We are honored to introduce Dr. Thomas Redens, M.D. who has joined our ‘ohana to serve the communities on both Kaua’i and the Big Island. Dr. Redens brings over 25 years of experience in ophthalmology, specializing in cataract surgery and corneal care. His expertise in complex cataract procedures and corneal transplants makes him a remarkable addition to our family, and his commitment to exceptional patient care aligns with our mission to serve Hawai’i with compassion and excellence.
Home. So much contained in that little four-letter word. Home is our grounding, base, and launchpad. It’s where we start and end each day. And while the particulars look different for each of us, the meaning and value it holds for all of us is undeniable.
Author Wendy Wunder said, “The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” As we thought about home, we wanted to highlight what makes it unique to our readers. That includes the functionality, design, and, most importantly, the people.
What better way to connect with our roots than through the vibrant celebrations of the Annual Hawaiʻi Kuauli Festival, where the history of fashion comes alive in stunning performances? This issue also highlights the benefits of harnessing Kona Coast’s abundant sunshine with insights from Blue Sky’s owner, Josh Mason. And finally, we dive into the art of framing with Colette Walton, who shares her journey in business and the essential role a great frame plays in making a house feel like home.
We feel like the lucky ones as we learned more about the businesses and individuals that comprise this Kona Coast. We hope the small lens into their lives and work brings people in this community together.
As you flip through the pages of this issue, we desire you to feel encouraged and connected to the people around you — in your town, neighborhood, and, most of all, your home.
Every month, readers say they keep this magazine longer than the month labeled on the cover. They hold onto it as coffee table art or an accessory in their home. We feel proud to create a resource treasured in our community and strive to deliver the value you expect every month. Thanks for letting us be a part of your ʻohana.
PUBLISHERS
Johnny Gillespie | johnny.gillespie@citylifestyle.com
Taylor Stutts | taylor.stutts@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Amanda Troyer | amanda.troyer@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
John-Mark Dyer | johnmark.dyer@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Matias Arredondo | matias.arredondo@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Margaret Kearns, Johnny Gillespie, Sara Stover, Ryan Garrett, Matias Arredondo
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Fletch Photography, Mel Arredondo, Ahonui Productions, Alyssa Luziach, Ewalina Photography, Taylor Veisauyadra, Tiare Sweetser
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT Erika Smiley
AD DESIGNER Rachel Kolich
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Megan Cagle
3:5-6
Cultivating Eden
The visionary landscaping of Max Yarawamai.
A
Let your home tell your story. There is not one space alike because those who live inside them cannot be replicated. Every fabric, every curve of a chair, every piece of art tells a story of who you are, and where you have travelled. We design spaces to compliment the architecture of your home & your very personal and unique lifestyles. MonicaAment.com.
Since 1979, PFI has been helping Big Island customers. Its rubbish service has expanded through the years to include Kona, Holualoa, Kealakekua, Waimea and Waikoloa. With a fleet of twelve garbage trucks and eleven employees, the company offers reliable service to Hawai’i Island residents. PFIRubbish.com.
Our family-owned business offers hand-selected options of over 300 beers, 400 specialty spirits, and over 700 wines. We offer custom/ specialty gift and wine baskets. If you are a beer enthusiast, Kona Wine Market is the place to be. We are the best premier beer provider on Kona and the home of the Lava Tube Beer Cave. We offer case and half-case discounts, as well as kamaʻāina discounts. KonaWineMarket.com.
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OCEAN-TO-TABLE • BEACHFRONT • HAWAIIAN SOPHISTICATION
OPENING JANUARY 2025
The visionary landscaping of Max Yarawamai.
ARTICLE BY JOHNNY GILLESPIE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
Throughout Max Yarawamai’s career, he has created oases of beauty and bounty. His trademark is using what grows naturally, sourcing native plants through personal connections. From meeting the local community's needs to executing the most visionary and expansive projects, Max has become the go-to landscaper across the Hawaiian islands.
