News Archives - Honolulu Magazine

What’s Open and Closed in Honolulu for Prince Kūhiō Day

HONOLULU Magazine Team — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Available Services

Emergency ambulance, fire, lifeguard, medical examiner and police services will be available.
TheBus will operate on a state holiday schedule. Visit thebus.org for routes and other information.
Skyline will operate on a holiday schedule from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit honolulu.gov/skyline for rider information.
Parks, municipal golf courses, botanical gardens and the Honolulu Zoo will be open.
Refuse will be collected.
Transfer stations, convenience centers, H-POWER and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will be open. Visit envhonolulu.org for more information.

Closed or Canceled

The Neal S. Blaisdell Center box office will be closed.
The People’s Open Markets will not be held.
All satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will be closed.
Hawai‘i State Public Library branches will be closed. See the holiday schedule here.

Traffic and Parking

On-street parking will be free, except for the meters on Kalākaua Avenue along Queen Kapi‘olani Park, metered parking lots and meters on certain Waikīkī streets.
Traffic lanes will not be coned for contraflow.

How Healthy Are We, Really?

Mary Vorsino — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:02:41 +0000

IN RANKINGS OF THE HEALTHIEST STATES…

…Hawai‘i often comes out on top, or close to it. Year after year, surveys and reports suggest that our state’s residents are more active than their counterparts on the continent, breathe cleaner air, are happier and live longer.

But that’s far from the full story.

Tucked behind those rosy statistics, doctors say, are rising rates of cancer among patients under 50, genetic links to cancer that affect many Island residents, worrisome increases in obesity and such chronic diseases as diabetes, and persistent gaps in health care for communities that need the most help.

Dr. Jennifer Carney, Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group’s Chief of Hematology and Oncology. Photo: Courtesy of Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i

Younger Cancer Patients

The state’s medical community is scrambling to understand what’s driving the rise in cancer rates among younger, preretirement-age people. From 2000 to 2021, breast cancer among Asian and Pacific Islander women under 50 soared, from 36 to 55 cases per 100,000 patients, according to the National Cancer Institute. Oncologists also are seeing more people under 50 with colon, pancreatic and lung cancers, and it’s not clear why.

It’s “really very worrisome,” Dr. Jennifer Carney, Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group’s chief of hematology and oncology, says of the rise in early onset cancers. “Some of these patients aren’t even in the screening age groups yet.”

In fact, screening recommendations have changed to address the situation. Colonoscopies are now recommended for people starting at age 45, rather than 50. A woman with an average breast cancer risk should get a mammogram every other year starting at 40, also earlier than previous guidelines.

Patients in their 30s and 40s who are grappling with serious cancers often have different concerns than those in their 60s and 70s, Carney says. Younger patients, she says, might have school-age children or be concerned about fertility, and they’re probably still working, whereas older patients are more likely to be retired.

Oncologists also are seeing more people under 50 with colon, pancreatic and lung cancers, and it’s not clear why.

Dr. Ayman Abdul-Ghani, thoracic surgeon. Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Pacific Health

Genetic Links

Along with younger oncology patients, doctors say genetic factors are increasingly being linked to malignant growths. For example, liver and gastric cancers tend to be more prevalent among Asians, while Native Hawaiians are at higher risk for several cancers and are more likely to present with more progressed disease. “Part of this is the social determinants of health,” Carney says. “There is also something biological.”

The leading cause of cancer deaths nationwide is lung cancer, and in the Islands, Dr. Ayman Abdul-Ghani says he and other doctors see more of it among nonsmokers than the national average, typically among Asian women. Lung cancer rates are also higher among Native Hawaiian women.

“Often, the cancer is found when patients go in for something else,” says Abdul-Ghani, a thoracic surgeon at Hawai‘i Pacific Health. “I’ve seen patients who go for shoulder X-rays or computerized tomography scans for their neck or abdomen, and the doctors find lung cancer in the part of the chest covered in the scan.”

Dr. Jared Acoba, oncologist. Photo: Courtesy of The Queen’s Health Systems

Native Hawaiians also have a 60% higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer than others, says Queen’s Health Systems oncologist Dr. Jared Acoba. “If you have a Native Hawaiian male who has two risk factors, say who smokes and has one family member with pancreatic cancer, his risk of pancreatic cancer is five times the population.”

While genetics can’t always accurately predict the future, genetic counseling can encourage patients to seek regular screenings to catch cancers earlier.

Rebecca Yee Bassett, Kaiser Permanente Genetic Counseling Section Chief. Photo: Courtesy of Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i

Trying to Outsmart Cancer

Fortunately, the medical community’s arsenal to fight cancers is growing. In addition to traditional treatments, doctors are using targeted therapy to go after the DNA mutations fueling malignant growths and deploying immunotherapy drugs to stimulate a patient’s own immune system. They’re also using genetic counseling to target higher risk patients. At Kaiser Permanente, for example, some cancer survivors and patients with family histories of certain variations of the disease qualify for genetic testing to assess their risk.

While genetics can’t always accurately predict the future, genetic counseling can encourage patients to seek regular screenings to catch cancers earlier, says Rebecca Yee Bassett, Kaiser Permanente Genetic Counseling section chief. “Family history can be really critical for people to be aware of,” she says, noting that genetic counseling likely will be more readily available in the near-term. “This is precision medicine, where we use our genetic information to help guide doctors and treatments. It’s the ultimate in individualized health care.”

