(Editor’s Note: Curtis Narimatsu is a lifelong resident of Hilo who writes about the forgotten past such as the old plantation days & untold heroes.)
Homelani Cemetery Originally For Haoles
Homelani Japanese Memorial
Homelani Cemetery was founded as Halai Hill cemetery by our First Foreign [haole] Church where today’s downtown Sack N Save is in 1871. Ironically, as our need for cemetery plots grew, our Nippon/Issei immigrants became Homelani’s major expansion bldg. contractors [Kametaro Fujimoto founder of HPM Bldg. Supply][Hisato Isemoto, founder of Isemoto Contracting]. Luso/Portuguese Manuel Gomes became Homelani’s greatest caretaker, serving over a quarter century a century ago. Eventually Homelani became chop suey in ethnicity, w/Haw’n burials [Haili Church]/Nippon burials [Hongwanji Church]/Chinese burials [Chinese Community Church]/Portuguese burials [Portuguese Christian Church]/Filipino burials [Filipino Congregational Church in Papa'ikou]/Korean burials [Korean Christian Church]/etc. Kametaro Fujimoto’s construction of Homelani’s crematory in 1925 resulted in Homelani’s 1st cremation in 1926, that of a Nippon traffic accident victim.
Theaters In 1931
Uniformity in theater genesis, 1931, after “talkies” took off/became popularized. Thankfully, intrepid jock Wayne Subica [I tire of his sports questions 
] looks into Doc Hill’s theater acquisitions, into Pete Beamer’s slumlord antics, into Koehnen’s standing clock [Wayne postulates that Koehnen's clock face is on today's Waiakea memorial clock across from today's Coqui Restaurant formerly KK Tei, in that both clocks came from same source but different design]. Great research/finds, Wayne!! Of course, our theater buff Bob Alder is king of theater history!! May I add that original Mo`oheau theater was in Quong Sing warehouse across Furneaux Lane on makai side of Kam Ave, whole block pulverized by 1946 tsunami, that after Mamo St. godfather Sanji Abe [1st godfather/oyabun was Okamoto aka sumo king Koizumi, who built both Yamatoza theater later sold to Sanji Abe & Yura-Kwan (pleasure to the masses) theater 1918 later remodeled as Mamo theater] was interned 12/7/41, Yamatoza theater changed its name to Mooheau Theater. — Curt
William H. Reed
Nihon Restaurant
The Doc Hill Of His Era, William H. Reed had his boat landing where the Isles landing is today by the Nihon Restaurant across Lili’uokalani Park. Reed’s Bay by Ice Pond also is named after him, as is Reed’s Island [surrounded by the Wailuku/Waikapu streams], which Reed bought in 1861 for $200 [pasture land]. Reed married Shipman, leaving no kids except her son who inherited Reed’s Island. — Curt
Onekahakaha Beach Park
Keokea, meaning white sand, is Onekahakaha Beach Park that was started by pharmacy owner Tomozo Machida a century ago. When Machida died in Japan in 1919, his family retained a government lease on the property & it came to be known as Little Tokyo’s hideaway for its large number of buddahead beach enthusiasts. By 1931 Machida’s heirs gave up their lease, & our Territory then transferred 20 acres here to our County for use as a public park. But it still remained the favorite beach for buddaheads, & in 1934 the 1st beach house was dedicated on Hirohito’s birthday by County Chairman Sam Spencer & Nippon Ass’n head Kango Kawasaki [who was sadly interned WWII, a loyal American but unable to be naturalized because INS didn't allow Nippons to be citizens until after 1952]. Of course, this & later beach houses were gifted to our County by our buddaheads. — Curt
Kawananakoa Hall
old gym
The old hall was named for Abigail Kawananakoa, DHHL commish for Big Island, & built by O’ahu’s George S. Freitas in 1938 where today’s old sewage treatment plant is by Puhi Bay. The 1946 tsunami deposited the hall directly on Kalaniana’ole Ave. The old hall was dismantled & rebuilt where today’s Keaukaha park/school are. The same structure [later enlarged for gym use] was torn down 8 yrs. ago & today’s new gym replaces it. — Curt
Honaunau City Of Refuge
