ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"No need post bail, when cell phones exist in jail.","type":"text"}]

Firefly funny illustration of a bald man in prison giving advice on a cell phone 125937

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: A comedy crime saga in two parts</title>

Today's social posts come from howsdisguy: Part one and two of talking story with your roughboy philosopher relative.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: A comedy crime saga in two parts

No need post bail, when cell phones exist in jail.  

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Matt Elliott becoming the University of Hawai‘I’s new athletics director

 wasn’t just the 11 days in between UH president Wendy Hensel’s selection and the Board of Regents meeting on Monday that made it official. 

Rather, the first step in Elliott becoming the University of Hawai‘i's new AD occurred 20 years ago. 

After earning his JD from Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law, Elliott moved to O‘ahu for the first time in 2005, taking a position as a clerk for 

U.S. district court judge Alan C. Kay. It was in the Islands that Elliott met his future wife, Allison Murata, a Punahou alumna. As Elliott's career as a collegiate athletics administrator began to ascend, Matt and Allison's hearts were in Hawaii‘i, and the couple would visit family at least once annually, if not more. 

"I came here almost 20 years ago for the first time, came here for a job and just the opportunity to be in this place, I thought it was really amazing and special," Elliott said on Monday afternoon. "Learned a lot about the culture, learned a lot about the systems, the legal system, how it operates here, and how unique Hawai‘i is from that standpoint, its history. 

"I was so fortunate to meet Alli, obviously. I mean, what could be better than to meet the person that you know you're going to spend the rest of your life with? And so that year, I get to connect with her family, connect with her friends, and clearly, we were going to be together."

For 13 years, Elliott rose up the ranks within UCLA's athletic department, holding titles such as 

senior associate athletic director for internal operations and chief strategy officer. 

He was part of a team that negotiated a 15-year, $280 million apparel deal with Under Armour, the largest deal of its kind in collegiate sports history. 

Local and national news outlets pinned Elliott as one of the leaders in securing the Bruins a permanent home in the Big Ten Conference amid uncertainty in the Pac-12 Conference, a move that came to fruition in the 2024-2025 academic year. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt and Allison decided to move home and raise their son, Kai, on O‘ahu. The family made the move in 2022, and Elliott was allowed to work remotely for UCLA. Elliott juggled positions between UCLA and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation before he joined HCF on a full-time basis last summer. Elliott describes Kai, now 5, as an avid sports fan. 

"This is my family, right? This is the place that means so much," Elliott said of Hawai‘i. "The culture means so much. The history means so much. And I think people care about this place in a way that is just unbelievable. I love how proud everybody is to be from Hawai‘i, to take care of the land, to take care of the resources, to carry on the culture, the language, all of those things. That matters to me. We're going to raise my son here, because we want him to have that experience, to be exposed to all of those things."

 spoke glowingly of Elliott the day his hire as UH's next AD was made public, calling him 

"one of the top leaders that I've ever had the opportunity to work with."

During Monday's Board of Regents meeting at Bachman Hall on the campus of UH-

Mānoa, Elliott was unanimously approved with a 10-0 vote. Regents from across the Islands noted that they were approached about Elliott more than they were about Hensel, who herself officially began at UH in January. 

Monday's vote was preceded by a testimony from retired judge Michael Broderick, who 

 about Elliott during their time together at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, noting his humility and work ethic. 

Elliott admits he keeps a low profile on social media, where he is nowhere to be found. He says he prefers to communicate with others in person. Elliott, who got his undergraduate degree at Amherst College in his native Massachusetts, was a member of his varsity crew team. When asked what he does for fun, Elliott says he's taken up cycling over the past few years and even competed in the Honolulu Century Ride, a race around O‘ahu where cyclists can choose to compete for 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles. 

