Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"No fries for birdy!"}]

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

My Kailua Windowshopping 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Window shopping</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @MyKailua, that view is window-ful!

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Window shopping

No fries for birdy!  Make sure you follow @MyKailua on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Sports

Business & Tourism

The Sentry PGA Tour Tournament will not be held at the 

 on Maui in January as drought conditions have left the course unplayable.

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that the Sentry tournament, which has been held at the Kapalua Plantation every year since 1999, will break with that tradition in 2026. According to a PGA news statement, tournament officials sent an agronomy team to the course in early September and determined that the course had been “significantly compromised” by water limitations.

Because it is not possible to guarantee that site conditions can be improved to PGA standards by Jan. 5, the tournament has been canceled. PGA has suggested the Sentry will still be held in 2026, but details about where and when are still undetermined.

“It’s a blow to all of West Maui,” said Alex Nakajima, general manager for Kapalua Golf, during a news conference Tuesday. Kapalua Resort estimates that Sentry generates nearly $50 million for Maui’s economy each year.

Nakajima said he was notified of PGA’s decision only minutes before it was made public, but noted that drought impacts have been apparent for months. Kapalua Resort took measures to protect both the Plantation course and the Kapalua Bay Golf Course, closing both for 60 days on Sept. 2.

The resort also redirected all water resources from the Bay course to the Plantation course in an effort to keep the tournament on schedule, but to no avail.

“We’ve done everything we could,” Nakajima said, before suggesting that the situation could have been prevented. “Water management needs to be proactive … you capture water in the wet season so you can save it for the dry season.”

Despite the loss of the tournament and the temporary closure of both courses, Nakajima said the resort is committed to not laying off any employees.

The announcement comes amid a legal battle between the course’s owner and operator, TY Management Corp., and the owner of the nearby Honokōhau ditch system. TY Management, Hua Momona Farms, LLC, and several area homeowners’ associations filed in August 

a lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple Co.

 alleging that the company had failed to maintain the ditch and consequently left surrounding properties facing near-constant water restrictions over the last year.

Nakajima suggested that there is “plenty of water” available that could have been managed properly to not put Kapalua in this situation.

On Sept. 12, Maui County Department of Water Supply announced that there was a “Stage 2” water shortage in effect for West Maui, a service area that includes Lahaina, Kā

anapali, Kahana, Māhinahina, Nāpili-Honokowai and Honokōhau.

"West Maui is experiencing continued dry weather and lack of rainfall," the county noted at that time. "Therefore, the existing water shortage is being upgraded to a Stage 2 for West Maui until water source levels are adequate to meet demand."

Under such conditions, consumers are advised to cease all nonessential commercial and industrial water uses, and limit irrigation to no more than one day a week. The Stage 2 announcement was an intensification of an existing Stage 1 water shortage, which had been in effect since 2022.

Nakajima said he believes the resort can reopen both courses after the 60-day closures and that the Plantation course will be ready to host Sentry again in 2027.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last week

 that a “comprehensive strategic review” is underway and that a subcommittee of the company’s board of directors was created “to identify options for the potential sale or lease of the company’s water source and infrastructure assets."

The company says that review and marketing of some assets for sale began earlier this year.

“For more than a century, MLP has invested tens of millions of dollars to construct and responsibly manage critically important water infrastructure in communities across Maui,” ML&P CEO Race Randle said in that announcement. “With Maui communities in need of additional water sources and experiencing severe drought conditions, we’re hopeful that these assets may increase water security across the island.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Maui

<title>Drought cancels Maui PGA tournament</title>

Drought conditions in West Maui lead PGA to cancel Sentry PGA Tour Tournament for the first time since 1999

Drought cancels Maui PGA tournament

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Food & Dining

, a new open-air restaurant and bar overlooking Kahului Bay at 

, will hold its grand opening — complete with tropical cocktails and pūpū, local entertainment, lei-making and more — on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

, Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore first welcomed guests in May. The 136-room hotel property sits on the historic site of the former Maui Palms Hotel, which operated between 1950-1990 and was demolished by 2002, 

“The Palms Bar & Bites pays tribute to the former Maui Palms Hotel while bringing a fresh, modern feel to the space,” 

, area general manager of Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore, told Aloha State Daily by email. “The name honors the property’s history, and the restaurant reimagines it as a relaxed, open-air spot where guests can enjoy island flavors and ocean views.”

The property offers traditional Hawaiian experiences for guests, including a Sunset Ceremony and Oshibori, a daily essential oil-infused towel ritual, according to the hotel. As for amenities, “Guests can relax at the ocean-facing pool, take advantage of the modern fitness center, and enjoy pet-friendly guestrooms, daily breakfast, and complimentary beach amenities such as beach chairs, towels and umbrellas.”

