And in case you missed them . . .

Our recent Blogs:

• January 27, 2012 - Maui Fourth Friday Celebration in Paia
• January 20, 2012 - Good News for Maui and Hawaii Hotels
• January 13, 2012 - Maui Chinese New Year Festival
• January 06, 2012 - Haleakala Crater Volunteer Work and Free Cabin Stay

Natural History

Golden Dewdrop
(Duranta repens or D. erecta)

The showy golden dewdrop is also known as "Brazilian sky flower" or "pigeon berry" and is a member of the Verbena family and are related to lantana, vervain and the teak tree. It's a widely grown shrub with slender, drooping branches that may be smooth or sometimes spiny. The plant either sprawls, needing regular pruning to maintain an attractive shape, or it can be trained into a tree that is from 6 to 18 feet high. It is a native to the scrublands of tropical America and the West Indies. The plant is attractive to birds and butterflies.

In Hawaii golden dewdrop is mostly grown as an ornamental or as easy-to-grow hedges or border plants and is especially attractive when loaded with masses of grape-like yellow-orange berries that are about a quarter-inch to one-half-inch in diameter. It is a fast-growing screen but is not rambunctious. (It does not have conqueror tendencies.)

The berries, which do look like golden dewdrops, often cover the stems and cling for months. They tend to fall easily in windy places, however. In Colombia, the waxy, chickpea-like berries are called "garbancillo" or "little garbanzo."

The fruits have been reported as poisonous since they contain hydrocyanic acid as well as a saponin that is fatal to children. In small quantities they were used medicinally to treat people infected with intestinal worms and in Asia they were used for insect repellent.

The simple, ever-green, smooth-textured leaves are opposite or grow in whorls of three leaves. They are oval and may grow from less than an inch to 3-1/2 inches long. They may be toothed in the upper half or along the margins.

The abundant, dainty, tubular flowers may be sky blue to light violet and deeper purples but are sometimes white and are about a third of an inch long with five rounded lobes. They develop mostly on one side of the stem in panicles at the branch tips or in narrower clusters at the leaf axils.

The bushes flower almost continuously and fruits are almost always present. They develop the best color in full sun and do require watering since they are only moderately drought resistant.

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Arts & Culture

Going Up The Mountain

In 1828, five years after the missionaries came to Maui and established a station in Lahaina, Reverend William Richards, one of the members of this first mission, made the first recorded ascent of "the highest land on Maui" with brother missionaries Lorrin Andrews and Jonathan Smith Green. (They were advised that the way was long but the ascent easy.)

On the morning of August 21, they started up. Richards wrote of their climb: "Halfway up the mountains we found plenty of good water, and, at a convenient fountain, we filled our calabash for tea. By the sides of our path, we found plenty of ohelos, (a juicy berry, very palatable,) and, occasionally a cluster of strawberries. On the lower part of the mountain, there is considerable timber; but as we approached the summit, almost the only thing, of the vegetable kind, which we saw, was a plant which grew to the height of six or eight feet, and produced a most beautiful flower. It seems to be peculiar to this mountain, as our guide and servants made ornaments of it for their hats, to demonstrate to those below that they had been to the top of the mountain.

"It was nearly 5 o'clock when we reached the summit; but we found ourselves richly repaid for the toil of the day, by the grandeur and beauty of the scene, which at once opened up to our view. The day was very fine. The clouds…were far below us; so that we saw the upper side of them, while the reflection of the sun painting their verge with varied tints, made them appear like enchantment…. On the other side, we beheld the seat of Pele's dreadful reign. We stood on the edge of a tremendous crater, down which, a single misstep would have precipitated us, 1,000 or 1,500 feet. This was once filled with liquid fire, and in it, we counted sixteen extinguished craters. To complete the grandeur of the scene Mouna Kea and Mouna Roa [early spellings] lifted their lofty summits and convinced us, that, though far above the clouds, we were far below the feet of the traveler who ascends the mountains of Hawaii. By this time the sun was nearly sunk in the Pacific; and we looked around for a shelter during the night."

The missionaries spent an uncomfortable night in a small fenced yard some distance below the summit. The temperature fell from 77 degrees to 44 degrees and then to 40 degrees the next morning when they arose and "reascended the mountain to its summit, and contemplated the beauties of the rising sun, and gazed a while longer, on the scenery before us…. We were anxious to remain longer…but as we were nearly out of provisions…we finished our chicken and tea, and began our descent."

