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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

We know she’s the reason that box got in that truck!

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Accurate Plumbing

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Big sister duties</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @AccuratePlumbingHawaii, making his sister do all the heavy lifting.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Big sister duties

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

known for its loaded, customizable acai bowls 

is celebrating the first anniversary of its business this Sunday, Sept. 21.

The celebration will be at the businessʻs Kāneʻohe storefront, and will include festivities like a lion dance, live music and food from popular vendor 

HI Cravings Windward is also offering a BOGO deal for its customers on Sept. 21 only. When you buy an acai bowl, you can get a free ‘Ekahi (small) acai bowl, which is 10 ounces ($6.75 value).

All bowls include granola, raw honey, strawberries, bananas, pineapples and grapes. Customers also get an acai base of choice — select from acai, or strawberry guava, mango, coconut or acai sorbet.

You can customize your acai bowl with a variety of toppings, or go for one of the pre-set menu options. The Bliss bowl is a customer favorite. It features a base of your choice — if you order the ‘Elua, or regular-size bowl, you get two flavors — along with bananas, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, cookie dough and a drizzle of your choice.

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Open 3-7 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

HI Cravings Windward Bliss bowl 091525

<title>This acai bowl shop is celebrating a milestone with a BOGO offer</title>

HI Cravings Windward is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its business this Sunday, Sept. 21. Customers can take advantage of a buy-one-get-one-free acai bowl offer from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This acai bowl shop is celebrating a milestone with a BOGO offer

i scones. Honey mac nut buns. These are just some of the pastries you’ll find at recently opened 

The bakery is owned by three friends who wanted to open a spot for their community, according to one of the co-founders, Adriana Rodriguez.

“Oddly enough, none of us started out as bakers,” Rodriguez says. “Our general manager started with us back in September and has learned how to make everything.”

Rodriguez — who owns the café with Erik Lobner and Ky Soltes — says that Lobner still works as a chef as The Club at Hōkūli

“Myself and Erik are both savory chefs,” she says. “We will (soon) start offering breakfast and lunch.”

The bakery originally started by renting kitchens and delivering wholesale to various coffee shops in Kona. They were invited to be a vendor at farmers markets, and “the response was overwhelming,” according to Rodriguez, who says the team took their time looking for storefront spaces in Kona. The business was originally supposed to open a shop in Captain Cook, but when things didn’t work out, “just when we were about to give up, we found this space,” Rodriguez says.

“It was an old bakery that never really opened their doors,” she says. “I reached out to the landlord and brought pastries by for weeks until they said yes. The building was basically turnkey, so we were really lucky.

“My family flew out from California to help remodel the space, and we were able to open in less than three months,” she adds.

The bakery’s original concept was doing pastries and coffee — something fast that people could grab on their way to work, according to Rodriguez.

“We wanted people to start their day with us,” she says. “Lele means ‘to start, to jump or to burst forth.’ I know everyone thinks Kona is a sleepy town, but trust me, it’s alive and bustling in the early morning hours. There’s so many people commuting from across the island; there’s something magical about it.” 

The bakery offers a variety of sweet and savory pastries, ranging from scones ($5) and muffins ($5) to malasadas ($5) and brioche buns ($8). The business’s huge cinnamon rolls, ube crinkle cookies and scones are some of the most popular treats. (I’m partial to its soft, chewy brown butter triple chocolate cookies).

“I love our savory scones; they have jalapeno, bacon, and cheddar, and are drizzled with local honey,” Rodriguez says.

While the bakery is officially open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), pastries start coming out of the oven at 7 a.m. — and customers are welcome to stop by if they see anything out on display, according to Rodriguez.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Nothing beats a warm pastry, right?” she says."}]

As a small neighborhood bakery, Lele’s prides itself on making everything in house from scratch. They buy as many local and organic ingredients as possible, according to Rodriguez, who says the bakery is closed on Tuesdays so they can drive to Waimea to pick up produce from Kekela Farms.

“I source our fruit locally — usually what is ripest — and I make a batch of jam for the week,” she says. “We use that for our brioche morning buns and malasada fillings.”

After the bakery starts its breakfast and lunch menus, it will add on dinner service as well. Follow the biz on Instagram for updates.

“About two years ago, Erik was really sick and we had to shut down operations,” Rodriguez recalls. “I had people all over the Big Island that we didn’t even know, offering to help in any way they could. It was a very humbling experience; we will never forget it. We wanted to open something for all those people — a love letter and ‘thank you’ to our community.”

Open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (or until sold out) Thursdays- Mondays

Leles Bakery owners 091225

<title>Lele’s Bakery is a “love letter” to its community</title>

Opened by three friends, Lele’s Bakery is a neighborhood spot that features made-from-scratch pastries using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.