Born on the tiny Federai island on Ulithi atoll in Micronesia, Max grew up in a close-knit community. As the chief's son, he learned from a young age to be resourceful. “My island is like two miles long,” Max explains. “Everybody wants to go out and look at the shoreline early in the morning to see what’s gonna float up. You have to find a use for everything.”
Max’s island upbringing gave him a gritty resourcefulness and a desire to use everything offered to him to its fullest. It also taught him that life is about people, and while it’s clear he has earned every bit of his success, he credits the relationships in his story for getting him to where he is today.
Opportunity first came in the form of a visiting Peace Corps doctor, who saw great potential in 13-year-old Max and offered to bring him to the U.S. for private schooling. In 1974, with little more than a spirit of adventure and hope, Max arrived as an exchange student at HPA in Waimea. “I was just
an island kid. I couldn’t speak English. Everything was different, everything was new. I cried every day that first year,” Max recalls. But with the help of the school staff, he persevered and graduated.
Max’s introduction to landscaping came shortly after high school on Oʻahu, where he began working for a local landscaping company. “I was working three jobs, so I could get enough money to get married,” Max laughs.
Another opportunity arose when a kind friend — a firefighter — let Max use his credit card to buy equipment and start on his own. The business quickly grew.
Max was eventually hired to manage a flower farm at Kahua Ranch on the Big Island. “They sent me to Colorado to learn how to grow carnations,” he says. He and his wife Cynthia moved with their two young daughters, Ana & Mikela back to Waimea. Meanwhile, Max commuted weekly to Honolulu to maintain his landscaping contracts. “I’d fly to Honolulu, work there, then come home on the weekend. It was a hard life with a young family.”
One more big break was about to happen. “It was around this time I met Mike Swanson — coming out of church,” Max shares. Mike told Max about a new development project that needed a landscaper. “I said I’d love to come down because I was tired of flying back and forth to Honolulu!” That project was the Hualālai Resort, and the contract marked Max’s first big break in the landscaping world.
Since then, Max’s company, RMG Pacific, which he co-founded with his good friend Reed Kishinami, has been involved in some of Hawaiʻi’s most significant creative projects, including the Mauna Kea
“I was just an island kid. I couldn’t speak English. Everything was different, everything was new. I cried every day that first year.”
— Max Yarawamai
Resort, Kohala Ranch, and Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island, as well as other marvels like Makena Resort on Maui.
One standout RMG project was Kūkiʻo, the exclusive subdivision on the Big Island. Entering the resort feels like stepping into paradise. Mature trees and vibrant foliage seamlessly blend with native lava rock, while verdant plants thrive throughout.
Max explains his creative process: “Sometimes you have to adapt the architect’s vision to what will work in Hawaiʻi,” he shares. Using local plants that thrive in the climate is crucial, as is selecting those that require minimal water or can survive with brackish irrigation. Collaboration is essential,
according to Max. “When we all work together, we come up with a better thing that the owner will like: it’s less expensive, uses less water, all that stuff.”
When Disney set out to build the Aulani Resort on Oʻahu, they turned to RMG. Max’s extensive network across the islands was key to securing the contract. “I think I got the job because I was upfront about where I’d source the plants — from Kauai, Maui, Waimanalo, and even a neighboring golf course that was removing a few hundred trees!” He recalls coordinating the massive tree-moving operation: “I brought in two huge cranes — one on one side of the road, the other crane on the other side.”
Max fondly reflects on the nearly three years spent working with Disney’s Imagineers, and the company’s lead landscape architect, Jeff Morosky. “I’d bring in the perfect tree, suspend it in the air with a crane, and Jeff would look at it this way, then that way, to find the perfect placement angle.” Their collaboration turned into a friendship. “He retired, but I still keep in touch with him.” Aulani now stands as a flagship in the Disney brand, a testament to Max’s ingenuity and his team's tireless efforts.
