA RT M E N TS I SL AN D L I F E

8 Women’s Movement Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K continues its run of success.

10 Epicurean Events Mark your calendar for culinary celebrations that you won’t want to miss.

12 SPAM Jam Now in its 15th year, SPAM Jam attracts thousands of visitors to Waikīkī.

12 MA U K A T O MA K A I

16 Steely Sound Alan Akaka and Ke Kula Mele students take the stage at Ka Makana Ali‘i.

30 Empty Bowl Members and students of the Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild put on their biennial event to support Aloha Harvest.

OU T A N D A BO U T

INS AND OUTS

20 Events and Celebrations Get your Irish up and join the party in Chinatown; or check out a gravity-defying show by Samadhi Hawai‘i.

32 Not to Miss Some of O‘ahu’s top chefs help fight hunger for the Hawai‘i Foodbank, while auto enthusiasts rev up for an annual car show.

MUSINGS

22 F E AT U R E S 22 All That Jazz Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, Chris Botti, and violinist, Caroline Campbell, helped Blue Note Hawai‘i celebrate its first anniversary. by Simplicio Paragas 26 Trash to Treasures Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School joins Hawai‘i’s Zero Waste Revolution, and the ‘green’ results are gaining national recognition. by Kristen Nemoto 4

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(CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT) COURTESY BLUE NOTE HAWAI’I; ©SIMPLICIO PARAGAS; © ERIC BRODER VAN DYKE/ 123 RF STOCK PHOTO

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InsideOut Magazine (ISSN 2158-494X) is produced by Morris Visitor Publications (MVP), a division of Morris Communications Co., LLC, 725 Broad St. Augusta, GA 30901. Annual subscription rate is $18 or $32 for two years. To subscribe, email: miao@insideouthawaii.com. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

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Community Spirit

©COLLEEN RICCI

The community only thrives when there is community involvement, so says ceramic potter Janet Kelly.

Kelly and members of the Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild will literally and figuratively ‘throw’ their support behind Empty Bowl, a biennial event that seeks to raise money to help the less fortunate. This year’s beneficiary is Aloha Harvest, a nonprofit that has a mission of “Rescuing Food to Feed Hawai‘i’s Hungry.”

The Hawai‘i Foodbank shares the same battle and some of the island’s top talents have pledged to help the cause during “Great Chefs Fight Hunger.” The Foodbank will also be the recipient of goodwill during SPAM Jam Waikīkī, which enters its 15th year on April 29.

Another long-running fundraiser celebrates its 40th year on March 5, when a field of all-woman participants run/walk in the venerable Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K, which was the

Alan Akaka and his students from Ke Kula Mele will perform at the recently opened Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei on Saturday, March 18.

first-sanctioned, all-female race when it began in 1977.

Around the same era, Alan Akaka was part of an “Aloha Airlines Serenaders” team that was promoting Hawaiian music across the Mainland. Four decades later, Akaka still strums his Hawaiian steel guitar and he’ll do so again, along with his Ke Kula Mele students and other artists, at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei.

While Akaka provides valuable lessons about Hawaiian music and song, Mindy Jaffe teaches Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School students — and adults — about the importance of the ‘aina. As Lanikai’s Resource Recovery Specialist and lead advocate of the Zero Waste Revolution, Jaffe is on a mission to turn trash into treasures.

ON THE COVER Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, Chris Botti, helped Blue Note Hawai‘i celebrate its first anniversary in January. ©Fabrizio Ferri

Simplicio Paragas SENIOR EDITOR M AR C H + APR I L 2 0 1 7

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IS LA ND L I F E

Women’s Movement

Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K has made great strides since it started 39 years ago as a race for female-only runners. by Simplicio Paragas

Claire Tong was always being told “no.” No, she wasn’t allowed to play softball. No, she couldn’t do what her older brother was doing. No, that’s not for girls. So when 8

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she finally heard “yes,” it was in her sophomore year at Moanalua High School and the Education Amendments of 1972 — widely known as Title IX — had just passed. |

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“I don’t think millennials realize the struggles that the older generation of women fought to participate in sports,” says Tong, marketing and

communications manager for Hawai‘i Pacific Health.

“I was reading an article about the marathon from our archives and it said that there were men who would try to push women off the course, telling them that ‘women’s bodies aren’t made for running.’”

Fortunately, attitudes and perceptions have since improved as more

COURTESY HAWAI’I PACIFIC HEALTH

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COURTESY HAWAI’I PACIFIC HEALTH

female athletes have made great strides in the world of sports, thanks in large part to Title IX, which was later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, after the Congresswomen’s death in 2002. That same year, the Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K celebrated its milestone 25th anniversary, honoring Mink who was one of the principal authors of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Now in its 40th year, the Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K was the first-sanctioned, all-female race when it began and today it draws women of all ages and abilities. A 17time marathon participant and Na Wahine Triathalon competitor, Tong organizes this “fun run” and also competes in it.

