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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

See this is our problem. When auntie says, "I tole you what for do but you nevah like listen to me!" she's usually right.

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Auntie Therapy</title>

Pashyn gives local style advice in today's social media find.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Auntie Therapy

See this is our problem. When auntie says, &quot;I tole you what for do but you nevah like listen to me!&quot; she&#039;s usually right. 

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Electric customers be warned — higher bills are headed your way.

The utility this week said it anticipates that typical residential bills may rise between 20% and 30% in the coming months. The increases are driven by rising global oil prices linked to "escalating geopolitical tensions," including the current conflict in Iran, an 

"As an island state that relies heavily on imported fuel for electricity generation and transportation, Hawai‘i is particularly sensitive to global fossil fuel price fluctuations," HECO says. "These increases will affect electric bills, fuel prices and other commodities."

Customers on O‘ahu will begin seeing higher bills in April, while Hawai‘i Island and Maui County customers will see increases in May and June, the announcement noted.

The formula for rates is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, and "includes fuel costs that fluctuate with world markets," according to the utility, which also notes that it makes no profit on the fuel used to generate electricity.

A HECO spokesperson told Aloha State Daily that increases for commercial customers are expected to be in the same ballpark as residential customers.

"Retailers operate on very thin margins, so rising energy costs remain a key concern," Dave Erdman, interim president and CEO of Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i, told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Our members are sharing practical suggestions to reduce in-store energy use and manage higher electric bills, such as using LED lighting, adjusting air-conditioning settings, turning off lights when not in use, and maintaining refrigeration and air filters for efficiency. 

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and gain and share feedback from members on impacts to their retail businesses, shopping centers/malls, dining establishments [and] our allied businesses in professional services and logistics," he continued. "The impact reaches our stores, centers, small businesses and at the homes of our retail employees.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"How to combat rising energy costs"}]

Those looking for ways to manage their energy bills can find 

Hawai‘i Energy, the state's energy conservation program, also offers tips, programs and rebates for both residents and businesses looking to offset rising energy costs.

 program, for example provides qualifying businesses and nonprofits with light upgrades at a "significantly reduced" prices.

And rebates help both businesses and residents lower the cost of energy-efficient upgrades, Hawai‘i Energy says.

"Instead of bearing the full expense of new equipment, participants receive financial incentives that reduce the initial investment, making it much easier to move forward with improvements that  deliver long-term savings on energy bills," the organization told ASD.

, rebates are typically tied to specific equipment upgrades like high-efficiency lighting, refrigeration systems, HVAC equipment and controls, and in many cases, the incentives can cover a "meaningful portion of the project cost," Hawai‘i Energy says. The organization also offers technical support to help find the most cost-effective upgrades. See a list of 

, meanwhile, can get rebates for things like energy-efficient appliances, water heating systems and regular maintenance services. Depending on the product, the rebate may be applied instantly when purchased through participating retailers or contractor, or customers can submit a rebate application after purchase, Hawai‘i Energy says. See a list of 

[{"type":"text","text":"As for businesses, Hawai‘i Energy says to:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Rising gas prices"}]

Oil prices increased after the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28 and rose about 

In addition to rising electric costs, drivers are seeing higher prices at the gas pumps.

With an average gas price of $5.41, Hawai‘i joins California ($5.82) and Washington ($5.27) as the states with the highest average prices, as of March 30, according to data from 

Those three states also have the highest average diesel prices in the country: 

California at $7.30, Hawaiʻi at $6.67, and Washington at $6.50.

Hawai‘i was also led the states that saw the biggest weekly change in gas prices, up 18.8 cents, according to GasBuddy.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Rising energy prices illustration istock

<title>Hawaiian Electric bills expected to rise in the coming months</title>

The utility has warned customers that bills are expected to increase by 20% to 30%, driven by rising global oil prices.

Hawaiian Electric bills expected to rise in the coming months

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

Stand-up comedian Tumua is doing crowd work somewhere on the Mainland, and 

 from the audience. The guy is from Kauaʻi, not born and raised, but “flown there, grown there.” He hasn’t lived there in nine years. While Tumua works the crowd, the guy shouts “chee hoo.” Tumua says, “That’s a solid chee hoo, man.” He does it again. Tumua has to shush him.

