Spring Issue Makes One Year For Purple Inc.
R Dear Readers,
What a year this has been! We started the creation of Purple Inc. in March of 2011, with our first quarterly issue released at the end of May. Making it to the landmark of 4 issues has been a huge accomplishment, one that I am very proud of. Purple Inc. has experienced a growth spurt and with that comes the occasional growing pains. Oh, but watch us blossom now!
While I was at a Surfrider Foundation Net Patrol cleanup I heard Barbara Wiedner say, “Many hands make light work.” This applies to the task of getting large hunks of netting out of deep, wet sand which you can read about in depth in our interview with her in this issue. However, after that experience at the beach-which was awesome-- I find appreciation in what Barbara said daily. When I can see that someone needs a hand I am more eager to lend it, and I have found that there are hands reaching out to me as well.
Everyone wants to be a part of something good, create a change, make a difference. This issue of Purple Inc. has many examples of how people effect change in their own lives. Wether it’s through art, volunteering, working with children, music, politics, or exercise, everyone has the power to make a positive change in the world. I hope that this magazine ignites your desire to help others too.
Sincerely, Keri Cooper
PURPLE INC. /
SPRING 2012
CONTENTS
/
ISSUE NUMBER 4
Editor/Photographer/Layout Design Keri Jo Cooper Editor/Writer Lois Ann Ell Contribu8ng Writers Jericho Rell Sky Smith Nina Samantha Fox Olson Jolene Jus>s Cudworth
5 Restore Kaua‘i
4 Tropical Skincare: Island Locks
Learn about this new non-profit based in Kapaa.
Information and products for everyday protection
9 A Taste Of Europe in Kapaa- Art Cafe
7 Wellness Wahine - Plyometrics
Hemingway Our restaurant review.
Strength and power exercises
12 Stoking the Spark
11 Grammy~Time Two wacky art projects for the kids
Purple Inc. interview with artist/surfer Steve Valiere.
TOC 15 Marine Debris and the Surfrider Foundation Heros We talk trash and learn some ways to help.
18 The Value of a Mentor Two Powerhouses of Energy and Leadership.
21 A’A I KA HULA, Dare to Dance The Spring Photo Editorial with Sky Smith.
27 Makana His thoughts on music, politics and Aloha. Purple Inc. is published quarterly. Copyright 2012, all rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the columnists and contributors to Purple Inc. are not necessarily those of the editors. Contribu>ng writers assume responsibility for their published columns; and for the informa>on therein. No part of this publica>on may be reproduced, not even electronically, or through informa>on storage or retrieval systems, without wriOen consent of Purple Inc. All items submiOed to Purple Inc. become property of publisher. All correspondence and inquiries should be directed to: purpleinc@live.com
P R O D U C T S
&
T I P S
Tropical Skincare
By nina
Island girls are blessed with the coveted tousled ʻbeach hairʼ on a regular basis. But what to do when you want frizz free shiny locks, without the damage of heat styling? ISLAND LOCKS On a mission to achieve a look that’s luminous yet takes virtually no time, I have found some amazing techniques and products that truly take all the credit. No offense, balmy Hawaiian air! The first step is to find a favorite stylist to trim your locks on a regular basis. Split ends have never been in style and weigh your hair down. Experiment with current styles and layering that fit your hair type. Don’t wash your lovely mane everyday, it will strip away your natural shine. Allow the natural oils from your scalp do the work for you. I have found my hair looks the best two or three days after my last shampoo. Use the same philosophy when choosing hair products that you do for everyday diet. Purity equals beauty, inside and out. Try to choose a shampoo that does not contain harsh chemicals, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, a common ingredient in many commercial brands. One try of Alterna Bamboo Smooth Anti-frizz Shampoo and Conditioner ($20 each, sephora.com) and I was addicted. This duo is made with organic, fair-trade ingredients.
If you need a multi-tasker that fits your active lifestyle, try Josie Maran Argan Oil ($48. 1.7oz, Sephora.com). Organically grown in Morocco, this oil is used in the fashion and beauty industry for beautiful hair, skin, and nails. A few drops to damp locks will tame frizz, create shine, and treat split ends. Can’t get enough? Use a couple drops for a pure facial moisturizer, or to treat cuticles for a DIY manicure.
After you have gifted your locks with a well deserved treat, give yourself an extra boost of nutrition with Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil ($24, Sephora.com). Massage a small amount on damp hair, avoiding the roots, paying particular attention to areas of your hair that tend to be more prone to frizz.
No time for a full treatment? Use Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist ($22, sephora.com). This finishing spray gives your locks a polished shine that will make you the center of attention, in no time.
Seriously damaged locks? Look no further, because this double duty treatment can moonlight as a deeply nourishing ‘masque‘ that can be generously applied to damp hair 20 minutes before shampoo.
Save your beachy hair for the beach, and give your locks some well deserved TLC!
xo nina Next Issue: Water Proof
Note: Sephora is an international beauty superstore with three locations on Oahu. It has everything you could ever wish for in skincare and cosmetics. Sephora.com has free shipping over $50, an amazing customer loyalty program, tons of weekly specials, and hassle free returns. Try it out, your skin will love you for it!
RESTORE Kaua‘i
By Lois Ann Ell
Materials Restore Kaua’i Needs: Doors and windows !
Lumber, plywood and other sheet materials
!
Tile, carpet and other flooring materials
!
Furniture & TV satellite dishes
!
Paint, stains and other surfactants Roofing materials Bicycles and related parts
!
Used or Repairable Electronics
!
