ASD Staff

Adopt a Pet

"Batman is a 49-pound, 3-year-old Large Mixed Breed pup, who was found as a stray in ʻEwa Beach back in February 2025," says Hawaiian Humane Society. "Though he arrived in rough physical shape, he has shown nothing but love and affection toward staff and volunteers.  

"Recently, Batman got a much-needed break from the shelter through our Couch Crasher Foster Program," the nonprofit continued. "But don’t expect this caped crusader to be brooding in the night, instead, you’ll find him curled up under a blanket, catching up on his favorite TV show.  

"With his bright smile ad big heart, Batman is sure to show you the true meaning of true companionship. Could your home be his new Batcave?"

Meet Batman at the Hawaiian Humane Societyʻs Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili, open daily from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.  Adoptable pets can be found 

5 16 2025 Batman

<title>Adopt-a-Pet May 20, 2025: I'm Batman, your trusted companion</title>

"With his bright smile ad big heart, Batman is sure to show you the true meaning of true companionship," said the Hawaiian Humane Society. "Could your home be his new Batcave?"

Adopt-a-Pet May 20, 2025: I'm Batman, your trusted companion

"Batman is a 49-pound, 3-year-old Large Mixed Breed pup, who was found as a stray in ʻEwa Beach back in February 2025," says Hawaiian Humane Society. "Though he arrived in rough physical shape, he has shown nothing but love and affection toward staff and volunteers.   "Recently, Batman got a much-needed break from the shelter through our Couch Crasher Foster Program," the nonprofit continued. "But don’t expect this caped crusader to be brooding in the night, instead, you’ll find him curled up under a blanket, catching up on his favorite TV show.   "With his bright smile ad big heart, Batman is sure to show you the true meaning of true companionship. Could your home be his new Batcave?" Meet Batman at the Hawaiian Humane Societyʻs Kosasa Family Campus at Hoʻopili, open daily from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.  Adoptable pets can be found here.

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

If you’ve taken a drive around the island, chances are, you’ve passed by Coral Kingdom in Hakipuʻu Valley — and seen huli huli chicken (and the accompanying smoke) outside on the grills fronting the restaurant.

Having the grills fronting the road was only something that started after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Thomas Yip, director of operations and vice president of 

“We’ve been cooking huli huli chicken for about 10 years,” he says. “Before, we used to have the grill in the backside to service the restaurant for catering. Before the pandemic, we had a lot of tour groups on tour buses that came in; we had a buffet (in the restaurant). Since the pandemic, we had to change our menu — we concentrated on our bestsellers. We moved the chicken grill out to the front so people can see it.”

The business recently rebranded and is now known as Yummy Huli Huli Chicken, according to Yip, who says its focus is still on the chicken.

“What makes it unique is our marination, and we do a dry rub,” he says. “We use the kiawe wood; most places probably use charcoal or some other wood. Of course, we also have our special huli chicken sauce that’s housemade and very popular.”

It takes about 30 minutes for each batch of chicken to cook, according to Yip.

“We can have a batch ranging from 10 to 25 or 30,” he says. “It takes about 30 minutes for the chicken to be fully cooked outside.”

The huli huli chicken plate ($16.95) is the eatery’s signature dish. It includes a half kiawe wood-roasted chicken, along with macaroni salad, rice and huli huli dipping sauce. Whole chicken plates ($21.95, no sides included) are also available.

The chicken boasts that smoky flavor from the kiawe wood, and Yip is right — that signature dipping sauce is necessary, giving the chicken a slightly sweet flavor.

Other popular dishes include barbecue teriyaki beef plate ($18.95) and garlic shrimp plate ($17.95). The latter features shrimp sauteed in garlic butter and onions; customers can choose from shell-on or off, and spicy or mild. All shrimp plates come with macaroni salad and rice.

“The teriyaki sauce is our own recipe, too,” Yip says. “For the beef, we have slices of rib-eye steak, which makes it very popular; it’s tender and juicy. For the spicy garlic shrimp, we cook a local chili pepper together with the garlic butter. It’s not like a hot sauce we use.”

Of the plates we order, I’m partial to the pan-fried fish ($16.95), which features three pieces of egg-battered, sauteed white fish served with a side of tartar sauce. The fish is moist and flaky, and the batter is light and not overly greasy.

In terms of drinks, strawberry banana and mango smoothies ($9.75 each) are popular takeout options, especially on sweltering summer days.

If you’re dining in, Yip encourages customers to check out the eatery’s selection of draft beers, house wines and sake.

Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays

Yummy Huli Huli chicken grilling 051925

<title>Come with us to this popular Kāneʻohe huli huli chicken spot</title>

Keep your eyes peeled for the Coral Kingdom sign, and follow the smoke.