It’s a small moment, and Tumua plays it off with dry affection. The guy is playing out what he remembers of a place he left nine years ago. Much of the crowd never lived there at all.

Frank De Lima didn’t have that problem performing locally. Most of his audience hadn’t left. They were in the room — sharing the same plate lunch memories, cringing at the same accents, laughing because every joke was an inside joke. This wasn’t an introduction to local culture. It was a reminder, a celebration, even a reinforcement.

The plantation village was a truly different kind of place — shared land, shared labor, ethnic groups pressed close together with no way out. Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Hawaiians were all crowded into the same neighborhoods and schools. What came out of it — the food, the humor, the pidgin — came from people who couldn’t opt out of each other.

Even as that world was dissolving, people reached back for its symbols. By 1978, a political movement called Palaka Power had taken the plantation worker’s cloth as its name — a clear link to the past. The Palaka Power 

 said so plainly. The writers also noted, in the same breath: the ILWU was declining, sugar and pine would soon be gone, the Democrats of the ‘54 Revolution had mostly left the arena. They chose the symbol precisely because the reality was already receding. The myth was always partly constructed. But it was backed, then, by people who had actually 

The built world that replaced the plantation village included public housing, suburbs, and apartments. The Mainland has all of those. And then came radio, television, the internet, smartphones, and eventually TikTok.

Stand in the Sandy Beach parking lot on a Saturday. A kid near the lifeguard stand is hitting a vape and dancing to a song trending in Atlanta. The shaka sticker on the bumper is working harder than it used to. But social media didn’t cause any of this. It arrived to find the flattening of culture mostly finished and has been tracking it ever since.

The audience for local content skews diaspora: Aunties in Vallejo, Kalihi kids now in Las Vegas, people holding onto something they can’t quite name.

Nostalgia is real. But it runs in one direction. You can package a memory and ship it to Fresno. What you can’t do is put it back. A friend put it plainly: are we our own cover band?

Distinct cultures are not accidents. They grow from particular people living side by side. The plantation village wasn’t a brand. It was a neighborhood. The shaka sticker can travel, but the neighborhood can’t. Something real is lost when a place becomes content.

. He’s reaching for something he actually had, once. What is it, exactly? The memory of a place, a people. The kind of memory that swells within and erupts in shouts — or tears. It’s the memory that many hold of Hawai‘i, even those who visited only for a week.

Nostalgia can become sinful when we deceive ourselves. It’s easy to romanticize farm labor from the comfort of air-conditioned offices, but the plantations were not a paradise. And neither is Hawai‘i. The past is worth a visit, but no place to make a home. 

That’s a solid chee hoo, man — but once is enough. Shush.

Pineapple Plantation housing 16x9 Large

<title>What's in a chee hoo?</title>

Generations removed from the plantation era that forged it, local culture is in danger of becoming a nostalgia-fueled performance of itself, writes ASD columnist Sterling Higa.

What's in a chee hoo?

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

. On Aloha Friday, the grocery store offers special deals for Makaʻi members.

While Foodland’s Aloha Friday program started in fall 2024, its $6 Eats specials started at Foodland Farms Pearl City last October. Now, Foodland Farms Ka Makana Ali

i and Pearl City locations offer different $6 specials every weekday.

The Pearl City store’s $6 specials include kalua pork burritos (Mondays); barbecue bowls, which feature a choice of char siu pork, spicy bulgogi pork, char siu chicken or miso chicken (Tuesdays); loaded nachos (Wednesdays); noodle bowls (Thursdays); and kalua pork mini bowls, mini bentos, $6 per pound hot and cold bar selections, and select sandwiches (Friday).

Since Fridays have the most variety, we recently stopped by to check it out. The $6 eats are available all day. We’re told the barbecue bowls (Tuesday deal), noodle bowls (Thursday deal) and $6 per pound for the hot and cold bar (Friday deal) have been especially popular.

The mini kalua pork bowl and $6 per pound selections from the hot and cold bar are probably the two more popular options on this day. The kalua pork bowl (regular price $7.99) includes a bed of rice topped with kalua pork and lomi salmon.

