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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"</title>

Kveekz on Instagram is today's social media find, celebrating some pleasant surprises.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

MĀNOA — As UNLV standout running back Jet Thomas ran away for a 50-yard touchdown with 4:51 left, reality set in for the University of Hawai‘i football team and its fans, many of whom left the premises at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex after Thomas' backbreaking score: a season that began with so much 

 is suddenly off to an 0-2 start for the Rainbow Warriors. 

A stagnant effort for Hawai‘i's offense, combined with a trio of rushing scores for UNLV, kept the Golden Pineapple trophy in the arms of the Rebels for the fourth straight year in a 21-6 victory for the visitors. 

"Things haven't gone our way right now," Hawai‘i head coach Timmy Chang said plainly after the game. "I gotta get better at doing real things. Our coaches gotta find a way, and we gotta find a way to get those corrections done. But it really starts with me."

Quarterback Jackson Arnold had a pair of rushing touchdown for the Rebels (1-1) in each of the first two quarters, finishing with 89 rushing yards on 16 carries. Meanwhile, Thomas' clinching score beefed up a final statline that included 143 rushing yards on 20 carries. 

Hawai‘i star quarterback Micah Alejado was a ghastly 2-for-8 after one quarter and 6-for-20 at halftime, but the Rainbow Warriors trailed just 14-3 at the break.

After UH kicker Sean Olvera-Harle missed a 41-yard field goal on the team's first possession of the second half, a pair of opportunities to score touchdowns evaded the Rainbow Warriors at the end of the third quarter. Following a timeout on second-and-goal at the 15 yard line, Alejado delivered a pass that fell out of Blaze Kamoku's arms. 

After a hobbled Alejado exited the next play on a non-contact injury, backup quarterback Bjorn Jurgensen appeared to throw a touchdown to Audric Harris, but the score was reversed after further review from the Mountain West officiating crew. The 'Bows settled for a 33-yard field goal from Olvera-Harle, who finished 2-for-3 for the day. 

Another crucial juncture in which Hawai‘i's offense came up empty was in the fourth quarter when the 'Bows faced fourth-and-1 at the UNLV 11 but were stopped short on a Sitani Mikaele run with 9:53 remaining. 

Alejado, who finished 17-for-41 with 176 yards, threw his first interception of the season following Thomas' score on a desperation deep ball. Alejado, who was sacked five times, also dealt with a combination of cramping and leg discomfort. 

"He was a warrior. I mean, he's a competitor," Chang said of his quarterback. "He's trying to make plays with his legs. He's trying to distribute the ball as best as he can, and trying to help him is my thing. Trying to put him in the right position, trying to get the receivers in the right position. O-line, run-game wise, running backs, just trying to help everybody just do their jobs better, and we'll go back and watch the film. But Micah is a warrior, and he's trying to make plays happen."

 was both Hawai‘i's leading rusher and receiver on Saturday, carrying the ball 15 times for 73 yards to go with four receptions for 27 yards. 

Roosevelt alumnus Kamuela Ka‘aihue had nine tackles and half a tackle for loss for the Rebels, while Jamih Otis had a team-high 12 tackles for the Rainbow Warriors. 

"I think everything is still in front of us," Otis said. "Obviously, it's not going how we wanted to, but it's going how God wants it to, so we trust God. ... We're just keeping faith in God and keeping the positive energy up in the facility. At the end of the day, I love my brothers regardless. There's nothing they can do on the field that would make me change the way I love them. That's just us as a team. Everybody's a brother. It's a brotherhood. Brothers in Christ, and God's in the middle of everything."

Next up for Hawai‘i is another home contest against New Mexico State on Sept. 12, with kickoff is set for 6 p.m. 

UH football 090526

<title>Hawai‘i football stumbles in loss to UNLV</title>

A stagnant offensive effort was the impetus to the team's 21-6 home-opening loss on Saturday afternoon.

Hawai‘i football stumbles in loss to UNLV

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

, according to business owner Talia Bongolan-Schwartz. While the business's Kailua store has remained open, the bagel biz is soft opening another Honolulu location in a spot that's close to Ward Village.

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is opening on Friday, Aug. 21, on Waimanu Street, at the new artist co-working/gallery venue called OurSpace. While the new space is conducive to takeout, customer seating is also available. 