“You get elite runners, walkers, strollers and generations of families participating in this allfemale race,” Tong says.

“Everyone gets a medal, a female-fitting finisher’s shirt, a matching bag and a rose.”

At the end of this year’s race, longtime Kaimuki resident Gerry DeBenedetti will have earned all 40 T-shirts, an assertion that she says “no one else in the universe can claim.”

DeBenedetti’s connection dates back to the maiden

race in 1978 when her thenseventh-grade daughter, Cassie, came home and told her that they had to participate in a race that was just for women.

“I didn’t even know what a 10K was, having not grown up in a metric-system world,” DeBenedetti quips. “I never viewed running as something anyone would

Now in it 40th year, the Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10k was the firstsanctioned, all-female race when it began and today it draws women of all ages and abilities. do for any reason at all.

When I grew up, running was punishment for something you did wrong at school.”

After collecting her 20th or 22nd T-shirt, DeBenedetti recalls returning home from the race and lying on the couch to take a nap.

But when she pulled a “scratchy” afghan over her, she began to itch. “And then I had an epiphany,” says the part-time trainer at Curves. “I should make a quilt of all my T-shirts.”

She now has what she calls her three “decade quilts” (1978-1987, 1988-

1997, 1998-2007) and soon to be fourth. “I’m not the fastest runner but that’s OK,” DeBenedetti says.

“Some years are better than others. But I’m going to keep going.”

The scenic, 6.2-mile race takes participants around Diamond Head and through Kahala, returning to Kapiolani Park for the after-race festivities. The event will also include prize giveaways, wellness information and a costume contest.

WOMEN-ONLY 10K RUN March 5, Kapiolani Park Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10K hawaiipacifichealth. org/womens10k

“We’re creating a healthier Hawai‘i,” Tong says, citing the Hawai‘i Pacific Health motto.

“For a while here, women were too busy taking care of their family and not themselves. Like in an airplane, you’ve got to put the mask on yourself first and breath the oxygen before helping others.” ✽ M AR C H + APR I L 2 0 1 7

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M O R SE L S

From Bikini Blonde to ‘Wonuts’ Maui Brewing Co. and TR Fire Grill tap into Waikīkī market.

18,000 square feet, the restaurant has the vibe of a casual craft brewery in the middle of Waikīkī.

“At Maui Brewing Co., we see ourselves as curators of the craft beer lifestyle and movement in Hawai‘i, as well as stewards of the community,” said Maui Brewing Co.’s CEO of restaurants Chis Thibaut in a prepared statement.

The Waikīkī dining scene hasn’t experienced this amount of growth in years.

With the opening of the International Market Place and Yokocha Gourmet Alley, along with two new restaurant concepts, choices abound for the food-obsessed crowd.

Maui Brewing Co. has finally reached the shores of O‘ahu. Sprawling across 10

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“We have a great passion for local food and local beer and are proud to open our first O‘ahu location in partnership with Outrigger, a locally based company whose values closely mirror our own.”

Enjoy a Bikini Blonde Lager or Big Swell IPA while noshing on traditional pub fare prepared by executive chef Terrry Lynch and his culinary team. Finger foods, such as craft pizzas, MBC nachos, tater tots and chicken wings, are perfect for sharing. And so, too, are the ‘Pub Quick Pickles,’ house-cut fries, fried goat cheese and ahi poke tacos. Larger plates include loco moco, fish and chips and grilled paniolo-style ribeye steak.

Burgers, salads and ‘Bowls’ round off the menu.

2300 Kalākaua Ave., 808.843.BREW, mauibrewingco.com/Waikiki Part waffle, part donut, the ‘wonut’ at TR Fire Grill is reason enough to visit this concept restaurant. “People just love them,” said executive chef Curt Conant. “It’s definitely a fun dessert.” With half dipped in chocolate,

this dense circular pastry will satisfy any sweet cravings. A contemporary American bistro, TR Fire Grill offers bold flavors and large portions. The chicken-and-waffle entree, for example, comes stacked two high and is held together by a long skewer.

It’s certainly enough to share between two people, especially when adding a ‘Snack’ of spicy ‘Zing Zing’ shrimp or prime rib egg rolls accompanied by a tangy horseradish aioli. A best seller, the ‘salmon and zoodles’ is composed of zucchini ‘pasta’ complemented with a pistachiolaced Romesco sauce.

