Located on the slopes of Haleakala, the Kula Botanical Garden encompasses ten acres with thousands of distinctive Christmas trees in different sizes and varieties. The Garden also showcases colorful and unique plants, rock formations, a covered bridge, waterfalls, a wedding gazebo, koi pond, aviary, and a carved tiki exhibit. The gift shop features items made in Hawaii, home-grown coffee, and things of botanical interest.
Established in 1968 by Warren and the late Helen McCord as a display garden for Warren’s landscape architecture business, the Botanical Garden has evolved into a tourist destination that draws thousands of visitors every year. Currently, they are also one of the largest growers of Christmas trees on Maui. Each year, the McCord family plants, prunes, and harvests a new crop of Monterey Pine and other types of trees.
“Growing Christmas trees is an all-year adventure,” explained general manager Kevin McCord. “Planting is the easy part, then the real work begins. Christmas trees are considered to be one of the most labor-intensive of all farm crops. It takes monthly attention plus three to four years of tree farming to create that ‘best ever’ Christmas tree.”
McCord pointed out, “For those who cannot make it on December 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13 from 9am to 4pm, the trees will also be available at the gift shop for a limited time in December. Every year, extra-large and over-sized trees are available to local businesses and hotels. Additionally, our staff helps customers clean and load the tree onto their vehicle.”
Upcountry resident Janet Makua reflected, “Almost all the members of the Makua family have worked at the McCord’s annual Christmas tree sales since the early 1980s. It is a joy-filled experience to see the children’s eyes light up as we help families pick out their perfect tree, with a candy cane included.”
McCord concluded, “With the Christmas season comes the joy, the sharing, the warm memories of treasured family experiences. We like to think that our trees become the centerpiece of a family’s holiday tradition. Our fondest hope is that someone says, “This is the best tree ever!”
As a family owned and operated business we take great pride in sharing our garden with the Maui community and visitors to our island.
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.
Presented by Maui Economic Development Board, (MEDB), the 3rd annual EMER-GEN® program, which preceded the 2020 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS), is a joint initiative of AMOS and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). A global non-governmental organization (NGO) and non-profit network, SGAC represents university students and young space professionals, ages 18-35, to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia.
“EMER-GEN for young professionals builds on the capabilities and network of the AMOS Conference,’ said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “The 2020 program, with a cohort of 37 participants from 13 countries in 13 time zones, went virtual this year. It was great exposure for the ten Hawaii-based participants in a program that aims to foster commercial space entrepreneurism in Hawaii.”
This year’s EMER-GEN program was developed with the help of the young professionals on the planning committee, including two representatives from the SGAC—Quentin Verspieren, Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, and Michael Barton, a.i. solutions, Inc. and past participant in 2018 and 2019. They were joined by Amber Imai-Hong, a participant in the 2019 cohort and avionics engineer with Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory.
Imai-Hong reflected, “I thought it was interesting that although our cohort was diverse in background, both technical and ethnic, the traits we valued in leadership were similar and complementary. With the help of mentors from industry, government, academia and NGOs, EMER-GEN® was filled with critical-thinking exercises. The cohort came to understand how nations reach agreements, and how the objectives of different stakeholders enhance effectiveness in a global environment”.
Barton added, “Thanks to MEDB, SGAC and our sponsors for providing the cohort with a successful development program. Additionally, thanks to the mentors for sharing their wisdom on cross-cultural communication, leadership, and career development.”
Tom Kubancik, founder and Executive Vice President of Trusted Space, Inc. and EMER-GEN mentor concluded, “Members of the cohort, distributed all over the globe, had remarkably diverse cultural backgrounds, but similar scientific and career interests in space. All the delegates were interested in making a difference for themselves, their country, and moving the science forward.”
Through the whole program, participants were challenged to create new opportunities for space-based technologies aimed at key issues
The University of Hawai’i Maui College (UHMC) Engineering Technology Program entered two teams in the 2020 International CanSat Competition. Out of 33 teams from more than a dozen countries, Team Onipa’a placed first and Team Paka’a placed 23rd. The competition required teams to design, build and launch a container holding a science payload. The annual event was organized by the American Astronautical Society to inspire future engineers seeking creative solutions, and the UHMC teams were sponsored by the NASA Hawaii Space Grant Consortium.
“The CanSat competition was designed to reflect, on a small scale, a typical NASA aerospace program,” said faculty advisor Dr. Jung Park, Associate Professor in the UHMC Engineering Technology Program and Associate Director of the NASA Hawai’i Space Grant Consortium. “The challenge included all aspects of research from the preliminary design review to the post mission review, incorporating the telemetry requirements, communications, and autonomous operations. This year’s challenge was to design a glider that is capable of unpowered flight and autonomous navigation, telemetry transmission, and sensor data collection while withstanding the extreme forces of a rocket launch.”
