Earthquake Checklist
Ready for the next one?

Raw Deal - Who owns "ceded" lands? - by Joan Conrow (March 8, 2008) A proposed ceded lands payback agreement signed Jan. 17 between the state and Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has triggered an impassioned public debate over what lands actually belong to Native Hawaiians and what form their self-government may take. At the crux of the ... Click here for story

The Offal Truth - State's biggest slaughterhouse filling Hamakua trenches - by Peter Serafin (March 1, 2008) Slaughterhouse. For most people (carnivores and vegetarians alike), the word brings visions of a huge animal processing factory teeming with exploited immigrants working in dan-gerous conditions on a bloody, unsanitary killing floor-the ... Click here for story

Chirpfest - A coqui pow-wow - by Barbara Fahs (March 1, 2008) Coqui frog experts gathered in Hilo Feb. 7-9 for the First International Conference on the Coqui Frog. Sponsored by the Hawai'i Island Coqui Frog Working Group, scientists came from as far as Pennsylvania and Austraila. Other problematic amphibians were also discussed, such as the ... Click here for story

Doin' it Island Style - Where the locals are (and the tourists aren't) (February 16, 2008) It's Makahiki time! Hawaii's rainy winter is the traditional season of feasting, song and sport (for the latter, let your imagination be your guide). As Lono's rains replenish the land, it's our privilege-nay, our duty-to give thanks, celebrate the harvest and ... Click here for story

Hawai'i's carbon footprint - Measuring our contribution to global warming (February 9, 2008) At first glance, Hawai'i's greenhouse gas output appears low to middling compared with the rest of the country. We rank 43rd among the states and 32nd in per capita emissions per resident. But our real carbon footprint-the releases of carbon ... Click here for story

Coming Attraction - Building a local film industry, one Strange Frame at a time - by Ku'uwehi Hiraishi (February 9, 2008) In 2002, MTV Networks made an offer to acquire local independent filmmaker GB Hajim's current project, an animated science fiction feature film called Strange Frame. He refused the offer. Then an offer from Bulgaria came. Again he ... Click here for story

The Kealakekua Krawl - Will the Hokulia Bypass do any good? - by Alan D. McNarie (February 2, 2008) Gridlock and Hokulia-these two issues have defined Kona for the past decade. The former, an ongoing problem brought about, many say, by a lack of planning, inadequate infrastructure and explosive population growth. The latter, a luxury residential ... Click here for story

PATENTS ON LIFE - The whole world in whose hands? - - Catharine Lo (January 19, 2008) Hawai'i has earned the dubious reputation as the world capital for developing genetically modified crops. "In the past ten years or so, we have had here more than 2,000 field tests of experimental genetically-engineered crops in more than ... Click here for story

HPutting the culture back in agriculture - by Claire Hope Cummings (January 19, 2008) In the 1930s, Hawai'i was completely food self-sufficient. Today, we import 90-95 per cent of what we eat. When that lifeline is threatened by our dependence on non-renewable resources and manipulated by corporate claim jumpers, people are beginning to ... Click here for story

You've come a long way, (Colonel) Baby - A soldier of conscience (January 19, 2008) Colonel Ann Wright served 29 years in the U.S. Army, including 16 years as a diplomat. In December 2001, she was part of the team that reopened the American Embassy in Afghanistan after the Taliban was deposed. Col. Wright, 61, resigned in 2003 to protest ... Click here for story

Health Haven at Hakalau? - Can an eco-tourist development work? - by Alan D. McNarie (December 15, 2007) The old Hamakua Coast plantation town of Hakalau was once a thriving community with a hospital, a movie theater, a gymnasium, an elementary school, a Japanese school, several stores, 2,000-5,000 residents ... Click here for story

Labor Daze - Bad blood boils at the Tribune-Herald - by Leah Gouker (November 17, 2007) Hawai'i Island's biggest daily newspaper went on trial last month in Hilo for alleged unfair labor practices. The Hawai'i Tribune-Herald faced 13 federal charges for events surrounding the firing of veteran reporters Hunter Bishop and Dave Smith. The seven-day ... Click here for story

Polynesian Hot-Rod Ancient art for the new century - by T. Ilihia Gionson (November 10, 2007) John Kekua isn’t just building koa canoes in his Pana‘ewa workshop in Hilo—far from it. He’s imbuing majestic trees with a new life, crafting crafts that dedicated paddlers will swiftly and gracefully propel through the water. He’s setting the foundations ... Click here for story

Eco Wood Guy - Recycled trees for your floor - by T. Ilihia Gionson (November 10, 2007) Hal Brauner knows his wood—from the forest floor to your floor. Brauner Molding Woodworks in Pana‘ewa takes trees that would otherwise be bulldozed and mills them into beautiful, unique flooring and lumber. The company doesn’t advertise, but sells ... Click here for story

Tiki Man - Carving as a spiritual practice - by Ashley LeBlanc (November 10, 2007) Tucked into the heart of Opihikao lives a village of half-men, half-spirits. Some are short and whimsical. Some are tall and menacing. All of them were carved by Eddie the Tiki Man, and they sit in his front yard. Just from looking at the outside of his spray-painted tent ... Click here for story

Let the Seasons Begin! - by Julie Mitchell (September 22, 2007) Fall traditionally marks the beginning of theater seasons, when performance schedules are announced and patrons are offered discounts for subscribing to an entire lineup or personalized “mini-seasons.” Starting this month, 13 local arts organizations launch an array of music ... Click here for story

Jungle Culcha - Puna makai's artistic hot spots - by Alan D. McNarie (September 22, 2007) It's a balmy Sunday on Papaya Farms Road in Puna makai, and a small gathering of local residents have collected to see the first footage of a new movie. The director, who calls himself Candle, is putting together a semi-autobiographical film tale about two old ... Click here for story

Waimea/Kohala Galleries - by Leah Gouker (September 22, 2007) Aside from the new Hilo Art Museum, the only two galleries with permanent collections on public display are both in Waimea: Puuopelu in the Parker Ranch Historic Homes and the Isaacs Art Center at Hawaii Pacific Academy. These, as well as the Waimea Arts Council's Firehouse ... Click here for story

A Visual Feast in East Hawai'i - by Alan D. McNarie (September 22, 2007) Lovers of the visual arts will have plenty to do this fall on the Hilo Side. The region's four art centers all have full schedules, and this year there is a new player: the Hilo Art Museum. East Hawai'i Cultural Center EHCC's historic building needs a new roof. So part of the center's ... Click here for story

West Side Fine Arts - by Ben Tucker (September 22, 2007) While some uppity folks in Hilo may enjoy referring to Kona as a cultural wasteland, West side residents know they're waaaaay wrong, with organizations like the Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture in the Donkey Mill Art Center and SKEA (Society for Kona's Education and Art) in Honaunau ... Click here for story

Surf Fest and HIFF - Big Island movie fans will have two great film festivals to enjoy this fall. - by Barbara Fahs (September 22, 2007) Kona Surf Film Festival - The fifth annual Kona Surf Film Festival will delight surfers and fans of this genre from Thursday, November 29 through Saturday, December 1 at the Aloha Theater in Kainaliu. Presented ... Click here for story

Ahu'ena Heiau - What protection for cultural sites? - by Ana Currie (September 8, 2007) Hurricane Flossie brought an eerie sense of déjà vu to those preparing for the 24-hour vigil at Ahu'ena Heiau on August 18-19. Four years ago, the last time that Kanaka Maoli from around Hawai'i gathered for a vigil to protect a cultural site in Kona, Hurricane ... Click here for story

Killer Kitty Litter - How a cat can take out a dolphin - by Alan D. McNarie (September 8, 2007) All of the kitty litter bags sold in California label carry a label that warns cat owners not to flush the litter or dispose of it in storm drains. That law, enacted in 2006, was passed in response to scientific studies linking sea otter deaths to a disease ... Click here for story

Change in Current - A chat with Brian Bacon - by Peter Serafin (September 8, 2007) For mediator and organizational theorist Brian Bacon, we're all connected and related at much deeper levels than is commonly acknowledged. As head of the Oxford Leadership Training Institute, Bacon spends much of his time continent-hopping as ... Click here for story

Best of Hawaii Island (August 25, 2007) It’s Best Of time again—when readers share their picks for the best of Hawai‘i Island. We at HIJ always love hearing from readers and are delighted that so many of you let us know what’s on your mind throughout the year. But when the Best Of ballots come in and we’re gathering ... Click here for story

Bay Clinic Blues - how bad is it? (August 11, 2007) Patients turned away because the doctors are already booked up at 8 a.m. Employees fired without warning, then escorted out the back door. Community programs suddenly defunded. What's happening with the Bay Clinics? The Bay Clinic, Inc., which runs Hilo, Puna and Ka'u's only federally ... Click here for story

Boddy Fo - by Tiffany Edwards (August 11, 2007) I ask a waitress at Shaka's Restaurant in Na'alehu if she knows Buddy Fo. "He's big-time," she says, proud to call the No Hoku Hano Hano Lifetime Achievement Award winner and his wife Sammi patrons and fellow residents of Ka'u. The waitress spots the couple's car entering the gravel parking ... Click here for story

Moore's Sicko - by Dean Carrico - by Ryan Senaga (August 11, 2007) Health care in America is abysmal, insurance companies would rather let you die instead of paying for your care, and those in some other countries fare much better than you could ever hope for. Those are the central themes surrounding Moore's new documentary, Sicko. For ... Click here for story

