Thanksgiving, the kick-off to the holiday season, might look a little different this year because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, it still remains a time to give thanks for all things good and beautiful. Danelle Watson, director of Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, an upcountry Maui dance studio and performing company, and her students are grateful that the Academy was able to open its doors with COVID-19 guidelines, as well as online classes.
“Re-opening our doors has been so positive,” said Watson. “There is a sense of community back and I can see joy and appreciation in all the students and their families. Dancing has been a great help through the pandemic: we move our bodies as we tackle those difficult 2020 obstacles life threw at us. We have an amazing team of teachers working hard to bring the love of dance to so many. For our current students, whose training was disrupted by the onset of COVID-19, or for the adults who are looking for a way to release the stress of the day, we are also continuing virtual classes.”
Ballet and contemporary dancer Moorea Feliciano, 8, noted, “It is that time of year to reflect and give thanks. Dancers have a lot to be thankful for. We are able to do what we love and have a family that supports us. Dancing keeps our bodies happy and healthy, which is truly a great gift. We are constantly working together to reach new goals. When we work as a team in dance class we accomplish many achievements, and we gain confidence that we can do what we set our minds to. I pour my heart into dance. It is my passion and form of expression.”
Ballet dancer Kestrel Marshall, 11, added, “Sometimes dancing goals do not come easy and there is a lot of hard work that must happen first. I love this about dance because it translates to outside the classroom as well. Dancers have the confidence to set big goals and the perseverance to see them through. I love dancing and I am so thankful for Alexander Academy!”
Our talented hard-working students ‘wow’ us every day! We hope to produce a Christmas performance in a theater or outside venue to be shared virtually with the community.
Danelle Watson, Director, Alexander Academy of Performing Arts
Kumu Hula Kapono’ai Molitau and his wife Jennifer are the owners of the Wailuku-based store Native Intelligence (NI). Together, they are at the helm of a resource center that offers inspirational teachings and goods about Hawai’i’s land and culture. “Our mission is all about teachable moments,” said Molitau. “We are more than a traditional retail establishment. NI is an advocate for both Hawaiian culture and community. Our goal is to champion cultural traditions, craftsmanship, and good designs while perpetuating Hawaiian values and showcasing local artisans and creatives who strive to protect and evolve the culture.”
Neither a museum nor gallery, NI creates a retail environment allowing customers to experience a wide selection of merchandise and various activities that are Hawaiian by definition. The Molitaus, following Covid-19 safety guidelines, strive to make NI a retail space that has something for everyone, as well as space to hold workshops on a variety of topics.
“From the various practitioners who try to perfect ancient skills, to new businesses that reflect a contemporary sensibility, we present the spectrum of what is good in Hawaiian design,” Molitau explained. “Working with community leaders and neighborhood schools, we hope to extend the educational programs and resources beyond our doors. As our name implies, NI encourages the efforts of those who exemplify the best and brightest in Hawaii and Polynesia.”
May 2020 marked NI’s 11th year in Wailuku. Today, they continue to enrich the community by offering classes by master practitioners, to experience hana no’eau (traditional artwork), mele oli (traditional chant and music), lei hula (featherwork), and more.
“We work year round to partner with businesses and individuals to bring useful, unique, and beautiful goods to our shelves, providing supplies in hula such as pahu (drum), ipu heke (double-gourd instrument), pūniu (knee drum), ulῑ’ulῑ (feathered gourd rattles), and pū’ili (bamboo rattles),” said Molitau. “We feature woodwork such as holua sleds, umeke (wooden bowl), fine fiber and feather arts, and fine Hawaiian and Polynesian jewelry such as pūpū o’Ni’ihau (ocean shells), pūpū momi Tahiti (pearls) and pōnamu (fine green jade from Aotearoa). Visit us in person or online at native-intel.com.”
Mahalo nui for supporting NI over the years. We continue to strive to showcase hand-crafted items and unique workshops.
Neutron-1, a 3U CubeSat small satellite involving more than 100 University of Hawaii students, faculty, staff and volunteers, successfully launched as part of an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday, October 2. Neutron-1 was aboard the Northrop-Grumman 14 rocket that included other satellites, and will be in space for approximately one year. Around mid-November, when astronauts set up the deployer pod for launch out of the ISS, the satellite will study the relationship between the Earth and the Sun by mapping neutrons in low Earth orbit.
The science mission was proposed in 2011 by Peter Englert, a Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology researcher and principal investigator for the Neutron-1 Mission, and Lloyd French, Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL) researcher and project manager for the Neutron-1 Mission. The Neutron-1 project was funded by a NASA EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development award.
“This is a great achievement of the UH Neutron-1 team of students, staff, and faculty,” saidEnglert. “It demonstrates the quality of undergraduate education and research in space science and engineering at the university.”
