January–February 2021

Hawai‘i Island’s Community Magazine The Life |

January – February Ianuali – Pepeluali

2021

12th Anniversary Edition

ARTS Life is a Muse for Artist Sachi CULTURE Aunty Aloha Shares the Gifts of Ho‘oponopono SUSTAINABILITY Fukushima Store: Repurposing a Historical Building

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Front cover: Peace Bus, a decorative ceramic tile by Brenda Merriweather.

4 Table of contents: May Peace Prevail on Earth, Earth, a painting by Deborah Beaver.

Read more about the artists on page 45.

The Life

Hawaiÿi Island’s Community Magazine January – February | Ianuali – Pepeluali 2021

Arts

Flavor of the Earth

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Life is a Muse for Artist Sachi

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Lopaka Rootz

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With a Recipe for Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

By Brittany P. Anderson

By Fern Gavelek

Uplifting Listeners with Positive Vibes

By Mālielani Larish

Business

Managing with Aloha 39 Strengths Management with Aloha: Our Talent, Skills and Knowledge

By Rosa Say

Talk Story with An Advertiser Belinda Pate Medical Aesthetics Island Treasures Kipimana Hawaiian Granola Company

Community

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Shine On: The Peace Poles of Hawai‘i Island

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Hilo’s Ocean Center: Riding a Wave of Peace

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By Jan Wizinowich

By Sara Stover

Culture

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Aunty Aloha Shares the Gifts of Ho‘oponopono

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By Karen Valentine

By Catherine Tarleton

Ka Puana: Closing Thoughts 384: E waikāhi ka pono i mānalo.

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Mary Kawena Pukui. Olelo Noeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings

Ka Wehena: The Opening Ke Ao Hulihuli-Maluhia Na Kumu Keala Ching

Sustainability

Fukushima Store

Repurposing a Historical Building

By Ma‘ata Tukuafu

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KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Talking Hula with Kumu Aloha Victor

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From Our Publisher

From Our Readers

Ke Ola Magazine recognizes the use of the ‘okina [‘] or glottal stop, as one of the eight consonants of (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakō [ā] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawai‘i such as Pāhoa).

Ke Ola Magazine respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

Words Live On In a universe where change is the only constant, I lie awake sometimes and wonder what lasting good I can leave for this world, besides bringing joy to a fruit tree with the calcium from my bones. I have come to realize that above all else, it is our words that will outlive us. Without any doubt, there are two sayings that my pistol-of-a-Southern-belle mother shot through my head until they stuck: “Actions speak louder than words” and “Ya got the same shoes to git glad in, so ya better start gittinʻ glad!” I still hate to admit how right she was. (Oh, yeah, and one more¬–“I love you.”)

I can think of no better way for our words to live on, than in proverbs and poetical sayings. Each one of them has reached our ears because someone chose to pass them on to the next generation—and the more popular they are, surely the more truth they convey, or so it would seem. The Hawaiian language is blooming with proverbs and poetical sayings—the ‘Ōlelo No‘eau. I will never forget the very first one that was spoken to me: Uwē ka lani, ola ka honua (When the sky weeps, the earth lives). Simple, succinct, and purely mellifluous. I could just hear Hawaiian mothers gently reminding their keiki of the importance of the rains. The kids were just thinking about how long it would take for the sun to come out again (as the warm mud puddles were calling).

A timeless theme echoing from across the millennia. She will keep repeating it, and its meaning will soak in—eventually.

There are profoundly beautiful proverbs in every language, rich in timeless meaning. I invite you to find ones that speak to your heart and pass them on, so someone else, in turn, may do the same. Look someone younger than you in the eye, and keep repeating them with love, until you know they get it—or you die—whichever comes first. (Whispering them from the other side wouldnʻt hurt either.)

We all play a role in creating the world and the future we wish to see all around us. The future will embrace with open arms all the good we have to offer.

O ka pono o ke hana ‘ia a iho mai na lani.

Continue to do good until the heavens come down to you.

Jason Riessland, Pāhoa

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This issueʻs theme is peace, and couldnʻt be more timely. On the other hand, peace is always timely. I recently found out that there is an organization on the island called Malu ‘Āina, the Center for Non-violent Education and Action. This group sponsors a weekly peace vigil on Fridays from 3:30–5pm in downtown Hilo. Surprising to me is that the first vigil was on September 12, 2001. What an honorable commitment—kudos to the folks who have kept this weekly practice going for 20 years.

As strange as 2020 was, there were some good things that came out of it and thatʻs what Iʻm choosing to reflect on. Many people have focused on boosting their immune systems and getting healthier than theyʻve been in years. Another positive aspect is, since most people werenʻt traveling as much, they learned they could visit with their ‘ohana any time they want, as often as they want, by use of live video apps on phones and computers. It has brought the world closer together in some ways. In my neigbhorhood, in anticipation of possible food shortages and other potential issues, neighbors are getting to know neighbors, and helping each other at our properties. We are learning who we can depend on. None of this would have happened without COVID. When I think about peace and read the stories within these pages, I understand that peace is a personal concept, yet in their own way, everyone strives for peace—within and without.

The peace theme came up spontaneously when a friend suggested we do a story on the peace poles around the island.

I had been pondering what the theme for the first issue of our 13th year should be, and when this idea came up, I got excited!

I thought it was a great idea to tell stories about people who are taking action to perpetuate peace on the island, and there are lots! Besides “planting” the peace poles, we feature stories in this issue on Aunty “Aloha” Bezilla, who teaches peace through ho‘oponopono; Kumu Aloha Victor, who teaches peace through hula; Kalani Kahalioumi, who teaches peace through ocean sports; and Lopaka Roots, who teaches peace through music.

Even the tattoo shop located in the old Fukushima Store building is a place of healing and artist Sachi talks about how she found peace through creating art.

After four productive and creative years, my “right-hand woman,” Michelle Sandell, is moving into full-time freelance work. I am going to miss her, she has made my life so much easier and enabled me to go from being a workaholic to having much better life quality. Weʻll still be working together on some projects, so for now, Michelle, mahalo nui and aloha, a hui hou.

As we begin 2021, let us take to heart what is engraved on the peace poles: May Peace Prevail on Earth. Wishing good will to all. Hau‘ole Makahiki Hou, Barbara Garcia

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Mahalo to the 2020 Ke Ola Magazine ‘Ohana

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Ka Wehena

Ke Ao Hulihuli - Maluhia Na Kumu Keala Ching

Pō ke ao i ka pō uliuli ‘Ūlili ka pō o Makali‘i Maka ke ao i moemoeā ‘ia I ka poli o ka ‘Ōpua ala Ala ka lani, ala ka honua Noa o Lono, Lono ke au Kau ka maka i luna Eō maila ke ao hulihuli

Unveiled day of the dark night Sparkle the night of Makali‘i Beloved day that dreams Upon the bosom of the ‘Ōpua Awake the heavens, awake the earth Free with peace, peaceful time Eye upon the heaven Rejoice an enlightened moment

E Lono, E Lono ē Hiki maila ke au ‘oia‘i‘o nō ‘Io mai ka lani, ‘Io pa‘akai ala Ala nā kānaka, kū ke aloha ‘O ke aloha ka mea i ho‘ōla ai Ho‘ōla ke ola i ka pono lā Lapa ka ‘i‘ini, ‘i‘ini maluhia ia Eō maila ke ao hulihuli

Lono, Lono Truthful time, now Upon the heaven, a bundle of sea Awake people, stand with love Compassion brings healing Healing life of righteousness Arise the desire, desired peace Rejoice an enlightened moment

Huli maila ke kai ala Kai noho mālie ou ‘Ohu‘ohu ke kai i ke ola Ola ke ola, maluhia ke ola Ho‘ōla ke ola i ka pono ē Noa o Lono, Lono ke au Kau ka maka i ke ao Eō maila ke ao hulihuli

Seek beyond the sea You sit calm upon the sea Adorned sea of life Live your best peaceful life Compassion brings healing Free with peace, peaceful time Eyes upon the enlightenment Rejoice an enlightened moment

Rejoice an enlightened moment, people observe Makali‘i. Makali‘i, the peaceful time upon a dark night. Lono, peaceful! Look upon the sea for the righteous healing. Your righteousness is your peace, your righteousness is your peace. Look upon an enlightened moment.

For more information on Kumu Keala and Nä Wai Iwi Ola, visit: nawaiiwiola.org

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Eō maila ke ao hulihuli, huli maila e nā kānaka iā Makali‘i. ‘O Makali‘i ka pō maluhia i kū i ka pō uliuli. E Lono, e Lono ē! Nānā maila ke kai ala i ho‘ōla a‘ela i ka pono ē. ‘O kāu pono kāu maluhia, ‘o kou pono, kou maluhia. E nānā ke ao hulihuli!

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Shine On

By Jan Wizinowich

D

ark times call for light. This is the spirit behind the Peace Pole Project, a movement that is planting beacons for peace across the planet. Since its founding, the Peace Poles Project has spread worldwide with the first poles outside of Japan planted beginning in 1983. More than 200,000 peace poles have been planted in over 200 countries, many in sites of historic and ongoing strife. With the support of the Peace Pole Project promoted by the World Peace Prayer Society, as well as other groups such as Rotary Clubs, the movement continues to grow.

grassroots organization that transcends cultural, religious, and political boundaries with the vision of promoting world peace through the prayer: “May Peace Prevail Upon Earth,” the first Peace Pole with that message, was planted in 1955 in Hiroshima.

Putting Hawai‘i Island Peace Poles on the Map On Hawai‘i Island, a committee made up of five East Hawai‘i Rotary Clubs is shining a light on peace through several projects including peace poles.

