Enjoying a crepe at Le Magic Pan

I can’t tell you the full extent of how heavy this day has been for me.  It started out with a change-of-plea hearing for Randal “Randy” Randrup related to the shooting death of his son Hans Christian “Chris” Randrup. You’ll read that story in Wednesday’s edition of the Big Island Weekly.  

I left the courthouse and had some lighter moments —  I wrote my story on deadline at my friend Kim’s house while our babies played together, and I had an absolutely scrumptious mexican-style crepe at Le Magic Pan (64 Keawe St.), a newly discovered restaurant run by Louisa, renowned for her crepes and tamales at the farmer’s markets after she closed down her Peruvian restaurant adjacent to Kalakaua Park seven years ago.  My lunch companion was a woman named Jen from Kailua who runs the Sacred Surf HI, a line of “island inspired” apparel I’m planning to carry at Jeff Hunt Surfboards.  

After that joyful lunch in which I snapped one of the cutest photographs of my daughter delighted with herself after a strawberry and whipped cream filled crepe for dessert (see above), I headed out for the dreaded task of the day.  I drove to Kalapana to find a friend to relay that his brother drowned on Molokai yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »

Clyde "Kindy" Sproat and 2008 winner Jeff Keanaaina. Courtesy Photo.

(Media release) — A grand Holokū Ball highlights a three-day celebration of Hawaii’s Big Island culture at Waikoloa Beach Resort, “the gathering place of the Kohala Coast,” Sept. 4-6, 2009.  Hawaiian Cultural Weekend celebrates our unique history, music and cuisine with creative, “only-in-Hawaii” events designed to delight audiences of all ages.

New this year, the Holokū Ball 2009 is an opulent dinner-dance on Saturday, Sept. 5 with entertainment by Na Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner Weldon Kekauoha.  The holokū is a long, flowing mu‘uumu‘u, usually with a train.  Fashioned after missionary-style “Mother Hubbard” dresses in the 19^th Century, Hawaii’s elegant version is most often made of colorful prints and beautiful tropical fabrics.  Guests are invited to dress in their finest aloha attire and enjoy dining and dancing fit for royalty. Tickets are $75 per person for dinner and dancing, and proceeds directly benefit the Waikoloa Foundation.  Please call (808) 886-8822.

The Hawaiian Cultural Weekend begins Friday, Sept. 4, with the Ms. Aloha Nui Gala in the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Naupaka Ballroom. The usually sold-out pageant is an audience favorite where big, beautiful Big Island wahine (200+ lbs) take the stage and exemplify “Aloha Spirit” with graciousness, beauty and talent. Read the rest of this entry »

(Left to right) Pamela Lipscomb demonstrates kapa beating; Rob McGovern sprays native plants for sale; Loke Kamanu shows a finished ti leaf lei. Images Courtesy of Volcano Art Center

(Media release) — Learn about Volcano area forests and Hawaiian cultural connections at a one-day open house set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.

The free event at the Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village will feature a native plant sale, hula and music performances and educational displays. Cultural practitioners and educators will present a variety of hands-on activities, including lei and kapa making, printing with plants and forest songs.

Guides will lead the informative “Niaulani Nature Walk” every hour on the hour.  Call (808) 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org for more information.

Akiko's Buddhist Bed And Breakfast in Hakalau

(Media release) — A cool evening of stories and jazz as performed by two local Filipino women who grew up on plantations in Hawaii is planned for 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. They tell about their plantation roots and transition to modern urban life where they became musicians. Sure to delight and entertain, the event is to be held at Akiko’s Buddhist Bed and Breakfast in Hakalau, at the 15-mile marker of Highway 19 along the Hamakua Coast. For more information, call (808) 963-6422 or e-mail msakiko@hawaii.rr.com.

(Media release) — A Yoga Wall Intensive for $375 will take place from Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 through Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. 

 This intensive gives in-depth training on how to use the Great Yoga Wall (TM) system in your own practice as well as in the classroom.  It is appropriate for both teacher and students at any experience level. The workshop size is limited to provide individual attention. 

Meanwhile, Liberation of the Soul From The Cycles of Samskara: Pranayama, Philosophy & Asana is Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 and Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. The cost is $125.

Bryan Legere, who will lead the workshop and classes, has been a student of yoga since 1979 and teacher since 1984. teacher He is a certified intermediate Iyengar Yoga instructor and director of the Ventura Yoga Studio.  He has studied in India numerous times with the Iyengars, and he has been an Iyengar Yoga National Association certification assessor since 1994. Read the rest of this entry »

By Curtis Narimatsu

James “Kimo” Henderson married Lydia [after Queen Lili'u] Macy, of the Hawai’i branch of the NYC Macy family [Hawai'i Wessel ohana is same family — owns the bldg. where Cronies Restaurant is].  