Cold bar options include watercress tofu, bibim kook soo, ginger scallion tofu, chili crunch cucumber poke, Asian potato salad, Okinawan sweet potato, no-bake cheesecake, mixed greens with a variety of toppings and dressings, and more.

The hot bar includes options like crispy sesame brussels sprouts; creamy beef pasta; curry Swai (curry, garlic, onions, peppers, bamboo shoots, watercress, potato and butter); pork luau; Huli Huli chicken; fried saimin (made with yakisoba, cabbage, celery, carrots, green onions, char siu and fishcake); steamed Chinese-style fish; Pulehu chicken; and more.

The mini bentos (regular price $7.99) feature options like shrimp tempura, California roll, bulgogi and grilled barbecue chicken.

Meanwhile, the $6 sandwich selection includes tuna salad, egg salad, turkey and ham.

foodland.com/about-foodland-farms-pearl-city

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Budget Bites Foodland Farms PC 6 eats 033126

<title>Budget Bites: Foodland Farm Pearl City’s $6 eats</title>

Each weekday features various $6 specials, including kalua pork burritos (Mondays), loaded nachos (Wednesdays), and kalua pork mini bowls, select sandwiches and mini bentos (Fridays).

Budget Bites: Foodland Farm Pearl City’s $6 eats

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

On January 31, 1835, William Charles Lunalilo was born to High Chiefess Miriam Auhea Kekauluohi and High Chief Charles Kana‘ina. As a grandnephew of King Kamehameha I and a cousin to Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, and Kamāmalu, Lunalilo was deeply rooted in royal heritage. He received an education at the Royal School, where he mastered both English and Hawaiian, and was considered a scholar and poet. He was an intelligent man who won the hearts of those around him through courtesy, generosity, and genuine friendliness. But beyond his grace, Lunalilo held a deep respect for family and loyalty.

Since the 1820s, the remains of Hawai‘i’s past monarchs were housed in a Western-style structure on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace called Pohukaina. Beginning with Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu, Pohukaina became the final resting place for Hawai‘i’s kings, queens, and high-ranking ali‘i. However, after 40 years, the tomb began to fill up.

In 1865, most of the remains of Hawaii’s ali‘i were moved from the burial vault at Pohukaina to the newly completed Royal Mausoleum at Mauna‘ala in Nu‘uanu Valley. Lunalilo took offense that his mother, Kekauluohi, was left behind. In his resentment towards the reigning King Kamehameha V, Lunalilo removed his mother’s remains and deposited them in a secret spot out at sea. Many believe that the treatment of his mother’s remains influenced Lunalilo’s wish to be buried at Kawaiaha‘o rather than Mauna‘ala.

Following the death of Kamehameha V in December 1872, Lunalilo was elected King and took the throne in January 1873. At just 39 years old, Lunalilo’s life was cut short by tuberculosis, and his reign ended on February 3, 1874. He held the title of King for just one year and 25 days. On his deathbed, Lunalilo expressed a wish to be buried among his people rather than among the kings and chiefs.

His initial funeral was marked by a 21-gun salute, and his body was initially laid in state at Mauna‘ala while his gravesite at Kawaiaha‘o Church was under construction. On November 23, 1875, after the completion of Lunalilo’s tomb, his remains were transferred to Kawaiaha‘o for a second funeral. It had been nearly two years since Lunalilo’s death, and King Kalākaua, the new monarch, declined to authorize another 21-gun salute.

But what the king refused, the heavens fulfilled. Reports say that from the time Lunalilo’s body left Mauna‘ala until he was interred at Kawaiaha‘o Church, a dramatic storm passed over Honolulu with exactly 21 thunderclaps occurring during the procession.

A newspaper article noted that on the same day, several large water spouts appeared in the channel between O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. In Hawaiian tradition, such phenomena were considered signs of ‘aumākua, ancestral spirits, escorting their descendants to the afterlife.

For a brief time in the early 2000s, I worked at the school on the grounds of the Kawaiaha‘o Church. During this time, the gates surrounding Lunalilo’s tomb would be left open during the day for visitors, and the groundskeeper would close them at 6:00 p.m. each evening.

