At the time I was living in Maryland but had always had a fascination with space. I was quite happy to have been allowed to atend the launches as a member of the press.

Even though the launches were dacades ago, many of the events stuck with me. I have press packages lso to help me remember.

Having been there at the beginning and being within 1/2 mile or so of the actual shuttles (while they were fueled), yo can imagine how I felt, years later, when the Challenger accident happened. Like many others, I stared at the screen for hours while the commentary went on and the networks continued to show the accident film. I could not stop watching, yet secretly wished they would stop showing the video.

As you may know, one astronaut was Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American in space. He also grew up a few miles from here in Kealakekua on the Big island.

Because we are a rural location with few if ny lights on at night, it is very easy to look up and see stars all over the horizon. It appears I am not the only one who did this.

Note in this article, that Ellison also would sit in a coffee field and look up. http://archives.starbulletin....

I like to think that I was at a shuttle launch before him, but he was in a coffee field before me.

If you even come t oHawaii's Big iland, there are three places you miight want t ovisit. The first is the Onizuka Center at the Kona Airport. Thesecond location is a bit generic, but stop by the chool in Kealakekua and be near where he sat in the fields and went to school.

Finally, at about the 10,000 foot mark up on Mauna Kea is the welcome center, named after Ellison. Here you are very close to the heavens and the stargazing up there is spectacular!