Open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the restaurant features light bites, tropical cocktails and shareable plates including steak and seafood dishes like coconut shrimp with sweet chili-pineapple dipping sauce, housemade furikake chips, poke bowls and loco moco.

The Palms Bar & Bites' happy hour runs daily from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., featuring $6 draft beers, $12 cocktails 

 from rum classics like The Palms Mai Tai and Blue Hawaiian to innovative concoctions called That’s My Jam and Tequila Mockingbird 

 and $4 off all food items. Keiki food options are also available. Local residents can enjoy 10% off food, the hotel notes.

who has managed properties across the Hawaiian Islands for more than a decade 

 more about how business is going, lessons learned so far, and what he’s most excited about for the debut of this restaurant.

How has business been since you opened earlier this year? Who are your guests, and what’s been their feedback? 

Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore officially opened in April 2025, and it’s been an exciting first season. We’ve welcomed a mix of travelers, from couples and families to solo adventurers. Guest feedback has been incredibly positive, with many complementing our oceanfront location and views, and signature Hawaiian traditions like our nightly sunset ceremony and cultural programming.

Why is now the right time to open this restaurant? Who designed/built out the space?

 We’re excited to officially open The Palms Bar & Bites, which feels like the final touch in bringing the Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore project to life. With the high season for travel winding down, we’ve been bringing in a lot of locals, so it's been fun to share this with the community. 

Local cultural advisors played a key role in shaping the space, ensuring it honors the community’s heritage and provides a memorable guest experience.

What is your favorite item on the menu, and what do you like about it? 

The poke bowl brings together fresh, vibrant flavors on one plate, offering a satisfying balance of taste and presentation. 

How many local jobs has the hotel created? Are you still hiring for any key positions? How does the restaurant’s team source ingredients and/or how did they curated the menu offerings? 

Our team has grown to more than 50 positions across the hotel and restaurant, with hiring still underway for a Chief Engineer role. The majority of our ingredients are sourced locally, and while we don’t have a traditional executive chef, our menu was thoughtfully curated to celebrate fresh, regional flavors.

What have you been learning lately as a leader? 

As Mark Twain said, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

Maui Hampton Inn GM Serkan Hizliok 16x9

<title>Maui hotel GM talks new restaurant, business</title>

Serkan Hizliok, area general manager of Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore, shares about The Palms Bar & Bitesʻ Sept. 16 opening — including who helped with the design/build and his favorite item on the menu — and how business has been for the new 136-room property on the shores of Kahului Bay.

Maui hotel GM talks new restaurant, business

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Fun fact: Seki is a Samoan slang word that means “awesome” or “good,” according to 

 co-owner Nikki Holbrook Ho Ching, who owns the business with her husband.

“I’m Native Hawaiian and my husband is Samoan,” she says. “We loved the idea of incorporating our roots into the brand. When we paired ‘Seki’ with ‘Slush,’ it just had the right vibe — playful, memorable and true to who we are as a couple.”

While Seki Slush officially opened its trailer recently at Hukilau Marketplace in 

“It was not long after my husband and I got married,” Hobrook Ho Ching says. “We’d always dreamed of starting something together. I used to run lemonade stands as a kid, and my husband remembers rewarding weekend chores with a cold treat. For me, it was a sweet drink after soccer games. One day, slushies came up in conversation, and it just clicked.”

The business started small — with just a table and tent at several pop-up markets, and a few private parties on the side, according to Hobrook Ho Ching, who says she was working full-time, and her husband was in medical school.

“What began as a passion project quickly turned into something more,” she says. “This year, we added a trailer and now, we’re so excited to have opened our very first permanent location.”

Seki Slush’s menu is designed to be simple and refreshing. It features two flavors for now — mango and guava — and a variety of toppings like ice cream, mochi, mango chunks and whipped cream.

Customers can choose from three different sizes for their treats — the mini Seki ($5), Seki ($7) and Supa Seki ($9).

“Our bestseller is the Supa Seki Supreme ($12) — our biggest cup loaded with all the toppings,” Hobrook Ho Ching says. “It’s the ultimate treat. We wanted to choose flavors that were local flavors; we don’t use any artificial colors or flavors.”

While the business’s trailer is open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily (closed Wednesdays and Sundays), Seki Slush still pops up at private parties and events. Inquiries can be made via the business’s website.

, and I went to school at BYU-Hawaiʻi,” Hobrook Ho Ching says says. “This place is really special to us. This has been the dream since the beginning, so we’re excited to actually be here.”