Come with us to this popular Kāneʻohe huli huli chicken spot

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

A new loan program from Hawai‘i Community Lending — providing zero-down mortgages to Native Hawaiians on Hawaiian Home Lands — recently received its first infusion of funds.

Northern Trust, a Chicago-based financial services company that's also the banking partner for Parker Ranch, has invested $10 million in HCL's new Kūpa‘a Hale Loan program.

It's just the start of a larger capital campaign to raise $35 million, HCL Executive Director Jeff Gilbreath told Aloha State Daily.

For the community, Gilbreath says it means "families will get access to zero-down mortgages that will be potentially below market interest rate, to be able to afford to purchase homes on Hawaiian Home Lands."

"This means that at a time we're seeing interest rates as high as they are, costs increasing, there could be an avenue for families to be able to purchase these homes on Hawaiian Home Lands, without having to come up with large down payment amounts, which we just don't have."

The Northern Trust investment in particular is geared toward homestead communities at 

"For those families, it really provides an opportunity, another option for them, as opposed to having to go to market-rate loans with higher down payment amounts," he told ASD.

Gilbreath says several hundred homes are planned for development in Laʻiʻōpua, so families will be looking for construction and mortgage loans.

The impetus for the Kūpa‘a Hale Loan program stems from federal funding cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 502 Direct program.

Gilbreath says that program was established to help low and very low income families buy homes in rural communities with zero-down mortgages. That funding, though, has been consistently cut and is now at its lowest level ever.

Seeing the 502 Direct program whittled down — with the possibility of being lost all together — Gilbreath said, "we knew there needed to be another option for families." 

The HCL team then set out see if they could create a program that mirrored the federal one or provides zero-down, below market interest rates mortgages for families at all income levels buying homes in both rural and non-rural areas.

"Could we raise private money, put the program in place to basically fill the gap of this federal program that is going away?" he said. "Now, here we are. The first $10 million of this $35 million raise shows that we can start to do this work, that it is a viable model. It does require partnership with private investors like banks and financial institutions like Northern Trust, but also philanthropic institutions. Here we are, trying to fill that gap where the federal government is leaving us."

Gilbreath says that close to 30 families can be served with the initial $10 million investment, but HCL anticipates that 100 families can receive mortgages through the full $35 million raise, the first of several offerings it plans to do.

He said, too, that it was exciting to receive the initial $10 million investment.

"It's coming from a financial institution that's not local," he said. "I'd love for it to inspire and incentivize local investors to step in and invest in our local families and homeownership for our local families. I'd really love to see that."

[{"type":"text","text":"But the biggest takeaway?"}]

Gilbreath says homeownership is possible, "despite how much costs are increasing, how much we feel like we're getting squeezed financially as families."

"There are options out there, and I don't want families to disqualify themselves," he said. "Come in. Talk [with] our team. We can figure out a plan to get the families on Hawaiian Home Lands, and get them help to purchase that home. I don't want them thinking, 'Oh, this is not possible and there's no hope for this.' There is hope, and homeownership is possible. We've just got to get the right products and the right tools in the hands of the families. I think what's exciting about all of this is that we can demonstrate that despite what we're seeing in terms of federal funding being disinvested from our local communities, there are opportunities for us to work together to fill those gaps. I think Hawai‘i demonstrates very well the concept of aloha in taking care of one another, and this is an example of that in action."  

Interested individuals can currently join an interest list, which can be 

According to Gilbreath, Hawaii Community Lending is a U.S. Treasury-certified Native Community Development Financial Institution that has a $25 million revolving fund. HCL, a nonprofit mortgage lender, makes loans to homebuilders, homebuyers and homeowners, along with technical assistance and grants to prevent foreclosure.

Housing stock photo unsplash

<title>Mainland financial services firm invests $10M in new Hawai‘i loan program</title>

The new initiative from Hawai‘i Community Lending will offer zero-down mortgages to Native Hawaiians on Hawaiian Home Lands.

Mainland financial services firm invests $10M in new Hawai‘i loan program

Real Estate

With an asking price of $589,000, a one-bedroom, one-bath cottage located at 99-139 Nāpuanani Road No. 2 is the lowest priced single-family home currently on the market in the ‘Aiea Heights neighborhood.

The home sits on a quarter-acre parcel. Listing agent Jennifer Peele, with Royal Realty, said it's one of five homes constructed on a larger property that was later subdivided through a condominium property regime.

It has an open concept kitchen and living room, and a total of 600 square feet of living space, "so it's definitely open space, cozy," Peele told Aloha State Daily last week, also noting that there's a balcony and green space as well as a shed on the property that can be converted to something else that fits the buyers' needs.

And if you like gardening, Peele said there's land in front where prospective homeowners can "get creative and do whatever type of gardening that the buyer would want to do."