Lele’s Bakery is a “love letter” to its community

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Columnists

Aloha Spirit

conservative influencer Charlie Kirk generated local to global reactions

 ranging from abject sadness to brutally obscene statements from detractors. There is one ecumenical opinion that is expressed on all sides, “There is something wrong with America.”

In order for something to be wrong there must be an accepted right.

Let’s go back to the beginning with the founding of our nation when idealism may have never been greater. Our founders who effectively created our nation and by extension our American culture believed in the Judeo-Christian teachings of the Holy Bible.

The foundation of America is the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights and the foundation of these documents are the Ten Commandments and by extension The Golden Rule.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Yes, we are a Judeo-Christian nation."}]

I completely understand that the subscription to the commandments does not guarantee a perfect society, but it’s a standard to which we can aspire.

I’m going to call upon your Sunday School teachings in reference to the Ten Commandments.

The first three refer to no other gods except me, don’t take My name in vain and remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

If you are a believer then the first three commandments are relevant.

If you are not, well, they are not. However, the others speak to us all.

Thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not steal. Killing each other is substantial in America. Why? Over generations the value of a life has been cheapened.

The omnipresence of domestic violence, brutal bullying, terroristic road rage, un-provoked attacks on innocents, racial hate crimes on unsuspecting victims and more. A growing element of our society has no moral fiber and some may even use the word evil to describe it.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. We see instead social media posts full of lies and venom cited as truth. Canceling people affects not only the target, but family and friends.

And violating thou shalt not commit adultery and thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s wife is a common reason for the disbanding of nuclear families which is cheating on your spouse.

The 10th commandment speaks to another reason for divorce and that's finances.

Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s property and belongings. Financial decisions based on emotion and ego often leads to disaster.      

If we embraced and did our collective best to follow these directives we ideally would emerge as better individuals, families, communities and a country.

Can we put aside our differences, respect others opinions and improve ourselves?

A man was publicly assassinated simply for his views and expressions in open debate. The only weapon he wielded was intelligence. And he’s dead.

Yes, there’s something wrong with America.

Are we willing to Make America Right Again?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

I Stock 675323774

<title>Op-Ed: Fixing what's wrong in America</title>

A lot of people feel like America is running off the rails, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk last Wednesday. The solution could be as simple as getting back to some basic rules we all agree on — don't kill anybody, don't lie about them, don't covet.

Op-Ed: Fixing what's wrong in America

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

A conference this month aims to offer local insights on workforce trends, provide updates on Hawai‘i's economic future and recognize people driving innovation across the Islands.

Future of Work 2026: County Voices, Statewide Vision will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, 2454 S. Beretania St. in Honolulu.

It's a partnership between the Hawai‘i Workforce Development Council, Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i and AE Consulting. Tickets for the third annual Future of Work conference are still available and registration is open until Monday, Sept. 22. Cost for general admission is $125 and includes a light breakfast, buffet lunch and parking. 

"The aim of the conference is really to think about the fact that Hawai‘i's workforce is in a pivotal moment," Vanessa Rogers, vice president of workforce development for the chamber, told Aloha State Daily. "We know that across sectors, folks are facing talent shortages, there's challenges around rising cost of living, and a big challenge is the brain drain and making sure that we're keeping 

"The conference, its impetus, was really to provide a shared space for employers, educators, policy makers, community leaders, to all come together and to lift up the challenges, lift up the successes and then align on solutions," she continued. "The goal is really to move beyond just discussion and to create a space where we can identify some collective action that will strengthen the local talent pipelines and create more resilient future-facing job opportunities."

[{"type":"text","text":"Rogers says that each year, the conference has had a different focus."}]

The inaugural conference looked at the top seven employment sectors and brought in a leader from each to present on trends, challenges and opportunities in those areas, and featured an economic overview from economist Paul Brewbaker, she noted. The second conference focused on private-public partnerships and the pathway from education to career, spotlighting the chamber's sector partnerships.

[{"type":"text","text":"This year, Rogers says the focus will be county-by-county insights."}]

"We're bringing county leaders to talk about some of their unique challenges and solutions that will lead up to the overall statewide vision," she says, noting that the chamber's role in the event "is really helping to craft the agenda, identify some of those key speakers, plan the logistics of the event and heavily promote it through our networks."

The agenda this year includes a keynote on Hawai‘i's economic future from 

 and Oceanit CEO Patrick Sullivan, county presentations and Voices of the Future student panel.