Nearly six years ago, Olena Heu, a former local TV news anchor who now runs her own marketing firm, underwent a preventive double mastectomy after genetic testing predicted an increased breast cancer risk. Heu’s grandmother had breast cancer, and her mother and aunt both died of the disease.

In 2019, a year after her mother’s passing, the 44-year-old decided to remove both breasts to reduce her risks, and opted out of reconstructive surgery because implants pose risks of their own and would have required additional recuperation.

“I think it might have been one of the best medical decisions in my life,” says Heu, who documented her journey via YouTube videos that reached people around the globe.

“It really empowers me to go forward and do all the things I want to do and not have to be worried. Because of science and preventative care, we can make these decisions that will essentially help prolong our lives. We live in a time where we’re given those opportunities.”

Photo: Courtesy of Olena Heu

Addressing Inequalities in Care Is Key

While advances in screening and cutting-edge treatments are giving doctors new tools in fighting disease and giving patients better long-term prognoses, socioeconomic inequalities continue to drive health disparities among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. In many rural and remote areas of the state, for instance, there’s a lack of health care providers, and it’s these residents often hit hardest by Hawai‘i’s rising cost of living.

“Multiple family members are working two or three jobs to afford the high cost of making ends meet. It’s really hard to exercise, be healthy if you’re always busy and stressed,” says Dr. Jennifer Loh, chief of endocrinology at Hawai‘i Permanente Medical Group. “It’s a lot more expensive to eat healthy as well.”

To address inequalities in cancer care, including preventive screenings, the John A. Burns School of Medicine recently partnered with the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center and Hawai‘i Cancer Consortium members, who represent several top medical groups. The effort, called Ka ‘Umeke Lama, or “Bowl of Enlightenment,” aims to “erase disparities in cancer outcomes” in the Islands by advancing cancer education, deploying oncology providers and early cancer detection units to rural and underserved communities, launching targeted clinical research trials and developing telehealth systems.

The group has its work cut out. Across the state, Native Hawaiians have historically had the highest mortality rates for all types of cancers compared to white residents. Pacific Islanders are also far more likely to be diagnosed with some cancers.

Ka ‘Umeke Lama is aimed at developing a “strong and integrated oncology infrastructure” in Hawai‘i and the Pacific, says Dr. Naoto Ueno, director of the UH Cancer Center. He believes cancer care should be equitable and rooted in both innovation and cultural understanding. “Everyone should have access to high-quality cancer care,” he says.

Dr. Jennifer Loh, chief of endocrinology. Photo: Courtesy of Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i

Over the past decade, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Hawai‘i has increased by more than 50%.

Type 2 Diabetes on the Rise in Hawai‘i

When it comes to health disparities, though, cancer isn’t the only concern.

Over the past decade, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Hawai‘i has increased by more than 50%. Today, more than 11% of the population—or about 150,000 people—have Type 2 diabetes and 40% are living with pre-diabetes. The most common causes of Type 2 diabetes in adults are a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle and high stress.

When diabetes is untreated or poorly treated, it can lead to a host of other chronic conditions, including heart and kidney disease, nerve damage, mobility problems, and even depression and dementia. Like with other chronic conditions, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are at higher risk of developing diabetes—2.5 times higher compared to the overall population—the Office of Minority Health reports.

They’re also at greater risk of dying from heart disease, the state’s top killer. New research from the American Heart Association shows Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have far higher death rates from heart disease than Asian Americans, and the second highest among all ethnicities, races and other groups behind only Blacks.

Dr. Nadine Tenn Salle, chief of pediatrics. Photo: Courtesy of The Queen’s Health systems

Obesity in Local Children a “Significant” Problem

Alarmingly, Hawai‘i doctors are also seeing rising rates of obesity among children—and more cases of Type 2 diabetes, too. The National Institutes of Health has called childhood obesity in Hawai‘i a “significant” problem, with some communities seeing rates of 40% or more. Overall, a third of all Hawai‘i keiki are overweight or obese.

“Before, we would rarely see Type 2 diabetes in children,” Loh says. Now, doctors nationally are finding about 18 cases per 100,000 children, the latest federal data shows, with the highest rates among Blacks, Latinos and Pacific Islanders.

Dr. Nadine Tenn Salle, chief of pediatrics for The Queen’s Health Systems, says chronic conditions in childhood must be dealt with holistically. Kids aren’t put on diets, she says, but are encouraged to try healthier foods and activities.

Dr. Leimomi Kanagusuku, president of the Hawai‘i Academy of Family Physicians. Photo: Courtesy of Hawai‘i Pacific Health

Cultural competency is key, too.

Dr. Leimomi Kanagusuku, president of the Hawai‘i Academy of Family Physicians, grew up in Wai‘anae and is part Native Hawaiian. She thinks of health as an “intricate web” of factors and tells her patients so. Genes aren’t the only thing that determine health outcomes— daily habits and environment count too, she says. As a family medicine physician with Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Kanagusuku says her patients want to be healthier but need resources and guidance. “Instead of telling patients to eat healthy, you ask them about their day and who cooks.”

By tapping into specifics, she offers actionable advice. “So much of health has to do with our surroundings. Native Hawaiians have lower socioeconomic status, more asthma, more cancer, more alcohol use, higher rates of mental health issues.”

