July–August 2021

Hawai‘i Island’s Community Magazine The Life |

ARTS CULTURE SUSTAINABILITY

July – August Iulai – ÿAukake

The Creative Adventures of Kawika Singson The Fate of Ahu‘ailā‘au It’s a Family Affair at Āhualoa Farms

2021

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Front cover: Starry Halemaÿumaÿu Night, a photograph by Stephen Davies.

Table of contents: Down by the River, River, a photograph by G. Brad Lewis.

Read more about the artists on page 45.

The Life

Hawaiÿi Island’s Community Magazine July – August | Iulai – ÿAukake 2021

Ka Wehena: The Opening ‘Āina ‘Ailā‘au

Na Kumu Keala Ching

Arts

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Below the Surface Recipe for Carrot Cake

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The Creative Adventures of Kawika Singson

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Darien Hsu Gee: Crafting Ideas into Captivating Stories

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By Brittany P. Anderson

By Sara Stover

By Fern Gavelek

Business

Itʻs a Wrap! Or is it?

By Rosa Say

Talk Story with an Advertiser

Alternative Termite Innovations Bill Heard, RS, Paradise Found Realty

Community

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The Night Lava Returned to Halema‘uma‘u

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Welcome to the Lava Zone

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By Stefan Verbano

By Brittany P. Anderson

The Fate of Ahu‘ailā‘au

By Stefan Verbano

Sustainability

Its a Family Affair at Āhualoa Farms

By Barbara Garcia

Ka Puana: Closing Thoughts

225: ‘Ā‘ole e ‘ōlelo mai ana ke ahi ua ana ia

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

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Culture

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From Our Publisher

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.

photos from local photographers. We share a snippet of it in our story, “Welcome to the Lava Zone” and encourage you to visit.

Even the chant was written especially with Ahu‘ailā‘au in mind. Kumu Keala Ching and Kumu Piilani Kaawaloa wrote it together and itʻs beautiful!

In our January/February 2013 issue we debuted a series by author Rosa Say based on the 19 principals she teaches in her book Managing with Aloha. Fifty-one issues later, Rosa has completed Series 3, writing a new essay for each, continuously teaching us new aspects of the 19 values.

I had originally come across Rosaʻs book in 2008 while I was working for another publication. My outlook was transformed by these values, and I shared it with my boss at the time.

Unfortunately his business was a casualty of the recession that soon followed; however, I remembered the values I learned from Rosaʻs book when we created Ke Ola Magazine later that year.

Iʻm so grateful weʻve been able to benefit from Rosaʻs contribution of Managing with Aloha, and hope those who have been reading it for the past eight and a half years have learned as much as I have. We will be staying in touch with Rosa and perhaps at some point sheʻll be contributing to Ke Ola again.

For now, we send a warm aloha, a hui hou.

Please be sure to mahalo our advertisers when you visit their businesses (in person, online, or by phone). Itʻs wonderful for them to hear that their support of Ke Ola is also good for their business.

Enjoy our “hot” summer issue!

Aloha pumehana, Barbara Garcia

Corrections James Kurokawa is my dad. The article about Saint James Circle [May/June 2021] misspelled his last name, Kurakawa.

Itʻs a common error. Itʻs always a joy to read well written articles that bring the old timers back to the good old days.

Mahalo.

Nadine Demaree, via email Editorʻs note: Our apologies to the Kurokawa ‘ohana.

KeOlaMagazine.com Facebook.com/KeOlaMagazine Instagram.com/KeOlaMagazine LinkedIn.com/in/BarbGarcia Twitter.com/KeOlaMagazine

Send us your comments, letters, and photos!

We accept email, snail mail, submissions through our website, or posts on Facebook.

HIeditor@KeOlaMagazine.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

When we were brainstorming about cover themes for 2021, we decided it was timely to have a lava theme this year, since the last time we featured one was 2015. Lava is the only theme weʻve repeated, because there are always new stories to tell.

The latest Halema‘uma‘u eruption began on Winter Solstice Eve, December 20, 2020. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be there the moment it became visible? Writer Stefan Verbano interviewed some Volcano residents who happened to be there that evening and he shares their story in “The Night Lava Returned to Halema‘uma‘u.” This eruption has recently paused, continuing the eternal cycle of lava flows.

This past January, Stefan and I were invited by some Leilani Estates residents to visit what was then called Fissure 8, and has since been named Ahu‘ailā‘au, which was formed in the 2018 eruption.

What an honor it was to trek up the side of this fissure and observe the magnificence of what nature created three years ago. As I write this, I also reflect on the amount of destruction that took place, with so many people losing their properties, livelihoods, and many of our beloved beach parks buried beneath the lava. Even with that, there is a sense of awe and newness standing at the rim of this crater. We could even see plants growing out of the interior, reminding me there is always rebirth, including after devastating destruction.

When Jaggar Museum at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park closed in 2018, the Mainstreet Pahoa Association was lent exhibits to display in Pāhoa Village. Thanks to the owner of Kaleoʻs Restaurant and the building next door, the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum was created. Besides displays from Jaggar, there are many geological specimens from the 2018 eruption contributed by community members, along with spectacular

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Ka Wehena

‘Äina ‘Ailä‘au Na Kumu Keala Ching

Famous is the land protected of Kīlauea Gentle Pu‘ulena upon the blessing of Puna Scented is the hīnano, pandanus flower Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land

Hū a‘ela ka wai ‘ula‘ula ala Laha launa ‘ole ka lehua poepoe ē Eia ka nani ‘Āina ‘Ailā‘au Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē

Sprout forth the reddish waters Observe the robust lehua blossom Here the beautiful land ‘Ailā‘au Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land

Eia ke aloha kama o ka ‘āina Nāna kamaha‘o noho maka ‘āina la Lālau ka lua wai pili i ‘ai lā‘au Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē

Here is the love, child of this land Remarkable one, residence of a loved one Grasp the double waters destroying the tree Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land

Lapalapa ka ‘āina Puna i uka ala ‘Ā ā pu‘upu‘u ka ‘āina ‘Ailā‘au ‘Auana ‘Ailā‘au pili ‘āina Pele lā Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē

Bridged land of uplands of Puna Fiery and filled land of ‘Ailā‘au Journey ‘Āilā‘au upon the land of Pele Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land

Kaulana ka ‘āina malu o Kīlauea Eaea Pu‘ulena, Puna Paia ala ‘A‘ala ka hala pua hīnano Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē

Famous is the land protected of Kīlauea Gentle Pu‘ulena until the blessings of Puna Scented is the hīnano, pandanus Flower Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land

He mele Kaulana ‘Āina ‘Ailā‘au

Song of the famous land of ‘Ailā‘au

He mele hanohano kēia ‘Āina ‘Ailā‘au. Ho‘omana‘o ka lua wai ‘ula‘ula i ‘auana ‘ia i ka ‘āina o Puna. Eia kahi kama‘āina i noho maka ‘āina la ‘o ‘Ailā‘au. ‘O ia ho‘i ka ‘āina ‘ailā‘au i pili maila ke ola o Pele. Kaulana kēia ‘āina malu o Kīlauea! Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘Āina ē! Eō maila ‘o Ahu‘ailā‘au!

A song honoring the land of ‘Ailā‘au. Remembering the two reddish waters traveled to the land of Puna. A familiar child resident of this land, ‘Ailā‘au. Here the land of ‘Ailā‘au connected to the life of Pele. Famous land covered by Kīlauea! Freedom, Freedom, Stand free the land! Rejoice ‘Ailā‘au!

Honoring my intimate conversation with Kumu Piilani Kaawaloa and her relationship with our Heavenly Creator.

Background photo: ‘Ailā‘au in the Steam. Photo courtesy of Charlene Meyers

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

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Kaulana ka ‘āina malu o Kīlauea Eaea Pu‘ulena, Puna Paia ala ‘A‘ala ka hala pua hīnano Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē Noa ē, Noa ala, Noa kū ka ‘āina ē

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d e n r u t e R a v a L t h g Ni no

Verba

ruce Miller and Ed Clapp headed to the crater overlook that fateful December night to stargaze and celebrate the solstice. A cold, wet mist hung in the mountain air, surrounding them. They approached the volcano’s rim as an evening breeze carried sheets of drizzle out past the cliffs and down into the great chasm of slumping rock cloaked in darkness below. Beams of light from the crescent moon mingled with the mist in the distance creating a moonbow, its faint white glow reflected one moment and obscured the next by ranks of translucent clouds rolling past.

The night was quiet and still at first. Bruce and Ed looked in all directions and saw only the cold darkness of a deserted overlook and parking lot. Stout ‘ōhi‘a trees stood silhouetted against a sky of intermittent stars. The formless black void of Halema‘uma‘u Crater lay beyond, swallowing up all of the falling moonbeams attempting to illuminate its elaborate, craggy pit and muddy lake. Ever since its dramatic expansion in 2018, this stepped canyon has filled the horizon at Kīlauea Volcanoʻs summit from end to end.

Suddenly, with no warning—not even the slightest rumble felt—a tiny tinkle of light began to flicker somewhere deep within the craterʻs all-engulfing black hole. Ed noticed it first, and pointed it out to Bruce. It was just before 9:30pm. “He looked out and said: ‘Thereʻs a light down there,’” Bruce said, recalling the sequence of events that night. “I said: ‘Come on!’”

