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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

If you got a water hose in front of your house, it’s a communal water fountain.

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @ZabrinaPeters2.0. She knows how to stay cool this summer.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis

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Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

 The official history of Freemasonry in Hawai‘i begins in 1843, when Joseph-Marie Le Tellier, captain of the French whaler 

, established Lodge Le Progres De L’oceanie, chartered under the auspices of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite under the Supreme Council of France. Lodge members consisted of mariners and business owners from Europe and America.

In 19th century Honolulu, joining the Freemasons meant far more than belonging to a private club. Freemasonry offered fellowship, a structured moral code, and a sense of belonging in a world so far from  home. Members could build networks of trust and cooperation with merchants, professionals and government officials, gaining both social standing and practical advantages. At the same time, the rituals and symbols of the lodge taught ideals of integrity, charity, and fraternity. For newcomers in a distant land like Hawai‘i, Masonic membership provided an instant community of brothers who spoke a common language of loyalty and shared values.

In time, the interest in Freemasonry in Hawai‘i reached the very highest ranks of society, with a few Hawaiian kings becoming members of the fraternity. The first Native Hawaiian raised in the brotherhood was Prince Lot Kapuāiwa, who later became King Kamehameha V. Prince Alexander Liholiho followed his brother into the craft, later becoming King Kamehameha IV. Several other ali‘i were raised as well, including King David Kalākaua, his brother Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku II, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole, and Prince David Kawānanakoa. Other notable Freemasons in Hawaiian government include John Owen Dominis, husband to Queen Lili‘uokalani, Archibald Cleghorn, father of Princess Ka‘iulani, and Governor Wallace R. Farrington.

Only Hawai‘i can claim to have had two monarchs who sat as masters of a Masonic lodge during their reign: King Kamehameha IV and King David Kalākaua.

In Honolulu, a number of prominent landmarks bear cornerstones set in place with full Masonic ritual and ceremony. Among them are the Kekuanaoa Building, better known as the Territorial Building, the stately Ali‘iōlani Hale that houses Hawai‘i’s State Supreme Court, Queen’s Hospital, and even the regal ‘Iolani Palace. For the Freemasons, such ceremonies were a way of imbuing stone and mortar with ideals of stability, morality, and permanence, linking the rising architecture of Honolulu with a tradition that stretched back centuries.

Though many of these buildings still stand as testaments to that legacy, the fraternity’s own gathering places were just as significant. Several spaces in Honolulu were home to Masonic Temples over the years until a cornerstone was laid at the corner of Makiki and Kinau Streets in 1937. Within the halls of Makiki Temple, solemn ceremonies unfolded, and secrets were carefully guarded behind closed doors. After decades of ritual, secrecy, and charged atmosphere, the very weight of those gatherings seemed to seep into the walls of the temple itself.

A few years ago, a chilling story began to circulate about a houseless man who, seeking warmth on a cold night, managed to slip inside the lodge building. Wandering through the building’s dark corridors, he found his way upstairs into a wide, windowless chamber. The air was still and heavy, but warmer than outside, so he lay down on the floor, exhausted and hungry, and drifted into uneasy sleep.

In the middle of the night, neighbors across the street awoke to bloodcurdling screams echoing through the darkness. They described the cries as raw terror, as though someone were fighting for their very life. When police arrived, they found the man pleading desperately for help. For some reason, he couldn’t open the doors to leave, so he tried to escape through a second-story window. There he was, halfway out the window, hanging on for dear life. The officers were forced to summon the lodge’s caretaker to gain entry.

Once upstairs, the police quickly arrested the man for trespassing, but what happened next unsettled even them. As they escorted him downstairs, they passed through the large dining hall. The caretaker flipped on the light, illuminating the walls, and there, lined from corner to corner, were black-and-white portraits of the past Masters of Hawai‘i’s lodges. Each man was dressed in their Masonic regalia, gazing sternly from their frame.

The houseless man froze in his tracks. His eyes widened, his face drained of color, and then he erupted into screams that filled the hall.

“That’s them! Those guys! They were walking in a circle around me, coming closer and closer… like they were gonna do something to me! That’s them, all of them! That’s them!”