Open 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, Thursdays-Saturdays

Seki Slush owner 091125

<title>New slushy shop on Oʻahu’s North Shore</title>

Seki Slush recently opened its first permanent location in Hukilau Marketplace in Lāʻie. The biz offers refreshing mango and guava slushies with a variety of toppings.

New slushy shop on Oʻahu’s North Shore

Crime & Courts

A third Hawai‘i court is now involved in the complexifying legal battle to save the Ha‘ikū Stairs from demolition.

The Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs, a nonprofit group advocating for the preservation of the historic staircase, 

 a lawsuit in June challenging the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ approval of a plan to demolish the stairs.

That lawsuit, filed in Honolulu Circuit Court, is the Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs’ third active case challenging the city. Another case from 2024 is still pending in Circuit Court, while a 2023 case is pending in the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

As of Thursday, the most recent case was remanded to the Hawai‘i Environmental Court for jurisdictional reasons, splitting the defense of the stairs across three separate courts.

Timothy Vandeveer, attorney representing the Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs, told Aloha State Daily that no demolition can happen until the 2023 appeal is resolved, thanks to an injunction granted by the Intermediate Court of Appeals.

“That injunction is very hard to get,” Vandeveer said, explaining that the ICA only grants such orders if the plaintiff seems to have a high chance of successfully winning their case.

The three lawsuits all concern in some way a 2019 environmental impact statement by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, which was at the time the stairs’ owner. The BWS had resolved to demolish the stairs and had consequently drafted the impact statement to determine the environmental effects of doing so.

Ultimately, however, the stairs were not demolished but were transferred to the Honolulu Parks and Recreation Department in 2020, with plans for the stairs to reopen to the public in some capacity — they are currently closed to all public use. The Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs at the time took this decision as an indication that plans to demolish the stairs had been dropped.

But when the new County administration took over in 2021, talk of demolishing the steps was renewed, and the City Council voted in a non-binding resolution urging their destruction in order to prevent hikers trespassing and potentially being injured or stranded on the mountain.

As plans to demolish the stairs once again escalated, the City and County invoked the 2019 BWS environmental impact statement to satisfy the requirement for environmental analysis.

This became the crux of the 2024 lawsuit, which argued that the BWS impact statement was outdated and that a new analysis was necessary.

For example, the statement does not consider the historical significance of Omega Station, the decommissioned radio station at the summit of the stairs, because in 2019 it had not yet reached the 50-year threshold for consideration as a historic property. Because the station is now more than 50 years old — while it began as a radio station during WWII, the station was decommissioned following the war and was refitted in the 1970s as a Coast Guard station — it is now eligible for historic preservation, and the suit argues that should be reflected in any impact statement.

“It’s absolutely a historic site,” Vandeveer said. “That place helped us win World War II.”

At the same time, the State Historic Preservation Division concurred with the demolition plans, which became a core issue for the 2023 lawsuit. The suit argues that SHPD’s agreement was based on incomplete data: for example, SHPD had not been informed of a 1999 historic preservation covenant protecting the stairs, which the suit argues makes the division’s concurrence invalid.

And the latest suit argues the SHPD’s decision to agree with demolition conflicts with its own stance in 2019, when the division advocated for the stairs’ preservation. The suit accuses the City of “flip-flopping,” abruptly changing course without any explanation or due process.

“I find it very questionable coordination between the City and the state on this,” Vandeveer said. “This shouldn’t be a political issue. It’s really a failure of imagination on the part of the government.”

The BWS, Council and SHPD have all cited safety concerns as their reasons for demolishing the stairs, with the Council resolution claiming that there were 160 calls for emergency services relating the stairs in 2017.

[{"type":"text","text":"But Vandeveer said those concerns don’t bear out."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“It’s the only hike in the world with a handrail,” Vandeveer said."}]

The Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs have repeatedly argued that there have been no reported injuries or deaths associated with the stairs, and that, because people are going to attempt to climb the picturesque Ko‘olau Mountains anyway, stairs or no stairs, keeping a safe route where emergency services can stage responses is safer than demolishing the easiest way to descend the slope.

In any event, with the injunction in place, the stairs are likely to remain in place for awhile longer at least: no court dates are currently scheduled for any of the three cases.

Haiku Stairs

<title>Ha‘ikū Stairs lawsuits go to third court</title>

Three suits against the city are holding up planned demolition of popular site

Ha‘ikū Stairs lawsuits go to third court

Government & Politics

As telescope lease agreements on Mauna Kea near their expiration dates, the process for renewing them remains up in the air.

