Home + Design

Building Community Through Business

How Island Celebrations and Big Island Commercial Properties are Shaping Hawai‘i’s Future Article by Matias Arredondo | Photography by Anna Velichko For Julie Hamilton, creativity and community have always gone hand in hand. After two decades of teaching communications, technology and art in California, Hamilton and her husband returned to Hawai‘i to pursue a longtime dream. The couple, who once met on O‘ahu when her husband was stationed at Pearl Harbor, settled on the Big Island with space...

Food + Beverage

Hearth to Hale

Holiday Cocktails that Bring Hygge from Hearth to Hale—Warmth, Comfort, and an Island Breeze Article by Trish Gavin (Puna Chocolate Company) | Photography by Jupiter Jones (Lionysus Creative) Puna Chocolate Co. celebrates the holidays with a warm breeze and cheer in your glass. Start with the  Roselle , a classic Poinsettia reimagined—mulled hibiscus cordial, sparkling wine and a wisp of charred rosemary. Then linger over  Nikolaus’ Old Fashioned —a toasty Old Fashioned kissed with locally...

Food + Beverage

Gathered Around Food

Simple Thoughts on How to Host With Ease and Create Moments for Connection Article by Beth Reid, Community Eats | Photography by Jamie Roning & Hailey Cartwright With Festive Season now in full swing on the Big Island, the time to gather has come! You see, I do food for a living, but really I cook because I love creating ways for people to connect and give one another.  When people come to a table I have laid, I always hope they feel a deep exhale. How do we, as hosts, create an atmosphere...

Life + Culture

Serving Seasons

Service and Support Define the Spirit of Four Seasons Hualālai Article by Sara Stover | Photography by Fletch Photography, Four Seasons Hualālai Nicole Tachibana had only been working at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai for two years when she sustained a life-threatening injury while surfing.  “In 2016, I was working as a Natural Resources Specialist when I got into a surf accident. Four Seasons and the ‘Ohana Foundation helped me out, and any medical bill from the injury was covered,” says...

Life + Culture

Mayor Kimo Alameda: Stronger Together in 2026

Uniting for Homes, Hope and a Thriving Hawai‘i Article by Mayor Kimo Alameda | Photography by Reed Takaaze Photography Aloha kākou, As we close the chapter of 2025 and prepare to welcome the promise of 2026, I want to extend my deepest gratitude and aloha to every member of our Hawai‘i County ‘ohana. This past year has been one of growth, challenges and resilience. Together, we have faced obstacles with courage, celebrated victories and demonstrated once again why our island community is so...

Life + Culture

Grief into Gifting

The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation Helps First Responders Save Lives Article by Margaret Kearns | Photography by Fletch Photography Inspired and forever grateful to Hawaiʻi Island firefighters, Dr. Frank Sayre and wife, Laura Mallery-Sayre, created the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation in 1997 to raise much-needed supplemental funding for Hawaiʻi County Fire Department’s 22 stations, specifically for the purchase of equipment and training.  The foundation, named in memory of their only...

Local Services

Trippin’ with Dogs

Hawaiʻi Humane Society’s Field Days for Shelter Dogs program provides hours of stimulating time-out fun for participants—both human and canine! Article by Margaret Kearns | Photography by Courtesy of HIHS Dedicated to caring for and finding loving forever homes for companion animals in need for some 60 years, the non-profit Hawaiʻi Island Humane Society (HIHS) has locations in Kona (the 12-acre HIHS Animal Community Center in Holualoa) and Keaau, serving the island’s east side. The Holualoa...

Arts + Culture

Grateful to Create: Rediscovering Childhood Passions

Big Island Artists Share How Art Works as an Outlet to Find Peace and Themselves Article by Matias Arredondo | Photography by Mel Arredondo Most of us don’t grow up to become a ballerina, an astronaut, or a president. At some point, we had to realize that those dreams can’t always be achieved. We studied something we were good at or picked a job to make ends meet. And that is okay because part of growing up is learning that not everything in life is super exciting, yet the small things we...

Life + Culture

Expecting Miracles

A 50-Year Legacy of Unwavering Compassion and Commitment to Kona Women and Families Article by Sara Stover | Photography by Fletch Photography At 14 years old, Santad Sirachainanta climbed to the rooftop of his family’s house in Kanchanaburi, nestled in the jungles of Thailand. Nursing an arm he broke playing soccer, Santad wrote 'I want to be a doctor someday' on the roof. "To be a doctor in Thailand is not easy," says Santad, who now goes by Dr. Sira. "Even though my Dad was a businessman...

Finance + Legal Services

Generations Made Secure

Couple With Six Children Finds Peace of Mind Through Estate Planning on the Big Island Article by Matias Arredondo | Photography by Anna Velichko For Blake and Shannon Casteel, raising six keiki on the Big Island has been filled with adventure, laughter and togetherness. But when the couple sat down with estate planning attorney Jennifer Shimada, their focus shifted from beach days and waterfall hikes to the legacy they hoped to leave behind. Blake, originally from Oklahoma, and Shannon, from...