Misc. hardware and other objects of value
Restore Kaua‘i, Kapaa
Kamahalo Ka’uhane, Executive Director of the new Restore Kaua’i in Kapa’a has experience building something from the ground up. He and his wife, Ipo Torio, founded Kanuikapono Learning Center in Anahola, a Public Charter School, where he is currently a local school board member. He also worked with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) and several Hawaiian families to help build their own homes in Anahola. Now he has taken on Restore Kaua’i, a Hawaiian-based non-profit organization located in central Kapa’a. Over the many years of working with the community, he is aware of the need for affordable housing, job security, and creating sustainability on the island. He is incorporating all of these needs in one organization, called Restore Kaua’i. The non-profit organization is opening as a mecca for
inexpensive building materials, vocational training, swap meets, recycling, creating art, and more. “We have to start thinking differently about our problems,” Ka’uhane said, and mentioned the growing problem of the landfill in Kekaha. “We have to depend on each other,” he said. He found an area in Kapa’a, owned by DHHL that was not being utilized: sixteen acres of flat land near the ball parks and the county recycling area. In partnership with Honsador Lumber, Restore Kaua’i is transforming the area into a vital resource for the island. Restore Kaua’i’s mission is “to restore the traditional strength of our communities by developing affordable housing, supporting sustainability, encouraging traditional Hawaiian values, and providing vocational skills training," as posted on their website.
What they Don’t Need: Particle Board Styrofoam Small Engines
There are currently the following divisions of Restore Kaua’i: Building Materials Bicycle Restoration Furniture Restoration Electronics Restoration Agriculture Services Ka’uhane explained that Restore Kaua’i is similar to Habitat for Humanity’s Re Store in Hanapepe in that they will accept and sell donated materials, but different in the way that Restore Kaua’i extends to other areas. One of these areas is Vocational Training. Restore Kaua’i will be working with students and individuals on island to learn basic carpentry skills and create projects to sell, such as chicken tractors, dog houses or other useful items.“Restoring materials and restoring the person too,” Ka’uhane said, through learning skills, creating jobs, and instilling Hawaiian values. Another area the organization is extending itself to the community is through “Pre-Cycle Saturdays,” a swap meet where items can be bought, sold, and swapped, and special items built at Restore Kaua’i will be featured, including artwork, bicycles and other projects. Restore Kaua’i is in the phase of a ‘soft opening,’ working by appointment only to accept donations and sell materials. Currently they are in need of volunteers: carpenters, handymen, and any other individuals who can lend support in a creative way.
Kamahalo Ka‘uhane
To volunteer, donate or contact Restore Kaua’i, visit their website at www.restoreKauai.org and connect with Restore Kaua’i on Facebook to receive the latest updates.
;52259"(<:(
!"#$%&'()"**( (45,=>==)((=?=)(@A>-BBC>
+',(-,'."/(-0"1$2&/(3'4$-3'4$/(-&$5,26(5.1()"7*"8'*'9:
WELLNESS wahine
S A M A N T H A F OX O L S O N, YO G A I N S T RU C TO R & F I T N E S S G U RU
THE POWER OF SPRING P L Y O M E T R I C
T R A I N I N G
BUILD POWER AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE Plyometrics is a type of exercise in which the muscles are repeatedly stretched and suddenly contracted. These are explosive movements that work the fast twitch muscles. When I was a competitive gymnast plyometric training was a large portion of our conditioning. This allowed us to be at the top of our game. The following exercise weaves in 4 different plyometric exercises. Work each exercise with an intention of expressing your unlimited capacity for power. Warm up before this routine and spend about 5 minutes cooling down with stretching after. (We have examples of warm ups and cool downs on the Purple Inc. website at KauaiPurpleInc.com be sure to check them out for creative inspirations.)
Spring is the time for growth and transformation! Why do YOU work out or do yoga? In your answers you may find the hidden motivation you need to stay consistent with the practices that will change your life for the better.
Do each exercise with max performance for 30 seconds, taking a tensecond rest in between each exercise. Repeat this sequence 3 times and up to 4 times a week.
Wide Squat and Jump: Stand with your feet wider than hip distance with your toes turned out. Keeping your knees over the center of your feet bend your knees deeply, and then extend your legs straight. Repeat this 3 times, and on the forth squat, follow through the extension and spring off the floor.
Clapping Push Ups: Come to the top of a push up with your knees touching the ground or legs extended fully. Bending your elbows, lower your torso towards the floor. One common misalignment here that can cause an injury is to roll the shoulder forward. Keep the front of your shoulders rooted into the back plane of your body. From here extend your arms powerfully and clap your hands at the top of your push up. Please make sure to never hyper extend your elbows during any phase of this exercise, especially when you become fatigued.
Roll and Tuck Jump: Standing with your feet parallel, bend your knees deeply keeping your arms extended in front of you. Roll onto your back keeping your knees tucked into your chest. Roll back up to a stand either using your hands on the floor or reaching your arms forward. Jump explosively from the earth taking your arms to the sky and your knees into your chest for a tuck jump. Repeat this seamlessly.
Upright Mountain Climbers: Start standing with your left foot in front of the right, feet about hip distance apart from each other. Bend both knees keeping your front knee tracking over the center of the foot. Quickly press through your legs into a jump and switch the right leg to the front and the left leg to the back. Repeat. Plyometrics are not for everyone. Risk of injury is possible, as is with all physical exercises. Please consult your physician if you have any concerns that this type of exercise is for you.
