This is a story about hard work, commitment, and a family owned business marking its 100th anniversary this year. It is a Hawai`i story and an American story. It’s a story worth telling.

Koichi Taniguchi left Japan in 1907. He was seventeen years old when he arrived in Honolulu. The young man worked at Heeia Sugar Plantation for six years before his bride Taniyo arrived. The couple moved to Waiakea Town, a district in Hilo. They bought a two-story building on Lihiwai Street, and opened K. Taniguchi Shoten in 1916.

The enterprise was a 500 square foot grocery and dry goods store serving Waiakea Town and the plantations along the Hamakua Coast. Taniyo operated the store while minding her son Yukiwo. Koichi took orders from around Hilo and from plantation workers, and then delivered the items by bicycle. Both the business and the family grew.

Koichi Taniguchi’s business philosophy still infuses KTA Superstores. Mr. Taniguchi supported the community because the community supported the store. Plantation workers were paid once a month. When they were on strike, the workers weren’t paid at all. Mr. Taniguchi extended them credit. The policy continued in World War II when the store extended credit during times of rationing. The debts were paid.

By 1939 the Taniguchis had saved enough money to open a second store, this time in downtown Hilo at the corner of Keawe and Mamo Streets.

In 1946 a devastating tsunami struck Hilo without warning. Waiakea Town was destroyed completely. Much of downtown was also damaged. Hiloans, including the Taniguchis, rebuilt. The Taniguchis expressed confidence in the future by opening a store in Kailua-Kona.

In 1960 another tsunami struck Hilo. When the wave appeared Yukiwo Taniguchi was parked in front of the downtown store. He was loading his car with merchandise to take across the island. Fortunately Yukiwo had time to rush to the second story of the store. He survived. The wave moved his car twenty-five yards.

Today KTA Superstores remain a family owned enterprise with six stores on the Island of Hawai`i. Barry Taniguchi, grandson of Koichi and Taniyo, is Chairman and CEO. Their great-grandson Toby Taniguchi  serves as president and chief operating officer. KTA’s business model continues to be service to the community.

One hundred years is a long time for a family owned business to flourish. For generations Big Island residents have shopped at KTA. It looks like future generations will have the same privilege.

Congratulations KTA

???

Featured Image: KTA Super Store downtown location. Photo by Author.

Pictures:
Hilo Beach in 1892. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.
Hilo Suburbs in 1907. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.
1946 Hilo Tsunami. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Downtown KTA Super Store. Photo by Author.

Wanda Adams. “Family Owned KTA Superstores Committed to Hawaii Products. Honolulu Advertiser.com Dec. 3, 2008.

John Burnett. “Happy Birthday, KTA.” Hawai’i Tribune Herald. Jan. 17, 2016. Pp. 1, 8.

KTA Super Stores.

Jason Y. Kimura. “Family Calling for Hall-of-Famer.” Hawaii Retail Grocer. 2015.

Rod Thompson. “Support of Local Products Propels KTA.” Star-Bulletin.com. Sept. 29, 2002.

The post CENTURY OF SERVICE first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

The closure of C & H shouldn’t be a surprise. In 2015 Hawai`i was the third largest sugar producer in the U.S. with 1,422 tons. Florida, the largest American producer, harvested 15,278 tons. Parent company Alexander & Baldwin said it expects to lose $30 million dollars in fiscal year 2015.

If you, like me, associated cane sugar with Hawai`i, one of the reasons could be C & H’s very successful advertising campaign.

Sugar production required a docile labor force – one that would endure harsh conditions in the hope of a better future. Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, Filipinos, Portuguese, Germans, and Norwegians created the multi-ethnic culture of modern Hawai`i.

The work was excruciating. Ronald Takaki in Pau Hana, his book about life on the sugar plantations, quoted one worker’s determination:

The only reason I’m doing
This tough and painful holehole work
Is for the sake of my wife and children
Who live back home.

