Aloha Shirt Postage Stamps
Postage stamps picturing colorful Aloha shirts will go on sale at U.S. Postal Service offices around the country. The stamps also will be available online at www.usps.com. The aloha shirt stamps will be 29 cent postcard stamps.
Nothing says “Hawai‘i” or conjures casual good times like the colorful Aloha shirt, which takes its name from the Hawaiian word often used as a blessing or greeting. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the spirit of “Aloha” with five stamps, each depicting a different shirt. Aloha shirts are made from boldly patterned fabric showing decorative images of Hawaiian life. Two of the five classic shirts depicted in the stamp art showcase surfers and their boards; one shows fossil fish, shells, and sea stars; another shows a tropical flower known as the bird of paradise; and one shows Kilauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawai‘i.
One Square Mile Hanalei
One Square Mile is a documentary series that explores different cultures and lifestyles within the boundaries of a single square mile. These microcosms range from cities with 60,000 people living and working in a single square mile, to the small town of Hanalei on the North Shore of Kauai.
The peaceful town of Hanalei and Hanalei Bay, are both a destination for locals and visitors. The square mile in this video includes the inner-most portion of the bay and the town. Step into Kauai’s history, beauty, art, music, wildlife, nightlife, swimming, surfing, and its taro fields.
Collectively, the various square miles of this project make up a patchwork of contemporary culture. One Square Mile provides an intimate look at our society, and examines the human experience first hand.
Hawaii FiveO Theme Song
At the center of rebooting the TV series Hawaii Five-O is the debut of a new orchestration of the iconic, 42-year-old theme song. “It’s the most enduring 59 seconds in TV music history” declares CBS. They are debuting this music video of the modern arrangement featuring recording session footage and clips from the upcoming new series.
After flirting with a major modernization – a synth-heavy remake, bringing in well-known bands, or doing a New Wave version, it was finally decided, “wait a second, we don’t want to mess with this.” Composer Brian Tyler was brought in to conduct 35 musicians for the re-record session. Among the musicians were renowned players from the original 1968 recording – David Duke (1st Horn), Chuck Findley (1st Trumpet) and Bob Zimmitti (Percussion). Feeling respect and awe for the classic theme by the series’ original composer (Morton Stevens) Tyler believed the new recording needed to be “true vintage with a cool vibe.”
CBS says, “It was essential to have the flavor of the original in the modern arrangement. We’re treating the Hawaii Five-O theme as a lead character in the show, and we’ll make use of the song in a variety of ways as we launch the new series,” which will debut September 20th.
Hawaii Rainforest Stamp
As part of the 2010 Stamp Program the U.S. Postal Service will feature a new stamp with a Hawaiian rainforest. The Hawaiian rainforest is the twelfth Nature of America issuance in an educational series focusing on the beauty and complexity of major plant and animal communities in the United States. Previous issuances in the Nature of America series were Sonoran Desert, Pacific Coast Rain Forest, Great Plains Prairie, Longleaf Pine Forest, Arctic Tundra, Pacific Coral Reef, Northeast Deciduous Forest, Southern Florida Wetland, Alpine Tundra, Great Lakes Dunes, and Kelp Forest.
Artist John D. Dawson painted the scene and each of the previous ones in the Nature of America series. John is a gifted wildlife artist whose meticulous attention to detail and accuracy is inspired by countless hours of research, field observations, specimen studies, and consultations with scientists. The dramatic terrain of the West fueled many of his creative ideas, but in 1989 he traded the Rocky Mountains for the tropical rain forests of Hawaii, where he lives and works today. His clients include National Geographic, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Postal Service, for which he has created more than 30 stamp designs. The stamp goes on sale in August.
The following text appears on the back of the stamp pane:
Rainfall is abundant in a Hawaiian rain forest, a verdant world dotted with ‘ōhi‘a lehua blossoms and the flowers of the kanawao, ‘ōhā, and other shrubs. Typically, the leaves and branches of mature ‘ōhi‘a lehua trees make up the forest canopy. Saplings, shrubs, and tree ferns dominate the understory, while a great variety of smaller ferns, herbs and mosses carpet the forest floor.