As for why Elliott chose to apply for the job, he said he's intrigued by the challenge of guiding UH through a new era in collegiate athletics, one that involves revenue sharing and conference realignment. The House v. NCAA settlement was approved on June 6, allowing schools to share as much as $20.5 million in revenue among student-athletes starting July 1. Additionally, as it pertains to UH, the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine are set to join the Mountain West Conference as full-time members in the summer of 2026. 

"Based on the experiences I had, I just see incredible opportunity for UH to be successful, to navigate this space, to create a plan, to come together and figure out what is our strategy, how are we going to approach these really difficult challenges, to do it together," Elliott said. "And at the end of the day, create the best possible experience for our student-athletes. And if we do that, then we bring together the community again, as I said, in this extraordinarily fun way to share in our success. It really is everybody's success, and that's inspiring. 

"I just love the intersection of academics of sport. It's what I've done for a long time, and I think here, it means so much to the people of Hawai‘i. I see little kids running around the fields, playing soccer, playing baseball every day. I know how much high school sports matters, and I know how much UH matters. So, that's really incredible."

Elliott's first official day is set for June 30. Throughout the course of multiple media conversations on Monday, he readily acknowledged he has more to learn about the role and the school before commenting on particular subjects. One thing Elliott never hesitated to discuss was his driving force: His 'ohana, a family that has seen a journey that started two decades ago come full circle. 

"There's nothing more important than family. My wife and I have been partners in everything we've done, every decision we've made, she's just absolutely incredible. Our life is all about Kai; that is our absolute joy. For him to be a part of this, he is so excited, he's already a hardcore sports fan," Elliott said. "I'm never going to put family second, never gonna sacrifice family, but I want them to be a part of that, and I think that will allow us to have a chance to do some really cool things."

Matt Elliott 061625

<title>With family at the forefront, new UH athletics director Matt Elliott eager to begin</title>

Matt Elliott was unanimously approved by the UH Board of Regents as the school's new athletics director on Monday. His first official day is June 30.

With family at the forefront, new UH athletics director Matt Elliott eager to begin

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is back — well, sort of. The biz just launched its new burger concept, 

, which is still in Kaimukī — specifically in the former Hokkaido Ramen spot at 1108 12th Ave.

The biz announced its June 9 soft opening via 

, and the community showed up to support. We got there on the second day of soft opening around 11:40 a.m., and there was already a line outside the burger spot.

Note: Boarded Up will announce its hours for the day via social media; for the past two days, the biz has been open from 12 to 9 p.m. or until sold out.

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Right now, only in-person ordering is accepted (no online ordering yet). When we stood in line, we were given a menu to look at. The menu is currently more limited and different from the one from Chubbies Burgers, but you’ll find some familiar flavors.

While there are a few tables for dine-in inside Boarded Up, the spot is more conducive to takeout. There are a few tables outside the eatery as well.

You’ll still find sides like Chubbies signature crinkle-cut fries ($5), which are always crispy and cooked with 100% trans-fat free, highly sustainable rice bran oil. Eating them was like greeting a long-lost friend — just as good, if not better, than what you remembered. Some fries are worth standing in line for.

If you want to take your fries to the next level, you can add a sauce for $1 more. Choose from 1950 sauce, garlic sesame aioli or Carolina Dijonnaise; the latter comes highly recommended. It reminded us of creamy Thousand Island and was positively addictive.  

You could also opt to bring the heat to your meal with spicy garlic fries ($8), complete with Spicy Nashville sauce, fresh garlic and garlic-sesame aioli.

All burgers come on soft potato buns — featuring Chubbies’ house recipe — that are baked fresh locally. You can opt for a single ($8-$10) or double ($12-$14).

There are currently four burger options — O.P. style, Carolina onion, The 1950 and a cheeseburger.

If you’ve been craving a Chubbies’ smashburger since the eatery closed in its original Kaimukī spot on Feb. 1, go for The 1950 ($10), which is described on the menu as “the bad boy version of a Chubbies’ classic.”