Collectively, the officers dismissed his outburst as the ravings of a disturbed man. Yet one officer later admitted, almost reluctantly, that even with the dining room lights blazing, the room was darkly oppressive. He said it felt as if there was still life behind the watchful eyes in the portraits, and that the room held far more than the living men who stood inside it.

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Makiki Masonic Temple Large

<title>Watchful eyes at Maikiki Temple</title>

Only Hawai‘i can claim to have had two monarchs who sat as masters of a Masonic lodge during their reign: King Kamehameha IV and King David Kalākaua. Freemasonry offered brotherhood and a moral code — and a sense of mystery, with a strange tale emerging about the Makiki Temple.

Watchful eyes at Maikiki Temple

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A group of over 100 Hawai‘i hotel workers have won a class-action lawsuit against their employers over improperly paid tips.

In 2016, Reneldo Rodriguez was working at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawai‘i Island serving food during banquet events. While he was working there, the hotel imposed a fee, called a “service charge” or “gratuity” on guests.

Although the hotel informed guests that those charges would not be distributed in full to employees, it did not specify the actual percentage of the money that would go to staff. The disclosures at the time read, in part: “We allocate a portion of the service fee to our employees as tips or wages.”

[{"type":"text","text":"And that, it turns out, is illegal."}]

Rodriguez filed a class-action suit against Mauna Kea Resort, Hawai‘i Prince Hotel Waikīkī and Prince Resorts Hawai‘i in Dec. 2016 on behalf of “over 100 servers, porters, bartenders and other employees,” arguing that their hotels had violated a state law protecting against unfair and deceptive business practices.

The law in question — Hawai‘i Revised Statutes 481B-14 — specifically applies to hotel or restaurant service charges. Under that law, any establishment that applies service charges for food or beverage services must either distribute the service charge directly to its employees as tip income or “clearly disclose” to the purchaser that the charge is being used to cover expenses other than employee wages and tips.

The word “clearly” was the linchpin of the argument by attorney Brandee Faria, representing the plaintiffs. She never disputed the fact that the hotel did inform guests that service charges didn’t entirely go to employees.

But obfuscating how much of those charges did go to workers, she argued, goes against the understood definition of “clearly.” She suggested that providing the specific percentages of where the charges go would fulfill the requirements of the law.

With the hotels having failed to meet legal requirements, Faria argued that the plaintiffs were entitled to 100% of the service charges levied during their employments, with damages to be determined at trial.

While the First Circuit Court agreed with the plaintiffs, the defendants appealed and the Intermediate Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision.

[{"type":"text","text":"But the ICA’s reasoning was flawed, Faria claimed."}]

In a follow-up appeal to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, she argued that the ICA had wrongly focused on her suggestion of providing percentages, when that was only one of any number of potential ways to “clearly disclose” the use of service fees.

“The question … is whether a disclosure that does not provide sufficient or meaningful information to consumers to make a gratuity determination — that is, whether and how much to tip — ‘clearly discloses’ that the service charge is not a gratuity or tip,” read Faria’s Supreme Court filing.

[{"type":"text","text":"On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs."}]

 that the law serves a dual purpose: to ensure consumers are well-informed and service workers are adequately compensated. The law exists to “patch” a previous issue where employers used service charges to cover their own administrative costs, while consumers — who believed the service charges had already covered workers’ tips — left no tips for employees.

Eddins cited in his opinion the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of "clearly" ("'free from obscurity or ambiguity,' 'easily understood,' or 'unmistakable'), concluding that the hotels had failed to meet such a standard.

“Does a portion of the service charge mean nearly all of it?” Eddins wrote. “Or almost none of it? Does ‘a portion’ [allocated] to ‘tips or wages’ mean that 

 of the service charge is allocated to tip income? Or does it mean that nearly all of it is? It’s any consumer’s guess.”

Eddins noted that, in early 2017, the hotels updated their disclosures to be more specific. One such example specified that 18.7% out of a 22% service charge is pooled and distributed to relevant staff, with the remaining 3.3% retained by the hotel, which Eddins considered a sufficiently clear disclosure.

The Supreme Court’s decision overturns that of the Appeals Court, and remands the case back to the First Circuit Court for further proceedings.

[{"type":"text","text":"Aloha State Daily reached out to Faria for comment."}]

Prince Waikiki

<title>Hotel workers prevail in service charge lawsuit</title>

Supreme Court rules hotels didn't clearly disclose gratuity fees.

