ASD Staff

Adopt a Pet

Meet Uno, a 30-pound, 10-month-old terrier mix "with a heart full of love — just waiting to share it with you!" says the 

"This sweet boy came into our care in December 2024 after he was found wandering around Waimānalo with his canine brother. Uno is eager to learn and thrives with treats and positive reinforcement. He’s the perfect cuddle buddy and would do best in a home filled with patience, kindness and lots of love."

Uno is excited to meet you at the Hawaiian Humane Society’s Mōʻiliʻili Campus, open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also submit an adoption inquiry for Uno, 

Uno 4 8 2025

<title>Adopt A-Pet April 8, 2025: Uno is the one for you</title>

Hereʻs how to adopt Uno from the Hawaiian Humane Societyʻs Mōʻiliʻili Campus. Its staff members say, "He’s the perfect cuddle buddy and would do best in a home filled with patience, kindness and lots of love."

Adopt A-Pet April 8, 2025: Uno is the one for you

Meet Uno, a 30-pound, 10-month-old terrier mix "with a heart full of love — just waiting to share it with you!" says the Hawaiian Humane Society.  "This sweet boy came into our care in December 2024 after he was found wandering around Waimānalo with his canine brother. Uno is eager to learn and thrives with treats and positive reinforcement. He’s the perfect cuddle buddy and would do best in a home filled with patience, kindness and lots of love." Uno is excited to meet you at the Hawaiian Humane Society’s Mōʻiliʻili Campus, open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also submit an adoption inquiry for Uno, here.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

Entrepreneur Mahealani Summerer, 12, nimbly worked to build a miniature couch last week.

It's all part of her business, Laniture, just one keiki-led businesses that will be featured in a market this weekend at Kāhala Mall.

More than a dozen young entrepreneurs have been getting a lesson in business and entrepreneurship through Vivistop Honolulu's Dream Incubator program, which culminates with The Future is Keiki Market. Set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Kāhala Mall, the one-day pop-up is a showcase of the entrepreneurs, ages 10 to 18, who have developed their own small businesses and hand-crafted items.

[{"text":"Kāhala Mall is located at 4211 Wai‘alae Ave.","type":"text"}]

Seiya Yoshida is executive director of Vivistop Honolulu, which he says is a creative space for kids. Here, they curate activities for kids to build their own projects around their passions, offer a space for children to explore and discover things they're passionate about "and find confidence and find their voice through that as well," he told Aloha State Daily last week.

Vivistop Honolulu opened in August 2022 and primarily serves kids 10 to 19. It began as a for-profit company but has since pivoted become a nonprofit, according to Yoshida.

"This is just a safe space," he said — and a big one. There's a dance area where content can be shot, a flex maker space where he says a lot of creating happens, a woodworking area, tech mezzanine and music studio.

"We kind of do it all because you don't know what you like until you try it," Yoshida said. "It's a safe space to try a lot different creative activities. ... Then we started this program because we are wanting to create more value in the community as well. We saw that there is kind of a need for kids wanting to start their own projects."

[{"text":"The Dream Incubator program began earlier this year.","type":"text"}]

Yoshida said it started with two workshops that helped the kids create ideas and they were able to "figure out what they liked doing and we built businesses around their passions. That was kind of the theme for this version of the program."

The participating kids are now developing their brands. Some have been a part of Vivistop Honolulu programs before and are growing their businesses, while others are new and just starting, he said.

Mahealani said she started crafting cardboard houses at a young age, but has been working on this business since January. She hasn't sold anything before but said she's looking forward to doing so.

When asked what she likes most about the Dream Incubator program, Mahealani says, "just to create what you have in mind and put that into reality, to actually represent what you want to represent to people."

Sioux Marchisio's business is Desk Dudes, which sells items to put on your desk or shelves, magnets, key chains, stickers and laser-cut wooden figures of characters he created: Goober, Scant, Smiler and Ponderer.

For this market, Sioux, 15, said he added key chains and had to make more of the products he plans to sell. Each of the four characters also gets a QR code and animation.

His favorite part has been taking his drawings and characters and selling them.

[{"text":"Is this something he wants to keep doing in the future?","type":"text"}]

[{"text":"\"I'll keep doing it for a while,\" Sioux says.","type":"text"}]

"This program is built to give kids the confidence and just the know-how to thrive in Hawai‘i too," Yoshida says.

Yoshida says they've participated in other markets where the young entrepreneurs were able to showcase their wares and see other vendors, but the Future is Keiki Market is the first time they've done their own.

"This one is exciting because it's just for showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit and the creativity of the youth," he said. "Kāhala Mall was gracious enough to let us host there. ... It's just a great way to support the community and the kids in the community as well, because the kids are the future. We're giving them the necessary skills to be an independent person, to be a creative person, to be a community leader and [help them to] give back, too."