2330 Kuhio Ave., Hilton Garden Inn Waikīkī Beach, 808.921.2330, trfiregrill.com ✽

(FROM TOP LEFT) ©RACHEL OLSSON; COURTESY TR FIRE GRILL

by Simplicio Paragas

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M O R SE L S

SPAM Enchanted Evening be the SPAM Queen of Waikīkī for the day.”

Now in its 15th year, SPAM Jam Waikīkī has become a destination event with many visitors planning their vacations around this annual streetfest. From a San Diego women who proudly showed off her original SPAM Jam T-shirt to an appearance by Hello Kitty, more than 26,000 people paced Kalākaua

Imagined 14 years ago by Outrigger executives, Waikīkī SPAM Jam has become a popular destination event, attracting people from different parts of the globe. an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawai‘i to attend the popular Waikīkī event.

“This is amazing,” said Dziadulewicz, while offering a sample of her winning Gemutlichkeit SPAMwich, a recipe that features sautéed pankocrusted slices of SPAM with Bacon stacked atop a pretzel bun and garnished with a classic warm red cabbage slaw. “It’s great to

Sampling the offerings during last year’s SPAM Jam reception, Lisa Dziadulewicz (pronounced jad-uh-LUVitch) was impressed — and pleasantly surprised — with the creativity of island chefs’ use of the cobbled mixture of pork shoulder, ham, sugar and salt. As the grand-prize winner of last year’s 25th annual Great American SPAM Championship, the Wisconsin native earned 12

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Avenue last year in search of SPAM-based dishes amid live entertainment and craft booths.

Only in Hawai‘i would we celebrate a processed meat that comes in that all-too-familiar blue tin can. Wrapped in nori, stirfried with noodles, plated with eggs, SPAM knows no culinary boundaries when it comes to the local palate. Ever since GIs were

first served the Hormel product in World War II, SPAM has become an iconic food among Hawai‘i residents, who consume more than six million cans of SPAM a year, the nation’s highest per capita consumption of the luncheon meat. It even gets a spot on the SPAM website’s Q & A section, asking Why are SPAM® products so popular in Hawai‘i?

“We’re all here to celebrate one thing — SPAM,” said Outrigger Enterprises Group’s vice president of corporate relations and SPAM Jam co-founder Bitsy Kelley, addressing the social-media crowd before the SPAM Jam 2014 VIP Tweetup.

“Let’s keep the buzz going all night long.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring a can of SPAM or other canned goods to support the Hawai‘i Foodbank, which is the main beneficiary of the event, along with the Waikīkī Community Center and the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai‘i.

For a list of restaurants and entertainment, visit spamjamhawaii.com. ✽

©SIMPLICIO PARAGAS

Popular Waikīkī event celebrates its 15th anniversary on April 29. by Simplicio Paragas

LIQUI D A SSE T S

Sláinte to Stout

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this thirst-quenching stout beer cocktail. | By Alison Kent

It likely comes as no surprise to hear that beer often plays a significant role in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

While some Irish-for-a-day merrymakers will partake in the annual revelry with a pint of green beer (or not), many others will seek quality versus quantity, enjoying a beer brewed with traditional ingredients and fresh flavors that celebrate the tastes of Ireland.

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There’s simply no better way to get in the Irish spirit than with a pint of distinctively dark stout beer, with its creamy head, velvety texture, and tones of rich coffee, sweet toffee and roasted malt. Ardent stout lovers are passionate about the pour, keeping an eye on the attending bartender like a hawk to ensure all details are adhered to, including the correct shape of the glass |

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and the angle its tilted at, the ‘surge and the settle,’ and the top-up.

While beloved in Ireland, stout was, in fact, first brewed in London during the first half of the 18th century — which was also in the midst of the infamous ‘gin craze’ of Great Britain.

Had it not been for these dark and stormy days of the early 1700s, stout might not have become the brew of choice among the good people of Ireland today. As

London Stormy

Now in it 40th year, the Hawai‘i Pacific Health Women’s 10k was the firstsanctioned, allbegan and today it and abilities.

1/4 cup chilled tonic water

such, Hendricks’s Gin has combined the two, creating this exceptional beer cocktail in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. With notes of coffee and bitter chocolate, the addition of Irish stout perfectly complements the earthy tones of angelica root — just one of the more than 10 botanicals found in Hendricks’s Gin. A toast to your health — today and always. Sláinte! ✽

For the at-home mixologist, choose a brew that uses widget-can technology to create a creamy foam head similar to a frothy pubstyle pour. Garnish with a wheel or wedge of lime and gherkin (add an edible rose bud, too, if available) all skewered on a cocktail stick.

