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ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Mr. T would pity the fool who doesn't find this funny.","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: An amazing chain of events</title>

Today's social media find comes from nailsbydanny, and it's all about the links.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: An amazing chain of events

Mr. T would pity the fool who doesn&#039;t find this funny. 

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

 is heralded as one the most prestigious fine dining restaurants on O

ahu. Known for its French cuisine and refined ambiance, the eatery is Hawai

i’s longest-running AAA Five Diamond restaurant since 1990.

Executive chef Alexandre Trancher recently introduced a new menu degustation at La Mer; this eight-course menu only changes a few times a year. The dishes on this menu are also available a la carte. Everyone in the dining party must participate in the same menu experience.

Trancher — who began his career in France and boasts an extraordinary culinary background in Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan, Paris and Greece — moved to Hawai

i in 2012 and incorporates local ingredients into his cooking.

Dishes on the menu degustation ($325 per person, optional wine pairing available for $175) are also available a la carte.

The dining experience begins with an amuse bouche, which is meant to please your palate and prepare you for the culinary journey ahead. During this media dinner, it’s broccoli panna cotta with lobster remoulade, trout roe caviar, basil lemon oil and Japanese rice crackers for texture. It’s finished with a broccoli vichyssoise — or chilled soup — on top. It’s light, creamy and refreshing; the perfect start to our meal. 

Diners are also given a choice of featured breads from a basket. Choices include classic French baguette, nori bread made with seaweed, brioche, or sesame roll with carraway seeds. Diners can choose more than one roll; I’m partial to the buttery, flaky brioche.

The first course features a ballotine of foie gras, which is nestled under a cloud of cotton candy. It’s accompanied by apple calvados marmalade, cubes of chartreuse gelee and dollops of kahlua-ginger gel. Apple dust lies on the very bottom of the plate.

Our server suggests using the utensils to lift the cotton candy to access the foie gras, then eat the components together.

Foie gras is known for its rich, umami flavor. This course features a unique pairing through the cotton candy, but the combo works well. The airy cotton candy’s sweetness balances the foie gras’s savory flavor, and there’s lingering hints of apple with each bite.

The next dish was one of my favorites of the evening — a seared scallop on a bed of cauliflower puree. It’s topped with a cuttlefish leaf and served with an orange beurre blanc with caviar incorporated into the sauce.

The succulent, tender scallop is bathed in that flavorful cauliflower puree, and the briny caviar gives it the perfect amount of savoriness.

The third course features abalone, served in a Maui onion marmalade and topped with crispy onions and squid ink powder.

The abalone is poached in a broth of sake, konbu and daikon radish. It’s finished with a sauce of spinach and parsley emulsion in olive oil.

The next course features a colorful medley of poached Maine lobster with zucchini and yellow squash, served with coconut anchovy sauce and tomato chutney. The sauce contained heart of palm, red and yellow beets, daikon radish and chives. While the veggies are flavorful, the tender, slightly sweet lobster is the star of the show.

While all courses feature impressive presentations, this one is particularly exquisite.

The main entrée — a beef filet — comes next. The filet mignon is topped with shaved truffles and served with seared Hudson Valley foie gras, along with truffle mousseline potatoes. It’s finished with a French demiglace, which is made with Madeira wine, cognac, brandy and black truffles.

The filet is cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the shaved truffles enhance its umami flavor. It’s drizzled in a deeply flavorful demiglace.

Next comes a selection of cheeses from the restaurant’s cheese cart. Four cheeses — all of which are imported from France — are offered during our visit; the selection usually includes a variety of soft and hard cheeses. The camembert — a soft, creamy cow’s milk cheese — and Mimolette — a firm, orange-hued cheese — were my favorites of the ones featured. The latter has a harder texture and nutty flavor that’s similar to Parmesan, resulting in a savory finish.

Before dessert, the eatery’s version of madeleines is served. This refreshing palate cleanser features a madeleine-like dessert filled with mango, banana and pineapple curd, complete with white chocolate powder on top.

Dessert features an aesthetically pleasing pecan vanilla mousse. It features a chocolate and pecan center, almond cake, pecan cremeux, poached pear in a pear brandy, fennel foam and “leaves” made from a honey tuille.

The dessert overall is light and refreshing, a nice finish after the last few savory courses.

At the end of the menu degustation, diners are given mignardises, or petit fours — bite-sized French confections — to enjoy or take home. Our selection included Kona coffee coconut bon bons with caramel, mango pate fruit and Sakura financiers.

Open 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (last seating 8:30 p.m.) Tuesdays to Saturdays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

La Mer foie gras with cotton candy 031326

<title>Halekūlani’s French restaurant has a new grand tasting menu</title>

La Mer, known for its Neo-Classic French cuisine served in a pristine setting, recently debuted a new menu degustation. The course menu only changes a few times a year; highlights from this version includes seared scallop with caviar, poached Maine lobster, and duck foie gras topped with cotton candy.