“A bunch of the folks who started OurSpace came from BoxJelly,” Bongolan-Schwartz explains. “They asked us if we would be interested (in coming here) when we were still open at Ward.

“OurSpace is quite new; they’ve got an artist co-working space and they do a bunch of events, too,” Bongolan-Schwartz adds.

During the business’s soft opening, only in-person ordering will be available. The biz still features its most popular menu items, including the b.e.c. ($13.99) — crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar and muenster — and the OG NYC ($17.99), which features premium lox, classic schmear, local dill, capers, tomato and red onion.

Newer menu items feature turkey, ham and pastrami bagel sandwiches, according to Bongolan-Schwartz.

“We decided to step up the lunch game,” she says. “The biggest difference you’re going to see on the menu is a whole line of Boar’s Head meats and a bunch of homemade sauces — we’re making a horseradish Russian dressing, lemon caper remoulade and spicy brown mustard. We’re slicing the meat fresh, too; none of it’s pre-sliced.”

New options include the deli ($15.99) — Mesquite-smoked turkey, black forest ham, housemade lemon-caper remoulade, cheddar, Swiss, local lettuce, tomato and sprouts — and the Jewish deli ($16.99), which comprises fresh-sliced pastrami, Swiss, housemade spicy brown mustard and house pickles.

Bongolan-Schwartz expects the business’s hot pastrami ($18.99) — fresh-sliced pastrami, housemade Russian dressing, Swiss, sauerkraut and a side of house pickles — to become a customer favorite.

“That is a New York classic, kind of going for the Katz’s Deli (vibe),” she says. “We’re basically going from a bagel shop to slowly expanding into a delicatessen.”

All sandwiches are served on the customers’ bagel of choice; the Everything bagel is the most popular flavor, according to Bongolan-Schwartz.

“We’ll normally have our full assortment of bagels,” she says. “I really like the onion (bagel); it’s a good complementary flavor. I would add onion onto any sandwich anyway, so it kind of cuts out the need for that.”

The biz also features an expanded drink selection at this location. Besides sparkling water and soft drinks, customers can opt for Israeli iced coffee ($7.99) — a cold brew slushie with oat milk, local mac nut syrup and a honey-tahini drizzle — and Shaloha slush ($6.50), which is made with local liliko

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays). The biz has extended its hours compared to its previous location, which was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“We’re definitely excited to see our old customers,” Bongolan-Schwartz says. “That was important to us — to stay close enough by that people who have been loyal to us for three years at Ward Centre would be able to hopefully just walk over here. We’re excited to see how the new menu does.

“We were nervous about the new menu because we made a lot of cuts,” she adds. “We cut a lot of things off the old menu that are pretty traditional, like our white fish salad, which is a New York deli staple. But I think this menu is going to suit the needs and desires of the people here.”

The biz will eventually do a grand opening. For updates, follow Tali’s Bagels & Schmear on 

Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays)

Talis Bagels owner 081926

<title>Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is reopening in Honolulu</title>

The bagel shop, which used to be located in Ward Centre, is soft opening in its new location on Waimanu Street on Friday, Aug. 21. The business features bestselling dishes like the OG NYC bagel, along with new deli-style creations like the hot pastrami.

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is reopening in Honolulu

 was eliminated from Little League World Series contention with an 11-3 loss to Southern California's 

Sweetwater Valley Little League on Friday afternoon in the West Region championship game. 

Kawaihau began regional play with a 7-3 victory over Arizona's Chandler National Little League on Sunday, advancing to the winner's bracket. Kawaihau fell 6-0 to Sweetwater on Tuesday and needed another victory over Arizona to advance to Friday's winner-take-all championship game. 

Kawaihau prevailed 5-2 over Arizona on Wednesday to advance to Friday's championship game. 

On Friday, Kawaihau fell behind 5-0 heading into the fifth inning before a 3-run home run by Waika Doctolero cut the deficit to 5-3. But Southern California pulled away with six runs in the bottom of the fame, taking a comfortable lead into the final frame. 

Sweetwater Valley Little League went a perfect 3-0 in West Regional play and advances to the 2026 Little League World Series, which runs from Aug. 19-30 in Williamsport, Pa. 