It was none other than new County Chairman Jimmy Kealoha in 1949 who approached Bishop Museum to get land title deeded to Hawai’i County for park use. At that time the Federal Dept. of the Interior via HVNP wanted to include the City of Refuge as a historic shrine/landmark if the Territory of Hawai’i acquired the land & donated it to the Dept. of the Interior. Asst. chief of the National Parks Service Tolson tellingly intoned to our Hilo Rotary Club later in 1949 that from an economic standpoint, preservation of sacred sites no doubt will boost the tourist trade to be our No. 1 industry [behind Ag industry & military spending back then]. After much discussion, Bishop Estate gave the City of Refuge to our Territory a decade later in 1959, at the cusp of Statehood, & our Territory in turn gave it to the Federal Government. If anything, it was Dept. of Interior proponent/Hawai’i Delegate to Congress Joe Farrington’s untimely death [heart attack] in June 1954 that martyred his crusade to get our City of Refuge sacred/Federal recognition, on top of Joe’s death resulting in the demise of our GOP & the ascension of Asian bloodline turks Dan Inouye & Spark Matsunaga. Later Trib local folklore columnist Russ Apple was the 1st City of Refuge resident superintendent. Today our City of Refuge tops our local tourist destination. But it was Kanaka Jimmy Kealoha who got the ball rolling for government acquisition of our City of Refuge. — Curt
Our First Hilo Hospital
Our first Hilo Hospital opened in 1897 at today’s DOE annex detached bldgs. below our Hilo High School track on Waianuenue Ave. The arc entryway also is the original entrance. Its Queen Victoria Annex [Davies/HonIron were British] in honor of her Diamond Jubilee was exclusively for haoles, not anyone else. Our Bd. of Health governed it, & just then our typhoid epidemic broke out, including the First New York Volunteers returning from the Philippines. To haoles, the twist was that the Victoria Annex was occupied by U.S. soldiers [England's former colony-revolutionaries], & the first patient to die
Memorial Hospital
at Victoria’s new Annex was a U.S. soldier, in 1898, of typhoid fever. The Memorial Hospital below Rainbow Falls opened in 1925, & the old hospital was converted to today’s DOE bldgs. The Memorial Hospital did not have a TB unit, so our original TB home was at Pu’u Maile crest in 1912 mauka of the old Quarantine Station [today's Tree Nursery Kilauea/Kawili Sts.] funded by England’s WWI enemy Germany’s Hackfeld, which then moved to King’s Landing at the end of Keaukaha in 1939, then to the former Hilo Hospital above Rainbow Falls built in 1951, originally our TB Hospital, [WHICH] then incorporated our old Memorial Hospital functions in 1961. The old Memorial Hospital then converted into Peace Corps/Job Corps centers, & is today’s Hawaii Island Adult Care day center inspired by indomitable Baptist preacher Richard Uejo & his loyal staff like Betty Nagao. The Hilo Hospital above Rainbow Falls, irreparably damaged by our 1983 earthquake [though by 1982 monies were earmarked for a new hospital], gave way to our current Hilo Medical Center in 1985. Our Veterans Home was built 2 years ago where the former Hilo Hospital stood. — Curt
Wainaku Sugar Camp 2
Wainaku Sugar Camp 2 [Nikai for 2nd camp] photo favorite for tourists late 1800s Nikai Japanese camp was at the base of Ma’ili stream adjacent to today’s Wainaku Camp 2 ballpark. It was made up of thatched leaf dwellings & a photo favorite for tourists. It was established in 1885, just after Hilo [Wainaku] Sugar Co. was incorporated. A massive fire started by charcoal sparks wiped out this quaint rural scene in 1895. Douglas Fir was imported to rebuild this village as post/pier dwellings. The rural charm of this former primitive enclave is a real sore spot for us buddaheads, who were subjected to such indignities/deprivation. My dad’s parents immigrated from Kumamoto Japan to this very spot. — Love, Curt
Shipman Ranch
Shipman Ranch offices were where today’s Ag Dept. loan office is on Kilauea/Lanikaula Sts. Shipman gave up its lease back to the Territory in 1920, after which today’s current houselots district was started. Shipman still retained Pu’u O’o Ranch on the slopes of Mauna Kea [ranch road is at 23 mile marker on Saddle Rd./Saddle pass - Humu'ula Sheep Station is at 28 mile marker]. — Curt
May 19th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Mahalo Curtis!