The vision of the Rotary Clubs’ Peace Committee “is not just avoiding conflict, but lifting the community and creating the opportunity for everyone to move forward,” said committee coordinator and Rotary

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Seeking Peace The planting of peace poles emerged from the spiritual journey of Japanese philosopher and author, Masahisa Goi. The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise installed this peace pole at the West Hawaiÿi Civic Center. photo courtesy of Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise His spiritual path emerged Club of South Hilo member, Charlene Obashi. from the dark hours of post-World War II; he realized in the Five years ago, the committee, which is made up of course of his healing work that people needed help healing members from Rotary Clubs of Hilo, South Hilo, Hilo Bay, their emotional side as well as the physical. To that end, he Pāhoa, and Volcano, began their initial efforts with addressing sought a simple practice that could be done by anyone. homelessness. The first step was to give voice to the needs After completing a course of rigorous spiritual training, 12 of the homeless in East Hawai‘i. This led to several projects Masahisa Goi founded Byakko Shinko Kai, an international

The Peace Poles of Hawai‘i Island such as working with Hope Services and other organizations to provide food, paint shelters, and plant food trees. “The idea of peace poles bubbled up out of our Peace Committee,” said Charlene.

Their peace work added an international element when, in the fall of 2019, an Open World (OW) delegation visited Hawai‘i from Russia as part of the Peace Committee’s “Let’s Work it Out” series. Along with visiting energy research labs and sharing knowledge, the OW delegation and Rotary Club members planted a peace pole at Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole Park in Keaukaha.

Since beginning their program, the Peace Committee discovered many peace poles already planted on the island, some in need of refurbishment, and all in need of location and placement on a map, which became an ongoing committee project.

No journey away from home is complete for Bob Juettner, committee member and member of Rotary Club of Hilo Bay, unless he can verify another peace pole or two. Bob has faithfully been placing peace poles on the map with GPS coordinates that the committee hopes to use to create an app. When we spoke, Bob was off to West Hawai‘i on the trail of two new poles installed there; he also shared that a new peace pole was in the works for Kohala.

“We have a dream that people will take a trip around the island and visit the peace poles and make a journey, internally as well as externally,” explained Tim Hansen, special programs director at the Hilo Prosecutor’s Office and Rotary Club of Hilo Bay member.

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

poles at the Old Kona Airport Park, the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, and Pālamanui Community College Probably one of the oldest peace poles on the island resides at Paleaku Peace Garden. A group from Japan brought a peace pole to the island, seeking a home here. Their journey brought them to the Paleaku Peace Garden in Captain Cook where it was planted overlooking the Kona coast, amongst the many other symbols of peace from a myriad of cultures and faiths.

Peace poles have been planted for many different reasons: as a symbol of awareness, a meditational focus for healing, to honor a loved one, or commemorate an event. In Pāhoa, now in the process of recovery from the 2018 volcanic eruptions, a peace pole, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pāhoa Sunset, was planted at the newly opened Puna Kai Shopping Center and displays the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages.

“The peace pole stands as a reminder to think peace,” said Deborah Nichols, Rotary Club of Pāhoa Sunset president.

“The Rotary Club picked Puna Kai Shopping Center because it represents a new beginning for our little town,” she added.

If you have occasion to visit the Prosecutor’s Office in Hilo, in the midst of daily human drama, you will find STARS Peace Garden planted with a peace pole, a memorial to the victims of homicide and their families.

“When we established the garden in Hilo, we knew we wanted a peace pole. We wanted peace to prevail in our community and also in our hearts. The presence of the peace pole in the garden helps people who visit to center and focus. It’s not only to remember our loved ones who were killed, but it’s also for the community Peace Poles around the and the person who did that Island harm. It’s an individual journey, Positive ideas, like sparks, a community journey and a can light fires. In 2018, when world journey,” reflected Tim. Al Jubitz, co-founder of the The peace pole at Tutu’s Rotarian Action Group for House in Waimea was planted Hilo Rotary Club members hosted an Open World delegation from Russia and together Peace, came to Hawai‘i Island in September 1995, the 50th they planted a peace pole in Kuhio Kalanianaÿole Park. photo courtesy of Charlene Iboshi to share some of the work anniversary of the bombing being done nationally, he sparked island Rotarians into action. of Hiroshima. Sophie Oki, then the director, invited Tyrone Since that time, West Hawai‘i Rotary Club members have Rheinhart, who was in Hawai‘i with a delegation of 47 Japanese planted peace poles at several locations including Innovations visitors, to plant a peace pole.

Charter School. “The kids are a good way to start,” said The pole was replanted when Tutu’s House moved to their Nestorio Domingo, Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise member and current location and the recipients of Medtronicʻs “Live On. 13 past president. In addition, the club has also planted peace Give On.” award (sponsored by Earl Bakken) created a garden

around it. The following year when the award recipients came, the cap was taken off the top of the Peace Pole and they wrote messages of peace to be sealed inside.

Volcano Art Center: Community Hub Paul Field, president of Rotary Club of Volcano, was

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

As part of the STARS program developed by the Hilo Prosecutor’s Office, a peace garden and peace pole was installed. photo courtesy of Tim Hansen

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Rotary Club members from Volcano and Hilo gathered to install a peace pole at the Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. photo courtesy of Charlene Iboshi contacted by Charlene about planting a peace pole. “The Volcano Art Center is the hub of the community so we decided to install it there. Mike Nelson and the art center jumped right in. We had a little ceremony with 10 people. We have a plaque under the pole that explains it,” said Paul.

During the ceremony, artist Julie Williams shared her story.

“Last year when I went to Hiroshima and saw the peace pole there, I thought it would be so great to have one at the Volcano Art Center [VAC] and then Paul told me that the Rotary Club would like to donate one,” explained Julie.

But the VAC isn’t going to stop there. “This pole has inspired another project at the art center called the Positive Post Project. We are reaching out to six artists and other service clubs to do smaller posts that will have artwork and a positive statement and will be planted along the edge of the forest,” she added.

Individuals or organizations interested in planting a peace pole can contact their local Rotary Club.

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Lili‘uokalani Garden: A Community Treasure Another peace pole was discovered in Rakuen, an area behind Suisan that is part of Lili‘uokalani Gardens. Landscape architect Kazuo Nakamura developed a waterfall that flowed into a pond that could be viewed from the Nihon Cultural Center, now the Hilo Bay Café.

“At some point between the Nihon Cultural Center and Hilo Bay Café, the peace pole was installed. But the pathway and the pond and the grounds surrounding it have become overgrown and the pole text has been painted over. There’s an effort to restore that area around the peace pole as well as the peace pole itself. It’s a real community treasure. You just put the word out that something needs to be done and people show up. The Rotary Clubs came out like gangbusters,” said K.T. Canon-Eger, founder and president of Friends of Lili‘uokalani Garden.

The aloha spirit of Hawai‘i Island has rich resources for peace and so it’s no surprise at the number of peace poles here.

Peace begins in the heart of the individual and is about making connections and creating communities that foster beauty and become beacons of peace amidst the chaos of our modern world. ■

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By Karen Valentine he conversation begins with a hug, even in the time of COVID-19. This serious kumu hula (hula teacher) tests himself regularly, not only for the health of himself and his students, but in life itself. After entering his hālau (group) hula space, where he teaches all ages, Kumu Aloha Victor (born Kenneth Dean Alohapumehanaokala Victor) invites me to sit on the floor for our interview. Yes, this is hula. I am somewhat surprised, but my hula training has prepared me for this!

For a relatively young kumu, age 42, the number of trophies amassed in competitions by this hālau is impressive. Kumu Aloha could only have done this through a solid grounding in the traditions of hula, an intense drive, plus a love of his students, focused on shaping their lives in a positive way.

last surviving original cowboy of Greenwell Ranch. We ran amuck,” he says, “and walked to Hōnaunau Elementary School from our coffee farm.”

Did he dance hula then? “We didn’t have a choice.” Hula came after catechism at St. Benedict’s Church and was taught

by Aunty Hualani Brandt (Aunty Landy), who then gave them rides home.

After his family moved to Kailua-Kona, the next kumu who influenced his dance was the renowned Uncle George Naope, one of the founders of the Merrie Monarch Festival. Aloha took classes during the summer through his sophomore year in high school, when Uncle George wasn’t traveling to teach in Japan.

“I can still do backbends and duck walks, because he made us do it so much. We practiced in his cement garage in Royal

Early Influences Young Aloha grew up in rural South Kona, in coffee growing and ranch country. “My great-grandfather, Frank Silva, is the

2019 Merrie Monarch Festival kahiko performance honoring Kahoupökane, snow goddess of Mount Hualälai and master kapa beater. The hälau’s presentations were all songs and stories of Kona.

Poinciana subdivision. That’s why we all have ugly knees! No matter how much it hurt, you make it look easy and make it look great,” Aloha remembers.

After that kind of tough love, he says, “Now, I make sure my students have a clean environment and everything we never had. We might say they’re more entitled and privileged.” That’s not to say his students aren’t put through rigorous training, especially when preparing for competition.

Kumu Aloha also accumulated plenty of onstage experience as a lū‘au show dancer with the late Kumu Hula Keoni Atkinson at Kona Village Resort and in the men’s hālau and lū‘au shows with Kumu Nani Lim Yap, of the well-known Kohala music and hula family. Within several years of performing shows, he also learned “everything and anything backstage”—make-up, hair, lei, and costuming.

Top that off with in-depth Hawaiian cultural studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo including training with Taupōuri Tangarō, husband of Kekuhi Kanahele, granddaughter of the iconic Kumu Hula Edith Kanaka‘ole. This higher learning of

hula, which he calls “elemental and engaging,” made a huge impact on him. Tangarō would later confer Victor with his ‘uniki, hula’s formal graduation.

Hālau Kala‘akeakauikawēkiu In 2005, Aloha decided it was time to start his own hālau. “I called Aunty Landy’s daughter to respectfully ask permission.

