September-October 2009

S E P T E M B E R ~ O C T O B E R ‘09

The Life of the Land Your Chance to Taste: All Hawaii Grown

The Life of the People Aunty Mahealani Henry: Aloha Lokahi

The Life in Art Storytelling with Color and Canvas

Young Dancers with Yellow Hibiscus

by Suzy Papanikolas

C O M P L I M E N TA RY

C O P Y

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The Life in Spirit:

Pu`uhonua—A Foundation of Peace

by Kumu Keala Ching

The Life of the People:

Aunty Mahealani Henry: Righting the Path with Aloha Lokahi

The Life of the Land:

Growing Our Own Fuel Biodiesel Ventures Sprouting Up Good Tasting and All Hawaii-Grown Meet the Mind and Muscle Behind Our Local Food Producers Kukui Nut Oil for Beautiful, Healthy Skin

The Life as Art:

New School of Native Hawaiian Fine Arts is Born Storytelling with Color and Canvas Suzy Papanikolas makes Hawaii’s people come alive

The Life at Home:

Feng Shui Hawaiian Style Water for Living with Balance and Prosperity Art Under Foot It’s more than just a rug

Viewpoint:

NELHA Ready for Fresh Start

Departments:

The Life in Business Community Calendar

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Business Resource Directory

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Ka Puana —the Refrain:

Home on an Active Volcano Visions from the 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa

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UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘AINA I KA PONO.

The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. [Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the state motto.

PUBLISHERS

Barbara Garcia Bowman  Karen Valentine

EDITOR

Karen Valentine

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Barbara Garcia Bowman

CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR

Michael M. Portillo, Mana Brand Marketing

AMBASSADORS

Mars Cavers  Bob Dean Marya Mann  Fern Gavelek Amanda Richardson

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Barbara Garcia Bowman  West Hawai‘i Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com  808.345.2017 WavenDean Fernandes, Mana Brand Marketing  East Hawai‘i WavenDean@KeOlaMagazine.com  808.345.0734

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ann C. Peterson  Keala Ching  Fern Gavelek  Wayne Stier Marya Mann  Alan McNarie  Hadley Catalano  Marta Barerras Karen Valentine  Kauanoe Chang

PHOTOGRAPHY

Hadley Catalano  Fern Gavelek  Eric Bowman

ADVERTISING DESIGN Tahiti Huetter

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Editorial inquiries & calendar submissions: Editor@KeOlaMagazine.com Subscriptions: www.KeOlaMagazine.com or mail name, address and payment of $18 for one year to P.O. Box 1494, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 808.345.2017  Fax: 808.882.1648 © 2009, Hawaii Island Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved P.O. Box 1494, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745

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KE OLA is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.

Hawaii Island Publishing, Inc., is a recognized member of the Kuleana Green Business Program of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce

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IN SPIRIT

The Life 06 | www.KeOlaMagazine.com | KE OLA

| Na Kumu Keala Ching, Nā Wai Iwi Ola, Hawai‘i Āpuni ka honua, he ola Ola ke Akua Mana Loa, he kia‘i Kia‘i ka ‘ike kapu, he Akua Akua mālama Ali‘i Ali‘i mālama Kanaka Kanaka mālama ‘āina ‘Āina hānai Kanaka Kanaka hānai Ali‘i Ali‘i hānai Akua Hō‘ola ka pu‘u mōhala Akua He hale Akua ke kino i mōhalu ‘ia ana Ke one hānau ke ola Ho‘i e, ho‘i lā, he ‘ūlāleo e Na ke Kuhikuhi pu‘uone nō He pu‘uhonua ia, he kino kanaka ia Kahi o nā Ali‘i i pule akua ai Kahi o nā Kanaka i mālama aku ai Kahi o nā ‘āina i pili aku ai He lei maile ko ka piko o ka pu‘uhonua

Life is around the world Protected by the living Higher Spirit Guider of the sacred knowledge is this spirit Higher Spirit cared for by the Chief Chief is cared for by the people People are cared for by the land Land nourishes the people People nourish the Chief The Chief nourishes the Higher Spirit The hill of unfolding Spirit lives on The body is the house of the Higher Spirit that lives Life is your birthplace To leave and return is the spirit of the Higher Self The oracle is the link A place of peace, a place of foundation A Chiefs place of prayer A peoples place to care A land place to gather Life’s center of peace is strung like a maile

Kumu Keala Ching is a Kumu Hula, cultural practitioner, writer/composer and teacher of ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, oli, and Hula. He is the founder of Nā Wai Iwi Ola, an educational foundation to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and practices through Hula protocol, the use and study of the Hawaiian language, and Hawaiian culture and traditions. www.nawaiiwiola.org

Pu’uhonua – a foundation of spiritual connection relating to personal protocol of honor. A Pu‘uhonua was created so that the people could honor the spiritual relationship of the season. The Chief is honored by his people. His people honor the land as nourishment to the people, the people to the Chief, and Chief to the Spirit. As ke Akua, the spiritual Healer, selects our path and destiny, the oracle, kuhikuhi Pu‘uone, is instructed to select the location of the Pu‘uhonua. In relationship, the Pu‘uhonua and the body together are the foundation of our spiritual healing, if we recognize such relationship. It also gives us a place to seek peace; however, peace is only honored once you find it within. 

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Viewpoint NELHA, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, is poised for better times.

Established in 1974, NELHA was “attached” first to UH and later to DBEDT. But the budget passed by the 2009 session changed all that – it moved NELHA to DAGS, the Department of Accounting and General Services.

This move reveals the breakdown NELHA has had with DBEDT. It also bears the promise of better times for NELHA.

Water Everywhere

NELHA’s name reveals its purpose – a natural energy laboratory with research in ocean technologies. Although it started with 345 acres, it expanded to 877 acres when merged with the Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology Park in 1991.

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By the time of the merger, ocean thermal energy research (OTEC) had been going on for 15 years. The federal government spent some $250 million on it, but by the mid-1990s, energy was no longer in vogue. The research stopped and the plant was dismantled, leaving only the deep sea pipelines built for OTEC.

Self-Sustaining

When elected in 2002, Linda Lingle required the attached agencies to be “self-sustaining,” and she cut their funding. This policy distracted those agencies, including NELHA. Research agencies have difficulty earning their own keep, but she nevertheless continued the policy. The result is that NELHA has been scrounging to pay its expenses and maintain its facilities.

DBEDT’s answer was that NELHA should sell its deep sea water to bottling companies for sale in Japan. So NELHA gave long-term leases to a number of water bottling companies— a far cry from science. These leases provide income for NELHA, but will tie up 50 acres of NELHA’s land for decades to come.

Re-Enter Science

In 2005, one of the bottlers hired away NELHA’s executive director. Ron Baird, who has a business and tech background, was found to replace him. NELHA has flourished under Baird. Despite its struggle with DBEDT, NELHA has been attracting world-class scientists, organizations and alliances.

Makai Ocean Engineering, working with Lockheed Martin, has re-started OTEC research, and is building a new OTEC research

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Photos Courtesy of NELHA

facility. Aquaculture is thriving. Cellana, funded by Shell Oil, is doing world-class research on biofuel algae. Sopogy is completing a solar energy farm. That’s only a small part of what’s going on.

DBEDT “Apathetic”

NELHA was established with its own board to manage itself. It was not enough that Linda Lingle could appoint three directors; DBEDT also micromanaged things, making it increasingly difficult for NELHA to get anything done.

As a tech park, NELHA needs prompt procurement. Instead of helping NELHA deal with the tribulations of the Procurement Code, DBEDT has been a roadblock. NELHA’s critical pipelines were broken by the 2006 earthquake, but it took 2-1/2 years to get a repair contract through DBEDT. The harder NELHA tried, the more impacted things got at DBEDT. A state audit in March said DBEDT was “apathetic.” No one can say that Director Ted Liu favors science— he has alienated the industry and has made DBEDT an obstacle to NELHA’s progress. If NELHA is to pursue science, it must escape from DBEDT. Both agencies knew that, and apparently so did the legislature.

A Better Match

A bill moving NELHA to DCCA failed last year. This year, Marcus Oshiro added provisions to the budget to strip a number of agencies away from DBEDT. The one that survived was the one that moved NELHA to DAGS. It’s a great time for the move—the transition teams are in place and optimistic, and they meet weekly.

NELHA has in-house expertise on energy. It could help DAGS power state buildings with PV and seawater air conditioning funded by the energy bills passed this session. With its pipelines, NELHA has had the benefit of seawater air conditioning for more than 20 years, and is planning to install that system at Keahole-Kona Internationsl Airport, a perfect collaboration between agencies.

“Silicon Valley of Hawai‘i”

NELHA is building science in Hawai‘i. Some say it’s becoming the Silicon Valley of Hawai‘i, the home for research we had hoped for Kaka‘ako. We can’t afford to lose it or lose ground. It has become our tech park, promising in food, energy and healthcare. We need to protect it from bureaucracy, as well as activism.

The move is good, and good for tech. For a brilliant future, NELHA needs a fresh start.  Read more about technology initiatives in Hawai‘i at www.thinktechhawaii.com

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The Life

(‘IMI NA’AUAO: Learning)—HOEA students look at pahu niu (ritual drums carved from coconut trunks) created by their kumu (master teacher), Rodney Kala Willis.

PIKO, a gathering of over 100 indigenous visual artists, held during the summer of 2007 in Waimea and two other Big Island locations, awakened many to the realization that there are too few venues for indigenous Hawaiian arts. At the gathering, Maori artist, Steve Gibbs, openly expressed his dismay at finding that local support for Hawaiian art “was 25 years behind” in developing. Many of the gathering’s participants concurred. It presented a challenge for Hiko’ula Hanapi, president of Hanapi Keomailani Foundation (KHF).

Many years ago, Hanapi had the dream of starting a school of Native Hawaiian arts, and this was just what he needed to lead a team in writing a grant proposal to start a school of fine arts for emerging Hawaiian artists.

HOEA: Hawaiian ‘Ohana for Education in the Arts was born.

In October 2008, the Keomailani Hanapi Foundation (KHF) received a federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), to pilot the school of fine arts in South Kohala at Waimea. It is Hawaii’s first independent Native Hawaiian school of fine arts.

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HOEA opened its doors to 30 haumana (students) on May 25, 2009, on the grounds of Hawai’i Preparatory Academy, under the watchful eyes of Mauna Kea, bedecked in a lei of clouds. The morning’s protocol included pule (prayer) and ‘oli (chants) to the Creator and to the ancestors. Two flanks of participants: kumu (teachers) and community elders and haumana faced each other. Calls of welcome were made by the kumu and the elders. Responses were returned by the haumana. The flanks approached each other until two flanks turned into a unified circle. Permission was granted to enter HOEA’s doors; and a Native Hawaiian school of fine arts was born. HOEA took its first breath—ha.

At the heart of the curriculum was the Hawaiian teachinglearning concept of ‘imi haku. The concept is likened to the adage, “when the student is ready, the master appears.”

In Hawaiian cultural context, it means, “to seek a master, under whom one can learn a skill at the master’s side. It was the master’s responsibility not to allow carelessness to enter into the making of an art form. It was a practice of strict but nurturing transference of knowledge and skills from master to student.

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HOEA’s Studio Program consisted of two contemporary visual arts courses and two traditional art courses. A team of highly respected master kumu came together. Stacy Gordine, master carver and jewelry maker from New Zealand, taught jewelry making. Hawaiian master artists taught the other courses. Painter and printmaker Harinani Orme came from Honolulu to head the printmaking studio. Wood-turning was taught by the father and son team of Solomon Apio and Alani Apio from Ewa, O‘ahu and Kailua, O‘ahu respectively. Kala Willis from Keauhou, Hawai‘i, taught the art of carving pahu niu (coconut drums). Students learned the art of pohaku, stone carving, from Hanale Hopfe of Wai‘anae, O‘ahu. Kapa masters included the mother-daughter team from Waimea, Marie McDonald and Roen Hufford. Kaua‘i’s Sabra Kauka, and Ka‘u artists, Teresa Reveira and Joni-Mae Makuakane-Jarrell completed the roster of kapa instructors.