French said, “This mission development demonstrates that HSFL can deliver flight hardware and work collaboratively with other institutions regarding NASA planetary exploration. Small spacecraft and cubesat architectures are the next generation of planetary robotic exploration, and HSFL is poised to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Amber Imai-Hong, an avionics engineer at HSFL, ground station coordinator for the Neutron-1 mission, and member of Maui Economic Development Board’s 2020 EMER-GEN® planning committee, noted, “Watching the launch live on NASA TV was an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a team, how many students in Hawaii were inspired by the project, and all of the lessons that we learned along the way.”
Imai-Hong concluded, “The HSFL team is now gearing up for mission operations. We will control Neutron-1 via the GlobalStar network, and partner with amateur radio operators to communicate with the satellite through HSFL’s Kauai Community College Ground Station to receive and send messages to the satellite when it is released from the ISS in November.”
It was an extraordinary experience for UH and all of Hawaii to watch Neutron-1 launch. It can still be viewed on the HSFL website.
Amber Imai-Hong, HSFL Avionics Engineer, Neutron-1 Ground Station Coordinator
Rev. Dr. Cindy Paulos, a Maui music producer, author, poet, lyricist, composer, artist, and announcer on multiple stations for KAOI radio, was named a UNESCO Cross-Cultural & Peace Crafters Award Laureate by the United Nations (UN). UNESCO, a specialized agency of the UN, aims at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, the sciences, and culture. The virtual award ceremony, held during the commemoration of the 2020 International Day for Peace, honored artists, scientists and social-justice activists from around the world.
Paulos, host of the longest-running radio talk show on Maui, has done over 18,000 interviews over the years, with eight of her CDs submitted for Grammy considerations. She is currently writing her seventh book, and is involved with The Peace Projects, an inspirational endeavor at the UNESCO Center for Peace.
“I was honored to be recognized by UNESCO for my peace efforts,” Paulos said. “It would have been wonderful to go to the UN for the event, but, understandably, it was on Zoom.
My background is in communications; therefore I will be sharing the Peace Projects being done by Hawai’ian peace-workers and others around the world, via radio and website. By spreading the word, we can inspire people to work for harmony and goodwill in their communities and worldwide. My award motivates me to do more, as I am so touched by the work done internationally by other UNESCO recipients.”
Award-winning Maui filmmaker Dr. Tom Vendetti reflected, “It is refreshing to know that there are influential people working in the media who are committed to promoting peace and harmony on our island and in the world. Cindy Paulos is one of those individuals. She walks her talk by creating beautiful spoken word albums that share the concept of aloha. Her radio programs have touched millions of lives around the world, resulting in a continuous flow of positive energy, promoting love and compassionate thinking.”
Hawai’ian slack-key guitarist and Grammy Award nominee Keola Beamer noted, “With her tireless efforts to keep the public informed, combined with her love of community and culture, Paulos is a wonderful credit to Hawaii’s artistic community.”
The world is in dire need of peacemakers. We all need to contribute, each in our own way, to making it just a little better.
Cindy Paulos, Music Producer, Author, Poet, Radio Announcer
The 21st, and first virtual, Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference and EMER-GEN® program, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), helped foster important dialogue and international collaboration on the space environment, at a time when global security is rapidly changing. Known as the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM), AMOS offers a cross-section of private sector, government, and academic participation worldwide.
On short notice, the AMOS team made the inaugural all-virtual conference experience engaging and fruitful. The combination of live-streaming, on-demand sessions, networking chatrooms, and digital exhibits gave participants the opportunity for sharing knowledge within the SSA and STM community. Additionally, an Aloha Reception featuring Hawaiian music and Tahitian dancing transported participants from around the world to paradise in anticipation for their 2021 in-person return to Maui.
“Even virtually, Hawaii’s unique sense of place set the tone for the AMOS collaborative exchange and discourse,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “We had 884 participants from 26 countries spanning 19 time zones around the world. We were honored that so many participants chose to share their time with us as we delved into three days of enriching discussions and technical excellence.”
Sandy Ryan, MEDB Conference Director, added, “We forged exciting new territory and our team developed a robust digital experience for our presenters, participants, sponsors, and exhibitors, The health and well-being of participants was our highest priority while maintaining the important dialogue, the networking opportunities, and the Aloha Spirit that AMOS is known for.”
Tim Flohrer, Space Debris Analyst and Co-Lead, Space Surveillance and Tracking Segment, European Space Agency, said, “I was delighted to see that despite being 12 hours away from Maui, and missing the scenic location, MEDB’s efforts made it possible to ensure a lively exchange in a virtual environment. The transition enabled the high quality technical, policy, and networking valued by the SSA community. Many important talks occurred about the future of space around Earth and beyond. We are all looking forward to the prospect of safely gathering on Maui for the AMOS conference next year.”
The continued growth in AMOS attendance and the number of participating countries reflects the growing interest in space sustainability and space industry initiatives.
The 21st, and first virtual, Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference and EMER-GEN® program, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), helped foster important dialogue and international collaboration on the space environment, at a time when global security is rapidly changing. Known as the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Traffic Management (STM), AMOS offers a cross-section of private sector, government, and academic participation worldwide.