The two men stood at the rim for a minute arguing about what could possibly be causing this flickering so far out there in the void...a geologist’s headlamp? A camera? A drone? They considered every other possible explanation besides the one creeping around at the back of their minds. Neither one at first wanted to entertain the idea that a year and a half after the formation of Halema‘uma‘u’s peaceful and unassuming gravel lake in July 2019, somehow, somewhere out there in the cold, misty abyss, the brilliant reddish-orange lava that is the lifeblood of Hawai‘i Island—that rained down such utter destruction onto its Lower Puna District nearly three years ago—had found its way back to the surface once again. Ten minutes later they knew it couldn’t be anything else; Kīlauea was erupting.

to Halema‘uma‘

u Crat

er

A still photo taken from a USGS webcam at Kïlauea’s summit at sunrise on December 24, 2020, showing fissures in the side of Halemaÿumaÿu feeding a lava lake which boiled off its water lake four nights prior and continued to fill the crater. photo courtesy of USGS

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Timing Is Everything Streams of lava broke through the crater walls in multiple places the night of December 20, 2020—Winter Solstice Eve— sending molten rock cascading down into the lake of chai teacolored water, causing it to boil off and send a massive white, puffy mushroom cloud of steam high into the sky. It mixed with black smoke from the emerging fissures turning it grey, and the streams flowed faster and faster, roiling the orange water below, making it hiss and gurgle and thrash about wildly.

Having overcome nagging disbelief, Bruce and Ed now had the first few pangs of fear and panic cropping up in their chests.

“There was white steam and black smoke turning in on itself, not rising straight up, but rising and falling,” Ed says. “It was really beautiful to watch. And you’re watching this, awestruck, and then you’re wondering: are we going to die tonight? Is there going to be some big explosion?”

They considered retreating, but decided to risk it and stay.

They watched as the lava glow grew in intensity and the crater’s walls lit up at one end, illuminating in great detail the many intricate ridges and crevices that make up the towering cliffs, casting them in a dramatic red relief. Within half an hour of that first tinkling of light, the fissures were pumping out fountains of lava that spread their eerie glow onto the grey plume and the low-hanging clouds. The night’s darkness was lifting, and everything around the deserted overlook was turning scarlet.

Not knowing who else to call, Bruce dialed 911. The dispatcher on the other end put him through to the National Park Service. “I’m up here at Kīlauea caldera...it’s erupting,” Bruce told them.

They asked him to take a photo of what he was seeing with

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Halemaÿumaÿu always offers the opportunity to see things anew. Here, the lava lake glows through its crust as the full moon rises over a snow-capped Mauna Loa in the horizon. photo courtesy of Demian Barrios

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his smartphone and text it to them. Not long after he hung up, the first people arrived at the scene besides Bruce and Ed. It was Kathleen and Donald Mulliken, longtime residents of Volcano Village. Kathleen remembers, “It was very exciting even though we’ve seen the eruption so many times in the past. Her coming to life like that with the beautiful billowing clouds was breathtaking.” By 10:30pm, roughly an hour after Ed initially noticed the light in the crater and the dark stillness of the night was broken forever, the eruption had become “huge,” according to Bruce.

“It was really, really bright,” Bruce says. “It was beautiful... the plume was going up like a mushroom and kind of spilling over, like it was an avalanche or something. It was pretty damn impressive.”

As the night sky grew redder and the lava fountains within the crater grew taller, the sheer power of the unfolding spectacle dissolved any lingering fear in the two friends and replaced it with wild wonder and primal awe. One of the largest fissures would grow that night to emit lava fountains more than 160 feet high.

“I was excited about it. I was thinking: this is great,” Bruce says. “Because it’s part of what makes this place so special—to be able to see that. To see the raw earth flowing, for me, it’s magical, it’s incredible. I would watch it every night if I could.”

By the time Bruce and Ed finally left Kīlauea’s summit and headed back down the mountain to their homes in the town of Volcano, the park was swarming with activity. The overlook spots around the crater rim were crowded with onlookers.

Parking lots were filling up. A long line of cars full of curious passengers hoping to catch a glimpse of the lava geysers and radiant red clouds backed up from the park’s entrance gate out

onto the highway. Word of the eruption seemed to spread and grow as quickly as the lava fountains themselves.

“I think people were calling their friends, telling them: get over here!” Bruce says.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Geology, History and Technology Jim Kauahikaua is a geophysicist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) run by the US Geological Survey, and previously served as its scientist-in-charge. His expertise in the field and his thorough understanding of Kīlauea’s geological past helps put the eruption that began that cold December night into context.

“The volcano’s summit has been very active over the past two centuries,” Jim explains, “exhibiting cycles of eruption where lava levels rise gradually and then drop and disappear for a short time, before re-emerging and rising again.”

Sometimes these cycles produce eruptions in the East Rift Zone, like those in 1840, 1955, and 1959 through 1960. The eruption that began in 1983 continued for 35 years, stopping on April 30, 2018, with the onset of the massive 2018 Lower Puna Eruption three days later.

Interviewed in April 2021, Jim said the return of lava to Halema‘uma‘u four months prior didn’t overly concern him, in regards to a possible repeat of 2018, because—at least at the time—there simply hadn’t been enough lava produced yet.

“Usually the rise [part of the cycle] reaches elevations that are much higher than the current lava lake before rift zone action is initiated,” Jim says.

Still, HVO staff are vigilant in their monitoring of this new eruption, relying on advanced scientific instruments and technologies to study its progress, collect valuable geologic

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On March 29, 2021, the crater’s lava lake remained active with patches of glowing red molten rock breaking through its crusted-over surface. The active portion of the lake had been steadily decreasing over the past months. photo courtesy of M. Patrick, USGS

data for a better understanding of volcanoes, and help inform and warn the public about the range of hazards that come with living on a volcanic island.

HVO’s monitoring networks include seismometers for detecting earthquakes, GPS systems so acute they can measure ground movements on the scale of centimeters,

tiltmeters, gas sensors, satellite radar, time-lapse cameras, live webcams, and more. Poring over this data, HVO staff continually watch for changes on multiple fronts from the patterns of earthquakes to the rate of ground tilt to the emission level and chemical composition of volcanic gasses.

HVO then condenses all of this information into routine public

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Aerial view of Kïlauea’s new summit eruption during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight just before noon on December 21, 2020—the day after the eruption started. Two active fissures continue to feed lava down into the crater’s growing lava lake. photo courtesy of M. Patrick, USGS

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updates; daily for Kīlauea, weekly for Mauna Loa, and monthly for Hawai‘i’s other volcanoes not currently showing signs of activity: Mauna Kea, Hualālai, Lō‘ihi, and Haleakalā. The observatory even runs a Volcano Notification Service available to anyone, which sends out automated email alerts about volcanic activity in the state.

Kīlauea’s new eruption raged into the new year, churning out millions of cubic yards of lava and thousands of metric

tons of sulfur dioxide per day at its peak. By mid-April 2021, it had calmed significantly from the terrifying and mesmerizing spectacle Bruce and Ed saw that night when they just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u grew to be more than 750 feet deep, and its interminable smoking could be seen from the overlook on a sunny day as the breeze carried it across the greatly expanded chasm. After spending a year and a half

A close-up view of the lava fountaining at Halemaÿumaÿu’s west fissure on January 15, 2021. The rim of the fissure is built up over time as spattering lava deposits and accumulates around the vent. photo courtesy of Demian Barrios

finally crusted over. Last surface activity was seen on May 23, 2021, after which HVO scientists deemed the eruption to be “paused.” ■ For more information: usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory nps.gov/havo/learn/news/20201221_nr_new-summit-eruptionkilauea.htm volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

as a lackluster gravel pit filled with muddy water and looking extinct, the volcano’s swirling lava cauldron—Hawai‘i Island’s hallmark that once drew more than two million people a year to see its smoldering pit and deep red glow—had come roaring back to life again, continuing the eternal cycle and restoring the crater to its former glory, if only for a short while. Just as the eruption was celebrating its five-month anniversary, lava pouring through the vents dwindled and stopped, and the lake

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_ It’ s a Family Affair at Ahualoa Farms

By Barbara Garcia

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

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orn and raised on a citrus ranch in Southern Chelsea, suggested they look for a farm in Hawai‘i. Years California, farming runs in Chad Cleveland’s blood. His father, earlier, she lived in Kona, and Chad recalls, “She had a crazy grandfather, and great-grandfather were farmers and Chad has idea we might be able to farm here. In 2015, we started always loved having his hands in the dirt. He went to school traveling out for exploratory trips, bringing our families, at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, obtaining a including the babies. We explored the island, learning about degree in agronomy in 2004, while living and working on the the different crops and regions, soil types, weather, and campus farm. After graduation, the school offered him a fullmarkets. We starting coming over a few times a year for time job as farm manager. His father and Cal Poly taught him several years, traveled all over the island and got to know the “learn by doing” philosophy. people. I always said I didn’t want to get into mac nuts and Chad always had a coffee, I wanted knack for business. something unique, What he didn’t but our real estate learn in school, he agent knew the self-taught instead. owners of Āhualoa It came naturally Farms...” because he wanted to do it on his own.