She told me, ‘My mom always said it was going to be you. Not me, but you.’”

The hālau’s name, Hālau Kala‘akeakauikawēkiu, came to him while picking ‘ōhelo berries on Hualālai mountain. “I looked up as the sun was shining through on the mountain. The name means ‘the light at the highest summits.’ It was several months before my son was born and it also became my son’s middle name. That name represents strength and always trying to get higher to reach our goals. That light is the guide for us to reach all that we can. I don’t care about all of those trophies; it’s your personal growth, how you’ve achieved your own greatness through your efforts.”

In 2006, at age 28, Kumu Aloha had his full hālau established and in 2007 had already jumped into competition.

“And we were winning,” he said, with people asking, “Who’s the new kid on the block?”

Hula is about more than learning the dance. “I don’t only teach choreography. I teach you how to stand, how to walk; I teach you how to research and how to present that research, because you are going to present it to your classmates. To build camaraderie and also have fun, we do sleepovers, tea parties, and beach games. I believe in learning while not losing

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don’t know what we would have done if there hadn’t been hula for us.’”

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Waiting to go onstage at 2019 Merrie Monarch Festival for ÿauana performance “Kaulana Na Kona.”

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your childhood. I incorporate this into normal hula activities.

We practice and then have dinner at the ocean, with the parents bringing dinner.”

At this time there are about 73 students in five different classes: keiki from five to 12 who prepare for keiki competitions, Merrie Monarch competition class beginning at age 14, two different adult wahine (women) classes, and kupuna class. Kumu Aloha teaches all of the classes and has coordinators to handle arrangements, fundraising, and bookkeeping.

He shares, “We have changed lives and impacted people’s lives with hula. We have taught hula passed down through generations. I believe in leadership. Through hula and teaching them the little things, we start to build little leaders. Even when they’re five or six years old, they learn to lead the newer ones.

“If it’s competition season, we start prepping early. People don’t realize that those seven minutes on Merrie Monarch stage represent thousands of hours of preparation.

“I can fix choreography but I can’t force camaraderie. You have to love each other. People who don’t dance hula don’t understand it is a very disciplined art; it’s not easy. It’s our job to make it look easy.

“The best part of hula is that we change, we evolve, and open communication is the biggest, most important factor.

Hula families who have danced with us sometimes say, ‘We

Honoring the Past to Secure the Future Kumu Aloha is strict about keeping the original intent of each traditional dance and song that has been passed down over generations.

He does intensive research before competitions to learn as much as possible about the dance, the music, and the origin of the mana‘o (wisdom) for the presentation.

“I was honored to be one of four kumu who took workshops with Aunty Pat Bacon, daughter of Mary Kawena Pukui, to share things she learned from her mother during the 50s and 60s—to keep hula alive. We watched old videos and danced while she would correct us. I use that teaching with the kids ʻtil today. Keeping the traditions, whatever the style that comes with those songs, we keep it. We are not allowed to change anything from Pat Bacon’s teaching.”

Khloe Nakagawa, soloist performing at the 2019 the Queen Liliÿuokalani Keiki Hula Competition.

Kaikamahine (class for ages 5–12) practice their mele on the grounds of ÿIolani Palace in preparation for the Queen Liliÿuokalani Keiki Hula Competition 2019.

When preparing for their 2017 Merrie Monarch hō‘ike (open to the public show) and then their first Merrie Monarch competition in 2019, Kumu Aloha had picked, as the theme, 19 original songs from Kona.

“It was actually very hard to find Kona songs written by Kona people. We researched families and worked with Kona Historical Society and Bishop Museum, and studied old newspapers. For a lot of the songs, the correct melodies have been lost. We asked our musicians to ask older musicians how they remembered them. Then we presented the songs to the families and told them we were going to do it like their great grandfather sang it. Many times, they didn’t know. Everybody had a fabulous binder after the competition.”

Clothing Line To earn money while in school, Aloha worked at a fabric store and learned to sew. The idea came to him while sewing for his daughter to create a keiki clothing line. More ideas came with clothing his hālau, and not only for competition.

“With hālau, we have to buy a lot of fabric and do a lot of costuming, designing also the outfits we wear after competitions. People started asking if we had them for sale.”

Beginning small, selling just a few items, then responding to more demand at the Merrie Monarch craft fair, an official clothing line was born: Kaulua‘e. The name follows the same pattern as his philosophy.

“It means to grow upward, such as the maile plant that reaches toward the sun, and always absorbing what you learn.” ■ All photos by Dina Morrow Photography, courtesy of Halau Kala‘akeakauikawēkiu For more information: ktownhula.com kauluaehawaii.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Service to Community Kumu Aloha is passionate about his haumana (students) doing community service. They schedule four trips per year into the forest where all serious hula hālau go to gather greenery for their hula pa‘u skirts, lei, adornments, and altar.

“We go to the forest to gather before competition, and after competitions to clean up for those who don’t know to do that.”

They have adopted an 11-acre parcel at Kalōpā near Honoka‘a where they focus on reforestation. “The forests have changed over the years. We go to the same place and use a quadrant method dividing the parcel into four sections. We always pick from one quadrant, and the next time in another one. We fertilize, water, clean, and weed. Students and parents have to understand that if we don’t do this, who will? We challenge the other hālau to do the same.”

The participants select specific plants that are traditional to hula, for example, palapalai fern. “We’re dancing for Laka [goddess of hula]. We need to use kinolau [embodiment] for Laka.” When people join hālau he recommends they plant 100 ti plants on their own land. “We ourselves are going to become the lei shops.”

Kumu hula Aloha Victor

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Hilo’s Ocean Center, Riding a Wave of Peace

By Sara Stover

T

ucked away at the end of Kalanianaole Avenue is a hidden gem. A haven of calm just past the hustle of Hiloʻs port.

“This is our classroom,” says Kalani Kahalioumi, director of special programs for Hawai‘i County’s Department of Parks and Recreation, gesturing toward the tidepools below. A honu (green sea turtle) pops its head up.

Kalani continues, “This is where our ocean safety talk happens. This is a place of learning and healing, and it changes people for the better.” It’s a transformation he has seen time and again in the eyes of children who are struggling to find peace…until they catch that first wave.

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Changing Lives One Ride at a Time Richardson Beach Park is the site of year-round opportunities for children to cultivate a healthy relationship with the ocean and with others. Through surfing, sailing, and additional activities that are equal parts education and fun, the Richardson Ocean Center’s programs foster confidence and stewardship in kids seven to 12 years old. Kalani has been at the helm of these adventures for the past eight years, managing several community programs that teach kids the principles of mālama ‘āina—caring for the land.

Kalani, a member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and crew member of the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a, has been voyaging for a little while. “And since I have this knowledge, I have to share it by teaching the kids. My four kids enjoy the ocean and I want others to have that chance too!”

Kalani has ensured that they do, initially through Surfers Healing. Founded in 1996, the nonprofit organization was created by championship surfer Israel Paskowitz and his wife Danielle, for their autistic son Isaiah. When Isaiah struggled with meltdowns from sensory overload, riding the waves with his father offered him a calm like nothing else could.

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The couple then began organizing free surfing events for other autistic children, offering Surfers Healing camps everywhere from Australia to Cocoa Beach, Florida.

“I was invited to help with a camp in California by my good friend Israel 12 years ago. I met these kids with special needs who are not wired the same way we are,” says Kalani. “We surf because of that special feeling we get when we catch a wave. Our job at Surfers Healing is to help kids experience that too.”

In 2013, Surfers Healing set up camp at Richardson Beach and around 50 keiki with autism and other disabilities were in attendance.

Free of charge, the Hilo Surfers Healing Camp has been held at Richardson’s ever since.

The camp provides special needs keiki and their families the unique opportunity to catch a wave by paddling one-on-one on tandem boards with professional surfers, including Mikey “Redd” O’Shaughnessey and Ikaika Kalama.

“Ikaika invited me to come volunteer at this event,” Mikey recalls.

“It really opened my eyes! My life revolves around the ocean, and it’s a blessing to share that with the kids! There’s no better feeling than to share a ride with them and it’s life changing for their social skills!”

For disabled children, this experience is much more than a day at the beach. Known as water therapy, activities such as surfing can be especially calming to those with autism who are prone to sensory overload.

Autism affects one in 68 US children, many of whom have communication challenges, as well as heightened sensory perceptions, both of which can trigger frustration and aggression.

Exercise, however, may help a child with sensory sensitivity find an outlet for their frustration. In particular, being on a surfboard is The ocean can bring kids together and give them a sense of community within their own disability. photo courtesy of Mikey Redd

rhythmic, which autistic children often find soothing.

With the exception of 2020’s pandemic-related event cancellation, the Hilo Camp has been taking children with special needs out to catch some waves of peace every Saturday after Thanksgiving since 2013.

Bringing Learning to Life Although 2020’s keynote event was postponed, the Ocean Center’s other programs have remained accessible to children in the community.

“2020 was an opportunity to modify,” says Kalani, explaining how extra steps were taken to assure the health and safety of program participants and staff, including enhanced sanitization procedures, screening every morning prior to entry, a mandatory face mask policy, and physical distancing during activities.

“We’ve been using the learning pod system,” Kalani points out. Implemented as an after-school supplement to online schooling, pods are instructor-led small groups of students learning in person rather than virtually.

Fortunately, the extensive modifications did not impact the effectiveness of the Center’s programs. The Ike Kai enrichment programs were still able to bring learning to life by using both Western and traditional Hawaiian cultural knowledge.

The six one-week long summer programs focus on the coastal ecosystem’s health through outreach and education, and emphasize learning mālama honua—caring for the island and ocean by strengthening the community’s skills. Like the other programs, there is no charge for participation in Ike Kai, which promotes ocean safety and awareness.

