Nov 13, 2013 | Education
Following in the footsteps of her retired drama teacher and mentor Sue Loudon, Linda Carnevale strives to build life skills and create a family atmosphere for students at the Baldwin High School Performing Arts Center. “Most of my life has really been in the drama room and we pride ourselves on being a family here,” said Carnevale, a 1978 Baldwin grad who has been involved in one time or another with nearly every theatre group on Maui. At Baldwin, she leads the state’s only designated performing arts center on island and teaches drama in what was once the school’s auto mechanics workshop.
Prior to coming to Baldwin in 2005, Carnevale directed drama productions for all ages from kindergarteners to adults, in public and private schools and in theatre groups such as Maui Youth Theatre and Maui Community Theater. “Everybody has creativity in them,” Carnevale said she’s learned about potential performers. “They just need to have a safe environment where they can risk and let their imagination fly.” Carnevale said her goal is not to train Broadway stars, but to teach students that they can perform if they work hard at it. “Remember this is education. There are kids who are going to walk into the drama room without the perfect talent but they have the desire and wherewithal.”
Linda Carnevale, Baldwin High School performing arts center coordinator
Carnevale directs the performing arts center with a small budget that allows her to hire a choreographer, master carpenter and music director. Aside from directing the students and ensuring that music royalties are paid, she oversees publicity, programs, props and costumes. She said she relies on families and parents of students to help and grow with their student in drama. “It’s a good opportunity for moms and dads to spend time with their kids and see them shine,” Carnevale said. The drama room, Carnevale said, “is a home away from home.” Students learn to act and sing, build sets and sew their own costumes. “Not only will you learn about the magic of theatre, you will learn about working as an ensemble and about yourself.”
Nov 6, 2013 | Small Business
Federal government representatives recently visited the islands to provide Maui entrepreneurs an opportunity to obtain funding for new technology and innovative projects. About 40 people attended the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research Conference coordinated by Maui Economic Development Board. “It’s not often that federal agencies come to Maui,” said MEDB Business Development Director Mark Todd. He said the conference was a chance for “someone with a great idea to get federal funding and turn it into a reality.”
Businesses like Oceanit and Pacific Biodiesel have received SBIR funding in the past, and Carl Hebron of the U.S. Department of Energy said “chances are good” for more Hawaii companies to get federal support. “Renewable energy is a growing field we’re trying to expand,” Hebron said. He urged conference participants to start the application process as early as possible and to ensure that the correct paperwork is filed. Amongst the top five mistakes applicants make in applying for federal funding is failing to comply with word and page limits and failing to submit a commercialization plan. “If that’s not done, we won’t be able to process your application,” Hebron said.
The Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Research projects awarded as much as $2.4 billion to entrepreneurs nationwide in fiscal year 2012. Aside from the Department of Energy, 10 other federal agencies participate including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Navy. Hebron said 25 percent of the applicants for renewable energy projects in last fiscal year were first-time applicants; more than 40 percent received federal funding. “I think that speaks for itself,” Hebron said. “SBIR has proven to be one of the most successful federal programs for technological advancements in U.S. history,” Todd said. “It has delivered more than 60 patents and hundreds of valuable innovations in agriculture, defense, energy, health science, homeland security, space, transportation and other fields.”
Oct 30, 2013 | Community
Bead artist Rona Smith thought she was going blind in her work with miniature beads when an opportunity to re-invent her business surfaced. She bought Zebewa (pronounced Zeebeewah), a jewelry design and manufacturing company, which allowed her to change her focus from making art pieces with miniature beads to creating key rings and jewelry with beads sized in one-inch diameter or larger. “I just love beads. There are thousands of potential matches of things I can create from the beads,” Smith said.
Smith ran a business creating framed art pieces with miniature beads from 1995 to until January of this year. Toward the end of 2012, Smith said she struggled with working “termite-sized” beads that required lots of hours of concentration. “I got to a point where I couldn’t focus my eyes. It was like I was going blind,” she said. When Smith took hold of Zebewa from its former owners Linda and Donna Grimes, the business allowed her to continue working with all sizes of beads plus other items that are collected from around the world. “It was kind of a re-inventing. I could still create beautiful things with beads,” she said.