Fateful Accidents Eventually Chad Mike and Linda leased 20 acres in Watson started Chino, California. Āhualoa Farms by He got a small accident. They had beginning farmer a tiny farm, and loan from American would harvest their Ag Credit and own mac nuts, roast borrowed equipment them, and give them from a farmer friend. to friends. Linda was He planted his first encouraged by her crop, alfalfa, for friends to sell them, the dairy industry so she started at a in Chino while still farmers’ market in working his day Waimea. Someone job at Cal Poly. from a resort tasted Any profit he made them and asked if on the farm, he she could provision reinvested. Later them, which led Chad leased another to needing a 30 acres and hired commercial kitchen. his first employee.

The Watsons It grew to where he were supposedly was leasing 2,000 retired, but Mike acres and had 30 was a contractor, The Ähualoa Family Farms ÿohana. Adults, left to right: Justin, Brendon, Chelsea, Ryan, Matt, Kia, and Chad. employees plus so they purchased Keiki, left to right: Ivy, Aria, Adler, Levi, Magnus, and Zoie. photo courtesy of Chad Cleveland a fleet of trucks the former and tractors. Chad sugarcane fueling marvels, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d own station (which had been a home in between) at the east side a John Deere tractor.” His farms continued to grow as he of Honoka‘a on Mamane Street, and he converted it to a provided for the dairy industry: alfalfa, corn, wheat, oats, and commercial kitchen and gift shop. Their retirement business hay. became more than full-time jobs, so after a while they decided As development encroached and the urban sprawl moved in to sell it. from Los Angeles County, the farmland became houses. The Chad says, “We hadn’t considered the Honoka‘a area up to land values in California were “insane” and all of Chadʻs leased this point, but we met the Watsons and hit it off great, so we farmland was destined for development, so he needed a new made a deal with them and the rest is history.” Chad’s cousin, place to continue.

Justin Padgett, who had never been to the island before, was With his passion for farming and knowledge of business, the first to move. Chad’s sister, Chelsea, and her husband, Chad was always looking for new opportunities. His sister, Ryan Fontanilla, moved soon after, and Chad went back and

Exterior of the macadamia nut factory in Honokaÿa which the family recently purchased and restored. It’s not open to the public...yet. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia forth. They quickly had to learn about business in Hawai‘i, the culture, and community. They all fell in love with it instantly.

When Chad and his family purchased Āhualoa Farms, they were essentially purchasing the business and building—the sale didn’t include the farm. The Watsons had already built a solid foundation and reputation for high quality products, and Chad wanted to expand upon that. “We had to build a farm around the business,” Chad reflects.

The Watsons had previously outgrown their own farm and had been buying mac nut kernel already cracked from local processors all over the island. Sourcing shouldn’t have been a problem, but a month after they purchased the business, a mac nut shortage occurred due to the demand outpacing the supply and they couldn’t get enough to fill their orders. It was a huge struggle. Chad decided that it was time to build their own processing plant, because buying raw nuts wasn’t a problem, processing them was.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

The Factory Justin happened to have seen the abandoned building at the bottom of Lehua Street, where the aged sign says is the oldest mac nut factory in Hawai‘i. It was in shambles and had been on the market for a long time. Chad instantly fell in love with the building and its history, and a deal was made.

Chad is still learning about the history of the factory and loves hearing stories. Evidently, Hawaiian Holiday Macadamia Nut Company was the first company to have their factory here, which was then purchased by the DeDomenico family (once owners of Ghirardelli Chocolate) who took it to the next level.

At one point there was even a week-long Mac Nut Harvest Festival in Honoka‘a, including a parade. They found a program from 1979—it says it was the second annual and that Honoka‘a was the macadamia nut capital of the world. Āhualoa Family Farms hopes to bring this festival back to life.

For more than two years they slowly restored the charming building back to its former glory. Chad is mechanically-minded so he started designing the equipment and layout. He and his family and friends rebuilt the factory from scratch. In October 2020 they flipped the switch. It now has all the character of an old building with modern conveniences and equipment.

The front of the building still has the previous retail space with display windows where customers observed the nuts processing. They may open that again someday.

Upstairs offices have windows looking into the factory so the

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former bosses could watch the workers.

The current managment team occupies those same offices; however, with their stellar group of employees, watching them is not on their Sisters Lucena (left) and Margarita (right) sort nuts one last to-do list at time to make sure everything is perfect. Margarita once sorted all. nuts when the original factory was operational, and is happy to Upon taking be back at it again years later. photo courtesy of Chad Cleveland a tour of this historical building, updated with all the bells and whistles of a modern factory, it gives a sense of awe. Chad explains how they received the nut processing equipment, “It came in pieces and we put it all together here, like puzzle pieces. It was a massive feat.”

From raw nuts to packaged and ready for sale, itʻs all happening between the factory and commercial kitchen. Other products they create from the nuts are macademia nut oil, salad dressings, nut spreads, chocolate covered mac nuts, eight flavors of mac nuts, mac nut flour, pancake mix, and granola. They also produce and sell 100% Hāmākua coffee and have plans to install coffee roasting equipment so they will be 100 percent vertically integrated.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

The Farms Chad purchased a coffee farm in Pa‘auhau, and began leasing land and share cropping in Kapulena (on the way to Waipio Valley). Nearby is where the first macademia nut tree on the island was planted. Many of these original orchards were abandoned, and now Āhualoa Family Farms is bringing them back to life.

Ryan runs the farming side of the operation. Chad says, “It is fun to watch Ryan in his element, you can tell that he really cares about and loves what he is doing—connecting with mother nature.”

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‘Ohana Kia, Chad’s wife, does the graphic design and creative content. The Āhualoa Family Farms team just completed a massive re-branding with a new logo, colors, and style to better fit the family farm. They’ve recently unveiled their new look with updated packaging and a tagline expressing their values: aloha, ‘āina, ‘ohana.

Chadʻs sister Chelsea, a “Jill of all trades,” manages miscellaneous tasks on the farm, including pulping coffee.

Cousin Justin Padgett handles operations, quality control, shipping, and receiving with extreme accuracy. Ryan’s best friend, Matt Holmes, does the sales and marketing, traversing the island to give out samples to store owners.

Brendon Moran has lived in the neighborhood for years.

He helped assemble the equipment and is now the factory manager. Lucena Lumbabao helps in the kitchen, is the best coffee picker around, and always smiles. Tina Stassens proudly handles deliveries and farmersʻ markets. Gary Alcosiba is the

kitchen manager who makes the real magic happen, and there are a couple of other part-time employees. Chad smiles, “Margarita Laureta once worked in the original factory and now she’s so happy to be Old water tank with original signage, “Hawaiÿi’s Oldest back helping us Mac Nut Factory,” greets employees and neighbors. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia sort nuts with her sister, Lucena!

It is moments like this that make me pinch myself, as we are truly living a dream with the most amazing people, land, and community.

“Dedication, respect and importance of aloha, ‘āina, and ‘ohana are our values. Everyone loves their jobs and are proud to be a part of the Āhualoa Family Farms team—and it shows.

We believe in 100 percent quality, the best of everything, whether it’s attitude, ingredients, or heart. The best of everything goes into making these products.” ■ For more information: ahualoafarms.com

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Lloyd Frazier, Owner

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The Fate of Ahu‘ailä‘au ~

By Stefan Verbano

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very footstep crunches on the way to the summit.

A strange, brittle ash coats the land, heaped in golden hills in some places; in others cut away by rivulets of erosion from three years of tropical rainstorms.

The air is still foul with sulfur stink. Steam billows out of every crevice. Stop to take a breath—a pause in the crunching underfoot—until the smell of burning shoe soles warns that

From the slopes of Ahuÿailäÿau, still-steaming volcanic fissures can be seen spread across the lava flow field. Some are bordered by intact forests and buildings. photo by Stefan Verbano

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

youʻve stumbled onto a still-hot patch of lavafield and itʻs time to keep moving. Once high up on the slopes, the steaming line of volcanic fissures from the 2018 Lower Puna Eruption, eerie in its absolute straightness, drifts into view between massive clouds of hot, humid haze swirling out of red cracks in the earth.

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A panoramic photograph of Ahuÿailäÿau (center), at the time simply known as “Fissure 8,” starting to form along the line of other erupting fissures cropping up at the beginning of the 2018 Lower Puna Eruption. photo courtesy of panoramist Kornelius Schorle

Suddenly, the wind rolling across this barren landscape changes direction and the all-engulfing blanket of steam disperses, allowing glints of sunlight to break through the cloudy sky and make the brown hills below glisten like theyʻre strewn with diamonds. The view becomes clear all around.

Far in the distance the bank of the main lava channel, which moved billions of gallons of molten rock through Leilani Estates and sent it violently cascading downhill towards Kapoho in May 2018, cuts a sharp line against the forest behind it. The line meanders out toward the ocean on the horizon and then disappears.