These media were chosen because of their commercial potential for HOEA’s haumana to become successful full-time artists or to supplement their incomes after they exited the program. It was also the hope of KHF and the HOEA staff that haumana would return to their home communities to start cottage industries using the skills that they would have learned at HOEA, thus affecting the economy of those communities in positive ways.

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Another important practice woven into the project’s certification requirements was volunteerism. HOEA haumana were asked to express their gratitude to their master kumu by sharing what they had learned from them to others.

Haumana taught their new skills and knowledge to school groups, halau hula, church groups, community agencies, and to visitors at sites in the National Parks system such as: Volcanoes National Park, Pu’uhonua o Honaunau, and Pu’ukohola Heiau.

HOEA was chosen as the name for this KHF-ANA project because of its kaona, or underlying meaning. On one hand, hoea means, “let’s get started.” Ho’ea also means, “to arrive.”

For Hanapi and KHF, it is both. v For more information about HOEA, go to the website: www.khf-hoea.org or call the HOEA office at 808.885.6541.

(HO’IKE: display or show)—HOEA student from California, Geoffrey Mundon, center, shows the collection of his works made during the studio program to HOEA Steering Committee member, Fran Sanford, at left. Another HOEA student, Tara Gumapac, right, also studies the work.

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Two other components augmented the Studio Program.

“Business of Art” workshops taught students to develop art portfolios, improved awareness and understanding of business practices, and informed students how to prepare art for exhibits and for sales. A four-day HOEA Market event, scheduled for October 1-4, 2009, at ‘A‘ole Minuke Park in Waimea will allow HOEA haumana to exhibit and sell their artwork.

Other Native Hawaiian artists will also be invited to sell works of fine art and emerging Native Hawaiian fashion designers to debut their collections at the HOEA fashion show. This event supports the intent of the grant to develop Waimea into a mecca for buyers and collectors of Hawaiian art made

by Native Hawaiians. Those three components of HOEA will have constituted an integrated system of art education, which addresses KHF’s mission of, “increasing the number, visibility, and accessibility to Hawaiian art and artists.”

Organizers are hoping to elevate the quality of contemporary and traditional Native Hawaiian art.

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of the Land

The Life

All Big Island-grown vegetables and Hawaiian red veal featured at Mauna Kea Beach Resort fine-dining restaurant.

Big Island ranchers are putting meat on the table at local restaurants—whether beef, pork or lamb. In fact, the island boasts about 60 percent of the state’s cattle operations. In addition, the Big Isle is considered the state’s “bread basket,” with farmers growing a wide range of produce, fruit and herbs.

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Hooking up ranchers and farmers with chefs and grocers is the goal of the annual Big Isle ag extravaganza, Mealani’s A Taste of the Hawaiian Range on Friday, Sept.

18. Attendees taste extraordinary dishes using locally grown range-fed meats and have the chance to meet local food producers.

We profile three regular Taste participants: Pu‘uwai Ranch on the Hamakua Coast, Kuahiwi Ranch in Na‘alehu and Kawamata Farms in Waimea. Each has an interesting story to share about their efforts to produce local food.

Jill Beaton at Pu‘uwai Ranch After a few minutes with Jill Beaton, you’ll quickly sense how well she cares for her flock of lambs, ewes and rams that graze the slopes of Pu‘uwai Ranch and Nursery. The 122-acre Hamakua Coast sprawls across the slopes of Mauna Kea at a cool 3,000-foot elevation; it’s located off the grid in Kuka‘iau, which is on the Hilo side of Pa‘auilo.

Beaton, who has an ag degree from the University of Hawai‘i in Animal Science and Tropical Horticulture, has been overseeing the ranch’s operation since 2001. Husband Doug, a realtor, and their two sons, lend a hand. In addition to the family’s sheep operation, they have a herd

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of 22 Brangus/Angus beef cows and an orchid nursery.

Sheep at Pu‘uwai Ranch are free to graze the rolling pasture dotted with ‘ohi‘a trees, and Beaton says their diet is supplemented with free-choice, vitamin-enriched soybean blocks with molasses. Pu‘uwai manages two “large muscled” sheep breeds: the docile Hampshire and the Suffolk, “which has more attitude.”

“The flock is made up of rams and ewes for breeding, plus lambs,” Beaton explains. A sheep one year of age is considered a lamb and castrated ram lambs, called wether lambs, are preferred market animals for meat; they also eat grain.

Pu‘uwai Natural Lamb is sold “free of antibiotics and hormones” to Big Isle food processor Kulana Foods, to statewide 4-H competitors and also to repeat customers who direct-order by phone.

“Our lamb is raised stress-free and it has a mild flavor,” notes Beaton. “Our chops are pretty good sized; you get three or four bites.”

To improve stock, Pu’uwai Ranch has been involved with 4-H, its lambs often winning the top ribbons. ”Participating in 4-H helps me as a producer,” she says. “I get back data from judged animals about loin size and percentage yield of meat. We use that info in our breeding selection to get a quality and consistent product.”

Providing lambs for 4-H dictates when they must be born and Beaton wants to do year-round breeding “because

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it’s cost effective.” With a flock of 36 ewes and two rams, she is gearing this year’s lamb production more for restaurant and supermarket consumption.

“It has always been a building process, whether it’s improving stock or putting up water and fence lines,” she muses. ”I’ve created my own job and ,while it’s hard work, it’s a labor of love.”

Michelle Galimba of Kuahiwi Ranch After earning a doctorate in comparative literature and teaching, Michelle Galimba returned to Ka‘u to help

The Galimba family at Kuahiwi Ranch.

her family at Kuahiwi Ranch. She grew up around livestock when her father, Alfred Galimba, was employed at ranches and dairies on the Big Island and O‘ahu.

“It is a very strenuous life, but also a healthy and productive life,” she explains. “I am involved in all aspects of the ranch: from moving cattle, to office work, to marketing.”

Kuahiwi’s cattle spend their entire lives grazing grass in Ka‘u “as nature intended.” They have a 1,500-head cow herd that rotates through mauka pastures. Raised without antibiotics and hormones, the cattle are given a free-choice finishing ration of barley, corn and cane molasses for about 90 days “to produce a consistent, quality product.”

“We are continually improving our product,” shares Galimba. “The biggest area we are working on is how to get it out to the public.”

She emphasizes the need to support local ag. “The cattle

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Established in 1993, Kuahiwi sprawls over 10,000 acres of former sugar cane land between Waiohinu and Wood Valley. In 2007, the Galimbas developed Aloha ‘Aina Natural Beef “to see if we could make a living finishing our cattle here in Hawai‘i and selling locally-raised beef, rather than sending all our cattle to the mainland as weanlings.” Sold at KTA as Kulana Hawaii Island Natural Beef, Aloha ‘Aina is also available at select grocers, farmers’ markets and aloha-ainabeef.com.

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{Continued from page 13 industry needs public support to be feasible,” Galimba says. “This is really, really important. If people care about sustainability, they need to invest in locally raised food, even if it costs a little more.”

Raymond Kawamata of Kawamata Farms Hailing from a family of vegetable farmers, Raymond Kawamata grows Kamuela Tomatoes, which are sold only in Hawai‘i at statewide grocers and served in hotels and restaurants. He says they produce a whopping 25,000 pounds of tomatoes a week in four acres of greenhouses.

Kawamata offers medium-sized ”beefsteak” tomatoes.

Kawamata’s family-owned property is on Lalamilo Farm Road in Waimea. The farm raises hydroponic tomatoes, using nutrient-rich solutions without soil. Kawamata, who earned an ag degree from California Poly Tech State University, refined his hydroponic system after visiting farm operations in Holland, New Zealand and British Columbia.

“We have good weather for tomatoes, can control our water by computer and have less problems with disease,” he shares.

When fresh out of college in the 1970s, Kawamata tried farming flowers —carnations first, and then roses—on the family’s original vegetable field.

“We stopped growing roses about five years ago due to the economic picture for the market,” details Kawamata.

“Foreign imports beat us on prices.”

Tomatoes have been the focus since 2002 and the operation scored a perfect 100 for both greenhouse and harvest crew audits by the PrimusLabs Food Safety Program for Good Agricultural Practices.

Taste of the Hawaiian Range Lineup The 14th Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range is a daylong event at the Hilton Waikoloa Village that culminates with the 6-8 p.m Taste. More than 30 of the state’s premiere chefs use their culinary expertise to prepare dishes using a variety of meat cuts—including tongue and tail. While “grazing the range,” you can get acquainted with Hawai‘i’s food producers at gaily-decorated vendor booths and talk story with the farmers and ranchers who make a living growing our food. Tickets are $40 presale and $80 at the door (details at end of story).

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“We stay away from any kind of chemicals. Nobody likes

chemicals and we don’t want to use anything toxic.”

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This year’s Taste expands to offer a noon seminar geared to members of the food service industry. Presented by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Kona Kohala Chefs Association, “It’s All About Taste” delves into the different kinds of locally raised beef—grass fed, wagu, organic, natural and red veal.

According to Chef William Kaluakini Trask, local ACF president, the seminar’s goal is to demystify the different types of local beef produced and help ranchers sell their product “because we will connect the product with the potential user.”

Jesse Mau shows a Reserve Grand Champion lamb at the 2009 Hawaii County 4H show.

Learn how to prepare local, pasture-raised beef at a 4 p.m. public culinary demonstration: “How to Cook Grass-Fed Beef 101” by Chefs Jackie Lau and Ronnie Nasuti of Roy’s Restaurants-Hawaii.

Participants receive a takeaway recipe and cooking tips.

Tickets are $10 for the hour-long cooking demo.

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Ticket Info: Tasting Extravaganza: Purchase islandwide at UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) locations: Komohana Ag Complex in Hilo, 808.981.5199; the Kamuela Extension Office in Waimea, 808.887.6183 and the Kona Extension Office in Kainaliu, 808.322.4892. Tickets are also on sale at Parker Ranch Store and Kamuela Liquors in Waimea, Kuhio Grille in Hilo, JJ’s Country Market in Honoka‘a, the Pahala Plantation Store in Ka‘u, the Kona Wine Market in Kailua-Kona and the Hilton Waikoloa Village Kohala Essence Shop.

For more information, visit www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/taste.

Cooking 101 Demo: Register with University of Hawai‘i CTAHR Agronomist Susan Miyasaka, 981.5199 ext. 258 or miyasaka@hawaii.edu.

It’s All About Taste: Register with Michelle Galimba, 430.4927 or mgalimba@kuahiwiranch.com.

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Following “It’s All About Taste” is the 1-3 p.m. Agriculture Festival, a trade show to hook up chefs and wholesale buyers with farmers and ranchers.

While the event is closed to the public, vendors will continue their displays at the 6-8 p.m. Taste.

Come and “graze” at Mealani A Taste of the Hawaiian Range. It’s a celebration of our local fresh food and the people who produce it. v

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OF THE LAND

The Life Pond scum? No—it’s fast-growing algae, a promising biodiesel source.

Hawaii‘s lifestyle, for better or worse, depends on cars, trucks and buses.

And cars, trucks and buses, unfortunately, depend on oil. Currently most of that oil comes to the island via ships from Alaska or Indonesia. But Alaska’s reserves are already starting to dwindle, and Indonesia isn’t the most stable country in the world. Worldwide, oil production isn’t keeping up with growing worldwide demand. After a brief respite due to the economic crisis, gasoline prices on the island have climbed to over three dollars a gallon again.

But what if we could grow our own oil?

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Several companies are looking into just that possibility—especially that of producing biodiesel, a diesel substitute that can be created from used cooking oil or from a number of plant species. Biodiesel can be burnt in many farm tractors, most earthmovers, in some boats and in many commercial trucks; and, in the future, it could power many of our automobiles as well. Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz have been producing dieselpowered automobiles for decades. At 50-plus mpg and 140 horses, Volkwagen’s 2009 Diesel Jetta compares favorably to many hybrid vehicles.