Untangling it all to help patients is both daunting and rewarding. She recalls one of her younger patients with diabetes and extremely high blood sugar. He didn’t want to go on medication, so Kanagusuku had “some very real conversations” with him about turning his life around. He did, even getting his blood sugar levels below the goal.

What About So-Called Wonder Drugs?

For Loh, the endocrinologist, “game-changer” drugs like Ozempic are powerful but not the only answer. “It has certainly been impressive” to see the success of Ozempic and similar drugs, she says. “But we don’t know the long-term effects.”

The class of drugs that includes Ozempic works by mimicking a hormone to make you feel full faster and likely requires long-term usage. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all,” she says. “But it can play a part in your weight-loss journey.”

Another part might be monitoring your blood sugar if you have prediabetes. Over-the-counter blood glucose monitors can quickly show patients how food choices, like sweets or rice, impact their blood sugar and how they feel throughout the day. “Some people find it very enlightening,” she says. “That can be empowering.”

Q&A With Representative Kim Coco Iwamoto

Katrina Valcourt — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:00:37 +0000

Photo: Brad Goda

One of your priorities has been to address homelessness and housing security by investing in affordable housing. How will you approach this issue at the legislative level?

Even our newly constructed affordable housing is unaffordable. We need more rental subsidies to keep people housed. My vacant home surcharge bill will raise the needed funds by collecting the general excise tax revenue that would have been collected had that home been rented and occupied by residents.

… I’ve also introduced a bill to help kūpuna with home equity stay housed. It’s inspired by an existing federal HUD program. Many retirees cannot keep up with exorbitant cost increases in maintenance fees, assessments and property insurance. My bill would authorize the [Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp.] to step in to cover those unexpected costs and keep kūpuna housed, ideally in their own home.

Condo owners have been passing down to renters astronomical costs related to insurance premium increases. How do you plan to keep such a condo-heavy district affordable for locals?

My previous landlord had to raise my rent for that reason, so I moved into a more affordable building with less amenities. One of my bills directs the insurance commissioner to create standards for three new insurance models: self-insurance, mutual insurance, and what I’m terming building life insurance, or a life insurance policy for a building.

When premiums and deductibles skyrocket, many businesses consider self-insuring, and when they do decide to self-insure, they are now incentivized to invest in practices and policies that minimize risk.

Mutual insurance is really a hui of self-insured buildings offering each other backup. So if you’re in this hui you’re going to pick hui partners that are as financially healthy as your own building.

And then finally, there’s building life insurance, which would be ideal for new construction and would be a long-term insurance contract, kind of like life insurance, that would lock in premiums for the life of the building, as long as the preset maintenance schedule and safeguards are followed.

What do you hope to accomplish by the end of the session?

I introduced six bills that will increase [government] transparency, accountability and ethics. One is legislative term limits, so not more than 16 years. No. 2 is remove the Legislature’s exemption from the Sunshine Law. No. 3 is to restore the legislators’ compliance with ethics laws that apply to all other state employees. No. 4, candidate campaign funds should not be allowed to carry over indefinitely, resulting in million-dollar war chests. No. 5 prohibits campaign donations from state and county contractors, grantees and lessees, their owners, officers, consultants and subcontractors and anyone sharing a joint account with any one of them.

And then finally, increased standards and transparency when leasing public lands. And that mostly applies to the governor, so he’s not allowed to just sign over leases willy-nilly to a really bad tenant from the past. … Even if none of these bills pass, we learn so much about legislative leaders when they kill these kinds of bills.

votekimcoco.com, @repkimcocoiwamoto

Say Goodbye to Plastic Water Bottles With the Mananalu Water and Boomerang Partnership

Diane Seo — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 10:00:31 +0000

Photo: Courtesy of Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water

The battle against single-use plastic water bottles has gained significant momentum with technology fostering the use of recycled aluminum water bottles at several Hawai‘i hotels and Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.

What’s pushed the aluminum bottles into the spotlight?

Call it big-time star power. Hawai‘i-born actor Jason Momoa, who plays Aquaman, owns Mananalu Water and has partnered with Boomerang, a North Carolina-based reuse company, to roll out a high-tech machine that can be stationed at sites to sanitize and fill aluminum bottles with his water.

Standing racks for guests to place empty bottles have been strategically placed at several hotels, including The Twin Fin, Romer House Waikīkī, ‘Alohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach, Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i and Four Seasons Resort Ko Olina.

Momoa and his business partners expect more hotels, visitor destinations and schools to come aboard soon. Eventually, they want to usher in a new norm, where people return water bottles for reuse instead of disposing of them.

“I originally launched Mananalu to challenge the drinking water industry to shift away from single-use plastic bottles that are destroying the health of people and the planet,” Momoa said at a January press event at The Twin Fin. “This technology is a game-changer, and I’m honored to be able to bring it to Hawai‘i first … to help restore the local ecosystem.”

Photo: Courtesy of Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water

If guests in each of the 50,000 or so hotel rooms in Hawai‘i drank from just two water bottles a day, that’s 100,000 bottles a day—a staggering waste, according to Boomerang’s Jason Dibble and Jerrod Freund. And not only do plastic bottles fill up landfills, transporting them is costly to the environment, too.

As people become more mindful of their carbon footprints, “You’ll find that people want to do the right thing and return” the bottles, Dibble says. He adds that about 95% of bottles are returned at sites where the machines are stationed around the country.