Max’s story reflects the essence of what it means to be human. Through grit, deep friendships, and a profound connection to the land, Max and his team create Eden. Transforming wilderness into beauty, they have crafted some of the most remarkable spaces in Hawaiʻi. “When you’re in the right environment, with the right people and the right vibe — that’s when you get the feeling that we are going to figure it out together,” Max reflects.
His journey serves as a signpost for us all. With hard work, collaboration, vision, and some opportunity, you too, can turn the wilderness into a garden, a desert into a home.
To connect with Max, visit RMGPacific.com.
“When we all work together, we come up with a better thing that the owner will like…”
— Max Yarawamai.
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March features the fused glass wall sculptures of Jaime Lesourd Recep3on from 3-6pm on Friday, March, 7th
A MASTER’S TECHNIQUE MAKES A PICTURE WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS.
ARTICLE BY RYAN GARRETT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
“Every piece of art should be treated equally,” says Colette Walton, owner of Colette’s Custom Framing in the old industrial area.
July will mark 50 years in the framing business for Colette.
When Colette was a child, her mother, Gail Dunlevy, ran an interior design business in the San Buenaventura Shopping Center in Ventura, California. Her father, Paul, opened up a framing shop behind the store. While saving up for her first car as a teenager, Colette would walk to the shop after school and help her father. He matched her pay with savings toward buying the car.
It was there that Colette fell in love with framing and the framing business.
“I woke up one day and said, ‘Oh, I’ve become my parents,’” Colette laughs, looking back at her industry roots.
Since moving to Kona in 1988, she has worked on resort renovations, one-off framing projects for grandparents — she’s delighted by a keiki’s painting of a white puppy that a doting grandmother recently asked her to frame — and everything in between.
No matter the piece, whether it’s worth a million dollars or purely sentimental, Colette provides extreme care and attention to detail. “It’s all valuable to that person,” she says.
CONTINUED >
And her customer base recognizes this. Recently, Colette led the renovation and reframing of artwork at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Royal Kona Resort, and she has worked in more than a dozen homes in Kohanaiki, providing each piece in each room on each wall its own special treatment.
Sometimes, designers bring specific opinions of what they want to achieve in a particular room or space. Other times, customers provide a relatively blank slate for their art. Either way, Colette is happy to accommodate and deliver the ideal frame. While the options for framing patterns, woods, and spacing are nearly limitless, the best ideas come naturally to Colette at this point. “You want to accent the piece, not overwhelm it,” she says.
Regarding framing woods, koa remains popular, but prices have dramatically increased in recent years. So, customers now show a lot of interest in monkeypod wood. Mango wood is also popular.
“It’s a really beautiful wood,” Colette says of the mango in her shop, waiting to be wrapped around the perfect piece of art.
Colette’s customers appreciate having someone local to apply the craft. She works with artists on O’ahu and regularly ships art to the mainland, but the interactions with her local base make the business incredibly rewarding.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” exclaims a delighted customer on a recent Saturday morning as she picks up a tapa that Colette spent hours restoring. More than 20 tiny patches make the piece look new.
While Colette has been in the business for nearly 50 years, she’s run her shop for about half that time. After moving to Kona in 1988, it was in 2000 that her husband, Dan, suggested that they start the company.
Times haven’t always been easy — the great recession and the pandemic were both challenging — but the business is doing incredibly well. Colette knows Dan’s support has been foundational to her entrepreneurial success.
“He said, ‘You have to do this,’” Colette says. And with that, they turned their savings into Colette’s Custom Framing.
Now, she works with galleries, resorts, and individuals up and down the Kona coast to ensure that any picture has the frame to suit it.
Dealing with a broken wrist several months ago, Colette realized how much she depended on her employees. And they stepped up to keep everything running smoothly. Noelani is a brilliant finisher, and August and Max are pros at the craft.
While 50 years may seem like a lifetime in most industries, Colette loves her 2,700 square foot space — also a gallery — her customers and her employees.
“People ask me if I’m going to retire,” Colette says. “I’ve got a good 10 years left. I love what I do.”
