At Merrie Monarch, a kumu hula continually pushes for innovation in the ancient Hawaiian art.

The appetite for curtailing white-collar crimes committed in the islands is waning.

Earlier generations teased each other using racially based humor without malice. It helped people work together to make things better.

Traditional stories tell us how to live harmoniously in these islands.

The frontlines range from the road to Capitol meeting rooms, but it's the actions we take regardless of venue that make all the difference.

How do we keep the sadness of dying away from one’s homeland from befalling this generation of children?

People with long-standing ties to Hawaii are being pushed away. We seem close to the threshold of becoming a place where only the wealthy thrive.

But there's one thing the rich can't buy here — a sense of belonging.

Why is it so hard to be ultra wealthy in the right way in the Aloha State?

It's a tough sell though when operating a short-term vacation rental can be so much more lucrative than renting long term.