The history of the plantation era is not romantic. But it is an integral part of what Hawai`i is today. Strange to remember that Kōloa plantation on Kaua`i was the first commercial sugar plantation in the then Kingdom of Hawai`i. In 1980 there were fourteen sugar plantations with another 550 independent sugar growers on 220,000 acres of land. They produced about a million tons of raw sugar annually. In 2017 after 182 years of commercial sugar production, the industry will be gone.

?  ?  ?

Featured Image. Pu`unene Mill. Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company. Maui. Photo by Joanna Orpia. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Photo: Chinese contract laborers loading sugar cane onto a wagon. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Olivia Lowenberg. “Why Sugar, Once a Big Business in Hawaii, is Now Disappearing.” The Christian Science Monitor. Jan. 8. 2016. Here.

Alexander and Baldwin Announces Transition of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company to a Diversified Farm Model. Press Release. Honolulu. Jan. 6. 2016.

Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum. 

Sugar Cane Production in the U.S. Statistica.com 

Worker’s quotation in Ronald Takaki. Pau Hana: Plantation Life and Labor in Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 1983. p. 90.

The post No More Sugar From Hawai`i first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Tuesday – Personal
A few weeks ago I went to the optometrist for my annual check-up. I was hoping for a stronger glasses prescription. Little did I know, what my eyes were up to. Unbeknownst to me, both my eyes had developed narrow angles, which can be a precursor to glaucoma, which can lead to blindness. Eye fluid drains from the outer corner of the eye. If the angle closes, the eye can’t drain. Pressure builds up within the eye. Glaucoma reduces vision and can lead to blindness. Not good.

The cure: Laser Iridotomy
An ophthalmologist uses a laser to make a small opening in the eye’s iris. This allows fluid to flow freely and hopefully will reduce pressure within the eye.

I had the procedure last Tuesday. Fingers crossed all will be well. I don’t particularly want to be a “one-eyed” writer.

Friday – Statewide Severe Weather

While I was fretting about my upcoming Laser Iridotomy, meteorologists at NOAA were tracking Hurricane Iselle as she crossed the Central Pacific on her way to Hawai`i. Just behind, Julio was building hurricane force winds.

By Wednesday, local television stations and civil defense authorities urged us to be prepared. They’d been saying this for a while, but somehow when they said it on Wednesday, people paid attention. Forecasts projected Iselle would hit the Big Island, and no one was sure what Julio had in mind. Thursday, controlled madness broke out. The Governor and County Mayors hunkered down where they could monitor the situation. Bottled water sold out quickly. People stocked up on vital canned goods – Spam, Vienna sausage, and anything else one could consume in the event of a power outage. Folks topped up their gas tanks. And for some reason, whenever potential disaster looms, we buy toilet paper. I think that’s left over from the 1949-dock strike.

This compulsion to keep the pantry full is based on a fundamental fact of life on an island. When hurricanes or tsunamis strike, no one knows how long the docks and airports will be closed. Almost everything we use comes from out of state.

Iselle made landfall on East Hawai`i, dumping heavy rain and winds along the Hamakua Coast. Flooding, ocean surge, and brown water affects the entire coastline, but the heaviest damage is in Puna, the area south of Hilo. It will take approximately three weeks for power to be restored in the worst hit areas. Actual landfall occurred near Ka`u. Iselle proceeded over Mauna Kea to the western side of the island and on up the island chain. Maui suffered damage, but Honolulu was spared. We are blessed.

When I started thinking about this blog, I did some research on the three previous hurricanes that struck Hawai`i. All took out their force on Kaua`i to the north. Dot arrived in 1959;

Hurricane `Iwa, 1982

Hurricane `Iniki, 1992

 Saturday – Statewide Political Shifts

While we prepared for Hurricane Iselle, we also wondered what would happen in the Primary Elections scheduled for Saturday, the day after the storm hit. Would polling places be open? Would Governor Abercrombie, candidate for re-election in the Democratic Primary, gain an advantage from hurricane-related briefings? Would people vote early? Would they vote at all?