The smashed beef patty is topped with American cheese, housemade red onion relish, shredded lettuce, tomato and 1950 sauce. It’s simple, flavorful and comforting. The smashburger still boasts that signature, crispy, caramelized crust and flavorful patty that the eatery is known for.

If you want something with more texture, opt for the O.P. Style — smashed beef patty with American cheese, grilled onions, housemade hot pickles and garlic-sesame aioli — or Carolina Onion, complete with thin-sliced griddled onions.

When it comes to pucker power, this lemonade ($5) delivers. Cold and sour, it was refreshing after a savory burger — but if you’re on the fence about tart flavors, you might want to get the POG lemonade instead.

I was craving a Ghirardelli chocolate milkshake ($8), but alas, it wasn’t available during my visit. Neither were Chubbies new premium vanilla soft serve or Cali fries (topped with American cheese, grilled onions, 1950 sauce and diced pickles), which will be coming soon to the menu … and gives me another excuse to go back.

Boarded Up sign 061125

<title>Chubbies Hawaiʻi is back as Boarded Up Burgers</title>

The new smashburger concept soft opened in the former Hokkaido Ramen spot with a revamped menu and support from the Kaimukī community.

Chubbies Hawaiʻi is back as Boarded Up Burgers

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

With a project-based curriculum rooted in Indigenous cultural values, 

 in Waimānalo aims to empower local K-8 students to become responsible stewards of their community and beyond.

And they recently won an award for it, including a $20,000 grant.

Mālama Honua was recognized in The Educational Innovation Award category this year by national nonprofit 

, which has supported over $1 billion in the development of school facilities.

“For four years Building Hope has been proud to create a space where charter leaders and the charter community may connect, innovate and fuel the future of education. It is a transformative gathering of minds and missions,” said Building Hope President and CEO William Hansen in a statement. “Every IMPACT grant winner is a blueprint for what is possible in education when vision and action meet. All of us at Building Hope are inspired by their dedication to uplifting students and communities through high-quality, empowering, innovative and engaging education.”

The 2025 IMPACT Award winners represented 10 different states from across the country.

Mālama Honua School Director Denise Espania told Aloha State Daily that the application process is rigorous, but worth it.

“The award itself is not just one and done – it is an opportunity for collaborating with like-minded individuals that have been doing really amazing things in their communities. … Now we're part of this cohort that we'll get to meet again and visit different schools around the nation. The other award winners are the most inspirational group of schools recognized in areas like leadership, student empowerment and community engagement.”

Mālama Honua was the only Hawaiʻi school to win this year. According to Espania, Honolulu-based SEEQ: The School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability won the top award for Education Innovation last year, and Mālama 

The Educational Innovation Award “is given to schools that understand innovation is creating new, fresh, and out-of-any-box programs and services for students, true growth and innovation require risk-taking and focused determination to achieve, and nothing is impossible,” Building Hope said.

Honua stand out in innovation from the rest, she said, its connection to the

“We care for the earth, like our namesake since 2014, and ware dedicated to developing the mindset of the navigator – the physical skills of waʻa and the legacy of Polynesian voyaging as our foundation and compass.

She continued, “We really want students – our next set of leaders – to have a confident culture identity; know who they are and where they come from, so that regardless of where they go in life, regardless of what career they go into, they have a foundation. That they can always be stand tall and proud of."

“We want them to be people who understand civic responsibility, right? So, that they want to give back to the community, that they are strong communicators and collaborators, that they know how to do and engage in ethical problem solving in doing what's pono, or right, making sure that they feel confident to take risks and if they don't do it, then who will?

“We want them to be able to be environmentally aware and pay attention to both land and people because they understand their genealogical connections to the place and space, to make the best decisions.”

Espania said that will go toward the school’s capital campaign to unify its three campuses into one.

“Over the next couple of years, we’re looking to consolidate, finalize plans and push forward to build out a singular K-8 campus,” she said. “We are in the quiet phase now, but already have plans for a community hub, or multi-purpose gathering space, with a commercial kitchen space to prepare food grown on the property.”