“Our programs teach ocean awareness to public school

Kalani Kahalioumi is at the helm of year-round adventures that are both fun and educational, teaching children to cultivate a healthy relationship with the ocean and with their community. photo courtesy of Shawn Pila children—we don’t need aquariums to do that. This is our aquarium and classroom!” Kalani exclaims. “For kids with parents working two jobs, the Center makes a huge difference.

The programs after school and during breaks get kids involved with the ocean, teaching them about all it has to offer, from fun activities to career options,” adds Mikey Redd, who grew up in the area. “Uncle Kalani is doing a beautiful thing at Richardson’s. Anyone who walks in will be inspired to think differently about the ocean!”

The Ocean Center’s programs accomplish this by teaching children about the tidepools and how fresh water flows in, establishing the ideal ecosystem for marine life to thrive. Off shore, they discover how the reef allows marine life to move

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safely between the tidepools and the ocean. Through helping to restore the loko i‘a (fishponds) which are managed and maintained by a community group—the programs’ participants learn how the ponds were an essential part of the Hawaiian food production system for hundreds of years.

Keiki who are part of the after-school program look forward to surf day and guest talks from marine scientists, voyagers, lifeguards, and experts from DLNR and the Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center. The highlight, however, is learning the skills necessary to sail a Hawaiian canoe, as well as the history of Hawaiian voyaging. At the Center, learning comes to life for the adults, too.

“This job is always teaching me to be grateful. It makes me appreciate my own kids,” Kalani notes, as his son Tava skips across the lava rocks in bare feet.

“The learning never ends when I’m around the kids, because they’re all so unique,” Mikey adds. “When they’re on a wave, they’re present. It teaches me to view life differently and remember how fortunate we are to live where we live!”

“Every child is unique,” Meriah Nichols, mother of Surfers Healing campers, agrees. “Every child has special needs because every child IS special. My daughter Moxie may have Down syndrome, but she’s the same as any other child. They want to be loved and encouraged…and ride the waves!”

For parents of disabled children, every day is a challenge.

Communication barriers make it difficult for them to interact with others, but when a special needs child gets in the water at Richardson Beach, their parents have an opportunity to step back and watch that child live fully.

“The ocean can bring those kids together and give them a sense of community within one’s own disability. It makes them feel capable, and that translates to life back on shore,” says Meriah, who goes on to explain that children on the autism spectrum often have an intense attraction to water, which can be dangerous. “The Ocean Center gives them this safe outlet, though, allowing it to happen in a protective space.”

With a strong network of support in place, children on the spectrum can live fulfilling lives, excelling in everything from computer coding to surfing. Sometimes it all begins with a tandem surfboard, learning to connect to the water, and some encouragement.

An Outlet for All Kids From after-school programs to Surfers Healing, the benefits of the Ocean Center extend beyond disabled youth. It is a place where kids in the community can learn, grow, and be inspired.

“How do you create an environment where kids become successful?” Kalani asks. “Give them an outlet, so they have an alternative to negative behavior.” Never has this been more

22 At the Richardson Beach Ocean Center, Kalani works with marine experts, pro surfers, and other volunteers to inspire children in the community programs to think differently about the ocean. photo by Shawn Pila

Moxie Nichols doesn’t let Down syndrome stop her from learning to ride the waves at Surfers Healing. photo courtesy of Meriah Nichols imperative than it was when classrooms closed due to the pandemic, forcing students to navigate the challenges and frustrations of distance learning.

“No matter what happens on any given run, the waves keep coming. You just have to paddle out,” Kalani says of his efforts to help kids keep an open mind and look at the big picture by looking at the ocean. When it comes to the best part of his job, he answers without hesitation. “Seeing the non-swimmers who are afraid of the ocean turn into fish. It happens every day!”

From non-swimmers to watermen in the making, children who are part of the Ocean Center’s free programs are certain to leave infused with the courage to face their fears, knowing that whatever challenges come their way in life above water, they are capable of making the right choices and riding the big waves. ■ For more information: recreation@hawaiicounty.org surfershealing.org

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12 Years!

Fukushima Store

By Ma‘ata Tukuafu

W

you’ve never gone through pain, you won’t have the healing,” Eugene says. He calls his shop a place of healing.

During the very slow and quiet period for most of 2020, Eugene says he spent a lot of time meditating and listening every day.

He wanted to find a vintage gas pump similar to what used to be in front of the building up to the 1970s. He asked around and eventually a friend told him about an old gas pump he’d come across at a warehouse in Kalōpā.

“My friend called me and gave me the coordinates, and I drove up there and started knocking on doors,” Eugene explains.

“I finally found a woman who said it was her father who had acquired it from the old Fukushima Store in the 40s, when they replaced the old gas pumps with new ones.”

Trying not to show too much excitement, Eugene was told by the woman that her brother owned it, gave him directions to his home, and said her brother might sell it. Eugene was able to purchase the antique pump from the man for $100, and after a friend restored it, he placed it in the front of his shop, back to its rightful position. Eugene reflects, “This is an example of listening.”

Eugene says the history of the place has inspired him to honor the people who have done business there before him, and he is grateful to have the space to work in.

Not much is known about the history of the building, though it is remarkable that 25 it has been restored and is KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

hen you walk into Union Pasifika Tattoo shop in Waimea, you are greeted with a multitude of things to look at: a dragon and tiger intertwining in a mural on the walls and ceiling, colorful artwork, vintage photos, and interesting memorabilia.

Eugene Menor opened his tattoo shop in the corner of the old Fukushima Store building, also the home to the Fish and the Hog restaurant. His grand opening was held on March 5, 2020. For a few days Eugene worked, then COVID-19 hit the scene.

Eugene grew up in San Jose, California and traveled the world doing humanitarian work. He moved to Hawai‘i 20 years ago, living mostly on O‘ahu. He fell in love with Hawai‘i Island, specifically Waimea, after seeing all the hāpu‘u fern growing in the area. A resident of Waimea for three years now, Eugene says he had been searching for a storefront for his business, and when he saw the space, he knew it was going to be his.

“Two other tattooists told me it was too small,” Eugene says, “but it was perfect for me.”

He found out that the space had once been the site of the Fukushima Store’s gas station, a Chinese apothecary, a pet grooming shop, and, more recently, a T-shirt printing business. Don’s Pake Kitchen was also located next to it, and Eugene says he has found the history of the place intriguing.

Using the knowledge of what the space has held, he has created a work area that ensconces everything he loves, believes in, and meditates on.

An artist and muralist as well as a tattooist, Eugene painted the tiger and dragon mural for balance of yin and yang, and everything he moved into the shop was with intention. “If

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being used by several businesses now. The Fish and the Hog Restaurant (formerly Huli Sue’s) is doing well and offers take-out lunches and dinners. Waimea Wellness Boutique is accessed from the rear of the building, as well as Keiki Therapy (pediatric occupational therapy), and Aloha Medical Supplies and Services. It is truly a place of healing.

At Honoka‘a’s Heritage Center (NHERC), there is an exhibit about Waimea curated by Dr. Momi Naughton. Installed in December 2019, it will be in place for two years and, though small, it is an excellent history of Waimea town’s early times through the 1970s. Dr. Naughton, who remembers Fukushima Store, said it closed in the late 70s and there used to be a ceramic studio as well as a dress shop located in the back.

She was able to find a few articles and facts about K. Fukushima (standing) was a cowboy who worked for Sam Parker the building. at Parker Ranch. photo courtesy of Eugene Menor According to Alvin Wakayama of Kamuela Liquor, many of the old timers who used to frequent the store have passed on. “It’s the generation before me…my mom and dad who would remember what it was like at the store back then,” Alvin says.

Eugene keeps a photo of Mr. Fukushima in his shop; it portrays a handsome young man who was a paniolo (cowboy) for Parker Ranch and Sam Parker. On his altar are photos of the Kihoi family ancestors, men and women who were

Fukushima Store’s exterior in 2020. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia

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Flavor of the Earth, with Recipe for Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

Local Foods

By Brittany P. Anderson

Hawai‘i Island is well known for its volcanoes. The 2018 eruption saw fountains of lava shooting into the night sky, hurling glowing orange orbs into the heavens like rockets visible from homes and backyards in lower Puna. A pāhoehoe lava stream moved like an LA freeway towards the sea, laying claim to anything and everything in its way. It was excruciatingly mesmerizing and devastatingly beautiful, the hallmark of Peleʻs calling card.

Amongst the ashes, ‘a‘ā, and pāhoehoe, the people of lower Puna are still trying to put their lives back together. Isolated islands of land called kīpuka, while surrounded by lava, are places residents still call home, some backpacking in and out for supplies. In the long run, volcanic deposits evolve into some of the most precious agricultural lands on Earth.

The fertile soil of the Hāmākua Coast, Kona coffee country, and verdant fields of Kohala all have something in common— they’re all located at the base of Hawai‘i Island volcanoes. The foundation of where our food comes from is the soil, and on Hawai‘i Island, lava is that foundation.

Cacao and coffee grown in volcanic soil take on more complex flavors, much like wine, developing notes according to their terroir.

Cooled lava, called basalt, is broken down through wind and rain, creating tiny particles that make soil. Because basalt weathers easily, it releases nutrients to plants as soon as the roots make contact.

Take, for example, coffee grown above the longest and deepest lava tube in the world, Kazumura Cave. Stretching 40.7 miles from Kīlauea Crater to the Pacific Ocean, it weaves below some of Punaʻs most renowned coffee farms. It is said that when drinking water from the roots hanging within the cave, you can taste the same notes as in the coffee growing above.

Cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate, benefits from the nutrient-rich soil produced from lava. Chocolate enthusiasts highly prize chocolate made from cacao grown in volcanic soil due to the bold flavors it creates. Tasting notes of cherry, unique earthiness, and citrus are common characteristics for Hawai‘i Island produced chocolate. But each estate-grown cacao has a flavor journey imparted into the bean.