When asked whether she has any advice for would-be customers wondering how to frame their unique piece, Colette’s answer is refreshingly simple: Just bring the piece into her shop and have a chat.
“After 50 years, it’s just natural,” she says. ColettesCustomFraming.com
Culture meets creativity at the Kuauli Wearable Arts Fashion Show, a unique event in Hawaiʻi.
Many Polynesian designers honor their culture as they work to preserve the stories woven into their creations, strengthening the identity of the Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and connecting the world to their clothing narrative. These stories share the common heritage that unites all Polynesians.
Since its inception in 2018, the Kuauli Wearable Arts Fashion Show differentiated itself from other mainland fashion shows by emphasizing Indigenous design and storytelling. Part of a broader cultural festival, this event celebrates the unique Pacific and Asian heritage of Hawaiʻi Island, incorporating elements like hula, fire knife performances, and culinary events. The fashion show focuses on a collaboration between new and veteran designers, highlighting the beauty of Indigenous artistry and the economic potential for local artists and businesses.
“Many mainland fashion shows primarily prioritize commercial fashion trends and celebrity-driven styles without the same emphasis on cultural storytelling and community engagement,” says Leina’āla Fruean, HIPACC President, who has been involved with the event since the beginning.
The core team for the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Fashion event consists of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians who reside on the island. The cultures represented in the fashion show showcase a blend
of Polynesian, Asian, Micronesian, and Caucasian influences from local communities. Set against the backdrop of Kailua Bay, during the weekend of the King Kamehameha Day Parade, the Hawaiʻi Kuauli runway has come alive with designs from Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Tahiti, Marquesas, and throughout Polynesia and Asia.
In 2024, fashion trends emerged with new designers who have long aspired to create their clothing lines. Many return each year with innovative styles, showcasing their flair for creativity. With diverse tastes, sizes, and ages, clothing is designed to reflect the mixed cultures of so many on this island. This diversity enhances the inherent beauty of each individual.
“Ultimately, the goal is to make all participants and attendees feel good and look great,” shares Leina’āla Fruean.
Opposite
“ANYONE
According to Fruean, the most versatile fabrics to wear in Hawai'i are dry fit, rayon, jersey cotton, viscose, Lycra, spandex, and polyester. In the Hawaiian Islands, it is essential to have calm and durable clothing for beach wear. Hawaiʻi Kuauli showcases vibrant colors, textures, and styles inspired by the sea, sand, and sky.
“Young adults enjoy activewear for sports clubs, and resort-style clothing has become increasingly popular among residents in the workforce,” Leina’āla Fruean says.
If you seek a unique fashion style, consider the advice inspired by figures like Aunty Nita Pilago and Nakeʻu Awai: explore your cultural heritage and incorporate elements that resonate with your identity. Unique style often stems from personal stories and traditions. Seek guidance from experienced designers and artisans; collaboration can enhance your skills and open new creative avenues. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas and materials. Fashion is about exploration, so allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.
Success in fashion requires dedication and resilience, so put in the effort to hone your craft. Draw inspiration from your surroundings, such as nature, art, or cultural events. Keep an open mind to different influences and perspectives. Use your designs to convey your narrative or
experiences. Authentic storytelling can set your style apart.
By following this guidance, you can develop a distinctive fashion style that reflects your individuality and creativity. Aunty Nita Pilago, owner of Wahine Toa Designs, is known for her passion and generosity in teaching, advising, and sharing her knowledge to support the next generation of designers.
“Aunty Nita has been an incredible inspiration for many involved in the Hawaiʻi Kuauli. Wahine Toa Designs produced
its first fashion line in Bali in 2007. She is recognized as the Māmā Designer of the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Fashion Show and is sought after by many throughout the Hawaiian Islands,” acknowledges Leina’āla Fruean.
