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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Things can go wrong when you try to make a good impression!","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Must be the "seefood" diet</title>

Today's social media find comes from hawaiisonly, living off the bounty of the ocean.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Must be the "seefood" diet

Things can go wrong when you try to make a good impression! 

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Hawaii History

It was a breezy, blue-skied Thursday morning after a storm when Aloha State Daily visited Kūʻīlioloa Heiau.

The Hawaiian temple dates to the 11th or 12th century, according to a sculpture from the City and County of Honolulu, which manages the site situated on the Kaneʻilio Point near Pōkaʻī Bay in Waiʻanae.

 before it became Kūʻīlioloa, translated to "the long dog form of Kū,” or the God of War as a dog. 

 a navigator from Tahiti, Lonokaeho, constructed it 

as a training center and lighthouse for navigation

. It is the only heiau in the Islands that is bordered on three sides by the ocean.

The Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kapuāiwa Chapter,

 helps mālama the land by mowing the grass, restoring rock walls, pulling weeds, planting trees and more, at least twice a month, so that the local community can still use and enjoy it.

“Itʻs not a burial heiau, but a navigation point. Not many people know that,” Rocky Naeʻole, member of the Order, told ASD. “Itʻs part of our kuleana. This is for us to maintain. We donʻt receive income from anybody. Itʻs all volunteer. Weʻre just here to do the work.”

Naeʻole was born in Honolulu and moved to the West Side at age 12. Heʻs fully retired, yet committed to six to eight community organizations, he said.

“Our Order has 10 mokus. Kapuāiwa covers the Waiʻanae Coast to the North Shore to ʻEwa,” he explained, adding that its membership is in the hundreds, while about 30 to 40 individuals remain currently active.

The purpose of the Order are “to preserve and perpetuate the ancient customs of Hawaiʻi” and uplift the Hawaiian people, 

He noted that the group collectively decides what they want to do in the community each year; this project has remained a priority for 12 or more years.

“You can see the stars so clear out here,” he said, noting that University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students, nonprofits, visitors and community members have come out before to stargaze. The Order plans to host a navigation event open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Naeʻole is looking forward to the community events lined up this year and hopes to work with the county on signage for additional moʻolelo of Kūʻīlioloa Heiau.

Another member of the Order, Abraham Kalani Kaʻio, shared what the ancient site means to him.

“This heiau is a gathering of all of the Pacific Triangle. Every island in the triangle, you can get there from here. This is a tie to all of our brothers and sisters in the triangle, and I try to explain that to every race that comes here. In one way or another, your family [has] been here.”

He presented a map, showcasing the 13 public-access heiaus along the Leeward Coast. Others sit on military-owned land, he added.

Kaʻio, who was born in Germany and raised on Oʻahu, said that when they first started cleaning the heiau years ago, “it was in bad shape.”

“The place was overrun by homeless and nobody took care of it.” Now, he says some have returned to lend a hand on cleanup days, which typically run on the first and third Thursdays of the month.

Not to mention, several organizations have aided in caring for the marine life, consisting of at least three species of birds, as well as Hawaiian monk seals.

His advice to young people is to learn their culture instead of playing games, he said with a laugh. “Your knowledge of culture is knowing who you are.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"A quiet place"}]

, Naeʻole asked if there was anything I needed to let go of.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"I replied with a nod."}]

He said to face the ocean and close my eyes, then began to pray in ōlelo Hawaiʻi.

I breathed in and out twice as instructed. The wind grazed my cheek and tossed my hair.

“You can see the ocean from three sides and take it all in, feel how quiet it is,” he said. “If I’m stressed out — which I don’t try to stress myself out, sometimes you can’t help it — this is where I come.”

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Heiau 01

<title>Group’s kuleana to maintain Kūʻīlioloa Heiau in Waiʻanae</title>

The Royal Order of Kamehameha I, Moku O Kapuāiwa Chapter, helps steward the ancient site near Pokaʻi Bay still used today for community events that perpetuate Hawaiian culture.

Group’s kuleana to maintain Kūʻīlioloa Heiau in Waiʻanae

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Architect Francis Oda, one of the founders of G70, died Feb. 14 surrounded by family, including wife Caroline and children Reid and Nalani. He was 84.