The journey of magma pushing up to the Earthʻs surface, billowing across the terrain, and freezing in place hundreds of years prior is present in Hawai‘i Island chocolate and coffee.

In the Puna District, the terroir bestows an aftertaste of wind whipping across lava fields and rain beating silvery black lava rock.

This recipe for molten lava chocolate cake can be made quickly in the microwave or baked in the oven. Either way, it produces a soufflé-like cake with a gooey center. Using local coffee to make your own espresso powder is easy: simply dry used coffee grounds and then grind into a fine powder with a blender or coffee grinder. Utilizing local coffee and local chocolate in this recipe highlights the taste of Hawai‘i Island.

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake Ingredients 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 Tbs unsweetened local cocoa powder 1/4 tsp espresso powder (optional) 1/2 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted 3 Tbs milk 1 egg 1/4 tsp local vanilla extract 1 oz lightly broken up local chocolate of your choice (anything from local goat milk caramel to espresso bar are great additions) 1 Tbs water Method Within a 2-cup sized microwave-safe mug or bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla to the mug. Whisk well to combine. Make sure to blend any flour that may be stuck in the bottom. Set your pieces of chocolate in the center of the mug. Do not push chocolate down; it falls as it bakes. Next, gently drizzle the 1 Tbs water on top of the batter. Cook in the microwave on high power for 1 minute and 15 seconds or bake in the oven at 400°F for 10–15 minutes.

The cake will rise as it cooks. Your molten lava chocolate cake is done when the center looks shiny and somewhat wet. Resist the urge to eat right away—let it cool for roughly five minutes, so you don’t burn your mouth. Enjoy!

Life is a Muse Artist Häwane Riosfor Shares Her Soul’sSachi Purpose

By Fern Gavelek

S

achi, the artist formerly known as Karla Musacchia, has been an award-winner since the 1970s.

Before that, she mingled with celebrities in Malibu, was Playboy magazine’s first surfer girl centerfold, and appeared in Hollywood movies. The 74-year old Kona resident has lived in Hawai‘i on and off since 1977, and her life has taken many twists and turns. What’s at the top of Sachi’s mind and world now is how she healed herself during a three-year learning journey after being diagnosed with a host of maladies including pancreatic cancer.

“I can now remember things, do 60 pushups—I have the energy of a 25-year-old!” exclaims Sachi. “My brain is bursting with all I’ve learned and succeeded at. I feel on the verge of good things for the future.”

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Destined to Be Creative Born in 1946, Sachi was diagnosed as having highfunctioning autism when she was young. She grew up in California, among artists including her mother, brothers, and several fraternal family members. Her Aunt Evelyn of Laupāhoehoe, a rock painter, was featured in the May–June 2013 issue of Ke Ola.

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“My family was all on the same page when it came to the arts,” Sachi recalls. “It’s kind of strange to have this genetic creative energy.”

Sachi claims she got a “sensational creative education” after she ventured out on her own and moved to Malibu in 1962, as she wanted to know who she should be and what she should do.

“I was supporting myself, working as a waitress, and saw famous people all around me,” she remembers. “I met artists like the writer Henry Miller, actors, and other creative people. I walked around and talked to these amazing people and learned a lot about their art and music—I was friends with some of the Beach Boys.”

What fascinated Sachi about those she encountered was they were successful, but “not even trying.” She says they were doing their craft because they loved it and the intent was simple and pure.

“I became the person I am now from the people I encountered in Malibu,” Sachi emphasizes. “It was their enthusiasm that most affected me.”

The oil painting Amazing Grace is a vision Sachi had of son Aaron asleep atop a sea turtle.

Oil painting Purple Palms.

Discovered on Malibu Beach On a beach day with girlfriends, 19-year-old Sachi was approached by a man who asked if she wanted to be in Playboy magazine. At first, Sachi refused. However, a friend assured her the stranger was a bona fide photographer and the teen allowed him to take some photos to submit to Playboy. Soon the magazine called and announced Sachi was chosen to appear as a surfing centerfold. She agreed, thinking

she’d use the money to travel to Europe.

“We went to the beach and I did some acrobatic surfing shots—it was a lot of fun— and there were some topless shots too, but the focus was about me being a surfer,” details Sachi.

The photo spread appeared in the April 1966 issue.

During this time Sachi got married and lived with poet husband Jon Woodjack and friends at the famed Positano’s Coffee House—a gathering place for A-listers and artists—

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KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

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on the cliffs of Malibu Beach.

One roommate, a sister to Mia Farrow, brought home celebrities like Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers.

Movies, Motherhood and Soft Sculptures After Sachi and Jon traveled to Europe and Africa, Sachi gave birth to her only child, Aaron Marcus, in London.

Soon after, the William Morris talent agency recruited her to Sachi was discovered as a model on the beach in Malibu and appeared as a surfing centerfold in Playboy magazine in be in movies and April 1966. she was given roles with small speaking parts. She was cast in a number of teen flicks and appeared with Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian in Fireball 500.

“It was kind of fun, but exhausting, and I couldn’t stand the lecherous men,” Sachi says of her film days. “I was the cute girl in the background.”

Sachi was also called to be a Playboy Bunny in Denver but said she had a baby in tow and “hated the life of a Bunny.” By then in her early 20s, Sachi moved to Penngrove, California, where she lived on a farm and reunited with her husband, who was running the seasonal Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Sachi enjoyed the performing troupe of Fellini-esque period characters: artists, wenches, jugglers, and Shakespearean actors. In addition to caring for her son and “living off the land,” she stayed occupied with creative endeavors: knitting, crocheting, and producing leather goods with the help of a treadle sewing machine.

Sachi’s art career began in the early 80s when she created whimsical, soft “life sculptures” that were carried by Circus Circus in Las Vegas and New York toy retailer FAO Schwartz.

Her 30-inch sculpture likeness of Hugh Hefner was featured in the December 1982 issue of Playboy.

Oil painting Kona Winds.

Channeling Grief into Painting Tragedy hit in 1987 when her son Aaron died of a brain tumor.

Sachi channeled her grief into art and started painting, saying the process restored her, enabling her to do something “without really knowing how.”

Sachi explains her son’s death left her depressed and withdrawn.

Selfie shot of Sachi, 2020. “But it was almost like a blessing in a way, as when I’m painting I get in the zone…I feel like my hands are being used…it’s like I’m watching my hands and a muse is in charge,” she continues.

By 1997, Sachi had created over 600 paintings and soft sculptures. Her characteristically bold portraits of 60s rock stars for the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll commemorative calendars gained her the American Advertising Federation’s prestigious

AAA’s Award of Excellence. To date she has painted a wealth of subjects in watercolor, mixed media, and oil on canvas. She has depicted marine life, scenic coastlines, picturesque grazing livestock, and hula.

“Sachi paints with multiple colors on one brush stroke,” details Vera Kirkpatrick, owner of Genesis Galleries Hawaii at Queens’ MarketPlace and Aesthetic Hawaii by Genesis Galleries at Kings’ Shops Waikoloa—both locations offer her art. “Sachi’s impressionistic style lends itself to the underwater scapes with Hawaiian green sea turtles and the classical koi and lily pond images synonymous with Hawaiian imagery.” Regarding technique, Vera explains Sachi paints on wide stretcher bars and traditional canvases in an Old-World style; her medium is “like that of the old masters, only with oil paint.”

Collectors of Sachi’s art include Oprah Winfrey, Al and Tipper Gore, and Yoko Ono, plus corporations including MCA Records and The Ritz Carlton Hotels.

Taking her talents to help causes she believes in, Sachi has donated numerous prints of her paintings to marine life and conservation organizations. One image, Amazing Grace, is a vision she had of her son Aaron asleep atop a sea turtle. She had the image printed on cotton instead of paper to save trees and donated 1,000 copies to the American Ocean Campaign.

After swimming with dolphins, Sachi was inspired to paint the playful cetaceans and donated prints to Dolphin Quest.

“Sachi has a passionate and profound knowledge of all areas of our natural world and its inhabitants,” says Lisa Mitchell of Recyclaholics, a Wisconsin compostable packaging company Sachi has sourced for two decades. “She has earth wisdom and is committed to sustainability.”

Still creating art, Sachi says her main subjects are koi and

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turtles as she is a water fanatic.

She loves the bright colors of koi and has fond memories of ocean encounters with turtles, sharing, “I feel like they love me.”

Choosing a Path for SelfHealing Three years ago, Sachi was diagnosed with a cancerous pancreas, destroyed adrenals, a sick fatty liver, and damaged thyroid glands and gall bladder.

Summing up her condition, Sachi says, “I basically had a destroyed endocrine system.”

Through research, which included talking to MIT staff, Sachi’s impressionistic style, seen in the oil painting Big Pink, Sachi says she lends itself to images synonymous with Hawaiÿi. “used her body as a lab rat” to heal. At the time she was living in South Kona “where I was surrounded by an environment drenched in the herbicide glyphosate. I couldn’t get grass to grow and the chemical was leaching into our well water.”

Thinking the chemicals were destroying her endocrine

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Claiming she’s a water fanatic, Sachi likes to paint koi. This piece is titled Violet Pool.

system, Sachi moved to a new location and changed her diet.

“I relied on Vitamin K2, which is found in sauerkraut, as I found it reverses the effect of glyphosate on the body.”

“I was 85 pounds of sagging flesh on bone and told I had incurable sarcopenia but now I have regained my weight,” declares Sachi. “I have muscle, brain, and body strength from methods I found that worked…aside from my faults and handicaps.”

Sachi’s healing methods included cold shower therapy (thermogenesis), yoga stretching and breathing, plus a diet devoid of all sugars, grains, beans, junk food, and seed oils with the addition of fat and special nutrients.