1 ½ oz Hendrick’s Gin 1/2 cup chilled Irish stout (such as Guinness® or Murphy’s) 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 2 dashes of celery bitters Stir all ingredients together and pour over ice in highball glass.

Cocktail Note: The original recipe included 1 tbsp quinine cordial and did not call for tonic water. Quinine is what gives tonic water its signature flavor, and as this cordial is difficult to find, it’s been reworked with this splash of tonic water instead. Skeptical? The beer cocktail, Calcutta Cup, is a tasty half and half mix of stout beer and tonic water.

Recipe adapted by Alison Kent.

ORIGINAL RECIPE CREATED BY LONDON-BASED BARTENDER, ALEX KRATENA, HEAD BARTENDER AT THE ARTESIAN BAR AT THE LANGHAM HOTEL, LONDON. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSON + CO.

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Open daily from 5:00 to 10:00pm.

MUSI N G S

Steely Determination Students commit to learning the twangy Hawaiian instrument.

By Simplicio Paragas

For three years, Mark Prucha had a standing Skype date. Once a week for 30 minutes, the Naperville, Illinois, native would connect his webcam and ‘chat’ with his instructor, Alan Akaka, who was teaching the then19-year-old aspiring steel guitar artist the techniques of this unmistakable Hawaiian instrument.

“It worked pretty well but we had to move the webcams around a lot so

IN CONCERT Students from Ke Kula Mele, along with Alan Akaka (pictured below), Jeff Au Hoy, Bobby Ingano and Greg Sardinha & Po‘okelo will perform a concert March 18 at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei.

I could see his fingers,” Prucha said during a phone interview. “Alan is a patient teacher and very methodical. I’ve learned a ton from him.”

After retiring from Kamehameha Schools as its marching band instructor, Akaka continued his role as a teacher when he established Ke Kula Mele, a school focused on Hawaiian music.

According to Akaka, the school is a place where creative and musical ideas can be developed and nurtured, and shared in a safe, fun, and supportive environment that’s firmly built on a foundation of hō‘ihi (respect), kuleana (responsibility), mālama (care for) and aloha.

“I was trained by legends and I want to pass that knowledge on to

“They sing and learn the words but I teach them to visualize what they’re singing.

It’s understanding the stories and not just merely learning how to read music.”

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the younger generation,” Akaka asserted. “It’s carrying on their tradition and perpetuating the Hawaiian culture.”

Because of his educational experience, Akaka’s approach leans more academic when teaching his students Hawaiian music. He not only instructs them on how to play the instruments and sing the Hawaiian songs, but he also provides the cultural background behind the mele.

“They sing and learn the Hawaiian words but I teach them to visualize what they’re singing,” Akaka explained. “It’s understanding the stories and not just learning how to read music.”

For Prucha, it was also about learning how to arrange Hawaiian music.

“He would send me a different arrangement each week and I would practice it like crazy and try to memorize it for the following week’s class,” said Prucha, who now performs in Naperville with the band Hoapili.

“It really helped me understand how to arrange Hawaiian music, which you can imagine isn’t really available around here.”

For a schedule of classes and performance dates, visit kekulamele.com ✽

©COLLEEN RICCI

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MUSI N G S

Honolulu Biennial

By Gina Bailey

The inaugural Honolulu Biennial will feature the works of more than 30 artists. Curatorial director, Fumio Nanjo (middle row, right), believes that geography has an impact on conceptual approaches to art.

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Biennials could be considered the Olympics of the art world. Every two years, host countries in collaboration with art institutions display works of art — from painting and sculpture in traditional modes to avant-garde installations and postmodern films and videos — from an international roster of talented artists.

Titled Middle of Now | Here, the inaugural Honolulu Biennial makes its debut on March 8, and will feature more than 30 contemporary artists whose works will be shown at various venues, with the primary location at Ward Village in a space that once served as the former location of the Sports Authority. Other installation sites include the historic IBM Building at Ward Village, Honolulu Hale, Foster Botanical Garden, the Arts at Marks Garage, Bishop Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art and a community arts center.

Selected by curatorial director Fumio Nanjo, director of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, and curator Ngahiraka Mason, former curator of Indigenous Art,

Maori Art at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the lineup will include leading, midcareer and emerging artists from Hawai‘i, the Pacific Islands, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

According to a released statement, the Honolulu Biennial highlights the dynamic and diverse perspectives of artists from the cultures linked by the Pacific Ocean and underscores the idea that place has a lasting impact on individual and communal identities.

“Where we live shapes who we are. Everything we are, all we have been, and are becoming is related to place,” said Nanjo and Mason in a joint statement of the guiding vision for the Biennial.

“The Honolulu Biennial recognizes place-based creativity as living and continuous, and seeks to shine a light on the incredible variation and complexity of art created by artists from this part of the world.”