YOGA
FITNESS & ADVENTURE
RETREATS ON KAUAI REGISTER TODAY CALL SAMANTHA
808-351-4958 FIND OUT MORE AT:
www.kauaiyogaandfitness.com/workshops-retreats/ FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/KauaiYogaRetreats
30
APRILAT
E NEXT RETR
A Taste of Europe in Kapa’a:
Art Café Hemingway
By Lois Ann Ell
owners, Markus and Jana Boemer
Jana and Markus Boemer planned to open up Art Café Hemingway at the end of 2011 quietly. But it’s hard to miss the iconic blue building beside the canal in Kapa’a town, and so when the ‘open’ sign went up, people started trickling in. The couple remodeled the building, created a menu and installed a gallery upstairs in a few short months. “She’s the brains, I’m the brawn,” Markus Boemer said laughingly, about the couple’s teamwork strategy. True artists, they have crafted an aesthetically pleasing space. Dark wood floors, white-washed walls, and a small assortment of furniture. Splashes of rich textures and color and a brilliant silver of the flatware chandelier hanging above the counter. Upstairs the gallery is small, but even more appealing. It’s sparse, so the focus is the artwork, which in the winter months featured photographer Robert Vano’s “Platinum Collection,” referring to the technique applied to the black and white exhibit of his timeless prints. Beyond the artwork are walls of white, a thrown zebra skin rug, and the Pacific Ocean, offering a stellar view. When the couple visited Kaua’i 20 years ago, they knew they wanted to end up here someday. But first was Germany, where Jana grew up in her mother’s restaurant (more on that
Cafe Hemingway, Kapaa
later) and then Switzerland, Italy, France, and the Czech Republic, where they founded Lecia Gallery Prague, which became an epicenter for the artist world, Markus explained. The gallery was in the city, however, and the Boemers wanted to “bring art to the people,” Markus said. So they did. It was called ‘Gallery on a Train.’ Special exhibits were constructed in train cars and travelled to numerous Czech and Slovak cities, stopping at the train stations for the art displays to be viewed by over 150,000 people over a course of three years. But Kaua’i was still their desired destination, so Jana and Markus eventually sold the gallery and moved with their two teenaged children to the Garden Isle, landed the blue building, and began renovations on what would be a gallery and café.
OPE N D A I LY FR OM 8 - 6, C L O S E D M O N D AY
f
B R E AK FAS T A N D LU N C H S E RV ED A L L D AY
strawberry tarte
Art was a given for these two, but food? Enter: Jana’s childhood, where her mother ran a restaurant converted from an old homestead from the 1400’s, serving 24 people a night. Jana worked there for fourteen years, where she learned the art of classic European food. “My mother said, ‘You are not my daughter unless you learn to cook,’” Jana said laughing, of how she found her way around the kitchen. She
Enjoy a casual atmosphere amongst art-laden walls.
acquired her skill using fresh, simple ingredients (she has a theory that a reason for allergies is putting too many ingredients together), everything made from scratch, and “everything with fresh herbs.” She’s acquired some pretty cool tricks as well, like lemons or kumquats in glass mason jars behind the counter—Jana marinates the whole fruit in sea salt for up to six weeks, and the skins become citrusy “croutons” as a garnish for her quiches. Or the House made Yogurt, a family recipe which Jana was fed tirelessly by her grandmother her entire childhood in an attempt to fill out her thin frame.
The menu is sophisticated yet uncomplicated, achieving the same balance with food as with the décor of the café. Highlights from the small kitchen are Italian Espresso, fresh baked croissants, quiches, and salty and sweet crepes. Filled with Nutella is the way Jana prefers her crepes. “I love it—in Paris you can buy them on every corner,” she said. When asked about taking on the responsibility of opening a gallery and café in a new country with two teenaged children in tow, Jana replied, “I love it, it’s me; I can’t sit at home and look at the walls,” she said. Instead, she has created an oasis for others to come and sit, sip strong coffee while looking at her café walls, covered with art. And shelves stacked with Hemingway novels.
all house-made, bread, yogurt, crepe
delicious hot chocolate and quiche
Clearing Shredding Terracing Earth Moving Invasive Species Control
www.RyloExcavation.com
808-635-0543
Lic.# C 24494
By Jolene Justis Cudworth
Grammy-Time
Spring has sprung. Let's have some fun! Here are some wacky art projects for the kids. It’s time to get away from video games and get those creative juices flowing.
Glass Door art
3-d art
What you will need:
Every home should invest in Temper Paint. It is a little pricey, so dilute it with a little dish soap (this also makes laundry easier). Get the basic colors; yellow, blue, red, Then you can mix them to make green, purple, orange, brown, etc.
GRAMMYISMS: WE ARE NOT RAISING CHILDREN. WE ARE RAISING ADULTS. THEY JUST AREN'T VERY TALL YET.
•Glass doors •Washable paints and/or markers
What you will need: •Toilet paper and paper towel roll
•Paintbrushes •Newspaper- to protect the floor Line the floor in front of the doors with newspaper to catch drips. Have a child stand on either side of the glass and let them use this amazing canvas. Just let them have fun. You can leave this upfor a while and enjoy. When you are ready for clean-up give the kids a bucket of soapy water and couple of sponges. This makes clean up fun too. I have done this 1000 times with kids and promise you, the clean up is not that bad.
•Washable paints and markers •Small paintbrushes (it will keep them busy longer) •Stickers Allow the children to paint and decorate the rolls. They get so creative coloring inside and outside the rolls. The concentration on their faces will crack you up. Once the rolls dry the children can decide what they want to do with their creations. They can make sculptures, mobiles, games. The choices are endless.
I HOPE YOU HAVE FUN WITH GRAMMY'S IDEAS. ALWAYS REMEMBER, THE MESS IS WORTH THE PROCESS.
