December

Letters to the Editor may be sent to: Honolulu Magazine, P.O. Box 913, Honolulu, HI, 96808-0913, faxed: 537-6455 or e-mailed: letters_honmag@pacificbasin.net

"The Honolulu 100," November 2005
HONOLULU’s cover story last month was a joint project with the city and county of Honolulu’s Centennial Commission, in celebration of the city’s 100th birthday. The feature attracted many phone calls and letters from readers, who proposed some great names, including many people important to the state of Hawai’i. During our story process, it was difficult to separate Honolulu from the state, as so much of the population is concentrated here, but we kept our focus on the individuals who had contributed the most to the city itself. Here are some reader suggestions; in brackets, we’ve added a little research on them.

Henry Kuualoha Giugni did a lot for Hawai’i and the Hawaiian people and was a very accomplished Polynesian man. He was Inouye’s right-hand man from 1957 to 1986.

Lisa Veneri, Hawai’i Kai

Jesse Sapolu. The man has four Super Bowl rings! [NFL player Jesse Sapolu played 15 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He got his start playing at Farrington High School, and played at the University of Hawai’i.]

Keith Collins, Kona

Glen Grant, Honolulu’s famous ghost hunter. [In addition to his ghost tours, Grant authored several books.]

Dean Masutomi, Hilo

Isabella Abbott, beloved by every person in Hawai’i who cares or knows about our plants. [Abbott is a UH Manoa professor emerita who specializes in ethnobotany and marine algae.]

D. J. Henderson, Kailua, HI

K.J. Luke, chairman and founder of Hawai’i National Bank. [Luke was a prominent businessman of Chinese descent who passed away in 2000. He also taught finance and economics at UH.]

Evan Leong, Honolulu

Patsy Mink. Her public service over many decades had a great impact on the lives of the people of Honolulu, especially girls and women.

Helen Takeuchi, Honolulu

"40 Things Every Local Must Do," October 2005
HONOLULU’s cover story in October celebrates the foods, traditions and pastimes that make the Islands unique.

Thanks for reminding me why I still call Hawai’i home, even though I’ve been away for the past 15 years. Thank goodness we can get Spam, plate lunch at L&L, Cecilio and Kapono in concert and the beach here [in San Diego], but none is like home. I still look for folks who seem local, and have found quite a few. Naturally, the first question we ask each other is where they wen’ high school.

Lori Herman, San Diego, CAlif.

Couldn’t help noticing item No. 2 in the "40 Things Every Local Must Do" feature. The red-and-blue mechanical man himself asked us to relay the message that your editorial staff has impeccable taste and judgment.

Chance Gusukuma, Producer, JN Productions, Inc.

HONOLULU Editor’s note: JN Productions licensed the Japanese sci-fi show Kikaida and has released it on DVD.

You must add these places to your list of 40 things every local must do:

1) Hawai’i Plantation Village. It may not be as slick as the PCC, but this Waipahu outdoor history museum tells a great story of how many came to the Islands by working on the sugar plantations.
2) Pu’u o mahuka heiau. This is the heiau above Waimea Bay. It’s well-preserved and the largest on O’ahu.
3) ‘Iolani Palace. As a kid, I saw this Hawai’i Five-O "headquarters," but could never go inside until it was restored. It’s a Hawaiian national treasure and the only official state residence of royalty in the United States.

Peter Brooks, Lehi, Utah