Any diesel vehicle can burn biodiesel, and when it does, it burns cleaner; instead of smelling like diesel fumes, a car burning the current generation of biodiesel smells like French fries.

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Biodiesel isn’t a panacea. Any plan to generate enough of it to make even a significant dent in this island’s oil use could require thousands of acres of land, and some biodiesel crops would compete with food crops, cattle or Kona coffee for acreage. But other crops could be grown on what’s now considered marginal land, such as the abandoned pastures of Ka‘u or the thousands of acres in North Kona and Kohala that are currently covered with fountain grass.

When compared with an oil refinery, production of biodiesel is also a fairly simple process—so simple that some Big Islanders have created do-it-yourself biodiesel processors out of 50-gallon oil drums, and fueled their diesel cars or trucks with leftover oil from fast-food joints. Vegetable oil is combined with a catalyst to extract glycerin, a waxy substance that can be used to make soap or candles. The oil that remains is thin enough to burn in a diesel engine without gunking it up.

Two companies, in particular, are exploring the future of biodiesel in Kona. Pacific Biodiesel, which has been making biodiesel from cooking oil on Maui for years, is building a biodiesel plant in North Kona that could make the fuel from a variety of sources. And over at the Natural Energy Laboratories Hawaii Authority (NELHA) at Keahole Point, a company

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called Cellana is experimenting with biodiesel made from nature’s simplest plant: algae. According to Kelly King of Pacific Biodiesel, its new plant here would most likely rely on a “combination of waste cooking oil and jatropha oil.”

Jatropha is a small, hardy tree that produces poisonous but oil-rich fruit.

It’s already used as a source of biodiesel in some regions of the world, such as China, India and Southeast Asia. It has some drawbacks—the fruit has generally been picked by hand, like Kona coffee, and there have been some reports of bad skin rashes and other symptoms from workers who’ve had prolonged contact with it. But if some sort of mechanical harvesting system can be worked out, it does have advantages. For one, it’s a prime candidate for those marginal lands.

“It’s been touted as one of the prime crops for biofuel because it doesn’t take much water, it’s supposed to be drought resistant, it’s supposed to be pest resistant, and it doesn’t require much fertilizer,” says King. But jatropha isn’t the only candidate. King’s company got a $100,000 grant to test various other oil-producing plants, including coconuts, for their biodiesel production capabilities. One that looks particularly promising already grows feral around the island, and was used as a fuel source by the ancient Hawaiians. It’s the kukui nut.

Kukui is sometimes called “candle nut,” because Hawaiians would string several on a skewer, light them and use them for illumination. As it turns out, kukui trees produce about as much oil as jatropha. And one property of kukui makes it especially interesting: it gels at a much lower temperature than many oils, which makes it a possible candidate for jet fuels.

Extracting the oil is also a fairly low-tech process.

“If we had a crushing mill right now, we could just have people bringing in buckets of nuts, like recyclables,” says King. The crushing equipment, she notes, costs only “a few hundred thousand dollars.” Out at NELHA, Mark Huntley is experimenting with yet another oil source: that green scummy stuff that sometimes grows in a flower vase if you don’t empty the water out. The company he works for as chief technology and science officer is Cellana, and it has built a pilot plant to develop technologies for extracting oil from algae. It plans to build a full-scale commercial facility somewhere—maybe Kona, maybe somewhere else—by 2014. That plant, wherever it’s built, would be enormous:

Algae has one huge advantage over other oil crops: its extreme productivity. Even in the tropics, farmers can usually produce a maximum of only two or three crops of land plants per year. A tank of algae can be harvested in a couple of days. In fact, one challenge of algae is not so much in growing it, but in keeping it under control. It’s the world’s fastest-growing plant, and it’s literally everywhere.

“Algae grows 10 times faster than sugar cane,” Huntley says. “Try to imagine mowing the lawn three times a day and you have your growth rate.”

Researchers at the Center for Biorefining of the University of Minnesota estimate that algae produce 5,000 gallons of oil per acre. By comparison, corn yields 18 gallons, soybeans produce 48 gallons and palm trees yield 635 gallons per acre. Single cells float on the air, alight on a puddle, and

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“While we see the first commercial facility at a scale of a few thousand acres, subsequent facilities could be ten times larger, 20 times larger— about equal to a commercial sugar plantation.” But the pilot facility at NELHA is small: no more than an acre of algae ponds, plus the experimental technology (or technologies) to dry the algae and convert it to oil.

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{Continued from page 17 immediately go to work turning sunlight, water and trace nutrients into green slime. It grows so rapidly that “algal blooms” can deplete all of the oxygen from the water, killing other organisms.

To prevent bio-pollution, Cellana uses only strains of algae that are native to the islands. In order to control the growth rate, it grows the single-celled organisms in nutrient-depleted water. To avoid contamination by air-borne strains, it harvests rapidly and regularly. If a spill somehow did occur, the plant is relying on Kona’s crystalline, relatively nutrient-poor waters to prevent disaster.

“In the context of a tsunami, you may put some algae out there, but there are no nutrients to feed them...either they get eaten or they sink to the bottom...” Huntley says. “There are probably some local filter feeders that would be very happy for a day or two, if a tsunami were to occur.”

For Huntley, an oceanographer who left the Scripps Institute to work on Cellana’s project, doing the technology in an environmentally sound way is important. The company, he claims, has “very, very strict environmental standards, and strives to exceed standards that are already out there. We have a group of about 50 people now; a lot of them come from Hawai‘i.

One of the reasons that they work for us is that they want to do something to save the world,” he says. “They don’t want to mess it up anymore.”

Whether or not a full-scale algae-to-biodiesel facility is built here, he says, Hawaii will still have a major role in this new industry. “In Cellana’s view, the Kona pilot facility will continue to serve a very important role in being the global center of excellence for continuing development and improvement of the technologies—a global help desk, if you like, for commercial facilities that come into being.” v

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The company is experimenting with a variety of technologies to extract the oil from the algae. One possibility is to break up the algae cells using ultrasound. Another involves pressure-cooking the oil out of the algae. Another, already commonly used to extract soybean oil, involves

using a chemical called hexane as a catalyst. The hexane absorbs the oils, then the hexane is distilled off, leaving the oils behind. The hexane vapor is recaptured and reused, so it doesn’t enter the atmosphere. Huntley believes his plant will have settled on an extraction technology and built a pilot extraction facility by the end of the year.

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The Life IN ART

“Hula Girl Lifting Her Strap”

With her incredible eye for human emotion, color and light, she gives you a glimpse inside her subjects’ lives. A young hula dancer waiting to perform—her eyes tell you she is both excited and concerned about the performance to come. Will she remember all her steps? Will she make her kumu proud? Three hula

sisters relaxing after the performance—the bond they share as they laugh and relax is more than the moment. It tells of their commitment to the halau, through discipline, joy and pain, how they build relationships that can last a lifetime. Up close and intimate, Suzy intrigues you with a light-dappled midriff, dancer’s feet at rest, or a pair of hands holding a paddle or an ipu. What was the moment before that? What did they do next?

Suzy’s early training in portraiture and watercolor with respected California artists at her parents’ art school in Laguna Beach, California, immersed her

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A painting by Suzy Papanikolas delights the eyes and the imagination. As you walk by it, whether in a gallery or in your own home, it grabs your attention.

What is that? It’s not what is in the painting, but what is not. It’s the moment in between the beginning and the ending of the story the painting tells.

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{Continued from page 19 in the arts community at an early age. Her later college studies in anthropology, world literature and psychology helped her understand humanity—the person who lives inside the portrait. Her biography states she is a musician/ songwriter, farmer, psychotherapist, carpenter, decorative painter, muralist and fine arts painter. She has lived in Europe and Mexico and traveled widely throughout the South Pacific, looking for a place to land once she had decided she wanted to live in the islands. After living on Maui for a while, she has landed in Papa‘iko, north of Hilo on the Big Island.

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“Life is easier now,” she says. “I designed and built my

mission of the gardener, she says. While in Berkeley, she played bass, percussion and guitar in local pizza parlors with a group called the Righteous Mothers.

The combination of her construction expertise and her art led Papanikolas to work as a faux finisher and then a muralist. She produced one series of 40-foot-tall murals at the San Francisco International Airport, featuring animals in Renaissance clothing. No wonder the artist is comfortable with large-scale work and larger-than-life figures.

Many of her paintings are in the four-by-three-foot range in size. Suzy is attracted to the dancers, paddlers and cultural practitioners who live the Hawaiian culture.

Suzy Papanikolas with one of her new series of bird paintings on carved Masonite.

house on my own land. I can see all of Hilo from here.”

Following her studies in psychotherapy, she practiced as a primal therapist at a clinic in Los Angeles, the Center for Feeling Therapy. “It was very intense,” she said, admitting she was also working on her own issues.

When that clinic folded, she moved to Berkeley and, during the 80s, worked there full time as a carpenter.

It was reminiscent of her childhood days building tree houses on a neighbor’s large estate—with the per-

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“I like to catch people when they’re really involved in what they’re doing. I see the pensive looks on dancers waiting to perform. I’ve gotten to know many kumu as I’ve visited the cultural festivals.”

A prolific painter, she is devoting herself full time to her art. The ocean and wildlife also attract her attention. Many of her paintings capture the relationship of people with water “Keiki in Tidepool,” “Splash,” “Paddler at

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Rest,” “Young Wahine fishing,” “Swim Sisters.” Painting with acrylic on canvas with a textured base facilitates the brilliance of her colors and the ability to interpret reflected, natural lighting. Light and shadow emphasize the shapes of her human figures in a painterly way, and the faces are expressive and lively. Beyond realism, she uses her artist’s skill to make the subjects pop off the surface.

A new interest for Papanikolas is in carving line and texture on Masonite with a new series of paintings of cattle egrets. The soft, pastel colors enhance the white feathers of the graceful, long legged birds, and the paintings have an Oriental look and feel.

“Keiki in Tidepool” “Six Man Canoe”

Paintings by Suzy Papanikolas are featured at the Gallery Hilton Waikoloa Village and Dreams of Paradise Gallery in Hilo. See more of her paintings on the website, www.papanik.com. v

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of the people

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Legendary singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole relates the story of Hawaii’s Superman, Maui, who, before Clark Kent, somewhere in the dawn of time, attempted to capture the sun. He went in search of roads, rituals, and knowledge, a kind of Superwisdom, because it would be needed for “use by all the future generations.”

If there were ever a time in history when the world could benefit from Maui’s light, Hawaii’s mana, and the spirit of aloha, it is now. Mahealani Kuamo’o Henry, a Kumu ‘Elele, or messenger of the ancestors, is one Hawaiian Elder who is spreading more than her wings; she’s spreading aloha around the world.

“You recognize that all things are in excellence, i ka pono. In the right place, right time, right being,” says Aunty as she unwinds with her husband Kamo‘i at Luquin’s Restaurant in Pahoa. “It means that all things are in rightness, until you think not.”

Recently returned from a month-long tour in Australia, Aunty Mahealani, the colorful kumu with a crown of silvery hair, is a teacher of Aloha Lokahi, the Hawaiian value system of love and unity. An ancient, practical set of principles usually passed orally from elder to appren-

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tice, Lokahi reminds us to respect the ‘aina, the land, to enjoy ‘ohana, the family, and to stand pono, correct in all our actions.

“The key is staying pono, pono ke ala, walking “the honest path,” says Kamo‘i, Mahealani’s partner in consciousness-raising since 1967. He believes as firmly as Aunty that her purpose is to help bring realignment back to the world.

We think of another Hawaii native gracing the world stage, Barack Obama. “Exactly,” says Aunty. “Since Obama was elected president, the eyes of the world are looking on Hawai‘i. What’s so maika‘i, so beautiful, is that these are the effects of the aloha as my grandfather envisioned way back when he said that, ‘Ah! One day the world will be ready for aloha.’