Stoking the Spark
On a beautiful Hawai’i day Keri Cooper and I set out to visit with Steve Valiere, a well-known painter and surfer. I enjoyed his humble nature and candid honesty and the opportunity to talk story at length. By Jericho Rell Purple Inc: Can you tell me a little bit about your “story” as far as surfing, how you came to the island, and where you are from? Steve Valiere: I was born in North Dakota but I grew up in California. I lived in a few different states in Texas and Washington and then I moved to Santa Barbara when I was pretty young. I lived there for a couple years before we moved to Orange County. That’s when I started surfing, about 50 years ago. Surfing was coming out, in the sixties, surfing was just boomtown. We had huge boards, we didn’t have fins on them-we had scags or rudders. When I graduated from high school I came to Hawai’i for the first time in 1970. I went back to California and I did a little bit of Junior college and then I took off and spent almost six years traveling around the world. I started out going to Peru and Brazil and then I went to South Africa and lived there for a year. Then I caught a ship across the Indian Ocean to Australia, got off in Sydney and hitch hiked north into Warmer country and that was where I called home for about five years at Queensland Australia.
P: When did you start painting? SV: I’ve been doing art all my life, drawing and scribbling around. When I was in Australia, I guess this was the awakening time for my art. I was glassing surfboards and this friend of mine and I had kind of an underground surf shop. I learned how to glass boards and so I started painting on them. I hand drew a decal for every surfboard. P: What was the design on the decal? SV: My paintings they were simple, you know I would usually have a wave and a surfer and a couple coconut trees. That was the start of it. But then I didn’t do anything for a long time. I was married and raising two boys on the Big Island. I wasn’t doing much art at all and then we moved to Kaua’i, we came over here in 1980 and bought property on Kailihiwai Road. You know that was our dream and we built a house and moved over here and raised our boys and they could walk to Kailihiwai and Anini and surf everyday after school, so it was perfect.
After Hurricane Iniki I did this black and white drawing of the island with the hurricane around it and giant waves battering it on all sides and I had that printed on T-shirts. And then I painted every single T-shirt. So it was like and original painting. It was kind of like painting in a coloring book, there was a black outline and that was the start of it P: The spark? SV: A little Spark yeah, because they all sold. I guess the last thing that really kicked it off for me was a friend of mine I had known since I was a kid from California named Paul. One year he kind of got on my case and he was like, “All your life I’ve known you, you’ve been doing art and your not drawing or anything, what’s up with you?” Then one day I got three canvases in the mail from him, with just this little post it sticker on it and it said “Paint these. Love Paul.” I got these canvases out and painted them. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have any technique or education with using brushes or paints and all I really did was paint my decals big. I
think I sold one for thirty bucks and bought some more paints and canvas. Since then I’ve done thousands of paintings. P: Who are these characters in your paintings? Is there any sort of story in your art? SV: They are pretty much just all-self portraits (laughing) just my mates and me. You know I’ve drawn Australians and Aborigines, and Californians and put em in a big pot and mixed them up, put green hair and tattoos on them and away they go. P: Is it all Acrylic? SV: Yeah all Acrylic. I use a lot of paint. P: Where is your art featured? SV: The main gallery I am in is in Kapa‘a, at The ALOHA Gallery. I was also at Poipu Fine Arts for a couple years. P: Who inspires you? SV: Almost everybody that paints. All art has inspired me in different ways. Growing up; John Severson, Rick Griffin, then there’s a friend of mine named Avi Kyriaki. He does sort of cubanism Polynesian paintings. When I saw his paintings I thought, shoot I can do this.
P: Who introduced you to the Graffiti Art?
P: Are you having any upcoming shows?
SV: On the internet. A friend showed me some on there and we watched a few shows, one was graffiti artists and the other was street artists around the world. I have seen some documentaries on Basquiat, which was really cool, he was an inspiration too, the way he painted so fast.
SV: Yeah I recently had my first solo exhibition and that was fun. I’ve been in a lot of shows, in France, California, New York and New Jersey. The one I did myself from the start to the end. I just went to the gallery owner and said, “I want to have a party, invite all my friends, have a keg of beer, and put my paintings up and see what happens. Titus walked in with his guitar, it was a lot of fun.”
P: What’s going through your mind when you are painting? SV: A lot of these paintings, it might sound kind of hippie trippy or weird whatever, (which I am) but, I get them in dreams. Or I’ll see the finished painting, before I start. Or I’ll just get a vision or feeling of something. Or one day I’ll be driving past Hanalei at sunset and see something:,a boat anchored out there. If someone says something to me, “You should try this,” they never come out. People that commission the painting will say, ‘you can you do this’ and what you see in your head and then I receive that and it goes into my head and then I start doing my paintings and what comes out on my brush to the canvas are going to be totally different things.
P: How long does a painting usually take from take start to finish? SV: These bigger paintings are like a week. I varnish it with a glass finish and that makes it look more like an oil painting and I like that look. My style is really fast and really loose, you know I can’t go over a stroke twice. Once I make it, it’s done. In the past year I got turned onto Graffiti Art and street artists. The skies in particular are all watery and I will just be cleaning my brush on my canvas and letting it go every where and bleed, and run and drip and then I come in over that and just start building the layers until I get to the foreground of the painting.
Paintings by Steve Valiere http://www.stevenvaliere.com
PI: You think surfing is an art form in itself? SV: Oh Yeah absolutely at it highest level I think. It transcends just the physical, and becomes more magical mystical and artistic. It starts coming from here instead of here [he says pointing to his heart]. It’s instinctual. It’s coming from some primeval place PI: Is that the same feeling you get when you are at work on a canvas? SV: Absolutely. The best paintings that I do, I don’t even really feel like I even painted them. It just comes from a different place.