Halekūlani’s French restaurant has a new grand tasting menu

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Arts & Entertainment

Onlookers were stunned on Sunday, March 29, when the famous Scottish lake monster, affectionately known as Nessie, broached the waters of the equally famous Ala Wai Canal.

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD was first on the scene, bringing you these exclusive photos."}]

We were soon joined by noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack, who said he was alerted by postings on the private social media channel of a secretive monster hunter society.

“I never thought I’d see the day!” said Zack. “I had been saving up all my Atmos Rewards miles for a trip to Scotland and now this happens — amazing!”

The creature kept perfectly still, head in the air, as if embarrassed to be caught in the open in broad daylight.

[{"type":"text","text":"Isn’t Nessie a little far from home? we asked."}]

“It’s 42 degrees in Loch Ness,” says noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack. “That’s Fahrenheit, it’s sounds even worse in Centigrade, just 5 or 6 degrees! So the question isn’t, ‘Why would Nessie swim 7,000 miles to vacation in Waikīkī?” it’s ‘Why wouldn’t he?”

Zack speculated on the beast’s route across the Atlantic, down the Eastern Seaboard, through the Panama Canal, past Easter Island, finally arriving in the Islands with uncanny navigational skill. Was Waikīkī its final destination?

He shrugged. “There’s just so much we don’t know about Nessie. Its mating habits, its taste in streaming content, its connection, if any, to Big Foot. So many blanks to fill!”

Could Nessie pose a threat? If, as theories suggest, the lake monster is a Plesiosaurus, a living fossil from the Jurassic period, it’s likely to be carnivorous.

At that, Zack narrowed his eyes and dashed off a quick text message to unknown parties.

“I want to assure people,” he said to ASD, “that Nessie would never use its long neck, jagged teeth, lightning reflexes and propulsive swimming ability to pluck people from the sidewalk in a flash and drag them down into the Ala Wai as a snack. Not joggers, not kids, definitely not pets. And definitely not at night, when no one would notice. Nope. Definitely not.”

A crowd had gathered. Someone noted that the long neck and apparent humps of the sinewy serpent looked suspiciously like a log carried into the canal by the recent Kona Low deluge. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Zack threw up his hands."}]

 you to think!” he exclaimed. “Listen, people, and look at these photos,” he said, taking ASD’s iPhone and rummaging through the photos without so much as a thank you.

“The first photo is from 2:48 p.m. and the creature is clearly facing makai, looking into the feeding grounds — I mean, excuse me, the 

 — of Waikīkī. Then, just 12 minutes later, he is photographed again — by a journalist, mind you — this time facing mauka, possibly toward the ball field for leaner prey, I mean, where people play.

“Now, you tell me, what kind of log can change direction on its own, huh? Only flippers can do that!”

As he wrapped up on that conclusive, scientific point, Zack handed back ASD’s phone, took one last look at the bleached, scaly, possibly bark-like hide of the beast and walked off in a hurry.

[{"type":"text","text":"Happy April Fools’ Day, everyone!"}]

Nessie 29 March 2 48 pm 16x9

<title>Loch Ness monster spotted in Ala Wai Canal</title>

“It’s 42 degrees in Loch Ness,” says noted Isle cryptozoologist Sigmund Zack. “The question isn’t, ‘Why would Nessie swim 7,000 miles to vacation in Waikīkī?” it’s ‘Why wouldn’t he?”

Loch Ness monster spotted in Ala Wai Canal

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Larry Price, an influential figure in each setting he graced his presence with in the Islands, died peacefully on Friday. He was 91.  

Price was a defensive tackle on the University of Hawai‘i football team from 1961 to 1964. He then went on to coach UH as an assistant coach from 1967 to 1973 before taking over as head coach from 1974 to 1976. 

Following his coaching career, Price left an indelible mark on local media in Hawai‘i. Along with Michael W. Perry, he co-hosted Perry & Price on KSSK for 33 years. The show was one of the state's most prominent and popular shows during its run from 1983 to 2016. All the while, Price regularly wrote a column for MidWeek and also served as a color commentator on local high school football broadcasts. 

Price is also remembered for the value he placed on education. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as a Master of Business Administration from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Southern California, and even completed additional work as a post-doctorate student at Stanford University.

Price paid his education forward, teaching MBA courses at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Through various initiatives and endeavors, he encouraged and guided countless local youths in the pursuit of higher education. 

Price's family provided a statement to select media on Friday announcing his death: 

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Larry D. Price of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, on March 27, 2026. He passed peacefully.

Price was known as an athlete, professor, news columnist for Mid-Week, sportscaster for OC16, and beloved radio personality as part of the Perry & Price morning show on KSSK-FM as part of the morning duo, Perry & Price; many knew him simply as Coach.

We appreciate the prayers and sympathies conveyed. The family requests privacy during this time.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Mahalo,"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The Price Ohana\""}]

The tributes for Price poured in following his family's announcement, including from the University of Hawai‘i football team's official X account. 

KSSK's programming on Monday largely consisted of sharing memories of Price and celebrating his life and legacy. 