“So the fact that Obama happens to be born in our islands is not by accident, but is what I refer to as kupuna engineering,” says Mahealani with a hearty laugh. “It is so pono!”

Kupuna engineering? Like the Balinese, Native American, and African cultures, traditional Hawaiians believe

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ancestral spirits counsel, caution, and help weave our lives with unseen, loving hands. The wise ones, aumakua, have only “changed address,” says Aunty, but they still speak to us through images, intuition, and nature’s movements.

Scientific research is finally catching up with Hawaiian spirituality. According to quantum physics and evolutionary ecology, at least three to five atoms you just inhaled were once a part of the body of the Buddha, Jesus, or Queen Liliuokalani. The proposition that Aunty, a ninth-generation, native-Hawaiian elder, would be in communion with her ancestors is now not only possible, but certain.

Expressing a form of ho’oponopono called Ho’opono Pono Ke Ala -- making more right the path – Aunty says, “We stay pono through awareness of the stories we’re telling ourselves, the mo‘olelo. If you’re going the Hawaiian way, with the purity of aloha spiritual values for self, others, and the environment,” she says, you see the universe as perfect.

The message of Aloha Lokahi is so simple you feel its truth.

“We have all we need,” she says, but after we’ve been in this dimension for a while, “we get so caught up in the human side of things, we forget the lokahi, the unity with spirit.”

Some people have become so alienated that they are destroying our own life-support systems on the planet.

Through aloha, many people can reconnect with spirit and rebound from the suicidal alienation. Because it’s not a religion and not nationalistic, but universal. The word aloha comes from Hawai‘i, but the spirit of aloha—love—is universal.

“Aloha is the heavenly energy we must feel in an all-toohuman world in order to feel whole. Spirit and human come together as we walk the path of life. If you forget about aloha,” she says, “you feel alone on the life journey, but the ancestors will help you. They’ll never abandon you.”

“So again,” she says. “It’s about how much of those other influences you want to make a part of your life. Or not.”

“I learned this from my grandfather,” says Mahealani. “He learned it from Kumu Élili o na Kupuna, the source teacher and messenger for the ancient ones.”

One day he drew a circle in the sand and said, “This is your center…. O. Around that, he drew another circle, and said, “This is mass society.”

“You are responsible for the aloha in here, in your center,” Aunty says, placing her hand on her heart. Her aloha was tested, but not defeated, when the state of Hawai‘i decided to cancel leases on Hawaiian homelands in Puna. In the

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Instead of “fighting them and losing my own aloha, I helped educate them to not take back lands that never were the state of Hawaii’s to give or take in the first place,” she says. “The kupuna led me to put together a program that was strictly about aloha.” And it worked. As the president of the Hawaiian Homelands group, Kulana, she orchestrated a new balance of power between the state of Hawai‘i and kanaka maoli.

Though in the civic limelight for those 12 years, Mahealani prefers to conduct her business at her “office” at Puna’s Ahalanui warm ponds, where water heated by subterranean magma rises to the surface, mixes with cool seawater, and creates a bath of nearly perfect temperature. She leads healing celebrations while floating in this liquid bliss every full-moon night with an evolving ‘ohana. (When she’s on island. Next dates: Friday, September 4 and Sunday, October 4) Aunty is also leading a Cruise Retreat with her sister, Kumu Hula Neaulani Kuamo’o-Peck this autumn. A learning vacation for anyone to study and practice the lokahi tradition, the floating aloha academy sets sail from Honolulu on October 31 on the 920-ft., 2,000-passenger ship, the Pride of America.

Then she heads back to Australia for the December 3 -9 Parliament of the World’s Religions with the Dalai Lama and Ravi Shankar.

If Aunty is starting to sound like Maui’s mate, a Superwoman who captured not only the sun, but eternal delight, and is now flying around the world sharing this Superwisdom with the world, so be it.

I think Aunty would say we’re all supermen and superwomen, all carriers of the light, so pick up your capes and wings, and take flight. v Aunty Mahealani’s CD, “Aloha Mana,” made with Alohapuanani and Big Island musicians can be found at www.alohamana.com.

The 7-Day “Aloha & Gratitude” Hawaiian Island Cruise Retreat on board the NCL Pride of Aloha setting sail from Honolulu Oct. 31, to Nov. 7, 2009, with Aunty and her sister Neaulani can be found at www.gratitudepower.net/ cruise.htm Read more about the Australian Parliament of the World’s Religions where Aunty Mahealani will present at www.parliamentofreligions.org.

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The most important mo’olelo are the stories that maintain harmony, buoyancy, and an uplifting attitude that begins within and radiates to the world around us.

tradition of Gandhi and the Dalai Lama, she counseled peaceful means, aloha, and the staging of a gala lu‘au to bring everyone to a consensual agreement.

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South Kona Green Market

“People tell me they get more hugs here than anywhere,” says Tim Bruno, the visionary entrepreneur behind the South Kona Green Market, the Sunday gathering place that has been embraced wholeheartedly by the community.

When Bruno moved with his wife Karen Kriebl to a coffee and avocado farm in Kona in february of 2008, they tried repeatedly to get booth space at the popular Keauhou farmers’ Market. After being turned away, apparently for lack of space, “We decided to open our own,” says Mr. Bruno.

“We drove around looking for an open space big enough for farmers, but also artisans and craftspeople.” They found their field at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden across from the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook, in the heart of Hawaii’s richest agricultural region.

In the year it’s been open, the colorful South Kona Green Market has become a Sunday ceremony for many on the Kona Coast. “We wanted to create a situation where we don’t need to import food,” Bruno says, standing like a proud father overlooking the marketplace, “but there’s a collective spirit too.” It’s visible in the new but very ancient ritual of exchange directly from maker to consumer, the appreciation without the distance, the mark-up, or the wasteful energy consumption. friendly, hand-to-hand and face-to-face meeting is not a commodity that can be bought.

“Making money is important, but not the most important thing. This is ‘ohana’ in every sense of the word. It’s fun to be here.”

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That sense of ohana is what inspired organizers to apply for federal non-profit status as the Hawaii Island Green Initiative, and to add a Saturday event, Green Clean. Essentially a swap meet, especially for people who live in inaccessible farms, it gives everyone a chance to clean out their closets and have a community yard sale. This “occasional” event will be held again on Sept. 12.

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Wearing his trademark tattered straw hat and an orange shirt at the Sunday market, Bruno doesn’t look like the ringmaster of a sustainability circus, though he feels that way on occasion. “I’m actually more like a good mayor,” he says. “I help get things done by doing the things nobody else is doing,” he says.

That includes setting up tents, checking to see that the featured live music is on stage, educational lectures are on time, and demonstrations running smoothly.

Strolling through on any typical Sunday, you could choose to visit with Master Gardeners who offer free advice, watch dance performances by West Hawaii Dance Academy, or eat ginger-rich, all-natural Thai food from the Lotus Café.

Children roll down the soft hill, feeling their hands and bellies in the grass. Their parents chat with neighbors and local kupuna who have treasures of knowledge about growing fresh island lettuce, watermelon, rosemary and sage.

“Our focus has been on sustainability from the beginning,” he says. “We got into this to sell our own food. But, there’s strength in numbers. If each farmer here were selling individually, buyers would have to travel up little winding roads to our separate lands. No one would come. But here, people can get a variety of food, and also glass-blowing, yoga, artisans, and craftspeople, every Sunday.”

With their motto of “from the Land, By Our Hand,” the South Kona Green Market is held every Sunday. On Saturday, Sept. 12, you can join in the community swap meet, Green Clean. Events are 9 am – 1 pm and anyone interested in becoming a vendor and/or sharing your ideas, please visit www.skgm.org or contact info@SKGM.org. v

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Upper Cervical Health Center of America “I have always been told that you should open your own practice where you want to live the rest of your life,” says Joe Breuwet, DC, owner of Kona’s Upper Cervical Health Center of America. “from the first moment I set foot on the Big Island eight years ago, I knew that this is where my practice would have to be.”

Breuwet, a Doctor of Chiropractic, has attained additional certification as an Upper Cervical practitioner, the specialty of the clinic, through extensive training in addition to the standard Chiropractic education including class work, seminars, one-on-one training and ongoing education to stay current with the latest developments in Upper Cervical technology.

Upper Cervical Health Center of America is located directly above Costco at 73-5618 Maiau Street, Suite A203.

“I could not be more thrilled with the location,” he says. “I think I have one of the best spots on the Island.”

His biggest challenge is in explaining the specialty to people.

“Because I am the only Upper Cervical specific doctor in the entire state, my biggest challenge has been educating the community about Upper Cervical care. Upper Cervical care is a unique and very different form of Chiropractic. It is a very gentle and precise technique that does not involve any twisting, cracking or popping.

Through a very specific correction to the top vertebra in the spine (the atlas), proper posture and balance is restored to the entire body. Once balance is restored, range of motion and body performance tend to improve while muscle tension, joint pain, neck and back pain tend to dissipate.”

Conditions that have responded to Upper Cervical care include (but not limited to): migraines, acid reflux, disc bulges/herniations, neck pain, allergies, fibromyalgia, arthritis, vertigo, asthma, neurological disorders, ADD, and low back pain, he says.

“Every function the body performs, from the beat of your heart to the regulation of hormones to the distribution of oxygen, is controlled by a message sent from your brain through the atlas to its destination in the body. If the atlas is not in exactly the correct

position, some of these messages will get corrupted or blocked entirely. Because this area of the body is so vital to the proper overall function of the body, we take extreme care and precision to restore its proper positioning. This is what makes Upper Cervical specific care different than what anyone else does in Hawaii.” for more information about Upper Cervical Health Center of America, call 808.327.1188 or email uppercervicalhawaii@gmail. com. Website: www.uppercervicalhawaii.com. v

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Duncan Bamsey, Office Manager, left, and Dr. Joe Breuwet.

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Polynesians of yesterday and today have beautiful skin. This could be due to their use of the oil from our state tree, the kukui, which their ancestors introduced to Hawai‘i around 1600 A.D. Kukui trees and the nuts they produce have many uses for health, beauty and lifestyles. The ancients used the oil to moisturize their skin and to protect it from the intense sun, salt water, and to assist in the healing of cuts, burns, insect bites and more.

Probably originating in Malaysia, the kukui (Aleurites moluccana) is an attractive tree that can grow quite large — up to three feet in diameter and 60 feet tall. It has pale green leaves and reproduces freely, as do many

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nut trees. When a kukui tree begins producing its nuts at about the age of three, it’s difficult to harvest all the plentiful, oily nuts before they drop to the ground and sprout into a new tree. This explains why the kukui has successfully naturalized into widespread areas of Hawai‘i: check out Waimea Valley on Kaua‘i and Pelekunu Valley on Moloka‘i for examples of extensive groves of kukui trees.

Kukui means “light” in Hawaiian, which is why it is also called the candlenut tree. Containing up to 80 percent oil, the nuts were pressed to yield their oil, which was used as lamp oil. The nuts were also skewered on bamboo or the midrib of a coconut frond like a shish kebab (called a kalikukui) and then set ablaze. Sometimes a large torch called an ‘aulama was created when six to 10 kalikukui were bound together and enclosed in a sheath of ti leaves. Smaller torches called lama were made from a piece of bamboo stuffed with kukui nuts. Ancient Hawaiians also created stone oil lamps called poho kukui for their ali‘i — these used a strip of kapa, or tapa cloth, as a wick.

Kukui nuts and oil have many other uses as well. The nuts, although edible and quite tasty, are laxative and purgative, so beware that you don’t eat too many. If a person took too much kukui in old Hawai‘i and suffered from diarrhea, a preparation of arrowroot, or pia (Tacca leontopetaloides), was given with poi. When baked, ripe kukui nuts were crushed and applied to skin ulcers. Even the bark has been used in Hawai‘i, Tahiti, the Marquesas, Tonga and other Pacific islands: it was used for asthma and as a gargle for treating thrush, sore throats, tonsilitis and mouth sores. In Fiji, kukui oil is used topically to stimulate hair growth.