Marine Debris and the
Surfrider Foundation Heroes By Lois Ann Ell March 11, 2011. Fifteen thousand lives. Twenty-five million tons of material dragged into the ocean, possibly radioactive. Statistically predicted for debris to reach Hawai’i as early as 2012. The facts presented at a meeting in December at Kaua’i Community College by Dr. Nikolai Maximenko were alarming. Surfrider Kaua’i hosted the informational meeting open to the public. “We are already overwhelmed with marine debris currently,” Dr. Carl Berg from the Surfrider Foundation said after Maximenko’s presentation. Berg then offered ways to get involved and help, such as beach cleanups, which Surfrider has been organizing for years on Kaua’i, helping to tackle a mounting problem. I interviewed two of the people who started the Surfrider Chapter on Kaua’i, Sherri Saari and Barbara Wiedner, at a pavilion on the south end of Kealia Beach. Whales breached beyond us on this glassy morning, with brilliant flecks of sunlight bouncing off the ocean. We discussed everything from birds with bellies full of plastic lighters and bottle caps to ghost nets to the importance of burlap bags. BEGINNINGS OF A CHAPTER “I used to call her Rock Quarry Sherri,” Wiedner recalls, of the early days when the two first met and formed a friendship on the north shore beach. They discussed the idea of starting a Chapter of Surfrider Foundation on Kaua’i, passionate yet well aware of the responsibility and work involved. A nudge from seasoned Surfrider member Gordon LaBedz—who helped write the bylaws and mission for National Surfider Foundation—spurred the idea into action. “Forming a Surfrider Chapter is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do,” LaBedz told Wiedner and Saari. LaBedz also stepped up to help form the Kaua’i Chapter, who brought with him all his experience as far back as the 1980’s, Wiedner explained. The first meetings were held in November 2005. By 2006 a Founding Committee was formed. A surf contest at Hanalei Bay was where Surfrider Kaua’i introduced itself to the island, with a small booth at the event. After that, came Earth Day 2006 in Po’ipu, where the first massive beach clean-up was held across the South Shore. The “grassroots, bare bones” group as Wiedner calls it, started to gain momentum. Surfrider found its footing in activism during the protests to the Superferry, the giant commuter ferry which planned daily Kaua’i routes, without an Environmental Impact Study. “With the Superferry protests, we became organized with other groups,” Wiedner said. After that, Surfrider tackled issues with beach access where private landowners, private businesses or government has attempted to block public access which is a legal right in Hawai’i.
Now, six years later, Surfrider Kaua’i has grown into a widespread nonprofit environmental organization, “dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people,” and is consistently fulfilling its mission which includes conservation, activism, research and education. MARINE DEBRIS It’s rare to visit a beach these days and not encounter trash; bottle caps, lighters, scraps of containers, nets, bags, most of it all made out of plastic or another unnatural material. The ocean is no different: it’s contaminated with trash, also known as marine debris. There’s the “garbage patch of the Pacific” rumored to be the size of Texas, which is not just floating on the top of the water but fills the depths below the surface as well. And then there’s the Tsunami debris, to which I asked Saari and Wiedner their thoughts on. “My initial thought was business as usual,” Saari said, referring to the constant uphill battle against ocean contamination. Wieder sees the situation as bittersweet; a tragedy that has raised awareness for this issue. “It’s an opportunity for people to get more involved, and we’ve already seen it at the last two beach clean-ups,” she said. “The last clean-up we had 35 people, the biggest Net Patrol we’ve ever had.” Besides the ugly sight of trash littering pristine natural oceans and beaches, marine debris is a major danger to marine animals and seabirds. Saari, who is a park ranger for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, witnesses firsthand the tragedy marine debris is for the Laysan Albatross seabirds. The birds eat the bright colored bits of plastic, mistaking it for food, and regurgitate the food to their chicks on land. The birds’ bellies are filled with indigestible plastic, and they die of starvation or dehydration.
“THIS IS WHAT GETS PEOPLE INVOLVED,” SAARI SAID, REFERRING TO WHEN PEOPLE SEE PHOTOS OF A SEABIRD’S CARCASS FILLED WITH LIGHTERS AND BOTTLE CAPS. Although a lot of marine debris comes from overseas, we all play a role in the problem as well. Whether it’s something flying out of the back of a truck, or the loose trash in the yard, Saari explained the importance of understanding the land and sea connection; that the trash on land ends up in the sea. This was what prompted Surfrider Kaua’i to initiate one of its most important and most public achievements; helping to pass the plastic bag ban on Kaua’i. “We have a national ‘rise above plastics’ campaign with Surfrider,” Wiedner said, which was in line with the plastic bag ban. Although the ban prohibits stores on the island from using plastic bags, there was still the issue of using large garbage liner plastic bags at the beach clean ups. To solve this issue, Kaua’i Coffee Company donates burlap bags for the clean-ups. N E T PAT RO L At a monthly beach clean-up at Nukoli’i on the east side of Kaua’i in March 2007, Surfrider volunteers were able to gather all of the land litter and marine debris…almost. There was one big, heavy problem. “We got all the trash but we were unable to get this net,” Wiedner said, recalling it was about the size of a picnic table. When four kids who happened to be on the beach decided to help the four others on the Surfrider crew that day, the net was removed off the beach. Inspired by the teamwork, Wiedner saw the possibilities. Net Patrol was born.