Other veteran designers in the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Fashion Show have been inspirations and served as advisors to young designers, such as Nakeʻu Awa. He was the first Native Hawaiian fashion designer in Hawaiʻi during the 1960s. Although Nakeʻu had no formal training as a designer, he was encouraged to explore costume design, ultimately leading him into the fashion world. By the 1970s, he had established his fashion line, blending the knowledge and experience he gained within Hawaiian culture.
Designers in the Pacific and Asia who have been in the business for the past 20 to 50 years have grown through trial and
error as they have pioneered homegrown fashion in Hawaiʻi. Yet, their determination and indomitable creative spirit have allowed them to contribute to the fashion industry in Hawaiʻi and internationally significantly.
“Anyone seeking a unique fashion style must possess a strong work ethic and a creative mindset that transcends generations,” Leina’āla Fruean adds.
The upcoming festival will occur at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort from June 6th to 8th, 2025. The Hawaiʻi Kuauli Fashion Show is scheduled for Saturday, June 7th, from 11 AM to 1 PM.
Attendees can expect to see stunning pieces that reflect the region's cultural richness, accompanied by fantastic performances that embody the islands' beauty.
Beyond the runway, guests will be immersed in a vibrant, creative atmosphere, providing opportunities to mingle with fellow fashion enthusiasts, industry insiders, and designers. Whether you are looking for vacation wardrobe inspiration or a glimpse into the intersection of style and culture, the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Fashion Show promises to be an unforgettable experience celebrating the beauty of resort fashion wear and the spirit of the islands.
Learn more at HIKuauli.com.
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ARTICLE
BY SARA
STOVER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLETCH PHOTOGRAPHY
BlueSky Energy is shining a light on the benefits of solar energy, one solar panel at a time.
Josh Mason, owner of BlueSky Energy, is on the roof of a home overlooking Laʻaloa Bay, the cheery blue sky smiling at him as the morning sun’s light hits newly installed solar panels.
“‘Blue Skies’ is one of my favorite songs and an inspiration for the company name,” says Josh, once he’s climbed down a ladder and is back on the ground. “And of course, a blue sky day is the best day for solar energy.”
Josh founded BlueSky Energy, a solar energy equipment supplier, in 2014 to provide access to and guidance on the best equipment combinations for meeting the energy needs of commercial, residential, and industrial clients across Hawaiʻi Island. However, his 14-year solar energy career began after graduating from Christian Liberty Academy, Keaʻau, and attending the University of Hawai‘i, Hilo.
“While working on getting my BBA Degree, I had a professor who got me into business brokerage, mergers, and acquisitions. That led to a VR business sales role at Hawaiʻi Island Intermediary, helping small business owners sell their businesses and meet their exit goals. After doing that for seven years, I needed a change,” Josh explains. Fortunately, his sister connected him to an Oʻahu-based solar company. “Over the course of three years, I went from being a sales rep there to commercial division manager.”
It was an experience that opened Josh’s eyes to the tremendous benefits of solar power. He explains that investing in solar energy can financially boost a business or home’s equity, equate to qualification for state and federal tax credits, and offset energy bills.
“That’s a benefit that is becoming increasingly relevant as more Hawaiʻi Island residents are driving electric vehicles,” says Josh, nodding toward his electric pickup truck. “A non-quantitative benefit is autonomy. On an individual basis, owning and controlling solar energy means you don’t have to worry as much about power outages. You can buy electricity from the utility service provider, but have the option to operate off the grid — partially or completely — indefinitely. On a macro basis, solar power can make Hawaiʻi less dependent on fossil fuels, moving us toward more energy independence and a more sustainable future. Why bring in fuel from somewhere else when we already have so much sunshine here?”
“SOLAR
ENERGY CAN MAKE HAWAIʻI LESS DEPENDENT ON FOSSIL FUELS, MOVING US TOWARD MORE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. WHY BRING FUEL FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE SO MUCH SUNSHINE HERE?” — JOSH MASON, BLUESKY FOUNDER.
An ʻio, (native Hawaiian hawk) soars over Josh and the team of solar panel installers, serving as a potent reminder of why more environmentally-friendly energy sources, like solar, are so important.