At the top at last, the fissureʻs crest gives way to reveal its colossal interior. All at once thereʻs a culmination of every sensory stimuli from the hike up: the loose gravel tinkles like scattering glass, a blast of hot steam floats up out of the chasm and engulfs the whole body, strong sulfur fumes assault the nostrils, streaks of blinding sunlight weave their way through the steam and make the red walls and cracked black floor below sparkle vibrantly and illuminate the tufts of orange and white sprinkled throughout.

Tears fill stinging eyes as they finally take in the complete vista and behold such raw beauty dredged up from underground. Mesmerizing in its colorful splendor, unmatched in its natural majesty, dizzying in its sheer scale, the mighty Ahu‘ailā‘au towers over all else.

Whatʻs in a Name?

The 150-foot-tall oval-shaped fissure didnʻt begin its life with such a colorful and meaningful a name as Ahu‘ailā‘au. In March 2021, the Hawai‘i Board of Geographic Names officially bestowed the mountain with a title befitting its majestic presence, selected from a list of 21 potential names submitted by the local community. Before then, it was simply known as “Fissure 8”—a dry, scientific designation denoting it was the eighth fissure to crop up during an eruption that went on to spawn 24.

~ Shrine of the Forest Eater In Hawaiian, Ahu means mound, shrine, or cairn, and ‘Ailā‘au is the name of an ancient male fire deity who is known to have inhabited a section of Kīlauea long ago. As the legend goes, upon Peleʻs arrival, ‘Ailā‘au slunk away from his crater in fear and was never heard from again. His name itself is comprised of Ai, meaning “the one who eats or devours” and Lā‘au, which can mean any plant growing from the earth; however, it commonly refers to a tree or forest. So, Ahu‘ailā‘au literally means: “Shrine of the Forest Eater.”

Some longtime residents deeply rooted in traditional Hawaiian culture who witnessed the 2018 flow said its lava didnʻt feel the same as past eruptions An artist’s rendition of the mighty ÿAiläÿau. theyʻd encountered; image public domain that it had a different smell or “force” or “energy”. They believe this is because the deity behind it wasnʻt Pele. Even the official proposal to the naming board making the case for Ahu‘ailā‘au states that numerous cultural practitioners have relayed stories of being face-to-face with active lava in 2018 and experiencing “sightings, visions [of] and communication with ‘Ailā‘au.”

Differing Views Even christened with a proper name and with its breathtaking beauty and uniqueness clear for all the world

to see, the fate of Ahu‘ailā‘au still remains uncertain. Some Leilani Estates residents are clamoring for the subdivisionʻs lava-covered roads to be bulldozed open again—a move that some say would put the fissure system in grave danger—while others demand that the geological formations be preserved as cultural and scientific treasures. Itʻs a controversial issue that has divided the neighborhood, one side claiming property rights while the other extolls the sacredness and value of this new earth.

These two sides came to a dramatic showdown in December 2020. According to the island’s newspapers, one Leilani resident, Sam Estes, whose property along Luana Street contained a residence and ornamental plant farm before the flow, and now comprises part of the summit and slopes of Ahu‘ailā‘au, Tiny riticulite image of ÿAiläÿau found (and removed barricades installed held) by Ikaika Marzo during the 2018 by the neighborhood eruption. photo courtesy of Ikaika Marzo association and hired a bulldozer to clear 700 feet of lava-covered street all the way up to the fissureʻs base in order to access his land. Leaders of the association explicitly condemned Samʻs unilateral action.

Some Leilani residents showed up that day to protest what they view as a desecration of hallowed ground. Among them was Clarity, an artist and community activist who declined to give her last name for this story. During those surreal weeks KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

in 2018, Clarity witnessed Ahu‘ailā‘au burst through the earth, grow and transform into the soaring monolith it is today—an experience that bonded her to it, and drove her to its defense.

Convinced that she was on the right side of history, she stood solemn and defiant in front of the bulldozer, blocking its path for a time that December day.

“A lot of the reason I feel this connection to it is because I watched it form,” she says. “There was nothing there; it was the coolest thing to see the Earth create something that was brand new. This mountain! It really was like watching the Earth give birth to a new creation...itʻs a birthing spot.”

This act of defiance, she says, was in recognition of how important the eruptionʻs creations like Ahu‘ailā‘au could be to the Hawai‘i Island community.

“I think there are so many undiscovered things in there; thereʻs caves and lava tubes and all kinds of interesting stuff,” Clarity says. “Itʻs not that I think nobody should be able to build roads back to their houses, itʻs just I think that itʻs worthy of somebody going in and really acknowledging what is there and what is unique about this place, and if we can somehow protect the things that are valuable to this whole island—to the people as a whole.”

In April 2021, Hawai‘i County began accepting applications for its Kīlauea Disaster Recovery Voluntary Housing Buyout Program. The kickoff came as a glimmer of hope for neighbors vying for the fissureʻs preservation, since under the programʻs rules the County would purchase land impacted by the 2018 eruption from willing owners at pre-disaster market values up to $230,000, demolish any existing structures on them, and then manage the combined area as open space in perpetuity with the possibility for limited agricultural use. Funding for the

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Fissures with deep red cores and slopes of golden brown volcanic ash send clouds of steam rolling across the desolate landscape, with intact homes in the distance. photo by Stefan Verbano

program comes from $84 million in federal disaster recovery funds distributed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

What Are the Possibilites?

When thinking about what a preserved fissure system made up of bought-out parcels at the bottom of the subdivision could look like, Smiley Burrows, another Leilani resident and local

The Ahuÿailäÿau summit and vast red interior are still steaming. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia activist, envisions a mini-volcano nature park complete with viewing platforms, hiking trails and amenities, and roads for alternative vehicles.

“It would be amazing to try to do some kind of integrated walking, biking, sightseeing road,” Smiley says. “Something that restricts automobiles completely, and where we can do horses and horse and buggies and bicycles and maybe even electric golf cart-kine things.”

Delicate, brilliantly colored rock formations make up the fissures at the bottom of Ahuÿailäÿau’s towering slopes. These formations are constantly changing due to erosion.

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Such a park would allow residents and visitors to experience the fissures culturally, spiritually, and scientifically, she says, and create a tourism draw that could go a long way in rehabilitating Puna Districtʻs long-suffering economy.

“An opportunity like that would help bring it back from being a ghost town,” Smiley says about Pāhoa. “It would offer opportunities for employment; it would reestablish functionality in our town...yeah, it would bring our town back to life. Itʻs very doable.”

Donna Walker and her large family have two acres of land on the other side of Luana Street from Sam, which are also now part of the summit and slopes of Ahu‘ailā‘au. From the time she was a little girl growing up in Puna, Donna was instilled with the classic Hawaiian ethos of mālama ka ‘āina (care for the land).

“We learned early on from our kūpuna [elders] and our kūmu [teachers] that property didnʻt belong to us,” Donna says. “We didn’t really ‘ownʻ it. We were being entrusted with it.”

When asked about her willingness to take the housing buyout for her inundated land, she answers with an emphatic yes. “For us, it’s like: we can’t be there anymore. So, what are we going to do with it?” she says. “Let’s preserve it for our kids—let’s preserve it for their kids.”

For now, it seems the fate of ‘Ailā‘au’s mighty shrine rests in the hands of Leilani Estates neighbors, or possibly ‘Ailā‘au himself. ■

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Below the Surface Recipe for Carrot Cake

Local Foods

By Brittany P. Anderson history of the carrot.

Today, farmers all over Hawai‘i Island grow carrots in a rainbow of colors. Locally grown carrots find themselves in soups, salads, and best of all, in cake. This recipe for carrot cake is pleasantly savory, featuring local spices of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It can be eaten for breakfast or dessert; it is really that good.

Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 1/3 cup ghee 2 cups flour 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp powdered ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 pound carrots, grated 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts) Frosting 12 ounces mascarpone cheese 1/2 tsp local pure vanilla extract Method Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease an 11x7 baking pan and line with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, ghee, and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. Stir in the vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Stir the nuts and grated carrots into the batter with a spatula. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake out onto a baking rack and cool completely before frosting. For the frosting, add the vanilla extract to the mascarpone and whip together with a fork. Enjoy!

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

One of the greatest pleasures in life is pulling up a carrot and feeling it release from the ground. Indeed, a lot of faith goes into planting root vegetables because you canʻt quite tell what is held under the dark cover of soil. There is no monitoring for size and ripeness like one can with a tomato.

Crooked, intertwined, and stunted carrots all look the same from the surface.

Farmers and home gardeners all over Hawai‘i Island grow exceptional carrots. Their carrots are sweet and with that signature snap when you bite into it. The most successful areas for carrot cultivation on the island are those in cooler climates. They also do well in container gardens; moist yet well-drained soil, free from rocks and clay, is key to straight carrots with good color. They benefit from compost but donʻt let the ground get too warm, or theyʻll be too slow in forming their roots.

Orange is the most common color of carrots today, but the wild carrot is pale white. Sometime around 1,100 years ago, farmers living in present-day Afghanistan took advantage of a mutation in a color gene present in the carrot root. In the process of domesticating the white, wild carrot, they accidentally turned it yellow.

Six hundred years later, the color of carrots took another turn, this time in the Netherlands. The color gene mutated again, this time going from yellow to orange. The Dutch were particularly fond of the now orange carrot, and orange carrots are featured prominently in artwork honoring the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange.