, Hiʻohia Publishing and other organizations, 

Mālama Honua is fundraising through a project sharing moʻolelo from Waimānalo kūpuna.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Community is so important to us.”"}]

Waimanalo Mālama Honua Public Charter School Kumu Denise Espania 16x9

<title>Waimānalo charter school honored for innovation</title>

Mālama Honua Public Charter School recently won top honors – and a $20,000 grant – for The Educational Innovation Award presented by national nonprofit Building Hope. School Director Denise Espania shares about the school’s immersive programs, as well as plans for a new campus.

Waimānalo charter school honored for innovation

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

As a kid, Mark Ellis saw the Hōkūleʻa, a double-hulled voyaging canoe. It sparked his imagination and inspired him to build a mini version of the vessel as a school project. Eventually, he joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which operates the Hōkūleʻa.

Today, he is training the next generation of navigators aboard the Iosepa, a traditional double-hulled sailing canoe, which sets out on a 31-day voyage of the Hawaiian islands on Saturday, May 24.

Ellis grew up “in the water” and “on the water,” he told Aloha State Daily. When he was seven years old, he saw 

coming home from a voyage to Tahiti and told his parents he wanted to sail on that vessel.

“That ʻboat’ is what I was called it, but now I know it's a canoe,” Ellis said. “Everything I did in my class projects was always to do with Hōkūleʻa and voyaging.”

 Kāne’s books and Ellis used to look through the pictures, he said. At around nine years old, his teacher asked students to make boats as part of studying density. Ellis decided to create a mini version of the Hōkūleʻa.

He asked his parents to take him to see the double-hulled voyaging canoe and remembers the crew explaining things.

Eventually, he started volunteering for dry dock work with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which operates the Hōkūleʻa and its sister vessel, Hikianalia. The duo are named after sister stars that “break the horizon together at the latitude of the Hawaiian islands,” according to website for PVS.

“And then, it wasn't until after college that I was invited to sail on Hōkūleʻa,” he said. “And after that, I just started constantly sailing.”

Weather permitting, Iosepa’s voyage includes landings at Lāʻie, Pōkaʻī Bay, Haleʻiwa and Mauliola on Oʻahu; Lahaina on Maui, and Kaunakakai on Molokaʻi. Iosepa was built in 2001. It was designed as a working classroom to teach navigation and seamanship, as well as Hawaiian values, according to representatives of the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is where the canoe is housed when it is not on the water.

Ellis worked his way through the ranks as a crew member and watch captain.

“It was never my desire to become a captain,” he said. “It was just at one point that they said, ʻHey, we need help. Can you be a captain?’ ”

 has been part of legs of voyages across the world, including to California and the Galapagos Islands as well as legs from New York to Virginia, Florida to Virginia and Samoa to Aotearoa, according to the PVS website.

 birthday on March 8. The voyaging canoe has sailed 

across the Pacific, according to the website for PVS. On May 30, the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are scheduled to depart Hilo for French Polynesia to resume the Moananuiākea Voyage, which is a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific Ocean.

At any time, the crew for Iosepa is usually 12 to 16 people, Ellis said. But different people will be part of the crew for each leg of the voyage. The crew will likely consist of about 70 or more people over the entire voyage, he said.   

“I’m grateful for my family for supporting me and allowing me to follow my dream and my passion,” he said. “And now we’re on Iosepa and we’re training the next generation and getting them all excited.”

Iosepa

<title>Iosepa starts 31-day voyage across Hawaiian Islands</title>

The double-hulled sailing canoe, Iosepa, is headed for a month-long tour of the Hawaiian Islands, starting Saturday, May 24. At its helm is Captain Mark Ellis, director of voyaging experiences at the Polynesian Cultural Center, where the canoe stays when it is not on the water.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: A comedy crime saga in two parts

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Authors

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