Hotel workers prevail in service charge lawsuit

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Tuesday was the deadline for NFL teams to cut their rosters to 53 players ahead of the 2025 regular season, which begins on Sept. 4 when the Dallas Cowboys visit the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Below is the list of players with Hawai‘i ties on NFL rosters following Tuesday's cuts:

, defensive tackle, Indianapolis Colts (Punahou)

, quarterback, Cleveland Browns (Mililani)

, linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers (Saint Louis)

, defensive lineman, Las Vegas Raiders (University of Hawai‘i)

, quarterback, Washington Commanders (Saint Louis)

, receiver, Carolina Panthers (born in Hawai‘i)

, linebacker, New York Giants (Mililani and University of Hawai‘i)

, punter, Indianapolis Colts (University of Hawai‘i)

, interior offensive line, Pittsburgh Steelers (born in Hawai‘i)

, quarterback, Miami Dolphins (Saint Louis)

, receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers (Saint Louis)

Meanwhile, Hawai‘i alumnus and New England Patriots linebacker 

 was left off the initial 53-man roster after being put on injured reserve, though he is designated to return.

NFL Stock

<title>Players with Hawai‘i ties make the NFL cut</title>

Tuesday was the deadline for NFL teams to submit their 53-man rosters ahead of the 2025 regular season.

Players with Hawai‘i ties make the NFL cut

[{"type":"text","text":"MĀNOA — Life without Micah Alejado was silent. "}]

 on Saturday, a hush fell over the sellout crowd at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex when 

, the team's starting quarterback, went down for several minutes. 

It was the first possession of the third quarter when the redshirt freshman was dragged down with a hip-drop tackle. Prior to that, Alejado showcased his talents with a first half in which he completed 17 of his 24 passes for 116 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. All of a sudden, those who saw Alejado on the ground for a prolonged period of time were dreading the worst, that the two quarters he played were all he'd be able to display in 2025. 

 entered on the next play, his lone pass attempt batted down. Alejado reentered the game a compromised version of himself on the team's next possession, limping and favoring his right ankle the rest of the way. The ‘Ewa Beach native still managed to lead the 'Bows down the field for two field goal drives, including Kansei Matsuzawa's game-winning field goal as time expired. When Alejado celebrated after the game, he was doing so while hopping on his left leg. 

All eyes were on Alejado at the beginning of Tuesday's practice, the team's first on-field session of the week. Alejado was in uniform but was a sideline observer, giving tips and encouragement to his teammates. The Rainbow Warriors will take on the University of Arizona for a game that kicks off at 4:30 p.m. HST on Saturday, departing for Tuscon on Thursday morning. 

Following Tuesday's practice, Hawai‘i head coach 

 said he expects Alejado to be ready to go. 

"Micah is trying to heal that ankle injury, so it's day-to-day right now, but he's expected to go play," Chang said. "I think he felt better (after Saturday). There's a lot of great people in Hawai‘i, by the way, that want to help and have reached out. And so Micah is just, he's been kind of aggressive on his rehab process. 

"And then again, there's a gameplan that has to go in. He's dialed in. He's been here all day Sunday, all day Monday. And so now Tuesday, he's got a process he's got to go through. And so as long as it continually gets better, we're expecting him to go."

Weaver took the bulk of the first-team reps on Tuesday, with the remainder going to UCLA transfer Dermaricus Davis. 

"Luke was brought in for this, for this very thing, in case something happened. He's got to go, and so I'm very confident in Luke," Chang said. "He's a gamer, so I'm excited to watch him play.

"Micah takes a lot of the reps during the week. The more reps that we can give Luke, we just plan on him continuing to get better. We're going to help him. We're going to make sure that he's comfortable and give him the best chance to go out there succeed. We got work ahead of us until we get to Saturday, but I'm pretty confident in Luke."

When Alejado wasn't on the field on Tuesday, he was on a stationary bike, his right ankle in KT tape. Although a handful of Rainbow Warriors were walking around in a boot, he was not one of them.

Regardless of who takes the field behind center on Saturday, the Rainbow Warriors know they must start better than they did against Stanford. Hawai‘i started its first offensive possession on its own 1 yard line after kickoff returner Brandon White called a fair catch on a ball that bounced. Alejado was sacked and fumbled on UH's first offensive play from scrimmage, allowing Stanford to take a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter. 