Doug Simons, Director of the University of Hawai‘i's Institute for Astronomy, advised the state Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority last Thursday that the window for observatories on the mountain to negotiate their leases of state land is rapidly closing.

All observatories on Mauna Kea are legally bound to decommission their facilities and fully restore their sites to natural conditions by the end of 2033 if they are not able to negotiate further land use with the state. Because of this, Simons said that the telescopes could be very close to the end of their operational lives: decommissioning would likely need to begin by 2028 in order to be completed by the deadline.

In 2020, Simons said he predicted that those observatories that intend to remain operational beyond 2033 must negotiate their leases with the state by the first half of the 2020s — “which is right now, more or less.”

Despite this, those negotiations have not yet been completed, Simons said. Between the protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope in 2015 and 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the MKSOA taking over management of the mountain from UH in 2028, the process has been paused and restarted multiple times over the years.

But without an understanding of how many telescopes will continue to operate beyond 2033, it is difficult for any observatory to estimate the cost of operating on Mauna Kea. Simons said all observatories in the Mauna Kea Science Reserve contribute millions of dollars each year to various shared infrastructure costs, so each telescope that doesn’t have a lease renewed will increase costs for the rest.

“So that really gets you back to the basic question … how much is it going to cost?” Simons said. “And if we don’t know the answer to how much a lease is going to cost, the process is basically stalled.”

Even if the MKSOA can get through the negotiation process quickly, Simons said any new leases will almost certainly be challenged in contested cases and litigation, which will eat up even more time.

Further complicating affairs is the myriad of international funding agencies involved in the various observatories, all of which would need to agree to lease terms, which Simons said is a particularly complex and time-consuming part of the process.

And, of course, all of this is taking place as major cuts are planned for American science funding, with President Donald Trump’s administration 

 in June enormous slashes to NASA and National Science Foundation budgets.

MKSOA board members remained optimistic that they can expedite the lease negotiating process relatively quickly: “It’s not like we’re sitting at the table yet, but the more we prepare ourselves to be at that table, the quicker it will go,” said member Neil Hannahs.

But the MKSOA and its executive director John De Fries already have a lot on their plate as they race toward 2028, when the Authority will assume full control of the mountain from UH. A new management plan for the mountain is being developed, and is not expected to be completed until mid-2026.

At the same time, MKSOA is developing its strategic 

 — a short, three-page document outlining the Authority’s guiding principles regarding Mauna Kea that would impact any proposed lease terms. Public 

 will be held around Hawai‘i Island through September to solicit feedback on the draft document.

Doug Simons BLUE small 16x9

<title>Clock ticking for Mauna Kea leases</title>

Negotiations for renewing Mauna Kea observatory leases need to start soon, warns IFA director

Clock ticking for Mauna Kea leases

Aloha Spirit

Keolamaikalani "Keola" Dean will make three years as the CEO of King Lunalilo Trust and Home on April 17. 

Prior to assuming this role, he worked supporting Native Americans’ health needs and tribal policy for the Washington state Medicaid agency, and would visit Oʻahu to take care of his mother with dementia. 

“When I came home to Honolulu in late 2021, I was at the beach one day and had this overwhelming sense of urgency – it was my aumakua telling me that I needed to come home. And so, I told them, I'd always wanted to come home, but I could never figure it out financially. I said, ‘I don't know how, but if you show me the way, I will come home.’”

Soon after, he said he saw an advertisement for the job on television, which was later affirmed by a friend. “She said, ʻYou need to apply. This has you written all over it.’ And so, that's what started my journey here,” he recalled.

A Kamehameha Schools graduate, Dean “grew up on Homestead in Nānākuli as the only child of a single mom,” he said adding, “My grandparents played a big role in raising me, and that's where I learned a lot of my values, like aloha and also striving for excellence.”

He later went on to receive a bachelor’s from Harvard University, master’s in accounting from Bentley University, Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School, and Master of Health Policy & Administration from Washington State University.

As he went through the application process, Dean said, "I started realizing I had all of the pieces that I needed from my 30-plus year career as an attorney, a CPA and with health policy, to try to make a difference at King Lunalilo Trust.”

ASD asked what he’s most proud of, what’s next for the organization and how it will impact the local community, as well as who was King Lunalilo and what is his legacy today.

What was King Lunalilo known for and how was the charitable trust established? 

William Charles Lunalilo was born in 1835 and his nickname was "Lokomaika'i,” which means generous. As an adult, he was one of the largest landholders in the Hawaiian Kingdom. Only the king had more land. His holdings were over 400,000 acres. (To put that in perspective, Kamehameha Schools has more than 350,000 acres statewide today.) He allowed people to use his land. No rent. Known as the people’s king, he became the sixth monarch, and first elected aliʻi, in 1873, who died one year later. The charitable trust is his legacy.