Entry to many of the Biennial sites are free. For more information, visit honolulubiennial.org.✽

COURTESY HONOLULU BIENNIAL

In the Middle of Now | Here

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OUT A ND A B O U T

Events and Celebrations

Chinatown will be covered in a sea of green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Different hues of color will be seen during the Rainbow EKIDEN. Here’s a quick glance at events and shows during March and April.

Based on the popular Hans Christian Andersen fairytale about a tiny girl born from a flower, Thumbelina will come to life at Tenney Theatre. htyweb.org KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES April 26 and 27

Since sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards, chanteuse Norah Jones has become an international phenomenon. hawaiitheatre.com BREWERS FESTIVAL April 29

Beer enthusiasts will again have a chance to sample more than 120 releases from some of the best craft breweries in Hawai‘i, the Mainland and Europe. honolulubrewers festival.com 20

Relay Fun Run

March 12 A highly popular race in Japan, the Honolulu Rainbow EKIDEN returns to the island for its fifth year and will send teams of five on a fun and light-hearted three-mile race around Diamond Head. New events have been added this year, including “EKIDEN Lite,“ a three-runner team; “Fun Run & Walk“ with your friends; and the “Kid’s Challenge,“ which is open to all keiki ages 6-11. For more information, visit hawaii-event.com/en/rainbowekiden

Erin Go Bragh!

March 17 Dress in green and get your Irish up as the annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities take over Nu‘uanu and Merchant streets. Murphy’s Bar and Grill will start lunch service at 11 a.m. in the restaurant, and extend service across the street in the parking lot at 11:30 a.m.

At 5 p.m., the party begins with different food booths, live music and DJ stages and a lot of “Sláinte!” murphyshawaii.com/st-patricks-day/

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Poetry in Motion

March 3,4,10 and 11 Like lithe aerial ballerinas and gymnasts, members of Samadhi Hawai‘i will present their newest program “Tales of the Circle Keys” at ArtZone. Accompanied by the original music of pianist Kurt “KK” Kaminaka, Samadhi performers will dangle precipitously over the stage as they gracefully twirl and spin. Pre-sale tickets cost $25 or $30 at the door. samadhihawaii.com

Laugh Tracks March 11 Frank De Lima will have attendees in stitches during Family Day at Dole Plantation, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The comedian’s show will begin at 1 p.m.

DolePlantation.com

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) COURTESY HONOLULU RAINBOW EKIDEN; COURTESY DARREN MILLER; COURTESY FRANK DELIMA; COURTESY TASTYISLANDHAWAII.COM

THUMBELINA BLOOMS Opens April 8

All That Jazz Blue Note Hawai‘i celebrates first anniversary with Grammy winner

By Simplicio Paragas

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COURTESY BLUE NOTE HAWAI’I

H

ere to help recognize Blue Note Hawai‘i’s first anniversary in January, Grammy winner Chris Botti hit all the right notes. His stirring rendition and tribute to Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah received thunderous applause from a packed house that got louder as the show progressed.

“I’d rather play at the Blue Note than Madison Square Garden,” asserted Botti, whose close relationship with the Blue Note brand dates back to 2005. “For people who like my music, it’s so valuable to be right up close. We care deeply about the audience and want them to have a great time.”

Since opening last January, Blue Note Hawai‘i has welcomed local, national and international artists, from Willie K and Kenny G to Taiwan sensation Tsun-Hui Hung and Chick Correa.

Originally founded in 1981 in Greenwich Village, New York, Blue Note has grown to include locations in Milan, Beijing, Tokyo and Nagoya with further plans of expansion in Asia.

“We felt Hawai‘i was a good routing opportunity for bands,” said Steve Bensusan, whose father, Danny Bensusan, founded the Blue Note. “The opportunity came up here at the Outrigger and we jumped on it. A lot of jazz artists have never played Hawai‘i or they have years ago and it was a single concert — in and out. I think there’s a chance to reach the Japanese tourist, as well as locals, with some great music. We are deeply committed to Blue Note Hawai‘i’s success.”

The transformation of the former Society of Seven showroom into a modern 9,000-square-foot jazz venue was led by local architecture and interior design firm InForm Design. New York-based Peltrix installed the state-of-the-art sound system and ambient lighting, which help amplify the intimate experience where each table has a clear view of the stage.

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(Previous spread) Trumpeter Chris Botti and Caroline Campbell (opposite page) often perform together. (This page) Jake Shimabukuro enjoys the intimate setting.

