Newsletter Archive
Fern Acres has been producing one, two or more newsletters every year since the mid 1960s. These letters document the history of our subdivision. Its an amazing history all about the pioneers who came before us. There are many common themes that constantly fill their pages right up through the present day. In the beginning the letters were written principally by the Board of Directors. At first they were used to encourage lot owners to become members of what then was called the Crescent Acres Improvement Association. When the group grew to a substantial number, the letters were used to inform members about the Big Island in general and the subdivision specifically. This was due to the fact that most members had bought their lots site unseen. They generally were from the mainland, never having been to Hawaii. Next the letters were used to convince members to band together first to build and maintain the roads and then to obtain electricity for the subdivision. Roads were completed first, paid for by lot owners and were completed road by road, sector by sector. The Board convinced the County to pay for the bridge and culvert at the end of S. Kulani Rd. which allowed easier access to Fern Acres. Roads and electric poles were installed, and paid for by the lot owners.
Today the focus continues to be on road maintenance, but fortunately this cost is now covered by mandatory road maintenance fees that were added as an amendment to the original Bylaws. Other typical themes over the years are election results, recipes provided by members, agricultural tips, gardening know-how, and reminding members to pay their dues and road maintenance fees.
File Type Month/Year (Download Size) Summary of Content
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September 1963 Newsletter (92 kb) | The earliest surviving Newsletter of the Hawaiian Fern Acres Improvement Association (HFAIA) |
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August 1965 Newsletter (245 kb) | Discussion regarding the ultimate preservation of the land and lifestyle in the Puna District. |
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January 1965 Financial Statement (32 kb) | The Community Association was just getting started but they managed the money carefully. |
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March 1966 Newsletter (243 kb) | Why difficult to get electrification? Asking for $5 road maintenance donation. |
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May 1966 letter (64 kb) | Letter to members asking for $5 road maintenance donation. |
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July 1966 Newsletter (82 kb) | 1/3 lot owners are members, encouraging all to join and band together to build roads & electric. |
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January 1967 Newsletter (523 kb) | S. Kulani road improvements benefit FA, Describing benefits of Big Island to mainland owners. |
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February 1967 letter to owners (136 kb) | Letter to owners encouraging road and electric development |
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November 1967 Newsletter (102 kb) | Hawaiian Fern Acres Improvement Association established, California Assoc. dissolved. |
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August 1968 Newsletter (91 kb) | Selling a house owned by the Association, County rebuilding bridge on S. Kulani. |
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October 1969 Newsletter (141 kb) | New sign at FA entrance, Gus Blomberg resigns as President after his wife passed away. |
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January 1970 Newsletter (313 kb) | Work with Hawaiian Acres to get an electric pole & phone booth installed at FA & HA entrance. |
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July 1970 Newsletter (177 kb) | Terriaki Kebabs, road maintenance and light poles can be beautiful. |
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October 1970 Newsletter (101 kb) | Completed July 21, 1970 installation of equipment to furnish power to FA & HA entrance. |
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January 1971 Newsletter (277 kb) | Photos of electric poles in Fern Acres! |
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July 1971 Newsletter (255 kb) | First Fern Acres home to have electricity! |
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October 1971 Newsletter (139 kb) | FACA membership increased in 1971, Fire started in Hawaiian Acres burned for 6 hours. |
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January 1972 Newsletter (1149 kb) | Includes some impressive photos depicting life in Fern Acres in 1972. |
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July 1972 Newsletter (305 kb) | Color photos, Kulani construction, Gardenias smell good, Easy tamale pie, Hula |
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October 1972 Newsletter (872 kb) | Kulani construction complete, Legend of Pele, International Airport for Hilo. |
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January 1973 Newsletter (538 kb) | Name changed to Fern Acres Community Association, Recipe: mock wild rice. |
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July 1973 Newsletter (687 kb) | Who said we retired? Black and white house construction photos. |
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October 1973 Newsletter (1571 kb) | Contract negotiated with Hilo Electric Light Co., Stop the squatters and the hapu'u cutters. |
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January 1974 Newsletter (1679 kb) | Norfolk Island Pine, Christmas in Hawaii, Our electrical project. |
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July 1974 Newsletter (688 kb) | Color photos, Mama can only support so many keikis, How Hilo got its name. |
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October 1974 Newsletter (839 kb) | Electrical project map, How to find fern acres, Set a goal for yourself. |
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January 1975 Newsletter (911 kb) | Electrical Trust Funds, Two earthquakes jolted the Big Island |
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April 1975 Special Newsletter (50 kb) | The price of one mile of electric poles went from $1250 to $20,000 in two years! |
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June 1975 Newsletter (629 kb) | One fourth of Fern Acres is electrified, The Native Hawaiian Pueo (owl) Gardian of crop lands. |
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October 1975 Newsletter (805 kb) | 520 FACA members at end of last year! Mt. View Village subdivision opens on Kulani Rd. |
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January 1976 Newsletter (764 kb) | Cost of Electric poles $35k for 31 poles, 11th anniversary of FACA |