Kawaihau's magical summer came to an end on Friday, where heading into the contest, it had won six straight elimination games at the state tournament and regionals. The boys from Kapa‘a were the first team from Kauai to win the state title since Kawaihau did so for the first time in 1990. 

In 2026, Kawaihau's presence in the West Region championship game marked the furthest a team from Kaua‘i had gone in a Little League tournament, as the 1990 Kawaihau team was eliminated in the 1990 West Region semifinals. 

Kawaihau Little League 081426

<title>Kawaihau Little League defeated in West Region championship game</title>

Despite a valiant effort, the little leaguers from the Garden Isle fell to Southern California 11-3 on Friday afternoon.

Kawaihau Little League defeated in West Region championship game

MĀNOA — After conducting a national search for the next University of Hawai‘i women's basketball head coach, athletics director Matt Elliott realized the answer was in Mānoa the whole time. 

Khalilah Mitchell was introduced as the ninth head coach in program history during a press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center's Ed Wong Hospitality Room on Wednesday morning, emerging as Elliott's top choice. 

The process began with the surprise retirement of former UH head coach Laura Beeman, who 

on March 30. Mitchell was an assistant coach under Beeman at UH for seven seasons across two different stints — the first was from 2018 to 2022, while the second began in 2023 and ended upon her recently accepting her first career head coaching gig. 

Two thoughts crossed Mitchell's mind when Beeman broke the news to the team: the first was melancholy towards Beeman's departure from the program. Her second thought was that she wanted Beeman's job, a manifestation that came to fruition in recent days. 

"I was in a meeting where she talked to us as a staff, and (Beeman) told us her reasons why, and we were all sad, right? Like, it's like our leader, our chief. We're sad, but we're happy for her, because she's doing something that's best for her," Mitchell recalled to Aloha State Daily following her introductory press conference. "Same meeting, 'Coach B, I'm applying for your job.' Same meeting. Both things are true for me. I can be sad and I am still sad about it, happy for her and her next journey, but also I want to make sure that I'm prepared for the opportunity, and I wanted everybody to know I'm committed to this, and that's what I did."

Over 60 current college coaches applied for the job. The crop consisted of a mix of assistant coaches, some coming from the Power 4, as well as active head coaches at the mid-major level. Elliott hosted the three final candidates on campus on Monday. 

"My mind was really open to hiring the best person, the absolute best person, during the process," Elliott recalled to ASD. "We had met with every candidate and all the finalists, then we went into kind of those really deep conversations about what is the right choice."

Mitchell was sitting on her bench in her bedroom when Elliott called her on Monday night to offer her the job, which starts off with a three-year contract.  

"I'm sitting on my bench, and honestly, I just started moving my feet really fast, like, 'Yes, yes, yes. I'll take it. Yes.' I was just so excited about the opportunity to represent the state and still be able to lead these girls," Mitchell said. "So, that was my reaction: just pure excitement and joy." 

The more Elliott got to know Mitchell during the interview process, the more he was convinced she was the right choice. Elliott says each time they communicated, Mitchell was thoroughly prepared. He also said they were able to relate to each other in terms of wanting to 

 in Hawai‘i. Mitchell lives on O‘ahu with her wife, Kim, and their daughter, Nola. 

"I think I had a sense Khalilah was ready from the moment that we started this process," Elliott said. "How she demonstrated it over the course of a couple weeks, in every element, in every moment of taking it to the next level. What is your plan? How did you prepare? Show that, document it. I just kept getting more and more impressed.

"All of our candidates that we really vetted thoroughly, we wanted somebody who we believed this was the destination. That's how I feel myself, personally, about my job. So many of the great head coaches we have on our staff want to be here, and Khalilah wants to be in this place, so that was really critical."

Mitchell, a native of New Orleans, played collegiately for LSU from 2004 to 2008, reaching the Final Four each year she was on campus. She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at UCF from 2009 to 2011, then was the staff as a full-time assistant coach from 2011 to 2014. After moving to Mānoa in 2018, she's spent each season with the Rainbow Wahine since then, excluding the 2022-2023 season, when she was the top assistant at San Jose State. 

A bevy of UH players and coaches were present to support Mitchell at her introductory press conference. It is there that she laid out her vision for what the product will look like on and off the court. 