More than a dozen young entrepreneurs 10 to 18 will participate in the market, and Yoshida says they'll be selling a variety of items — baked goods and desserts, miniature furniture, wooden figurines, jewelry and clothing.

"While we're getting closer to the date [of the market], kids are getting a little more stressed creating their products, but they're having fun while doing it too," Yoshida says, adding that many of the participants are thankful and want the program to continue. Even their friends want to join.

When asked whether another Dream Incubator session could be on the horizon, Yoshida says the organization is "kid-driven," and creates programs and workshops based on what they see and hear the keiki want to do.

"Because the kids are wanting to do it again, we are definitely wanting to do another Dream Incubator program," he said. "There might be a different theme. It might not be passion into a business."

How can someone get involved? Aside from supporting the young business owners this weekend, Yoshida says kids can apply for other workshops and programs. Vivistop will offer summer camps through June and July.

Others in the community can also donate to help the nonprofit. Yoshida says the organization is in danger of closing at the end of July.

"We're wanting to continue our programs, and we know that there's a need and that there's a value in it."

It currently is seeking new donors and partners to help continue programming, he said.

People can also become mentors, "so if they have a craft that they're passionate about and want to share with the community and the kids, they're able to come to us and pitch us a workshop idea or program ideas."

Those interested in supporting the organization can email aloha@vivita.us or visit 

The future is keiki market 4 040825

<title>The Future is Keiki Market comes to Kāhala Mall</title>

More than a dozen young entrepreneurs have been getting a lesson in business and entrepreneurship through Vivistop Honolulu's Dream Incubator program, which culminates with The Future is Keiki Market this weekend.

The Future is Keiki Market comes to Kāhala Mall

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, known for offering high-quality A5 grade Miyazaki beef and washu beef, just introduced a new tasting menu for $65. The tasting menu is like a sampler of the eatery’s more popular meats — including a few exotic options. It’s available daily during both lunch and dinner, and no end date has been announced yet. It’s only available at the Ward location (not the eatery’s Waikīkī location).

Minimum two orders are required to experience this tasting menu, and no substitutions are allowed.

The first course includes assorted appetizers, including a salad of the day, assorted kimchi and seared washu beef. The seared washu beef is one of my favorite dishes at this eatery — it’s easy to eat and well seasoned, and the onions add some crunchy texture.

Next comes scallion salt marinated washu beef — beef tongue and hanging tender. These are customer faves.

Mixed entrails, or intestines, are not for everyone, but locals are invited to try them in the next course. They feature a chewier texture and might take a little longer to grill.

This adventurous option is followed by tare marinated washu beef — flank steak, bottom flap and kalbi. Kalbi is another customer favorite.

The meal concludes with your choice of soup — seaweed egg drop soup or original spicy soup. The seaweed egg drop soup is comforting and flavorful, while the eatery’s original spicy soup packs some heat.

Of course, if you wanted dessert or other sides, you can still order dishes from the eatery’s a la carte menu. But this tasting menu includes a good amount of meat (without carbs).

Han No Daidokoro Ward grilling 041025

<title>Han No Daidokoro Ward just launched a limited-time special tasting menu</title>

The catch: No end date has been announced.

Han No Daidokoro Ward just launched a limited-time special tasting menu

Whether you prefer going out for brunch or getting takeout — or simply ordering a variety of desserts — here are some tasty options for Easter, which is coming up this week.

[{"text":"Arden Waikīkī","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Arden Waikīkī’s Easter menu ($80 per person) includes a rainbow salad with vegetables, tofu and sesame-ginger dressing; bone marrow with pickled mushrooms and sourdough toast; Ludovico fried chicken with Lehua honey-dill sauce; beef filet with green peppercorn sauce; roasted brussels sprouts and carrot cake with lemon curd and pineapple. Natural wine pairings are also available (additional $35). 

[{"text":"Big Island Candies ","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 

: The dessert shop’s Easter chickadee tote ($15 at the Ala Moana store) features a felt-fabric gift filled with macadamia nut goodies. It includes seven treats — three chocolate chip macadamia nut shortbread, two milk chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread, one milk chocolate covered macadamia nut brownie, and one dark chocolate covered macadamia nut brownie. 

[{"text":"Kōloa Landing Resort","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: This Easter brunch buffet ($75 per adult, $49 for children ages nine years and under), features a variety of gourmet offerings like prime rib, sugar-glazed ham, build-your-own-omelet station, Punalu‘u French toast, kalua pork hash, lilikoʻi cheesecake and more. 