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BLUE NOTE HAWAI‘I Outrigger Waikïkï Beach Resort 2335 Kaläkaua Ave., 777-4890 Doors open at 5 p.m. for the first set; the second set starts at 9 p.m. with seating starting at 8:30 p.m. Most shows will have three tiers: Premium Tables, Loge Tables and Bar. Upcoming performances include Hiromi: The Trio Project (March

14-18); Willie K (March 21); Blood, Sweat and Tears (March 30-April 2); Devon Allman Band (April 6-7); Ladysmith Black Mambazo (April 1416); and Kimie Miner (April 27-29). For a complete schedule, visit bluenote hawaii.com.

COURTESY BLUE NOTE HAWAI’I

HIGH NOTES

“The Outrigger Waikīkī’s showroom has a long and impressive history as being the place in Waikīkī for music and entertainment,” said Outrigger Enterprises Group president and CEO David Carey during last year’s grand unveiling. “With the opening of Blue Note Hawai‘i, the next chapter begins and music lovers from around the world can look forward to the perfect melding of the best in island talent with world renowned musicians.”

Through its partnership with Blue Note Entertainment Group, Outrigger is now affiliated with a well branded organization that has showcased many of the music industry’s greatest artists over the past 35 years, including such jazz legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson and Sarah Vaughn. While Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, the club is a place where progression and innovation — the foundations of jazz — are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis.

“It’s nice to have a place like this to play when I'm home,” said ‘ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, who is scheduled to perform at the Blue Note April 3-5. “It’s a different experience and vibe from a concert hall. The sound system is great and so is the food. I think this is my fourth series here and this one will

be more of a solo than previous times when I came with a full ensemble.”

With Botti and his band on stage, the room’s acoustic was flawless, crisp and in full decibel level, especially when violinist Caroline Campbell rocked her bow to Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir. “I’m a trained classical violinist so I don’t get too many ‘woots,’” said Campbell to the sold-out crowd. “So thank you.”

“All Steve’s clubs have a very similar feel on stage,” Botti said. “And his clubs are in mono, which is crazy talk. But I get up there and two sets into it I think this is the best thing ever because you’re really literally on top of each other and the whole place is going crazy; it’s great.

And then we leave there and we go to like a big theater show and it’s all stereo and I’m like — I miss the Blue Note.”

Local jazz fans have certainly appreciated the caliber of musicians who have appeared on stage since opening last year.

Bensusan supports this claim, adding that island residents are embracing the venue and meeting their expectations.

“Our legacy is that we’ll continue to open more Blue Notes,” Bensusan said.

“And we’ll continue to provide great spaces for musicians to perform in.” ✽

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Hawai‘i’s Zero Waste Revolution is changing public school waste habits one (less) trash can at a time.

By Kristen Nemoto

(Above) These crawly composters are the key component to Lanikai Elementary's Zero Waste Revolution.

(Opposite page) Parker Sawyer, Lanikai's STEM teacher, washes some recently harvested pumpkins.

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To most people, a handful of worm excrement wouldn’t be considered worth anything.

But to the kids and staff members of Lanikai Elementary Public Charter School, worms – and the waste they produce – equal a currency that’s worth more than we could imagine.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” asks Mindy Jaffe, Lanikai’s Resource Recovery Specialist and lead advocate of the Zero Waste Revolution, as she scoops up a hefty pile of rich and earthfragrant soil. “This was made from cardboard, paper, apple cores, banana peels [and] rice.

It’s all right here on campus.”

Nearly three years ago, Lanikai would fill over two-dumpster loads worth of garbage bags a day. The thought of transforming its waste into anything substantial — let alone into recyclable or reusable materials — was far from any vision that seemed possible.

Parker Sawyer, Lanikai’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) department head, was inspired to start a compost system after the Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation’s ‘Āina in Schools — founded by musician Jack Johnson and his wife Kim — granted funds for Lanikai to have eight garden beds installed on campus. When Sawyer signed up to be the garden coordinator, he realized that an on-going compost system would be the most resourceful way of refilling the beds. He just didn’t know how to go about making it.

“I remembered sitting here thinking,” says Sawyer, as he points to the eight nowthriving garden beds. “Now I got to fill these beds and I didn’t know too much about gardening at that time.”

Parker heard about Jaffe’s success at Pearl City High School where a whopping 40 tons of food waste a year was being composted. And after he researched online and took Jaffe’s hot composting class, he was hooked.

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(THIS PAGE) © WAWRZYNIEC KORONA/123 RF STOCK PHOTO; (OPPOSITE PAGE) COURTESY ESPIE CHAPMAN

Trash to Treasures

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bin also sports two eyes and a nose. Its ‘arms,’ made out of buckets, collect paper and recyclable cans and bottles while his ‘mouth’ takes in such worm-friendly food as fruit peels and half-eaten granola bars.

