(Instrumental music) Kalaʻi Miller:  Aloha and welcome to Home Is Here, I’m Kalaʻi  Miller and we are enjoying the view of the   majestic Koʻolau Mountains in Heʻeia.

A century  ago, nearly this entire valley was used for   growing taro.

Today a non-profit is working to  restore those loʻi kalo while also churning out   a staple in Hawaiian food and culture.

Nick Reppun/ Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi farm manager:  Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi is educational nonprofit.

We  are located in Koʻolaupoko, on Oʻahu in   the ahupuaʻa of Heʻeia.

And our land base is  about 406 acres that we lease from the state.

Our main crop that we grow  here is, is taro or kalo.

There’s photographs from the 1920s of  the entire basin in taro production.

At the peak of taro production  here in, in Heʻeia there were,   I believe, three poi mills in operation.

One of the goals here for us is to, we look   at that those old aerial photographs from this  place.

And that's one of the guiding documents   that we use to look at what areas we want to  develop next and if we can even get back to a   fraction of what was here before.

(Machines hissing)   Aloha, my name is Nick Reppun.

I'm one of the  farm managers here and this is Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi.

And right now we're standing in front of Opu  Nui.

This is our value added processing center.

And this part of the building is our poi mill.

We generally would cook our taro the day before   we make poi.

Come in the morning, we start at  6 a.m., open this thing up and start start our   process.

So from the steamer here, we'll  unload burlap bags of kalo.

That kalo   gets put into our cleaning trough.

So when the  kalo comes out of the steamer, it's like this,   it's got the skin on it.

First step is we do our  rough clean.

And that just involves going by hand   and removing the skin till it's all clean.

Once we've got the skin off, we usually rinse   everything down.

And then we'll come and do our  fine clean with the spoon.

Mostly we're looking   at taking out any of these leftover pieces of  skin, little root eyes and any other things   that are going to basically create a unwanted  flavor or texture in our poi.

Once the kalo is   cleaned sufficiently, it goes, dropped into the  trough here, comes down to the end of our line.

So once the kalo is clean, it comes down to  our cutting table here, where we're cutting   the kalo down to size for the mill, but we're  also checking the inside of the corm for any   other little bits of rot that might be in  there or any other imperfections.

We're   also looking for starch quality, as well.

And so  this is kind of our final quality control stage.

Once we have a full bucket, then we'll transfer  that over to the mill.

This is our mill.

We   basically just feed the kalo through here and it  runs through one time into the bowl.

And once it's   all ground, then it goes on to our mixer.

When we're mixing in the water here,   we use ice water.

Because when it comes out of  the mill, it's actually, the mill, the machine   makes it pretty hot, pretty warm.

And that warm  temperature is good for all of those microbes   that are in there to sour the poi.

If that poi  sours too fast, then it's not going to be as ono.

Once the mixing is done then it goes on  to the bagging table where everything gets   packaged and labeled and ready for sale.

This is the way I was taught by my family   to bag.

As you can see we do it by hand.

I  like doing it this way because it allows you   to do one final quality control.

Make  sure the poi is that right texture.

Something we pride ourselves on is  having a nice quality, a nice thick poi.

We bag it up and once its all bagged we box  it up and get it ready for our customers.

So   actually one of our biggest partners right now  is the Hawaiʻi Foodbank.

They pick up poi pretty   regularly from us and give it out in their food  distributions.

Also, today, most of this kalo is   gonna go to a lot of the Kamehameha preschools.

So we’re one of their partner organizations,   so they’re basically trying to give poi to the  preschool students so they can take home and   feed their families, share with their families.

The poi making process has changed a lot over   the years.

From the traditional method  of board and stone and hand pounding.

I feel like we're kind of in between,  like a fully modern, mechanized thing.

But we still do a fair amount of  the process by hand, which I think   is important for quality standards, too.

I also think that when you grow taro the, the   best test for the quality of the taro  that you're growing is to make poi.

Because the better quality taro you  have, the more poi that you can make.

This space here, Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi is  really important for our community.

Anywhere that we can preserve spaces for the  growing of food is incredibly important.

It's a very, I believe a very human  activity to cultivate food for your   own consumption.

I think it's super rewarding.

Whether you're a kid or you're already grown,   it's never too late to start your  aloha ʻāina journey of just being   a good steward of our land and you  know, taking care of the resources   that take care of us.

(Instrumental music)   Kalaʻi Miller: Turning 100 years   old may seem like a daunting milestone.

So  imagine being 104 years old and counting.

As more and more people live longer lives,  a Honolulu woman shows us how to be active,   inspired and full of spunk.