"The single-wall wood frame construction and level lot add to its charm, while the garden view creates a relaxing ambiance," the 

. "With a low HOA fee and proximity to local amenities, this property is a fantastic alternative to high-maintenance condos or townhouses."

Fees for the Turner Condominium Homeowners Association LLC total $104 per month, and cover common areas, yard and grounds maintenance, HOA savings, insurance and taxes, according to information provided by Peele.

This is a seemingly rare offering in ‘Aiea Heights. Peele said it was hard to find comparables to even price the home. 

"I haven't seen a house like this in a while, so it's a rare opportunity to be a homeowner [of] a single-family home here in Hawai‘i for a price point under $600,000," she said. "Even though it's a one-bedroom, it'll be perfect for a cute little couple or even a single man that wants to get away from the busyness [of town]. When you drive down Chester Way, and you're on the property, it's just really peaceful and quiet and just the scenery of green everywhere is really nice."

As for the community itself, Peele said ‘Aiea Heights is an older neighborhood in the mountains, but there are restaurants, shopping and recreation close by — and it's not far from Pearlridge Center and everything Pearlridge has to offer.

A four-bedroom home at 99-720 Puluniu Loop listed for $1,588,000 is the highest-priced single-family home on the market in ‘Aiea Heights, according to the HiCentral MLS. You can see the 

99 139 Napuanani exterior

<title>For sale — home bargain in ‘Aiea Heights</title>

You can get this cottage for under $600,000.

For sale — home bargain in ‘Aiea Heights

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Ed Nishioka, president and CEO of Ronald McDonal House Charities of Hawaiʻi, is hiring. Over the last couple of weeks, hundreds of candidates have applied from across the globe to become the organization’s next Chief Operation Officer.

“I've been consulting with some of our board members who have executive hiring experience. I'm basically operating as if I were executive search firm … But you've got to do it right to find the right fit," he told Aloha State Daily. “We're taking a full approach, [posting] on job sites with [

Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations]

, Association of Fundraising Professionals. We've advertised on LinkedIn, which so far, has gotten a high volume of applicants, but they're not as high quality. Indeed the same way.”

Nishioka added that word-of-mouth and referrals have produced the best leads. As part of his long-term vision, he said he morphed duties for this new role from the current director of operations position, which in mid-June, will be vacated by Kanoe Paauhau.

“So, we've got a little time, but I'm guessing they may not cross paths because it's just that lengthy of a process,” said Nishioka, who took the helm of the organization in February 2024. He previously served as director of development for the Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council, and managed Marcus Mariota’s Motiv8 Foundation.

“I think for this type of job, I’m looking for someone with a similar management style and personality that fits the culture I’ve built over the last 16 months. Someone who has their own local contacts on-the-ground and who knows Hawaiʻi’s business and nonprofit environments,” he said. 

“Hawaiʻi is so different than the rest of the country – not only do you have to learn the business and culture here, you have to understand the different ethnicities. If you’re trying to raise money and you can’t say people’s name right or the street that they live on right, it’s a little tougher for someone to come from the outside, but not impossible.”

Nishioka leads a team of about 23 full- and part-time staff, he said, overseeing RMHC's annual budget of more than $2.5 million – most of which comes from donations. The organization's mission is to “to provide a home-away-from-home for seriously ill children and their families, and to develop other programs and partnerships aimed at improving the lives of children in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”

The local chapter operates two residential facilities to accommodate families that must travel to Oʻahu for their child’s medical treatments. According to Nishioka, “We’re the only RMHC in America where families have to fly to stay with us.”

He added, 85% percent of families come in from the Neighbor Islands, with the remaining from Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, and Mainland families vacationing in Hawaiʻi.

Nishioka’s main goal in 2025 is to expand services for families – both within the homes and in the community at 

, events and other spaces suitable for keiki and their families. He noted that although the length of stays varies, the nonprofit aims to double the number of families hosted in the next five years.

“We are at 100% occupancy right now, and we do have overflow partnerships with hotels in Waikīkī, Nishioka said. “We’re working on a lot of things related to the family experience, creating more meal programs, activities and therapy support. … We’re trying to be more than a place to stay.”

On the funding side, support from the community has been ongoing, he said. “McDonald’s is a strong supporter; they don’t back us completely. We also have no federal grants.”

Nishioka said fundraising events have been doing well. Leadership is reworking its endowment accounts for future sustainability, too.

“What a joy it is to work for an organization with a mission like ours: 

We aim to create normalcy where normalcy doesn’t exist

,” he said. “Our model where families can live together allows them to make good friends during a hard time, and they stay in contact with each other well after they leave."

