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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"}]

I Stock 95634110

<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. 

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Ready to make plans for the long weekend? Some of the events coming to Oʻahu soon include 

 ceremonies, a benefit gala for Hawaiʻi Foodbank, and a car show in Hawaiʻi Kai.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, May 22"}]

Want to help create the 38,000 lei placed on the graves of the service members laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific? Join one of these 

bring lei you made at home to one of the donation sites

. Hawaiʻi Foodbank is hosting its inaugural Nourish Gala where guests can enjoy a cocktail reception, multi-course dinner with curated tasting stations and live music from 

, and the Hoʻoheno Duo at ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach. The event supports the Hawaiʻi Foodbank. Individual tickets are available for $375. Tickets must be purchased by Thursday, May 21. 

Catch this special exhibit about Robert Cazimero. 

A special exhibit honoring the legendary musician, composer and Kumu Hula Robert Uluwehionāpuaikawēkiuokalani Cazimero has been extended through Saturday, May 30, at Gallery ‘Iolani, which is located on Windward Community College’s campus in Kāneʻohe. Learn more about the 

kumu hula of Hālau Na Kamalei o Lililehua

, which was the kāne overall winner for the Merrie Monarch Festival of 1976, the first year that men were allowed to compete, as previously reported by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. He was also part of The Brothers Cazimero, a 

more than two dozen Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards

, which performed decades of May Day is Lei Day concerts at Tom Moffatt Waikīkī Shell. The gallery is open from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. daily, except Sunday and Memorial Day. Free. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, May 23"}]

Head to the Waikīkī Community Center and join in this hands-on event where attendees can make and toss 

. Made of clay, rice bran, molasses and microorganisms, Genki Balls are said to digest sludge and leave water cleaner, although there is 

. Up to 28 participants can attend this event which runs from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Tickets cost $10 plus fees. 

Head to the Waikīkī Aquarium and support University of Hawaiʻi alumni owned businesses in a special market, starting at 9 a.m. Admission is $5 and includes access to the Waikīkī Aquarium. Want to start the day earlier? Arrive at 8 a.m. for a pilates sculpt workout led by Annie Chang, a current UH student, for $30, which include access to the aquarium, the class and a towel. 

Wear white and head to this yacht party, hosted by Atlantis Cruise. Drinks are available for purchase. Boarding starts at 9 p.m. The yacht returns at 1 a.m. Individual tickets start at $125. A pair of tickets can be purchased for $170, plus fees. 

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Ready to add some dinosaurs to your life? “T. rex” chronicles the story of three boys discovering a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex fossil in North Dakota in 2022. It will be playing at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Bishop Museum’s J. Watumull Planetarium. Admission is $5 per person and includes access to the planetarium’s lobby exhibit, “Wayfinders: He Waʻa He Moku, He Moku He Waʻa,” plus a seat in the theater. Tickets to the rest of the museum are an additional cost. 

The Honolulu Museum of Art will offer a guided tour of its Renaissance Collection. These tours start at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Gather in the front of the Central Courtyard for tours which are between 45 and 60 minutes. These tours are included in museum admission, which is $15 for kamaʻāina and free for youth who are 18 years old or younger. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Monday, May 25"}]

The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and there will be an oli, a speech from Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, a presentation of wreaths, a firearm salute, a military aircraft flyover, and performances from the Royal Hawaiian Band and Sounds of Aloha Chorus, as well as 

. The ceremony also features taps. Parking is limited. Additional parking is available at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School and Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School starting at 7 a.m., and a courtesy shuttle will take attendees to the cemetery. Free. 

Join Gov. Josh Green, Maj. General Stephen Logan, and Lt. Col. John Alamodin for the Governor’s Memorial Day Ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Hawaiʻi State Veteran’s Cemetery in Kāneʻohe. There will be a musical prelude by the 

Spend Memorial Day at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, where you can visit the 

 (reservations recommended, although some standby admission is available) or the 

 submarine. Visitors can also book a tour to Ford Island, where they can visit the 

, where authentic WWII hangers hold a variety of aircraft and visitors can step into flight simulators. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial’s visitor center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Cruise over to the Hawaiʻi Kai Towne Center and check out this showcase of classic cars in the parking lot in front of Costco. The event starts at 2 p.m. Free. 

