Cover Story

Pulling together

Malama Maunalua
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Malama Maunalua / On a Thursday morning in late February, a group of roughly 50 people are gathered at Kawaikui Beach Park near ‘Aina Haina. Most of them are in their teens–students from Kaiser High School and Niu Valley Middle School–and they’re here for a community service project…. [»Read]


FREE!

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They may call you a penny pincher or even a tightwad but you know who you really are–a recessionista. You hone in on deals, maximize your purchases and cherish anything that doesn’t cost a dime. Fill your calendar with these events and activities that will make you feel… [»Read]


Truth or consequences

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Two decades ago off the Kona coast of the Big Island, Dan McSweeney spotted a pod of 15-foot-long false killer whales jumping high out of the water and doing belly flops, a favorite hunting technique apparently designed to scare or confuse their prey. He sped over in his… [»Read]


Heroes in everyday life

Local Hero awards
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Local Hero awards / Sometimes, there’s just not enough gratitude to go around. When publisher Laurie V. Carlson decided to sponsor our first-ever Local Hero awards, co-sponsored by Kilauea Lodge, she had no idea how hard the selection process would be. “Whittling it down to three winners… [»Read]


The Big Picture

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Hawaii’s sandalwood industry is long gone. Even sugar operations are a distant memory. For now, tourism is the industry in Hawaii. So often we hear about fluctuations in hotel occupancy, rising and falling visitor arrivals and rollercoaster rates of tourist spending,… [»Read]


Dig in!

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While we may not all be master gardeners trained in plant science and horticulture, many home gardeners find growing food to be an addictive hobby that’s sort of a cross between arts and crafts and sports. The fringe benefits are nice–maybe a pretty landscape, some exercise… [»Read]


The new entrepreneurs

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“Small business dominates our economy here,” says Jane Sawyer, the Hawaii district director of the Small Business Administration. Hawaii may be famous for its large number of public employees, but Sawyer says when it comes to the private sector, we go small. Really… [»Read]


Crimes of…what, exactly?

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As the civil unions debate keeps our attention focused on questions of fundamental equality in the erstwhile “Aloha State,” recent reports on hate crimes in Hawaii raise questions about how committed local officials are to applying existing laws designed to protect… [»Read]


Spring Arts 2010

In 2010, it’s all about pop art. Settle down, Andy Warhol, we don’t mean you–this year, we looked around for the media that speak directly to everyday life. From the visual idioms of Mumbai to the epic sagas of Chinese theater to auntie’s lauhala hat and the food… [»Read]


Alphabet of loss

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Remember 2009? Long gone, now. The same is true for the first five days of 2010. They’re over. The moment you started reading this sentence? That’s never coming back either. Transience is the nature of existence, and like it or not, loss is inherent to the experience… [»Read]


Nevermind the Pabsts

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ay back when MTV actually played music, music videos changed the way kids listened. Style and good looks began to trump substance, talent and experience. It’s rumored that Jon Bon Jovi had a contract clause that stated any member of the group would be fired if they became… [»Read]


Amazing

No news may be good news, but good news is definitely worth sharing. Here are a couple of reasons Honolulu has to smile–including the highlights of the year in your own words. [»Read]


Ms. Hirono goes to Washington

Mazie Hirono
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Mazie Hirono / Rep. Mazie Hirono’s office in the Longworth House Office Building is 4,500 miles from most of her district. Add the fact that Hirono seems to be the only politician in Hawaii not running for a new office next year and you have great a recipe for “I wonder what’s… [»Read]


Education

Inside Waianae

Education
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Education / After improvement at the beginning of the decade, some key social indicators show that things are starting to go the other way for Hawaii’s teenagers. Teen pregnancy is on the rise, the state’s teen idle rate–which measures dropouts who aren’t working–is among… [»Read]