May 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Wow, thank you to terrific editor Tiffany Edwards Hunt for her great photo accompaniments!! The Memorial Hospital photo is of the old ancillary staff [out-of-State nurses/etc.] bldg. complex mauka of our current Hilo Medical Center, as part of the old Memorial Hospital functions that were merged in 1961 into the 1951 TB hospital. Our Pu’u Maile TB home also was situated east of where our old NAS complex was in the old airport area after both our 1946 tsunami & 1947 storm waves damaged our utility connections at our Keaukaha Pu’u Maile Hospital 1939-1947. Thence our old NAS area also included our Pu’u Maile TB home 1946-1951. If you wonder why “Japtown” Machida lane/Onekahakaha & our Nakagawa complex at “4 miles” are in the heart of Keaukaha, these sites PRECEDE our 1921 Hawaiian Homes Act. At “4 miles” on the makai side of the old shore road where the old rock wall juts out into the cove, former Demosthenes Cafe [George Lycurgus' brother, who moved back to Greece][where today's Lycurgus bldg. is mauka of Koehnen bldg. area] workers Soper Nishimoto/Tom Asayama opened their Seaside Club in 1915, which was sold to Harry Nakagawa in 1926, which was totally destroyed by the 1946 tsunami [Dickie Furtado had restaurant operation there in 1946]. The Nakagawas then relocated across the street to today’s current Seaside Restaurant site. –Curt
May 19th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Thank you, Harley Charlie, for your kindness! The best promontory to see the beauty of Hilo & its majestic bay is not at Homelani Cemetery [where angels gather] but at Ha’aheo School in Wainaku. Understandably, Ha’aheo is for Kamehameha the Great’s declaration to his maka’ainana [commoners/field workers] that where today Ha’aheo School stands is where Kamehameha the Great took greatest pride [ha'aheo] in their taro plantings done in a single day! Mahalo, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Retired Baptist minister Richard Uejo born 1925, born/raised on Kaua’i with classmate/Filipino leader Domingo Los Banos, resides with his lovely wife Sue at our Hilo Veterans Home below Hilo Medical Center. Richard is a WWII Army veteran, & volunteered his time from 1961 to 2008 [47 yrs.] as chaplain at KMC in Volcano. So when I’m asked why Richard is at Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home, I say this is America’s way of saying arigato to Richard for Richard’s nearly 50 yrs. of manuahi/volunteer service to our men/women in uniform up at Volcano’s KMC. Yes, Richard never received a dime for such devotion to our Nation, wear/tear on his beat up old jalopy/gas money notwithstanding. Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Yes, 442 Purple Heart veteran Hoxie Nagami used to be wheeled all around Hilo town via wheelchair by his gang of bruddahs, including what really were 2 Medal of Honor fellas in acknowledged quiet hero Yukio Okutsu [Veterans Home named after him] & fellow F Co. great soldier Wataru Kohashi born 1922. Did I tell you what sent chills up the hospital nurses’ spines the nite Hoxie died 9 yrs. ago? Hoxie had been bed-ridden for a number of yrs. & unable to speak because of strokes. Then in the dead of the nite the nurses hear Hoxie scream, “Wataru, Wataru, come get me, come get me!!” You see, bloodied/wounded Hoxie was dying in the foxhole 55 yrs. before, & he called out for his childhood pal F Co. Wataru, “Wataru, Wataru, come get me, come get me!!” Wataru did save Hoxie from certain death [lost lots of blood]. The hospital called Wataru in the dead of nite to “come