2024 Sour Poi Awards

Robbie Dingeman — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 10:00:29 +0000

Illustration: Xavier Urbano

Much of 2024 now feels like a fever dream filled with news that required repeated reality checks. How else to explain a police chief who forgot his Glock in the restroom (more than once!); a contractor who built a house, then realized it was on the wrong lot; or the ethos at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, where officials prioritized designating an official day to celebrate kim chee while more pressing matters languished?

Since our last edition of HONOLULU’s annual Sour Poi Awards, we’ve all witnessed some wacky stuff. We know sour poi delivers a pleasantly tangy taste and hope you share our appetite for it and for our tongue-in-cheek humor as we reflect back, poke fun and hope for brighter tomorrows.

Lights Out

June power outages plunged Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown into darkness for days, closing restaurants, stores and offices, disrupting services and costing businesses tens of thousands of dollars. Already under siege after the Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Electric was targeted for more criticism for the blackouts and the time it took to repair what was blamed on an aging and damaged underground cable.

Illustration: Xavier Urbano

Unlocked and Loaded

Kaua‘i Police Chief Todd Raybuck announced his retirement the week before the county police commission suspended him for three days without pay after he left a loaded gun in the stall of a police restroom—for the second time in two years. An officer filed a report after he found a Glock wedged between the wall and a grab bar. Only then did SHOPO, the police union, realize this was the second time Raybuck had forgotten his official weapon in the same stall of an office bathroom. This followed allegations that Raybuck had mocked Japanese people. The commission dismissed allegations that he retaliated against officers who were involved in the firearm investigation, saying it found no evidence of that. In mid-November, Raybuck announced he was retiring in 2025 to focus on family, health and wellness.

Cleared?

Former Honolulu City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and prominent businessman Dennis Mitsunaga were found not guilty after an eight-year investigation and a highly followed, complicated bribery and corruption case. Despite the verdict, the trial raised startling allegations, including that co-defendant and Mitsunaga attorney Sheri Tanaka hired a hitman to target a federal judge. And as the trial came to a close, Mitsunaga was ordered to spend days in jail on suspicion of witness tampering.

Last Call

Honolulu Liquor Commission Vice Chair Lisa Martin was forced to resign in April after an alleged drunken confrontation at a Waikīkī bar, where she flashed her badge and demanded to be served while intoxicated, according to a police report obtained by Hawai‘i News Now. She had been appointed just four months earlier in an effort to clean up the long-troubled agency.

Illustration: Getty Images

*Get S*** Done Day?*

We do love kim chee and respect Korean culture. But when Hawai‘i lawmakers passed a bill, which Gov. Josh Green swiftly signed into law, to officially designate Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day, we wondered whether they might have considered applying that “get-things-done” work ethic to more weighty matters.

Illustration: Getty Images

We’re No. 1

A nationwide study of 5,000 drivers tagged Hawai‘i as having the worst drivers in the country when it comes to speeding 20 mph (or more!) over the limit, running red lights (tied with Texas and Oregon), and changing lanes or turning without signaling. Forbes Advisor also cited Hawai‘i motorists for driving under the influence and texting. At least other states were worse when it comes to eating while driving.

Door’s (Not) Open

Former Hawai‘i Island Mayor Mitch Roth, already in a battle to keep his job while running against Kimo Alameda, found himself the target of a fake email inviting the houseless community to shower and sleep at his house with “no need to knock.” Hawai‘i County police posted up at Roth’s home but reported no arrests needed.

Fore!

A former CIA officer who worked on contract as a translator for the FBI in Honolulu was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for China. Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was arrested after admitting to providing classified information to the Chinese government while accepting thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts, including golf clubs.

Illustration: Getty Images

Payroll 101

More than 540 public and charter school teachers missed their first paychecks of the school year, prompting a grievance by the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association. The State Department of Education blamed the gaffe on onboarding delays of new hires before issuing checks, then had to cough up extra funds to compensate for the delays.

Illustration: Xavier Urbano

A Lot of Trouble

A Hawai’i County judge ordered that a house in Hawaiian Paradise Park be demolished and the debris removed after it was mistakenly built—at a cost of about $300,000—on the wrong lot. It seems a contractor located the job site by counting the telephone poles rather than conducting a survey, then built on the wrong side of the pole. The judge ruled the contractor must pay to remove the house. The mistake turned up when a real estate agent hired by the developer sold the house then found a problem when she checked the title of the property in what’s normally a routine step.

Hitting Turbulence

After the $1.9 billion merger of Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines received final approval in September, dozens of nonunion Hawaiian employees learned they would be losing their jobs. While the majority of Hawaiian’s workers kept their positions, the cuts that did come were on the heels of executive golden parachutes totaling $25 million in cash and stocks, clouding the initial days of the union.

Illustration: Getty Images

Justice Denied

After decades of controversy, community anger and wrongful convictions, a break finally came in the infamous 1991 Hawai‘i Island murder of college student Dana Ireland. Armed with new DNA evidence, Hawai‘i County police interviewed a suspect then released him; shortly after, the man killed himself at home.

Illustration: Getty Images

Stairway to Arrest

The simmering legal wrangle over the long-closed Ha‘ikū Stairs continues, and despite parts of the old Navy structure being removed, hikers still attempt the trek. Arrests for criminal trespassing are ongoing as state conservation officials repeatedly warn that the hike is particularly dangerous to traverse now that dismantling has begun.

Pikachu Power!