Kukui nuts served as a traditional tattoo material, with the residue of burned nuts mixed with oil or coconut water, into which sharp bird bones were dipped and then used to pierce the skin. Hawaii’s first surfers — the adventurous souls who invented the surfboard — rubbed this mixture into their boards’ wood grain and then applied several coats of kukui nut oil to provide waterproofing.

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How to Grow Kukui

If you want a fast-growing tree that is capable of creating a grove or orchard of good-looking trees quickly, kukui is a good choice.

It’s a great screen if you find your home suddenly surrounded by new homes or if you need protection from the wind. However, be certain to leave 20 to 25 feet between a kukui tree and your house.

From sea level to almost 4,000 feet in altitude, the kukui is a good choice for home gardens. You can purchase a kukui tree as a starter plant at local nurseries, or you can collect nuts from a friend’s tree.

Don’t worry: the nuts will sprout and grow quickly and within one to two years you will have a tree that is several feet tall.

The kukui produces nuts twice each year. If you gather nuts, place them in a bucket of water and use only the nuts that sink. Soak those in hot water for five minutes before you plant them in a pot with a good quality potting mix. Keep the soil moist but not soggy; they can take three or four months to germinate. When the young trees are about six inches tall, transplant them to an area with a bit of soil (one to two feet is sufficient — they practically grow out of soild rock in some areas). Try to keep the soil in which they started intact. Dig a hole that is slightly larger than the rootball of the young tree and then stir in a bit of compost or well-rotted manure

(chicken manure with straw is a good choice). Place your tree into the hole and then backfill it with the soil you dug out. Keep it watered for the first two months if rains don’t do the job. Fertilizer is unnecessary, but mulching with leaves of other plants can help keep the weeds away. Insects do not seem to bother kukui trees, but when the nuts drop to the ground they can become dinner for slugs, snails, rats and pigs. v

Making Kukui Nut O

il

Here’s how to make small amounts of ku kui nut oil at ho me.

1. Select nuts th at sink in water .

2. Crack nuts w ith a hammer, then remove the m eat and place it in a nonstick baki ng pan.

3. Heat your ov en to 450˚ and then bake for 15 minutes.

4. Let the mixtu re cool, and th en mash it and pl ace it in a glas s jar.

5. Cover the ja r tightly and pl ace it in the sun for up to tw o weeks.

6. Pour off the oil and keep it refrigerated.

References:

www.netstate.com/states/symb/trees/hi_kukui_tree.htm http://www.natural-elements-online.com/history-of-kukui-tree.asp Kepler, Angela Kay. Hawaiian Heritage Plants. Honolulu, University of Hawai‘i Press, 1998.

Leonard, David Bruce. Medicine At Your Feet. Hilo, Hawai‘i, Roast Duck Producktion, 2007.

Whistler, W. Arthur, Polynesian Herbal Medicine. Lawai, Hawa‘i, National Tropical Botanical Garden, 1992.

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at home

The Life

There is a beautiful gift that the ancient Hawaiians have passed down through generations: the ability to live in harmony with nature. For centuries, the Hawaiians of old lived with a deep interconnectedness with nature that gave them power and nourishment on every level—physical, emotional and spiritual.

He wai e ola! “The water of life!”

Water, in particular was seen as a sacred source of life and wealth. It was considered to be so valuable that the ancient Hawaiians used the word “wai”, meaning fresh water, to indicate wealth. And to signify prosperity and abundance, they would say “waiwai”.

Kane is one of the four major Hawaiian gods (Kane, Ku, Lono and Kanaloa). The god of fresh water, he is considered to be the creator of all life. From the earliest days, Kane’s waters have been described to be the source of creation, renewal and regeneration.

Water as Medicine

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In Hawaiian and many other ancient cultures and traditions, water symbolizes our mind, our emotions and our dreams. Coming from this perspective, we can begin to understand why it is necessary for our overall health and wellbeing to cultivate a positive relationship to this powerful element.

benefit from its positive qualities. But just like approaching the ocean, we must utilize this powerful element with respect and correct knowledge.

Water in the right placement, such as near the front entrance of the home, is highly auspicious.

It can draw a powerful flow of positive energy into the home. This can result in greater health, relationship harmony and financial success for its occupants.

However, water placed incorrectly can be equally powerful in the opposite way. Positioning a large body of water in the back of the home is one example of poor placement of the water element. Just as our bodies need a strong backbone for stability and health, our home (which is viewed as our greater body) needs the stability of the earth element as a “backbone” to support the life goals and aspirations of its occupants. Therefore, a home with a large body of water positioned to its rear, like a swimming pool or the ocean, can drain its occupants of physical, emotional and financial resources.

Given the high percentage of island homes that are designed with the ocean to the rear, this can be startling news. But don’t be dismayed!

Fortunately, the ancient wisdom of feng shui, gives us the ability to remedy modern building and design imbalances. It gives us the guidelines and tools to redirect improper ch’i flow so that we can harmonize with and benefit from the powerful elements of nature, just like the Hawaiians of old. v

According to acupuncture and Chinese medicine, when our water ch’i (or life force energy) is healthy and plentiful, we feel a natural sense of calm, inspiration, creativity and willpower. We are able to attract abundance to us with fluidity and ease. We are also able to easily connect with our intuitive and spiritual self.

If our water ch’i is weak we will experience adrenal stress, fear, anxiety, competition, and discouragement. We struggle to attain prosperity and we lack depth and meaningful purpose in life.

Waterfall with Quan Yin. Photo by photographer Angy Chesler.

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Water and Feng Shui

With feng shui, we can assess the water element in our surroundings to effectively

The owners of this home have incorporated ceramic pots with plants, a large lava rock waterfall and a beautiful rose quartz crystal lamp to offset the large swimming pool and ocean view water features behind their home.

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Feng shui is powerful, positive medicine for your life. Because of this, it has become very popularized in recent years. But, just like acupuncture, feng shui is an in-depth science, and working with only a bit of knowledge can actually be hazardous. So, while it is always best to get proper training and/or consult an expert when building and designing for positive energy flow and harmony, below are some guidelines you can rely on.

• Do you have the ocean, a swimming pool or pond behind your home?

Any large body of water highlighted behind the home will transform water’s flowing gifts into an unstable foundation for life. Use the earth element to help stabilize and sustain your situation. Incorporate some large rocks, boulders and large ceramic pots in earth tones behind your home. For the most powerful results, place one or two large earth crystals or geodes behind your home. Crystals and geodes that have been growing in the ground for millennia have concentrated earth energy, or “mana,” that will anchor and stabilize health, harmony and finances in your life.

• Do you desire greater harmony and love in your life?

The water element in your bedroom can bring up emotional issues in your relationships. Remove all pictures of waterscapes, fountains, hot tubs and water-suggesting colors (such as black, navy or dark brown) from your bedroom area.

Even an enhanced view of the ocean from the bedroom can be problematic. Diffuse the view with sheers that will allow proper light to shine through and enjoy your ocean view from other areas of the house. Rose quartz lamps in the bedroom can help to offset water features that are not removable.

• Do you desire greater ease and flow in your creative and/or financial life?

Incorporate a waterfall or water fountain at your entrance or in the wealth area (the far left corner of your property from the front entrance). Be sure that the water is flowing toward the house to direct positive opportunity into your life. Water flowing away from the house or property will drain you of essential resources. When incorporating a water feature at the front entrance, be sure to place it to the right of the door when entering the house.

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in art

The Life Walking barefoot inside your tropical Hawaiian home gives you an appreciation for the floor covering that’s more than esthetic. The tactile sense now becomes as important as the functionality, maintenance and appearance.

One option that may not be our initial thought is a pure-fiber rug of the Oriental type. You may think 100-percent wool, silk or hemp is impractical in the tropics, but the opposite is true.

Not only have the hand-woven rug techniques used in Nepal, India, China and Pakistan—producers of some of the finest hand-woven rugs in the world—been passed down for generations, the actual rugs survive for multiple generations. The wool, which is high in lanolin, is more stain resistant, easier to clean and lustrous than synthetic materials, while the hemp is also very durable as well as resistant to mildew, an asset for homes near the ocean.

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Barbara DeFranco, manager of The Indich Collection in KailuaKona and design collaborator for many of the store’s rugs that are made especially for the Hawai‘i market, says they are like art under foot.

“I marvel at the craftsmanship and the subtleties created by the dye, the texture and the quality of the materials. Weaving is an ancient form of recording the cultural histories and landscapes, and not only have we brought the ancient industry into the Hawaiian Islands, but we’ve gone the next step, recording the beauty of Hawai‘i in the rugs.”

The Indich story is unique. Founder Bill Indich, a philosophy professor, merged his appreciation for the culture of Hawai‘i and the cultures of India and Tibet while traveling under a grant from the American Institute of Indian Studies back in the ‘70s. He and his wife, Susan, had also worked for a collector of Oriental rugs and art before they made a connection with a group of Tibetan rug exporters. They thought it would be a good idea to bring rugs to Hawaii.

They formed an importing business in 1979 out of their Oahu home, then expanded to a retail space in Honolulu and, years later, The Indich Collection has four locations, two in Honolulu, one in Maui and one in the Old Industrial Area in Kailua-Kona.

It was in 1996, after having sold tribal and traditional Persian, Indian and Chinese rugs in Hawai‘i for 17 years, that the Indiches decided to test-market something new—custommade rugs featuring Hawaiian motifs. This was a natural attraction for Hawaii home decorators looking more for Hawaiian design than Persian (Iranian).

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The dining area of the home of John and Arlene Saffro at Four Seasons Hualalai Resort features a wool rug with the contemporary Hawaiian design called “Kula Bloom,” with a hibiscus theme.

The rugs are still manufactured by hand, primarily in Nepal, India and China (due to long-term political problems in Iran), but they’re designed with tropical themes and colors that follow decorating trends.

“Hawaiians are a warm and generous people, and I wanted to convey the spirit of aloha in the rugs,” says Indich. Drawing on Hawaiian lore and tradition, he uses motifs such as the maile

leaf woven with the ilima lei flowers to represent a strengthening of bonds between people, a binding together. Petroglyphs, banana leaf, monstera, lauhala, kapa, hibiscus and anthurium are also incorporated into the Hawaiian-themed designs.

As decorating trends change, the design team stays in touch with local and national interior design firms to anticipate what the market wants. Also, as the economy shifts, they are sensitive to the range of price people are able to pay.

“We stay on top of both the design and the economic trends,” says Indich. “As Kama‘aina ourselves, we are sensitive to people’s needs and are looking for long-term relationships with our customers.”

Today, for example, a more contemporary look has evolved, merging Hawaiian themes with Eastern, so a home can blend an Oriental theme with the tropical.

“The islands’ aesthetics are very much influenced by Chinese and Japanese sensitivities to art,” says Indich. Bamboo is one motif used to highlight the Asian simplicity and elegance of design. Colors, too, are becoming more subtle. In the last few years, he says, greens and golds have been replaced by chocolate and parfait colors such as turquoise, orange, and bright yellow. “Even pink and purple are coming back.” A special solid red, Volcano Red, honors the Big Island and Pele, says DeFranco.

The firm’s relationships with rug factories has survived over many years of political turmoil, as well as acceptance of different design requests, says Indich. Recently, more production has moved to India, due to problems in Nepal, for example.

They stay with those makers they know are good and reliable, with an agent who inspects everything for quality control.

Sometimes a custom order can challenge the small-scale handmade rug operations, he says. The company was selected to furnish rugs for the suites at Hualalai Four Seasons Resort.

This required a custom size and custom design for 220 huge rugs, said Indich. “It was earth-shattering news in Nepal. It required all the looms to make the 11-by -9, all-wool rugs. We’re proud to say we delivered the order in only four months.”