get Hoxie,” but Hoxie had passed on to our Great Father in the SKY just before Wataru got to the hospital. For a man Hoxie who was “terminally mute” for yrs., out of nowhere to scream for his bosom band of brothers, namely Wataru, inspires staffers till this day about the power of Love. –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Richard Uejo born 1925 U.S. Army 1944, marches in formation at boot camp. The drill sgt. shouts cadence as the buck privates respond in return. F words/epithets mount the rhythm/mood of the march, via staccato timbre. After the march is over, the huge drill sgt. comes over to stoic/tiny Richard & asks him, “Private, what’s your problem? I don’t see you shouting with enthusiasm when we march. Hell, I don’t see you even opening your mouth when we march! What’s your problem?!” Richard looks squarely but sincerely at his much older drill sgt. & chafes, “Drill Sgt., I don’t have to use profanity to be a good soldier, don’t I??!!” Drill sgt. looked quickly at Richard’s eyes, swivelled 180 degrees, & walked away quickly. Richard then thought, “Oh my goodness, now I’ve gone & done it [gotten myself written up/reprimanded]!!” Amazingly, nothing happened — until just when boot camp ended, the base chaplain paid a visit to Richard’s bunk/locker, where the base chaplain slowly asked Richard, “Son, our Chaplains Corps are looking for a few good men who will do our Corps proud. Your Sgt. told me you’re what we need. I ask you to join us today. Shall I escort you to our quarters? The war [WWII] has taken the best of our men & we need young men like you to continue our mission [comfort the soldiers].” Richard was dumb-founded, then respectfully told the base chaplain, “Sir, I thank you for the honor of your asking me to join your Corps. But I ask to decline, because I promised my parents that I would be a fine soldier, an infantryman, not a chaplain’s aide. Thank you, but I’ll remember your honored request till the day I die!” Chappie nodded, thanked Richard for Richard’s brief time with Chappie, & welcomed Richard into the Chaplains Corps at any time in the future. Yes, to answer your query, this brief interlude inspired Richard into the later ministry, where he served with great sensitivity, indulgence, & leadership, till his legs no longer held up, thence his residence at fittingly named Okutsu Veterans Home. Why? Yuki Okutsu/Pastor Uejo are former Kaua’i boys!! Oh, one more thing — Richard keeps talking about the wonderful chaplain who paid a visit to see Richard at Richard’s barrack bunk/locker. I pointedly told Richard, “A, brah, the hero is your drill sgt., NOT the base chaplain! Your drill sgt. had the immense foresight and wisdom to see your strengths. Instead of getting ticked off by you, this great great drill sgt. saw the big picture, & figured that a fearless hombre like you is what our boys on the front lines needed. This ole’ drill sgt. probably went thru hell of war & saw you for who you are — fearless by Faith, brah’. Yeah, you talkin’ about the wrong guy. Give all the credit in the world to the drill sgt. who didn’t smack you one at that time!” Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 10:30 am
A couple of corrections concerning the Shipman information. William H Reed married Jane Shipman, widow of the missionary, William C. Shipman. He was a widower himself with no children. Jane Shipman Reed had three children from William Shipman: William H. (Willy) Shipman, Oliver Shipman, Claire Shipman. Their detailed history is contained in the book “The Shipmans of East Hawaii” written by historian Emmit Cahil.