Scientists aren’t sure just how or why the color gene mutated but we sure are glad that it did. Orange carrots contain carotenoids including the powerful beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A by the body. The more orange the carrot, the higher amount of beta-carotene is present.

Some wild carrots are still found in nature. However, they donʻt have much of the qualities we associate with a typical carrot. There is a distinct possibility that Hawai‘i has its very own native carrot. The American carrot, Daucus pusillus, is usually considered native to North and South America; however, it is found on the cinder slopes and arid habitats of O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Hawai‘i Island. The presence of this species of carrot is quite controversial. Some scientists believe Daucus pusillus is a naturalized plant, while others consider it native. Archaeological remains from this wild carrot have been discovered on Mauna Kea that predates Captain Cookʻs arrival. While this variety is far from the fleshy root carrot we know and love, it is yet another mystery in the

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Welcome to the Lava Zone

By Brittany P. Anderson

I

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

t’s hard to forget that day—May 3, 2018. The ground shook and cracked open, slowly blanketing land and homes, smothering dreams and spitting out steam. Then, the molten orange lava burst free, weaving a path of mesmerizing destruction. We hugged each other, fed and clothed our island brothers and sisters. Cows, horses, dogs, and cats were shuttled to safety in harrowing rescues by air and by sea. We watched, hypnotized by the power of Madam Pele.

By the time it slowed to a halt on September 4, the 2018 lava eruption in the Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) in the Puna

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Capturing the Flow A wa‘a kaulua, Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe, cuts through waves off Punaʻs coast. The water glows red, reflecting lava flowing down Kīlauea volcano into the ocean with pillars of billowing grey smoke reaching towards the night sky. The voyagers are transfixed by the powerful display as their sails bring them closer to shore. This floor-to-ceiling reproduction, Discovery of Hawai‘i, by the late esteemed artist Herb Kāne, resides at Pahoa Lava Zone Museum.

Discovery of Hawai‘i and the iconic mural A Pantheon of Volcano Spirits, also by The lava’s path June 22, 2018 in the general area over Pohoiki Road. photo by Brittany P. Anderson Herb Kāne, originally resided in the Jaggar Museum located within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. During the 2018 eruption, the crater’s edge, where the museum was perched, collapsed, rendering the building unsafe.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reached out to the district had claimed hundreds of homes. Many lives have been Mainstreet Pahoa Association, a nonprofit organization working changed, as much as the region’s topography. Covering nearly on behalf of local businesses and the historic downtown Pāhoa 14 square miles, it will take years for the 30 billion gallons of community. Volunteers opened the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum lava that poured over the LERZ to thoroughly cool. as quickly as possible to accommodate both an influx of visitors and the rescued Jaggar exhibit props.

Although it proved difficult for the community, the eruption granted a unique opportunity for scientific discovery. At the Herb Kāne captured the striking beauty and primal reaction Pahoa Lava Zone Museum, patrons can witness the awe of the that grips those that gaze upon Madame Pele. It is hard to turn 2018 eruption and learn about volcanic activity history, while it away from the powerful depiction of Polynesian settlers’ first also offers a place for the community to speak about life in the glimpses of Kīlauea, and yet it somehow matches the intensity LERZ. of contemporary photography from the 2018 eruption.

Located on Pähoa Village Road next to Kaleo’s Restaurant, the entrance to the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum is in the back of the building. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia

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The Pahoa Lava Zone Museum is home to exclusive footage from the 2018 eruption. Local photographers like Demian Barrios and Harry Durgin have their eye-catching work on display at the museum. The self-proclaimed “lava-chaser,” Demian documented the experience of those that dared to stay in their homes and shared it with the world via his social media accounts. Harry captured the paralyzingly beautiful sights with his stunning nightscapes of glowing fountains of lava.

Just as local photographers flocked to document the historic eruption, scientists were also drawn to study and learn more about the volcanic activity in the LERZ.

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Reality of a Region US Geological Survey geologists first carved up the map of Hawai‘i Island into lava hazard zones in 1974. These zones indicate the risk of lava flows in each area: the lower the number, the greater the risk. Pāhoa and the LERZ are located in Lava Zone 2, meaning the risk of eruption is high. The low-lying area of Pāhoa, plus historical data and proximity to Kīlauea volcano, mean lava is a constant reality to the region.

The nearby subdivision of Leilani Estates falls entirely within Lava Zone 1. During the 2018 eruption, outbreaks of lava fountained up to 300 feet high; fast-flowing lava and toxic volcanic gas engulfed the subdivision. Geologists and volcanologists studied the events extensively. Air quality was monitored closely as any changes in wind could send the noxious gasses towards nearby neighborhoods.

Although the 2018 LERZ lava flow is still fresh in many minds, much can be learned from the earlier flows in the area. At Pahoa Lava Zone Museum, naturalist interpreter and

Some of Herb Käne’s famous reproductions were transferred here after their home at the Jaggar Museum in HVNP was closed due to damage from the earthquakes. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia

volcano educator John Stallman frequently speaks on lessons learned from prior eruptions.

“The museum is very fortunate to be able to work with John and looks forward to more great presentations. His contribution to the museum and its displays are truly amazing,” says Amedeo Markoff, president of the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum and Mainstreet Pahoa Association.

In reviewing the data collected from the past and framing it in the lens of today, we can better understand what to expect from future flows and how best to respond.

The Pahoa Lava Zone Museum offers four displays on loan from the Jaggar Museum detailing the volcanology of the Hawaiian Islands, plus donated specimens from the community. When the museum opened, residents came out to support the museum by bringing geological specimens they had found around their properties. On display are fine threads of volcanic glass commonly referred to as Peleʻs hair, lava rocks collected from rooftops, and a beehive that had been engulfed in lava yet retained the honeycomb shape after cooling. Also, part of the exhibit is an example of lava rock composed of compounds never before seen in Kīlaueaʻs volcanic eruptions. Several televisions display a collection of videos and photographs captured during the event.

While the exhibits from the Jaggar Museum are the foundation of the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum, it is the community engagement that makes the museum so unique.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

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The Heart of a Village Communities in and around Pāhoa are still struggling to recover from the events of the 2018 eruption. Roads and access to remaining homes in the Leilani and Kapoho neighborhoods have yet to be restored. Downtown Pāhoa was on the verge of revival with community events and new stores opening but the pandemic put a temporary damper on Pāhoa’s comeback. The museum closed, as did a lot of the stores in downtown Pāhoa.

With tourism returning, Pahoa Lava Zone Museum reopened on May 3, 2021, the three-year anniversary of the 2018 LERZ eruption. “We plan on other events moving forward, as visitors start to return and residents start to get back to normal,” remarks Amedeo.

The museum is run by community volunteers and financed solely by grants and donations. “As of February 2020, the museum received 501(c)3 nonprofit status, and continues to work hand-in-hand with the Mainstreet Pahoa Association,” Amedeo adds. Neighboring restaurant Kaleo’s Bar and Grill donates the space and has been essential in the success of the museum.

Many of the museum’s volunteer guides had to be evacuated during the eruption, and some even lost their homes. Part of the draw to visiting Pahoa Lava Zone Museum is hearing the first-hand accounts and the experience of living through such a unique event. Sharing the stories, the knowledge, and the reality of living with an active volcano is a part of the museum’s mission. There’s also a collective catharsis for Puna in the renewal and restoration of downtown Pāhoa.

The Pahoa Lava Zone Museum strives to raise awareness for the continuous volcanic threats to communities in the Puna

Exhibits and artwork on display at the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia

District and all of Hawai‘i Island. It also helps to inform visitors on where to go and places to avoid so they can have the best visitor experience and ease any negative effects on the community.

Located in the Pāhoa Village building, the museum is quickly becoming the heart of downtown. As visitors return to Hawai‘i Island, and residents reconnect with their island home, the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum is a way to experience the sights and sounds of the 2018 eruption as well as learn about the history of Hawai‘i Island volcanoes. ■

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For more information: PahoaLavaZoneMuseum.com

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Some of the displays inside the museum. photo courtesy of Barbara Garcia

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The Creative Adventures of

Kawika Singson

By Sara Stover

D

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

aredevil. Lava chaser. Photographer. Host of television series Everything Hawaii. While all are accurate descriptions of Kawika Singson, the moniker he prefers is “creative adventurer.”

“I don’t call myself a photographer. I just like to be creative,” he affirms. “And I am always learning something new about the camera!” It’s this passion for finding creative outlets that drives Kawika to head out to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park with his camera.

“Not before checking the park’s webcams first,” Kawika points out. Fans of his YouTube videos may know him as a free spirit who frequently drives off in his truck with no clear destination in mind, turning onto whatever road his na‘au (intuition) leads him down.

Kawika’s treks to Volcano, however, are much more calculated. “After years of visiting the lava flow, I can just look at the light in the webcam and know if I should make the drive from Kona for a three-hour hike.”

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Treading Lightly Despite all the precautions taken, the danger Kawika faces is undeniable. Hardened lava can be as sharp as razor blades or as fragile as paper. Lava tubes are deep.

The sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen halides, and hydrogen sulfide that can be emitted from Kīlauea Volcano are unsafe for humans in high concentrations. There are also risks of being hit by projectile molten rock known as “lava spatter” during intense eruptions like that of 2018.

There are safer alternatives to getting up close to the lava, including using a zoom lens or drone for photographs. In the case of shooting lava, Kawika eschews these, insisting on experiencing what he photographs rather than allowing technology to do the work. What Kawika senses as he gets within feet of molten lava comes through in his photos, giving them a palpable depth.

“Photographers have died out there,” he discloses. “So, it’s important to be careful, listen, and observe. I am attuned to the lava. It’s like rice paper, so I’ve learned to walk lightly. It’s all about foot placement and how you apply your weight.”

This approach keeps Kawika out of harm’s way and also results in some otherworldly shots. “My intention is always to create an artistic shot and bring a vision to life that has been rolling around in my head!” Kawika explains.

Respecting the Lava Kawikaʻs dad, Keihanaikukauakahihulihe‘ekahaunaele, was the caretaker at Makalawena Beach for many years. He instilled in Kawika the value of mālama ‘āina (taking care of the land) and leaving no trace, a principle that was passed down from Kawika’s great-grandfather, Kapena Hulihe‘e. The only sign that Kawika has been where he has is his photos and videos.

“Thanks to my dad, I’m not afraid of fire. It’s the lava you have to respect. I learned that at an early age,” Kawika says, referring to his first exposure to active lava. “It was 1974.

I was 11. My dad was kolohe kine [rascal-like] and went holoholo [for a ride] to the erupting volcano. I was terrified!”

“We also saw Mauna Loa erupt in 1983. We watched it coming down the road! They eventually closed Saddle [Road], but we saw it before they did.” It was these impressions of fire and lava that stuck with Kawika over the years.

The creativity that Pele’s canvas inspires is not lost on

February 2019, he was traversing her slopes when he came across a 600-pound bomb.

“It was one of the demolition bombs that had been dropped on an erupting Mauna Loa in 1942 to see if it could redirect the lava that was flowing toward Hilo,” he says of the rusty object he found embedded in the lava. After discovering another unexploded bomb 50 feet away, he quickly left the area, notified the DLNR, and gave officials the GPS coordinates to the site. In total, there were 10 bombs found in a 100-yard radius.

Chasing the Astounding Kawika doesn’t spend all his time in lava fields. Some of his most astounding images are taken underwater.

“For my fish ball photos, I sometimes dive down hundreds of times with my GoPro until I get the perfect shot from in the middle of the school,” Kawika says. Back on land, his photos range from spontaneous to intentional. “I try to get angles no one else does!” he says, pointing out a photo of lava flowing into the ocean.

“I climbed down a cliff because I wanted to get in the cave and take a photo from the inside looking out, as if I was behind a waterfall.” Kawika says, explaining how fragile the hot lava was in this instance.

“You have to ma‘a—you have to know what you’re doing!” he emphasizes. “I’ve stood in the ocean when it’s hot from the flowing lava, but I’ve never gotten burned. That’s where your akamai [smarts] comes in. You have to take into account the volume of lava going into the ocean.”

Kawika is always watchful, using his respirator when the wind changes direction. After years of experience traveling around Hawai‘i to document volcanoes, he knows how to traverse the lava and suggests, “Don’t try this at home!”

It’s the same phrase you may hear Kawika say on episodes of Everything Hawaii. His catchphrase, however, is “Alright, let’s go!”

With that, he takes viewers on a televised journey. Thanks to his adventurous spirit, athleticism, knowledge of geography and ecology, and passion for Hawaiian culture, viewers learn about, well, everything Hawai‘i!

From expeditions to Hawai‘i’s largest hōlua slide to the

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Some of Kawika’s most astounding photos even take him by surprise, especially when he captures faces in the lava, like this one in the glow. Do you see Pele’s image?

Kawika either. Shortly after Kīlauea began erupting again in 2020, he ventured up Mauna Loa, standing on the same volcano he once watched erupt. Kawika shot some photos of the stunning lava lake from four miles away, then headed home.

It wasn’t until later that he saw Pele’s face in the plume.

“Faces in the lava are common for me to see. But this was unreal—I looked at it again and again!” he recounts. “The unexpected really makes the best photos!”

Kawika’s hikes up Mauna Loa rarely prove fruitless. In

What Kawika senses as he gets close to lava comes through in his photos, giving them a palpable depth.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Kawika has risked his life standing in the hot ocean to bring his artistic vision to life. He doesn’t recommend this!

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enchanting Arlene Falls, Kawika educates all who tune in.

When the majority of the world was stuck inside in 2020, he provided his fans with a much-needed escape, using his camera and phone to take them along on his positivity-infused adventures.

Treasuring the Little Things When it comes to adventures and capturing that once in a lifetime shot, Kawika has a well-earned reputation for going big. In his everyday life, however, it’s the little things that Kawika treasures.

“I was cruising Ali‘i Drive and saw this local guy sitting on the wall. He looks at me and all of a sudden, he gives me the shaka and I give him the shaka back,” says Kawika, chuckling.

“A total stranger spreading aloha. I love it! Little things like that make my day.”

Molten lava isn’t the only danger Kawika faces as a creative adventurer. He’s also encountered unexploded bombs from the 1940s.

Finding the Courage to Be Creative While Kawika doesn’t want others to “try this at home” he does hope to inspire us to find the courage to share our creativity with the world.

“Don’t worry that you don’t know enough. I was camera illiterate when I started out. I couldn’t even transfer files, but I just kept being me and sharing my experiences,” Kawika says, remembering a time when he had to sell his car to replace a camera that had been destroyed by volcanic gases, salt air, and heat.

When asked if it was worth it, his reply is: “Yes! You never know who you’re going to inspire or what doors it will open.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Moved by this simple gesture, Kawika turned around. “I wanted to aloha him back, so I gave him $20 from the Loose Change Fund,” he explains, referring to the money raised by fans of Everything Hawaii. Even the smallest donations go toward Kawika’s random acts of kindness island-wide.

“Being generous can mean giving 75 cents. It’s not about the dollar amount. It’s about giving from your heart.”

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Kawika hopes to inspire others to find the courage to share their own creativity with the world.

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

You just can’t be afraid to be creative!”

Today, Kawika hosts Everything Hawaii weekly. Also, his photos can be found gracing the walls of the Marriott’s King Kamehameha Hotel. With more than 16,000 followers on Facebook, one million views on TikTok, and 61 million views on YouTube, a car seems a small price to pay. “When I put my art out there, I share aloha,” Kawika concludes. “Art is about

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being inspired and bringing your vision to life. And life is about spreading aloha!” ■ All photos courtesy of Kawika Singson For more information: Instagram: @kveeks Facebook.com/EverythingHawaiiTV

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

It’s a Wrap! Or is it?

Managing with aloha

By Rosa Say Managing with Aloha philosophy with others. I know it isn’t about me, it’s about you, your passions, your initiative, and your belief and conviction in your own values.

Therefore, I will leave you with this: Always remember your values represent the good in your life. They drive your best intentions and behaviors, and your best visioning of the future.

Values equip you well, for they are practical, useful, and relevant. They define your WHY, and they give you your HOWTO. In applying our values to the 9 Key Concepts, I had hoped to offer you concrete examples of how that happens, so you can compile a list of guiding keys which are your own, just as you have done by choosing your core values.

For again, the values you choose will always represent your truth and authenticity. Thus, they will always be woven into your Aloha Spirit, assuring you are never without it. To connect your Aloha Spirit to your work ethic is doubly powerful and effective.

Further, when managers employ values as the building blocks of a workplace culture, they make that culture relevant to their community, honoring sense of place in the best possible way. In doing so, they also foster a culture which is healthier for their staff, a culture which impacts every relationship in their network positively.

If you are a manager, or strive to be one, please choose that role with the Ho‘ohana of full intention. To be an intentional manager, is to embark on a voyage of self-discovery, one who taps into the innate wisdom of values deliberately chosen and intentionally lived. Say “I am a manager” proudly, and walk your talk.

Discovering who you are meant to be in this lifetime, is discovering the meaningful-for-you answer to nearly every other question you’ll wonder about, because you know how you fit in, and how you’re a functioning, contributing part not just of society, but of the whole we call our humanity. You have your sense of belonging.

That’s what being a manager did, and continues to do for me. I know that self-awareness can happen for you as well. I believe in you. You can be a great manager, one who manages with Aloha. The world needs you.

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

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

As filmmakers are known to say when they know their reels are done, “It’s a wrap folks!” With this issue, Series 3 of Managing with Aloha for Ke Ola Magazine comes to an end.

We had named our third series Ho‘omau Kākou, for as we had learned in Series 1 and 2; —To Ho‘omau is to continue with the goal of renewal: it is our value of perseverance, wherein renewal fortifies our strengths despite any adversity.

—Kākou is to work together in ways which make us even stronger: it is our value of inclusivity where we share unconditionally, and with the Language of We, knowing life and business are not solo propositions!

With the 19 Values of Aloha of Series 1 and 2 kept ever in mind, this was the values-centered journey we embarked on in the past 9 columns: With Key 1, Aloha, we explored our SPIRIT—our source of well-being.