The collection includes rugs for all budgets, ranging from a $38 dhurrie to the $38,000 100-percent silk Persian Kashan fit for a palace. The Kona store offers customers the opportunity to try out a rug in their home before purchase. The company ships worldwide, and at no extra cost, to the Mainland. v

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September Friday, Sept. 4 13th Annual Taste of Hawaii Island Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Culinary event kicking off a two-day weekend to benefit cancer research.

Showcases locally-grown foods and the culinary artistry of the island’s finest chefs and restaurants. Popular silent auction, fun, food, drinks, and live entertainment. Reservations by Wed., Sept. 2; pricing subject to change. 6-9 p.m. at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kona. Cost: $80 adults/$40 children.

Event Hotline: 808.325.8052.

Website: www.fsrh.net/pr/taste_ golf_tennis.pdf

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Saturday, Sept. 5 13th Annual “Run for Hope” Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Benefit for cancer research in Hawaii.

Day of sporting events: 10K run/5K run/ walk, golf scramble and tennis tourney.

Call: 808.325.8052, email: natie. whitlock@fourseasons.com or visit www.fsrh.net/pr/taste_golf_tennis.pdf

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Friday-Sunday, Sept. 4-6 Hawaiian Cultural Weekend Waikoloa Beach Resort Part of the Hawaii Island Festival, featuring Hawaiian arts and crafts, hula performances, food, music and Royal Court appearance. Ms. Aloha Nui Pageant at 6 p.m. on Sept. 4th for wahine over 200 lbs.; The Great Waikoloa Poke Contest 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sept. 5th, where amateurs and pros compete in creating Hawaii’s “soul food” (free samples); and the annual Kindy Sproat Falsetto & Storytelling Contest on Sept. 6th from 2-6 p.m. Queens’ MarketPlace and Kings’ Shops.

808.886.8822 or visit www.waikoloabeachresort.com.

Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation Awards Banquet/Benefit Fairmont Orchid, Waikoloa Resort This Gala Dinner and Silent Auction at the Fairmont Orchid honors the heroes of the Hawaii County Fire Department who have risked their lives to save others. Silent auction at 4:30 p.m. with dinner commencing at 6 p.m.

Those seeking an invitation may call 329.8067 and leave name and number or contact through www.DanielSayreFoundation.com. Donations from the silent auction go to purchase much needed rescue/emergency equipment and advanced training for the HCFD. For more info, email mallerysayre@hawaii.rr.com.

Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 5-6 Queen Lili’uokalani Long Distance Canoe Races Kona Coast World’s largest long-distance canoe race, with dozens of canoe halau (clubs) and hundreds of paddlers from Hawai‘i and beyond. Event features single hull, double hull and individual races along with a torchlight parade, dance and luau awards ceremony.

Call 808.334.9481 or visit www.kaiopua.org.

Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 5-6 35th Annual Parker Ranch Round-Up Club Rodeo Parker Ranch, Waimea Two days of family-style rodeo fun at Parker Ranch Rodeo Arena in Waimea.

Fundraiser provides scholarships for school-age children of Parker Ranch employees. Events may include open and dally team roping, steer wrestling, double mugging, po’o wai u, bull riding, junior bull riding, wahine barrel racing, wahine steer un-decorating, keiki barrel racing for participants 12 & under, and mutton busting (keiki sheep riding).

Time: noon, Sat.; 1pm, Sun., at Parker Ranch Rodeo Arena, Waimea. Food & refreshments. For more information,

call 808.885.5669 or visit www.parkerranch.com.

Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) Up Country Faire Kealakekua Family fun from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with games & prizes, bouncy castle and climbing wall. Good foods at the Country Cafe and the Sugar Shack. The Great Baruski magician at 1 pm, and free Keiki ID program by Kona Masonic Lodge.

Christ Church, corner of Konawaena School Rd. & Mamalahoa Hwy. in Kealakekua, just below the high school.

Large covered area, so the Faire is held rain or shine! Free. For more information, call 323.3429 or email admin@christchurchkona.com.

Saturday, Sept. 12 Forest Education Fair Niaulani Campus, Volcano Village Open house to learn about Volcano area forests and Hawaiian cultural connections. Native plant sale, hula and music performances, and educational displays about rare and endangered flora and fauna, invasive plants and animals. Cultural practitioners and educators offer hands-on activities, such as lei making, kapa beating, printing with plants and learning songs about the forest.

Guides lead the informative “Niaulani Nature Walk,” every hour on the hour.

The first walk, at 10 a.m., is especially for children and families. Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village (corner of Kalanikoa & Old Volcano Roads). Free (calabash donations welcome). Call 808.967.8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.

Saturday, Sept. 12 “Flipp” Out! Hakalau, Hamakua Coast An intimate evening of stories and jazz as performed by two local Filipino women who grew up on plantations in Hawaii. They tell about their plantation roots and transition to modern, urban life where they became musicians.

Sure to delight and entertain. Akiko’s

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Buddhist Bed and Breakfast at 15-mile marker, Hwy. 19 on Hamakua Coast.

7 p.m. 808.963.6422 or e-mail msakiko@hawaii.rr.com.

Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 12-13 Lavaman Triathlon & Sports Festival Keauhou Two days of sports, fitness and healthrelated activities surrounding the First Annual Lavaman Keauhou - Olympic Distance Triathlon (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run), held on a two-lap course.

Activities begin on Saturday at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort with a Family Health, Sports and Fitness Expo, “Health Grinds” Contest & Sampling at Keauhou Shopping Center, and LavaKids Youth Aquathon, Keiki Dash & Picnic at Kahaluu Beach. On Sunday, the First Annual Lavaman Keauhou Triathlon starts at 7 a.m. The day ends with Awards Banquet & Beach Party. For elite and age group athletes of all levels and relay teams. Sponsored by the Hawaii Sports Connection. Entry fee. Call 877.532.8468 or visit www.lavamantriathlon.com.

Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 17-20 Hawaii County Fair Hilo A popular annual event with lots of local color, wide variety of island ethnic foods, live musical and vocal entertainment, games, farm products, special exhibits, informational booths and much more. Hilo Civic Auditorium fairgrounds,

Friday, Sept. 18 Hula Heritage and Dance Festival East Hawaii Cultural Center, Hilo The legend of Hawaiian Princess Kahikilaulani is presented in this hula and drama event presented by the princess’ namesake hula troupe (halau) under the direction of Kumu Hula Ray Fonseca.

East Hawaii Cultural Center in Hilo. Fee. For more info, call 808.961.5711 or visit www.ehcc.org.

Friday, Sept. 18 Mealani’s A Taste of the Hawaiian Range Hilton Waikoloa Village Taste of the Hawaiian Range features heavy sampling of delectable dishes using local grass-fed beef, pork, and lamb, plus a bounty of fresh, island-grown fruit and veggies. In addition, attendees can meet Hawaii’s food producers at vendor booths, and talk story with the local farmers and ranchers. Open to the public from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $40 presale and $80 at the door. Tickets available at Komohana Ag Complex in Hilo, 808.981.5199; the Kamuela Extension Office in Waimea, 808.887.6182 and the Kona Extension Office in Kainaliu, 808.322.4892. Also on sale at Parker Ranch Store and Kamuela Liquors in Waimea, Kuhio Grille in Hilo, JJ’s Country Market in Honoka’a, the Pahala Plantation Store in Ka’u, the Kona Wine Market in Kailua-Kona and the Hilton Waikoloa Village Kohala Essence Shop. For more information, visit www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/taste.

Friday, Sept. 18 New Orleans’ Own Hot 8 Brass Band Hilo Epitomizing New Orleans street music for over a decade, the band plays the traditional parades, performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, as well as around the world, and were featured in the Spike Lee documentary, When the Levees Broke. One night only, at UH Hilo Performing Arts Center. 7:30 p.m. More info: http://artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.

Tickets: by phone 808.974.7310

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Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 16-17 Kupuna Hula Festival Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort Some of Hawaii’s most experienced and talented kupuna (elders) hula dancers perform at this very popular annual event, which is a part of the Hawaii Island Festival – 30 Days of Aloha. Event is open to any amateur individual or group, and each participant must be 55 years or older. Individual competitive categories, all in ‘auana style, are Tutu Wahine and Tutu Kane; Group competition categories are Wahine, Kane and Mixed divisions. Fun night and craft fair are also held during the two-day event at the festival site. It will also feature an appearance by the Royal Court.

5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa. For more information, call Kelley at 808.322.1812.

sponsored by Hilo Jaycees, 5:30 p.m. – midnight Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.

– 11 p.m. Saturday & Sunday.

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Friday, Sept. 18 Keola Beamer & Carlos Nakai in Concert Palace Theater, Hilo Keola Beamer, one of Hawai‘i’s premier singer/songwriters, arrangers, composers and master of the Hawaiian slackkey guitar, will be joined in this special concert by famed native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai. Nakai will weave together haunting melodies of his traditional flute with Beamer’s Island songs. 7 p.m. Palace Theater in Hilo. 808.934.7010 or visit www.hilopalace.com.

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Friday-Saturday, Sept. 18-19 Paniolo Artisans Showcase Kahilu Theatre, Waimea Hawai‘i paniolo gather together to demonstrate, exhibit and share their skills and culture at this debut event, which focuses on the master craft of saddle making, but will also feature films, entertainment and other activities. Kahilu Theatre in Waimea.

Call 808.936.6220 or visit www.paniolopreservation.org.

Saturday, Sept. 19 Paniolo Parade and Ho‘olaulea Waimea The annual Paniolo Parade starts at 10 a.m. at “Church Row” and proceeds to Waimea Park. Pa‘u riders (princesses on horseback) with attendants are decorated with the flowers of their

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respective islands. The Parade is followed by one of the best crafts show of the year, featuring island foods, games, arts & crafts, Hawaiian products and live entertainment in Waimea Ball Park, from 11 am to 4 pm.

Truly a great local family event!

Note: 1 hour road closure. For more information, call Linda at 808.885.9259 or 808.885.3110.

Saturday, Sept. 19 Mauka Food & Fun Fest Kealakekua Kona Historical Society hosts this free family event at the KHS’s pasture in Kealakekua from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. All-day live, musical entertainment on stage; multi-ethnic traditional food booths; “hands on” Hawaiian ranching activities & demonstrations (lauhala weaving, Hawaiian tree saddle making, pa’u wrapping, beekeeping, Hawaiian plants, ukulele making, ipu growing, local food demos, horseshoeing contest, stone oven bread baking and more); antique, collectible and craft dealers; horseshoe tournament; free historical performances at the H.N. Greenwell Store; pony rides, petting zoo and cowboy games.

For more info, call 323.3222 or email khs@konahistorical.org.

Sunday, Sept. 20 3rd Annual International Day of Peace Parade and Festival Honoka‘a The tranquil and friendly Hamakua Coast town of Honoka‘a joins the world community in observing the United

Nations International Peace Day with a parade featuring marching bands, hula troupes, Taiko drums, rock & roll, street performers and more - plus the Jesse White Tumblers from Chicago. Starts at noon, with festival to follow at 1 p.m.

For more info, call 808.883.0669 or visit www.peacedayparade.org.

Sunday, Sept. 20 Hulihe‘e Palace Monthly Sunday Concert and Village Stroll Kailua-Kona Stroll thru Kailua Village (1 p.m.-6 p.m.); enjoy outdoor cafés and restaurants, local musicians & artists. Special kama’aina pricing at participating restaurants & merchants. Free Hawaiian music concert featuring the Merrie Monarchs men’s glee club and dancing by the halau of Etua Lopez on the Palace’s South Lawn at 4 p.m., presented by the Daughters of Hawaii.

Bring your own beach mat or chair.

Friday, Sept. 25 Fireside Stories Volcanoes National Park Gather around the eternal fire of Pele in the Volcano House lobby to learn about the history, culture and people of Hawaii. A free series of informal talks presented by the Volcano Art Center at the Volcano House. This month’s talk is “Pele Legends and Chants” with Leilehua Yuen. Free (Park entrance fees apply). Call 808.967.8222.