School Subs - by Susan Kay Anderson (August 11, 2007) Substitute teachers are like highly skilled assassins: stealthy, creative, and experienced-with a ruthless instinct for self-preservation. They already know what they need to survive and thrive in the institutions of learning they've flocked to. If you, gallant sub, have made it through the ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (August 11, 2007) Dear Local Guy, Last month we moved to the Big Island from Oregon. My son, age 14, will attend our local public high school as a freshman. We've heard terrible stories about the tradition of Kill a Haole Day. Do these things really happen? If so, can you advise us on the best way to avoid trouble? We really want to be ... Click here for story

Hawaii Gems - Irish know-how saves local landmarks - by Toni M. Todd (July 28, 2007) Where chalkboards once hung, fine art now graces the walls of the former Waimea Elementary School. Four generations of students, many still living on Hawai'i Island, spent their cavity-prone years roaming its hallowed halls. So when the Department of Education ... Click here for story

A Palace Tale - by Peter Serafin (July 28, 2007) The Palace in Hilo, the Aloha in Kainaliu and the People's in Honoka'a are local theaters that regularly screen independent films that are more controversial and thought-provoking than the usual formulaic Hollywood dreck. Although our tropical art houses try to slip us the occasional clunker (fear not ... Click here for story

DU HI - by Alan D. McNarie (July 28, 2007) "We don't want to be doing this," says Holualoa resident Shannon Monkowski. "I just want to make sure that the air in my home is not contaminated with radioactivity."
Monkowski and her husband, Gunter, had been using two Gamma Scout radiation counters to constantly monitor background radiation for ... Click here for story

Jack and Sam - by Jeanne Ryan (July 28, 2007) On February 25, Hawaii Tribune-Herald readers were treated to a rare sight: an actual editorial expressing the paper's opinion. This wasn't the customary reprint from elsewhere-it addressed Wal-Mart's plan to close their existing Hilo store and build a new Superstore nearby. "A decision best left to ... Click here for story

IZ Again (July 28, 2007) Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole made great music and big news while alive. Today, 10 years after his death, he continues to hold a central spot in the hearts and minds of Hawaiian music lovers throughout the world. Seems like everybody's got an opinion about the latest Mountain Apple Company release, "IZ Wonderful ... Click here for story

Dear Local Guy (July 28, 2007) What's up with all these nuts stickas the bradduhs get on their windshields? I swear some of our bradduhs is M-E-N-T-O! Concerned Cuz Aloha Cuz, Thank you for your wonderful and insightful question. What you talking about actually ties into the last column we had where we talked about the whole Ainokea ... Click here for story

Hawai'i Has Paid $1.5 billion for the Iraq war - by Keoki Kerr (July 14, 2007) The human costs of the Iraq War are obvious. Thousands of Iraqis and Americans have died, among them more than 200 troops with Hawai'i ties. Go to the non-partisan National Priorities Project Web site and you'll see the ominous counter with the war's national price ... Click here for story

Hawaiian Culture Celebration of Mourning? - By: Charles Fredricks and E. Moanake'ala Akaka (July 14, 2007) Point: It's not statehood that causes many Hawaiian people to suffer as "have nots," it's stupidity. Not knowing something is ignorance; not wanting to know (how to do MOST things or how the rest of the world lives, etc.) is stupidity, and ... Click here for story

Down & Dirty Plant Restrictions - By Gregory Koob (July 14, 2007)
Are you thinking of sending some seeds or cuttings or flowers to a friend on the U.S. Mainland? There are some regulations you should be aware of before you mail those packages. For example, you cannot send any of the following: Cactus plants or parts of cactus plants Citrus plants or ... Click here for story

En Vision Downtown Hilo 2025 - By Tiffany Edwards (July 14, 2007)
Imagine a walking path and bike trail from Hilo Harbor to the Wailuku River. Imagine a clean Hilo Bay. Imagine the farmer's market with a permanent building. Imagine a multi-level parking structure downtown. Imagine the vacant lot across from the old Palace Theatre ... Click here for story

Raiatea's Blossom - New CD in my A-list rotation - By Desiree Moana Cruz (July 14, 2007) Unless there is a hurricane, tsunami or earthquake, I'm one of those people who rarely (if ever) turns on the radio. I like who I like. So, when I find a CD that I dig, I put it on repeat and play the hell out of it till I've had my fill. Therefore, I could possibly be the ... Click here for story

Unmasked - The lowdown on depleted uranium in Hawai'i - by Keith Bettinger (June 30, 2007) "Damage control" has taken on a new meaning over the past year as military officials grapple with episode after episode of discarded and forgotten munitions. In addition to tons of chemical weapons dumped offshore and conventional weapons of ... Click here for story

Punalu'u Showdown - Do the good guys always wear white? - by Alan D. McNarie (June 30, 2007) Ka'u often turns out large crowds at public hearings-but on June 4, the district outdid itself. Some 400 people showed up for a meeting of the County Council's Finance Committee at Na'alehu School. It was one of the biggest public hearing on the island ... Click here for story

Nae'ole vs. Hale - Councilwoman faces ethics board - By Hunter Bishop (June 30, 2007) Councilwoman Emily Naeole (Dist. 5, Puna Makai) won her seat last fall in surprising manner with a grassroots campaign and a catchy slogan: "Guilty of Aloha First." Now, after six months in office, the political neophyte finds herself facing ethics charges stemming ... Click here for story

Dear Local Guy! - Green Harvest is over! You like celebrate with us? -Puff da Magic Dragon (June 30, 2007) In 2000, the County Council voted to remove Green Harvest funds. The next year, it was back in the budget. Before you start celebrating, maybe should get together and draw up one agenda on all the sensitive issues involved with pakalolo. I ... Click here for story

Carrere Sings Nostalgic - Hawaiiana partially satisfies - Desireé Moana Cruz (June 30, 2007) Honolulu born and raised Hollywood actress Tia Carrere is coming home-sort of-with a new CD, Hawiiana. Best known as Cassandra, the singing and electric guitar playing rock and roll hottie in the 1992 comedy flick Wayne's World(with Mike Meyers and Dana ... Click here for story

Sombat's Fresh Thai Cuisine - By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (June 30, 2007) We first met Sombat Saenguthai four years ago when she and her husband, Steve Parente, were selling Sombat's Pad Thai Sauce at one of the Big Island's Agro-Expos at the Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo. She mentioned she hoped to open a restaurant one day. We were ... Click here for story

Summer Books (June 16, 2007) The narrator of The Descendents is one Matthew King, part Hawaiian but haole-ier than thou, about to commit his family’s landholdings (from Princess Kekipi and her husband, estate-manager Edward King) to sale to outsiders. At least that’s when we meet him, but his life is even more complicated than trying to decide ... Click here for story

Hawaii Reporter fears retaliation - by Kevin Whitton (June 16, 2007) Malia Zimmerman is editor and reporter for HawaiiReporter.com, an online, right-leaning news Web site. She has been exhaustively reporting on the tragic Kaloko Dam break for more than a year. Since the accident at the Kaua'i dam, located on property owned by car dealer Jimmy ... Click here for story

Radiation Highway? - Protestors closed out of Saddle Road opening - by Alan D. McNarie (June 16, 2007) It's interesting that the taxpayers can pay for this ceremony, but we aren't allowed over there," remarked a protestor standing behind a temporary barricade at Mauna Loa State Park. About 120 yards away, dignitaries from the government, the ... Click here for story

Into her next Century - Grandma Teshima turns 100 - by Tiffany Edwards (June 16, 2007) What am I? It's a question I will always have," Shizuko "Grandma" Teshima says. The proprietor of the famed landmark Japanese restaurant in Honalo continues to ponder the meaning of life at 100. The Teshima family will celebrate her 100th birthday with ... Click here for story

Petroglyph Press - 45 years of home-grown Hawaiiana - by Alan D. McNarie (June 16, 2007) Among the crowded shelves at Basically Books in downtown Hilo is a little book display of which owners Christina and David Reed are particularly proud. It contains books printed by Petroglyph Press, the Reeds' own publishing house, which is celebrating its ... Click here for story

Speaking of Peace - Ka'u HS students give oice to the heart - by John Lyle (June 16, 2007) Though Sandberg and Longfellow aren't the usual fare today, the magic of poetry is alive. Home-grown performance poetry took center stage at "The Grand Slam Poetic: Speaking of Peace" at Ka'u High School recently. School hallways were buzzing. Poets were ... Click here for story

Satisfy your yen - Restaurant Hayama - by Carrie Kuwada Phipps (June 16, 2007) Eighteen years ago, Ken and Mitsuko Yokota visited the west side of Hawai'i Island and fell in love with it. Originally from the town of Hayama (about an hour from Tokyo), the couple set their sights to return to live on Hawai'i Island one day soon. Thus, when the opportunity ... Click here for story

An Epic etold in Splendor - Halau O Kekuhi brings Pele's tale to life - by Desireé Moana Cruz (June 16, 2007) I can still visualize my tutu with her index finger placed across her closed mouth. "Shhhhh… kulikuli…" she would say quietly, intently, gently. "Quiet down… listen (her finger would point to her ear and then purposefully return to her lips again) ... Click here for story

Akaka vs. Ka-naka - Hawaiians look at two approaches to sovereignty - by Alan D. McNarie (June 2, 2007) If you build a government, will they come? Henry Noa is the elected Prime Minister of the Reinstated Hawaiian Government. He's spent the last eight years building an organization that he hopes will be recognized ... Click here for story