"As we continue to evolve, we want to make sure that we are including a wide range of audiences, and also to note that there are key differences in workforce challenges across the counties," Rogers says of this year's focus. "The challenges that rise up on Oʻahu are not the same ones as on the Big Island or on Maui. We wanted an opportunity to really uplift what all of those unique challenges were and learn best practices around how to address some of those challenges from what's happening and what's going well in some of the counties. Then really having that larger focus on what's the statewide vision, what are the similarities and differences in the approaches that we take per county in order to fulfill the overall vision for the state around workforce."

The Hawai‘i Workforce Development Council also will recognize recipients of the third annual Workforce Development Hero Awards at the conference. The awards honor "key contributors to workforce excellence across the Islands, 

acknowledging their dedication and innovation in advancing employment opportunities and skill development in Hawaiʻi,

" the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said in an 

[{"type":"text","text":"The 2025 winners are:"}]

Dan Doerger, executive director, Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training,

and Julie Morikawa, founder and president, ClimbHI, on O‘ahu; Katie Taladay, director of workforce development, Maui Economic Development Board, on Maui; Jackie Kaina, executive director, Kauaʻi Economic Development Board on Kaua‘i; Clinton Mercado, executive director, Hawaiʻi Workforce Development Board on Hawai‘i Island; and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Daniel Iaela with Hawaiian Council (

formerly the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

“Each of this year’s Workforce Development Heroes has gone above and beyond in creating pathways to opportunity,” Workforce Development Council Executive Director Bennette Misalucha said in thar announcement. “Their efforts have empowered individuals, strengthened communities and contributed to the overall resilience and competitiveness of Hawaiʻi’s workforce.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Finalists will also be recognized."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Future of Work 2026: County Voices, Statewide Vision"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"When: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24"}]

egistration is open until Monday, Sept. 22. Cost is $125. 

Future of work

<title>Explore the 'Future of Work' in Hawai‘i at upcoming conference</title>

A partnership between the Hawai‘i Workforce Development Council, Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i and AE Consulting, Future of Work 2026: County Voices, Statewide Vision is planned for Sept. 24.

Explore the 'Future of Work' in Hawai‘i at upcoming conference

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Emotions ran high at the Duke Kahanamoku Statue in Waikīkī Friday as scores gathered to mourn the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, co-founder of conservative media organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. And as the fallout from the killing continues to reverberate worldwide, Hawai‘i conservatives came together to grieve.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Joshua Marquez, organizer of the Friday vigil, to Aloha State Daily. “I’ve been watching Charlie for years. I’ve been a big fan.”

Marquez said the Friday event was a grassroots-organized event, not directly affiliated with Turning Point or any specific conservative organization. Marquez expected attendance of up to 200 people. At the event's busiest, there seemed to be more than 100 attendees at a time, although the distinction between intentional attendee and interested passerby was blurred, given the Friday night Waikīkī beach crowds.

“People don’t think of Hawaiians as conservative,” Marquez said, but gestured to the gathering as a sign to the contrary. “He was turning everybody more patriotic.”

The vigil consisted of prayer, praise songs and testimony from attendees. Alongside pictures of Kirk were printouts of Bible verses, art of Kirk and Jesus Christ in an embrace, and a sign reading “Charlie Kirk is a martyr,” as the crowd sang worship songs together.

As the event went on, several people took up the microphone to commemorate Kirk and his mission. Several urged forgiveness and warned against choosing hate. 

Rocklin Youngstrom, chair of the Hawai‘i Young Republicans, said she became politically active at 16 during the COVID-19 pandemic, participating in online debates and “learned all the best points from Charlie Kirk." Last year, she attended the Republican National Convention, where she was able to meet Kirk personally.

“He was so much more than just Republican politics,” Youngstrom told ASD.

Glen Miguel-Matsumoto, former president of the Turning Point chapter at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, said Kirk was “one of the boldest people of our generation,” who was able to reach out to a wide range of people.

This was a virtue repeated by several attendees and speakers, who extolled Kirk’s willingness to speak with anyone and offer them a chance for debate.

“He brought everyone together,” Marquez said, sporting a shirt reading “1 out of 3 liberals is just as stupid as the other 2.”

One attendee, Rachel — she declined to be identified with a surname — said Kirk had become “the voice for Gen Z,” and was “changing the direction of the country in the best way.”

“I hope young people will rise up in the multitudes and affect the future of the country,” Rachel said. “Bring it back to a godly country.”

Many predicted support for Turning Point and conservatism in general will grow following Kirk's death.

“Now, more than ever, people have to come to Christ as fellow Americans,” Youngstrom said, addressing the crowd, before adding that “it is good versus evil now.”

Miguel-Matsumoto said the UH-Mānoa Turning Point chapter has been largely dormant for the past few years, but expects it will reactivate amid a swell of interest.