Yes, your 2024 ballot did offer you the opportunity to vote for Shelby Pikachu Billionaire representing the We The People party for U.S. Senate. While Sen. Mazie Hirono won reelection, Billionaire wrote in his Civil Beat Q&A that the animated TV series Captain Planet held the keys to dealing with climate change: planet, earth, fire, wind, water, heart. He described himself like this: “I am Kanaka Maoli and will feed the people in Congress and staff members chocolate macadamia nuts, coffee and cook meat jun.” Here’s hoping he runs for another office.

Illustration: Xavier Urbano

Ewww!

Kaua‘i’s famously scenic Kalalau Trail closed for nearly a month after norovirus sickened dozens of hikers and campers. After group after group became ill—at least one person had to be evacuated by helicopter for urgent care—the state Health Department shut down the remote path along the Nā Pali Coast. Cleaning, disinfecting and a sewage airlift ensued before the popular wilderness trek reopened.

Lured by Lulu

Brash burglaries continued to plague retailers and businesses across the island, with thieves grabbing everything from cash registers and alcohol to the latest leggings. In October, Honolulu police sought the public’s help in identifying two male suspects—one wore a blond and brown women’s wig—caught on security cameras stuffing women’s Lululemon leggings into bags without paying. One of the suspects tussled with the store’s security guard near the door of the popular brand’s Ala Moana Center store, but both men got away.

Dead Pool

After decades of stench, continuing leaks into offices and millions of dollars spent on repairs and maintenance at the iconic Hawai‘i State Capitol ponds, state officials say the reflecting pools meant to represent the ocean must be replaced by waterless artwork. Even as artist Solomon Enos worked on a new design, architects, community members and historic preservation advocates objected to the failure to fix the 55-year-old ponds, noting functional ponds have thrived worldwide for generations.

Tulsi (at Least for) Now

Former Hawai‘i U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard swung back into the national spotlight while supporting Donald Trump during his campaign. In November, after the election, Trump nominated the former Democrat to serve as the country’s director of national intelligence. Just six years prior, Gabbard tweeted critically about Trump’s continued support of Saudi Arabia, saying, “Being Saudi Arabia’s bitch is not ‘America First.’” Then four years later, she claimed the Democratic Party was “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers, driven by cowardly wokeness.”

Navy Still in Hot Water

Distrust already ran high after the U.S. Navy allowed Red Hill fuel to contaminate the area’s water system in 2021, sickening thousands and threatening O‘ahu’s water supply. After the Navy spent years defending its water testing and work record, the federal government issued scathing reports about its handling of the contamination even after spending more than $2 billion. The reports pointed to mismanagement and lack of emergency response plans, and pressed the Navy to explain what it’s doing to prevent similar future disasters.

Fake News?

We’re sad to see the decline of newspapers continuing with fewer local journalists, and one case where artificial intelligence was employed as an alternative for online reports. O‘ahu Publications, parent company of The Garden Island, experimented with computer-generated anchors reading short newscasts created by an Israeli startup. Managers insist the “powered by AI” reports were based on the work of the paper’s editorial team and that the avatars weren’t replacing humans but quit the effort after 20 shows.

Illustration: Xavier Urbano

Did He Have To Be From Hawai‘i?

A federal grand jury indicted Ka‘a‘awa resident and home builder Ryan Wesley Routh for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump while he was running for office. In September, Secret Service agents with Trump at his West Palm Beach Golf Course reported seeing a man later identified as Routh in bushes along the fence line with a high-powered rifle. He fled in a car but was later arrested. Routh is in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Moon Shot

In preparation for a global disaster on Earth, scientists are considering preserving animal cells by storing them on the moon, according to researchers from the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology and the Smithsonian Institution. The creation of a lunar biorepository would target the most at-risk species on Earth. Tests began closer to home with skin cells from a reef fish found in Hawaiian waters—known as the starry goby—being successfully cryopreserved.

Witness Protection?

After striking a plea deal to testify against convicted Hawai‘i crime boss Michael Miske, Jake Smith was assaulted three times in federal prison in Honolulu before receiving a 10-year prison sentence in October. With the threat of future retaliation, U.S. Judge Derrick Watson recommended that Smith serve his time in Nevada or Arizona or in a “dropout yard” designed for high-risk inmates. Federal officials did not disclose his location.

Whale Rider?

Hundreds of beachgoers near Fort DeRussy in Waikīkī watched in horror as a lone distressed baby humpback whale tried to beach itself. While onlookers called for help, a woman dashed into the water and climbed aboard the confused calf, attempting to ride it—and ignoring shouts from others on the beach to get off. Fortunately, Ocean Safety teams arrived on Jet Skis to steer the calf back into the water. Although this happened in December 2023, after last year’s Sour Poi issue went to press, the incident merited a mention.

Bait and Kill

State harbors officials reported a gruesome discovery at Ke‘ehi Lagoon’s small boat harbor in October—at least eight cats dead under suspicious circumstances, including a beheaded one. Even creepier, some of them were found near piles of cat food despite a ban on feeding feral cats there (because of the potential spread of deadly toxoplasmosis to marine animals).

Photo: @justonphotography

Xavier Urbano is an O‘ahu-based tattoo artist and illustrator, known for his bold and detailed designs.