. This Memorial Day ceremony brings thousands to the water’s edge to release floating lanterns and remember loved ones and fallen service members at Ala Moana Beach. The ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. 

 are available on a first-come, first-served basis with pick up between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or as long as supplies last. Messages can also be added to 

Learn why these volunteers keep coming back, 

Planning to be outside this weekend? Send us your pictures of rainbows, sunsets and more for a chance to be featured in our Hawaiʻi Skies series. Include your name and where the picture was taken plus why the moment was special. 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawai‘i

<title>What to do on Oʻahu for Memorial Day weekend</title>

From sewing lei for service members to the Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. Aloha State Daily rounded up some of the ceremonies and activities, so you can make plans.

What to do on Oʻahu for Memorial Day weekend

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

While she was working at Hawaiian Airlines, Aubrie Usui — the owner of 

 — recalls traveling often to Japan and Korea. She remembers how experiencing both coffee and matcha there changed her perspective on the popular beverages.

“The quality is unmatched, and they don’t cut corners on ingredients or portions,” she says.

Usui had the idea to open her own café business for a few years, but while working full-time at Hawaiian Airlines, she couldn’t find the time to fully commit.

However, once Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines and she was given notice that she would be laid off in the upcoming months, Usui took that as a sign to go “all in” on the business idea.

“I wanted to bring that same level of quality back home and re-create the drinks I fell in love with, while also experimenting with my own flavors,” she says. “I developed a deeper passion for coffee and matcha. I especially fell in love with the creative side — how you can take something as simple as a latte and turn it into something unique and memorable.”

From that point on, Usui devoted her full attention to building her business — working on branding, developing recipes and planning operations.

“I was able to open the shop within five months of my last day (at Hawaiian Airlines),” she says. “One of the first major steps was meeting with my coffee distributor, who plays a huge role in the quality and consistency of our drinks.”

Da Morning Grind Café officially opened on April 6 in King Laundromat — owned by Usui's parents — located at the intersection of South King and Pensacola Streets. The business’s name was a collaborative effort among her family members, according to Usui.

“The name actually came from a family group chat,” she says. “At first, we were trying to incorporate the word ‘Corner,’ but nothing felt right. My sister suggested ‘Morning Grind,’ and it immediately clicked.

“Our family has always been active and involved in sports, so we’re very familiar with early mornings and having something to work toward,” she adds. “‘Da Morning Grind’ represents that shared experience — everyone has something they’re waking up early for, and we wanted to create a place that fuels that.”

There are two ways to order — customers can visit the takeout window on South King Street, or visit the takeout window located within the laundromat. Just ring the doorbell when you’re ready to order.

The café offers a variety of coffees, teas, dirty sodas and specialty drinks. For coffee lovers, Usui recommends the black honey cold brew latte and dirty matcha latte, which includes espresso, honey and matcha. Most drinks are available in 12- and 16-ounce sizes.

“These are stronger, more bold drinks designed for people who want a real kick to start their day, but they’re still smooth and enjoyable,” Usui says.

She notes that lattes come with a double shot of espresso, regardless of size.

“If you prefer a stronger coffee taste, the smaller size will be more concentrated,” she says. “The medium size is more balanced and gives room for add-ons. We will be adding a 20-ounce size soon.”

The business’s cold brew is steeped overnight in the fridge to develop a deeper flavor, according to Usui.

“To match it with something sweet, I chose Kuromitsu (a Japanese sugar syrup that translates to 'black honey') because it wouldn’t overpower the cold brew’s taste,” she says. “The dirty matcha came from experimenting with how to create a high-caffeine drink that feels smoother than a typical multi-shot espresso.”

Consistency and balance are important when developing new flavors, according to Usui.

“Our matcha lattes are carefully scaled so the flavor stays consistent every time,” she says.

The café’s newest drinks — Da Matcha-nana and Da Big Island Vog — feature the café’s new homemade pudding cloud. Da Big Island Vog latte is the business’s twist on a London Fog latte, which usually includes vanilla syrup, steamed milk and earl grey tea.

“My mom loves ordering them [London Fog lattes] because she doesn’t always want espresso, but still enjoys a creamy, latte-style drink,” Usui says. “We elevated it by adding our matcha pudding cloud to make it more unique.”

Of course, the name is a play on Hawaiʻi Island’s vog. Da Matcha-nana features a matcha latte base that’s topped with a homemade banana brown sugar pudding cloud.

“It was inspired by local flavors,” Usui says. “Banana lumpia is something a lot of people in Hawaiʻi love, and we wanted to translate that into a drink without making it taste artificial.”