Among Zebewa’s most popular items are one-of-a-kind key rings each priced in three separate ranges: $44, $55 and $66. “Each is a piece of art,” Smith said. The beads and art components that make up the key ring and jewelry pieces vary from carved stone to wood to coral and antique beads. Smith distributes her wares at art galleries, the Kula Marketplace and at the Hui No’eau. She said she’s been able to sustain the business in part because of the clientele she serves – visitors seeking unique items they can take back home to remember their experience in the islands.
Oct 23, 2013 | Community
The Lanai Animal Rescue Center consistently ranks as No. 1 or No. 2 for Lanai City attractions on Trip Advisor. It’s not a reputation the cat sanctuary founders Kathy Carroll and Loretta Hellrung were seeking, but they do enjoy a consistent stream of visitors and constant attention to the nonprofit’s mission.
The reviews vary with writers to Trip Advisor calling the sanctuary a “must do” or “must visit” on Lanai. “Whether you love cats or not, you really need to check this out!” wrote a visitor from Colorado. “These folks are doing great things here, and doing it in an interesting and educational manner.”
“Cats are our focus,” said Carroll, who works as the shelter’s executive director. Carroll and Hellrung, who now resides on the Mainland, spent years volunteering to nurture and care for abandoned cats on Lanai. About four years ago, Carroll established the animal shelter and a cat park on 3.5 acres of leased property about a half-mile from the Lanai Airport. A staff of six part-time and full-time employees plus approximately 25 volunteers ensure that the cats are cared for in the sanctuary. “It’s really overwhelming in a good way,” Carroll said. “I never dreamed we could do this. The cat sanctuary seemed like such an outlandish idea at the time. Now it seems natural.”
At the Lanai Animal Rescue Center, cats are called the “Lanaian Lions.” About half of the estimated 375 at the shelter are adoptable and the other half (cats with special needs and medical problems) could benefit from foster care. Carroll said while the rescue center could use cash donations, “we don’t need millions of dollars” to support a comprehensive spay and neutering program for the animals. The Lanai Animal Rescue Center facilitates on-island, island-to-island and out-of-state adoptions. An “Adopt in Place” program allows a donor to contribute monthly to the care of a cat at the sanctuary. For more information, go to http://lanaianimalrescue.org, or call 808-215-9066.
Oct 16, 2013 | Community
Kim Weaver says she maintains a thriving business by partnering with family and paying attention to the handcrafted soap and jewelry she designs and sells. “I make everything myself because I’m so particular about the quality and detail of each product. I don’t want to ever lose that,” said Weaver, the owner and operator of Hana Lima Designs.
She opened Hana Lima Soap Co. eight years ago after suffering a work-related injury at a private company. The business grew out of a hobby and love for handmade soaps. She supplemented the business soon after by establishing Hana Lima Designs, which features handcrafted jewelry and gifts. Weaver makes the soap and jewelry in separate home-based workshops and distributes them wholesale in small boutiques and galleries statewide, at craft fairs, the Made In Hawaii Festival, the Maui Fair, and the Maui Swap Meet. “When it comes to jewelry design, it is competitive. Each designer has her own style,” she said. Weaver said she tries to stand out “by giving a little something extra” or an unexpected surprise in the design. She’s most proud that her business has allowed her to raise two sons on her own. She’s succeeded in part because of support from her partner, Scott; her mom, Beverly, and relatives who assist at retail events. “I couldn’t do this without my family. We are all doing this together,” she said.
Operating Hana Lima Designs has had its challenges. “Shopping for supplies and shipping the products are big obstacles. The freight is high and very costly,” Weaver said. Her strategy in business has been to operate at a slow and steady pace. “Honestly, I think it’s because I didn’t try to grow quickly. The temptation to expand is there but I want to grow slow and steady,” she said. Hana Lima Designs has no regularly paid employees. “I’ve kept it to where I could do it all on my own if needed.”