(Cheering)   Alma Browning / Student: I don't know what it is magic thing about her but   it's like we want to be with her.

It's simple.

Sandra Pohl / Downtown Art   Center Executive Director: We love her.

She is so wonderful.

Fridalane Menezes: She's a firecracker, fun lady.

Ann Asakura / Temari Hawaii Executive Director: She's, she's just fantastic.

I mean, I really want   to be like, I hope I'm like her.

I hope you're  interviewing me 20 years from now you buggers.

Esther Nowell / Turned 104 years old in 2024: Why do you think people like you?

Do they?

(laughing) Beat's me.

(laughing)   My name is Esther Nowell.

I was born in  Ohio in 1920.

So I am 104 years old.

My father was a farmer in Ohio  and my mother was an osteopath.

I had no brothers and  sisters.

I was an only child.

My mother's family was from Colorado.

And  somehow or other they met Pete Beamer.

He   was riding through Colorado on a bicycle.

He became acquainted with one of my uncles   who had asthma, very bad.

And Pete Beamer said  told him, you have no business living here in   this climate.

You should come to Hawaiʻi.

And he did.

And my other uncle followed   him.

And my mother followed him, and my  auntie followed him.

So the whole family   came to Hawaiʻi and loved it.

I went to Aliʻiolani School and then   from there went to Roosevelt and graduated from  there and went to the University of Hawaiʻi.

Life was much simpler in those days.

No high rise buildings at all.

I just enjoyed being a kid in Hawaiʻi.

Going to the beach.

Playing in the sand.

Take it easy.

No pressure.

That's what being an artist is,   not just doing the same old thing  everybody else is always done you're   an individual you're gonna do it your way.

I can't remember when I wasn't interested in art.

My mother took me to the Honolulu Academy of  Arts and enrolled me in the art children's   art classes there.

After the first class, they  gave me a scholarship.

And I kept on going every   Saturday until I graduated from high school.

Favorite form of art?

Watercolor I guess and clay?

Both wonderful mediums.

Sandra Pohl / Downtown   Art Center Executive Director: I've been in the gallery business   for about 20 years.

And she was in one of my  first group shows.

And that's when I fell in   love with her.

She did some paintings.

She did  pottery, and her pottery is so whimsical.

Her   art is very fun.

And I think that's her approach  to life is that she's just a wonderful person   to be around.

And her artwork makes me happy.

Ann Asakura / Temari Hawaii Executive Director:  Esther's art expertise is not fake.

That's one  thing.

It's really hard earned long years of   production of art pieces, as well as teaching.

And those are two very different sides of   the coin.

And then Esther being a person  who genuinely cares about her students.

Jessica Pulliam / Student: Learning from Esther has been a real treat.

She always has tidbits of wisdom.

Most commonly,  it shouldn't be work, it should always be fun.

And   practice, practice, practice.

Esther Nowell:  The more you paint the more confidence you  get and the better paintings you'll produce.

Practice, practice, practice.

Jessica Pulliam / Student:  And I think following those pieces of advice  had has really helped me along, not just with   painting, but just with life in general.

Esther Nowell:  You're gonna make whistles they're all  different ways to make them but I have   a method that usually works it's it's not all  that easy but it's so rewarding when you blow   it and the noise comes out.

Alma Browning / Student:  Esther like to teaching classes because that  make her feel alive.

And it's umm, it's a   way to pass his knowledge and she wants  everybody know how to do things because   create something with your hands is I go beauty  is something beautiful.

They, it stays forever.

Esther Nowell / Turned 104 years old in 2024: Yes, indeed, I enjoy teaching art.

I'm always   saying everybody is an artist.

And it's true.

You select the clothes you wear by the color,   the shape, the style.

You select the  decorations in your home.

These are all   artistic design decisions.

Sandra Pohl / Downtown   Art Center Executive Director: Every time she went away on a trip like to   Japan or Korea, and she'd bring her sketchbook.

I just love looking at her sketchbooks.

They're   wonderful little drawings.

They're real quick sketches,   and then she goes home at the hotel room and she  does the watercolor washes over it.

Really fun,   really happy memories of places to go.

And  she always encourages people to do that.

(Instrumental music) Esther Nowell / Turned 104 years old in 2024:  I should move around more than  I do.

I like to go swimming.

Fridalane Menezes / Fellow Swimmer: I've been coming for about four or   five years, mainly for exercise, but  then it's a lot of fun.

You meet a   lot of people, and that's where we met Esther.

She was 102 then.

We just sat there and went, oh!

I'm 81 and I can't imagine doing half of the  stuff that she does at my age.