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June 1976 Newsletter (757 kb) | Hilo has a new $20M airport, county has new bus system: Hele-on, Puhala St fully energized. |
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October 1976 Newsletter (670 kb) | Citizens Band Radio helps with communications in Fern Acres, recipe for baked breadfruit. |
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January 1977 Newsletter (660 kb) | Birds: The Japanese White-eye, Mynas not same species as India, can't talk but are clowns. |
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June 1977 Newsletter (804 kb) | Not much for show, but hell for go! Photos of roadwork, We filled puka after puka. |
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October 1977 Newsletter (813 kb) | Forget it!, Creating a County Improvement district to manage our roads is a non starter! |
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January 1978 Newsletter (867 kb) | Under discussion with County to get a Police Patrol in Fern Acres. More Later. |
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June 1978 Newsletter (701 kb) | When you put seeds in the ground jump back or it will knock you down on the way up. |
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October 1978 Newsletter (592 kb) | We do it all for you. Upside down edition. Hawaiian Dictionary. |
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January 1979 Newsletter (663 kb) | New Entrance Sign. Recipe: Quickie Fudge. |
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June 1979 Newsletter (564 kb) | Rain, Floods damage roads. Federal Government $25k grant for road repairs! |
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October 1986 Newsletter (325 kb) | Explaining how the Electic Trust Fund works, More eruptions on the Big Island |
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January 1990 Newsletter (1242 kb) | Mandatory road maintenance assessment, Our office building, Finding pins, Hawaiian hawk |
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April 1990 Newsletter (1039 kb) | School bus shelters? FACA 23rd annual meeting, Survey: Geothermal in Wao Kele o Puna? |
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January 1991 Newsletter (816 kb) | Road easement is 50 ft. wide! Shopping with George at Hilo Farmer's Market. |
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April 1991 Newsletter (863 kb) | Before Europeans came to Hawaii, Polynesian ag practices had destroyed the lowland forests. |
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January 1992 Newsletter (690 kb) | A Fern Acres Nature Trail, Permaculture: Permanent Sustainable Agriculture. |
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April 1992 Newsletter (752 kb) | Living without power, Water catchment systems explained, Honeycreepers, Recycle. |
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January 1993 Newsletter (999 kb) | Low-flying helicopters, Big Island home and land market analysis. |
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April 1993 Newsletter (971 kb) | County grading ordinance made clear, Hydroponics in Fern Acres. |
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January 1994 Newsletter (1229 kb) | What happens when you clear cut? Things to know before you build a house, Bulldozer art. |
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April 1994 Newsletter (730 kb) | New building code: shear walls, As you know our land is basically lava rock. |
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September 1994 Newsletter (802 kb) | Formal complaint to Mayor about garbage, Survey before you build! |
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January 1995 Newsletter (1050 kb) | Litter pick-up day success, possibility create a park in FA, repaving S. Kulani. |
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April 1995 Newsletter (938 kb) | Community gardening, Entrance sign run down, Lava is flowing. |
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September 1995 Newsletter (1055 kb) | Visions of FACA recreation area, No Hawaii Rural Free Delivery, Office Landscape Volunteers |
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January 1996 Newsletter (1232 kb) | FACA Office doubles in size, Poetry, Puna Community Development Plan, Telephone Lines. |
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January 2000 Newsletter (751 kb) | Foreclosure for delinquent road fees, yes or no? It's raining cats and dogs. |
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May 2000 Newsletter (748 kb) | Red tractor scraping Lehua for free, Bob Keeny and Dorothy Mock passed away. |
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September 2000 Newsletter (589 kb) | Orchid St chip sealed, Free Notary Public services, Real estate prices will climb. |
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April 2001 Newsletter (650 kb) | Open invitation to attend Board Meetings, Some paving history, anti-association newsletter. |
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September 2001 Newsletter (471 kb) | Delinquent road maintenance fees up to $230k, may go to collection agency! |
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January 2002 Newsletter (825 kb) | Crescent/Fern Acres history, Funds available for 2 poles on Anthurium, FA school bus service |
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May 2002 Newsletter (628 kb) | Free fill material, six burglaries in April! |
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September 2002 Newsletter (531 kb) | Puhala Road suspicious activity, Road crew volunteers needed, moquito control tips. |
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January 2003 Newsletter (784 kb) | Coming soon hi speed internet, building for fire station, more ways to beat coqui |
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April 2003 Newsletter (449 kb) | New fire station plan, new yahoo fern acres discussion group. |
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September 2003 Newsletter (600 kb) | Crime is down, abandoned cars up, coqui frog control advice. |
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January 2004 Newsletter (673 kb) | New entrance sign going up, two surveys: PO Boxes and Ag vs Rural zoning. |
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April 2004 Newsletter (780 kb) | 3rd block of Hibiscus chipsealed, P.O. Boxes possible, bird watching is encouraged. |
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September 2004 Newsletter (667 kb) | Old Volcano Trail Restoration Project, Anthurium St. open or closed, banana bread recipe. |
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January 2010 Newsletter (369 kb) | County unveils new mass emergency notification system, Matson helps FA recycle effort. |