James Kimo Henderson

Of course, Lydia Lei was of Hawaiian ethnicity, whose sister married our biggest banker Harold Patten, whose mansion still stands in Pu’u'eo [BJ Penn's parents' home].   James Kimo’s mansion in Pi’ihonua is ready to fall down, whose termites are tired holding hands.  Kimo is Hilo’s second biggest philanthropist, after fellow Scotman Charles C. Kennedy.  Central Hilo, where Kimo’s sugar mill stood [Central fire station], is graced with Kimo’s beneficence [Lincoln Park org/etc.].  Just as Kimo led Helco [where Farmers Exchange stood] in Central Hilo’s Kino’ole St. area, CC Kennedy [& widow Laura Vestal Kennedy] primed up the rest of Hilo.  Imagine, two Scotmen as Hilo’s greatest philanthropists!!   Read the rest of this entry »

Tom Lackey offers us the cartoon above as a political commentary about Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole’s proposal to purchase the Steam Vents parcel off Highway 130 near Kalapana. On his website below the cartoon, Lackey writes, “Auntie wants to spend money on a piece of property that could vanish in a flash. Many are against this but the county will vote it in to give the Pahoa people something we don’t need. While the rest of the county gets big bucks, go figure this one,” he said, referring to federal stimulus funds being spent on the island.

Hawaii Island Festival’s month-long celebration of Hawaiian culture and tradition at various venues around Hawaii Island commenced Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 with an investiture of the Royal Court at Puu Honua o Honaunau.

The Miss Aloha Nui Pagaent will take place at 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Hotel, followed by a poke contest at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 and a Kindy Sproat Falsetto Contest on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 at the Waikoloa Marriot.  

At 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, 2009, a Hula Palua will take place at Keauhou Beach Resort Hotel.  At 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, a Kupuna Hula Festival will take place at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa.  

At 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, there will be a paniolo parade and, at 11 a.m., a ho’olaule’a, in Waimea town.

At 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, the Queen Liliuokalani Festival will take place at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo.

 For more information about Hawaii Island Festivals events, visit www.hawaiiislandfestival.org.

"The Challenge." Copyright © 1975, Herb Kawainui Kane, all rights reserved

By  Herb Kawainui Kane

The film, VOYAGERS, The First Hawaiians, is an adaptation of a book published in 1976 in response to questions raised by our (Polynesian Voyaging Society) proposal to make a round trip sailing canoe voyage to the South Pacific. Long out of print, this book has now become a movie with narration, music, sound and many more illustrations, and published as a 62 minute DVD — possibly the first feature-length production done entirely by two artists. I did the writing and illustrations and my very talented associate, Paul Csige, did everything else: editing, directing, sound and music composition, and computer graphics that stretch the state of the art to create the illusion of movement. So here I am at 81 trying to keep up with a dynamo in his late twenties. More about how it was done is in the “special features.” 

The painting is in a private collection.  For more about VOYAGERS, The First Hawaiians, visit http://www.voyagersthemovie.com.

(Herb Kawainui Kane, of South Kona, a Living Treasure of Hawaii, is an artist, author, and historian whose interest is in Hawaii and the South Pacific and who, among other things, was the general designer and builder of the sailing canoe Hokule’a and served as its first captain. To see more of his work, visit  www.herbkanestudio.com)

Hans Christian "Chris" Randrup was fatally shot eight times and thrown over the sea cliffs fronting MacKenzie State Park in December 2009. His father is accused of second-degree murder and other felony charges in the case. The prosecutor has confirmed Randal "Randy" Randrup will plead to a lesser charge of manslaughter at 8 a.m., tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, in Third Circuit Court before Judge Glenn S. Hara, in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of two years in jail with credit for time served and ten years of probation.

Hi Tiffany,

First I’d like to thank you for all that you have done for us… this letter has taken some time to get together, but here it is. I thought you would like to read it first …

Aly and I heard there was a court date for a change of plea two and a half weeks ago. Eleven days ago we had our third maybe fourth conference call and were told this deal had been made. We were stunned — this couldn’t be real — Only two years — with time served, he’ll serve maybe another 14 months. Chris will only be gone two years.  

WHAT has happened here? We never expected this, especially since it hasn’t even been 9 months since he chose to brutally kill my beautiful boy. Nine months — long enough to have carried and given birth to Chris — now nine months is all it takes to give Chris the shaft one more time. That’s very unfair. This ridiculous, disrespectful sentence is WRONG.