No Cover-Up - Mothers keep local librarians abreast of state law - by Alan D. McNarie (June 2, 2007) In Hawai'i County, go-go dancers must wear bikini tops, and the nudity at Kehena Beach is tolerated only unofficially. Yet Hawaii state law declares, "It is a discriminatory practice to deny, or attempt to deny, the full and equal enjoyment of ... Click here for story

Return to Freedom - Conference connects youth, elders on food sovereignty - by Alan D. McNarie (June 2, 2007) Two trends on Hawai'i seem indisputable: First, the islands are far too dependent on overseas sources for their food supply. Second, many of those leading the effort to create a more sustainable food supply are over 40. A conference ... Click here for story

Hirono Sponsors Two Bills to Help Small Farmers - Vast majority of federal subsidies go to big corporations - by Joan Conrow (June 2, 2007) As Congress prepares to debate a Farm Bill that will set policies for the next five years, environmental groups, slow food advocates, organic farmers and others are looking at it as a rare opportunity ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (June 2, 2007) Eh, Local Guy, how you?
I am a nice young haole sistah who moved here shortly after my sweet
sixteenth, and now get 25 years. My question is about speaking da beautiful Pidgin language. I try not to do it unless talking to someone who knows me really well, cuz get plenny cold looks when I forget ... Click here for story

Noises Off - Swan song for veteran actor Jack Shuster - by Julie Mitchell (June 2, 2007) In the late 1980s, Jack Shuster was offered a role in Noises Off by a New Jersey theater troupe he worked with, but Shuster turned them down and accepted a job in Hawai'i. Now, over 20 years later, he is finally appearing in the British farce. "Only back then ... Click here for story

June Bride - Designing the perfect wedding cake - by Kelleen Lum (June 2, 2007) Brides in ancient Persia had cones of crystallized sugar crumbled above their veils. These days, we have cakes executed by pastry artists; almost anything is possible, with cost, and creativity, escalating. But the heart of the tradition is still a symbolic ... Click here for story

Hoku Time - Gilliom, Na Palapalai lead the pack (June 2, 2007) The 30th Annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards are right around the corner and the final ballots are in place. Every year the question arises from the public: "How are the winners selected?" Nominees are selected by their peers who are members of the Hawai'i Academy of Recording ... Click here for story

Helicopters, Weasels and Wal-Mart - by Peter Serafin (June 2, 2007) Green Harvest Government runs on the people's money, and it's the duty of our elected officials to insure we're getting the biggest bang for our buck. 'Doesn't happen that way a lot of the time, but once in a while we're pleasantly surprised. Last month the county council ... Click here for story

Da Big Ceety - big fun on O'ahu (May 19, 2007) I love O'ahu. Whenever mainland transplants on this island say, "Ugh, O'ahu! I could never live there," I wonder how much time they have spent there. Often they think O'ahu is just Waikiki. They complain about the traffic. It gets slow, not crazy reckless tailgating at 80 mph like California cities, so ... Click here for story

Different Skies - Ditch the flying cattle cars - by Alan D. McNarie (May 19, 2007) Over the past couple of years, while the cutthroat competition between Hawaiian, Aloha and go! Airlines grabbed headlines, a second tier of small commuter airlines-Mokulele, IslandAir and Pacific Wings-have been offering a different way to fly: small prop planes hopping ... Click here for story

Historic Huelo - Along Maui's Hana Highway - by J.M. Buck (May 19, 2007) Nestled between Hoalua and Waipi'o bays along Maui's rugged northern shoreline is the rural community of Huelo. Once home to over 75,000 Hawaiians, the windswept hills and lush valleys of the region are sprinkled with archaeological remnants of days past: reminders... Click here for story

Kaua'i Sugar Train - Plantation railroad reborn - by Alan D. McNarie (May 19, 2007) Volcano Architect Boone Morrison has been railroad buff all his life. Now he's living a dream. Morrison is supervisor of the Kaua'i Plantation Railway, three miles of narrow gauge steel nostalgia that circle Kilohana Plantation on Kaua'i. The railway hauled its first... Click here for story

Wal-Mart Superstore - Far from a done deal - by Dave Smith (May 19, 2007) When it comes to building new stores, Wal-Mart faces several hundred battles a year in local communities. One is now brewing in Hilo, but the world's largest retailer may have a free pass to add to its inventory of nearly 2,000 supercenters across the nation. Or ... Click here for story

Croon a Cowboy Tune - by Desiree Mona Cruz Bruddah Smitty (May 19, 2007) Whether you call it Waimea or Kamuela makes no difference. The breathtaking beauty of this South Kohala town is legendary. Waimea remains alluring and fresh, cradled between majestic Mauna Kea to the South and the Kohala Mountains to the northwest. Steeped in ... Click here for story

Masterpieces in Hilo - Art museum coming - by Nicole Pugh and Gwenette Sinclair (May 19, 2007) Ted Coombs is a forensic computer sleuth and intellectual property expert. He is also a portrait artist and art lover who enjoys the work of classic painters such as Michelangelo, Leonardo de Vinci and Pablo Picasso. When Coombs moved to ... Click here for story

Nia - Free-flowing, sweat-breaking workout - by Tiffany Edwards (May 19, 2007) Trying Nia, I had my first-ever barefoot blend of yoga and martial arts with the free flow of dance. Talk about a rebirth. I went from lying in the fetal position to a high lunge punching the air with my elbows and fists shouting nos and yeses in the span of one hour. Nia is ... Click here for story

Sushi Bar Hime - Authentic sushiya in downtown Hilo - by Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (May 19, 2007) The first time we visited this tiny spot in downtown Hilo was at the urging of a friend quite a few months ago. From that day we loved the ambiance, the friendly owners, and the sushi. Since then we have dropped in several times and... Click here for story

Son of Star Wars - Will Hawai'i become the center of a new arms race? - by John Lasker (May 5, 2007) In January, a Chinese missile snarled and flashed its fangs 500 miles above the earth's surface. China, in a show of its space-war fighting capabilities, had obliterated one its own weather satellites with a ground-based missile interceptor. Later that month ... Click here for story

Hawai'i 2050 - Legislature looks at sustainability - by Alan D. McNarie (May 5, 2007) Hawai'i has hundreds of thousands of acres of arable farmland, an ocean of resources lapping on its shores, steady winds, tides and intense sunlight that offer virtually limitless sources of energy, a thriving economy that generates skyrocketing state tax revenues ... Click here for story

Deadly Parasite - Worldwide plague reaches Hawai'i - by Alan D. McNarie (May 5, 2007) This plague is a pinhead-sized, crab-shaped mite, Varroa jacobsoni, that parasitizes honeybees. First discovered in 1904 in Java, it made its way to Singapore by 1951 and from there to the Asian mainland, Europe and North America. It leaped to other species ... Click here for story

I'll Remember You - Goodbye, Don; Hello, Gabby (May 5, 2007) The 44th Merrie Monarch Festival has come and gone, and it was another fabulous celebration of everything hula. The music was great, the dancing, superb. The parade was a true highlight, with the elegant pa'u princesses resplendent in satin and bedecked with lei. Here ... Click here for story

Babies Having Babies - Play offers questions, not answers - by Julie Mitchell (May 5, 2007) The Aloha Performing Arts Company (APAC) and the Aloha Teen Theatre (ATT) are on the road again this year with yet another socially conscious play. Babies Having Babies, by Kathryn Montgomery and Jeffrey Auerbach, tours to several West ... Click here for story

Classically Yours - Honolulu Symphony plays area schools - by Alan D. McNarie (May 5, 2007) The Honolulu Symphony returns to Hawai'i Island May 15-17 for the first time in a dozen years for an islandwide educational tour. "This is the first step in the revitalization of our education program, an effort to reach all the students of the State of Hawai'i." says ... Click here for story

Fish Hopper is Tops! - Steak, seafood and an akamai waitstaff! - by Carrie Kuwada Phipps (May 5, 2007) When it comes to a great first impression while dining out in Kailua-Kona, the Fish Hopper is at the upper crust of my list. This eatery opened four months ago at the old Ocean View Inn location on the Ali'i Drive strip in Kailua-Kona ... Click here for story

Business Changes The World - Green trade show/conference coming - by Michael Kramer (May 5, 2007) With a growing awareness of the threats posed by human activities on the planet, more people in this country are realizing the importance of improving our relationship with the natural environment on which our survival depends ... Click here for story

Food Sovereignty - As grassroots as it gets by - Nancy Redfeather (May 5, 2007) Agriculture begins and ends with seed, which evolved through countless generations of plant breeders, farmers, and gardeners selecting the best qualities and passing them on. I mused on that thought this morning as I cleaned my pea seed. According to the definitive ... Click here for story

Sustainable Hawai‘i - Traditional Hawaiian practices for the 21st Century - by Joan Conrow (April 21, 2007) As modern Hawai‘i residents ponder how to achieve sustainability, they needn’t search far for guidance. “All we have to do is look to our ancestors,” says Ramsay Taum, who lectures and teaches on ways to incorporate ... Click here for story

Doubt - Pulitzer drama comes to Hilo - by Tiffany Edwards (April 21, 2007) The powers that-be at the East Hawaii Cultural Center have chosen a true intellectual drama for their debut production. Doubt: a Parable-winner of four 2005 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and a host of other kudos-provides a good dose of dramatic arts, is a brain twister ... Click here for story

Trash Dance - Opala inspiration for Disposable Nation - by Alan D. McNarie (April 21, 2007) On Hawai'i Island, making 'opala into art is not a new thing; Hilo has hosted an annual Trash Art Show for years. But the Prince Dance troupe-in collaboration with teamed up with the Kahilu Theatre and the North Hawai'i Youth Coalition- is taking the ... Click here for story