“Many people knew Larry Price the legend, we knew Larry who was a friend to so many. He spent his life in service to others," 

Scott Hogle, iHeartMedia market president, Honolulu, said in a statement. "

Larry’s legacy will live on for generations through the people he touched."

Added Perry: “For 33 years, six days a week, six hours a day, it was an honor to be beside the most intelligent, hilarious, fearless, outspoken, thoughtful, generous, motivational man I ever met. God created Larry Price and broke the mold. See you in heaven someday Coach, can’t wait to hear you laugh again."

Larry Price KSSK

<title>Hawai‘i football and broadcast icon Larry Price remembered for impact on and off the field</title>

Price passed away peacefully on Friday. He was 91.

Hawai‘i football and broadcast icon Larry Price remembered for impact on and off the field

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are approaching the next major step in their combination — the rollout of a shared passenger service system on April 22 — but ahead of that milestone, passengers should take note of a few other changes underway now.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Tag your bag"}]

New self-service bag-tag software on kiosks in Hawaiian’s airport lobbies will enable guests to use kiosks to print and attach baggage destination tags, or bag tags, before proceeding to the bag drop areas, a recent 

. Meanwhile, the airline will shift to mobile and web check-in as the main way for guests to get their boarding passes.

“The upgrade is designed to reduce lobby wait times and congestion, making it easier for all guests to get to their departure gate, as well as reduce waste by discontinuing printed boarding passes,” the post states.

Airline spokesperson Tara Shimooka told Aloha State Daily on Friday that Hawaiian was already making the transition at its Mainland stations, with plans to start at Hawai‘i airports this week and into early April. The kiosks will be solely for printing bag tags, she says.

[{"type":"text","text":"This move aligns Hawaiian with Alaska’s check-in process."}]

“Whether you’re flying Alaska or Hawaiian, the check-in process is the same,” says Shimooka. She did, however, add that guests who may not be tech savvy or aren’t ready to make that change, can still check in with an agent to receive their boarding pass.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"One app to rule them all"}]

Starting Monday, you’ll find a single unified Alaska Hawaiian mobile app in your app store.

, the airline noted that as part of the transition to a single mobile platform, the current Alaska Airlines app will update automatically for most guests starting Monday, March 30. Meanwhile, the legacy Hawaiian Airlines app will remain available through April 21.

Anyone who’s booked on a Hawaiian Airlines flight through that date should continue to use the legacy Hawaiian mobile app for check-in and day-of travel updates, the airline says.

Shimooka told ASD that the full functionality of the single app won’t kick in for Hawaiian app users until the PSS rolls out April 22.

According to the blog, beginning on April 22, Hawaiian app users will be able to change or cancel flights directly in the app, share boarding passes and book flights with more than 30 

, including oneworld alliance members, using cash or points. There also will be Apple Pay integration.

You’ll still be able to manage existing travel, and Atmos Rewards benefits, login and passwords will remain unchanged, the post notes.

And although the single app supports both airlines, users can choose between an Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines theme.

“The unified app is a key milestone in Alaska and Hawaiian's ongoing investments to deliver a seamless guest experience across its combined global network,” the airlines said. “Today, guests benefit from shared lobby spaces, reduced lobby lines with modern bag-tag stations and a best-in-class loyalty program.

“By bringing both airlines into one app and the same passenger service system on April 22, guests will enjoy simplified trip management and self-service features across Alaska and Hawaiian airlines, and consistent performance improvements to our technology.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coming soon"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"What is a passenger service system?"}]

"It means that instead of having two separate systems where tickets are housed, [it's] all in one," Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow told ASD following a pau hana hosted by Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i earlier this month, where she shared updates about the company. "So one confirmation code, any employee can help you with your ticket, it just makes the travel experience more seamless across the brands."

Spokesperson Alex Da Silva says it’s usually referred to as the central nervous system of IT for an airline, with every piece of passenger information connected to the PSS — when you book, when you’re issued your record locator, day-of travel updates, post-trip emails and even the information on the baggage tag system, on the app and loyalty information.

“That’s why we launched things in sequence and in phases,” he explained. “The Atmos Rewards program came first, the baggage tag system came next, and now we’re rolling out the app right as we get ready to join PSS, so that by the time we all join, all of the systems [are] up and running, they’re online and it allows our employees … to service every guest, whether they’re flying Hawaiian or Alaska, which we know has been sort of a frustrating limitation of the combination so far. That’s why we’re super excited to be on the same PSS, because it’s going to make lives easier for our guests, but also our employees.”

Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

There were four major integration milestones, Da Silva said: the launch of a single loyalty program, 

 from the Federal Aviation Administration; the single passenger service system; and the joint collective bargaining agreements for the airlines’ various unions.

, the same day that Alaska Airlines received its 

Earlier this year, Hawaiian Airlines and state officials announced the 

, which includes investments of more than $600 million over the next five years “to modernize airport spaces, aircraft cabins and technology for both guests and employees, expanding loyalty benefits for Hawai‘i residents and continuing our deep investment in community and sustainability statewide,” Birkett Rakow said at that time.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: An amazing chain of events

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