Although this was the first historical recorded ascent of Haleakala, it was by no means the first time that the mountain had been visited. In 1920, Dr. Kenneth P. Emory of the Bishop Museum made an archaeological investigation and found that the crater contained numerous stone terraces, platforms, various shelters and a paved trail - evidence that the Crater was an important place for the people of the island for a long time.

Some of the structures Emory documented may have been heiau, temples, dedicated to the worship of the volcano goddess Pele. Others are most certainly burial sites. (The isolated sites are well-suited for this use.) The so-called "Bottomless Pit" and the Na Piko Haua pit were apparently desirable places in which to secrete the umbilical cords of babies.

And, above Paliku, a prominent rock served as the "hub of East Maui." From this rock, called "Palaha," on the northeast brink of the crater, the boundary lines that delineated the pie-shaped ahupua'a (land divisions) of the mountain were drawn, down to the sea. Eight ahupua'a (one in each district of East Maui) meet at this rock. This ancient subdivision of land remains unchanged to the present day.

Intrepid Haleakala visitors during the 19th and early 20th century made their own way up to the summit either on foot, or by horse or mule, taking with them all necessary food and water. The visitors sheltered in caves or huddled for protection against the winds and the cold behind the walls of what were possibly animal pens. "Big Flea" and "Little Flea" caves, a quarter miles from the summit, soon became the best known camp sites. Their popularity was due solely to the fact that there was nothing better.

In 1894, Maui residents, spurred by well-known architect C. W. Dickey, got up a popular subscription to build an overnight shelter at Kalahaku Lookout. The building materials were hauled 20 miles up the mountain on pack animals provided by H.P. Baldwin and the sugar plantations. This shelter was badly used by those for whom it was constructed. Windows were broken and timbers were ripped up for use as firewood. Garbage accumulated. The destruction was hastened by a storm which removed the roof. In 1914 and 1915, a new, more comfortable rest house was built near the site of the original shelter.

Meanwhile, during the late 1890's and early 1900's, a grandson of missionaries, Lorrin A. Thurston, who had lived on Maui and served as a guide for visitors to Haleakala, kept alive a proposal for the formation of a national park that included the volcanoes on the Big Island as well as Maui's own dormant one. As the publisher of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, Thurston kept the idea alive as Territorial Governor after the Territorial Governor kept pushing Congress to approve the idea.

On January 20, 1916, Hawaii's Delegate to the United States Congress, Jonah Kuhio, introduced the fourth (and final) Hawaii National Park bill. On April 17, the House approved the bill. It also passed through the Senate and on August 1, 1916, President Wilson signed the bill into law, creating the twelfth National Park, which included the volcanoes on the Big Island and Haleakala Crater. Most of the focus during the early years was on the more exciting and dramatic active volcanoes on the Big Island. The National Park Service didn't have the funding to develop both parks at the same time.

However, ten years after the second rest house had been built, new dormitories were added and the maintenance of the buildings given to the manager of the Grand Hotel in Wailuku. Visits to the Haleakala summit remained a popular tourist attraction.

The Depression years saw an increased expenditure of Federal funds on public works projects. Haleakala had Civilian Conservation Corps camps. The strong young men of the CCC were put to work: Roads were improved, trails were built, utilities and other facilities were installed and improved. At Haleakala, the magnificent Halemauu trail into the crater was constructed and three overnight cabins were built on the crater floor.

(There are three major trails leading into Haleakala, plus a network of trails across the floor of the Crater. The best known is the Sliding Sands Trail which starts from White Hill, just beyond the Observatory, and leads six miles to Kapalaoa cabin. Four miles beyond is Paliku cabin, across the mouth of Kaupo Gap from Kapalaoa. A third cabin is Holua, nestled against the rim at the west side of Koolau Gap, on the Halemauu Trail into the crater. The third trail (and the least frequently used) is via Kaupo Gap and Kaupo village on the south coast.)

A promised summit road, built with Territorial and Park funds, opened in 1935. The next year, the CCC built an overlook building near the summit. With the completion of the road to the summit, the National Park Service assumed active on-the-ground administration of the Haleakala area.