As things turned out, the election went ahead as scheduled, except for two polling stations on the Big Island. Voters in those areas will receive ballots by mail. So, final results won’t be in for a few weeks. This particularly impacts the Democratic election for U.S. Senator. Colleen Hanabusa is challenging Brian Schatz, the incumbent.

The latest election tally on Hawaii News Now shows the candidates in a dead heat, each with 49 percent of the vote. The numbers tell a different story. Schatz presently leads with 113,800 votes against Hanabusa’s 112,165. The voters in the two Puna districts will decide the outcome. It’s the most exciting election we’ve had in years!

The governor’s race was a complete upset. Neil Abercrombie, a man who has been in Hawai`i politics since 1975, is the first Democratic governor in Hawai`i to be defeated in his run for re-election. Abercrombie received 37 percent of the vote. His challenger, David Ige, swept the election with 67 percent. It’s one of those unprecedented events that happen every once in a while. The kind that makes you think voters really do have a voice.

So, what do laser iridotomy eye surgery, Hurricane Iselle, and Hawai`i Primary Elections have in common? Not much. But here’s the thing. Each represents the result of people working together for the benefit of others whether it’s researchers committed to reducing the incidence of blindness; scientists, newscasters, civil defense and communities working together in response to natural disasters; or voters getting to the polls to support the person they think will best represent their neighborhood.

To quote an Inspiration I first heard at a Rotary Meeting:

I am only one, but still I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;

and because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do something that I can do.

                                                                                                            — Helen Keller

For More Information:

Featured Image: Hurricane Iselle on Aug. 7, 2014

On Laser Iridotomy Web MD.

Primary Election Results. Hawaii News Now. Accessed Aug. 11, 2014

Hawai`i Hurricane History. Hawaii News Now.

Abercrombie Becomes First Governor to Lose a Reelection Primary. Hawaii News Now.

The post WHEW! WHAT A WEEK IT WAS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

ORCHIDS. The very word conjures up exotic flowers and romance. At one time, every girl hoped her escort to the high school prom would give her a large orchid corsage. Ideally, the corsage should look like this.

The blossoms screamed expense, status, and an adoring boyfriend. Alas, most boys could barely afford a gardenia wrist corsage. Oh, well.

Less exotic were smaller purple vanda orchids. These flowers were a huge commercial success on the Big Island of Hawai`i in the years following World War II. The flowering fields gave the island a second name “Orchid Isle.” Sounds fanciful, even today. And the flowers were popular give-a-ways for super market openings in southern California. “The first 200 people will get an orchid from Hawaii,” screamed the advertisement. To which my mother responded: “Huh. They must grow like weeds.” Turns out her cynicism had some merit. I doubt this picture is a vanda orchid, but it does give s sense of size.

Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants with 30,000 species and at least 200,000 hybrid varieties. They can be found almost anywhere, but their natural habitat is tropical where they like to be high in the rainforest on the bark of trees. Their thick white roots prefer open air where they can absorb moisture, nutrients, and light. I’m not good at growing orchids, but have learned if I leave them alone, at least a few will flower.

Since 1952 The Hilo Orchid Society has hosted the Hilo Orchid Show & Sale, the largest and most comprehensive show in the state. Over 100 volunteers participated in the show held this past weekend. The Society devotes its efforts to “Promote, carry on, and aid in every possible way, the culture of orchids of all kinds.” It must be working. Hilo Mayor Billy Kenoi proclaimed 2014 the Year of the Orchid.

I took today’s pictures at the show. I can’t tell you the names of particular orchids, but hope you still find them beautiful. You can access a video from the 2013 Orchid Show here.

One final thought from an anonymous quotation often used in weddings

When two people are one in their inmost hearts,
They shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts,
Their words are sweet and strong
Like the fragrance of orchids.

Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Acknowledgements:
Hilo Orchid Society http://www.hiloorchidsociety.org
Information on how to grow orchids from Gardener’s Supply Company website http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-orchids/5072.html
Quotation from Search Quotes http://www.searchquotes.com/

The post A SYMPHONY OF ORCHIDS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Is she in the U.S. or some other continent?
If she’s in Hawai`i, where is she?
Is she at home? The Handsome Bloke swears this is seldom the case.

Well, today, Tuesday, I momentarily know where I am. I am at a Retreat Center called Lumeria which is on the Makawao side of Maui. I arrived on Sunday via the route Hawaiian Air clerks call “traveling backward.” I live on the Big Island of Hawai`i. The next island to the north is Maui. But, there is only one flight daily from Hilo to Maui. Otherwise, one first has to go north to Honolulu, change planes, and then fly south again. Good opportunity to get some reading done.

Stepped off the second flight into what I consider a major tropical downpour. This is unusual for Maui, so the taxis are not located under cover. So, you guessed it, by the time I dragged myself and my bag across the street, I was drenched to the skin. And, then I momentarily could not find my phone without which I not only could not find the address to my destination, but would be without most of my life details. Thought I might cry – who could tell? I was already wet. Just then the phone appeared. Artificial reality to the rescue.

But the destination makes it all worthwhile. The Lumeria Center is a truly magical pocket of Hawai`i. [www.lumeria.com] The website pictures are accurate, and I’ve added a few of my own to this blog. The atmosphere is serene. The food excellent. And, it stopped raining.

Even better — the reason I came. A 10 day Purna Yoga Retreat led by Aadil Palkhivala and Savitri from the Alive and Shine Center in Bellevue WA. [www.aliveandshinecenter.com] I do believe that Savitri is the foremost practitioner of meditation in our world. And Aadil is a true master. But what makes Purna Yoga special is the way it integrates body-mind-spirit so that we experience life to the fullest.

So, I don’t know where Carmen Sandiego is right now. But I know that I am on an incredible journey through life. And so are you. Embrace it.

Photos by Author.  All Rights Reserved.

The post CHECKING OUT, CHECKING IN first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Osame could not refuse. “I was very sad, but I also thought of the time I left my mother to come to Hawaii. I owed her for that and I had to pay her back.” [See last week’s post.]

More heartbreak followed.

The American economy fell drastically after 1929, and the hotel, which once brought in $20.00 per day, could no longer support the family. Kinzo took additional work, including washing and ironing laundry late into the night. The children picked coffee. The hotel stayed open.

The year 1941 brought new challenges.  On December 7, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. Osame and Kinzo’s son Harold immediately enlisted with the Home Guard. Three weeks later, the Army released Harold and other American citizens of Japanese ancestry, questioning their loyalty to the United States. The same day, Kinzo transferred ownership of the hotel to his son. Kinzo belonged to the first generation of Japanese settlers, an Issei who did not hold citizenship. His property was subject to confiscation. Harold was second generation, Nisei, born on American soil.

In 1943 the United States government had a change of heart, and authorized formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team as part of the 100th Battalion. Their motto: “Go for Broke,” a term borrowed from gambling. It meant risk everything in the effort to win big. Harold was one of four thousand Nisei from throughout Hawai`i who enlisted. The unit suffered a notably high casualty rate. At war’s end 14,000 men had served. The 442nd was the single most decorated unit for its size and length of service with 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and 8 Presidential Unit Citations. http://www.goforbroke.org/history/history_historical_veterans_442nd.asp

During his absence, Harold’s wife Nancy kept the hotel open.  Harold later told West Hawaii Today  “The truth is, for each generation, it’s the women who kept things going.”

Harold secured and expanded his parents’ hotel.  Kinzo leased hotel land.  Harold bought it.  Guessing that business would grow, Harold built a three-story addition, completed 1969.  The hotel was ready for tourists.

Travel writer Robert W. Bone stayed at the Manago Hotel in the late 1980s.  The writer’s six-year-old son pronounced the original structure fronting the roadway with its communal bathrooms “very creepy, ” but Bone thought the Managos had done “a pretty good job.”  The new rooms felt contemporary with their ocean views and en suite bathrooms. Nevertheless, Bone cautioned readers that the Manago Hotel was best suited for those seeking an “authentic atmosphere.”