The early Shipman office and meat market (predecessor to Hilo Meat – Miko) was on the corner of Shipman Street and Kamehameha Ave. below what is now the Armory. W. H. Shipman, Limited ran Pu’u o’o ranch and Pu’akla ranch on Mauna Kea as well as Kea’au ranch that ran from the ocean to the Volcano. The current Volcano Golf Club was originally a part of the Shipman Ranch. Son-in-law Roy C. Blackshear (father of Roy S. Blackshear and Beryl Blackshear Walter) wanted to play golf when visiting the ranch so he sank tomato cans in the pasture to act as the various holes.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:48 am
How did we end up with 2 non-contiguous Hilo veterans cemeteries, Nos. 1 & 2??! The good side: Credit 442 Rusty Kamimura’s gang for getting the ball rolling to have a first class veterans cemetery No. 1. Contractors Norman Koshiyama/SK Oda & CC Kennedy’s widow Laura Vestal Kennedy really were on the ball for our 442 boys overall [incl. our AJA hall off Haihai St.], & they deserve plaudits galore!! Anyway, Rusty’s gang wanted to expand our cemetery no. 1 [Homelani memorial park area] due north in the Hamakua direction. But our own insider 442’s John Ushijima had other ideas [re: surrounding landowners] & quashed extending our cemetery no. 1 due north. So after yrs. of advocacy to expand our veterans cemetery, Rusty’s gang finally got cemetery no. 2 [above today's Boys/Girls Club site], disjointedly in reality a half mile away from cemetery no. 1. So come Veterans Day/Memorial Day, what you gonna’ do? Criss cross by car for ceremonies?? Access roads are on opposite sides of this land district, not confluent/the same. Yikes!! Love, -Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Correction for Emmett Cahill/Bill Walter: Cahill’s book is not the definitive history on Shipman. Shipman had a lot more on the ball than Cahill gives the family credit for. Bill Walter is not a historian, but a family businessman. Ever since Papa Herbert Shipman died over 3 decades ago, Shipman’s operation has gone from aloha to cost-benefit bottom line. The times, they are a changin’. You haven’t seen the whole story of the immense jesus incarnate Shipman ohana. Incredible altruists. Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 11:41 am
May I add that when our Territory was looking to develop/expand what are today known as our Waiakea Houselots, the Shipmans graciously [but also pragmatically] worked with our officials to ensure plentiful/affordable grassroot home ownership that our Territory had envisioned. Bill Walter is not aware of this. And our Kona beneficence from our Shipman ohana? Extraordinary. Again, Bill Walter, family executive, is not aware of Martin Pence’s enablement via the Shipmans to ensure quality life for everyone, both high & low. I knew Emmett Cahill like the back of my hand. Emmett was not the “historian” that Bill Walter pumps him up to be. I’m not jealous, just giving Bill Walter another vantage point/opinion on the exceptional Social Gospel of the Shipmans. Bill Walter is not from that epoch. Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Curtis, interesting opinions. Note, by the way, that there was no “Papa Herbert.” Herbert was the youngest of 10 children born to Willy and Mary Shipman. A bachelor he did not produce off spring. As to the Aloha Spirit/Social Gospel we continue with heavy involvement in both time and resources in the community. As in the past the great majority of what we do is done quietly. Like any business there needs to be a focus on profitability or it all goes away.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
May I share with you Providential Herbert Shipman? Our Puna Hongwanji gang always paid homage to Herb’s family ancestral graves. When Rich Imai born 1910 on behalf of Puna Hongwanji asked Herb for Hongwanji to purchase Shipman land that Hongwanji church stood on, Papa Herbert told Rich, “Son, you’re like family to me. I never forgot how you pay respect to my family. I’ve let your church rent our property almost for free. For good reason. You treat my family with great honor. So I’ll sell you the property for dollar and love, okay?” Yikes!! Bill Walter would cringe at this “give-away.” Today’s world is so different from Papa Herbert’s world. My greatest/most loving uncle is Solomon Kauinui, Papa Herbert’s ranchhand, full Hawaiian from Kona [nicknamed Uncle "Kona"], who eloped with my Dad’s baby sister Chiyoko, & made a storybook settling down w/wife Chiyoko & cadre of kids at Haena. So it’s not like I don’t know Bill Walter, or over-hyped Emmett Cahill, for that matter. Bill’s a good man, but he’s no Herbert Shipman. Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Bill, get this thru your literalist sieve, Papa Herbert Shipmon is the man I or anyone else chooses him to be characterized as.
love, Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Do you know that solon/altruist OT Shipman, Papa Herb’s uncle, was our GENESIS Democrat?? Yes, David Kawananakoa presciently wanted a win-win result by having brother Kuhio go GOP & David go Democrat, so that no matter which side won, a Hawaiian would be elected. Unlike Wilcox anomaly Home Rule Party, that had no link to a broader base such as Stateside Dems/GOP, on this island OT Shipman had the foresight/vision to do right in this fleeting life, instead of doing the expedient/convenient [such as joining Shipman's putative Oligarch GOP]. I know that today’s Shipman outfit w/its family leaders Bill Walter/Tom English has this Israeli-like garrison mentality because Lili’u overthrower Thurston married Shipman. But first, Lili’u was the most divisive & selfish head of state — she provoked such violent reaction, though cooler leaders like Maui’s Baldwin tried to allay Thurston’s lightning rod behavior, to no avail [Thurston himself was a hot-headed punk like Lili'u]. This publicized mess in yesterday’s Star-Bulletin that you see between Lili’u/Kuhio tells you that to both of these ingrates, money is god. Second, Thurston himself had enormous good qualities — he’s our greatest conservationist [today's HVNP is another name for beneficent Thurston] & our greatest leader who balanced economic progress with ecological conservation. Don’t buy revisionists/separatists who give you black and white. We’re all sinners living in gray. Problem w/Bill Walter’s outfit is that it’s so paranoid about Thurston vs. separatists, it exacerbates the ignorance among us everyday folks. Bill Walter is a nice local boy, born/raised in laid-back Hilo, not an outside haole who doesn’t know any better about us everyday folks. Point is that above & beyond “commissioned” Cahill’s propaganda piece about TODAY’s Shipman outfit, Cahill was completely clueless that OT/Herb & ancestors were our GREATEST altruists, not simply caring, but THE MOST CARING!! As in to the ‘-NTH DEGREE. Love, –Curt
May 20th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Bill Walter, you gotta’ drop your guard, because the real you is a better person than the concocted one via Cahill’s propaganda. Your Mom Beryl the sweetest person in the world, your dad a stand-up great guy. You were such a loving/caring boy. Where have you gone? I shouldn’t ask. You’ve always been a compassionate Shipman inside. I just haven’t seen it outside here in the past 35 yrs. That’s half our lifetimes [if we live that long], brah’. Love, –Curt
May 21st, 2009 at 7:30 am
[...] with some frequency and available. We can hitchhike, too, buy using items by others, such as Curtis Narimatsu’s piece last weekend on Doc Hill, former publisher of Hawaii Tribune-Herald (before Reynolds acquired it from Chin [...]