Kamehameha Ho'olaule'a - Desireé Cruz (April 21, 2007) On Saturday May 5, 2007 one need not venture from this Moku o Keawe to find a few of the finest singers, songwriters, and musicians in all the Hawaiian Islands. From Papahanaumokuakea (the Northwest Islands) to Ka'u, Kamehameha Schools Hawaii has gathered the best to celebrate ... Click here for story

The Last Big Egg Farm - In Kawaihae 40,000 Leghorns soldier on - by Kelleen Lum (April 21, 2007) The egg is a universal sign of spring, re-birth, and new beginnings. This small, self-contained package of energy and nutrients is endlessly versatile, and through the magic of its complicated chemistry, can be prepared in countless ways. Yet ... Click here for story

Hawaiian Heartbeat - A hula primer - by Zoe Chun-Dela Cruz (April 7, 2007) - When we kama‘aina watch our favorite halau at the Merrie Monarch, we share a connection of knowledge and passion for the hula. Through oral tradition and family stories, practice, or simply as a way of life, hula is part of us. But what about those coming from afar ... Click here for story

Final Curtain - Hamakua Music Fest ends 12-year run - by Nicole Pugh (April 7, 2007) On a chilly evening last February, past volunteers and board members of the Hamakua Music Festival met in the back room of the Tex Drive-In in Honoka'a. This small group of people would decide the fate of the event that had, for the last twelve years, been a major ... Click here for story

Roadkill on H-4 - Superferry might hit whales, won't ship Strykers - by Alan D. McNarie (April 7, 2007) With a cruising speed of 35 knots (45 mph), the Hawaii Superferry (HSF) is "going to end up killing marine mammals," claims Duane Erway, a member of the Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. Another member of the council, Terry ... Click here for story

Fist And Heel - The language of movement - by Julie Mitchell (April 7, 2007) "I tend to hate words, and I get really frustrated when words become the only functional way to communicate about my form, which is dance," says Reggie Wilson, artistic director of Brooklyn's Fist and Heel Performance Group. A novelist doesn't rely on creating a dance ... Click here for story

Not Waiting For The World To Change - UH-H student starts her own REVOlution - by Tiffany Edwards (April 7, 2007) University of Hawaii-Hilo sophomore Nina Brav is a revolutionary. REVO, short for revolution, is what she is calling an April 21 art and photography exhibit, fashion show, and film feature at the old Western Auto building in Hilo. All ... Click here for story

A Merrie (And Well Traveled) Monarch - Kalakaua Festival honors a globetrotting king - Desireé Cruz (April 7, 2007) On Saturday, April 14, following the Merrie Monarch Festival Parade, the Kona Brass will present a unique tribute to King Kalakaua at the park named after him in Hilo.
Descended from the great chiefs of Kona, Kalakaua was born ... Click here for story

Ask a Local - Hey Local Guy! (April 7, 2007) I have noticed that when locals speak, they always say "cannot" instead of "can't," and perhaps other contractions as well. It sounds so formal, especially for people whose speech patterns are generally so casual. Any ideas or brilliant insights on this? Herb Lady Sista Herb Lady, Thank you for your ... Click here for story

It takes a Village - by Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (April 7, 2007) The Kea'au Village Market, a small village within a village, offers a little bit of many things: gifts, semi-precious gemstone jewelry, handicraft items, a few antiques, glorious produce and scrumptious food. All these little enterprises surround a tarp-covered court set with tables ... Click here for story

Barricades not the Answer - A lesson learned - by Tiffany Edwards (April 7, 2007) There I was at the Leleiwi Community Association in Hilo, voicing my objection to the newly installed yellow deflector poles and gate at the nearby James Kealoha Beach Park, commonly known as Four Mile.
This was my first time at a community association meeting, and ... Click here for story

Astroturf in Kona - Phony grassroots group loses - by Matt Binder (April 7, 2007) On October 29, 2006, nine days before last Election Day, a series of expensive ads began appearing in West Hawaii Today and on LAVA 105 and KAPA radio stations. The ads appeared to be sponsored by then-County Councilor Virginia Isbell; but in tiny print below the bottom ... Click here for story

MRSA - Coming to a flesh Wound Near You - By Alan D. McNarie (March 24, 2007) The patient at Hilo Medical Center’s emergency room thought she had a spider bite or a centipede sting; she’d been walking in the jungle in Puna Makai when she felt a sudden pain in her foot and discovered two small puncture marks. But unlike her ... Click here for story

Spring in Their Steps - Young dancers energize annual dance concert - by Tiffany Edwards (March 24, 2007) Seventeen-year-old Alana Heuer-Salavar and her ensemble have dared to try something new with their art. They hope to astonish crowds at the Volcano Art Center's annual Spring Dance Concert with their piece, "Sea Dragons." Alana and three other West ... Click here for story

Spring in Their Steps - Young dancers energize annual dance concert - By Nicole Pugh (March 24, 2007) When Celine Willard decided to audition for the female lead in Aloha Performing Arts Company's upcoming production of the Broadway musical Urinetown, it was the first time she had been on the stage in ten years. Overcome with nerves, she almost didn't go through with ... Click here for story

Ask a Local - by Local Guy (March 24, 2007) How'zit Local Guy, The Lord is gracious and compassionate. Slow to anger and rich in love. (Psalm 145:8) My neighbor planted some kine plant only 3 - 6 inches from my property boundary. The thing small now but can grow up to 25 ft plus and get about 8 to 10 feet round. I no like the 'opala that can come from this. How's the ... Click here for story

Total Rip Off - No Aloha from faux-Hawaiian CD - Desireé Moana Cruz (March 24, 2007) Many years ago I listened intently as a well-respected Hawaiian kupuna spoke of how so many people today misinterpret the aloha spirit. She felt, and we all agreed, that time and time again, aloha is incorrectly translated into a sort of free-for-all. If someone has a big roadside ... Click here for story

Kona-side Mex - Adriana's Mexican-Salvadorian Grinds - by Carrie Kuwada Phipps (March 24, 2007) Ihave the best Mexican food," Juanita called out from the restaurant's pick-up window to passers-by. And her statement rang true; the dishes at Adriana's, a little open-air place located up mauka in the Kea-lakekua Ranch Center in South Kona, were very good. Open ... Click here for story

Island Health - Solution to the crisis? - by Dane Silva (March 24, 2007) The popular media have recently described an urgent situation on Hawai'i Island where the community is not able to access medical care in their home districts. This has been aptly described as a health crisis, due to the lack of medical doctors and specialists in Kona, Ka'u, and even in Hilo. The lack ... Click here for story

Health Tourism - Hawai'I Island as wellness destination - by Susanne Sims (March 24, 2007) At this time last year, a grant proposal was under consideration by the County of Hawai'i Department of Research and Development to fund a conference on marketing Hawai'i Island as a destination for health tourism. The conference received funding and a well-attended ... Click here for story

Corporate Media - by Peter Serafin (March 10, 2007) Lafayette, Louisiana, 150 miles west of New Orleans in the heart of Cajun country, is about as far away in attitude from the corporate/strip mall/industrial park/homogenized/suburbanized America as is Hawai'i Island. There, as here, the local culture is distinctly outside mainstream America ... Click here for story

Academic Stepchild - by Alan D. McNarie (March 10, 2007) Another week, another meeting room of angry citizens. This time the topic was the island's underfunded, neglected community college system. On February 23, the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents made a rare visit to West Hawai'i. Over 150 people crowded into the hotel ballroom ... Click here for story

Sig Zane Designs Reopens - A multicultural event - by Zoe Chun-Dela Cruz (March 10, 2007) For the past 15 years, Sig Zane Designs' retail store was at 122 Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo. It's still there - just a bigger one. The once-cozy design and manufacturing outlet has expanded into the space next door, formerly occupied by Hawaiian Airlines ... Click here for story

Cris Williamson - Women's Music pioneer - by Julie Mitchell (March 10, 2007) Talking with veteran singer-songwriter Cris Williamson is like conversing with a poet-philosopher. "Nostalgia is tossed around as if it's a weak thing, but what it really is, is a turning towards home," 59-year-old folksinger tells us. "If it's true that all sickness is homesickness ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (March 10, 2007) Aloha Local Guy! My local guy neighbors have 6 dogs in a small pen in the back yard. The dogs bark all day and night. I know this is a local thing, but what is a neighbor to do? I need some sleeps, brah! I'm lackin'!! Honomu Hound Good question. You sound like one good-hearted pilgrim desendent. Your problem is no ... Click here for story

Two Grand Openings - Sig, Lopaka and more - By Desireé Cruz (March 10, 2007) Sig Zane Hula manifests itself in many ways: Through the movements of the dancer's body, the sway of the hips, graceful hand gestures, the extension of the neck, the precise placement of the foot, the flowing of the hair and more. Perfectly selected foliage and ... Click here for story

The Jade Palace - Chinese grinds in Waimea - by Kelleen Lum (March 10, 2007) On a cold, blustery Waimea night, I peer shivering through the bamboo-etched window of the newly opened Jade Palace restaurant, at a family gathered around one of the linen- and glass-topped tables inside. They are chattering away, laughing and arguing warmly ... Click here for story

Uncle Ken & Anti Aloha - Stomping on the Merrie Monarch - By Peter Serafin (March 10, 2007) Let's just get it over with and crown Hilo hotelier and businessman Ken Fujiyama our very own Ambassador of Anti-Aloha. The stories of his pettiness, crassness, mean-spiritedness and all-around bad taste are all too familiar on our island. Just look at the state ... Click here for story