With Key 2, Ho‘ohana, we explored the WORK we devoted ourselves to.

With Key 3, Value Alignment, we explored our VALUES yet again as our constants—we practice value-mapping.

With Key 4, the Role of the Manager, we explored our ROLE—as chosen, not as assigned.

With Key 5, Language of Intention, we explored our VOICE—how we communicate.

With Key 6, the ‘Ohana in Business, we explored our assembly with others—how we COMMUNE and SHARE. With Key 7, Strengths Management, we explored our individual assets—our human TOOLBOX. With Key 8, Sense of Place we explored our PLACE(s) and sense of belonging in them.

With Key 9, Palena ‘ole, we explored the GROWTH possible for us, as represented by the unlimited capacity gifted us as human beings.

This summary of the 9 Key Concepts reads past tense grammatically, yet to be in business and to Ho‘ohana—to work with full intention—with Aloha in all the work you do, is to now Ho‘omau Kākou individually, putting your own signature on Managing with Aloha, weaving it into your Aloha Spirit as you best can do.

Will you make Managing with Aloha your keeper?

Gifting it to you has been my ever-present goal in the 17 years since Managing with Aloha was first published. I love being a coach, and I challenge myself to purposely coach myself out of each job or project I take on when sharing the

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Darien Hsu Gee:

By Fern Gavelek

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Darien Hsu Gee of Waikoloa Village has authored novels, essays, short stories, non-fiction, poetry, and a food blog—and she’s not done yet. photo courtesy of Darien Hsu Gee

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For some people, filling a blank page with their own words can be daunting. Not for Waikoloa Village resident Darien Hsu Gee. The wife and mother authored five novels—three under the pen name Mia King—which have been translated into 11 languages. Darien’s essays and short stories have also graced the pages of numerous literary journals, and her more recent works of nonfiction and poetry earned the 2015 Hawai‘i Book Publishers’ Ka Palapapa Po‘okela Award of Excellence and the 2019 Poetry Society of America’s Chapbook Fellowship award.

The 52-year-old author has been published by large publishing houses and small regional indie presses while being represented by multiple literary agents. In addition to writing and publishing across multiple genres, Darien also has a food blog.

All this was accomplished from Hawai‘i Island—sometimes from the couch or kitchen table. Darien and husband Darrin moved here in 2000, settling in Waimea, where she birthed their three children before moving to Waikoloa in 2015.

“I’ve had to creatively pivot and reinvent myself as an author so many times,” notes Darien. “More than once, I thought my career was over.”

Darien hit the national literary scene in 2007 with her first novel, Good Things, using her pen name Mia King. She authored four more novels in consecutive fashion. Sweet Life (2007) and Table Manners (2008) came next, and then her international bestseller Friendship Bread (2010) and The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society (2012), were written as Darien Gee. All five books were published with Penguin Random House.

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Her non-fiction works include the award-winning Writing the Hawai‘i Memoir: Advice and Exercise to Help You Tell Your Story (2014), the award-winning poetry chapbook Other Small Histories (2020), a collection of micro-essays called Allegiance (2020), and the essay “Lesson Plans 01–03: On Age Dropping, Botox, and Being an Asian American Woman at 50,” which appears in the anthology Fast Funny Women (2021).

Beginnings of a Writer Darien was born in the Midwest to two Chinese immigrants.

Her father was a geophysicist, requiring the family to move often. Darien earned a bachelor of arts in political science from Rice University, but didnʻt take a writing class until she was 48, enrolling in the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University, where she earned a master of fine arts in creative writing.

“I’ve been writing since the fourth grade and I’ve always been a voracious reader,” shares Darien. “I’ve always loved writing but was told novelists didn’t make any money, so I went the traditional work route.”

Eager to travel, Darien’s first job was as an international tax manager for whatʻs now called PricewaterhouseCoopers, which

Crafting Ideas into Captivating Stories

Two of Darien’s no ve and Friendship Br ls: Good Things was written under the ead is an internatio nal best seller that pen name Mia King photo by Fern Ga velek launched a food blo g.

The World of Publishing Darien considered Good Things to be a romance; the genre is usually written under a pen name, so she created the moniker Mia King. And while the novel was later categorized as “women’s fiction,” she kept the pen name as husband Darrin had two books coming out at the same time.

“My husband is the former owner of Darrin Gee’s Spirit of

Gavelek e garnered awards. photo by Fern

Darien’s works of non-fiction hav

centered around using the Amish Friendship Bread starter that appeared in the book. With the flurry of home baking during COVID-19, traffic to the website quadrupled. Darien credits the website with helping support her family while Darrin was furloughed during the pandemic.

“Friendship Bread Kitchen is really about community and

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

included an assignment in Beijing. Subsequent gigs included copy chief for Sephora.com, venture capitalist associate, retreat center director, and “loads of temp jobs here and there.”

“Everybody gets inspired in different ways,” Darien says, and adds, “I’m never short of ideas and I like trying to figure out what to do next. Some ideas come easy and others require more work.”

After living in Hawai‘i for four years, Darien knew she was ready to be published. She wrote Good Things because it would be fun to read, appeal to the marketplace, and use familiar themes and topics.

Darien explains the creative process. “A lot of fiction writers start off with a ‘what if’ question,” she says. “That’s how the Mia King books came about—it was almost like I was watching a movie. I always write first and then go back to revise, and confirm details like geographic setting, timeline, and character details. But the writing always comes first.”

Golf Academy, which focused on the sport’s mental and inner game,” details Darien. “He authored two bestselling golf books and with our names being so similar, it just made sense to stick with Mia King at the time. I did end up using my real name, Darien Gee, with my fourth novel. When I started publishing poetry, I included my maiden name, Hsu.” Darien’s fourth novel, Friendship Bread, sold at auction and has multiple foreign publishers. “But you never know what’s going to take off and what’s going to flop,” she notes. “Expectations were very high and when the sales didn’t match up, it was disappointing for everyone. The reasons for that vary, but it’s all part of the reality of publication.”

Friendship Bread grew beyond the novel.

Darien launched a Facebook page called Friendship Bread Kitchen, sharing recipes and connecting readers, and later a baking blog (friendshipbreadkitchen.com), all

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sharing what we have with others, which was a big element in the novel,” notes Darien.

The Pivot to Writing Non-Fiction After her novels, Darien focused on producing a writing craft book, Writing a Hawai‘i Memoir. Educating others in how to write wasn’t new for the author as she’s been coaching prospective writers for 25 years.

“It explains the basic principles of writing a memoir and guides you from start to finish,” she details. “What makes it

Family photo albums and

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

photo courtesy of Darien

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memorabilia help inspire

Hsu Gee

Gee’s writing.

unique is the focus on cultural protocols and issues unique to Hawai‘i.” Darien gleaned advice from 21 Hawai‘i writers, storytellers, and lifestyle experts for the book, and it includes multiple writing exercises and tips.

Her next books, Other Small Histories and Allegiance are more personal in nature. Histories is a chapbook of prose poetry. Chapbooks are hand-bound and usually printed on a small letterpress; they range from 24 to 48 pages in length.

Allegiance is a collection of short micro-essays, some less than a page in length, divided into Darien’s childhood, work life and family life/COVID pandemic.

She wrote it in three months.

“I kept listening to what I thought the book wanted to be and did my best to honor that,” she Book shelf displaying some of Darien’s titles in shares. “Some of the English and other languages , incl journals and anthologies con uding literary pieces were previously taining her works. photo courtes y of Darien Hsu Gee

Darien’s Tips for Writing • I believe the job of every writer is to pay attention—to their own life and to the world around them.

• I think the best writing shares universal experiences others can relate to. When writing a memoir, you bring a lens of understanding to your story when you reflect on it—that perspective is what readers might relate to.

• J ust because you have a story to tell doesn’t mean you have to tell it. It’s your call what you choose to write and share.

• J ust start writing. Nobody is seeing it except you. Don’t talk yourself out of writing something because you’re worried or fearful. Write first and see what you have, then decide what to do.

•B e open to creative pivots. They don’t have to be permanent, but a way to listen and honor your creative voice, especially if you’re feeling stuck or not sure what to do next.

•R egarding my literary career, I have been persistent and open to learning, even after I had multiple books published. Being successful involves doing the work to become a better writer and having passion about what you’re writing about.

published or written but in need of polishing. The rest came together pretty quickly.”

Looking Ahead Crediting her recent work with micro-narratives and amplifying women’s voices, Darien is in contract to edit the spring 2022 release of the anthology Nonwhite and Women: 153 Micro Essays on Being in the World. She also has a new novel in the works. In the meantime, find her books at online and brick-and-mortar booksellers, while Other Small Histories is available from the Poetry Society of America. ■ For more information: dariengee.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Hali‘a Aloha Series Allegiance is the teaching text for the Hali‘a Aloha Series, a micro-memoir writing and hybrid publishing program Darien developed this year with Legacy Isle Publishing (Watermark Publishing). Based in Honolulu, Legacy Isle is dedicated to “Telling Hawai‘i’s Stories” through memoirs, corporate biographies, and family histories.