On the Net Patrol missions, nets lingering in the shoreline are a higher priority than the buried ones high up on the beach because the nets wash up on shore, and if not removed, the tide will wash them back out to the ocean, becoming a ‘ghost net,’ repeatedly entangling marine life and covering reefs. As Net Patrol gained momentum, there was a problem of storage. Piles of nets were adding to the already massive pile of waste at the landfill in Kekaha. Thanks to the help of individuals and organizations, a better solution was brought forth. First, Net Patrol was thankful to the non-profit group Malama Na ‘Apapa and its founder, Scott Bacon, who allowed all the gathered nets to be stored on his property in a Matson container. Second, thanks to NOAA and many other groups and agencies, two years later, a filled container of nets was shipped off Kaua’i to O’ahu, where 100 tons of nets were chopped, incinerated, and burned to create electricity to power 43 homes on O’ahu for a year. “The container is nearly full again,” said Wiedner, who realizes the burning of the nets may not be the most
environmentally sound alternative, but currently it is the best option. LOOKING AHEAD Saari has an idea for Surfrider to acquire a Traveling Van, “a Net Patrol on call” as she refers to it, equipped with everything needed to remove a net from the shoreline immediately. A beachgoer sees a net for example, calls Net Patrol, and the van could drive out and get the net that day before it slips back into the ocean. Surfrider would also like to see a Styrofoam ban on Kaua’i eventually take effect, another harmful nonbiodegradable material used in huge amounts on island, most commonly in restaurants. Saari recommends bringing your own container from home when you go out to eat or for take-out food to cut down on Styrofoam use. The Kaua’i Chapter continues in many areas of research, such as Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force conducting monthly water quality testing across the island. They are also focused on education, with numerous programs in Kaua’i’s schools, and hosting Adventures Cross Country, a youth group who volunteers each July participating in Net Patrols and Beach
Clean-ups. In addition to the monthly beach Clean-ups and Net Patrols, Wiedner said Surfrider is available to partner with businesses and groups to organize events. “It’s our kuleana to take care of what is in our backyard,” Saari said. CAN’T MAKE A CLEAN-UP OR NET PAT RO L ?
You can do your own each time you go to the beach. What to Bring:
Burlap Sack/Bag Kitchen knife Gardening Shears Gloves (optional)
Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration www.http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/ japanfaqs.html www.MarineDebris.noaa.gov
Derelict fishing nets are a huge problem: •“Nets are the number one danger to whales,” Saari said. “They get entangled so they canʼt dive; it gets around their fins or flukes and they die.” The nets are a danger to all marine mammals—especially monk seals, turtles, and whales. •Nets kill living reef as well, breaking and stifling the coral and blocking sunlight. •Nets damage boats by tangling up in propellers. •Nets carry alien species as well, possibly detrimental to the foreign waters they are transported to.
THE VALUE OF A MENTOR By Lois Ann Ell There are pivotal moments in each person’s life that can spark a shift in their path: a person, a place, or an idea. For Kaua’i girl Ivory McClintock, it was all three: a person: Shanah Trevenna, a place: the campus of University of Hawai’i, and an idea: that she could help change the world.
ownership and responsibility of a project and see it through was Trevenna’s strategy, and it worked. As Trevenna describes in her book, “Rather than bringing a list of accomplishments to our meetings, we brought a list of challenges,” (Trevenna, 49). This refers to Axiom 14, which is “Meetings are for creative, collaborative problem solving.” In discussion of this Axiom, Trevenna explains why the group named itself Help Us Bridge:
Ivory McClintock, a Kaua’i High graduate, attended Maui and Kaua’i Community Colleges before transferring to University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Once there, like many students, she did not have a direction, a career path, or a focus. “I had no idea what I was doing,” she said. One of her professors advised her to enroll in a class with a woman named Shanah Trevenna, and participate in an internship. McClintock attended a meeting about the class on a Wednesday afternoon, and from that day her path changed. On that Wednesday she found a passion, a mentor, and became a member of what would become a movement across the campus. The story is described in detail by Shanah Trevenna, author of the book Surfing Tsunamis of Change, A Handbook for Change Agents. The book is a unique blend of a personal memoir combined with methodical steps, or “Axioms” as they are described in the book on how to implement change. The thirty Axioms can be interpreted as practical, spiritual, or scientific, but they all proved to be instrumental in Trevenna’s and Sustainable UH’s success and in other areas as well.
Ivory McClintock
“It established that we knew we needed help and support and had no intention of working outside or around the system. This also differentiated us from the ‘watch us protest’ students of yesteryear. We wanted to be known for being of service and writing excellent proposals, not for making angry demands.” (Trevenna, 49).
Abandoning her high-paying, highprestige engineering career in Canada, Trevenna started over in Hawai’i as a student, eager to implement creative, positive changes on campus and for the planet. With a team of students, they worked to not only save $150,000 a year on energy costs at the UH campus, but created careers that fulfilled what Trevenna calls “the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.” Trevenna, McClintock, and others who were a part of HUB (self-named the Help Us Bridge) and what would eventually be called “Sustainable UH” were able to create jobs for themselves doing what they love, while inspiring others, helping the planet and making a profit. They became part of the “Green Work Force.”
McClintock’s talent in the HUB group was bringing people together. She began promoting and coordinating big events on campus, all in an effort to bring awareness to the sustainability efforts at UH Manoa. “It was important reaching the student body that doesn’t normally care,” McClintock said.
McClintock admits that when she first started at UH Manoa, she was shy, but Trevenna gave her confidence. “She didn’t treat us like she was the leader, we were all an equal part of the team,” McClintock said of Trevenna, adding that if someone proposed a project, Trevenna’s famous words were, “own it.” Empowering students to take
Trevenna wrote about McClintock in her book, stating, “Ivory proved to be an incredible community organizer and could lead volunteers in everything from setting up a hundred Earth Day tents to moderating workshops” (Trevenna, 88). McClintock found her voice and her talents by pursuing her passion.