The Gore Corps - Local activists enlist in 'Inconvenient' army - by Joan Conrow (February 24, 2007) I'll admit I'm one of those who grumbled about paying the new surcharge to fund O'ahu's mass transit, which I, as a "Outer Island" resident, am unlikely to see, much less use. But that sort of provincial thinking no longer flies on this rapidly warming globe... Click here for story

Al Gore: Concert promoter? - "Live Earth" shows could reach two billion listeners (February 24, 2007) Back in the mid-1980s, Gore's wife, Tipper, was on the wrong side of rockers. She had founded the People's Music Resource Center to fight what she considered "inappropriate" lyrics in rock music. Artists cried "censorship" and were able to ... Click here for story

The James Brown of Hula (February 24, 2007) Uncle George Na'ope has a birthday coming up, and he's celebrating with a hula festival. This National Endowment for the Arts award recipient, co-founder of the Merrie Monarch Festival and legendary kumu hula now holds another title: octogenarian. Since the hula master was born Feb. 25, 1938, some ... Click here for story

Bill To Legalize Hawaiian Tattooing - Use of traditional bone needle is currently against the law - by Travis Quezon (February 24, 2007) A proposed Hawai'i House bill will not only create a board within the state Department of Health to provide regulations and licensing for tattoo artists who practice the ancient art of Hawaiian tattooing; it ... Click here for story

Caveat Emptor - An Iraq vet on recruiting ads - by Alan D. McNarie (February 24, 2007) I'm all down for defending the constitution of the United States of America from enemies both foreign and domestic," said Sgt. Jabbar Magruder, "but we need to ask ourselves, who is being asked to sacrifice for the war at hand? It's not my job to tell kids to ... Click here for story

An Instrument Of Mass Aloha - by Nicole Pugh (February 24, 2007) Since 1964, Roy Sakuma has taught over 50,000 students of all ages how to play the 'ukulele. He is also the catalyst behind the annual 'Ukulele Festival on O'ahu, which began in 1971. Here on the Big Island, the 7th annual Great Waikoloa 'Ukulele Festival, scheduled for March 10 ... Click here for story

The Last Picture Show - Weinberg Foundation shutters Na'alehu's landmark theater - by Alan D. McNarie (February 24, 2007) The Na'alehu Theatre may have screened its last movie, and hosted its last public event, on February 9. For its final night, the theater showed a free double feature: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, followed by Al ... Click here for story

Local Chefs: The Next Generation - A global culinary tour - by Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (February 24, 2007) Chefs Allan Okuda and Sandy Barr Rivera are taking their second-year Hawai'i Community College culinary students on an exciting trip around the world - without leaving the school's gourmet kitchen and dining room. Starting with a ... Click here for story

Ka pi'i no ia a koki o Wailau - (Ascends to the highest point in Wailau)* - Desireé Cruz (February 24, 2007) Keali'i Reichel - The Recording Industry Association of America has just recognized what Hawaiian music lovers have known since day one: This singer, songwriter, kumu hula and Maui Boy is worth his weight in gold. The RIAA ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (February 24, 2007) Dear Local Guy, I think your column has the potential of bridging some of the divides between the various perceptions within our island community. I am a Caucasian from the mainland (a haole - or f$%cking haole depending upon how I am driving) requesting your insight on an issue festering in my mind ever ... Click here for story

Stryking Back - Bumpy road for military EIS - by Alan D. McNarie (February 10, 2007) For the second time in a week, an ongoing scoping process for an Environmental Impact Statement involving the military did not go as planned. First, it was the Air Force and UH-Manoa's proposed PanSTARRS telescope, whose meetings in Kona and Waimea ... Click here for story

Vincent - Leonard Nimoy's smash hit back 10 years after world premiere in Kona - by Julie Mitchell (February 10, 2007) Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you're put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling," -Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). It was this passionate ... Click here for story

Gung Hee Fat Choy! - Hilo Festival honors Year of the Boar - By Toni M. Todd (February 10, 2007) Chinese New Year begins February 17, the first new moon of the year. That weekend, Hilo's fifth annual Chinese New Year Festival will celebrate Ding Hai, the Year of the Boar. The festivities in Hilo begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 at the Palace Theater ... Click here for story

Navy To Use Sonar Despite Court Rulings - Act allows exemptions from environmental law during wartime - by Joan Conrow (February 10, 2007) When it comes to complying with environmental laws, the U.S. Navy has proven to be as slippery as the marine mammals that federal statutes strive to protect. Last August, the Navy said it would ... Click here for story

Panning PanSTARRS - Hawaiians say Institute for Astronomy pulling a fast one - again - by Alan D. McNarie (February 10, 2007) They held a meeting, and almost nobody came. When representatives from the U.S. Air Force, the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy and development contractor Group 70 arrived on January 23 at ... Click here for story

The Last King of Scotland - Forest Whitaker's grand opus - by Evan Smith (February 10, 2007) If you're going to see an Africa movie this year, make it The Last King of Scotland, a bloody diamond of a film from Scottish director Kevin MacDonald now at the Palace Theater in Hilo. This biopic turned thriller will tense every muscle in your body as ... Click here for story

Keiko Bonk and The Divine Miss D - Big Island rockers span generations - Desireé Cruz (February 10, 2007) Political provocateur Keiko Bonk is set to make headlines once more. But this time, Bonk is spreading her message of global peace through musical means. The former Hawai'i County council member (1992-1996, including a stint as Council ... Click here for story

The Sincerest Form Of Flattery - by Peter Serafin (February 10, 2007)
Ho'omalamalama - to illuminate, make clear, enlighten and inform. These words have appeared at the top of HIJ's masthead almost since our very first issue, seven years ago, and have always been our guiding light. Now is the time to ho'omalamalama Big Island Weekly, Stephens ... Click here for story

Fumin'over da ditch - When will north Hawai'i farmers get their water back? - by Alan D. McNarie (January 27, 2007) Between Waipi'o and Pololu Valleys in windward Kohala lies Hawai'i Island's wildest, most rugged, most dangerous region: a wilderness of jagged, eroded peaks, giant cliffs, deep valleys, rugged gulches and impassable ... Click here for story

Wood Magic - Ex-restaurateur carves it up - by Tiffany Edwards (January 27, 2007) The entrance to Perry Policicchio's Kaumana Terrace home offers a hint that a master woodworker lives inside. Shining bright are the red-brown hues of koa front steps as you approach the front door. The door itself bears a colorful collage of wood scraps in varying ... Click here for story

Honoring the Heritage - Print series sails on Maisu (January 27, 2007) After numerous delays, the voyaging canoes Alingano Maisu and Hokule'a have finally left Kawaihae on a historic voyage to Micronesia. Kalai Wa'a Moku o Hawai'i (the Hawaiian Voyaging Community) built Maisu as a gift to Mau Piailug, master of Polynesian navigation ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (January 27, 2007) - Dear Local Guy, I visited the Big Island quite a few times before moving here about seven years ago. We can all agree that we are blessed to live here. But I have seen that locals tend to litter or trash this beautiful place more so than non-locals or new arrivals. How do you feel about this one? -Kevin - Ooooh! Ahhhhh!!! ... Click here for story

Our Daily Grinds - Legislature looks at food security - by Nancy Redfeather (January 27, 2007) On January 12 the Senate Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, chaired by Senator Russell Kokubun (D-Hilo, Puna, Ka'u), held the first ever legislative briefing on food security at the Capitol in Honolulu. Four agricultural experts, representing a ... Click here for story

Uncowed - Hawai'i Island Goat Dairy - by Kelleen Lum (January 27, 2007) Dick Threlfall and I are squatting on our haunches in the dirt, heads bent low to one side, curiously peering at the undersides of fourteen dairy goats. We are checking udders; looking for swelling and an even plumpness as early signs of pregnancy. "This was supposed ... Click here for story

Chris, Kris, & Your Vote (January 27, 2007) Desireé Cruz - The Hawaiians of old recognized the magnificent power and splendor of these islands and immortalized them through chant and dance. Today, contemporary artists also celebrate the natural and spiritual beauty of Hawai'i. Chris Yeaton - With the Grammy spotlight focused ... Click here for story

Deadly Diet - Thousands of NWHI albatrosses being poisoned - by Alan D. McNarie (January 13, 2007) On Midway Atoll, in the newly declared Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Monument, thousands of Laysan albatrosses are dying each year as a result of toxic waste left behind by the U.S. military. The killer isn't nerve gas, depleted uranium or ... Click here for story

Heritage vs. Finance - Volcano divided on sale of local landmark - by Dave Smith (January 13, 2007) Volcano Village residents are struggling with a new rift in their community. Not related to geology, this rift pits longtime residents who want to preserve a local institution against those want to sell it for what they consider the greater good. The Old ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (January 13, 2007) Dear Local Guy: I'm a teacher at a Hilo area school. It seems like my local students are much quicker to resort to violent behavior than others. Do you agree? - Barbara Sista. It's not just a local thing. Violence is everywhere - TV, video games, sports. Us locals, however, tend to be a bit more passionate and emotional about ... Click here for story

Bush Administration: Lead in the Air? - No Problem. (January 13, 2007) Under pressure from lead smelters, refiners and batter manufacturers, the Bush Administration is considering dropping lead from the EPA's list of six regulated air pollutants monitored to determine "ambient air quality." The EPA released a staff paper last month ... Click here for story

Heely Fest - "Heels On Wheels Jam" skates into Hilo - by Nicole Pugh (January 13, 2007) Bronson Haunga, CEO of Team Building Hawai'i, has shoes on his mind these days, especially the popular Heelys skateshoe, which was among the most popular kids' Christmas gifts of 2006. On January 27, the company will host the first-ever "Heels on Wheels ... Click here for story