Francis was more than one of our founders — he was a mentor, spiritual father and source of inspiration for everyone who had the privilege of working with him,” G70 CEO Linda Miki said in an announcement of his passing on Wednesday. “His legacy lives on in our G70 ‘ohana, our projects and our commitment to serving Hawai‘i and beyond with integrity and car

[{"type":"text","text":"Oda led the firm, founded in 1971, for more than 50 years."}]

His work helped shape Hawai‘i’s built environment and reflected his deep respect for culture, community and place,” G70 says. “Over the course of his career, he mentored generations of professionals whose work continues to reflect his values of excellence, humility and service.”

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Oda made his first trip to the Mainland in 1959 to study architecture at Cornell University, according to the university’s 

“At the time, no one in his family had ever visited the contiguous U.S. and jetliner travel wasn’t available,” the write-up notes. “It took Oda five days just to reach the Cornell campus.”

He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell and a Doctor of Architecture from the University of Hawai‘i, where he was a “distinguished alumnus” and helped develop the Doctor of Architecture program, G70 noted.

Oda also was an adjunct associate professor at the UH School of Architecture.

According to G70, Oda received more than 50 design awards throughout his career, including the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Our Divine Savior Church in Chico, California.

 His award-winning projects include the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, the Four Seasons Mānele Bay Hotel, Hanauma Bay Nature Center and the Nanea Golf Clubhouse

He also helped envision master plans and design guidelines for the city of Kapolei, the UH Long Range Development Program, Kanu o ka ‘Āina and Kamehameha Schools Kaiaulu o Kaka’ako Masterplan

, and designed several international projects in French Polynesia, Mauritius and Canada, the firm noted.

Oda was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, designated a Mānoa Forum Fellow by UH, received the 

 and was inducted into the Hawai‘i Business Hall of Fame.

, the 2026 president of AIA Honolulu, the Honolulu chapter of the American Institute for Architects, and an associate principal at G70, told Aloha State Daily in an email that Hawai‘i has lost "one of its most influential voices in Francis Oda."

"I remember sitting with Francis a few years ago — he asked us what we were dreaming about. Not what we were working on. Not what our goals were. What we were dreaming. Then he asked about our reality. He understood that balance — between the possible and the present — and that is what stays with me," Hirai says.

"For Hawaiʻi's architectural community, he was one of a kind. He identified early on that our profession carries a unique responsibility — to place, to culture, to the people who experience what we design. You see it in the buildings he left behind across these Islands and beyond. You see it in the culture he built at G70. And you see it in the people he mentored — who are now doing the same for others.

"As AIA Honolulu president, that question still challenges me — what are we dreaming about? What could our profession look like if the next generation had people willing to push their thinking the way Francis pushed ours?"

 of what was then called The Hawai‘i Society, the American Institute of Architects. You can read a 1982 interview with Oda in 

Recently, though, the architect was featured in newest episode of AIA Honolulu’s Let’s Talk Story series, a video and podcast highlighting conversations between an emerging and experienced architect. You can watch the video and listen to the podcast, 

[{"type":"text","text":"Hirai encourages those who didn't know Oda personally to take a listen."}]

"I'll be honest — hearing his voice again is not easy," Hirai says. "But it's an incredible way to experience who he was, and to celebrate everything he gave this profession and the community he loved."

"The Hawaii Architectural Foundation mourns the passing of Francis Oda, FAIA, whose career reflected an exemplary commitment to architecture and a deep devotion to the community he served," HAF President Katherine MacNeil told ASD in an email. "A recipient of the Foundation’s Gordon W. Bradley Humanitarian Award, Francis was recognized for his far-reaching leadership and enduring contributions to Hawaiʻi’s civic and cultural life. Elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he embodied professional excellence and principled leadership. Through award-winning architecture, visionary master planning, and dedication to architectural education, he strengthened Hawaiʻi’s built environment and the profession. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations."

In addition to his work, Oda was also a senior pastor and board chair of New Life Church Honolulu and served as global chair of Transform Our World.

A celebration of life service is set for Saturday, April 25, at First Assembly of God — Red Hill, Moanalua.

Francis Oda G70 03 A6249

<title>Architect Francis Oda, founder of G70, dies at 84</title>

Hawai‘i has lost "one of its most influential voices," Lance Hirai, the 2026 president of AIA Honolulu and an associate principal at G70, says.

Architect Francis Oda, founder of G70, dies at 84

From food distributions to land conservation and beach cleanups, Kanu Hawaiʻi is a dashboard for volunteers and service opportunities across the Islands. 

By April, or National Volunteer Month, nearly 600 volunteer opportunities will be posted on its site and reinforced through social media, attracting more than 20,000 volunteers. 