During World War II, use of the Park dropped drastically. Haleakala even closed its gates for a while. Post-war funds were quickly invested in basic repairs to roads and trails.

Meanwhile, in 1951, the Hui o Ahinahina (Silversword Society) was formed by volunteers to help the Park in visitor service interpretive activities. One brochure said, "The exclusive Society of the Silversword (Hui o Ahinahina) invites you to become a member if you have visited the summit or the crater of Haleakala. Only one class of membership. Life: one dollar! By joining you can help scientific study, interpretation, and display exhibits of the Park. Exchange your dollar at the Park or at the office of Silversword Inn for a silvery, engraved certificate, suitable for framing. With pride you can hand it down to your grandchildren, a souvenir of Haleakala." Every lifetime member received a certificate suitable for framing. Funds raised by the group were spent on improvements to the visitor facilities.

The National Park Service finally razed the old rest house in 1957. Today glass-enclosed observation buildings along the crater rim command wide views of Haleakala Crater, West Maui, and the islands of Hawaii, Molokai, and Lanai.

In 1961, Haleakala became a separate National Park. (The park on the Big Island was renamed Volcanoes National Park.)

 
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Braddah-Nics Lexicon

STANDARD: My aunt will invite us to eat when we visit her. It's impolite to refuse.
BRADDAH-NICS: My auntie, she goin' make us eat, you know. No can say no.

* * * * * * * *

STANDARD: My uncle loves to eat.
BRADDAH-NICS: My uncle, he know how for grind 'em, brah!

* * * * * * * *

STANDARD: Is this a traditional Chinese dish?
BRADDAH-NICS: So what? Dis grinds Pake?

 
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Local Grinds

Maui Crispy Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 pieces of Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Large Bag of Maui Onion Potato Chips
• ½  Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Honey Mustard
• ½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tsp Paprika
• Salt and Pepper to preference

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Rinse chicken in cold water; pat dry. Place flour, salt and pepper in a gallon Ziploc bag. In increments of 3 pieces, place chicken into the bag, seal and shake to completely cover. Remove and place on plate. Continue until all of the chicken pieces have been floured. Discard flour.
• Empty the contents of the chip bag into a gallon Ziploc bag and remove excess air. Use a rolling pin to crush chips enough to make a good breading for the chicken. Remove from bag and onto a large plate.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, mustard, cayenne pepper and paprika.
• Roll each piece of chicken into the batter then coat with crushed chips.
• Place coated pieces on a baking sheet.
• When you are done coating chicken, place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Then lower heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 minutes, or until golden brown. When pressed with a knife, liquid should run clear.

Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 2 Orange Bell Peppers
• 2Yellow Bell Peppers
• 1 Zuchinni
• 1 Onion
• 12 Mushrooms
• Teriyaki Glaze Dressing
• 20 Shish Kabob Sticks

Procedure:

• Prep sticks by soaking in water for a day to prevent sticks from burning in oven.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
• Clean and chop all veggies (except mushrooms) into large chunks.
• Place half of the veggies in a gallon Ziploc bag, add teriyaki dressing. Seal bag and shake to coat veggies. Place coated veggies onto a cookie sheet, and repeat process with remaining half of cut veggies.
• Add veggies, in any order onto individual kabob sticks. Don’t over pack, to allow veggies to cook easily.
• After all kabobs are ready, use cookie sheet to lineup all of you kabob sticks. If they don’t fit you may need to cook another batch after the first. Place your batch in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Use excess teriyaki dressing to baste veggies while baking.

  
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Remember When . . .

Early Visitors to the Iao Valley

In the 19th century, the Iao Valley and Iao Needle were among the most popular destinations for early tourists. As was stated in the Maui News in 1902, there was "no attractive spot in the Islands", but there was "scarcely a more difficult place to reach".

Visitors in the late 1800's had to hike up a trail which was frequently washed out or obliterated by thick growth and trees. This photograph of two visitors to the valley illustrates the difficulty involved in reaching the Iao Needle. It clearly was a strenuous trip for the physically fit.

The exact location of the photograph is not known. The photographer was Brother Bertram, a Marionist Brother who has given us such a great photographic record of Maui as it existed in the last decade of the 19th century.

Photo from the archives of the Maui Historical Society/Bailey House Museum
Historical text by Fred Woodruff, Bailey House Volunteer
 

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