"Excellence here will not be accidental," she said. "It will be intentional, systemic and persistent. Rainbow Wahine basketball is going to be up-tempo, free-flowing and relentless, and it is going to be built on the foundation of aloha. That means we play for each other, we prepare like champions, and we represent the state with everything we have every single night. The foundation has been set. We're paying homage to that.

"Everything that was built before us, every standard that was established, every young woman who gave everything she had to wear this uniform, that matters. We honor it. We don't walk away from it. We will keep what got us here: the culture of hard work, the expectation of excellence, the pride in representing this university and the state. ... We will elevate our preparation, elevate our recruiting, elevate our game. We will be relentless in the pursuit of being better today than we were yesterday. That is not a criticism of the past, that is a commitment to the future."

Beeman sat alongside UH president Wendy Hensel during Mitchell's introduction, nodding along with pride at each point Mitchell was making. From standout freshman guard Bailey Flavell to veteran Jovi Lefotu, nobody voiced their approval for Mitchell louder than the players on the Rainbow Wahine roster on Wednesday. 

"We were very happy. We were in the locker room yesterday, and when they brought her out, we were all cheering and excited, and we were really hoping it was her," Lefotu said. "She's really a player development coach. The relationship she builds with each and every one of us is unique, and she really cares about us as people and not just as athletes." 

When the 2026-2027 season arrives in November, Mitchell will be the new head coach that leads the Rainbow Wahine through the transition of joining the Mountain West Conference. Her immediate future involves a 30-day plan in which she hopes hits the ground running. Among her top priorities is finalizing the team's roster via the NCAA transfer portal. Though players had until Monday to enter, the Rainbow Wahine already lost promising freshman guard Keiara Curtis to future conference opponent New Mexico. 

"My job, literally, is to get to the transfer portal," Mitchell said. "I absolutely want to make sure that I get the right people here, then most importantly, getting to the community as much as I can and get with our boosters and donors."

Mitchell said she spent her Tuesday night responding to over 150 congratulatory text messages. The role of college head coach, especially in her first days of being one, promises to be hectic. But it's a life she wouldn't trade for anything. 

"It means everything. It is a dream come true. To be a parent and a coach, I think, is super awesome. And the other thing is the community here," Mitchell said. "It's a place that I want to raise my daughter. It's a place where we feel safe, it's a place where we feel welcome, it's a place where people are supporting you, the community, and everybody's rooting for you, and those things are super important to me. This is a place now that I call home, and so to be able to do this is really special, which is why I just couldn't hold my excitement."

Khalilah Mitchell 042226

<title>Khalilah Mitchell introduced as new University of Hawai‘i women's head basketball coach</title>

Mitchell, the ninth head coach in program history, was an assistant coach under the retired Laura Beeman at UH for seven seasons.

Khalilah Mitchell introduced as new University of Hawai‘i women's head basketball coach

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A Tantalus home that once belonged to actor Richard Chamberlain 

Perched above Honolulu, the 1.8-acre property at 3711 Round Top Drive — listed by Derek Kamm and Schyler Murakami with Coldwell Banker Island Properties — offers views of Diamond Head, the Pacific and the city below.

Murakami told Aloha State Daily Thursday that there are three homes on the property: a 4-bed, 3.5-bath main house that's roughly 3,700 square feet; a 2-bedroom, 1-bath guest house that's about 1,100 square feet; and a studio — along with some large, grassy areas; a tennis court; and an infinity-edge pool.

"It's pretty unique once you're up there," he told ASD. The property, he says, is peaceful and secluded.

"What the current owners like about it is how secluded it is, yet you're 20 minutes away from Honolulu or from Waikīkī."

According to Murakami, the current owners have owned the property for about 20 years and purchased it from Chamberlain's estate. The property hit the market about two weeks ago.

Murakami says you'd likely see a handful of homes for sale on Round Top Drive and in Tantalus each year, but it's rare to see large estates like this.

Chamberlain, a longtime Hawai‘i resident, was known for his leading roles in the 1960s TV series "Dr. Kildare," 1980's "Shōgun," 

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: "A good day in Hawai‘i"

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Enter for a chance to win tickets to see Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film ‘Moana’

Hawai‘i Scene on Social meets Hawai‘i Skies

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Neighborhood weather updates

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