Executive Director Keone Kealoha said that what started as Earth Day, grew to become Volunteer Week and more recently, Volunteer Month. “Now, we are moving away from focusing on one point in time. As we’ve built up our relationships and the infrastructure to support this, we’re doing this all the time.” 

In 2024, Kanu Hawaiʻi had more than 480 partners, which helped support 1,475 events for 47,500 volunteers, 

. The nonprofit shared that translates to more than 118,750 volunteer hours valued at $3.7 million. 

Kealoha, who co-founded Malama Kauaʻi in 2006, joined Kanu Hawaiʻi first as a board member, becoming executive director in 2017. 

“It was right when Trump came into office for the first time. I think what happened then is similar to what we're experiencing now, just in a different way,” he told Aloha State Daily. “There's a lot of unanswered questions and imminent concerns about what's next, especially for the nonprofit community that will be hard hit by defunding at the federal level.” 

[{"text":"He added, volunteering is one way to help offset the potential impacts. ","type":"text"}]

“Nonprofits can play very quiet, background-type roles, but when they're not there, you're going to feel it. Weʻre all going to feel it,” Kealoha said. “So, let's invest a little bit of our time and energy in a proactive way to get out, support a local organization and understand who they are and what their mission is.”

ASD asked what it takes to prepare for Volunteer Month and sustain efforts throughout the year, as well as what new partnerships and priorities he’s excited about, and lessons-learned as a leader.

Aloha State Daily: What are you working on currently as you prepare for Volunteer Month in April? What is the best way for organizations to share their events with you?

Every year, we ramp up our staff and do outreach. So, we go through every listing on our site and contact each organization to update their information. We try to be as current and accurate as possible with the specific event date, time and contact. It’s a great opportunity that doesn’t cost anything for the organizations. In April, it’s almost like an open house for nonprofits to get new volunteer blood into their programs without having to do anything besides let us know.

The best way to get connected with us is through our website. You can also view opportunities through Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority at 

ASD: What other initiatives are you focused on in 2025? 

What are we doing about regenerative tourism? How can visitors come to Hawaiʻi and do something good while they help serve a mission? For visitors, it's an experience. With ongoing partnerships with airlines and hotels, like Outrigger Resort & Hotels, we can survey visitors to measure impact, asking them would you travel to a destination just to be able to give back, would you consider doing this again, etc. Building these connections between visitors and the local community may end up generating a financial return for the people who are investing in it. We have got to lean into these ideas and cultivate them to see if they're a solution to some of the visitor industry challenges.

We just launched a program aimed at local businesses called the Impact Partner Program Essentially, we're just asking businesses, are you already volunteering with an organization or a cause during April? Take photos and tag us all month long and we'll reshare that through our networks to let people know what you're doing, where you're doing it and why. Weʻll include your logo and link to your website or social. We're going to trumpet that on our site, through our socials and newsletter at no cost. And if organizations or businesses don't have an active employee volunteer program, or they just may periodically do it, it's just a good time to renew that commitment to community or to start it.

Partnering with the state Department of Education, our Student Ambassador Program has two student cohorts hosting service events in April. The idea is, how do we work with students to realize their pledge (

) because they are going to inherit Hawaiʻi. We want their perspectives to help guide the people who are making decisions today about their future. The purpose is to help students address challenges in their community through service, organizing and engaging others, to make change happen. We’re also working on a student dashboard to launch next school year.

ASD: What have you been learning lately as a leader?

 Hawaiʻi has always been really good at taking care of each other. Every disaster people always come together; and we don't want to wait for a disaster to happen to be able to do that. Volunteering is a time where we can renew that in a blue sky for good reasons, but we also recognize that it's those relationships that are going to sustain us when we need to rely on each other, right?

… Our goal is to say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of organizations out there that could use your support, so get connected.’ We want to make it easy for you to give back to your community. Volunteering might seem like you’re giving back, but honestly you get back what you give. It’s a sharing of a breath – it’s not a one way thing. What you get back is connection to people, a sense of belonging, a sense of where you are.

Kanu Hawaii United

<title>Nonprofit seeks business help to boost volunteerism</title>

National Volunteer Month is coming up in April. In Hawaiʻi, volunteer opportunities are listed year-round by local nonprofit Kanu Hawaiʻi, whose mission is to help people connect with one another through compassionate actions that build more resilient communities. Executive Director Keone Kealoha shares how organizations and businesses can engage with local volunteers and students, as well as visitors.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Must be the "seefood" diet

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