“The key to zero waste is to designate where everything goes,” Jaffe explains.

“Today, we got rid of 22 trashcans and replaced every class with its own Sort-It-Out Sam. We have exactly four rubbish cans on this entire campus. It’s really amazing.”

What’s also truly transformative, says Lanikai’s school director, Ed Noh, are the students and their impact on the adults.

When Noh received notice from Sawyer about his pursuit of a zero-waste school, he was immediately on board since it was a program that “just made sense” to the overall environment that it would create for the students and the community.

“There’s this learning opportunity at every facet of this program,” Noh says.

“From setting up the separation stations to the data collection. It’s really powerful to

©PARKER SAWYER

(Above) Hot composting stations surround the initial eight garden beds provided by the Kōkua Foundation.

(Opposite page, clockwise from left) Mindy Jaffe teaches students about compost; compost lunch line; pumpkins from the garden.

“As a teacher I felt like this was the perfect setting to teach our kids responsibility,” Sawyer says. “We have them eight hours a day, so why not teach those behaviors here, and then hope that it transcends to their home life and eventually within the community.”

Although Jaffe was working full-time at Pearl City High School, she agreed to devote a half an hour a week to take care of a donated worm bin, known as Big Blue, at Lanikai Elementary. Slowly but surely, the worm bin turned the school’s food waste into vermicast — a natural, nutrient-rich fertilizer. The Zero Waste Revolution program soon expanded into lunch separation stations, hot composting piles, bokashi (an ancient Japanese method of processing food waste), a compost tea brewer and a non-trash can known as Sort-It-Out Sam. “Oh the kids just love him,” says Jaffe, as she pokes his swing-open ‘mouth,’ which resembles a cartoonish smile as the

COURTESY ESPIE CHAPMAN

see what this whole cycle is all about. Yes, we’re solving one problem with waste reduction, but the other side of it is creating this living laboratory for learning.”

And although education is the main goal and theme for the entire program, it helps to see some recognition, especially when Lanikai’s data collection was unlike any other school in the nation.

Thanks to the school’s efforts, Lanikai Elementary was ranked #1 in the nation for EPA’s K-12 Food Recovery Challenge for the 2014-2015 school year.

Along with this acknowledgment, Noh is equally excited for the school’s push to create an on-going dialogue and sense of awareness within the community.

“Our kids are really proud that they’re part of the solution,” he notes. “That’s what’s so inspiring about this program.”

This year, Kaelepulu and Kainalu Elementary will slowly start their Zero Waste Revolution efforts, turning their food waste into compost with the help of

interns from the non-profit organization, Kupu, and Jaffe as the supervisor.

Although it does take some manual labor experience to do the custodial work that’s required for the success of the program, Jaffe is adamant that the idea of a Zero Waste Revolution for all our schools is plausible. Once the routines are established and positive behaviors are reinforced, Jaffe says “nature will take care of the rest.” Despite obvious funding that needs to be secured for an actual custodial position (like Jaffe’s) in every school and possibly a teacher to take on the role as the educator (like Sawyer’s), Jaffe sees no reason why every school in the country shouldn’t be a part of the Zero Waste Revolution.

“I think we can teach [our kids] that there’s a choice and that the environment is not just the rainforest or ocean,” Jaffe affirms. “The environment is right here. We have all the resources available, it’s just up to us to make the right decisions.” ✽ M AR C H + APR I L 2 0 1 7

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M AUK A T O M A K AI

Empty Bowl Potters fill a need to help Aloha Harvest.

by Simplicio Paragas

Members of Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild hold ‘Throw-a-thons’ in preparation for this year’s fundraiser at Pömaika‘i Ballrooms.

Attendees will receive a bowl of soup — and soup bowl.

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Members of the Hawai‘i Potters Guild like to toss their support around, especially when it involves ‘throwing’ a ceramic vessel for Empty Bowl. Since 2009, local artisans and chefs have collaborated in an effort to end hunger during this biennial fundraiser that’s modeled off the national and international Empty Bowls Project.

Founded in 1990 by Michigan artists, John Har|

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tom and Lisa Blackburn, Empty Bowls started as a classroom project but the movement quickly spread across the United States and to at least 14 other countries. In brief, the project uses ceramic arts to raise money to help the hungry and to increase awareness of famine and related issues while at the same time advocating for arts education.

At each event, potters and other artisans donate

handcrafted bowls. Attendees then select one of the bowls and are served a meal of soup and bread.

They take home their bowl as a reminder of how many go empty around the world. Monies raised are donated to organizations fighting hunger locally, like soup kitchens and food banks, or globally, like Oxfam and Feed the Hungry.