Employing the help of the mind to heal, Sachi did visualizations to open doors to new goals. She learned to understand the brain and the parasympathetic nervous system to combat negative self-talk. Sachi feels negative thoughts keep the body from functioning properly.

What’s next for Sachi? She says her end goal is finding a perfect oasis for herself, her pets, and the beautiful trees she has planted “that have been waiting for years for a permanent place in the earth to grow, to be loved, and appreciated by future generations.” ■ All images courtesy Sachi For more information sachiartfarm.com keolamagazine.com/people/evelyn-musacchia/

Don’t be afraid of change; be afraid of not changing.

Wanting more peace, understanding of what’s going on in your world, from a higher perspective?

Wanting more closeness with a partner?

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35

Aunty Aloha Shares the Gifts of Ho‘oponopono

by Catherine Tarleton

It’s all experience.

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Aunty Aloha says when the family had concerns to be addressed, their parents Have you ever thought you were doing would call everyone to a meeting. The something for somebody, and it turns out meeting was infused with aloha and they’re actually doing something for you? enriched with values that help keep That’s what happened with this writer harmony in the individuals, and the ‘ohana and Allysyn “Aunty Aloha” Ahuna Bezilla, as a whole. grandmother, devout Christian, hula “Aloha was the main key,” Aunty Aloha student, and teacher of ho‘oponopono, the says, “and so was pule [prayer]. You pule Hawaiian family healing process. These when you go to sleep, you pule when you days her classes are on Zoom, as is our wake up, you pule when you eat, you pule conversation. when you get in trouble. It’s all about “You cannot eat the whole loaf of bread at connection with ke Akua [God, Higher once,” Aunty Aloha says. “Take it one slice Power].” at a time. One day you are going to feel a Mom and dad Ahuna also taught the little more relaxed, more okay with yourself. values of aloha kekahi i kekahi (love That’s accomplishment.” As she speaks, I for oneself and for all), kōkua (helping can feel the worries of these troublesome each other), kuleana (understanding days start slipping away, like untying knots family and community responsibility), before you kick your shoes off. I take this as ha‘aha‘a (humbleness), mālama (caring), an accomplishment. hō‘ihi (respect for self and others). “We Aunty Aloha officially started learning didn’t know that our meetings were about ho‘oponopono in the 1990s when ho‘oponopono,” she says. she worked with Howard Pe‘a and Abbie Her father was a tugboat captain, and Napeahi at Alu Like;* however, the process a musician with the Ahuna Family on In her spare time, Aunty Aloha dances with Hälau Hula started when she was a child. “Abbie his nights off. In the summer, he piled O Kawananakoa, led by her sister, Kumu Hula Alberta introduced me to ho‘oponopono and I the whole ‘ohana—plus neighbors and Ahuna Nicholas. photo courtesy of the Bezilla ÿohana started learning, not realizing that our mom friends—into the truck for a two-week and dad had been doing ho‘oponopono with us every day,” camping vacation. “Our motto was ‘find an empty space and if says Aunty Aloha. you can fit, you can go,’” she says.

“We would do family conferences, talking story with each “My father made sure we all stayed together. He was a other, conflict resolution. Abbie reinforced what I was trained straight shooter; he wanted you to know his intentions, but he to do from my parents.” delivered with love. My dad was like that. And he didn’t hold The word ho‘oponopono literally translates as “setting grudges,” Aunty Aloha says. “Today, we always try to take care to right,” from ho‘o (to make) and pono (right, correct); of each other, be straight shooters. Be like dad.” ponopono (doubly so).** Traditionally, one of the family She raised her first child as a single mom, then married kūpuna (elders) would lead the process.

George Andrew Bezilla and raised four more children with It’s hard to imagine Aunty Aloha’s busy family of nine him. When her youngest went to pre-school, she went children, settling down with their parents long enough to do back to college, and earned an associate’s degree in early this quiet work in their Keaukaha household. “Our home was childhood education. She signed on with Alu Like, working with like Grand Central Station,” she says. “Mom made sure there adjudicated youths on education, pre-employment training, and was always a big pot of something on the table, rice, and job seeking, alongside Uncle Howard and Aunty Abbie gravy. Maybe you got one piece of meat, vegetables, and After their training, Abbie said the class was ready to start lots of gravy. There was always bread on the table, butter seeing people, and their first appointment was arranged—but and jelly,” she says. “The environment was so loving...I’m Abbie was ill and unable to come in. “Panic was in the air,” grateful for loving parents, Albert Keokialii Ahuna, Sr., Aunty Aloha says. “We thought, ‘Uh oh.’ But she said, ‘No who everyone called ‘Alapaki’, and my mother, Eleanor worry—you get ‘em!’”

36 Kalawai‘akamali‘iwahineli‘ili‘i Simeona Ahuna.”

“The first thing we did was pule. We told ourselves to just

remember what we were taught, listen to spirit. Abbie always told us, ‘Every person is important and special. Don’t go try and do something you shouldn’t do, can’t do. Be honest and straight with what you feel the spirit is telling you, and they are going to know if you are real or you are fake.’”

In 2011, Aunty Aloha had the privilege of furthering her ho‘oponopono training with renowned practitioners Lynette and Likeke (Richard) Paglinawan. She also started teaching Introduction to Ho‘oponopono at Hawai‘i Community College (HCC). In 2013, working with HCC’s office of continuing education, she assisted with a training program, teaching incarcerated men at Kulani Correctional Facility. She is presently employed by Keiki O Ka ‘Āina Family Learning Centers (KOKA), and before the pandemic, was facilitating a program at Hawai‘i Community Correctional Facility and Hale Nani.

Her leisure time is spent with hula. “When I was little, I went to learn hula at a well-known hālau, like my older sister did.

She is now kumu status,” says Aunty Aloha. “In those days, they were very strict and walked around with a ruler. If you weren’t doing your steps right or your hands correctly, they would pa‘i [smack]. I thought, ‘Why should I do this and get pa‘i? I can get that at home.’”

“At age 50, I decided I wanted to go back to hula,” Aunty Aloha says. “My sister had a hālau, with a kupuna group of women ages 45–100. She and her alakai‘i [lead teacher] were inspired kumu, teaching the basics, and I felt very comfortable in the hālau because at every practice the hālau would open and close practices with pule.”

She has danced and competed with the group in hula

competitions in Las Vegas, the Kūpuna Hula Festival in Keauhou, and Moku O Keawe Festival in Waikoloa. She loves to dance, and to share the beauty and energy, the “glow” of hula.

As we wind up our Zoom chat, Aunty Aloha’s adorable grandson Cedar comes in to say hello. “I love you,” she says.

“And I’m talking now. OK?” He waves goodbye.

These days, most of Aunty Aloha’s work is done online. She presently co-facilitates a class for KOKA called “Ho‘ohiki Pilina,” designed to help teens learn how to build healthy relationships, and make healthy decisions for today and tomorrow.

“In society there are two kinds of people, the spoiled brat or the abused individual,” Aunty Aloha says. “Both are crying, ‘Help me!’” She puts out her open hands. “The Lord says, ‘Turn your hands over [she does] and go do. Go do, go do, go do…’ Then you say ‘OK, Heavenly Father, I did that. What else I gotta do?’ And you gotta listen. Then you wait. The hardest part is to wait. The Lord says, ‘I’m going to do it when I’m ready, not when you’re ready.’”

“In the meantime,” she says with a smile, “It’s all experience.”

Yes it is. Mahalo, Aunty Aloha. ■

*keolamagazine.com/people/howard-pea/ ** The process of ho‘oponopono is described in detail, in Nānā I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source): Volume 1 and 2, by Mary Kawena Pukui, with Catherine A. Lee, E.W. Haertig, and Mrs. Marian Hartig in 1972 as a project for Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center. The text is available in full at www.ulukau.org.

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Aunty Aloha, surrounded by her family’s wahine. Back row: daughter Kihei, granddaughter Alexus; middle row: daughter Shanna, Aunty Aloha, granddaughter Kihei Ilima, daughter Kuÿulei; front row: daughter Mamo. photo courtesy of the Bezilla ÿohana

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Today’s ho‘oponopono is based on an ancient practice of healing illness and restoring family harmony. When there’s an issue, a facilitator is called in to help, using prayer, guided conversation, acceptance of responsibility, and making amends. Modern practice may look different from its ancient ancestor, but the basic elements are essentially the same: Opening pule (prayer).

‘Oia‘i‘o (the very spirit of truth). Leaders call on everyone, including themselves, to look first within, and then share as openly and truthfully as possible.

Kūkulu kumuhana (pooling of strengths). State the problem to be solved, concentrate thoughts on one person or one problem.

Mahiki (to pry or peel off). Stripping away the layers of a problem, like peeling an onion.

Identifying hala (cord that binds an offender to a victim) and hihia (entanglement, web of hala knots that may bind the whole family).

Ho‘omalu (complete silence), a pause called by the leader to let things settle before continuing.

Mihi (repentance). Honest confession(s) to God, aumakua, and each other.

Kala (loosen or untie). Release the strings of blame. Make restitution or arrange to do so.

“Ke kala aku nei ‘au ia ‘oe a pela noho‘i ‘au e kala ia mai ai,” (“I unbind you from the fault, and thus may also be unbound from it.”)

Closing pule.

Pani (ritual bit of food). In the past, families would sacrifice a pig or a chicken. Today, they have a meal together.**

Series 3 on Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawai‘i’s Universal Values to the Art of Business Eighth in Series Three on Managing with Aloha

Strengths Management with Aloha: Our Talent, Skills and Knowledge

Managing

with aloha

By Rosa Say

Whether you call them performance appraisals or annual reviews, devote those organizational practices to talking about a person’s strengths instead: celebrate how their strengths continued to be their best signatures on work, and how they served the mission of the organization well, and in noteworthy ways. As we like to say in Managing with Aloha, catch your people doing something right, and ‘catch’ it with recognition and appreciation. Catch it over and over again: strength affirmation is something you cannot overdo!