I'm poking around,   and she's sort of hot footing it here  in the pool.

Love it.

Just love it.

Esther Nowell: Woo I did it!

(Crowd: Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday  to you.

Happy birthday dear Esther.

Happy   birthday to you!)

Sandra Pohl / Downtown   Art Center Executive Director: She's 104 years old.

And she's got a   wealth of friends and supporters that entertain  her.

They keep her busy, they take her classes.

And that, I think, is also a sign of how she's  aged so well, that she is really living life.

And she's bringing this whole crowd with her.

Esther Nowell / Turned 104 years old in 2024:  So many of my friends have died.

You  know?

All my high school friends are gone.

So I have to keep making new friends.

Younger people like Alma.

(laughing)   Alma Browning / Student: I love Esther because she   supports me in different ways.

My first language  is Spanish so my English not really well.

But she   understand me and she loved me like I think  I love her too.

And she appreciate it.

I   learned a lot from her and she knows that every  single thing that I make is because of her.

Jessica Pulliam / Student: I think the thing that Esther   has taught me most is that everyone can be an  artist.

It's just, it just takes picking, picking   up a paintbrush going outside.

And it teaches you  to see the world differently, like everything's   an opportunity to create something new.

Ann Asakura / Temari Hawaii Executive Director:  Esther simply being alive is a lesson that I  really cherish.

Even if we email a lot because   she's hard of hearing.

But I have a loud voice.

So we yell at each other a lot.

Esther has taught   me to just cherish every day, but make it count.

Don't just take for granted you're going to get   up and breathe.

Do something useful in that day  because that's what she does.

Work in the yard,   make clay, draw and be happy.

Sandra Pohl / Downtown   Art Center Executive Director: She's got a lot of wisdom in her lifetime,   that she's accumulated, and its gelled in.

And so  what she knows, it's kind of like the truth of the   universe.

It's, that's the kind of wisdom that  she has that older people have, that I admire,   that they can instinctively because they have this  muscle memory of being able to tell their truth,   that it's, it's, it's wisdom, it's  something that comes out automatically,   because they've lived a full life.

Esther Nowell / Turned 104 years old in 2024:  Do unto others as you would have them do  unto you.

That is my most important belief.

Every person is worth your kindness.

Be kind.

Are you tired of me yet?

(Laughs)   Kalaʻi Miller: While there’s no beating the beauty of nature,   there’s something special about the beauty the  holiday season brings.

Every year in Waikele,   neighbors come together to create a holiday  lightshow that’s so big, people from all around   Oʻahu come to enjoy it.

(Instrumental music)   Keith Yoshida/Waikele Lights: Think about all of this as a canvas.

There are hundreds of thousands of lights.

So, when you visit Waikele Lights,   what you'll find is you're watching the show,  but you're also immersed in it.

And the reason   for that is we control lights not only on  our home, but other homes on the street,   where the lights are synchronized to music.

So  it's happening all around you with the music.

So   it's flashing in front of you flashing on the side  flashing, people are watching, oh, wait a minute,   those lights are connected, oh, wait, these lights  are connected.

So you're in the middle of it,   which is a kind of really unique experience.

The synchronized lights started back in 2011.

We were decorating for many, many years  before that, with our children being young   and putting up lights.

Just keep adding, adding,  adding, then we ended up running out of room,   then we thought, what can we do different.

So we did a slight version of music and   lights.

But it was really limited, then  we said we need to do something bigger.

It comes down to programming each one  of those light fixtures to do what you   want to do.

So it all comes together.

I do have a background in programming.

Went to school for that for a little bit.

But  the hardware and software you can purchase.

So people ask me, “Well, how do you  program?” And I said, “Well, it takes   a very long time.” So imagine a spreadsheet.

Every light fixture is a row.

So if we have   1000 light fixtures is 1000 rows by that many  columns.

And what you need to do is then say,   Okay, for this particular fixture, when do  I want this light to come on?

Or off?

When   do I want it to fade?

Up?

Fade down?

When do I  want it to flash?

When do I want it to shimmer?

And you do that for every single row.

And it just takes time.

Like one of the   songs we have, which is Mele Kalikimaka.

It  took 20 hours of programming, just to program   that one with three and a half minute song.

People often ask, Oh, wow, what about, you know,   do your neighbors feel pressure, and no.

We've  never - everybody just does whatever they want,   you know.

You want to put up lights?

That's  up to you.

You want it controlled by the   computer?

That's up to you.

And there's no  requirement or expectations?

People are like,   Oh, if I move on to the street, I wonder  what they need to sign up for.