[King Lunalilo’s will charged the original Trustees with selling the estate’s land to build housing for “the poor, destitute and infirmed Native Hawaiian, giving preference to seniors,” 

. “While continuing to focus on serving Hawaiians, Lunalilo Home has opened it doors and services to non-Hawaiians, and provides compassionate, quality care for kūpuna of all ethnicities.”]

We’re a Native Hawaiian organization established in 1883 whose mission is “to advance King Lunalilo’s wish to shelter and support those in need.”

Looking back on your three years as CEO, what are you most proud of so far? 

Residential care is very expensive and we have a modest endowment. One of the things I'm proud of is that we were able to secure funding last year to bring more Native Hawaiians into our programs. 

We also completed the renovation of the Adult Day Center, which will serve 50 seniors a day (was previously 42 altogether). That was a big effort because we really had to patch together the funding  [mostly grants and donations] to make that happen. We're also going to have a grand opening this summer, for the Lokomaika'i Heritage Center, a new cultural center on our campus that will offer cultural classes from lauhala weaving, lei making, hula classes and more.

We don't maintain a waitlist and do offer financial aid to those who need it. Depending on the level of care, cost to families for the Adult Residential Care Home, which accommodates more than 40 seniors, starts at $7,000 per month. Our largest source of revenue continues to be our program fees, supplemented with various donations and grants. [

According to King Lunalilo Trust’s most recent Annual Report

, the organization had $13.3 million in total liabilities and net assets as of December 2022.]

 We are looking at redeveloping our five-acre campus in Hawaʻi Kai, with an affordable independent kūpuna rentals project underway. My goal is to move this beyond the planning phase, which we’re still in, and get request for proposals by April 9, to start working on designs and renderings. 

The next phase is to build a new long-term care facility on our campus. Our current facility was built in the early 1900’s, but it's gone through several renovations, with the most recent one completed in 2002. Itʻll be a larger facility kept at the low-rise feel of the neighborhood – weʻre not looking to go big, rather stay within character, driven by our values and purpose as a member of the Hawaiʻi Kai community. So that, and a few other projects in the works, that have not gone out to the public yet. At this time, we’re not ready to engage the community in fundraising/capital campaigns, but we’re moving closer to sharing our plans.

Our biggest challenge is staffing – as is the case for every health care center in the state. Our need is for more Certified Nurse Aides and nurses, so we’re working on our own training program to wrap around the state licensing program, which will help build soft skills with special focuses on long-term and dementia care, while integrating Hawaiian culture and values.

We have a large volunteer base through local nursing schools, which are important for our kūpuna care services. We are continuing to build the infrastructure to support more volunteers coming to campus.

What impacts on the local community now most excites you for the future?

 We’re already in that silver tsunami, and it’s only getting worse. Hawaiʻi Medicaid rates are not sustainable. We’ve explored hospice, which are typically private pay and don't accept Medicaid. So we’re trying something new – we’re trying to build a kūpuna campus. … I have not heard of any organization looking to do something like what we are doing: Having a combination of services on one campus, where we're still then focused on our activities, community and cultural events, to provide holistic care for the community. 

I want to share the importance of community. We had a long-time resident who had fallen in love with another resident here at Lunalilo Home. Her family was worried about Covid-19, so they pulled her from the facility. Understandable, you can't fault them. But what they learned was that they could not take care of her. So, they brought her back to Lunalilo in less than a year. During that time away, her dementia had accelerated, so she did not remember her boyfriend. Heartbreaking. And she passed away several years ago. So what's perhaps even more important is the connections between the kūpuna and their community. Because it’s those connections – complicated, complex layers of social interactions – that keep one's mind active, that helps delay or even forestall dementia. That is something that I have seen in my own personal life with my mom and at Lunalilo Home. Yes, family or aging in place can be good, but let's make sure our kūpuna are not spending their final days stuck in the house.

02 Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society Courtesy King Lunalilo Trust

<title>King Lunalilo Trust CEO shares plans to grow long-term care services, affordable housing…</title>

Meet Keolamaikalani Dean, a former attorney and health policy expert, who followed his aumakua and returned home to the Islands three years ago. Now, the CEO of King Lunalilo Trust and Home is mapping out expansion plans that include unveiling a new cultural center, affordable rentals and a larger long-term care facility.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Window shopping

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Running late

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: PTO preparations

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Most read

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Window shopping

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Running late

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: PTO preparations

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Most read