Harold’s son Dwight carries on the Manago tradition of authenticity and local-style food. So, if your travels take you to the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawai`i, stop by the Manago Hotel for a meal or accommodation.  You will find a warm welcome, clean rooms, friendly staff, and a glimpse into Old Hawai`i with its picture brides, coffee farms, and intrepid immigrants.  They and the hotel are an American story.  http://www.managohotel.com/index.htm

[Quotations from Eileen Tamura. Americanization, Acculturation, and Ethnic Identity: The Nisei Generation in Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press. 1994.  Robert W. Bone. Maverick Guide to Hawaii, 13^th edition. Pelican Publishing Co., 1989, p. 406.  Additional Sources: Anon. “Staying True to Tradition,” West Hawaii Today, November 29, 2006.  Bertil Long, Big Island Trading Post-West Hawaii Edition, April 17, 1985.  Naomi Sodetani, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 19, 1985.]

The post NEW GENERATIONS AT THE MANAGO HOTEL first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

The Manago Hotel on Hawai`i’s Kona Coast offers visitors a glimpse of rapidly disappearing “Old Hawai`i.”  If you require hotel amenities equaling those at the Four Seasons, this is not the place for you.  But, if you have a sense of adventure and a desire to experience a different slice of life, the Manago can be a wonderful accommodation.  [http://www.managohotel.com/index.htm]

As a symbol of the Manago Hotel’s bygone flavor, consider this slightly bent room key.  No computerized key card; no “drop in any mailbox” return address.  It’s a key that says, “If you lose me, you have to explain it to the owner.”  Because, third generation owner Dwight Manago and his wife Cheryl personally keep things running smoothly.

Opening the door, I found the bathroom on the left – with “old-style” louvered windows – and the bedroom before me.  Note the clock radio.  That, the thin towels, and European-style bath gel/shampoo are the only amenities.  But the water is hot, the towels sufficiently absorbent, and the view off the lana`i is below.

Banana trees, the ocean, blue skies with white fluffy clouds.  The sparse room fades into insignificance.  The Manago is not a cookie-cutter resort.  It is part of a community.

Worried that the rooms don’t have televisions?  You can watch downstairs.

And WiFi isn’t just available in the lobby.  I accessed an Internet WANACon conference from my room – a good thing since it began at 3:00 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

You are wondering if food is available?  Yes – and it too is a step back in time.  None of this Pacific Rim cuisine – the food at the Manago is served at specific times:  Breakfast 7:00-9:00; Lunch 11:00-2:00; Dinner 5:00-7:30.  Hungry in-between?  There are candy bars in the lobby. The Manago is particularly famous for its Pork Chops.  I did not have these, but did enjoy Beef Teriyaki with rice, and a Shrimp Sauté, swimming in butter.  Yum.  For breakfast, I ordered pancakes.  The server suggested a half order, and I took her word for it.  So glad I did – the one pancake covered the entire plate.  Want to check out the entire menu?  Here’s the link http://www.managohotel.com/rest.html

And the décor?

Remember those tables from a bygone era?  The chairs are only slightly more recent.  I’m told at least one table is original.  Considering the Manago Hotel opened in 1917, that’s saying something.

There isn’t a great deal to do in Captain Cook after dark.  Lots of local folks have dinner at the Manago, or one of the other restaurants nearby – though I noticed they all served early meals and were mostly closed by 9:00.  If you are looking for nightlife, you’ll be better off in Kailua or Keauhou, more geared as resort areas and less than half an hour away.

I thought the evening patina in front of the Manago to be invitingly magical – especially since I arrived after dark.

Next blog time, I’ll share more of the Manago Hotel’s history.  In the meantime, how many hotels do you know where guests leave their fins at the door?

 Photographs taken by the author.  All rights reserved.