Darlene Mizrahi, a student at Hawai‘i Pacific University expected to take over leadership of a multi-campus Turning Point Chapter, said she has met her closest friends through Turning Point, which she said feels like a second family as she studies out-of-state.

As for Kirk’s death itself, attendees floated different theories as to the killer’s motive. As of Friday, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was in police custody as a primary suspect.

“I think he’s mentally ill,” Marquez said. “He couldn't accept the facts that Charlie was saying.”

“[Kirk] did nothing to anyone,” said attendee Sheryl Bieler. “He would give anyone 15 minutes to debate him … you’re gonna kill him for that?”

Rachel said Robinson had been misled by the media, which she said had unfairly painted Kirk and Turning point as “fascists and Nazis.” She referenced messages engraved on bullet casings in Robinson’s possession, one of which read “hey, fascist! Catch!” and then the sequence of arrows, ↑ → ↓↓↓, associated with the Antifa movement 

 argue the engravings are video game references.

[{"type":"text","text":"“But we’re not fascists and we’re not Nazis,” Rachel said."}]

The civility of the event was only interrupted once, during a minor altercation as the vigil wound down. A group of passersby shouted obscenities and flashed the middle finger, leading to a confrontation with one or more attendees, according to attendees. 

“It was a scuffle that turned into a brawl,” Bieler said, although the fight was broken up very quickly with no arrests, as Marquez and others urged attendees to focus on commemorating Kirk. But Bieler said the fight proved that conservatives are ready to fight following Kirk’s death.

[{"type":"text","text":"“They woke us up,” Bieler said. “We’re not playing games anymore."}]

“We’ve allowed this for too long,” Bieler went on, citing, for example, her disagreements with transgender ideology.

“We’re not ever gonna stop,” Marquez told ASD. “Charlie’s gonna be with us forever.”

20250912 192149 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i conservatives mourn Charlie Kirk</title>

Scores gather on Friday for a vigil in memory of slain conservative commentator.

Hawai‘i conservatives mourn Charlie Kirk

Earls Kitchen + Bar got its start in the Great White North more than 40 years ago but will soon open its first location in the Islands.

Not to be confused with O‘ahu-based sandwich shop 

, Earls Kitchen + Bar was founded in 1982 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and now has more than 70 locations across North America. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, its 

opens Oct. 8 and will be the company's 11th in the U.S.

You'll find the restaurant in a nearly 13,000-square-foot space along Kalākaua Avenue where the Waikīkī 3 Theater once stood. There will be more than 320 seats.

Braden Matthews, director of operations for Hawai‘i, told Aloha State Daily Tuesday that Earls is an "upscale casual dining restaurant," offering a modern American menu with "global inspiration" and "super flavorful dishes" that include the likes of USDA prime steaks, fresh seafood, sticky Korean ribs and spicy Calabrian pasta.

Here, you can grab lunch and dinner daily, and brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Looking for a cocktail? The bar portion of Earls Kitchen + Bar serves up their "famous" margaritas and martinis, as well as a mai tai made with locally sourced Kuleana Nanea rum. Happy hour is offered twice a day: from 2 to 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. until close.

Monday through Friday, the restaurant will be open 11 a.m. until "late." On the weekends, it'll open an hour earlier.

"Hawai‘i is a unique and exciting market for us, with high density with obviously so many tourists specifically in Waikīkī," Matthews told ASD. "We really also think that the vibe of our brand really meshes with the island vibe. We see an opportunity to complement the existing restaurants that are already here with our upscale, casual concept, but really think it's a good fit with the laid back [feeling] but also bringing the energy."

According to Matthews, the opportunity to lease this space came up a few years ago, but construction started in December 2024.

The construction team is wrapping up construction work now, he says, and the restaurant is "working with our management team, making sure we have everything we need for a very successful opening."

"The name of the game for us for the next six weeks is nothing but training and hiring," he continued. "That's the big process right now and then we get an opportunity to bring all the staff in for some extensive training that we take a lot of pride in in our company."

As the restaurant prepares for its debut, Earls is looking to hire 360 people in Hawai‘i, including front-of-house, kitchen staff and management positions, Matthews says.

Its first hiring fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at Prince Waikīkī Hotel, 

. Those interested in attending can register in advance at 

As for the restaurant's approach to hiring, Matthews, whose own career with the company started 19 years ago as a dishwasher, says there are 20 managers in market right now, "and obviously these hiring days are going to be a huge part of that, but we're also trying to get out in the local community and look for those great people that we think would be a great fit on our team."

Among the positions they're looking to fill, Matthews says the restaurant is looking to hire 100 different cooks in the kitchen, 100 different servers and 40 bartenders.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Big sister duties

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Big sister duties

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Running late

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: PTO preparations

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stink eye

Most read