“The local culture here is so humble, we’re not taught to speak out or challenge ideas as much,” McClintock said, but explained that Trevenna modeled the balance of effective communication, adding, “If you don’t speak up, who is going to?” In 2009, Trevenna recommended McClintock and two other students to fly to Washington DC for a National Conference called Powershift, to represent Hawai’i among 12,000 other youth from across the country to lobby for clean energy, sponsored by the Blue Planet Foundation. “After DC, we came back so energized, we realized we weren’t alone in our efforts here in Hawai’i, but the stuff we were doing was going on all over the country.” “People always ask me, why go into politics?” McClintock said, explaining that it is instrumental to effecting change. “I wanted to find out how I could be a steward to the land,” she said, adding that she became involved with the protests against the Superferry on Kaua’i—the massive interisland ferry Kaua’i residents successfully protested for a plethora of reasons— but noticed that, “at the activist level with the screaming, a lot gets lost in translation.” She was interested in the other levels beyond activism; writing testimony, talking to councilmembers, and the whole process. “That is what drew me towards Blue Planet; their focus is People, Policy, Progress,” McClintock said. Blue Planet Foundation is a local organization in Hawai’i with a mission to end the use of fossil fuels in the islands. McClintock explained the organization believes in the equation of good policy plus building a movement equals progress. Blue Planet is known for helping pass many legislative measures in Hawai’i, such as the carbon tax, and known for implementing change, such as installing 100 solar water heaters on Hawaiian homesteads. “After returning from DC, I continued with Blue Planet— volunteering, attending events, speaking—and I was hired part time as a volunteer coordinator,” McClintock said. When she graduated in 2011 from UH Manoa with a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science, she already had a full time job lined up as a Program Specialist at Blue Planet Foundation. “I was thankful that I had a job out of school,” she said. “I was super persistent; I showed my commitment to them.” McClintock believes this is important, and it’s something she tries to pass on to other students and groups she speaks to. “It’s the connections you’re making, that’s what it’s about —volunteering your time taking up a Sunday shows people you are in it for the right reason, not just trying to make money.” McClintock is now home on Kaua’i using her position as Program Specialist with Blue Planet Foundation to partner with organizations on island to implement changes. A recent project she lead was working with the Kawakami family businesses—the Big Save stores, Menehune Food Marts, Kapa’a Shell Station and the Subways—for people to exchange their incandescent light bulbs for CFL bulbs.
As McClintock explained, CFL bulbs last ten times longer and use 75% less energy than traditional light bulbs. The program resulted in exchanging 4,500 CFL bulbs in one month. She also worked with schools on island as a fundraiser for students, which allowed them to get 40 cents for each light bulb that was exchanged for a CFL bulb. “It’s not so much about the light bulb,” McClintock said. “It’s about getting people to be aware about energy.” McClintock just recently accepted the position as chair for the Alumni Network of Leadership Kaua’i, a non-profit organization of which she is a graduate. A group of twenty adults and a group of twenty high school juniors complete the organization’s program each year, with the goal of students emerging as leaders who can contribute to Kaua’i’s sustainability and community. As the Alumni Network chair, McClintock said her goal is to continue to engage the graduates of Leadership Kaua’i’s program by encouraging them to stay connected afterwards. One way to do this is to get them involved in “Carrot Mobs” on Kaua’i, a technique of turning a negative boycott into a positive promotion. McClintock explained how it works: you find a business on Kaua’i that isn’t already ‘green,’ and you work with the business to find the easiest changes to help them go green. When they make the changes, a ‘mob’ surrounds the store promoting it, bringing positive publicity. In October, McClintock will leave for Madrid, Spain. She has been awarded the Ambassadorial Rotary Scholarship by the Rotary Club of Hanalei, where she will pursue a one year Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development and Corporate Responsibility. She hopes to bring the knowledge she learns overseas back home. She has a commitment to the islands. “My end goal is to always be back on Kaua’i,” McClintock said. “This is my home.”
a. ell atelier
• Kauai Made • Clothing • Hats • Jewelry • Hemp • Bamboo
www.aelldesign.com angie &aelldesign.com
located in Kapaa between Vicky’s Fabrics and Jim Saylor Jewelers, up the block from Pono Market
Heather Brown Surf Art from the North Shore of Oahu
Heatherbrownart.com
A’A I KA HULA Dare to dance
photos by Keri Cooper
model Sky Smith
By Sky Smith I sit on the outskirts of a perfectly round circle. My heart immediately warms as I begin to hear the pitch perfect sound of my tutu’s voice. Midway, a flawless voice, in perfect harmony joins hers. It’s my father’s. It must be in the genes, I think to myself. I was born into a family where music, dance, and culture were not hobbies but rather celebrated as a lifestyle. I was brought up to be very aware of where I come from and the responsibility I have to make sure our lineage continues. I didn’t choose hula, hula chose me. It was at age 2 when I was enrolled in my first halau (hula school). It was where the foundation of hula is taught. Not just learning motions and rhythms but discipline, and the start and finishing of set goals. At a young age I realized I had found my calling. This was where I belonged. I have fond recollections of dancing on the Smith’s Boats to my tutu and dad’s songs. I looked forward to getting ready for such events, rummaging through my mom’s makeup case, picking handfuls of flowers until I came across the perfect one. I’d sit in front of a mirror brushing
my knee-length bushy Hawaiian hair, waiting to leave the house so I could dance. Hearing the sleek sound of the steel guitar, the cha-langa-lang of the ‘ukulele and the rusted microphone–that did no justice to their singing capabilities–still rings through my ears as if it were yesterday. Twenty years later, it goes so much deeper than entertaining. I serve as a portal to connect our past with our future. A few months ago, while attending a community fundraiser for Kaua‘i Museum, I was asked to dance a hula by an artist considered royalty in the hula realm. That night was all the validation I needed as a dancer. When I dance I am transported to a place of pure bliss. My soul cleanses with every beat of the pahu, strum of the ‘ukulele, and every haunting melody chanted. Nothing else matters at that point, my innocence is untarnished. I look at hula today as my escape from daily realities. My way of checking out for a short time, to collect my thoughts, to refine my being.