[{"text":"Margotto Hawaiʻi","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: The truffle-centric restaurant will feature specialty egg dishes and limited-time menu items, including foie gras frittata, Scotch egg that’s crispy on the outside with a molten yolk inside, and Pain Perdu ice cream (this classic breakfast dish is served as a dessert made with French toast and served with roasted potatoes). 

[{"text":"Penny’s Waikīkī Malasadas","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu 

: These Easter-themed malasadas have limited-time fillings like orange dreamsicle, ube and strawberry shortcake. 

[{"text":"The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kaʻanapali ","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Hale Mo‘olelo at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, 2365 Kaanapali Pkwy., Lahaina 

: Enjoy an all-you-can-eat brunch ($125 per adult; $49 for children ages 4 to 12) with favorites like Molokai French toast, wagyu patty loco moco, herb-crusted prime rib carving station, carrot cake, pineapple upside down cake and more. The brunch includes one signature mimosa or handcrafted mocktail per adult. 

[{"text":"Walking Bean Café ","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: This four-inch Easter cheesecake ($19.25) is available for preorders only (customers must call one day ahead). It features a light cheesecake with pistachio cream, chocolate crumbles and strawberries. 

[{"text":"Wolfgang’s Steakhouse","type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]

: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2301 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu 

: The Easter brunch special ($30 per person) includes a choice of appetizer (Caesar salad or lobster bisque soup), entrée choice (loco moco, burger, fish sandwich or shrimp avocado salad), and choice of drink (coffee, tea or soft drinks). 

Easter part 3 Walking Bean Cafe cake 041425

<title>Where to go on Easter 2025: Part 3</title>

Didn’t make any plans yet? Hop to it!

Where to go on Easter 2025: Part 3

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

King David Kalākaua called Mānoa “the Valley of the Rainbow.” Surrounded by mountain ridges on three sides, rainfall is a frequent visitor. The sun, crawling across the sky, catches each falling drop at just the right angle, refracting the light into arcs of color that stretch like aloha across the sky. In this valley, while nature performs its quiet magic, Hawaiian history and the ancient art of Chinese feng shui intertwine, creating a contemporary harmony between the land and the spirits that inhabit it.

This cool, wide valley is just minutes from town and has become a highly desirable place to live. Hawaiian royalty had homes in Mānoa to escape the hustle and bustle of town. Most notably, Queen Ka‘ahumanu, King Kamehameha’s favorite wife, visited often and passed away in her home there at the age of 64.

In ancient times, Hawaiians believed that gods and supernatural beings inhabited the valley, and research shows that up to eight heiau (temples) once existed in Mānoa. The sites for heiau were chosen because of their spiritual energy, and Mānoa Valley offered the perfect setting for such wahi pana (sacred places).

In the mid-1800s, after most of the heiau had already been destroyed, a Feng Shui master came to Hawai‘i. Working to develop his craft, Mr. Lum Ching hiked the mountains and valleys of Honolulu using a luo pan, a type of Chinese feng shui compass. Coming upon Mānoa, he saw a knoll near the back of the valley and made his way there. Standing upon that grassy hill within the valley, he aimed the luo pan out toward the ocean and found that the direction pointed due south. Lum Ching then aimed the compass along the surrounding mountains and realized the energy was exactly what he was looking for. The qi, the energy that flowed into the valley, culminated at a point called shui. This happened to be right where Lum Ching was standing. In Chinese culture, the belief is that if an ancestor were to be buried at such an energy point, it would have lasting positive effects of prosperity on their descendants. 

Lum Ching brought his findings to the Chinese community, and 31 families worked together to pool their money. Saving nearly six months’ worth of wages, they founded the Lin Yee Chung Association to purchase the 27 acres of land that now forms the cemetery. Although the scenery of the valley had changed, the history and the spirituality remained.

What seems like a lifetime ago, when I’d only been working with Glen Grant for a few years, I was entrusted to host a group from an architectural firm on the old Ghost Hunters Bus Tour. We met at Glen’s bookstore, The Haunt, in Mo‘ili‘ili and headed out to our first stop, the Mānoa Chinese Cemetery, with permission, of course. Most of the 38 men and women were terrified, and it took a lot of encouragement to get them to board the bus. It took an equal amount of encouragement to convince them to get off the bus once we got to the cemetery.

I walked the group up the hill and stopped at a section below the huge banyan tree. On our left was the children’s section, where Glen once explained that children were placed here so they could keep each other company in the afterlife. Without warning and before I could even begin my storytelling, a wind appeared out of nowhere and tore through the cemetery, bending the skinny palm trees along the path. 

Oddly, I could see everything happening: the leaves and loose grass blowing about, dirt swirling around in tiny tornadoes. However, I couldn’t hear or feel any of it. It seemed like I was in an invisible capsule. After several seconds, the feeling was gone. The wind stopped, and I looked around to find that all 38 architects were gone.