“Fossil fuels contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while solar energy is clean,” says Josh, who was motivated to start his own solar energy company to expand renewable energy sources and improve solar sales techniques. “Solar can be a highly-incentivized industry. I saw how commissions can encourage salespeople to prioritize the sale over the insightful information customers need to understand their options. I wanted to change that.”
BlueSky Energy doesn’t have salespeople, so the company can focus on ensuring that the customer is well-served, which includes designing systems for their needs and investing time in educating them. What BlueSky Energy does have is Josh's expertise, who helps clients navigate the financial and legal landscape of going solar.
“When I first started out, I could train a high school graduate to install the products. It’s more complex now because of batteries, system controllers, county and utility standards, and the biggest challenge — software. That’s why I spent a year training Andrew Fujimura for the role of BlueSky’s project manager,” says Josh, stepping into the shade to dodge the sun as it rises higher in the sky. “Solar can be complicated. Electric utility service providers like HELCO are one of the major players. The others are county governments, which have jurisdiction and solar code standards, and the equipment manufacturers. BlueSky Energy brings all the players together for a better solution.”
“At BlueSky Energy, we work with equipment manufacturers whose standards support our commitment to designing systems with integrity,” says Josh, who has found that while many equipment combinations are available, solar panels, inverters, and energy storage systems are the most reliable. Solar panels use sunlight to produce electricity, inverters convert direct current electricity from the solar panels into alternating current electricity (which most businesses and homes use), and energy storage systems store the excess electricity that solar panels generate in a lithium-ion battery.
Once this installation in Kona is finally complete and Josh has ensured that the customer understands their new energy system, he will call it a day and drive back to Volcano, where he lives with his wife and their two dogs: “For most customers, investing in a solar product is a one-time experience. At the end of the day, I want to go to bed knowing that BlueSky put their interests above all else.”
Learn more at WhyBlueSky.com.
Aloha Kona Urgent and Primary Care, operating under the umbrella of the independent, non-profit Transformation Health Network (THN), celebrates 10 years of providing stellar holistic care to the West Hawaiʻi community this month.
Situated in the same location – in the heart of Kailua-Kona at Pottery Terrace – over the years, the small clinic has big goals for the future.
Chief Executive Officer Anton Smith is providing leadership for the clinic’s growth with 2025 priorities, including expanding services to offer mental health care therapy and women’s health programs. Also in the works is a plan to establish a satellite clinic in Ocean View. Loftier goals for the future, he says, include opening new clinics throughout Hawaiʻi Island and eventually on the other islands as well.
A native of New York, Anton has worked in healthcare for more than 30 years, most recently as CEO at Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu. He has continued to make his home on Oʻahu since joining the clinic in 2022 while spending time on the Big Island each month.
He traveled extensively with the military for 25 years, serving in various medical capacities “in places most people wouldn’t want to be,” he says. Those places included Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Retiring in 2015, Anton went on to earn his doctorate in medicine at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.
Work as a physician didn’t stick, however. He came to realize his gift for business leadership was not only strong but more fulfilling. In addition to his work with THN, Anton is president and CEO of WAIEA Water. This company creates atmospheric water-generating machines that literally pull water out of the air.
“We provide clean drinking water to areas of scarcity and to those looking for a renewable resource that leads to more eco-conscious and off-grid lifestyles,” he says.
CONTINUED >
“Our
In keeping with his desire to do good for the world, THN’s work to provide needed services at the lowest rates for everyone, including the underserved, resonated with Anton when he was offered the CEO position.
“Our healthcare model integrates the highest quality of scientific medical care with the patient’s entire well-being – body, mind and soul. We think of ourselves as a health services ministry based on the Christian principles of love, compassion and respect.”
One of three urgent care clinics in West Hawaiʻi, THN is the only one providing both urgent and primary care, accepting all private insurance and Medicaid. According to Elisha de Carvalho, group practice manager, a sliding fee scale calculated based on patients’ ability to pay is offered for those without coverage.