The team’s electronics and ground control station software were designed, fabricated, and confirmed operational in a test environment per CanSat specifications. They designed and 3D-printed the mechanical parts, the close-loop control system, and the Arduino code was written and simulated in Matlab. The results showed that critical payload systems are designed to operate in the conditions outlined in the CanSat Competition Mission Guide.
Onipa’a Team Leader Arthur Agdeppa said, “Each member of my team offered a diverse set of expertise, views, and knowledge, which was optimal to integrate various subsystems of our science payload and container. They took responsibility and pride in their weekly assigned tasks, and they welcomed the CanSat competition opportunity. It pushed us to be creative in our design, be resilient in our failures, and to be team players. One of our project’s external objectives was to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) in our community and gain the confidence of young aspiring engineers. We hope that our winning the competition accomplished just that.”
The CanSat project was an excellent way for us to showcase all that we have learned at UHMC.
Arthur Agdeppa, Team Onipa’a Leader, UHMC Engineering Technology Program
As Maui County faces uncertain times, Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui (BGCM) is still doing whatever it takes to serve youth, families, and the island community. All the clubs are open for Virtual Clubhouse Time, weekdays from 2:00 to 6:00 pm. The live, interactive virtual time adapts the award-winning programs for which BGCM has been known over the last 20 years, into a virtual environment using Zoom virtual meeting software.
“We are reaffirming our commitment to island families by opening our Virtual Clubhouse Time to all of Maui’s school-aged keiki, not just our active membership,” said BGCM Director of Operations, Stephen Bennett. “Our goal is to reconnect Maui, so any child from anywhere in Maui County, including Molokai and Lanai can join any clubhouse they wish. We have waived the five dollar annual membership fee until 2021, so there are fewer barriers to learning and participating in fun and engaging activities with their peers.”
Utilizing the Zoom program, BGCM Clubhouse staff are providing their members a full calendar of virtual activities including Power Hour, Project Learn, Smart Moves, Fitness-at-Home, Nutrition-at-Home, Hawaiian Marine Science and Ecosystems, Electronic Smoking Device/Anti-Vaping Education, Bridge2Math mathematics support, Keystone and Torch Club programming, and more. The Zoom platform gives BGCM the capacity to host up to 300 members at a time and provide safety measures, enabling their staff to have control over audio and video connections. Students have great interaction with their friends, seeing and talking with them safely. Also, the staff ensures that appropriate behavior is exhibited and acceptable content is shared. Zoom provides the means to do this, allowing only authorized visitors to join the virtual sessions.
“We want to make sure that we are available to the youth and their families with a sustainable platform that can keep them safe,” said Bennett. “Our programs are specifically designed to offer academic support as well as social interaction. Our staff is committed to taking care of our kids, and they have become virtually strong. Thank you to all of our community partners, supporters, and donors. Stay safe and healthy!”
The Virtual Clubhouse is here and it is fun! We are posting a calendar so you can choose what most interests your child at www.BGCMaui.org
During this time of many health challenges in our life, family, community and the world, it is worthwhile to explore ways to live healthier and happier at home. For example, while we cannot get together for safety reasons, we can still honor seasonal changes and traditions. As Fall approaches, a time of celebration begins in many northern-hemisphere cultures. In Hawaii, one such tradition is the Mid-Autumn Celebration, also known as the Chinese Moon Festival. Honoring the joy of harvest, family and friends reunite during this time of bounty, offering thanks for an abundance of fruits, vegetables and grains.
“Regretfully, the Chinese Moon Festival usually celebrated at Lahaina’s Wo Hing Temple on Front Street is cancelled this year due to the pandemic,” said Dr. Busaba Yip, Wo Hing Museum Docent and Cultural Director. “However, we can still honor the island’s harvest of locally grown products as well as esteemed traditions from China. One of the most important Chinese festivals, the observance is an ancient tradition commemorating the completeness and abundance of life. It occurs during the harvest moon on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The date in the Western calendar changes annually. This year, it falls on Thursday, October 1, 2020.
“It is sad that we cannot have a community gathering this year,” Yip reflected. “Nevertheless, knowing the moon festival’s importance will enhance a celebration of the season at home. For example, people can observe the season with an outdoor service, creation walk or pilgrimage, or prepare meals using the fruits of the harvest season. Many symbolic foods are used to give thanks for the bountiful harvest and to promote fertile fields and bigger crops. One of these foods, the moon cake, is the most distinctive. It is a sweet, round cake in the shape of the moon filled with lotus seeds, taro and black bean paste. Some have salted duck egg yolks at the center of each cake representing the moon. I wish you all a healthy, happy Moon Festival—Zhong Qiu Jie Kuai Le!”
Many thanks to Maui visitors and volunteers for supporting the tradition of the Chinese Moon Festival for our families and future generations. Dr. Busaba Yip, Wo Hing Museum Docent and Cultural Director
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.
