Aunty Elizabeth Lee is one of the Big Island’s treasures. She is known around the world as a master in the art of lauhala weaving. Her spirit is kept alive here in Hawai’i through the aloha she shared with all, and her world-renowned weaving techniques that she passed down to the generations to come.

The World’s Largest Long Distance Canoe Race The Queen Lili’uokalani Canoe Race began in 1972. It filled a simple need for local paddlers. They used the event to train for Hawaii’s most grueling competitions. These include the Na Wahine O Ke Kai (Women) and the Molokai Hoe (Men). Both races cross the difficult channels from Molokai to Oahu. Honoring Hawaii’s …

Professor Moku Kahawai has created a safe place to cultivate leadership skills and martial art techniques in the form of Jiu Jitsu. Students, ages 5 to 65 learn respect, empathy, and resilience inside the doors of the Hawaii Jiu Jitsu Academy.  Whether you want to learn jiu jitsu for defense, competition, or fitness, Hawaii Jiu Jitsu Academy is ready to …

Artist Erika Betty Eberhart of Betty Moon Studios shares her story of how she creates stunning works of art with dried foliage and acrylic. Erika’s process includes carefully gathering and pressing flowers and leaves, cutting and sanding wood pieces, designing and intricately laying her pressed foliage, and then sealing her artwork. Erika expresses when she first started working with plants, …

Waimea’s iconic Waiomina Centennial Boot gets a facelift! After a month-long restoration and redesign, the eight-foot-plus boot stands proudly on its pedestal fronting Waimea Center on Mamalahoa Highway. Embracing the area’s rich paniolo heritage, the Paniolo Preservation Society installed the boot in late 2008 in the wake of the statewide Great Waiomina Centennial Celebration. It commemorated the 100th anniversary of …

In the early morning of April 1, 1946, the Aleutian Islands were hit by an 8.6 earthquake. It generated one of the most destructive Pacific-wide tsunamis ever. At the time, Leonie Kawaihona Laeha Poy was a young girl attending the only school in Laupahoehoe. She was one of the few surviving children of that fateful day. This is her story……

On June 11, 2022, at the Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, we had the honor to interview Leināʻala Fruean and Keenan Chung from the Hawaiʻi Kuauli Pacific & Asian Cultural Festival.  HKPACF is a three-day festival packed with food, fashion, hula, culture, workshops, and fire knife dancing!  During the course of the interview, Keenan gave our host Elias a …

Timeline for this Kilauea Eruption story is from April 25, 2018 to May 15, 2018. As of May 25, 2018, her eruption continues. Since Big Island’s Kilauea Volcano erupted on May 3, 2018, over 18 fissure vents have opened up on the volcano’s East Rift Zone in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions, destroying over 30 structures, many of …

Helping Visitors with the Aloha Spirit The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaiʻi Island (VASH) shares the Aloha spirit with visitors facing adversity. Even though vacations should be happy times, unfortunate events can still happen. Furthermore, when people are far from home, they often lack access to their own support systems and resources. How VASH Assists Travelers Consequently, VASH Hawaiʻi Island …

KTA Super Stores in Waimea is the first supermarket in the state of Hawaii to become Blue Zone approved. The Blue Zones Project is a community-based effort to improve the health and well-being of “where we live, learn, work and play.” The initiative was launched in Hawaii 10 months ago to make healthy choices easier for residents of the state. …