October 2025 Gleanings
It's happening!
Our annual Torch of Light luncheon is headed to Pahala, where we'll honor the late Julia Neal, founder of Ka'u's community newspaper. We'll also hear all about news deserts and what they plan to do about it from Civil Beat's Amy Pyle.
BIPC members emerged from our Sept. 13 retreat refreshed and ready to jump in on new opportunities.
Have news to share? Email Gleanings editor Nancy Cook Lauer at nclauer@gmail.com
Photo of The Pahala Plantation House by Laila Moire-Selvage
Join us for our Torch of Light luncheon
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 am to 1 pm
WHERE: Pahala Plantation House, 1 Mill Camp Rd, Pahala, HI 96777
PRICE: $20 members / $25 nonmembers. BYOB: Bring your own drinks and ice.
ROOMS AVAILABLE! We have a very limited selection of rooms available for $200 for the night.
Reserve your spot in our event site now!
Just log on here. Or use the QR code above.
Note: The site is sometimes wonky. Choose United States Minor Outlying Islands from the drop-down list if United States doesn't work for you.
For more than two decades Julia Neal dedicated herself to provide accurate, timely and substantive news about Kaʻu. The Big Island Press Club dedicated its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to Neal shortly after her death.
That's why BIPC chose Pahala as the site for its luncheon this year.
Munch on a local plate lunch dinner, chat with Julia's friends and family and fellow journalism supporters and learn how residents are addressing their loss by rebuilding the newspaper as a nonprofit.
Amy Pyle
Guest speaker Amy Pyle, Executive Editor-In-Chief for Honolulu Civil Beat, will discuss news deserts and how the online nonprofit plans to address them.
BIPC President's Message
Howdy, folks
I hope this finds you all well! We're busy as a bee getting ready for our Torch of Light luncheon on December 13th in Pāhala. We'll be honoring the late Julia Neal, a true community journalist who was one of the last of her kind on the island.
Our guest speaker is Amy Pyle, editor-in-chief of Civil Beat. She’ll be coming all the way to the Kaʻū Desert to talk about our island's "news desert" and what they're doing to help. Amy has some serious chops, including a stint at USA Today, so her talk is sure to be something special.
Join Us in Pāhala!
We know Pāhala is a bit of a holoholo (journey) for many of you, so we're offering rooms at the Plantation House for $200 a night if you want to stay over. We’re also offering a delicious plate lunch with all the local fixings for just $20 for members ($25 for non-members). What a bargain!
That same afternoon, there's a Kalo Festival happening in Pāhala, so you can make a day of it or stay over and enjoy the festivities. For those who stick around, we're planning a late-afternoon mixer we're calling "Pau Kalo," a nod to the town's celebration.
Don't wait! Tickets and rooms are limited, so be sure to get yours as soon as you can.
A Look Back at Our Retreat and Our Vision Forward
We recently had a membership retreat at UH Hilo, and I tell you, it was so energizing. It was wonderful to see some of our members who I hadn't seen in a while and hear their thoughts on some important topics. Thanks to board member Patsy Iwasaki for arranging the room at UH Hilo. Thanks a million to everyone who filled out the questionnaire beforehand—it really helped us dig in deep during the retreat.
We're still getting our notes together, but we plan to have everything wrapped up in a nice package to share with all of you before my term ends in December. We heard one message loud and clear: we need to be more relevant and visible to our island community. One of the best ways we can do that is to holoholo (travel) around the island. That’s why we’re so excited to honor our Torch of Light recipient in her own hometown this year.
I hope you're inspired to come to our next big event! Get your tickets and get ready for an adventure.
Take Up the Kuleana
At the luncheon, we’ll also be voting on our slate of officers for 2026. If you’re interested in serving on the board next year, please reach out to Nancy Cook Lauer at nclauer@gmail.com. It's our kuleana (responsibility) to keep this club going strong, and part of that means new folks stepping up to lead.
A huge mahalo to those of you who have already reached out! Nancy has the list. Mahalo nui loa, everyone. December 13th is just around the corner.
Aloha, Tiffany Edwards Hunt
2025 Big Island Press Club Board
Please feel free to contact any board members with your suggestions, or if you wish to volunteer!
President: Tiffany Edwards Hunt, former journalist, middle school teacher
newswoman@mac.com
Vice President: Jim Wilson, retired publisher, Hawaii Tribune-Herald jimwilsonvolcanocottage@gmail.com
Secretary: Nancy Cook Lauer, retired journalist, UHH student publications advisor, blogger www.allhawaiinews.com <nclauer@gmail.com>
Treasurer: Robert Duerr, filmmaker and journalist, Hawaii Fishing News <surf77@me.com>
Immediate Past President: John Burnett, journalist, Tribune-Herald <jburnett@hawaiitribuneherald.com>
Director: Patsy Iwasaki, professor, University of Hawaii-Hilo
<piwasaki@hawaii.edu>
Director: John Atwell, former CIA Senior Operations Officer, columnist, editor <jno.p.atwell@gmail.com>
Director: Maya-Lin Green, education and communications team member, Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center <mlgreen@hawaii.edu>
Director: Megan Moseley, journalist, reporter for Maui News <info@meganmoseley.com>
Director Emeritus: Ross Wilson, PR, Current Events rossw@current-events.com