One evening, the school was celebrating the Chinese New Year tradition. The staff was asked to find parking on the surrounding streets, to allow the families to park on campus. After the festivities, which included a lion dance, firecrackers, and lots of delicious Chinese food, the staff stayed back to clean up and put the classrooms back in order. 

It was after 8 p.m. when I finally walked through the graveyard, headed toward the front gate. I left my car in a metered stall just outside the church grounds on Punchbowl Street. As I walked along the driveway, I noticed that the gates in front of Lunalilo’s tomb were open, and a man was sitting on the steps of the tomb itself. He was a thin, Hawaiian man, and although he was sitting, I could tell he was fairly tall. He wore a black suit and held a cigar to his lips, the tip burning red as he inhaled before letting out a puff of smoke.

I smiled and nodded my head towards the man, waving my hand in acknowledgement of his presence. In return, he raised his cigar slightly and nodded back. I thought how bold this person must be to sit at the steps of the King’s tomb so casually, and I wondered why the gates were open so late. I walked out of the church grounds, but before I got to my car, I turned around, intending to strike up a conversation and find out who the man was. I know it was less than a minute, but the man was already gone. I quickly glanced around the area, but didn’t see anyone. I decided that any questions would have to wait.

The following day, when I saw the groundskeeper on his riding lawn mower in the graveyard, I walked over to let him know what happened.

“I don’t know if it was a homeless person or a church member,” I began, “But this Hawaiian man in a black suit was sitting on the steps to the tomb, smoking a cigar. He disappeared pretty quickly. I didn’t even see where he went.”

The groundskeeper turned his lawnmower off and leaned toward me, “Try say that again?”

After I repeated myself, the man smiled and whispered, “That was probably the King’s spirit you saw. I seen him too. I don’t know why, but for some reason, he doesn’t like it when the gates are closed when he’s having a smoke. Usually, the police or somebody passing by will see the gate open, and then they give me a call.”

We often talk about mana, the spiritual energy that is present in people, nature, and even inanimate objects. I believe that Lunalilo’s mana has impressed itself upon this space and everything in it.

In 2010, for King Lunalilo’s 175th birthday, the kāhili or feather standards that stood over the King’s crypt were replaced. The trustees of Lunalilo Home asked master feather artist Aunty Paulette Kahalepuna to take on the task of creating the kāhili.

Fashioned from feathers attached to long poles and sometimes adorned with ivory, bone, or wood, kāhili were used to symbolize the presence, lineage, and status of ali‘i. I was honored to be part of the small army of novitiates and expert feather workers who helped create the replacements for the King. When the final knot was tied and the work deemed complete, Aunty Paulette instructed everyone to bring the kāhili outside to the courtyard of the QLCC facility, where we were working.

As the kāhili were being raised, the wind suddenly died. The air was still, the birds were quiet. All we could hear was the drone of traffic passing by. Then, the golden feathers on all three kāhili started to flutter. Some of us looked around and noticed that the leaves on the surrounding trees were motionless while the feathers continued to dance. The sight brought chicken skin. My knees buckled and I knelt before the kāhili as tears poured down my cheeks. It almost felt as if the kāhili themselves were the manifestation of his royal highness.

In that moment, I fully understood what kapu meant, even though, to this day, I don’t have the words to describe it. It’s more than ‘taboo,’ more than ‘sacred.’ Much more.

Perhaps meaning can be found in the name, Lunalilo, ‘so high up as to be lost to sight.’

Lunalilo Tomb

<title>The Mana of King Lunalilo</title>

On his deathbed, King William Charles Lunalilo expressed a wish to be buried among his people rather than among the kings and chiefs and so he was interred in a tomb at Kawaiaha‘o Church. That's where the author personally had a profound experience of an otherworldly nature.

The Mana of King Lunalilo

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Within the next six months, Jed Gaines expects to take Read Aloud America’s family literacy program global, after two decades of trialing it across the Islands.

“We’re working with some great people overseas who helped build this Toolkit, which has taken over a year,” 

he told Aloha State Daily. “We’ve actually had the first draft edited and finalized, so it’s just fine-tuning everything and getting it together.”