This year’s beneficiary will be Aloha Harvest.

IMAGES COURTESY EMPTY BOWL

EMPTY BOWL FUNDRAISER

“The whole studio and board volunteer for this,” says Janet Kelly, president of the Hawai‘i Potters’ Guild, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

“We feel it’s important to support these types of events because a community will only thrive when there’s community involvement.”

Last year, Kelly took the “Challenge Potters,” pledging to make 100 bowls, doubling the required minimum for this potters’ friendly throw-down-like competition. “I thought it was going to take me forever to make them,” Kelly chuckles. “But when you’ve done this as much as I have, it’s like muscle memory and everything comes easy.”

This year, Kelly will again participate in the challenge, but she’s only committed to produce 50 bowls.

Between guild members and high-school students, along with other organizations and artisans, approximately 3,000 bowls will be available for this year’s Empty Bowl, which will be held March 31 at Pōmaika‘i Ballrooms at Dole Cannery.

“It will be 19 months in the planning when Empty Bowl finally takes place on March 31,” says Stacey Kuhn, who is cochairing this event with her husband, Mark Kuhn.

“It takes time to make 3,000 bowls (laughing).”

Attendees are advised to arrive promptly at 6 p.m. — or 5 p.m. for VIP admission — if they want their choice of bowl and soup, which will be donated by 22 restaurants, including 12th Ave Grill, 40 Carrots, Highway Inn, Hula Grill, KCC Culinary School, Pili Group,

MW Restaurant, Side Street Inn, Sushi II, The Nook, Tiki’s Grill & Bar, Mahina & Sons, REAL a Gastropub, Mariposa, Koko Head Café, Pig & The Lady, Juicy Brew, ChadLou’s Coffee & Tea, The Castaway Kitchen and Murphy’s Bar & Grill.

“This is a full donation from participating chefs,” says Amanda Corby

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Noguchi of Under My Umbrella, which is helping to coordinate this year’s event. “Each chef is asked to prepare 10 gallons of soup or 300, 8-ounce servings.”

Corby Noguchi notes that her spouse, Mark Noguchi of Pili Group, will prepare her grandma’s white chicken chili recipe, along with special appetizers that will be served on custom ceramic plates.

“This year, we’ll also have a dessert and coffee bar, bento options, and wine and beer,” Corby Noguchi says. “This event feels more inclusive and more affordable than some of the other events. You arrive with an empty bowl but you leave with a full stomach — and a soup bowl.”

Tickets cost $30, $50 and $75. Sponsorship tickets of eight range between $1,000 and $5,000. For more information, visit emptybowlhawaii.org.✽ |

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INS A ND O U T S

Not to Miss

A quick glance at events and celebrations during March and April.

Mark your calendars and enjoy an exciting block party, an international auto show and the chance to help feed the hungry during two events.

COMING SOON MELE MEI May-June Translated to “May, Hawaiian Music Month,” Mele Mei marks its seventh year and showcases a veritable lineup of talented musicians. melemei.com

Block Party

ALL HAIL TO THE DUKE

Fighting Hunger March 25 In addition to the lineup of culinary talent — including D.K Kodama, Chai Cha-

Jews of Life March 4-17 Now in its 15th year, the Temple Emanu-El Kirk Cashmere Jewish Film Festival is among the Honolulu Museum’s longest-running film programs. Audiences can see comedies, documentaries and dramas that encapsulate the Jewish experience. honolulumuseum.org

owasaree and Goran Streng, to name but a few — Great Chefs Fight Hunger will also feature assorted wines, beers and

FIT FOR A KING

cocktails, as well as live

June 9-10 The annual King Kamehameha Floral Parade features a procession of brightly decorated floats, marching bands and glamorous pa‘u riders.

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entertainment. Individual tickets cost $200 or $250 for an Orchid VIP pass.

Tables of 10 are priced at $3,000 and $6,000. hawaiifoodbank.org |

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Auto Show

March 24-26 The First Hawaiian International Auto Show has everything for the auto enthusiast and more. Check out the season’s new trendy car models and enjoy live entertainment. autoshowhawaii.com

(CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP) ©SIMPLICIO PARAGAS; © ERIC BRODER VAN DYKE/123 RF STOCK PHOTO; ©TOR JOHNSON/HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY

April 29 Now in its 15th year, SPAM Jam has become one of Waikīkī’s largest events, closing down Kalākaua Avenue and turning the main thoroughfare into a street party lined with food booths, vendors and entertainment on two stages. spamjamhawaii.com

May 7 In honor of Duke Kahanamoku, water sports enthusiasts will compete in serveral categories, from canoe to stand-up paddling. waikikicommunity center.org

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