Hub links community, culture in Hawi

The rural district of North Kohala on Hawaii island is abuzz with excitement about the Kohala Village Hub, a new community center in Hawi town that provides a variety of programs, services and facilities through its three branches: the education-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) Feed Hawaii; the quaint Kohala Village Inn; and the Hub Pub, whose simple but hearty fare is based on fresh Kohala-grown ingredients.

“The Hub’s goal is to strengthen families and connect the community through fun, interesting activities that revolve around the food, arts, culture and ecology of Kohala,” said project director Lehua Ah Sam. “We support local farmers, offer classes that foster creative thinking, celebrate Kohala’s ethnically diverse population and promote conservation through responsible, sustainable practices. Visitors are welcome to participate in everything we offer.”

The inn

Longtime Kohala resident Jimmy Luke and his family acquired the 1.5-acre parcel that the Kohala Village Inn occupies from Kohala Sugar Plantation Manager Harry Taylor in 1950. The Lukes opened a restaurant and bar there called Luke’s, which quickly became a popular gathering place.

The 19-room inn began operating in a newly constructed building the following year. It has remained open through the decades, even when Luke’s closed and Hawi’s population began to decline in the 1990s.

In 2014 a Hawaii island family that wishes to remain anonymous purchased the inn, the building that had housed Luke’s and two adjoining parcels totaling more than 4 acres. They envisioned a vibrant community center on the site with accommodations, a restaurant and facilities for classes on topics ranging from art and culture to nutrition and fitness.

All of the existing buildings, including four cottages on the adjacent land, underwent an extensive renovation to bring that dream to fruition.

Clean, quiet and modest, the Kohala Village Inn harks back to the days when sugar plantations covered thousands of North Kohala acres. Nightly rates start at $98, single or double occupancy. Kamaaina receive a 10 percent discount. Call 889-0404 or check out kohalavillagehub .com/stay for more information.

The classes

On the Hub’s activity schedule are one- to three-hour classes for kids and adults in five sessions: winter (January to March), spring (March to May), summer (June and July), fall (August to October) and holiday (October to December). Visitors can join most classes for drop-in fees of $5 to $20.

Among the current offerings are yoga, tai chi, ceramics, ukulele, salsa, tango, belly dancing and hula (this class must be arranged at least two weeks in advance).

On the second Friday of most months, crowds fill what formerly was Luke’s truck garage for Kanikapila Live, spotlighting local performers who donate their time to support the Hub’s mission. A suggested donation of $5 to $10 per person benefits Feed Hawaii. The 7 p.m. show is streamed live on kanikapilalive.com for those who can’t attend.

The pub

Kohala’s bounty is the inspiration for the Hub Pub, which serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday. Popular morning dishes include ono (mackerel) loco moco; eggs Benedict made with the fresh catch of the day and house-made guava hollandaise; and Hub Brunch Toast — Punaluu Bake Shop guava sweet bread topped with caramelized bananas and Waimea strawberries, whipped coconut cream, crushed Hamakua macadamia nuts and house-roasted coconut flakes.

Among the options tempting lunch guests are salads made with Kohala- grown produce and juicy burgers (a choice of grass-fed Hawaii island beef, organic chicken, fresh fish, a house-made veggie patty or three of those in a slider sampler). Those with a sweet tooth won’t be able to resist lemon bars featuring lemons from Kukuipahu Ranch near Hawi and a rich macadamia shortbread crust.

Late this year or early next, the Hub Pub will transform into a craft brewpub specializing in beers brewed on-site and flavored with Kohala-grown ingredients. When that happens, the eatery will have happy hour, dinner and late-night bar service.

Coming up

More great things are in the works. Set to open in the fall is a shop that will sell products made by Hub students and local artists and craftspeople. Classes on butchery, lau hala weaving and composting food waste with worms are being planned.

“Enriching lives is at the heart of the Hub,” Ah Sam said. “We’re guided by Hawaiian values: pono ola, well-being; kuleana, responsibility; laulima, working together; oli, happiness; and aloha, compassion. Those are the keys to a happy, healthy, sustainable community.”

Kamehameha Day in Kohala

The theme of Saturday’s event honoring Hawaii’s great warrior king is “E Pulama i na Kupuna (Cherish Our Elders).” Festivities are planned throughout the day, beginning with a sunrise ceremony and lei draping at the Kamehameha statue in Kapaau from 7 to 9 a.m.

A parade of floats, riding units and decorated vehicles will travel along Akoni Pule Highway from Hawi to Kapaau from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Then, head to the hoolaulea (celebration) at Kamehameha Park. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy live entertainment, local food, traditional Hawaiian games, lei-making demonstrations and educational exhibits, including examples of Hawaiian weapons and attire.

Lomilomi massage and blood pressure checks are among the services that will be available for elders at the Kupuna Corner sponsored by the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.