When I boarded the bus at the bottom of the hill, I asked the group leader what had happened. He said that the second the wind kicked up, they all ran immediately back to the bus. We continued the tour, but by the end of the night, the wind and the cemetery were all the group could talk about.

The following morning, I phoned my elder cousin, Keone, to tell him about my experience and ask what it might have been. 

“That was the night marchers,” he told me. “Last night, the moon phase was Kāne. They march through that part of the cemetery, you know.”

“How come I wasn’t killed?” I asked. “I had no time to strip naked and lay face down.”

“That feeling you had of being encapsulated? You must have had ‘ohana in that procession because it sounds like they surrounded you and saved you,” he replied.

“What about the people on the tour?” I suddenly remembered that nothing happened to them.

[{"text":"Keone laughed and replied, “They did the smart thing. They ran.”","type":"text"}]

Manoa Chinese Cemetery

<title>Hawaiian History Meets Feng Shui</title>

Looking into the eerie energies surrounding the Mānoa Chinese Cemetery.

Hawaiian History Meets Feng Shui

Kamapuaʻa, the wild and rebellious demigod, is usually found in Hawai‘i’s lush, rain-drenched forests and valleys. Part man and part pig, Kamapua‘a is a shape-shifter whose most common form is that of a large wild hog. His restless spirit drew the fury and disdain of Pele, the fiery goddess of the volcano, but he pursued her relentlessly.

With his boundless passion, the nature of the pig god’s affinity for cooling rains and verdant lands countered Pele’s tempestuous fire and her lava’s destructive creation. The relationship between the two was filled first with anger and violence and then with wild desire. Eventually, Kamapua‘a could never tame the goddess’ flames, and Pele could not cage the demigod.

In their final epic battle, the pair realized it was impossible to destroy one another. Kamapua‘a proposed a truce, and the pair agreed that Pele would remain on her side of the island where it is hot and arid, and Kamapua‘a would remain on his side, where it is cool and lush, and none shall trespass into the other’s domain. From this ancient feud comes the superstition of carrying pork from one side of the island to the other.

Locals on O‘ahu will be quick to tell you, “Don’t bring pork over the Pali!”

This is a warning that if you should bring pork from Kailua over the Nu‘uanu Pali, you are carrying the kinolau (the embodiment) of Kamapua‘a into Pele’s territory, angering her. Personal stories of car trouble, strange occurrences, and even ghostly encounters from people who had pork in their cars reinforced this belief, with the scary events only ceasing once the pork was removed.

The story of bringing pork over the Pali is just one layer of the complex and spiritual history surrounding this place. If you ask different people why the Pali is haunted, you’ll likely get several vastly different answers, and most of those answers might be true. This haunting, spiritually powerful place has a long and violent history. It’s not just one thing that haunts the Pali; it’s many. 

In 1947, ten years before the first Pali tunnel was completed, a group of young men and women had been discussing the supernatural and learned that, under certain conditions, “spooks” could be seen at the Nu‘uanu Pali. They initially took this information as a joke and decided to test the theory just after midnight. Upon the advice of their Hawaiian friends, they brought with them some raw pork and fish. The night was very dark, and there was no moon.

Just around midnight, they drove up to the lookout, parked their car facing the plaque dedicated to King Kamehameha I, and sat there in the dark, waiting for something to happen. After a short while, one woman alerted the group to a large figure that looked like a man sitting on the side of the hill with his arms locked over his knees.

The driver turned on the car’s headlights, and the figure moved. When the lights were turned off, it suddenly reappeared in a different place. Although the night was dark, the figure was clearly visible, and the group watched in horror as the ghostly man changed his shape to that of an animal. The group tossed the pork out of the car, and in that instant, the awful odor of death and decomposition enveloped them. 

Around 12:45 am, this group of young men and women entered the police station and excitedly shared their terrifying experience with the police lieutenant on the midnight watch. Although the story may have impressed the Lieutenant, his only comment to the newspaper was, “They threw away pork at $1 a pound!”

What or who did these five young adults encounter? Could the strange figure have been the demigod, Kamapua‘a? What is your experience in bringing pork over the Pali?

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Daily Features

Adopt A-Pet April 8, 2025: Uno is the one for you

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Adopt A-Pet April 8, 2025: Uno is the one for you

In case you missed it

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Adopt a Pet

Adopt-a-Pet April 16, 2025: Meet Max from Maui Humane Society

Adopt-a-Pet April 16, 2025: Pua has "mesmerizing hazel eyes"

Adopt-a-Pet April 15 2025: ʻJudge is waiting to give you all the affectionʻ

Adopt-a-Pet April 14, 2025: Send Rover on over

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