Island Beat - By Besireé Cruz (January 13, 2007) First things first … At the very start of the New Year, how fitting it is for this writer to be reminded of the power of a two-letter word. In my last column, the sentence should have read: "This is not surprising because current Grammy rules state that qualifying recordings be instrumental... Click here for story

Kicking It Off - Quick bits for the new year - by Peter Serafin (January 13, 2007) This is our first issue of the new year, and the first thing we'd like to say is: You make us possible. Mahalo for your continued support as we look forward together to great things in 2007. May the coming year be filled with love, laughter, prosperity, justice ... and very ... Click here for story

Malama I Na Nai'a - Got dolphins? Let's swim! - by R.J. Parker (December 30, 2006) Malama I Na Nai'a (Taking Care of the Dolphins) is, basically, a 13-minute instructional DVD on how to interact with dolphins. Its premise, which is by no means universally accepted: swimming with dolphins is a valuable, fulfilling activity if undertaken in the ... Click here for story

State of the Regs (December 30, 2006) Under the current Marine Mammal Protection Act, swimming with dolphins may be considered Level B Harassment: "any act that has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavior patterns, including, but not limited to, migration ... Click here for story

Spin Zone - Regulating the dolphin- encounter industry - by Ana Currie (December 30, 2006) on any given day at Honaunau Bay in South Kona, one might witness an increasingly common sight: a pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins, nai'a, swimming in a slow, synchronized pattern above the sandy bottom on the north side of the bay, surrounded by ... Click here for story

Ask a Local (December 30, 2006) Dear Local Guy, It seems like as long as locals continue to speak their pidgin English, they'll forever struggle in school and in finding employment. Don't get me wrong-I love the way it sounds, but speaking in that fashion prevents them from ever getting ahead. What gives? -Curious ... Click here for story

Pink Martini - A world-music cocktail - by Julie Mitchell (December 30, 2006) If you haven't yet had a sip of Pink Martini, prepare to be shaken and stirred by this high-energy band, self-described as "somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band, and a Japanese ... Click here for story

Gary Safarik on the air - From newsmaker to radio commentator - by Tiffany Edwards (December 30, 2006) Ex-County Councilman Gary Safarik has gone from newsmaker to political pundit. This consummate insider (six years on the Council, including a stint as Chair) will now bring live weekly political commentary to one of the Big Island's most popular ... Click here for story

Grammy Time - How 'bout more than just slack key? (December 30, 2006) As we al l anticipate the first sighting of snow atop majestic Mauna Kea, many local musicians also look for the five Grammy Award finalists in the Best Hawaiian Music category. The results are out: Of the 29 albums nominated, the Recording Academy selected five finalists. One ... Click here for story

'Tis The Season - Small organizations spread big cheer - by Nicole Pugh (December 16, 2006) The day after Thanksgiving, like clockwork, we hear the ringing of the bells outside various local businesses, drawing attention to a small red bucket propped up on a triangular stand. The Salvation Army's annual holiday fund drive has begun - marking the ... Click here for story

Action, But Right Action - Pete Hoffman takes over as Council Chair - by Alan D. McNarie (December 16, 2006) Pete Hoffmann wants one thing to be perfectly clear: he doesn't see the chairmanship of the County Council as a stepping stone. "I think I will make a very effective chair of the County Council, because I bring to that position no personal ... Click here for story

Affordable Housing Tap Dance - What's wrong with this picture? - by Alan D. McNarie (December 16, 2006) A couple of blocks from the main police station in Hilo is a neighborhood of ghosts. Entire streets of houses lie vacant, their lawns mowed but their flowers and shrubbery untended, their windows covered with rusty iron grills but devoid of ... Click here for story

Uncle George Na'ope - National Endowment of the Arts honors hula master (December 16, 2006) The annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival delivers a profusion of sights and sounds to delight the senses. People watching, both on stage in the audience, is especially entertaining because of hula enthusiasts decked out in all their aloha ... Click here for story

Gift Giving Guide - West Side (PDF). (December 16, 2006)

Gift Giving Guide - East Side (PDF). (December 2, 2006)

Real Local Grinds - Three months on a Hawai'i Island-only diet - by Andrea Dean (December 2, 2006) Bagels. Pizza. Ice Cream. Lasagna. These were the things that I greedily consumed in the weeks before I started eating only locally grown foods. Some primitive part of my brain was preparing for what I perceived as future deprivation. I had ... Click here for story

Hilo:Art Town - New galleries helping revitalize downtown - by Alan D. McNarie (December 2, 2006) The Hilo area has always had plenty of artists, but few places for them to exhibit. New galleries have helped revive the small towns of Holualoa, Hawi, Kapa'au and Honomu, but Hilo has always had fairly few spaces. Until recently. Among the first ... Click here for story

Eggxtraordinary Exhibit - Eggs as fine art - by Julie Mitchell (December 2, 2006) Imagine a small, pale blue chicken egg carved to look like lace, with more air than eggshell or a five-inch long, dark teal-blue emu egg carved so that the egg's middle light-teal layer and inner white layer form a relief image of a honu. These are just two of the ... Click here for story

Cucina del Sole - Pescatore Italian Restaurant - by Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (December 2, 2006) In our opinion, Italian food should be known as "Sole" (so-lay) Food - food of the sun! Redolent of garlic and infused with extra virgin olive oil, the food of Italy sings and zings of flavor and rustic ingredients. Many Americans equate Italian food with ... Click here for story

Instant Classic - Plus holiday musical treats - By Desireé Cruz (December 2, 2006) After listening to Ka Pua Hae Hawai'i, the much anticipated third CD release by renowned Hawaiian falsetto trio Na Palapalai, from beginning to end, I have but one suggestion: In this holiday season of giving, pick up a copy and give it to yourself. ... Click here for story

The Great Code of Aloha (PDF Article)

Sig Zaniness - Hilo-kine fashion - by Yvonne Hortillo (November 18, 2006) Hilo is the place for discovery. Just ask Sig Zane. That's what one of Hawai'i's most prominent fashion designers concluded when he first arrived here. Although blessed with an inborn artistic sense, Zane, 54, didn't start out to become a sought-after designer. He learned ... Click here for story

East Side Grind - Commercial coffee returns to Puna - by Dave Smith (November 18, 2006) When it comes to Hawai'i coffee, Kona is king. But once upon a time, Puna's coffee industry shared the spotlight. In its heyday in 1898 - the year before a worldwide collapse of the coffee market - the area between Kea'au and Volcano supported 6,000 ... Click here for story

Picking Up The Pieces - Historic buildings after the quake - By Nicole Pugh (November 18, 2006) When the "Quake of 2006" shook the Big Island last month, the whole world was focused on the residents of West Hawai'i and the destruction that the earthquake caused. Especially telling were images of Hulihe'e Palace in Kailua-Kona and Kalahikiola ... Click here for story

Home Made Trax - Local studios (November 18, 2006) With today's technology, all you need is a spare bedroom, a computer and a key board, and you can start cranking out CDs from your very own home recording studio. The dream of recording a CD is just a few clicks away. On this island alone, recording opportunities abound in studios both big ... Click here for story

Noni Connection - Local crop, local processor - by Barbara Fahs (November 18, 2006) Inside a rusty old warehouse behind the Hilo Shopping Center is a collection of shiny, state-of-the-art equipment used for making noni into a juice concentrate that is shipped to wholesale markets on the mainland. The warehouse is the processing ... Click here for story

The Dragon Mama - Japanese tradition in downtown Hilo - by Yvonne Hortillo (November 18, 2006) In April, 1994, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visited Ka'u to dedicate the Wood Valley Temple in Pahala. Local Buddhists immediately went to the Dragon Mama, Utae Arai Suzuki, for help in showing him a true Hawai'i Island welcome. Suzuki, 56 ... Click here for story

Post quake, post election - A post-mortem - by Peter Serafin (November 18, 2006) Imagine a film reviewer who seldom offers an opinion on whether a specific movie is worth seeing. Or a restaurant critic who never states whether a given establishment is worth patronizing. Or a book reviewer who doesn't tell you if a certain novel is . ... Click here for story

Tea Culture - Hawai'i's other brewed beverage - By Sonia Martinez (November 18, 2006) Kona coffee is widely known and prized among gourmet coffee connoisseurs worldwide. Can Hawai'i-grown tea also make the big time? That is the aim of a very small group of Big Island tea growers. For the last few years, several small ... Click here for story

Shaken Up - Hawai‘i dodges  a bullet—this time Sunday, Oct. 15 (November 4, 2006) I have never heard the earth growl and rage like an animal before. It rolled like a bull elephant the size of a mountain trying to rid itself of annoying body lice — way more like the conscious act of some living being than just plates moving around. The beast moaned ... Click here for story

Truly Dually - New musical seeks shelter from the storm - by Alan D. McNarie (November 4, 2006) It’s always difficult to explain the system of care for people who help out with homelessness,” explains playwright Michael Ullman, who wrote the book and lyrics for Truly Dually, which world premiers November 17, 18 and 19 at the Aloha Theater ... Click here for story

Hilo Monochrome - Black & White Night tradition continues (November 4, 2006) On November 3, the streets of downtown Hilo come alive: thousands of people strolling, listening to live jazz music at several locations, enjoying complimentary refreshments and receptions at over thirty shops and restaurants during the “Mother of First Fridays ... Click here for story