IG: @xaviertattooer

Foodflash: 9 Hawai‘i Chefs and Eateries Are in the Running for 2025 James Beard Awards

Mari Taketa — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 21:00:27 +0000

Photo: Courtesy of James Beard Awards

The James Beard Awards announced more than 500 semifinalists for its 2025 awards this morning, including nine from Hawai‘i among the country’s culinary, beverage and hospitality standouts. Among the Hawai‘i candidates are a new restaurant and a new baker on the Honolulu scene. Four of the nine are up for national awards and five for Best Chef in the Northwest and Pacific.

New semifinalists this year are:

Keoni Regidor of Lehua Restaurant on Hawai‘i Island for Best Emerging Chef
The Local General Store in Kaimukī for Outstanding Bakery
Hana Quon of Patisserie HQ in Honolulu for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
Dave Newman of Honolulu’s Pint + Jigger for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, a newly added category
Hyun Kim of Chinatown’s O’Kims Korean Kitchen for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

Regidor, Local General Store, Quon and Newman are semifinalists in national categories, meaning they are among only 20 nominated from across the country.

Also up for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific are four others who were semifinalists in previous years. In all, 20 chefs from Alaska, Hawai‘i, Oregon and Washington made the cut.

Ki Chung of Bar Māze in Kaka‘ako
Ed Kenney of Mud Hen Water in Kaimukī
Andrew Le of The Pig & the Lady in Chinatown
Sheldon Simeon of Tiffany’s in Wailuku, Maui

This is the first round of the awards competition. The James Beard Foundation will announce a shortlist of nominees on April 2. The 2025 winners will be announced in Chicago on June 16.

Hawai‘i has had a small run of James Beard Awards in recent years. In 2023, Downtown Honolulu’s Bar Leather Apron won the state’s first national JB award as Outstanding Bar. Earlier that year, Manago Hotel on Hawai‘i Island won a James Beard America’s Classics Award, joining Helena’s Hawaiian Food, Sam Choy’s Kaloko and Hamura Saimin, which all won decades earlier. In 2022, Robynne Maii of Chinatown’s Fête was named Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific, the state’s first James Beard Award in 19 years.

What Happens Now to Hawai‘i’s Military-Leased Lands?

Naka Nathaniel — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 18:30:42 +0000

Photo: Naka Nathaniel

Imagine the state of Hawai‘i and the military sitting at a card table, playing poker. While wary of each other, they’re playing by the rules of the game.

In the pot is a series of leases for state lands now controlled by the military and set to expire in 2029.

This isn’t the first time this game has been played.

In 1964, the state of Hawai‘i, represented by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, was absolutely fleeced by the military, which walked away with 65-year leases for 29,000 acres of land. The cost to the military for all of that: $1. The lands were part of the ceded territories that the U.S. took over from the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1898, then transferred back to Hawai‘i in 1959. They have been used for live-fire exercises and military maneuvers.

Having paid that dollar, the military was given unrestricted use of the lands. And for decades, it bombed the ‘āina between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawai‘i Island and in Mākua Valley, Kahuku and Kawailoa-Poamoho on O‘ahu, including with depleted uranium shells, which left the state lands radioactive.

There’s no automatic renewal process for the leases, so the players are back at the table again.

The military has expressed interest in holding onto the lands. Here are the three likely outcomes: 1. The state of Hawai‘i and the military negotiate new leases. 2. The state takes back the lands, as it did with Kaho‘olawe. 3. The military seizes the lands.

This time around, Hawai‘i has an almost unbeatable hand, something better than an ace-high full house, and with the leases set to expire, the military seemed prepared to pay a lot more to hold onto the lands.

With that, Hawai‘i could possibly have gotten billions in return from the military. Or maybe nonmonetary exchanges could have been negotiated. For instance, the U.S. government could transfer federal lands to the state in exchange for the state lands, or, intriguingly, the Pentagon could help fund Hawai‘i’s Department of Education.

Prior to the election, self-professed optimist Dawn Chang, current chair of the state’s Board of Land and Natural Resources, said the military and the state of Hawai‘i could be inspired by last summer’s novel climate change settlement in Navahine F. v. Hawai‘i Department of Transportation. As in that case, she said the parties could set aside the usual adversarial elements of a negotiation and work together to reach the best deal for both parties.

Meanwhile, the groups who had stymied construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea were stiffening their spines again and pushing for the best outcome possible.

In the case of the expiring leases, the possible outcomes had been limited only by the imaginations of the players. In all likelihood, either new leases would be signed in exchange for a huge benefit or Hawai‘i would get its land back—despite it being mostly uninhabitable due to unexploded ordnance and the use of depleted uranium shells. Any deal would be better than a 65-year land lease for a dollar.

And while there’s no indication that the incoming president will barge into the room where the game is being played and leave with not only the pot, but the table and cards as well, Gov. Josh Green thinks it’s a possibility, and he’s prepared.

“There’s nothing that could be done to block a president if they decided to act unilaterally,” Green says. And he’s right: The president has the power to sign an executive order taking the lands in the name of national defense. Under a Democratic president, Hawai‘i Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono would have been well-connected to lobby for the best outcome for the state. But that’s not the case now.

Now, even if Hawai‘i wins, the pot will likely be much smaller than it could have been. And Hawai‘i will be lucky if there’s even a deal to be had with the incoming president’s Department of Defense.

So what’s Hawai‘i to do? Is there any action that could be taken before the new administration takes over? Green says the window is too small to get a deal done during the waning weeks of the Biden administration and that the issue will be settled before the 2028 elections. “Some of this could be finalized between 28 and 29—that is possible, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in good faith between now and then,” he says. “So I’m going to work in good faith with the new administration.”