Saturday, Sept. 26 Namaste’s Birthday Party Hilo The 11th birthday party for Namaste, the rare white Bengal tiger at the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens in Hilo. Features a concert by the Hawaii

County Band and other entertainment, games for the kids, crafts and foods.

Plus treats and party favors for all the animals! 9 a.m – 4 p.m. Free!

Visit www.hilozoo.com.

Saturday, Sept. 26 Bird Dog & the Bluez Houndz Dance Party Holualoa Holualoa Village Assoc. presents live blues and rock music by Bird Dog & the Bluez Houndz, 7-10 p.m. on the big dance floor at Holualoa’s Imin Center. $12 or $10 advance at Holualoa Businesses. Call 808.322.8484 for more info.

Sunday, Sept. 27 He Halia Aloha No Ka Queen Liliuokalani Festival Hilo Annual festival celebrating the birthday of Hawaii’s beloved Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii.

Music, food and dancing, featuring dozens of Big Island halau, in the beautiful surroundings of the Queen’s historical namesake, Japanese-style gardens in central Hilo. Includes a flower drop.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Shuttle to and from Civic Auditorium parking area. For more info, call 808.961.8706.

October October 1-4 HOEA (Hawaiian ‘Ohana for Education in the Arts) Market Four-day HOEA Market event at ‘A‘ole Minuke Park in Waimea.

Hawaiian cultural arts students of HOEA exhibit and sell their artwork. Other Native Hawaiian artists are also invited

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to sell works of fine art. Applications are still being accepted, with a deadline of Sept. 15. Performance standards are posted on the website (www. khf-hoea.org). Also inviting Native Hawaiian fashion designers to debut their collections at the HOEA fashion show.

Friday, Oct. 2 Big Island Woodworkers & Artists Exhibit Hilo Native and exotic hardwoods from the forests of the Big Island star in this show as beautiful pieces of furniture crafted

by Island woodworkers. Pieces are exhibited along with stone sculpture and abstract paintings. Wailoa Center in Hilo.

Free. Weekdays only 8:30-4:30 (noon – 4:30 Wednesday) 808.933.0416.

Oct. 6-11 Navigation Festival Hilo This weeklong program celebrates the historic feats of Pacific navigators and ongoing efforts to revive and expand skills and interest in long-distance canoe voyaging. Free activities include talks, workshops, demonstrations and the chance to learn about wayfinding, navigation and the legacy of the Hokulea. At the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. Call 808.969.9704 or visit www.imiloahawaii.org.

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Friday, Oct. 16 “Dervish” Traditional Irish Music Hilo Dervish—one of the most respected acts of modern time in World/Roots music worldwide—appear on stage at UH Hilo Performing Arts Center. “Their musical genius and innovative approach will ensure that they will always be a leading force in Irish music bringing the world the joy and excitement and fun that is, traditional Irish music.” 7:30 p.m. More info: http://artscenter.uhh.hawaii.edu.

Tickets: by phone 808.974.7310 October 16-31 “Nunsense” Aloha Theatre, Kainaliu The Off-Broadway hit musical comedy, presented by Aloha Performing Arts Company, Nunsense is set in a present-

time convent in New Jersey. The Little Sisters of Hoboken must raise money to bury members of their order who died of botulism. In order to do this they decide to perform a show at the Mount Saint Helen’s School Auditorium. The entertainment includes solo star turns, madcap dance routines, and an audience quiz. A hilarious show and fun for the whole family! Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinee, 2:30 p.m.

Tickets online or at 808.322.1648.

Saturday, Oct. 17 Fall Arts Festival Holualoa This all-day, hands-on festival is your chance to get creative in a variety of arts media to create your own gifts and gift wrapping for the holidays.

Also featuring door prizes, raffles for gifts, ‘ukulele entertainment, food, and more. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the historic Donkey Mill Art Center above Kona in Holualoa. 808.322.3362 or visit www.donkeymillartcenter.org.

Sunday, Oct. 18 Hulihe‘e Palace Monthly Sunday Concert and Village Stroll Kailua-Kona Stroll thru Kailua Village (1 p.m.-6 p.m.); enjoy outdoor cafés and restaurants, local musicians & artists. Special kama’aina pricing at participating restaurants & merchants. Free Hawaiian music concert featuring the Merrie Monarchs men’s glee club and dancing by the halau of Etua Lopez on the Palace’s South Lawn at 4 p.m., presented by the Daughters of Hawaii. Bring your own beach mat or chair.

Thursday, Oct. 22 “Dervish” Traditional Irish Music

Waimea Concert at Kahilu Theatre.

(See Oct. 16 for description.) 7 p.m. Call 885.6868 for tickets or information. www.kahilutheatre.org.

Saturday, Oct. 24 Makahiki ma ka Maukele: A Cultural Festival in the Rainforest Volcano A day of Hawaiian culture featuring lei making, lei demonstrations and contests; music, with workshops and demonstrations; and Hawaiian makahiki games. Evening concert with silent auction, food, music and dancers.

Volcano Village and KMC at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Day – free; concert – fee. 808.968.6696 or mililani2@gmail.com.

Saturday, Oct. 24 “Obake”—Ghost Stories Hakalau, Hamakua Coast Celebrate Halloween local-style with an evening of music, food and spooky obake or ghost stories from local Big Island residents. At Akiko’s Bed & Breakfast in Wailea Village at the 15-mile marker on Hwy. 19, Hamakua Coast, 7–8:30 p.m. $10, $8 children under 12 years. For more information call 808.963.6422.

Saturday, October 24 Young Artists’ Showcase Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort 9:30am to 12:30pm- Arts of Kona presents the 1st annual Young Artists’ Showcase- Performing, Visual and and Cultural Arts at Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort. Students in grades 3-12

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Saturday, Oct. 10 Ford Ironman Triathlon World Champioinship Kona Coast If you are a triathlete, there is no bigger day in this sport than the Ford Ironman World Championship. To get to the starting line in Kona, you must either be very lucky and get yourself a spot

through the lottery, or very talented, and win yourself a spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world.

Tens of thousands of triathletes try for it every year, but only 1,800 get to test themselves with one of the biggest challenges the sports world has to offer ... 2.4-miles of swimming through tough ocean waves, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run.

Thousands of volunteers from the Big Island help make it happen!

Call 808.329.0063 or visit www.ironmanlive.com.

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More info at: info@artsofkona.org or call 329.2646.

Friday, Oct. 30 Fireside Stories Volcanoes National Park Gather around the eternal fire of Pele in the Volcano House lobby to learn about the history, culture and people of Hawaii. Free series of informal talks presented by the Volcano Art Center at the Volcano House. This month’s talk is “A Photo History of Volcano Village in the 1920s and 1930s” with Kazu Okamoto. Free (Park entrance fees apply).

Call 808.967.8222.

Saturday, Oct. 31 Trick or Treat Through Old Pahoa Town Pahoa To commemorate Pahoa’s centennial year, Mainstreet Pahoa Association and area businesses present “Trick Or Treat Through Old Pahoa Town,” a fun and safe event for keiki of Puna and elsewhere. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. All ages welcome. Candy and other treats provided to keiki only. Contact Tiffany Edwards Hunt at 808.938.8592 or email newswoman@mac.com.

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November November 5-8 Moku O Keawe International Hula Festival Waikoloa Beach Resort Hula halau (troupes) from Hawaii, Japan and elsewhere compete in kupuna, kahiko and auana hula divisions. The opening ceremony concert features

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a Hawaiian music legend.

Master instructors teach workshops and cultural classes throughout the event.

Queen’s Marketplace, Waikoloa Beach Resort. Call 808.345.9364 or visit www.mokuokeawe.org.

November 6-26 Big Island Fall Arts Festival Exhibit Hilo A “must see” showcase for creativity and talent in all media of Big Island artists, now in its 33rd year. Meet the artists on Friday, Nov. 6 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at an opening reception. Otherwise the show is open in three galleries from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily at the East Hawaii Cultural Center in Hilo. Free.

Call 808. 961.5711 or visit www.ehcc.org.

Friday, Nov. 6 Black & White Night Downtown Hilo Downtown Hilo’s biggest annual strolling party with many live music venues, fashion shows, a treasure hunt through town, free food, author & artist receptions. Everyone dresses in black and white, from shorts and T-shirts to gowns and suits to enter the “Best Dressed Black & White Contest” for cash prizes. Young men in tuxedoes serve as Aloha Ambassadors with maps, schedules of events and information or visit the Hilo Visitor’s Information

Center at the Mo’oheau Bus Terminal across from the Hilo Farmers Market.

The Downtown Swing Band plays for the After Hours party for ballroom and jitterbug dancing fans. 5–10 p.m. Free!

Call 808.933.9772 or visit www.poshfestivals.com.

November 6-15 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival Kona Coast Hawaii’s oldest food festival (since 1970), the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival’s mission is to preserve, perpetuate and promote Kona’s 180-year coffee heritage. The nearly 50 events include tastings, art exhibits, cupping competition, farm tours, contests, parades, sporting events, and special events.

Call 808.326.7820 or visit www.konacoffeefest.com.

Friday, Nov. 6 New Waves at NELHA Luncheon and Tour Kailua-Kona A learning and tasting day at NELHA, the innovative aquaculture and natural energy facility north of Kailua-Kona.

Guests will tour aquaculture operations and enjoy a luncheon prepared by local chefs featuring fresh NELHA seafood products plus other culinary treats.

10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. $100 fee for tour and luncheon. Call 808.329.8073 or visit www.keaholepoint.org.

November 7-10 Healing Garden Festival Kona Coast This unique festival showcases the health-giving properties of native Hawaiian plants and foods. Presentations and workshops, healing arts, cooking demonstrations, lei-making

contests, tours, hula and musical entertainment. At Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook and Kailua-Kona. Call 808.638.0888 or visit http://hawaiihealthguide.com for complete schedule.

Saturday, Nov. 7 Holualoa Village Coffee Tasting and Art Stroll An annual event of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. Nearly two dozen farms’ coffee will be featured at Holualoa’s unique art galleries and shops.

Gifts, keiki art contest, live music and more. Free parking at Holualoa School and the Catholic church. 9 am to 3 pm.

Saturday, Nov. 7 Annual Drum and Percussion Festival Hilo An exciting evening of world percussion by local artists featuring diverse traditional & contemporary percussion performances from Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa and more! 6–9 p.m. Hilo Palace Theater.

Ticket fee. Call 808.333.2730 or visit www.bareandcore.org.

Saturday, Nov. 7 E Malama ‘Aina Foundation Festival Hilo An afternoon and evening of cultural and natural history events for the family focusing on sustainability and the perpetuation of traditional Hawaiian agricultural practices. View Hawaii Island’s innovations and sustainability best practices and touch, taste and explore the “greening” of Hawaii’s Big Island! 8 a.m.–6 p.m. at Mooheau Park on the bayfront in Hilo. Free admission.

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ACTIVITIES

Dolphin Journeys Honokohau Harbor Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 800.384.1218 www.dolphinjournerys.com Dolphin encounters, whale watching, snorkel tours, Hawaiian eco-tours, adventure retreats, and more!

AUTO PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Mobile Car Wash West Hawaii 808.326.7048 Licensed and Insured $25 wash, vacuum, windows, wheels.

Discounts available for weekly service & groups.

BUSINESS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Hawaii’s Gift Baskets 74-5617 Pawai Pl #106 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 808.329.2300 www.hawaiisgiftbaskets.com Premier provider of quality affordable gourmet gift baskets from the Big Island.

COMMUNITY & CIVIC GROUPS

Keauhou Farmers Market Keauhou Shopping Center www.keauhoufarmersmarket.com Come and support our local farmers every Saturday from 8am to12 noon.