Energy Independent Abode - Surviving and thriving on your own power - by Moon Yun Choi (November 4, 2006) Nu‘uanu resident John Harrison was among many callers to KSSK radio talk show the day Hawai‘i was rocked by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, but he wasn’t calling because he couldn’t find anything to eat or because he needed to vent about ... Click here for story

Punalu‘u’s Dueling Visions - by Alan D. McNarie (November 4, 2006) Okay, we’re at the very last place here,” declared an angry Ka‘u resident. “Do we really need to destroy it, like everywhere else?” Punalu‘u, the site of a long-moribund development called Sea Mountain at Pu nalu‘u, has attracted the attention of a new set of developers. Sea Mountain ... Click here for story

My Brother, The Ranger - An Iraq combat vet speaks - by Kevin Tillman (November 4, 2006) It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the ... Click here for story

The Jimmy Stewart Factor - Decency is on the march - by Peter Serafin (November 4, 2006) Decency is a traditional American value – bone deep in the American psyche. We have experienced numerous periods of darkness that had made Americans lose touch with their inherent decency — either due to natural human fears, or ... Click here for story

Last Chance for Safarik, Isbell - Council runoffs could tip balance of power - by Alan D. McNarie (October 21, 2006) Incumbents, goes the conventional wisdom, are usually a pretty sure bet for reelection. They have name recognition, and they usually get the lion's share of campaign contributions. But it didn't work that way for two Hawai'i County ... Click here for story

Cousteau Society Repudiates Jean-Michel's Ka'u Resort Plans - by Alan D. McNarie (October 21, 2006) The Cousteau Society is not happy with Jean-Michel Cousteau's partnership with Sea Mountain Five's on proposed resort at Punalu'u. An attorney for the Society, founded by Jean-Michel's father Jaques Cousteau in 1973, has sent Jean-Michel ... Click here for story

Hear ye, Hear ye! - Get ye to the Medieval Faire! - by Nicole Pugh (October 21, 2006) Not sure what to do with the keiki for Halloween weekend? Tired of the same old parties and trick-or-treat events at the mall? Here's a refreshing alternative. On Saturday, October 28, children and adults alike will have a chance to celebrate Halloween ... Click here for story

Publisher's Letter - Seven years as Hawai'i's locally owned independent
voice - by Laurie Carlson (October 21, 2006) Hawai'i Island Journal is celebrating its seventh anniversary this month. We have owned the Journal for more than a year and are pleased with the progress.
Bud Linschoten, the original architect and designer of our sister ... Click here for story

Good Facts for Good Decisions - 14 years on Hawai'i's community newspaper - by Alan D. McNarie (October 21, 2006) Seven Octobers ago the first issue of the Hawai'i Island Journal hit the streets, but we've really been around about twice that long. In August 1992, the first Ka'u Landing appeared. It was initially printed newspaper-style and ... Click here for story

Looking Back, Looking Forward - by Peter Serafin (October 21, 2006) Michael Gibson started the whole thing, almost single-handedly, 14 years ago. This Ka'u resident, with zero experience in journalism, decided the community needed a forum, and he felt called to do something about it. So, with a vision, a huge amount of hard work, and in collaboration ... Click here for story

Final Curtain for Hamakua Music Festival? - by Alan D. McNarie (October 7, 2006) This fall, a major cultural event will be missing from Hawai'i Island's calendar. The Hamakua Music Festival, which for a dozen years has brought major names in classical, jazz, rock and Hawaiian music to the Honoka'a People's Theater and to local classrooms ... Click here for story

Art a la Carte - Local restaurants double as art galleries - by Kelleen Lum (October 7, 2006) From the second-story balcony of the Seafood Bar in Kawaihae, a huge blue ahi tuna hangs, staring wide-eyed at the beckoning ocean across the way. But the delectable leviathan is not the chef's newest ingredient fresh off the fishing boats. This eight-foot ... Click here for story

The Lei of the Land - by Desiree Cruz (October 7, 2006) Synonymous with Hawaiian music is chant, hula, and lei. What would Hawaiian music be with out the graceful movements of hula? What would hula be without the adornment of lei? In Hawai'i, lei are often taken for granted; we automatically expect to see fully costumed dancers with lei po'o ... Click here for story

A Hot Time in Volcano - by Alan D. McNarie (October 7, 2006) It's late afternoon in the rainforest about three miles below Volcano Village, and for once, it's not raining. A cool breeze is blowing through the studio/gallery that Michael and Misato Mortara opened here last April. After a day of working with red-hot glass, Michael and Misato ... Click here for story

Making Music Young - Kamuela Philharmonic launches 3rd season - by Alan D. McNarie (October 7, 2006) The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra plays the first concert of its 2006-07 season on October 8 at 4 p.m. at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea. The performance features Michael Russell as soloist in Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. The program ... Click here for story

Kinky Friedman - A fugitive from the PC Police - by Peter Serafin (October 7, 2006) We live in timid times. Many public figures tiptoe around important issues and bedrock beliefs due to the fear of offending some group or another. They're vulnerable to anyone who cries "Victim!" at the drop of an opinion. Last year a Danish newspaper published ... Click here for story

Keeping it Kona - Local farmers vs. Big Coffee (September 23, 2006)
by Hadley Catalano - It seems like society has become fixated on the concept of elite, brand name products. It can't be just bottled water anymore, it's got to be Perrier or Fiji. As odious as this "bou-tique branding" may seem to some, it has brought many favorable ... Click here for story

Waikoloa, Here We Come - County prepares major assault on affordable housing problem. (September 23, 2006) by Alan D. McNarie - Waikoloa may finally be getting the affordable housing it was first promised in the early 1990s. And some local politicians are pointing to the new de-velopment as a model for future affordable housing ... Click here for story

Savoring Slow Food - Local delegates to international confab (September 23, 2006) by Sarah Sullivan - Slow Food is not just about good food, it is about the return to a more harmonious, traditional way of life," says Nancy Pi'ianaia, leader of Slow Food Hawai'i. The Terra Madre World Meeting of Food Communities event, taking place ... Click here for story

The Beat of Life - Hilo's 2nd annual drumming festival (September 23, 2006) By Nicole Pugh - We live in a vibratory world," says Mickey Hart, former member of the Grateful Dead and author of the book Planet Drum. And there is no other hu-man-made vibration as ancient and rhythmic as the drumbeat. Throughout history, civilizations have used it ... Click here for story

Shout Sister Shout - A Gospel Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe (September 23, 2006) by Peter Serafin - Several of the finest living interpreters of traditional African-American gospel and spirituals -- Odetta, The Holmes Brothers and Marie Knight - will appear onstage at UH-Hilo at Kamuela's Kahilu Theatre to pay tribute to the music ... Click here for story

Tommy Bahama's Island Café - All the tiki marketing you can stomach (September 23, 2006) by Kelleen Lum - "Suspension of disbelief" is a theater term: the act of going along with fantasy. We know it's all fake, but we play along for entertainment. Tommy Bahama - a Seattle-based company selling food, fashion and home furnishings ... Click here for story

A Luxury "Eco" Resort? - Cousteau son pushes project to destroy sacred Punalu'u (September 23, 2006) by Pele Hanoa - Why would a leading environmentalist and ocean explorer support a massive development that will, according to most experts, have a negative impact on fragile coastal habitat of some of the most endangered ... Click here for story

Your Voices in Washington A new senator? A new congressman - by Peter Serafin (September 9 , 2006) Here in Hawai'i, when someone is elected to Congress, s/he is in it for the long haul. Daniel Inouye, our senior senator, has held the office since 1962. Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D-1st Dist.) was first elected to the House ... Click here for story

State Legislature - by Peter Serafin (September 9 , 2006) State Senator Russell Kokubun has it easy this election. The East Hawai'i Democrat, who's district encompasses Waiakea Uka, Kalapana, Volcano and Kahuku, faces no opposition either in the primary or general election. (The terms of Hawai'i Island's other state senators don't expire this year ... Click here for story

County Council D-Day Most races could be decided Sept. 23 - by Alan D. McNarie (September 9 , 2006) Many - perhaps most - County Council seats may be decided on primary day. Under the county's non-partisan elections, a candidate who gets more than 50 percent of the votes in the primary wins. If there is no majority, then the top two ... Click here for story

Democrats - by: Hanalei Aipoalani (September 9 , 2006) background: At 27, the youngest candidate in the race; a former congressional aide who has worked for several biotech start-ups. important issue: Affordable housing. www.electhanalei.com Nestor Garcia ... Click here for story

Invading Paradise While Hawai'i twiddles its thumbs, New Zealand gets serious - by Joan Conrow (September 9 , 2006) Hawai'i's airports and harbors are ticking time bombs - and we're not talking about the kind that do predictable stuff, like blowing up. This catastrophe in the making is not that simple. The threats are multi-faceted and guaranteed ... Click here for story

Hanging by a String The Cashore Marionettes - by Julie Mitchell (September 9 , 2006) Puppets have captured the human imagination for thousands of years, appearing in different forms throughout the world. There are Chinese shadow puppets, leather puppets from India, Thai rod puppets, Japanese Bunraku puppets, and Vietnamese water ... Click here for story

Aloha Spirit Film Festival - by Hadley Catalano (September 9 , 2006) The screening had recently finished and the theater was filled with that familiar buzz of post-movie excitement, dislikes, questions, thoughts, and opinions. Normally those feelings get taken as far as the car to be discussed with the fellow moviegoer or perhaps home to friends ... Click here for story

Currying Flavor New Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant - By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (September 9 , 2006) The first thing we noticed at the New Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant was the beautiful hand-loomed table coverings of Thai silk. The second was how friendly everyone was, even though we turned up at the restaurant "dead time" between ... Click here for story