Gaines said that The Read Aloud Program Toolkit will first be implemented in a local school to run as a pilot program. “And once they test it, then we could determine what needs to be changed, added or deleted,” he noted. “I see schools running it on their own. We’ll be there as a support system.”

The overall goal remains the same: to focus on family, and the communication and bonding that occurs through reading aloud.

He added that the Toolkit will include tips for family connection. “If you can get parents to shut down screens during dinner, so that families can talk, get to know each other and share love together, then we’re going to have a different society,” Gaines said. “Until we change the home, you’re never going to change our schools, communities, our nation or world. You’ve really got to get families to talk story, and the key is the parents.”

The Read Aloud Program offers immersive reading sessions for public school students and their families, as well as opportunities to enjoy entertainment, games and food. The program first launched in 1999 at Barber’s Point Elementary School serving 200 people. Attendance increases and a state grant in 2006 helped boost the program.

“Up until Covid-19, we had reached more than 350,000 adults and children. So why were they coming to these programs at such numbers? It

’s because they were having fun, and if you have fun, you’re going to learn.”

As gatherings ceased during the pandemic, Read Aloud America continued sharing it reading resources and lists, while pivoting to what's next.

For Gaines, the most rewarding part of this work is engaging with the families and seeing the impact. He shared the sentiment of a parent who had attended every session in a series and told him, “Jed, this is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my family.”

Gaines admits he didn’t learn to read until 7th grade. He says school was difficult for him, being dyslectic, though he we went on to attend college and grew fond of the hobby while in the U.S. Navy.

“The carrier had a library. I became a reader on my own and self-educated myself, basically,” he said. “I’m an avid reader today. That’s my escape.”

In the early ’70s, he moved from New York to Hawai’i and began cleaning apartments professionally, running the business Apartment Appearance for over 25 years. During that time, in 1995, Gaines created nonprofit Read Aloud America, whose mission is: “Through the fun of reading and being read to, parents can promote literacy, bond families, and build communities of lifetime readers and learners.”

He has passed the gift of reading to his children and grandchildren. When asked what he’s currently reading, Gaines said, “Strangers in Time” by 

David Baldacci; “The Widow” by John Grisham; “

 by Clare Leslie Hall; and “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls.

For kids' book authors, he recommends Jerry Spinell

Read Aloud America 003

<title>Read Aloud America readies for next chapter</title>

Founder and president Jed Gaines reflects on the Honolulu-based organization’s past and shares what’s ahead.  

Read Aloud America readies for next chapter

 — the cute Japanese kei (mini) truck that’s been popping up around Kaka

ako — from a foodie friend, who sent me a photo of the truck when it was parked near SALT At Our Kaka

It’s been serving up takoyaki for about one month, according to operating general manager/executive chef Ken Maeda, but what he wants customers to remember about the business goes far beyond takoyaki.

“We provide free meals — even at our restaurants — to children under age 12, as part of our mission to support kids here in Hawai

i,” he says. “Kids eat free — nobody in Hawai

i does that; nobody in the state does that.”

The complimentary kids’ meal includes four pieces of original takoyaki. Regular orders include seven pieces ($11) in flavors like original, negi ponzu, negi shio, cheese and mentai mayo.

“Original and negi ponzu are the most popular flavors,” Maeda says. “People that already know what takoyaki is tend to get negi shio or negi ponzu; that’s a flavor you don’t really get often. It’s a citrus soy sauce on top, and it’s topped with green onions and homemade mayonnaise.”

The business’s takoyaki is unique because of its ingredients, according to Maeda.

“It’s the love we put in the batter,” he says. “Osaka takoyaki is a little on the soggy side; there’s this famous place called Gindaco that has super crispy takoyaki. Ours is right in between (in consistency) — between really crispy and the original Kansai-style, where it’s a little soft.”

Since the truck is still in its soft opening phase, customers are encouraged to be patient. The truck is only taking in-person orders, and it takes about 15 minutes for takoyaki to cook from start to finish, according to Maeda.

“Our founder’s dream was to do something for the kids,” he says. “That’s what we’re trying really hard to do through food. We might start something really positive; that’s what we’re hoping for.”

’s schedule by following the business on Instagram.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Auntie Therapy

ASD Staff

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Auntie Therapy

Authors

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