MAKANA By Jericho Rell In the midst of The Occupy Movement I had the opportunity to meet with the multi talented Slack Key Guitarist Makana after he Performed in Honolulu for the President at the APEC Summit (Asia Pacific Economic Gala). It was at APEC that he revealed a shirt underneath his blazer reading “Occupy With Aloha” and played a protest song called, “We Are The Many.” He gained nationwide attention for his actions at this event. It was a bold movement in a subtle way. His lyrics are of truth and conviction, but his voice is quiet and calm. photo ©Andi Lilikoi Gaspar http://lilikoiphotography.com/
Jericho: When did you begin playing music and who was your teacher? Makana: I began singing at the age of seven, and playing the ʻukelele at nine and the guitar at eleven. I had numerous teachers, but my most famous teacher was Sonny Chillingworth- the master of slack key guitar. Prior to him I also learned from Bobby Moderow who was a protege of Raymond Kane, another legend of the art form. Before them I learned ʻukelele from Roy Sakuma, one of the most renowned teachers in Hawaiʻi. Following all of them I had a teacher named David Langdon who was my guitar teacher and English teacher in high school. Those are my direct teachers, but everyone is my teacher. You have a fearless way of presenting yourself, as far as just letting your voice be heard. It depends on the context. In the context of me singing my truth to the world leaders, I would say people like Andrew Jackson, former presidents, Charles Lindbergh, people who were willing to speak the truth and deal with the consequences, which were often death. People that were facing monumental opposition like that inspire me. Sometimes the most dangerous part about the opposition is it’s hold over public opinion. The opposition is very small, itʻs really a minority that have this monopoly. But they work to affect public opinion so that the masses become their own enemy and their own enforcers of their own slavery. So that’s why you have the term “don’t shoot the messenger.” But, I’m just the messenger, one of many.
What does the word Aloha mean to you? My interpretation of the word Aloha is transcending the self in our thoughts, our actions, and our interactions. It’s coming from a place of mindfulness to those around you, how your actions affect others, a concern for their well being. We don’t live in a vacuum so when we say or do something it has an affect on others. Aloha is acting from a place that is sensitive to that awareness. How does growing up here, in this beautiful place, influence your artistry? It keeps it real [laughing]. I am permeated by a genuine expression of ‘what if.’ Everything I know is from observing nature and when I say nature I mean the natural flow of energy, not manipulated by the mind. I’ve grown up with a value system based on Aloha and a respect for the Kapuna and for people’s rights. General themes of my music have been affected by this. The topics that I write about are things that I feel are valid to people. I write about all kinds of things-there’s no topic that I won’t touch. My music is inspired by a desire to challenge the mythologies that the listener holds and cause a revolution of perception for them internally. So, being here is key because this is a climate where you’re in touch with what’s really important; family and love and nature and health and community. These are the values that drive my art. Are you okay with being recognized as a political artist? Yeah, I’ve always been a political artist. People haven’t been aware because the bulk of my music didn’t have that
theme to it. One of my records, ‘Different Game,’ that came out in 2006 had some heavy, very impassioned political themes. The word political is interesting because people have an emotional colloquial relationship to the definition. It’s basically the workings of society, and individuals are part of a society. So, to have that emotional satisfaction of telling oneself that, ‘I live in a democracy’ and yet have a negative opinion of politics is a contradictory stance. I am observing mass amounts of people become disenfranchised because of greed, monopoly, and fraud in the government and the in economic system, and so why not sing about it? What’s more important right now? It’s to help people to become free. If people think of me and they associate me with this song or whatever I’m good with that. I trust in that process. What is your vision for Hawai‘i? My vision for Hawai’i is for the bulk of the residents here to engage in growing food.That’s my first vision, my primary vision. Second, my vision is for everyone here to engage the host culture and to become immersed in the value system of Aloha, and to act from that value system. Third, I would like new laws that are very strict when it comes to the ‘aina, including zoning laws that protect our agricultural land and natural resources. I think state leadership needs to wake up and realize that Hawai‘i is it’s own world, you can call it part of America but physically it is it’s own world. It needs to be dealt with in a different way than the rest of the states. Those are a few of my visions for Hawai‘i.
The Occupy Song that you played at APEC. You played this for 45 minutes? Well, I changed it up. I played it once very discreetly and my nerves were going crazy. It was hysteria, [lauging] I felt equal parts afraid and sort of a nervous happiness. It was surreal. Then I calmed down and played Hawaiian music for awhile, some slack key instrumentals and then I was asked to play longer. I went into an extended version where I would weave into it and then go into other segues and instrumentals and things then weave back into a verse. If someone gave me a look like back off and play something else, then I would go back into it. Finally for an extended time I kept singing the last line, ‘We are the many you are the few,’ over and over in different voices and different melodies. How did you exit? I just slinked out [jokingly]. Where would you like to go as an artist? My art is here to reveal the truth. My role is to inspire a revolution of perception. I’ve been doing that for years and I will continue to do it. That will never change but, the way I do it will change, evolve, grow. My intention is to be a balancing factor to society. To share the voice that I’ve been given that speaks from a place of love and a place of objective concern for humanity’s well being.
Occupy With Aloha
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. - William James
EVERYBODY. . . LOVES THE HUKILAU
Ocean View Dining Live Music Bar & Lounge z
Food & Wine Tasting Menu 5 Courses & 5 Wines 5:00-5:55 pm 20 Great Wines for $20 Featuring Local Products
Located in Kapa`a (Kaua`i) behind Coconut Marketplace Open Tues-Sun 5-9 pm Reservations recommended 808 822-0600 www.hukilaukauai.com z
Thriving with Aloha
Read Online and Order Magazines at
KauaiPurpleInc.com
Summer 2011
Autumn 2011
Winter 2011