And activism? Any negotiations would have happened in meeting rooms far from the site of the lands filled with unexploded ordnance. Even the bravest and most committed activists might think twice before wandering into a Mākua Valley or a Pōhakuloa.

Unless an executive order is signed seizing the state lands, Green and Chang say they will remain at the table.

“Hopefully, the negotiators in the military will continue to be allowed to work in good faith with us,” Green says.

E-Bike Dangers in Hawai‘i

Diane Seo — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:00:14 +0000

Illustration: Getty Images. Composite: James Nakamura

E-bikes have soared in popularity, helping riders zoom to destinations at higher speeds with less exertion. But as more motorized bikes, scooters and skateboards hit our city’s roads, accidents are happening at an alarming rate.

From Jan. 1 through early October 2024, Honolulu EMS responded to approximately 180 reports (via 911 calls) of injuries involving e-bikes, e-scooters or e-skateboards, according to Shayne Enright, spokesperson for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in these types of calls in the last six months,” she says. “We’re getting one every couple of days. And as a department, we know we have a responsibility to offer precautionary and safety measures to try to keep people safe.”

What’s especially troubling is that many accidents involve younger teens and children, even though it’s illegal in Hawai‘i for anyone under the age of 15 to operate an e-bike. On Sept. 8, for instance, a 14-year-old boy in the Mokulē‘ia area was seriously injured while riding an e-bike without a helmet; he was pinned under the pickup truck that hit him. Just nine days earlier, a 12-year-old girl on an e-bike crashed into a moped rider on an ‘Ewa Beach sidewalk, leaving both riders seriously injured.

Because many younger riders aren’t old enough to drive, they often don’t know the rules of the road, making the situation even more dangerous.

“Just the other day, we went to a 13-year-old, who was on an e-bike built like a dirt bike. He was popping wheelies, fell back, hit his head on the curb, and was seriously injured with a head injury,” Enright says. “This is what we want to prevent from happening. Children don’t understand the gravity of their actions. That’s why we don’t allow them to drive until an older age. Yet, we’re giving them these motorized machines.”

Along with advocating for new e-bike legislation, a city task force has initiated an awareness campaign for both e-bike riders and parents who may not know about the state’s age and safety requirements, such as wearing a helmet, Honolulu EMS Paramedic Supervisor Sunny Johnson says.

“I urge parents to really look at what they’re purchasing for their kids and see how fast these e-bikes can go,” Johnson says.

E-Bike Rules and Safety

Hawai‘i law defines an e-bike as a “low-speed electric bicycle” whose assisted maximum speed is less than 20 mph.
Those 15 and older can operate an e-bike if it’s registered to an adult member of the household.
E-bikes are allowed on all roadways in Hawai‘i, including bike lanes. But e-bike riders must follow all traffic laws and obey traffic signals and signs.
Helmets are required for riders under 16 and are recommended for all riders.
Wear reflective clothing while operating an e-bike in low light.
Wear long pants instead of shorts while riding an e-bike.

What’s Open or Closed in Honolulu for Thanksgiving Day

HONOLULU Magazine Team — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:30:08 +0000

AVAILABLE SERVICES

Emergency ambulance, fire, lifeguard, medical examiner and police services will be available.
TheBus will operate on a state holiday schedule. Visit thebus.org for routes and other information.
Skyline will operate on a holiday schedule, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit honolulu.gov/skyline for rider information.
Parks, botanical gardens and the Honolulu Zoo will be open.
The Ala Wai, ‘Ewa Villages, Pali, Ted Makalena and West Loch golf courses will be open from 7 to 11 a.m. for 18-hole play and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for 9-hole play. Kahuku Golf Course will be open from 8 a.m. to noon for 9-hole play. Visit golf.honolulu.gov for revised play information.
Refuse will be collected. Transfer stations, convenience centers, H-POWER and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will be open. Find more info at envhonolulu.org.

CLOSED OR CANCELED SERVICES

The Neal S. Blaisdell Center box office will be closed.
The People’s Open Markets will not be held.
All satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will be closed.
All public libraries will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29.

TRAFFIC AND PARKING REGULATIONS

On-street parking will be free, excluding the meters on Kalākaua Avenue along Queen Kapi‘olani Park, metered parking lots and other streets. See the full list here.
Traffic lanes will not be coned for contraflow.

Local Filmmakers Win Big as HIFF44’s Awards Are Announced

Katrina Valcourt — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 01:23:06 +0000

Some of the crew of Moloka‘i Bound, from left: first assistant director Justyn Ah Chong, director Alika Tengan, producer Nina Yang Bongiovi, cinematographer and producer Chapin Hall, with HIFF executive director Beckie Stocchetti. Photo: Courtesy of HIFF

From Oct. 3–13, hundreds of features and short films from around the world came to Consolidated Theatres Kāhala in celebration of Hawai‘i International Film Festival’s 44th year. While screenings will continue on the Neighbor Islands over the next few weeks, winners of HIFF’s juried awards and honorees were announced at a private gala held Oct. 12 at the Halekūlani Hotel. (The Audience Choice Award will be announced after the festival concludes.) From emerging filmmakers to documentaries and student shorts, the winners represent the best of local and international cinema. There were a record number of Hawai‘i films in competition this year, with many coming out on top. Congratulations to all.