Well, no,   everybody gets to do whatever they choose.

Olaf Schoknecht/Waikele Lights:  Hi, my name is Olaf Schoknecht.

I live here  on Anapau next door to Mr. Yoshida's house.

He came up with this idea, hey, why  don't we all make lights, you know.

And after a little bit of persuasion,  and, and we all, said, okay,   and that's how this whole thing started.

This is, it's really a tight community.

Whatever we're doing here, Keith, and  all the other people joining, you know,   it makes it worthwhile.

For what we  see, what's going on.

When you go in   the evening.

And all the peoples are coming.

On Saturday night, and somebody came up to us,   because you know, the street is blocked.

And said to me, it's better than going down   in town and looking at the city lights.

So you know, that makes you feel good.

Terry Reis/Waikele Lights: You know, Keith's house is   the main attraction - he's the hub.

So we kind  of just feed off of that.

And we, you know, I   tried to be something different, you know,  try to give something different than the   other houses.

So we all try to give something  as little you know, a little taste of something.

We dedicate our house to my  grandson, Zane, Zane’s Zoo.

So the satisfaction of seeing the kids, the people  the thank yous.

Just the other couple of nights   ago, we got a certificate from a family they  selected a house on the street and said that   you are the number one house with a $20 gift  certificate to Starbucks.

People that we don't   know.

And so stuff like that it's really good.

Keith Yoshida/Waikele Lights:  So it's kind of interesting when we first  was started out.

You know, we were in the   back and our kids said “Hey, Dad, there's this  guy outside and he wants to give you money.” I   said what?

For what?

Oh, I don't know.

I said,  well tell them we don't want money.

They said   he's kind of insistent.

So I said, Okay, so I  came out.

And he introduced himself and he said   all thank you so much for doing this.

I said, Oh,  we enjoy glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for coming.

He said here.

Hands me a $100.

Bill.

I said, Oh,  no, we don't.

Thank you.

But you know, go donate   it.

He said, No, I am donating it to you.

I said,  well, thank you, but no, thank you.

And he said,   I insist.

And this guy is like really big, right?

So I can push back on how much I'm gonna push   back.

He's like, really big guy.

I said, Okay,  we'll accept it.

But you need to know that we're   gonna in turn, donate it to a nonprofit.

He's  like, hey, perfect.

So that's how it started.

So now what we do is we, whatever donations we  get, we talked to the neighbors and we identify   a charity.

And we basically, whatever  we get, we give it back to the charity.

So we've donated to Hawaiian Humane  Society, Make A Wish, the Kakaako shelter,   PATCH.

We've donated to Hawaii Meals on Wheels.

And, you know, it's just, it's just giving back,   right?

Sharing the blessings that we've  received.

And it's a blessing for us   to be able to share with the community.

And so from the community comes a gift,   which then goes to others who need it.

We put about 100 hours of labor time into getting   the lights up.

This doesn't count the programming  doesn't count the, you know, the, the glitches and   the fixes, but testing the lights, putting it up.

And then outside of that is boxing it up, putting   it away, taking it out unboxing it you know, so  there's quite a bit of time, you know, and it's   always like, oh, oh, why are we doing this?

Why  are we doing it?

But then when it's on, and you   have all the people and you see the kids and you  hear people thanking you.

Thank you so much.

Thank   you so much.

It's like, oh, that's why we do it.

At some point, you know, I'm not, we're not going   to be able to do this, right, you can’t go,  climbing up on a roof and putting lights and   all that.

So at some point, it'll end.

But  for now, while we have the ability to do it,   we've been blessed.

The joy that you can hear  coming from people when they talk about it.

The kids just when the snow is turned on the  kids all run to the snow machine.

Oh, you know,   they're all excited.

And just all those little  pieces, it's hard to, to quantify that.

You know,   it's like, oh, we do it because of this or that.

It just, it's a feeling, right.

It's just, it's   the spirit of Christmas.

Kalaʻi Miller:  If you enjoy stories celebrating  Hawaii’s unique innovations,   people and celebrations – consider supporting  us at pbshawaii.org/donate.

It’s because of   viewers like you we can share our stories  with the world.

Mahalo and until next time,   a hui hou!

Nick Reppun:  I think at the peak, some of the records that  I've seen might have been easily like 100   poi mills on Oʻahu.

Esther Nowell:  I'm not conscious of dieting or anything  like that.

I just eat what I like.

Terry Reis: People at work seeing your stuff,   you know, hey, I want to live on that street.

You know, you got a great family.

You know, y   ou got a great neighborhood.

You're really tight.

I go Yeah, everybody looks out for each other.