The post STEP INTO OLD HAWAI`I AT THE MANAGO HOTEL first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

First list: Activities. I need business attire, casual clothes for doing research and normal life, dressy items for formal dining. And, of course, work out gear.

Second list: Weather. Summer is easier than Fall, Winter, or Spring. Except when it isn’t. I once was in York, England for June and July. I anticipated some inclement weather – the occasional light rain. Wrong. I wore layers every day. First, the tank top, followed by the shell, the shirt, the pull over sweater, the raincoat, and gloves. And then there was the formal dinner. I am not kidding. Good thing there was time to shop.

Let’s leave the clothes for now. What next?
Third list: Electronics. There was a time when I occasionally packed a hair dryer. Paper sufficed for everything else. Of course, that was when my cabin baggage consisted entirely of printed notes from a yearlong research trip. Now, I have a jump drive . . . somewhere. PLUS . . . on my last trip: MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, portable hard drive, digital camera, cords and other paraphernalia. [Sidebar: I think paraphernalia is a very cool word. It means ‘stuff’ but it sounds so exotic. Can I use it in a sentence? Hmmm . . . “Let me gather my photographic paraphernalia before we get into the Jeep.”]

OK, that’s sorted. Let’s move on to “personal items/toiletries. If you have the fantasy of traveling with just a carry-on bag, everything better be in 3-ounce containers that can fit into a 1-quart plastic bag.

Back to clothing. Yes, I know. Layers. Coordinated colors – which usually translates into black, grey, white, brown, navy and beige + scarves and/or cheap clunky jewelry. Professional “packers” recommend thin fabrics. They pack smaller than wool, linen, or cotton, and you won’t have to iron them later. [Iron? Moi?] Don’t fold your clothes, roll them, and save space by stuffing your shoes.

At this point, hysteria creeps up. How many days am I gone? Would anyone notice if I wore the Tre Elegant Knit Tank Travel Dress from TravelSmithcom (http://www.travelsmith.com/tres-elegant-knit-tank-travel-dress/women/dresses/21559?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=10 ) to the formal dinner with six forks? Would their eyes be dazzled if I paired it with my imitation Hermes scarf, or would they fixate on my all-occasion slightly scuffed gold flats? Never mind, I’ll put in the light blue sparkly cocktail dress and kitten heels.

There are lots of websites with packing tips. Two of them, complete with suggested packing lists, are “How to Pack Light” by Josie at Travelista.com http://travelista.com/packing/how-to-pack-light/ and “How to Pack Light” by Dana Sullivan Kilroy at Away.com http://away.com/travel-advice/travel-ta-how-to-pack-light-sidwcmdev_155212.html

Single most important things to pack: a genuine smile and a sense of humor – the rest does not really matter . . . much.

The post How I Attempt to Pack Light first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Some gardens have official gardeners. Lucky plants. These professionals know their herbaceous clients and give them just what they need when they need it. They keep the lawns mowed, the underbrush cleared, the trees in good health. I think they have something magic in their green fingers. Many of these gardeners work in large public and private gardens. They keep the flowers blooming at Oxford University. They keep Mrs. Jennie Butchart’s dream alive at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. Butchart Gardens has a lovely image gallery at http://www.butchartgardens.com/the-gardens/image-gallery/image-gallery.html Just looking at the images is relaxing.

Happily, there are beautiful gardens in Hawai`i – one of these is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art.   Spalding House sits in a quiet neighborhood on Makiki Heights. Anna Rice Cooke, founder of the museum, built the house and began the gardens in 1924. The structure is a delightful example of the simple, but elegant, lifestyle of territorial Hawai`i. The gardens are a sanctuary above the city with a view of Diamond Head. The Museum has added outdoor art — a woven horse here, a sculpture there. Peaceful serenity – a place for creative play. More information on Spalding House at the Honolulu Museum of Art website http://honolulumuseum.org/11981-contemporary_museum_spalding_house I took a few pictures – hope they bring a bright note to your day.

The post On Gardens first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.