“We were pleased to extend services to six days weekly beginning last November, now including Saturdays. We also introduced a menu of IV therapies last year designed to boost energy, enhance the immune system, help with quick recovery and more,” she says.
According to Elisha, she wears many hats in her role. Most important, she says, is ensuring everyone is happy and has everything they need to perform at their best daily.
A nine-year veteran of the clinic, beginning as a receptionist and working her way to management, Elisha says that includes keeping the newest team member, Medical Director Rhonda Hamilton, well taken care of.
Rhonda, an advanced practice nurse from Alberta, Canada, joined the team in 2022. She was recruited by Dr. Robert Doe,
“We are a clinic dedicated to E hele me ka puʻolo (make every person’s place or condition better than you left it, always).”
for people of all ages, from newborns to seniors, gaining immense clinical experience,” she says.
Together with her husband Rick, Rhonda also spent years volunteering for humanitarian efforts in developing nations, including Haiti and then Papua New Guinea and its offshore islands. The latter brought them to Kailua-Kona in 2018, where they joined YWAM Ships in its efforts to bring health care to places only accessible by boat.
one of two physicians associated with Kailua-Kona’s Youth With A Mission (YWAM) organization, who came up with the vision for a faith-based clinic.
With nearly 40 years in the medical field, Rhonda began her career as a registered nurse in 1986 and received her Master’s Degree in Advanced Nursing Practice in 2010.
“I always had big dreams of being a nurse who could provide whole-person care to my patients. With a degree in hand, I joined a family practice where I cared
“People (in Papua New Guinea) would walk for days to get to us, needing primarily treatment for malaria, a variety of additional infectious diseases and cataracts. The ocean nation has one of the highest cases of cataracts in the world due to the population’s light blue eyes,” she says. “It’s so important to go to places in such need, but there is need everywhere.”
Now, as THN’s only primary caregiver, Rhonda treats 2,000 patients. “Among them is a houseless individual who lives in a ditch and another who is a two-time Oscar Award-winner. We welcome everyone, and I truly believe patients feel loved and cared for here.”
Learn more at AlohaKonaUrgentCare.org.
thnhawaii.org 808-365-2297
Our model of healthcare integrates the highest quality of scientific medical care along with Christian principles, such as prayer, counseling and acts of love, with the goal to bring restoration to every patient’s physical, mental and spiritual health.
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EVERY FRIDAY
Keahou Farmer’s Market
Keauhou Shopping Center | 8:00 AM
You will find locally raised produce, honey, flowers, Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, meat and eggs, handmade bread, jams, and so much more at our market. All are 100% grown and produced in Hawai’i. Enjoy meeting the farmers and makers dedicated to bringing fresh food from their farms while walking through our beautiful outdoor market. KeauhouFarmersMarket.com.
MARCH 7TH
Holualoa Historical Village | 5:30 PM
We come together for a block party after dark on the first Friday of every month. Enjoy art galleries and boutiques, live music, gourmet “grab and go” food, and a chance to mingle with fellow art and culture lovers in the heart of Kona coffee country. Holualoa gets together and celebrates after dark every month, rain or shine. HolualoaVillage.com.
MARCH 7TH
Coronation Pavilion, Queens’ Marketplace | 7:00 PM
Learn how to make your very own Pua Kalaunu (crown flower) lei from start to finish during our monthly lei-making workshop with Ainahua Florals. Wear your lei at home or gift it to someone you love. Limited to 20 guests on a first come, first served basis. QueensMarketplace.com.
Emsculpt is a
body contouring treatment that uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology to build muscle and burn fat. It’s primarily used to target areas like the abdomen, thighs, arms, and buttocks, where it helps sculpt and tone the body.
Key Benefits:
• Build Muscle: Strengthen and define muscles with no effort on your part.
• Burn Fat: Reduce fat cells in treated areas for a leaner look.
• No Downtime: Quick, easy, and no recovery required.
• Clinically Proven: Results you can trust.