Democracy The worst form of government ever tried - except for all the others.* - by Peter Serafin (September 9 , 2006) And it came to pass that the biennial Season of the Elections has fallen upon the land. Behold! The campaign speeches are filling the community centers and the candidate-approved messages are filling the airwaves. Campaign signs ... Click here for story

Paved with Good Intentions - The Tale of One Developer - by Julie Mitchell (August 26, 2006) Drive into almost any subdivision between Hilo and Volcano and you'll see a growing trend: cleared lots in which nearly every tree and shrub has been bulldozed away. Whether half-acre parcels in Mauna Loa Estates, one-acre parcels in Eden Roc, or ... Click here for story

60th Annual Aloha Festivals - by Nicole Pugh (August 26, 2006) It all started in 1947 on O'ahu as a week-long event to celebrate Hawai'i's music, dance and history. Sixty years later, the Aloha Festivals is the largest statewide festival in the United States, runs almost two months and features over 300 different events throughout the ... Click here for story

Paleo Bar & Grill - Enlightened conversation on Kailua Bay - by Carrie Kuwada Phipps (August 26, 2006) Overlooking Kailua Bay and Ahuena Heiau, Paleo Bar & Grill is on the far north end of Ali'i Drive. Paleo, which means "enlightened conversation," is a great place to lounge while sipping a cocktail, reading a book on the lanai, enjoying ... Click here for story

Girls Gone Stupid - by Desireé Moana Cruz (August 26, 2006) "Hey girls! Come on down to Shooters and Lulu's, get drunk and stupid and then flash your boobs for the camera; or better yet, drop your pants and make out with another girl - hooo-aah! And by the way, we'll give you a cheap t-shirt or a baseball cap or a pink panty with 'Girls ... Click here for story

Upfront - "Missile" Seen Over Hilo Airport - FBI and TSA investigating - by Peter Serafin (August 26, 2006) Mid-morning on Tuesday, August 15, local authorities received multiple reports that a silver projectile resembling a missile, with a length of between one and 12 feet, shot across the sky above Hilo Airport. The FBI and the ... Click here for story

Best of 2006 - PDF
(August 12, 2006)
Click here for PDF Doc.

Policing the Sacred Beach - An "alternate community" looks at alternatives - by Alan D. McNarie (July 29, 2006) I'm not convinced, myself, that Sunday is the day to do the cleanup," said Paul Squassoni. Squassoni, a former Washington, D.C. bureaucrat who recently moved to the Puna coast to work at Kalani Eco-Resort, was facilitating a ... Click here for story

Superferry Watch - Maui farmers, small businessmen and county council raise new concerns - by J.M. Buck (July 29, 2006) Young Brothers, Inc., a principal interisland shipper for over a century, was crying "foul" after Maui Pineapple Co. president Brian Nishida announced that his company proposed to take over shipping of Young ... Click here for story

The Sport of Poetry - Volcano Art Center hosts its first poetry slam - by Alan D. McNarie (July 29, 2006) On August 5 in Volcano, local poets will have a chance to participate in one of man's oldest art forms - and one of its hippest - when Volcano Art Center hosts a workshop by performance poet Kimberly Dark from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by ... Click here for story

Cause For Celebration - East Hawai'i Cultural Center Turns 25 - by Nicole Pugh (July 29, 2006) Back in 1980, a decrepit old building sat facing Kalakaua Park in downtown Hilo. Built in the 1930's to house the district court and later the Hilo Police Department, the "Old Police Station," now a historical landmark, was on the brink of demolition. That ... Click here for story

Lemongrass Restaurant - Asian fusion - By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (July 29, 2006) Ensconced in a storefront of the Kea'au Shopping Center is a little world of Asian fusion food: the Lemongrass Restaurant. Chef Fa Ye's artful combinations of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine pass the taste test with flying colors. Ye and ... Click here for story

Impact Fees - The art of public delusion - by Bonnie Goodell (July 29, 2006) On July 14, a story about the a new 7.9-acre park in Hilo was the lead article in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. My mind boggled. Every time I think the governance of the County of Hawai'i can't get any worse, there we go again. The County has a standard for County ... Click here for story

Rough Ride on the H-4 - Maui residents tell Superferry to shape up or ship out - by J.M. BuckJune (July 15, 2006) 22, 2004: Hawaii Superferry, Inc. (HSF) submits its application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to the Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to operate as a "roll-on/ roll-off fast passenger ferry" that can carry 866 ... Click Here for story.

Score one for the Whales - Court bans Navy's "active sonar" during biannual military exercises - by Joan Conrow (July 15, 2006) The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises - underway now in Hawaiian waters - have long been a sore spot in the Islands, despite the $25 million they reportedly pump into the state's economy. Many residents ... Click Here for story.

Changing minds The future of gay marriage in Hawai'i by Chris Haire (July 15, 2006) It's been nearly three years since gay activist Bill Woods and his partner Lance Bateman got married in Canada. It's been 15 years since Woods more or less launched the legal push to bring gay marriage to the Aloha State. After all, gay marriage has come ... Click Here for story.

The Hawai'i Performing Arts - Festival Celebrating the Classics - by Nicole Pugh (July 15, 2006) Classical music lovers, opera aficionados, musical theatre enthusiasts: mark your calendars. The Second Annual Hawai'i Performing Arts Festival is happening now. The event will bring 55 pre-professional musicians and vocal students to the Hawai'i ... Click Here for story.

Fujimamas - Great food, great vibe, blah service - by Carrie Kuwada Phipps (July 15, 2006) Fujimamas is all about fun, freshness, great food, vibrant colors and presentation with an Asian twist. Fujimamas Kona opened in October, 2005; the original Fujimamas opened in Tokyo eight years ago. The Tokyo original, which serves a very international ... Click Here for story.

Surprise! - Bush protects NWHI - by Alan D. McNarie (July 1, 2006) By now most people have heard: the Northwest Hawaiian Islands are a National Marine Monument. President Bush signed a proclamation designating the 1,400-mile-long chain of atolls and islets as the largest marine protected area on earth. The move aroused interest ... Click Here for story.

Attack of the Turtle Turds? - A Hilo whodunit: - by Alan D. McNarie (July 1, 2006) It began with a smell. UH-Hilo students Leslie Cash (a marine sciences major) and Tassie Fuller were walking in Keaukaha's Lalakea Beach Park on June 5 when they came across an unpleasant surprise. "Leslie said she thought she smelled dog poop," ... Click Here for story.

Sacred Landscapes vs. Cosmic Science - Local documentary on PBS - by Peter Serafin (July 1, 2006) Measured from the sea floor to peak, Mauna Kea reaches an elevation 29,500 feet, making it the world's tallest mountain. It is also the focus of a long-running battle between opposing, deeply held spiritual/philosophical beliefs. Native Hawaiians ... Click Here for story.

Confessions of a Book Junkie - Feeding the habit in paradise - by Catherine Kennedy (June 17, 2006) One of my nicest memories before the chaos of adolescence shattered the tranquility of our home life was my mom reading Willa Cather's My Antonia to my older sister, younger brother and me in a huge old sagging chair in a fishing cabin ... Click Here for story.

Ka'u Ho'olaule'a - A plantation tradition continues (June 17, 2006) Na Maka Ka'u" (the eyes of Ka'u) is the theme for this year's Ka'u Ho'olaule'a, held on Saturday, July 1 in Na'alehu. The annual festival starts at 10 a.m. when a parade featuring lei-bedecked pa'u riders, floats, classic cars, hot rods and a marching band heads down Na'alehu's ... Click Here for story.

Do the kope kope and stay connected! - Coffee culture in Hilo - By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis (June 17, 2006) Tucked into a corner in the crook of the elbow at the Hilo Shopping Center is a locally-owned coffee bar that is one of the best little open secrets in town. This spot has been there for many years, a favorite meeting place for the ... Click Here for story.

Sweet Summertime Memories - Soundtrack for the season - by Desireé Cruz (June 17, 2006) Crystal clear skies, fluffy white clouds, sparkling seas, blazing warm sunshine and days that seem to last forever mark the start of summer. I have sweet memories of endless days spent at Waikiki Beach near the break wall fronting the Honolulu ... Click Here for story.

Down and Dirty at UH-Hilo - Student government in action - By Hunter Bishop (June 3, 2006) Justin Avery was getting his picture taken outside the Campus Center at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo after finals week last month when a student walking by noticed: "Hey! The guy that got hit!" Avery is indeed the student government rep ... Click Here for story.

Honoring the King - North Kohala's Kamehameha Celebration - By Julie Mitchell (June 3, 2006) On June 11, Hawai'i celebrates Kamehameha Day, a state holiday honoring Kamehameha the Great, the warrior chief who conquered and united the islands into one kingdom. Born circa 1753 in North Kohala, the infant Kamehameha faced instant ... Click Here for story.

Budding Creativity - Summer art fun for kids - by Alan D. McNarie (June 3, 2006) More and more, it's proven, music and art make a well-rounded student," muses Brenda Johnson. "But there's no time during the day and there's no extra money…." Johnson has done more than just muse about the problem. For the third summer in a row ... Click Here for story.

To the Rescue - New wildlife center coming to North Kohala - by Alan D. McNarie (June 3, 2006) The Hawai'i Wildlife Center (HWC) plans to break ground this month on a North Kohala rehabilitation facility for endangered and threatened species - primarily sea birds and other birds. HWC will operate as a rehabilitation facility and conservation tool ... Click Here for story.