"We got to start fast," starting left guard Zhen Sotelo, one of the team's two captains alongside 

 said. "We got to come out with great discipline. We had a lot of unforced errors this past game. We had eight penalties. We got to minimize that, and that'll play a big factor in the game. That obviously set us back a lot throughout the game, it killed drives. We had a lot of turnovers. So as an offense, we got to minimize that, and we got to continue to start fast and be disciplined."

Micah Alejado 082625

<title>Hawai‘i football practices without starting quarterback Micah Alejado on Tuesday</title>

While Alejado nurses an ankle injury, backup Luke Weaver took the majority of the first-team reps.

Hawai‘i football practices without starting quarterback Micah Alejado on Tuesday

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"FRIDAY, AUG. 29"}]

 the Christchurch earthquake, which killed 185 people,

 impacts Mareta Percival, who becomes a substitute teacher, starts a choir and changes lives. Following its world premiere at the 

 of all time in New Zealand. It opens in theaters on Oʻahu and Maui on Aug. 28, with plans to open in theaters on the Mainland after that. 

This 95-minute documentary follows the stories of several student workers who share their culture with tourists and kamaʻāina as part of programs at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

 Featured students include dancers who take the stage in the “Hā: Breath of Life Show.” It premieres at theaters in Hawaiʻi on Friday, Aug. 29. 

 a nine-part mini series which stars Jason Momoa, and premiered Aug. 1 on Apple TV+. It shares the story of Kaʻiana, played by Momoa, as he tries to unify the Islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century. New episodes of the mini-series drop every Friday through Sept. 19. The show was written and executive produced by Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett. The cast stars Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, 

, Siua Ikale‘o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka and Te Kohe Tuhaka, among others. 

Enjoy an air show, activities for keiki, and local food and craft vendors on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a screening of “Miles, Morale and Memories: Bob Hope and WWII,” which includes a panel discussion with Gary Sinise, Linda Hope and Martha Bolton. On Saturday, the Mākaha Sons will perform in a free concert. Doors open at 3 p.m. The event starts at 4 p.m. On Monday, there will be a film screening of “Surrender of the USS Missouri.” Most events take place at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. 

Enjoy carnival games and prizes, food trucks, craft and vendor booths, and live entertainment at the Wai Kai Events Lawn on Saturday and Sunday. General admission is $10, if purchased in advance. It is $5 for keiki, 5 years old or younger. Same-day tickets increase in price by $5 each. 

 The Hawaiʻi United Okinawa Association’s 43rd annual 

 runs Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31. Enjoy live entertainment starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Bon Dance, which is open to the public and does not require a ticket, will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday. General admission is $10. For seniors, general admission is $5. Flat-rate parking at Hawaiʻi Convention Center will cost $15 with no in-and-out privileges. 

The fourth annual Hawai’i Swim Show includes designer showcases at the ‘Alohilani Resort, Waikīkī. Access to the marketplace with 

 is free and does not require tickets. The Hawaiʻi Swim Show runs Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31. General admission is sold out, but VIP access, which includes access to designer showcases, seating along the runway, in-and-out access, and an exclusive gift bag with sponsored items, is $150 per day. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SUNDAY, AUG. 31"}]

Enjoy music from DJs at The District night club at Ala Moana Center. The 3,400-square-foot night club includes a 23-foot DJ booth, as well as a VIP lounge, VIP karaoke rooms and four levels of bottle service. The aloha-themed party has a “bikini & board shorts OK” dress code. Entrance at 10:45 p.m. with RSVP through Event Brite is free. Entrance at 11 p.m. is free with college or military ID. 

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

<title>Your guide to Labor Day weekend</title>

Wondering how to spend the long weekend? Aloha State Daily has you covered. Check out activities for the 80th Commemoration of WWII, including an air show plus a free concert by the Mākaha Sons; enjoy the Okinawan Festival; or find the latest fashion at the Hawaiʻi Swim Show. Learn more about these events and others happening Friday, Aug. 29, through Sunday, Aug. 31.

Your guide to Labor Day weekend

 the Apple TV+ mini-series about uniting the Hawaiian Islands, which debuted Aug. 1, actor Moses Goods plays Moku, the advisor to the future King Kamehameha I. Written and executive produced by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, the series shares the story of Kaʻiana, played by Momoa, as he tries to unify the Islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century.