For more information about Ronald McDonal House Charities of Hawai’i, go to: 

RMHC President and CEO Ed Nishioka

<title>Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaiʻi searches for new COO</title>

With the help of the nonprofit’s board of directors, RMHC President and CEO Ed Nishioka seeks to hire a local leader who will oversee its annual budget, facility operations, human resources and more. He also provides an update on the organization.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaiʻi searches for new COO

Yamachika Tom IMG 1913 Large

Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

Last week, we covered the key bills that made it out of the legislature and to the governors office. This week, we will be looking at a few bills that passed both houses of the legislature, but did not make it through conference. Those bills may come back to haunt us next year. 

 is at the top of this week’s list. The bill would have increased the maximum capital gains rate for income tax. Now, for individuals the maximum capital gains rate is 7.25% while the top individual rate is 11%. For corporations, the maximum capital gains rate is 4% while the top corporate rate is 6.4%. The bill would have changed the rates to ___% and ___%, respectively — literally blank spaces to be filled in later.  Technically, we don’t know if an increase or decrease was intended, but the chatter around the bill indicated that legislators were thinking of an increase. And even if it were an increase, some of the progressive groups were saying that the bill didn’t go far enough, arguing that we shouldn’t have any limit on the tax rate for capital gains. In other words, capital gains should be taxed like any other income. Earlier in the session, 

 would have directed our Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules to implement a user fee for visitors who want to go to parks, beaches, trails, or other natural attractions. Those fees, however, were to be imposed only upon nonresidents. After all, we residents pay income taxes, general excise taxes, property taxes, and many other taxes, and non-residents pay, well, general excise taxes, transient accommodations taxes, rental motor vehicle taxes, and JEEZ, sometimes it’s really hard to tell who’s getting the short end of the stick. Instead of implementing this so-called visitor Green fee, this year’s Legislature settled on a 0.75% increase in the transit accommodations tax. The good folks in the Governor’s office, however, introduced bills to raise that tax by 1.75%, so they got somewhat less than they asked for. This may mean that we are going to see this bill, or something like it, next session. Are we ever going to stop treating our visitors like cattle to be milked, 

, which proposes to redefine the term “adequate reserve fund” for purposes of the unemployment tax law. 

, that redefinition amounts to a tax increase, and perhaps a substantial one at that. It all happens because the bill, in effect, directs the tax system to make the unemployment reserve fund larger without giving it any more money. Because the unemployment tax system is designed to be self-correcting, any perceived shortage in the fund triggers tax increases to make up the difference. The redefinition proposed by the bill, when fully phased in, would jack up unemployment insurance rates by two notches in the rate schedule.  This would have different effects for different people but could result in a 40% tax increase for an average employer in a typical year.  The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations pushed for the bill this year.  The bill didn’t pass, leaving us wondering whether they are going to try again next year.

Why are we even worrying about 2026 if the ink is not yet dry on 2025? Well, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.  We taxpayers need to be ready when the legislative proposals do come down the pike.

I Stock Kuliouou Ridge hiking trail

<title>Community Voices: 2025 Legislative Also-Rans</title>

This week, we will be looking at a few bills that passed both houses of the legislature, but did not make it through conference. Those bills may come back to haunt us next year, including capital gains taxes, "green fees" on Hawai‘i visitors and more.

Community Voices: 2025 Legislative Also-Rans

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

The UFC has partnered with Fightstory, a nonprofit organization that was founded by Mililani alumna Angela Lee Pucci, with plans of providing more mental health support and resources for athletes. 

Lee Pucci, a former champion with ONE Championship, retired in 2023 at the age of 27. Shortly before announcing her retirement, Lee Pucci founded 

 in hopes of helping other athletes who were struggling with mental health. She currently serves as Fightstory's president and executive director.

Lee Pucci revealed that she made a suicide attempt in 2017 prior to a fight. Her sister, Victoria Lee, took her own life at 18 on Dec. 26, 2022. Lee Pucci has not fought since then. 

The partnership between the UFC and Fightstory is highlighted by a mental health fight kit, which features four key elements (courtesy Fightstory): 

Each section includes science-based guidance for athletes to integrate the mental health fight kit's tools into their daily lives. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to UFC for aligning with our mission to break the silence around mental health,” said Lee Pucci. “Through their generous support, we are building tools like the Mental Fight Kit that will empower athletes to build emotional resilience and ultimately help fighters thrive on their unique journey.”

Fightstory's collaboration with the UFC arrives in time for May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States.

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Government & Politics

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Aloha Spirit

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Daily Features

Adopt-a-Pet May 20, 2025: I'm Batman, your trusted companion

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Adopt-a-Pet May 20, 2025: I'm Batman, your trusted companion

In case you missed it

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Adopt a Pet

Adopt-a-Pet May 19, 2025: Noelani makes even the gloomiest days brighter

Adopt-a-Pet May 16, 2025: 'I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!' — Belle

Adopt-a-Pet May 15, 2025: Celine from Maui Humane Society has all you need

Adopt-a-Pet May 14: Nyla, a goofy gal who loves a good treat

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