Consider goal-setting in a review conversation, to be the exploration of new venues in which the strengths you have identified and celebrated can be further employed.

As we have noted in our previous series, always remember: human energy is your greatest resource, and motivation is an inside job. Channel existing energy effectively, and inspire to create more of it in self-motivation.

Another useful tip: an easy way to see the difference between strengths and weaknesses, is to look for struggle and ease. We largely struggle with assignments due to our weaknesses. Conversely, we will sail through work easily with our strengths.

Here is your homework between now and our next issue: define the ways specific to your business tasks (i.e., jobs) and market or industry focus (i.e., mission and vision) you can compensate for a person’s weaknesses as you coach them, by redirecting their work in the realm of their strengths.

Strengths management is a person-by-person endeavor. It may be that you reassign them, or introduce them to others in a new partnership or team. It may be that you tweak the work itself, reframing it in a way that gives them more successes—there truly are a lot of possibilities when you shift your thinking this way, and no longer hammer people for their weaknesses, making them irrelevant instead.

My favorite thing about Key Concept 7? As transformational as it can be for the workplace, strengths management is just as wonderful for parenting. Children—ALL children—are packages of strengths awaiting our nurture.

In Series 3, we explore the 9 Key Concepts of Managing with Aloha as a culture-building philosophy for the workplace. Next issue, we’ll talk about Key Concept 8: Sense of Place.

Contact writer Rosa Say at RosaSay.com or ManagingWithAloha.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

As Alaka‘i Managers, mentors, coaches and trainers in the workplace, this is the four-part strategy we employ as the basis of how we treat our people: — We hire/select people for their TALENT. We consider talent to be innate, in-born and naturally occurring.

— We train people to develop their SKILLS. Skills are the learned activities relevant to the job and mission at hand.

— We give access to the KNOWLEDGE our people need.

Knowledge is learned information; however, access to it cannot always be assumed.

— We define COMPETENCY as the workplace fit required to function well in your operational culture.

How then, do a person’s strengths factor into this?

Strengths are TALENTS applied, and in use. We often think of talents as qualifications based on past experience, i.e., there was opportunity to use one’s talents, and they did so to discernable result. Our best growth and self-development will happen within our strengths, since one’s talent comes naturally to them.

What about weaknesses?

This is important—weaknesses are NON-TALENTS applied the best a person can manage them, and we will always be forced to compensate for them in some way until we redesign the work in favor of strength-sourcing instead.

Alaka‘i managers will accomplish this by applying their strength/weakness shifting strategies to work activities (i.e., performance), and never to a person’s character or personality.

For instance, do not diagnose weaknesses as bad attitude.

This is why one of the worst things a manager can do— ‘worst’ as in fundamentally useless and a huge waste of time— is devote a person’s performance appraisal to that depressing conversation about their weaknesses, and everything which may have gone wrong. When necessary, that’s an on-the-job conversation which should happen in specific context, making it a teachable moment.

Here’s another way to look at this, keeping in mind that a weakness is a non-talent, which you CANNOT turn into a talent. If you keep trying to coach a person’s weaknesses, the best you can do is improve from weak to not horribly bad.

Coach a person’s strengths, and you can improve quickly and dramatically, from good to great. Wouldn’t you rather have a workplace culture which functions vibrantly with many greats, over a rather mediocre one, which only functions passably, maybe, with a bunch of not bads? Of course you would! So would your customers.

39

Lopaka Rootz:

By Mālielani Larish

Transfixed with awe,

a four-year-old Lopaka Rootz gazed upward at Ziggy Marley as he poured his soul into a performance on O‘ahu’s North Shore. Dreadlocks swaying to the irie vibes, Ziggy beamed his smiles directly at Lopaka, planting a seed in the young boy’s mind. Today, as a reggae artist based in Kona, Lopaka brings that same magical and transformative power of music that first captivated him to a consistent schedule of live shows and freshly-released singles.

Hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to maintaining his love for music has enabled him to succeed in an industry that he himself deems savage.

Musical.ly Inclined Before Lopaka played to sold-out audiences at venues throughout Kona, he amassed 130,000 followers on the app Musical.ly, the precursor to TikTok. He recalls that his coworkers convinced him to use the app, which mainly attracted kids lip syncing to popular songs, as a way to build a fan base.

Reluctantly, he accepted the challenge.

Armed with his phone and tripod, he filmed music videos at beautiful locations around the island and posted them to his account, LopakaRootzInHawaii. After a video of him covering TLC’s “Waterfalls” at Rainbow Falls went viral, the Musical.ly administration asked him to become a featured broadcaster.

Every night for one year, Lopaka performed for his worldwide fans through a livestream show replete with games and incentives for the audience. When another company acquired Musical.ly in August 2018 and rebranded the app TikTok, Lopaka and his fellow high-profile influencers saw their privileges—what they had worked hard for—taken away, so Lopaka decided to renew his love for music through a new approach.

The Aftershock In February 2018, he released a professional music video of his first single “AfterShock,” followed by a string of performances with a full backing band of studio musicians.

Unfortunately, “AfterShock” did not create the far-reaching reverberations that Lopaka had hoped for, garnering zero radio play time and a mere handful of shares. He called up KAPA radio program director Jaz Iglesias and asked for guidance.

Jaz advised him to play as many shows as possible to get his name on the map. Thus, Lopaka became a community ambassador, playing for free at open mics, benefit concerts for cancer victims, and the Kona Public Library. Soon he was entertaining at weddings, birthday parties, and festivals, and played bass for a local band named Ocean Grown.

Perfecting his craft through practice paid off when Lopaka earned the opportunity to open for Mike Love at Kahilu

Lopaka jamming at the 2019 ÿÄinafest in Kohala. photo courtesy of Heather Brovsky

Uplifting Listeners with Positive Vibes

“Music is my love and passion,” Lopaka says. photo courtesy of Lopaka Rootz

Theater in May 2019. Backstage, Lopaka asked the elder Love for his tips on how to improve as a musician. His sage counsel?

“You just got to fall on your face in front of people. That is how you are going to get better.”

Lopaka has embraced the same philosophy. “You can’t get hung up on your mistakes,” he says. “Instead, you keep going and smoothly incorporate those little imperfections into what emerges as a beautiful symphony.”

Lopaka used to get frustrated when his efforts to promote a new single met with little success. After researching the topic, Lopaka has become a self-taught wizard of social media. He is happy to help promote other aspiring artists and share his promotional skills with them, saying that the work of social media effectively gets cut in half when musicians support one another’s shares.

Lopaka excels at finding opportunities to publicize his music—he contacted O‘ahu-based KHON2’s Living 808 show to inquire about doing an interview with them after learning that a friend had landed airtime on the show. More than willing to oblige, the TV program featured an interview with him, paired with clips from one of his most popular music videos. Lopaka filmed the interview during a lunch break from work, proving his ability to work full-time and still juggle the demands of promoting and performing as a musician.

Lopaka plays a show at least once a week. He is grateful for

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his full-time job because it gives him the freedom to select what gigs he wants to do and not stress about his earnings.

During this economic doldrum caused Lopaka Rootz opens for Mike Love at the Kahilu Theater. by the photo courtesy of Steven Roby pandemic, businesses cannot offer him as much compensation as they did in the past. The businesses—like Papa Kona’s, My Bar, and Poi Dog Deli—appreciate the fact that Lopaka’s performances attract packed houses of customers.

“He brings the best vibes to our establishment,” says Rocco Vick, owner of My Bar Kona. “We love working with him—he’s amazing!”

Celeste Cline, co-owner of Poi Dog Deli, says that “the best part is watching him build to a full song by himself using his looper and several different instruments, as well as his voice.

He can create songs that sound like they come from a six-piece band, all by himself!”

Lopaka’s popular singles include “The Ocean,” “The Three L’s (Live, Love, Learn),” “GiveEm,” “Takin’ It Easy,” “She’s the One,” and “Eddie.” His second release, “The Ocean” flowed into Lopaka’s mind as he was relaxing with his guitar and watching the surfers at a beach near Kona; it captures the soul-soothing feeling of connecting to the ocean and music on a profound level. “Eddie” is a song based upon the story of Hōkūle‘a crew member, lifeguard, and surfer Eddie Aikau. The high-energy instrumentals of “Eddie” mimic the intensity of what it must have felt like for the heroic waterman to charge a 40-foot wave at full speed, and the mellow interludes invite the listener to feel the calm between sets.

42

Divine Timing The release of one of Lopaka’s most widely-played singles, “Living My Best Life,” coincided with the statewide lockdown prompted by COVID-19 in March 2020. It was exactly what people needed to assuage the growing fear and gloom. Some radio DJs intentionally played the song after Civil Defense announcements reporting on the latest rise in cases, reminding people to Smile and be grateful for the beautiful day and that they are Blessed to be alive and sharing these positive vibes.

Some listeners have told Lopaka that they were in a very dark place and that his song came on at just the right moment, giving them enough hope to get through. Lopaka himself experienced the repercussions of the pandemic; his hours were cut in half and his mom lost her job at a Kona farmersʻ market.

“It’s not always peaches and cream for me, too,” Lopaka acknowledges. “You just have to know that like everything, it will pass.”

Lopaka credits two talented friends and owners of videography companies, Kona-based Toy Monkey and Hilobased videographer Prime Footage, with believing in his ability to write a hit song and giving him the idea for the song’s

catchphrase. Slammed by the economic downturn themselves, both videography companies created the “Living My Best Life” challenge, encouraging residents to post photos of what they were grateful for, with the chance to win prizes. As Lopaka walked around his home thinking of reasons that he was grateful, he penned a hook around the chorus and “Living My Best Life” emerged. Less than a month after its release, the song landed on KWXX’s Top 5 at 5 list.