The pudding cloud is also available in flavors like salted caramel and salted maple, which can be added as toppings for espresso lattes.

The café rotates its seasonal specials every two to three months to keep introducing new flavors and ideas, according to Usui, who encourages customer input.

“We’re always open to feedback and continuously refining our recipes to improve the experience for our customers,” she says. 

Customer parking is available in the laundromat lot (entrance is on Pensacola Street).

Da Morning Grind Café is currently open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Da Morning Grind owner 051826

<title>Da Morning Grind Cafe is tucked away within a laundromat</title>

The business’s takeout window is located on South King Street. Open for grab-and-go, the café offers a variety of coffees, teas, dirty sodas and specialty drinks, including a twist on the London Fog latte.

Da Morning Grind Cafe is tucked away within a laundromat

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

Columnists

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Ben Sasse is bleeding from the face."}]

He’s seated across from New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, 

, and he pauses to note it. He’s dying of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. One side effect of the treatment is that his body can’t grow skin.

“Yeah, you look terrible,” says Douthat.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Thank you,” says Sasse with a smile."}]

Since his diagnosis, Sasse has appeared on 

 stage, and a parade of podcasts. He uses the time to say what most politicians never dare to.

He talks about faith. He quotes R.C. Sproul. He discusses Tocqueville with the ease of someone who has actually read him.

Sasse is a two-term Republican Senator from Nebraska, a Harvard graduate, a Yale PhD in History. He voted to impeach Donald Trump and took the consequences. Though popular with voters in his home state, he left the Senate to serve as President of the University of Florida.

Now he spends his last days making one argument: American political life has gone badly wrong. Not because the wrong party is winning. Because the whole enterprise has lost its bearings.

Sasse starts with something most politicians would rather ignore: the pace of technological change. Previous economic transformations — industrialization, electrification — unfolded across generations. This one won’t. Robotics and automation will wipe out whole careers within a single working life.

Sasse sees a second shift: disembodied consciousness, the way screens let people leave their world. Families are breaking apart. Communities are dissolving. The local ties — churches, civic groups, the small-scale institutions Edmund Burke called “little platoons” — that help people absorb hard times are being stripped away. The formation of souls and citizens is at risk, and government is mostly ignoring it in favor of clickbait and rage.

He thinks our loves should be ordered, first to God, then to those nearest us, rippling outward from family to neighborhood to state to nation. Caring about a national political party more than your own community isn’t just confused. It’s a disorder of affection.

What’s true of the nation is true in Hawai'i. The legislature introduces three thousand bills a year. How many of those take the large challenges seriously? The demographic shifts, the cost pressures squeezing local families, the slow hemorrhage of young people off the Islands? The floor speeches and press releases gesture toward these problems, but the lawmaking doesn’t match the problem.

Sasse’s example suggests why. He can sit for an hour-long interview on dense political and theological matters because he has a clear philosophy — a disciplined way of working through problems. It also gives him the power to persuade, which is the precondition for coordinated action.

The founders studied rhetoric and philosophy with the same care they gave the law, because republican government runs on argument and clear speech. Most of Hawai‘i’s lawmakers couldn’t sustain an interview like Sasse’s, and the laws show it. There’s no clear direction. No will to rally the public. Few signs that anyone has thought hard about what government is for. What fills the vacuum is performance: press releases, floor speeches written for social media, outrage timed to the news cycle.

Sasse has a simple framework for what a coherent politics looks like. He describes four ways of valuing government, measured in cheers. No-cheer people — hardcore libertarians — don’t understand that government exists to secure liberty. Three-cheer people believe in a state that controls everything. Republicans, he says, are the one-cheer party. Democrats are the two-cheer party. Each has an extreme wing. Hawai‘i’s loudest voices are at the extremes.

What we lack are the one-cheer leaders: those who see government as necessary but flawed, able to secure order but not to deliver salvation.

Government should do a small number of important things well. It should get out of the way of the little platoons. It should never present itself as the path to utopia. Hawai‘i’s government casting itself as humanity’s last best hope has always been faintly comic.

Sasse’s sharpest line comes when he describes what voters already sense about the way their leaders talk.

They know it’s bullshit, he says — and they don’t want to be lied to. Why can’t politics do a small number of important, long-term things?

There is something clarifying about a man making that argument while bleeding from the face. He has no election to win, no caucus to protect, and by his own reckoning, weeks or months to live. What he’s chosen to do with his time is sit down and think hard about what government is and isn’t for, and what we’ve lost by confusing the two.