Hali‘a Aloha uses short forms, like flash essays (750–1,000 words) or micro-narratives (250–300 words) to help writers tell their stories. The program publishes a mix of forms for a total count of 120 pages.

“We’re looking for the emotional truth of a memory and want to help people get that on the page,” says Darien. “Getting started is always the hardest part. We provide feedback, guidance, and a clear path to getting your words into the world.”

The Hali‘a Aloha program is self-guided and takes less than a year to write and publish. Prospective enrollees can find details at haliaaloha.net.

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KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Featured Cover Photographer: Stephen Davies Way, and volcano photography. The cover image was shot on a night expedition with Harry. Stephen’s modest, “I’m still very much an acolyte in this genre, far behind the many excellent photographers on this island who specialize in those areas, but I’m slowly learning.”

Stephenʻs photos are at One Gallery in Hilo, Island Photo in Pāhoa, and Banyan Gallery in Hilo.

For more information: stephendavieshawaii.myportfolio.com

Table of Contents Photographer:

G. Brad Lewis

G. Brad Lewis is internationally recognized as a leading volcano and nature photographer. His volcano images have appeared on the covers of a number of magazines, including Life, Natural History, Photographer’s Forum and Geo, and within the pages of Time, Outside, Fortune, Newsweek, Stern, National Geographic and many other publications. Additionally, Brad’s lava and erupting volcano pictures have received numerous awards, and been widely exhibited. Interviews with Brad have been broadcast on NBCʻs Today Show, CBS Evening News and several Discovery Channel programs. Print interviews and photo essays of his volcano lava photographs have been featured in many magazines, including Photo District News, DigitalFoto, Studio Photography & Design, and Outdoor Photographer.

Inspired by nature’s diverse beauty, Brad has been based here on Hawai‘i Island since 1982, and also lives part time in Utah and Alaska, traveling several months each year to pursue his art.

About the photo featured on our Table of Contents pages, Brad says, “This was an incredible moment next to the largest lava river I had ever seen. I was invited by the land owners to be on their farm property, where this image was taken. I was high on a fruit picking ladder when I captured this image.

Other people had ‘snuck’ into the area, and were next to the colossal river of lava, giving it some scale, which I always enjoy.”

For more information: volcanoman.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Stephen Davies grew up in central Florida. He attended the University of Virginia for a couple of years, before heading to Spain for a year, where he taught English at Berlitz School.

While Stephen was in Spain, his parents moved to Hawai‘i.

He jokes, “But I was able to find them—nice try, Dad!” He decided to move to Honolulu, too, and enrolled at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, supporting himself by working in construction. Around that time, 1968, he bought his first camera, a Nikon F. His love affair with photography began.

As fate would have it, Stephen befriended a commercial photographer, Mike Janis, at a Diamond Head Crater Festival in 1969. Stephen recalls, “He let me go on photoshoots with him and occasionally I got to take some shots. When an ad agency picked one of my shots for their client’s ad, Mike asked me to join his business as a partner. We worked together for more than 10 years, had some nice accounts (Society of Seven, Bank of Hawaii, Bishop Estate, covers for Honolulu magazine, and more), but we were terrible businessmen and never made much money.”

In 1971, when the Kalama Valley protests took place against development which was pushing out the local farmers, Stephen asked the Hawaiians for permission to photograph the the month-long stand-off. His photo essay was published in Beacon magazine.

Eventually, his business partner moved away. Stephen had a hard time keeping the photography business going, so he took a part-time job as an aide in the psychiatric ward at Queen’s Hospital. That developed into his next career as a certified substance abuse counselor, working with those having both mental illness as well as substance abuse problems. He worked at Queen’s for 16 years until 1998, when he got a job on Hawai‘i Island helping to start an outpatient mental health treatment program. He bought a home in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Puna, where he has been happily living ever since.

Retiring 12 years ago, Stephen decided to get back into photography, this time just for fun.

Stephen says, “I call my photographic art Photo Impressions because the photograph is just my starting point. I use it as the raw material for the photo I process on computer, often taking five or more hours refining an image. I love having rich colors, strong compositional design and emotional impact— sometimes I get close.”

Stephen’s photographic arena broadened when master photographer Harry Durgin introduced him to night sky, Milky

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Alternative Termite Innovations

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Talk Story with an Advertiser

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Got termites? Chances are, if you live anywhere in the tropics and your home is built with wood, you do. Lloyd Frazier, owner/operator of Alternative Termite Innovations, says, “In Hawai‘i there’s only two types of houses—one that has termites and one that’s going to get termites.” It doesn’t matter what method anyone uses to treat them, they will always come back. The difference is in the follow-up. Lloyd provides maintenance programs and servicing after the initial treatment.

If termites come back, he comes back. He also provides advice on preventative maintenance for his clients.

Lloyd had been working for another company for 15 years that went out of business around the time COVID started. He knew the value of offering orange oil termite treatments, and with that opportunity opening, he started his own business. He got his licensing and started ATI in early 2020.

XP2000 orange oil is derived from orange peels. Lloyd injects the orange oil at 45psi into the infested wood, which is porous so the oil travels right through it. The oil breaks down the exoskeleton of the termites. Lloyd says, “It basically melts them. It also does something the other treatments don’t do; it kills the eggs. It doesn’t get rid of the poop, which is what people usually notice that looks like wood granules falling out of their cabinets.”

Lloyd covers Hawai‘i Island, doing inspections, treatments, and maintenance. He is confident in his products and services because he does the work himself. He also does annual termite inspections for his clients, and inspections for real estate sales, which are acceptable to lenders. Lloyd has to take tests to renew his licenses, so he is always up to date on the latest technology.

Since the products Lloys uses are not toxic to people, pets, and plants, his clients are grateful for not having to temporarily uproot their lives. This includes seniors who would have an especially hard time moving out, and working people who don’t have time to, especially if they have children and/or pets.

“If people would rather use the more traditional methods, that’s their prerogative—there’s enough termites on the island for everybody,” Lloyd laughs. The tagline on his business cards says “Saving Hawai‘i, one house at a time.” We think Lloyd may have the capability of doing that!

Lloyd Frazier Alternative Termite Innovations ati808lf@gmail.com 808.756.5043

William Heard, RS Talk Story with an Advertiser

William Heard, RS-82747 Paradise Found Realty 808.938.8450 BillHeardIslandRealEstate@gmail.com Paradisefoundrealty.net

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

Bill Heardʻs decades as a building contractor is what makes him stand out as a Realtor in West Hawai‘i. He has been building homes for 41 years in California and Hawai‘i. This background enables him to be of service to his clients, whether helping a buyer find a solid home, or working with a seller, preparing their home so they can get the best offer.

Two years ago Bill decided to start transitioning from the heavily physical contracting work he had done for decades into something closely related—real estate sales. He and Lorraine Kohn had been working together a long time—she had been his agent when he and his wife Leslie bought their first home in Kona in 2010.

When Bill would buy land to build a spec home, Lorraine would be his representative, then once the home was built, Lorraine would again represent him in the sale. They made a good team, so when Bill decided to get his real estate license, it was natural for Lorraine to be his broker. Bill says, “I couldnʻt have picked a better broker to help teach me the business. I love that Paradise Found Realty is not a big corporation; itʻs a smaller, independent local company that is very familiar with Hawai‘i real estate. Thatʻs one of the reasons I was drawn to it; however, we still have all the technology that larger companies have, such as a property search feature on our website.”

Bill started out as a an architecture student in college. While working as a carpenter for his grandfather, he loved being on job sites, so he decided to get his contractorʻs license instead.

He spent many years building contract and spec homes in Southern California before moving to Hawai‘i. He is enthusiastic about helping people buy and sell their homes now, because he has a great appreciation for what it takes to build them.

When they’re not working, Bill and Leslie enjoy boating and other water sports, being with family and friends, and playing with the newest member of the family, “Cheddie,” their Labrador Retriever pup.

Bill reflects, “I hope over the next many years to use my knowledge and abilities to continue being of service to buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. I have made many new friends in this business and itʻs been a privilege to help them.”

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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.

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Award Winning Realtor® Celebrating 17+ Years in West Hawaii!

KONA | HOLUALOA | KEAUHOU | SOUTH KONA

Kelly Shaw 808.960.4636 Realtor Broker, R(B )-21516 ABR, e-Pro, CRS, GRI, CLHMS kelly.shaw@compass.com buyahomeinkona.com

KeOlaMagazine.com | July - August 2021

FPO PUALANI ESTATES

ALII COVE TOP FLOOR CONDO

4 Bed | 2.5 Bath Single Family Home | 1,390 Sq ft Listed at $750,000 | MLS 649949

2 Bed | 2 Bath plus Loft | 1,215 Sq ft Listed at $549,000 | In Escrow

NA HALE O KEAUHOU

THE PINES II

2 Bed | 2.5 Bath Townhouse w/ Garage | 1,400 Sq ft Sold Over List Price

3 Bed | 2.5 Bath Detached Condo w/ Garage | 1,200 Sq ft Sold Over List Price

“Kelly Shaw was professional, personable, answered all our questions in a timely manner and gave good advice 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.”—Five Star Zillow Review

52 Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only.

Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.