Inspired to Uplift An integral part of his upbringing, Bob Marleyʻs music inspired Lopaka to look for the positive and use his mind to examine deeper currents in the narratives around him. Stick Figure, Soldiers of Jah Army, Rebelution, and Tribal Seeds have also heavily influenced Lopaka’s music. He especially values Stick Figure’s ability to appeal to listeners who may be feeling depressed by pairing positive messages with minor chords, thereby meeting people at their current emotional level while stimulating them to perceive other possibilities.

Country singer George Strait served as another one of Lopaka’s early musical influences—he recalls learning how to play one of Strait’s hit singles, “Blue Clear Sky,” as a teen at his father’s house in Pennsylvania. In a full-circle manifestation of events, Lopaka had the pleasure of releasing his own reggae version of the classic in October 2020 (with all proper legal licenses secured). For Lopaka, that fresh blossoming of love that the song talks about represents the transformative power that music has had in his life.

Lopaka trusts that his songs will live on without him, enabling him to leave a part of his soul on this earth that will continue to uplift people even when he is no longer here.

“Music is my love and passion,” Lopaka says. “The money and popularity, none of that in the end really matters. It’s about doing what we love, and I want to uplift people.”

Judging by the feedback of fan Celeste Cline, who says Lopaka is “an embodiment of the aloha spirit,” he is succeeding in exactly that. ■ For more information: Instagram @LopakaRootz facebook.com/LopakaRootzmusic/

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Brendaʻs mother had artistic tendencies and her brother is an amateur cartoonist—art was encouraged in their home.

Brenda was married at 18 to a military person who worked on the ceramics wheel as a hobby. Ceramics became a part of her life at and opportunities developed with experience.

Originally drawn to clay by the “something from nothing” concept, Brendaʻs experience in the ceramics industry developed steadily for more than 46 years. She and her first husband traveled the world to places of great influence for tile work, such as Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Brenda held positions internationally which included being a potter’s assistant in California, and ceramics shop manager/instructor on military bases in Texas and Iceland.

Now married to a man from Hawai‘i, Brenda moved to O‘ahu in 2000 and had a studio there for six years. In 2011, she and her husband Kanoa closed that studio and moved to Hawai‘i Island, where she now has a full ceramics studio at their home in Kea‘au. They opted to forgo their electric stove and clothes dryer at their new home so Brenda could plug in two kilns— instead they installed a gas line for new appliances.

Brenda had her own art shows at the Ong King Gallery and Art at Mark’s Garage on O‘ahu, was entered in the Hawai‘i Nei Show at Hiloʻs Wailoa Center in 2013 and 2019, then sold her entry at the 2019 show. She was a featured new artist in January 2015 at Waimea’s Firehouse Gallery. Her tiles have also sold at Polynesian Cultural Center, Nohea Galleries and Polynesian Treasures on O‘ahu, House of Fire in Kalapana, and Kukuau Studio in Hilo.

Brenda’s current ventures include maintaining her gallery wall at Kukuau Studio, keeping her art stocked at House of Fire in Kalapana, and a new online store for her company, Full Moon Factory.

Brenda has also done quite a bit of custom work. There have been several large orders involving jigsaw mosaics of whales and honu (sea turtles) that have been installed in her client’s walls and floors. Several tables have been tiled and now that she has her own house to work on, her entire bar front has been tiled. Multi-tile murals are favorite projects that she has customed designed with her client’s design needs. She uses the islands as inspiration for her art, focusing primarily on Hawaiian creatures of land and sea, carving and building surfaces for dimension. She also enjoys Day of the Dead designs for comedic relief and has done many animal and human portrait tiles. Clay is her calling. Framed or unframed, installed into a wall or tabletop, tiles and tile jigsaw mosaics are a perpetually expanding labor of love, making every day a clay play day.

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Deborah also owns the gallery, an artist collective on Bayfront, which opened January 1, 2011. She spends most days there, where she often sits and paints her latest piece.

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In 2017, she opened her first office in Kona, eventually landing a lovely space in Pottery Terrace. Then in 2019 a patient introduced her to the owner of a Hilo oceanfront estate which had an office space for rent. After this fortuitous meeting, she opened a satellite office with exquisite Keaukaha views.

Since she opened her practices in Hawai‘i, Belinda has created a better work/life balance and enjoys the luxury of having extra time with each patient. She shares, “Oftentimes when a patient comes in with a specific request, itʻs not what actually needs correcting in order to bring out their best self.

It takes time to explain what can be done to freshen their look. Also, skincare in Hawai‘i is different than skincare on the mainland, so people need to know what will help. Within their budget and capacities of the products, I educate my patients as to what is realistic and truly effective,” adding, “Sometimes there’s an assumption that ‘naturalʻ people don’t use fillers or medical grade skincare. The truth is, they do, because the products are safe and effective in the right hands.”

When you want to look your best, consulting with Belinda is your first step.

Belinda Pate Medical Aesthetics 75-5995 Kuakini Hwy #126, Kona 67 Keokea Loop, Hilo 808.389.1414 belindapate.com

Kipimana Hawaiian Granola Compnay LLC

MARKET PLACE REALTOR ®

Island Treasures

Kipimana! The granola worth serving!

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WHOLISTIC HEALTH

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Barbara Andersen purchased, renovated, and operated Shipman House Bed and Breakfast on Reed’s Island in Hilo for 20 years. In 1997, she had the inspiration to start serving homemade granola to her guests for breakfast because, as she explains, “I wanted a healthy granola that reflected Hawai‘i’s sense of place, something our guests would be familiar with, but with favorite Hawaiian flavors.” She experimented with different ingredients until she got it to a point everyone loved it.

By 2006, after nine years of guests telling her she should sell it, Barbara was ready to expand her granola making into a retail business. She named it Kipimana Hawaiian Granola, because Kipimana is the Hawaiian pronunciation of “Shipman.”

Barbara is great-granddaughter of rancher W.H. Shipman, so it’s the perfect name for her granola.

Kipimana granola includes fresh local ingredients, and is baked and packaged in a commercial kitchen in Hilo. Barbara has experimented with different flavors over the years, and she and her staff of two part-time employees always enjoy trying something new. In 2019 and 2020, three flavors won International Flavor Awards: Coconut Macadamia Granola, Macadamia Granola with Ginger, and Coconut Macadamia Granola with Turmeric.

Barbara shares, “Our gourmet granola ingredients are weighed, stirred, and packaged by hand in small batches. We bake as needed, so our granola is fresh and crunchy when it goes out the door.”

Barbara likes to keep the ingredients as simple as possible and they include local items such as mac nuts, coconut, mac honey, mac oil, turmeric, Kona coffee, cacao, and ginger. There is no dairy, wheat, peanuts, salt, soy, trans fats, cholesterol, corn syrup, chemicals, preservatives, or artificial colors; just a little brown sugar is added for sweetening.

Kipimana Hawaiian Granola is proudly served at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Kona Coffee and Tea. Packages are sold at most KTAs and the Locavore store in Hilo. It’s also available for mail order via their website where Barbara is offering a Granola of the Month subscription, too.

Barbara shares, “The granola is especially good on ice cream or yogurt, in açai bowls, on a hike, in a bowl as cereal topped with berries or sliced bananas, or in “oatmeal” cookies. It makes a wonderfully personal gift from Hawai‘i, too! Ke Ola readers who have ordered our gift package subscriptions have received two flavors of Kipimana Hawaiian Granola with this issue!

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KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘ÄINA I KA PONO. The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

[Its sustainability depends on doing what is right.] Proclamation by Kona-born King Kamehameha III in 1843. Later adopted as the Hawai‘i state motto.

Publisher, Editor Barbara Garcia, 808.329.1711 x1, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com

Assistant Editor

Michelle Sandell HIEditor@KeOlaMagazine.com

Advertising, Business Development Barbara Garcia, Call/Text 808.345.2017, Barb@KeOlaMagazine.com

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Tanya Yamanaka, 808.329.1711 x 3, Info@KeOlaMagazine.com

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Emily T Gail • Fern Gavelek • Keala Ching • Mars Cavers Sharon Bowling • WavenDean Fernandes

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KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

Ka Puana - Closing Thoughts

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Proverb 384. Mary Kawena Pukui. Olelo Noeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings. Bishop Museum Press.

ASK US ABOUT “RICKY’S LOYAL OIL CLUB”

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The most complete art and art glass supply in Hawai‘i

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QUALITY AUTO REPAIR & SERVICES SAFETY INSPECTIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

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MONDAY - FRIDAY 7:30 TO 5PM 74-5622 ALAPA STREET #3, KAILUA-KONA

Art makes you smart 808.334.0292 73-4976 Kamanu St #108, Kailua Kona, Hawai‘i 96740 in Hale Ku’i Plaza, mauka of Home Depot

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Zillow 5 Star Agent

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Aloha neighbors and visitors to the Big Island!

KeOlaMagazine.com | January - February 2021

I wish all of you a prosperous and healthy New Year! As we enter 2021, I want to thank my clients and peers for helping to make 2020 a spectacular year for me professionally, in spite of the challenges of the pandemic. I am blessed and grateful to be a full-time Realtor with over 17 years of experience helping buyers and sellers on the Big Island of Hawaii. Please contact me if I can be of service.

I'd be delighted to hear from you. With aloha, Kelly

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“Kelly Shaw was professional, personable, answered all our questions in a timely manner and gave good advice 52 and suggestions. Our purchase was done remotely and Kelly helped us through all the online paperwork and was always reachable even with a six hour time difference. She was excited for us and also compassionate when I was feeling overwhelmed.” —Five Star Zillow Review