In watching Ben Sasse die, Hawai‘i might learn something about how to live.

Ben Sasse Getty Images 1231346544

<title>Ben Sasse is dying in public</title>

The former U.S. senator from Nebraska is talking about big ideas everywhere he can as pancreatic cancer takes his life. Hawai‘i's politicians could learn from what he has to say about government doing fewer things well, says ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa.

Ben Sasse is dying in public

Honolulu foodies no longer have to drive to Oʻahu’s North Shore to enjoy poke bowls from Kahuku-based 

The biz soft opened its second location — its first Oʻahu expansion — on May 17. Ry’s Poke Shack’s Honolulu location is next to Jugo Life in the Ala Moana neighborhood.

The Honolulu location is a collaborative effort between Jugo Life/

, operations manager Daysen Masuda and himself, according to business owner Ryan Ching.

“We’ve been looking for any expansion on the west side or town side,” he says. “I wanted to do something with Tommy, too; the timing [now] was just perfect for us. It’s a good collaborative shop; all of us are in this one.”

Ry’s Poke Shack’s original Kahuku location started about six years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, Ry’s Poke Shack opened two locations in California — one year ago in Huntington Beach, and in Pasadena earlier in January — with a third So Cal location coming soon in Lomita.

While the most popular poke flavors are at each location, every store has a few exclusive options, according to Ching. The Honolulu store has two exclusive flavors from Oh and Matsuda.

“There are two new styles of poke Daysen and Tommy made,” Ching confirms. “Daysen made one called ‘Foodxjitsu,’ and we got one Tommy made with a local sauce.”

The Foodxjitsu poke is inspired by Chinese-style steamed fish, according to Masuda. It includes ginger, green onions, cilantro, onions, garlic and a shoyu blend, and is finished with chili flakes and ikura.

“This is something I’ve been doing from Hilo; every restaurant I’ve worked at, I’ve done a version of it,” operations manager Daysen Masuda explains.

Originally from Hilo, Masuda started selling poke bowls during the Covid-19 pandemic, which eventually led to him starting his own sushi business. He offered sushi platters and catering on Hawaii Island before moving to Honolulu.

“I’ve been doing sushi forever; my platters were always used for celebrations, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. “People were having small celebrations and for me, that was so rewarding.

“I’m just super fortunate; food always seems to bring people together, and that’s the common thing,” he adds. “Being able to work with guys who started from the ground and built up their company is nostalgic for me.”

Meanwhile, the What’s Crack’N flavor includes What’s Crack’n sauce — an umami Thai/Lao-style dipping sauce — with fresh ogo, sesame oil, onions, green onions and a shoyu blend.

Signature poke flavors include shoyu — Ry’s signature shoyu blend with onions, green onions and toasted sesame oil — spicy, and Lao style, a spicy option that includes garlic, fish sauce, Thai chili pepper, cilantro, shoyu blend, onions and green onions.

“Everyone always requests the Lao style,” Ching says. “The lao style seems to be popular at every single place, so that’s the one we always keep (on the menu).”

Customers can order poke bowls, poke by the pound or tsunami nachos ($23.95). The latter is the shop’s version of poke nachos, which features house fried wonton chips topped with tsunami-style poke, two scoops of crab surimi, Ry’s cucumber namasu, furikake and tobiko, finished with unagi sauce and chili mayo drizzle. The wonton chips are fried in 100% beef tallow to highlight its savory flavor.

Poke bowls can include one ($16.95) or two ($23.95) poke flavors; all bowls include Koshihikari (Japanese short-grain) rice and Ry’s cucumber namasu.

The community aspect is important to Ching, who says he’s open to collaborations and supporting other local businesses.

“It’s good for the community to reach out to us,” he says. “Every now and then, Tommy will do his burger pop-ups over here. Daysen is going to [eventually] make his chirashi bowls. This is a collaborative effort; it’s going to be much more unique in that way.”

Ry’s Poke Shack’s Honolulu store is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesdays to Fridays.

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesdays to Fridays

Rys Poke Shack owners 051826

<title>Ry’s Poke Shack opens in Honolulu</title>

The Kahuku-based biz opened its second location on Oʻahu this past weekend. The Honolulu location is located in the Ala Moana neighborhood next to Jugo Life, and features specialty collaboration poke flavors.