The lush vegetation offers protection and sustenance for wildlife, including several bird species, numerous insects, and the islands’ only native terrestrial mammal — the ‘ōpe‘ape‘a, or Hawaiian hoary bat. Because of Hawaii’s remote location, its rain forest plants and animals were safe from competition and predation by introduced species until relatively recent times; today, they are among the most vulnerable biological communities on Earth.
The stamp pane features a rain forest on the island of Hawaii. In the painting, a tiny happyface spider clings to a leaf in the foreground as honeycreepers and other birds seek nectar, insects, and berries amid the dense foliage.
1. ‘Ōhi‘a lehua (Myrtle Family) Metrosideros polymorph
2. Hawaii ‘Amakihi (Finch Family) Hemignathus virens virens
3. Hawaii ‘Elepaio (Monarch Family) Chasiempis sandwichensis sandwichensis
4. ‘Ōma‘o (Thrush Family) Myadestes obscurus
5. Kanawao (Hydrangea Family) Broussaisia arguta
6. ‘Ōhelo kau lā‘au (Heath Family) Vaccinium calycinum
7. Koele Mountain Damselfly Megalagrion koelense
8. ‘Ākala (Hawaiian Raspberry) Rubus hawaiensis
9. ‘Ōhā (Bellflower Family) Clermontia parviflora
10. ‘Apapane (Finch Family) Himatione sanguinea
11. Hawaiian Mint Phyllostegia vestita
12. ‘Ākepa (Finch Family) Loxops coccineus coccineus
13. ‘Ōpe‘ape‘a (Hawaiian Hoary Bat) Lasiurus cinereus semotus
14. Pulelehua (Kamehameha Butterfly) Vanessa tameamea
15. Kōlea lau nui (Myrsine Family) Myrsine lessertiana
16. ‘Ilihia (African Violet Family) Cyrtandra platyphylla
17. Jewel Orchid Anoectochilus sandvicensis
18. Palapalai (Hay-scented Fern Family) Microlepia strigosa
19. Hāpu‘u pulu (Tree Fern Family) Cibotium glaucum
20. ‘I‘iwi (Finch Family) Vestiaria coccinea
21. Hāhā (Bellflower Family) Cyanea pilosa longipedunculata
22. ‘Ala‘ala wai nui (Black Pepper Family) Peperomia hypoleuca
23. Koa (Pea Family) Acacia koa
24. Happyface Spider Theridion grallator
South Pacific
South Pacific
Filming began on Kauai in 1957 around Hanalei and Ha‘ena, but was disrupted by a major tsunami that hit the north shore, knocking out the Kalihiwai bridge and blocking trucks from bringing filming equipment to the movie sets. Opening scenes were filmed near the mouth of the Hanalei River, the plantation owner’s home was a private estate overlooking Hanalei Bay, and local residents and schoolchildren were utilized as extras.
Mount Makana in Ha‘ena was used as the mystical island of Bali Hai, while Tunnels Beach (Makua) was the location for many scenes, and Mitzi Gaynor’s famous rendition of Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair was filmed at Lumaha‘i Beach. The breathtaking scenery of Kauai is complemented by some of the most romantic songs ever written – Some Enchanted Evening, There is Nothin’ Like a Dame, and Younger Than Springtime.
HAWAII 2009 Photo Contest Winners
HAWAII Magazine’s 11th Annual Photo Contest winners have been announced. HAWAII readers sent in their best photos of the Islands in four categories: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. Two winners for each category were selected, plus the grand-prize winning photo above.
Rudy Calpo’s stunning photo of sunset breaking through a patch of clouds over the taro fields of Hanalei, Kauai was the winning entry. In his story behind the photo, Calpo wrote: “My wife and I had just stopped by a vista point overlooking some taro fields. We hurried back to the taro fields, hoping the sun would break through the heavy clouds. Sure enough, we got lucky. When we got down to the fields, the clouds began to part.”
Follow the link above to see a slideshow of the winners. You can also read more about Calpo and his work in the editor’s page of the January/February 2010 issue of HAWAII Magazine on newsstands, or by subscribing.