Competition Awards

Kau Ka Hōkū Award: Moloka‘i Bound

The grand jury prize for HIFF’s “shooting star” award presented by Hawaiian Airlines honors a first- or second-time international feature filmmaker. Of the 12 nominees—including Universal Language, called “the best movie at Cannes” by Vulture—Moloka‘i Bound took home the top prize. This is director Alika Tengan’s second feature after Every Day in Kaimukī (2022) and the first made-in-Hawai‘i film to win the award, which debuted in 2018.

Molokai‘i Bound played in four sold-out theaters at Ward as the centerpiece of the festival and sold out subsequently added screenings, too. The expanded version of Tengan’s award-winning short of the same name follows Kainoa’s quest to reconnect with his son and turn his life around after spending years in prison.

molokaibound.com, @molokaibound

Made in Hawai‘i – Best Narrative Feature: Moloka‘i Bound

Moloka‘i Bound is the first film to win both the Made in Hawai‘i and Kau Ka Hōkū awards. Normally just one award, Made in Hawai‘i was split among two features by this year’s jury to honor a wealth of talent across multiple categories. Winners received cash prizes from the Hawai‘i State Film Office and Nichols Film Fund and are also eligible to be showcased on Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight programming.

Standing Above the Clouds producer Erin Lau and Moloka‘i Bound director Alika Tengan with the Made in Hawai‘i Award. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador/HIFF/Sipa USA

Made in Hawai‘i – Best Documentary Feature: Standing Above the Clouds

Director Jalena Keane-Lee’s spotlight on activists Pua Case and her two daughters Hāwane Rios and Kapulei Flores as they fight to protect Maunakea brought us back to the summer of 2019. “The Best Documentary is a film that made us laugh, it made us cry, but most of all, it made us incredibly proud of powerful mana wahine standing strong at the forefront of such an important kaupapa,” the jury wrote. This film is an expanded version of Keane-Lee’s award-winning short that screened at more than 30 film festivals and is her first feature. Standing Above the Clouds also received an honorable mention for the Pasifika Award.

standingabovetheclouds.com, @standingabovetheclouds

SEE ALSO: 6 ‘Ōiwi To Watch

The Queen’s Flowers director Ciara Lacy. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador/HIFF/Sipa USA

Made in Hawai‘i – Best Short Film: The Queen’s Flowers

Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ciara Lacy’s true story about a girl named Emma who would gift lei to Queen Lili‘uokalani is a fantastical animation made with Daniel Sousa, who also designed Kapaemahu and Aikāne. With this award, The Queen’s Flowers is eligible to be nominated for an Oscar.

thequeensflowersfilm.com, @thequeensflowersfilm

NETPAC Award: Sister Midnight

The Network for the Promotion of Asian-Pacific Cinema gives this award at festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Rotterdam, Busan, Singapore, Taiwan, Yamagata, Amiens and Hawai‘i.

Sister Midnight, directed by Karan Kandahari, is a comedy/horror about an Indian woman trapped in an arranged marriage, forced to find an outlet for her frustrations. It played as part of the HIFF Extreme section. The jury said: “… [T]he director’s unique approach, using playful humor and colorful stylized vitality, coupled with Radhik Apte’s standout performance, distinguishes it from other films addressing the injustice of gender and social hierarchies.”

The honorable mention, Ka Whawai Tonu: Struggle Without End, is an Aotearoa production directed by Michael Jonathan that features HIFF44’s Trailblazer Award honoree Temuera Morrison.

Pasifika Award – Best Feature Film: We Were Dangerous

Pacific Islanders in Communications, a Honolulu-based nonprofit that works to support, advance and develop Pacific Island media content and talent, presents this award and $5,000 to director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s We Were Dangerous, which also received the SXSW 2024 Narrative Feature Competition Special Jury Award for Filmmaking. A misfit trio of girls in New Zealand rebel against their reform school and bring hope to viewers.

HIFF Best Short Film Award: CHamoru: A Lost Language

With more than 2,000 submissions, the shorts category at HIFF continues to grow, especially as each selection is eligible for this award that in turn grants the winner the ability to be nominated for an Oscar. Filmmaker Brian Muna’s film follows the journey of those working to preserve his language for posterity.

The honorable mention, Talk to Me (unrelated to the recent A24 horror film of the same name), spotlights themes of loneliness and human connection.

BMW Driven Student Award: Stitches

Students curated the HIFF44 University Showcase from more than 60 submissions, granting the top award to this surreal family portrait involving puppets. It’s more heartfelt and insightful than you might think. Director and UH Mānoa student Alexander Clearly received a $3,000 cash prize in sponsorship of continued film education.

There were two honorable mentions for this category: Where Do Butterflies Go When They Die? (directed by Steven Loya Montoya) and Anxious (directed by Josiah Castillo).

Honorees

Shōgun co-creators and showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo with HIFF executive director Beckie Stocchetti. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador/HIFF/Sipa USA

Previously announced honorees of this year’s festival also attended the gala. They were:

Halekūlani Vision in Film Award: Stanley Nelson
Halekūlani Career Achievement Award: Justin Marks & Rachel Kondo (Shōgun)
Halekūlani Maverick Award: Charles Yu and Interior Chinatown
Leanne K. Ferrer Trailblazer Award Presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications: Temuera Morrison
Spotlight on Hong Kong Filmmaker: Sandra Ng

hiff.org, @hiffhawaii