How can such a sentence really be taken seriously… he shot him eight times — now that is seriously intending some harm, it seems to me — not self-defense, he was able to undress Chris… in his early stages of death…he was then able to get Chris in his truck… and Chris, not a small man, so it would have taken some effort… he drove my boy to MacKenzie…where he knew Chris and I spent time on my visit five weeks before… he knew … he threw Chris over those cliffs naked in a blanket of mine… intending for the ocean Chris so loved to take him… leaving us to forever wonder… he was able to clean up the murder scene… then, thinking his tracks had been covered he took all that incriminating evidence to the Kea’au dump… there he told a friend from Leilani he was off to Hilo… he seemed happy… I’m sure he was… he was not off to Hilo, but to Kona to camp… thinking Chris had been taken out to sea….. But the Big Island he loved so held him close until he could be found… even when he chose to run his van into that rock wall… his intention was for us not to find Chris and that “us” included his daughter… how he could destroy her world with no explanation even as he tried to end his miserable life he was only thinking of himself… there was no note that I know of… they had just been together on Kauai — he had just held his first grandchild… they both did and now neither will again in this life. Read the rest of this entry »

(Media release) — Mark your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, when Hawai`i Community College and Grassroots Community Development present a unique, once-in-a-lifetime, multi-faceted Dance/Music/Multimedia event called “Creative Fire!” at the UHH Performing Arts Center.

The event is a fundraiser for the Kea`au Youth Business Center (KYBC) and Middle College program. Creative Fire! celebrates 30 years of art development on the Big Island and is an investment in the next 30 years of youth talent here.

            The fundraiser will start at 5:30 p.m. with an auction hosted by imitable TrashArt guru, Ira Ono. Some of the donating artists include Linus Chao, Hank Bianchini, Tomas Belsky, Ken Charon, Kay Yokoyama, Arthur Johnsen, Pam Barton and Bill McKnight.  There will be both large and small art items, fit for any size pocketbook.

Preview sampling of both live and silent auction items are available on the www.kybc808.com website.  Read the rest of this entry »

By Megan Magdalene

A meeting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Kona last night, Aug. 26, 2009, brought out concerned citizens who testified before the Commission. Testimony from the public will be heard tonight, Aug. 27, 2009, at the Hilo High School Cafeteria from 6-8 p.m.

If it isn’t YOUR business what goes on our mountain top, then whose is it? Consider coming to Hilo’s meeting to testify tonight!  Mahalo to the excellent work of Big Island Live who will be streaming a live broadcast of the Hilo meeting. To listen in to live streaming audio broadcast from 6pm please go here: http://www.bigislandlive.com/

Written testimony can still be submitted via email at OPA.Resource@nrc.gov to request that the NRC investigate further community concerns regarding the licensing process for nuclear waste on Pohakuloa. Also, call NRC at (301) 415-8200 to air concerns.

“Nobody likes being on a bummer” was the explanation someone gave for the the small but lively meeting between the public and a panel of NRC employees, to discuss the unsavory subject of nuclear waste on the base of Pohakuloa. She was referring of course, to contrast between this meeting and the the much more well-attended meeting earlier this week concerning the closure of the Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii Authority (NELHA).

Clearly, it seems that it is easier to get 400 to 500 people out about “beach access,” with various council members, former council members and politicians showing up to be “champions” of this cause.  It seems that it is harder for citizens to face up to the now well-established fact of nuclear contamination on the island. Read the rest of this entry »

(A version of this story appeared in this week’s edition of the Big Island Weekly.)

Randal “Randy” Randrup is expected to plead guilty to manslaughter this week for the shooting death of his son, Hans Christian “Chris” Randrup, in exchange for the prosecution’s recommendation that he serve two years in jail — with credit for time served — and 10 years on probation.

Sylvester “Bud” Blackwood, Chris Randrup’s maternal grandfather, is appealing to the public to convince the Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office not to go ahead with the plea deal at the hearing scheduled for 8 a.m., Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 in the Third Circuit Court.

“I couldn’t keep quiet anymore,” the 80-year-old Blackwood said from his Cardiff By The Sea, Calif., home on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, two days after hearing about the agreement the prosecution made with Randy Randrup.

Prosecutor Jay Kimura confirmed on Sunday that a plea agreement had been reached, saying, “There really is not much I can say.  It’s an unfortunate situation, where the father was responsible for shooting his son. But our decision was based on the admissible evidence at the time of the decision.”  Read the rest of this entry »