May 21st, 2009 at 9:15 am
May I share with you the point about not judging a book by its cover? Afghanistan combat veteran/paratrooper Isaac Nahakuelua born 1981, tells Aunty Patience Namaka Bacon that Isaac is part Japanese [Hirowatari from Laupahoehoe], though the Japanese side shunned the Hawaiian side of its family ["out of race"], when Isaac painted in oil on canvas a portrait inspired by Patience Namaka Bacon. She tells Isaac that she is Japanese ethnicity [orphaned because her parents died in influenza epidemic, Pat born 1920]. She was adopted by Mary Kawena Pukui & knows nothing about her biological ethnic roots. So one day she gets asked to speak to Japanese-speaking visitors. She doesn’t know Japanese!! Pat is among our greatest Hawaiian cultural treasures, as is her deceased adopted mother Mary Kawena Pukui, aka Mary Wiggin [yes, hapa-haole]. Never judge a book by its cover. Oh, one final quip. I first met Isaac at the former Ishigo bakery. Isaac is the handsomest Haw’n you’ll ever see. Girls go nuts over him. Anyway, I see him garrison mentality/guard up talking about Hawaiian sovereignty at this quaint roadside cafe now owned by the Edmoundsons. I tell myself, this bugga get balls. I wasn’t into his topic, I was looking at who he is inside. So I tell him separatists ain’t gonna force me off the ‘aina that is my only home I ever knew. Well, he gave me the 3rd degree look, I laughed, & we’ve been friends ever since!! Love, –Curt
May 21st, 2009 at 11:15 am
Diversity of views?? Two names come to mind. Jerryl Mauhili has a nimble/engaging mind & always is instructive by example. I especially focus on Jerryl’s sum-up of his entrepreneurship, & on his maturity via his own sense of mortality/biological clock. Barbara Hale [not Helene Hale, but as in Isaac Hale Park, Isaac her deceased/KIA brother-in-law] is a walking encyclopedia who’s put it [knowledge] all together into a cohesive whole. Never mind the so-called bad press she got vs. her former boss Emily Naeole. I like Barbara’s holistic attitude in life — for example, yes, our Congregational missionaries set foot in the Hawaiian Islands a year AFTER Kuhina Nui Ka’ahumanu abolished ancient Kapu, but our missionaries should’ve reciprocated with our Hawaiian people instead of hoarding/being Scrooge in a twisted sense of personal salvation with God. Congregational frugality to the -NTH degree!! Love, –Curt
May 21st, 2009 at 11:32 am
And before you prejudge the person, may I add that our own Gabby Pahinui was dismissed as the loud drunk by our own older ethnic Hawaiian neighbors!! Backyard jammin’ didn’t have unanimous approval among Hawaiian folks. And Bruddah’ Iz?? As no greater authority than Genoa Keawe intoned, Iz was destructive before older bruddah’ Skippy died. But Skippy’s death transformed Iz to love one, love all, as Iz felt Skippy would have it. Love, –Curt
May 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
We, society’s teeming masses, need to have John Burnett ["JB"] tell us Bruddah’ Iz swan song to Iz’ Big Island devotees just before Iz died. No, swan song meaning a call-in farewell from Iz directly to JB, whom Iz loved dearly, who at that time was our ubiquitous radio DJ. Heartstopper. Do you know that Iz is part-japanee? That our loving/tender Lyman Museum archivist Lynn Elia is part-japanee?? Never judge a book by its cover. Love, -Curt
September 27th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
He has ripped off so many people on the big island and I am one of many.You pay him for your divorce and he never calls back.The news paper said 24 people got taken by him but it is really nuch higher,
September 27th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
The Hawaii Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended Hilo lawyer Curtis Narimatsu.
The court ruled in favor of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, finding that Narimatsu “may have violated the Hawaii Rules of Professional Conduct and poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public.”
The ODC said in its petition that it had received 26 complaints against Narimatsu in the last two years, including 14 complaints this year. The ODC said that Narimatsu agreed to represent clients, accepted money, failed to deposit funds into a client trust account, and failed to communicate with the clients or complete the legal services for which he was hired.
September 27th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
In one case, a man said he called Narimatsu numerous times and left messages asking why Narimatsu did not return calls.
Then, on July 23, 2009, the man left a message for Narimatsu, pretending to be a prospective client who recently moved to Hilo. Narimatsu returned the call the next day.
Narimatsu accepted $15,535 over the last three years based on verbal agreements to perform legal services, the ODC said. “In all cases, the clients were vulnerable and believed in Respondent (Narimatsu) when he assured them that the legal work would be done.”
Narimatsu, 57, who has gained prominence as a Hilo historian, will remain suspended until further order of the court. A call to his office, seeking comment, was not returned.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
[...] WIA 442 F Co.’s Hoxie Nagami lived a long life, albeit disabled (1921-2000). Wataru Kohashi saved Hoxie after Hoxie got shot. [...]