Ry’s Poke Shack opens in Honolulu

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Business & Tourism

Located on O‘ahu’s North Shore, the Polynesian Cultural Center has found its new leader in Jarod Hester, who previously served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Hester succeeded P. Alfred Grace, who retired on May 1, after more than a decade as

“I truly and deeply love the Polynesian Cultural Center,” said Grace, 65, a native of New Zealand. “I have no doubt Jarod will do a fine job.”

Hester, also from New Zealand, told Aloha State Daily that Grace has been a key mentor in his career, which, at PCC, started in 2013.

“My mentors have mainly been the people I work alongside,” he said. “Alfred Grace has been a great mentor for me in terms of his passion and the legacy of this place. I thoroughly enjoyed working closely with him and am excited for his next chapter.”

Another mentor is PCC board chairman Frasier Bullock. “He provides good guidance and allows executive management to manage. I love that philosophy. I hope with the team I’m now responsible for leading that I can give them room to breathe and do well in their respective roles. … I believe in the principle of servant leadership. And I consider it a privilege to be working here.”

The Polynesian Cultural Center is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is one of Hawaiʻi’s most visited attractions, with all its revenues benefiting student-employees and operations of Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi. Spanning 42 acres, the property showcases “the people, culture, arts and crafts of Polynesia,” including six island villages — Hawaiʻi, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Tahiti, and Tonga. Guests can enjoy hands-on activities and shows, shopping, dining and an evening lūʻau called “HĀ: Breath of Life.”

“We love that people (locals) come and rediscover this place,” Hester said. “We know living here is expensive, coming here is expensive but we try to make it reasonable for locals as much as we can.”

He shared more about the transition, goals ahead and more.

What initially brought you to Hawaiʻi and what has kept you here?

From New Zealand, [my family and I] moved here 12 years ago in fall of 2013. In Aukland, I worked in administration looking after the LDS church school system throughout the South Pacific (Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati and Tonga) before coming here as a financial controller, then CFO in 2017, adding COO duties in 2019.

The food was shockingly different for our family. But the culture didn’t feel too different. Everyone dreams of living in Hawaiʻi, and we thought it would be a great adventure. What kept us here is the lifestyle, living on the North Shore out of the city. Being able to walk to work every day. More travel opportunities. It is the perfect climate for night walks, pickleball and fishing.

What trends in tourism has the center seen in the last decade?

Visitor count has decreased since pre-Covid and part of that is entirely by design. The other part of that is macro market conditions. [In 2020,] we took a look at a model where we could operate five days a week (instead of six) with 20-30% less tourists coming through. Now there was a huge bounce back in tourism in 2022-2023 and a lot of pressure to open the sixth day again and make more money. But we’d rather make a better tourist experience. … Another example: Prior to Covid, we would seat 500 people in that venue [for the lūʻau]. We won’t allow more than 330 in there now. 

Our total attendance numbers are right now closer to 500,000 and 600,000 annually. [PCC saw more than 795,000 visitors in 2023, down from over 1 million in 2022, 

. The center's revenue was nearly $58 million per its 

form 990 tax filings from 2011 to 2024 via 

What accomplishment(s) as COO/CFO are you most proud of?

Since I joined PCC in 2013, I’m proud to have helped it transition from where it was with legacy systems and ways of governance. I think that’s transformed over the years into new systems, different processes and new governance that has enables PCC to operate more efficiently, as well as improve upon the guest experience.

The most satisfying sort of transformation was being involved with executive leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s hard to call Covid an accomplishment, but it’s how we responded. We went from being open six days a week to five days, which transformed the quality of our labor force. It caused us to relook at our whole mission, vision and purpose for being and how we look after our employees.

Tell me more about your staff makeup and how PCC has approached recruitment?

Adjustments to minimum wage, for example, have put pressures on our model more than the tourism scenarios. We have about 150 full-time employees and roughly 1,000 part-time employees. We’re affiliated with BYU-Hawaiʻi, a lot of our employees are students there and a big part for our reason of being is to provide employment through the educational experience. And we hope that continues.

My replacement as CFO has been announced: Tauariki Kalama, who has served as PCC’s financial controller for 10 years. We’re now searching for a financial controller.

What is your top priority in your first 90 days? What about more long-term goals?

I think I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I’m enjoying this role. I am much less “in the books” and far more about the people. … I’m very energized and engaged, looking forward to helping PCC move into the next generation.