EDUCATION

Hawaiian `Ohana for Education in the Arts (HOEA) PO Box 1498 Kamuela, HI 96743 808.885.6541 www.khf-hoea.org A Native Hawaiian art education project for everyone interested, all ages.

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HEALTH, BEAUTY & WELLNESS

Clothing for Health 3849 Sierra Drive Honolulu, HI 96816-3853 808.737.6334 www.clothingforhealth.com Restore balance to your body with negative ion clothing and organic products.

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Deep Impression Massage Beth Brandt MAT #8153 Kona to Kohala 808.883.1948 Therapeutic massage in your home or hotel. Lomilomi, Hot stone, Deep tissue.

Eryce Enterprises Kohala & Kona Coast Estates 808.885.6515 www.Eryce.com Complete home management & Concierge services.

Dr. Joan Greco, DDS Kona and Kamuela 808.323.3435 or 808.885.9000 www.drjoangreco.com The Surgeon with the delicate touch.

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

Hawaiian Bungalows, LLC Island-wide /State-wide 808.938.7157 www.HawaiianBungalows.com Quality Hawaiian style homes within your reach. Comprehensive design and construction services.

Dr. John Stover, DDS, MD, PhD Hilo, Kamuela and Kona 808.969.1818, 885.4503 or 32302600 www.drjohnstover.com Rejuvenate, Enhance, Renew. Laser, Cosmetic, Spa, Oral & Facial.

GYROTONIC Kona 75-5995 Kuakini Hwy, #601 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 808.329.0005 www.GYROTONICKona.com Exercise that stirs the soul.

Feel like your young self again!

Upper Cervical 73-5618 Maiau Street, Suite A203, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808.327.1188 www.uppercervicalkona.com Restore balance to the body and remove interference with precise, controlled touch.

HOME PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Champagne Spa & Lanai Directly Above Costco 808.329.1189 www.ChampagneSpaLanai.com Hot Spring, Tiger River, Lime Light, Solana, D1 Swim Spas, Summer Classics, Castelle Crystal Clear Feng Shui 808.327.4447 www.crystalclearfengshui.com Transform your home or workplace into a sanctuary that enhances your life.

Hawaiian Enterprises, Inc. Kohala to Captain Cook 808.331.0456 Hawaii Lic. BC 27013 On time, reasonably priced, full service electrical & plumbing. Licensed small job specialist.

Indich Collection 74-5599 Luhia St. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808.329.6500 www.indichcollectionhawaii.com Offering artful hand-woven carpet collections Inspired by the beauty of Hawaii.

Kathryne Kent, Solar Energy Island-wide 808.938.9655 Why buy energy? Make it! Free site analysis- solar water and electric.

L & S Landscape Kona - Waikoloa - Waimea 808.326.7048 Mow, blow, and edge to Design, installation and maintenance. Free estimates.

Private Quarters Jeannie Palermo, Comfort Consultant Island-wide 808.990.3093 www.privatequarters.net/jeanniepal Luxury linens at affordable prices.

Individual consultations, home parties, or professional resource.

Tradewind Hawaii, Inc. 73-5568 Olowalu St. #1 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 808.329.2310

www.tradewindhawaii.com Specialty Building Supplies for Homes: Appliances, Garage Doors, Windows, Doors & more.

Trans-Pacific Design 64-5176 Kamamalu St Kamuela, HI 96743-8325 808.885.5587 www.trans-pacificdesign.com LEED Certified, providing interior design for residential, hospitality and commercial projects statewide.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

A Hui Hou Crematory & Funeral Home 75-5745 Kuakini Hwy., Kailua Kona 808.329.5137 www.ahuihouservices.com Family owned & operated, we’re your award winning hometown funeral home.

Cindy Griffey, Realtor Century 21 All Islands 75-5759 Kuakini Hwy- Kailua Kona 808.937.3370 www.SeaCindySell.com Top Producing agent for C21 All Islands statewide since 2004.

John Griffey and Hanale Hose Realtors Century 21 All Islands 75-5759 Kuakini Hwy- Kailua Kona 808.937.2421 or 808.345.0670 www.hawaiirealtorsrus.net Unwavering Professionalism, Integrity, Service. Relocation . Retirement . Moving . Investment Properties. Serving the World!

Kelly Shaw, Realtor Koa Realty, Inc. 75-5689 Alii Drive Kailua Kona, HI 808.960.4636 www.buyahomeinkona.com Certified Residential Specialist and Buyer’s Agent. Kelly cares!

RETAIL

Mountain Gold Jewelers Moses Thrasher, Goldsmith Kawaihae Harbor Center 808.882.GOLD (4653) www.mtgold.com Offering original BI charms exclusively and other one-of-a -kind jewelry.

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Photo by Eric Bowman

Island. The concept I understand with ease; it’s the reality of it that I have had to adjust to. I grew up as far from oceans and islands as a person can in America—in the center of the Great Plains.

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When I moved pen, paper, and word processor to Hawaii, I rented a remodeled coffee shack in Kona on the lower western slope of Mauna Loa—a still-active volcano.

Instead of the familiar flatness in every direction, the land here tilts to become a diagonal plane between the horizontal worlds of ocean and afternoon clouds. The summit above me is 13,679 feet farther from the earth’s core than the curling waves at the shore. If lava from the top ever chose the shortest route to the sea, it would head west for 20 miles and flow right over my coffee shack. In 1950 it took lava only four-and-a-half hours from fissure to sea; and that route, just south of here was not as steep as it is where I live. I like to keep my car in good repair.

Usually I’m not very geologically aware of where I live; this changed in 1984, when Mauna Loa blew. After a nine-year sleep, a wink in geological time, the large volcano began pouring blood-red liquid rock from a fissure near the summit.

I had visions of Pompeii, of people petrified for eternity in a hot immovable hell. Which way is it flowing? The flow was going east, I discovered with relief. Nonetheless, from that moment on I have been conscious of the reservoir of molten magma beneath my feet and perhaps above my head.

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The high horizon disappeared. Smoke haunted the west side of the Big Island, ghosts of the ohia forest burning on the eastern slopes. The lava crept toward Hilo.

In Kona, I gave up hope of ever seeing anything brighter than an amber sun at midday. The death of the ohia trees cast a shadow that darkened distant Guam and beyond. And the lava crept eastward.

We watched nuclear-orange sunsets. Many of us sneezed in the vog. Meanwhile, day after day the volcano oozed an Amazon of blood-rock.

I began to do some research about this island home of mine.

Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on the planet. As I read of this, an earthquake shook my coffee shack. The Giant fidgets.

I had learned that Hawaiian volcanoes were tame; there are roads where tourists can drive up to the observatory even during an eruption. Instead of like Vesuvius gushing lava and dangerous gases that destroys life, Mauna Loa threatened like an attacking army mounting a siege. The flow had pooled, or rather laked in the saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. The temperature of the lava at the spewing summit was getting hotter. That meant the magma was coming up from a deeper source inside the earth, from as deep as 2,000 kilometers!

For Hilo the danger was imminent. When lava slows, it forms tubes beneath its surface skin of new-formed rock. Hot lava can

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shoot through these tubes like water through a sluice. It gushes unobstructed by forest and uncooled by rain. A tube from a previous flow opened its mouth very near the lava lake. This tube extends all the way under Hilo. It the lava lake were to expand and reach that opening, it would race downhill unimpeded and grill Hilo.

Nothing like that happened. Mauna Loa stopped flowing.

It was as if I had been leaning into a gust of wind that suddenly quit. I stumbled into another of the island’s realities, a peaceful Eden of greenery. The dull grey horizonless sunsets were washed away by the afternoon rains, and clean hues of gold and blue appeared once more in the sky and ocean.

An old friend,Tau, a frequent visitor to my coffee shack, arrived late one night and roused me out of bed to tell me, “Kilauea, she’s blowin’! Fifteen hundred feet high!” This time the vent was near the road.

The tires of my car screeched around the curves on the windy two-hour ride to fire mountain. The orange road-reflectors drew a dotted line into a sky full of boasting stars. To my left was a tinge of pink edging the otherwise invisible clouds, invisible but for the lack of stars in that portion of the sky.

The road dove toward the sea. Across the water of the indented coastline, a spear of orange light stabbed a flesh-colored cloud.

The torch grew larger as we sped toward it. That cloud took the form of a grotesque face, a Corinthian column, a naked woman in an evocative stretch….

As we parked the car beside several others, we heard the roar of a blast furnace in the wilderness.

From the moment I reached the crest of the viewing cone, my eyes were riveted onto the distant jet of fire. Occasionally, a slow-motion arm of flame would swing into space like a close-up movie of a sun flare, like a tai chi master dancing and then float downward to fountain the side of the new mountain with red.

I wasn’t satisfied; I wanted to be closer. I had heard there was a path said to be treacherous even in the daytime. It was irrational, dangerous, possibly fatal to attempt the journey on a moonless night with dimming flashlights. Tau, of course, agreed to go without hesitation.

For a while we trekked by the light of the volcano. But sight helped little over solid rivers of rock, tongues of pahoehoe, over petrified motion, motionless oceans of rock, over crunchy a’a with cutting glass edges. The world was a three-dimensional puzzle.

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The path led us through sulfurous steam that cut off all vision for minutes at a time. We felt our way. The earth at our fingers was warm. I imagined I walked on the surface of a bubble above a pool of liquid fire.

There is no better definition for lost than being on a lava field at night when the flashlight fails. We couldn’t find the next marker though we looked for an hour. When the volcano sent up a huge blast, we discovered from the burst of light that we were perched on the edge of a pit with no apparent bottom. I threw a rock in but heard nothing. We decided to sleep on the hard, slanted but smooth tongue of rock for the two hours remaining until dawn.

We huddled from the wind behind a small ridge near the last marker we had found.

In the morning we discovered we had been only three markers away from a fern forest where the path became evident once more. We trekked through this dwarfed fern forest and over a five-year old flow to the crest of a hill where the volcano once more came into view.

We descended into a caldera, once a lava lake. We passed

human-like figures in flowing robes, lava trees made by the cooling of lava missiles around a tree that subsequently burned to leave only hollow sculptures.

The hike back to the car was a long seven miles. I was both exhausted and exhilarated by the experience. I had seen had felt the heat of a furnace blasting from a cone-shaped mountain.

Raw energy! But strangely, I felt somehow cheated. It wasn’t until later that I grasped the magnitude of my experience.

On the way home my car overheated. I pulled over and lifted the hood. When I twisted the radiator cap, the burst of steam and rusty scalding water woke me from my half-sleep. It occurred to me that this blast of steam was insignificant compared to the huge explosion I had witnessed from Kilauea. And Kilauea is a baby growing out of the waist of mighty Mauna Loa. I am beginning to get a feel for where I live. v “Home on an Active Volcano” is excerpted from Hawaii Blue, Tales from a place called paradise, by Wayne Stier. It is available from Kona Stories Bookstore at Mango Court in Kainaliu or online at www.Starrbirth.com Big Island author, playwright and teacher Wayne Stier walked his last adventure on May 30 of this year, when he passed away.

Teacher and friend Wayne Stier. He will be missed by us all.

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Our flashlights found the charcoal-colored path in the blackness of night and lava. With only a few wrong turns we breezed over two miles of cold lava to the viewing station at the peak of a dormant vent called Pu’u Huluhulu. Flames five miles away painted the faces of fifteen fellow fire gazers with a ghostly salmon hue. A couple, wrapped in a blanket, celebrated with wine glasses in their hands.

Others were stooped behind their tripod-steadied cameras. Tau and I shared a pair of binoculars, and neither of us gave them up on the first request from the other.

Several times we lost the path. Once I mentioned to Tau, “You know, this is symbolic of our journey through life. We are lost in a maze, picking our way in the darkness toward the light.”

Markers—three to five-foot high piles of lava rock—became our sculpted lifeline. The world was a whirl of black rock in the darkness. When our progress put a hill between us and the volcano, we judged our direction by these markers and the stars.

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