 New episodes drop every Friday through Sept. 19.

With four episodes left in the nine-part series, Goods spoke with Aloha State Daily about getting into character. His favorite part of playing Moku?   

“It would have to be the layers of this particular character and what’s weighing on him,” he said. “He's someone that he saw the prophecy when Kamehameha was a baby, when he was born, and he saw the end result. And he's devoted his life since that time to now to achieving those results, which means he had to do some things that maybe didn't sit well with him, like use his daughter as a pawn in this game. But this is something that he believes wholeheartedly in, and he believes this is what is needed for Hawaiʻi, for the people, for the lāhui, and so he does it. Just those layers of him being a politician and being a father, to me, makes for a very interesting character.”

Goods is no stranger to films that share the history of the Islands, often entirely in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. He recently played the Chief of East Maui in the short film “Kūkini,” which shares the same conflict as “Chief of War” from the eyes of a messenger, or kūkini, for Maui. He also wrote “Duke,” a one-man show about Duke Kahanamoku, the legendary surfer and Olympic gold medalist.

These kind of roles often mean potraying ancestors, “which in our belief, are still with us, are still around us,” he said.

“So my process involves opening the door for them to come be with me in whatever way that they choose,” he said. “That's how I prepare for it. He did come through that door in a very real way, and it has helped and elevated my portrayal of this kupuna. Even though he's someone that I'm not connected to by blood, he is someone that now is with me. And I'm doing what he told me to do.”

Moses hopes the “Chief of War” series continues to do what it has already done, which is spark conversations about culture, he said.

“It's sparking things that are contrary to what people think Hawaiʻi is because a lot of people that don't grow up here, they think Hawaiʻi is surfing, grass skirts — cellophane skirts — and a very touristy idea of what they believe Hawaiʻi is, and now it's giving them an entirely different view of what Hawaiʻi is, and one that's a little closer to reality," he said. "That's already taking place, and I just want more of that. I want people to watch this show and be intrigued and be curious about Hawaiian culture and language and history.”

When asked about challenges of filming the series, Goods was quick to mention wearing the traditional 

, or loincloth, in New Zealand. Even though the series is set in Hawaiʻi, it was filmed 

“It's freezing,” he said. “And particularly some of those council scenes, where it doesn't even look that cold. ... That was my biggest challenge, was just dealing with the cold of New Zealand, because it gets really cold over there.”

Moses describes himself as an introvert who “found my way out of my shell” first through sports and then theater, he said. He grew up in upcountry Maui with cows, horses, chickens and rabbits.

“The forest next to where we lived was where I would go and just let my imagination just soar,” he said. “So that's really the secret to my acting. I grew up immersed in my world of imagination, and I'm still able to access that. And I allow that realm of imagination to intersect with the spiritual realm and all of that. To me, it's all connected.”

“But that also meant that I spent most of my time in that imaginary world,” he said with a laugh. “And being around actual people is something that I was very nervous about. Sports helped me through that, and then when I finally got to theater, I was really able to just open up and allow myself to use being another character to get me out of my shell.”

Goods attended Maui High School before going on to study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. What does he want viewers of “Chief of War” to take with them after the show?

“I just want people to continue to celebrate these things,” he said. “Even living in Hawaiʻi, a lot of people have been intimidated by the culture, right? ... Learn more. Start with your street names. Learn how to pronounce a street name correctly, if it's a Hawaiian street name. Learn what an ‘okina is —  a kahakō. It's never too late to start at the bottom and work your way up. ...  Don't be ashamed. Learn the language. Learn the culture. Immerse yourself, whether you're Hawaiian or not. Immerse yourself in this beautiful place that we're in — Hawaiʻi — and all the different layers of it.”

 There is a seven-day free trial for Apple TV+. After that, access to the streaming platform costs $12.99 per month.

Moses Goods

<title>Actor Moses Goods shares how he gets into character for “Chief of War”</title>

With four episodes left of “Chief of War,” the Apple TV+ mini-series written and executive produced by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, Aloha State Daily talks story with actor Moses Goods, who plays Moku, advisor to the future King Kamehameha I. He shares how he gets into character — and one challenge of wearing a malo in New Zealand.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis

Kady Pascual

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Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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