Short term, I’m focused on continuing to find the 1% improvements we can control (i.e. guest experience), while striving to make sure everyone who comes here feels the aloha spirit, the spirit of the Polynesian people. We’re all part of one big family. There’s more that unites us than divides us. I think the world needs that message more than ever.

Over the course of 18-24 months, we’ve got quite a change coming to the Hawaiian village experience. We want to make it the anchor village of the center. They are kanaka, people of the land, and so looking at how do we better share the story of the Hawaiian people through culture, language, voyaging and their connection with the other Polynesian Islands. We’ll be investing in and expanding its footprint in PCC. … As for construction, routine roof repairs and other maintenance will be taking place throughout the property.

How does PCC integrate with the surrounding community?

We just hosted the Samoan fire knife dance competition, which has kept me busy.

With more than 100 homes impacted in Lāʻie after severe flooding in March, PCC opened its grounds for food and supplies distribution. The community rallied together but there are still a lot of people affected.

For me, I’m happy to support the community, while remaining focused on PCC’s core mission and objectives.

PCC CEO Jarod Hester 16x9

<title>Jarod Hester now oversees Oʻahu’s Polynesian Cultural Center</title>

Earlier this month, Hester succeeded P. Alfred Grace as president and CEO of the cultural attraction in Lāʻie and in his role plans to prioritize people — workforce, guests and community members. Hester, who previously served as PCC's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, is originally from New Zealand and shares what initially drew his family to Hawaiʻi nearly 13 years ago, pleasant surprises in the role so far, and his vision to continue to enhance experiences at PCC.

Jarod Hester now oversees Oʻahu’s Polynesian Cultural Center

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Since 1959, 16 people have served as Hawai‘i’s lieutenant governor. 

It’s a position without power that provides a path to power.

Where it often requires a great degree of name recognition to gain election and serves as a natural stepping stone to higher office, the position functions as a political incubator.

Per state law, candidates for both offices run separately in their respective party primaries. Once a candidate triumphs in each primary race, a party’s nominees for lieutenant governor and governor join forces on a single ticket for the general election.

When candidates have different priorities, philosophies, or personalities, it can create some politically tricky headaches. 

It’s a high-profile position with lots of paid staff and a big office on the fifth floor of the State Capitol. The lieutenant governor is effectively Hawai‘i’s equivalent of the U.S. vice presidency.

It’s also an office where political patience is a necessity. Once elected, successful candidates are often frustrated by the lack of actual authority. As a result, a discontented lieutenant governor can also serve as a source of conflict in the executive branch.

Those who become lieutenant governor are often from politically-influential roles in state politics. In a Faustian fashion, they may bargain away political power in order to gain a more prestigious office. 

It’s a huge gamble for any politician, but many still clamber to take the bet. 

Governors and lieutenant governors have a history of not getting along. When this happens, governors are left in a politically compromised position, while lieutenant governors stand to lose their political careers. 

For the first three decades of the State of Hawai‘i’s history, lieutenant governors frequently clashed with their governors. In fact, these clashes politically weakened governors, sewing chaos across the executive branch.

Political divisions between the governor and lieutenant governor destroyed the administration of Governor William Quinn. His lieutenant governor, James Kealoha, felt slighted by the lack of control over political appointments. The relationship soured, with Kealoha challenging Quinn in the 1962 primaries. Despite Keahola's defeat, the fractured GOP lacked the energy to defeat the Democratic Party's candidate, John A. Burns.

Burns was elected in 1962 alongside party ally William S. Richardson. Richardson, as his first lieutenant governor, was seen as a potential successor. However, the sudden resignation of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court Chief Justice Wilfred Tsukiyama created a unique opportunity for Burns. Richardson, instead of continuing as lieutenant governor, was elevated as chief justice. A technocrat, Andrew Ing, temporarily served as lieutenant governor for a year. 

Even so, Burns had trouble finding a loyal lieutenant governor to succeed him. He tried to get Kenneth Brown elected to the position in 1966, but voters didn’t warm to this hand-picked successor. Instead, Burns was saddled with former U.S. Congressman Tom Gill. Gill and Burns were of different political temperaments. Their inability to get along led to another politically brutal fight at the ballot box in 1970, where Lieutenant Governor Gill nearly ousted Burns. 

Some of Hawai‘i's Lieutenant Governors have launched bigger political careers from the position, some faded in obscurity, and a number them clashed with their governors. One even quit halfway through his term to go back to private industry. Here are the names that made history in the statehood era.

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