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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @PiilaniKitchen, who has a phone call waiting.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A Maui landowner is now facing potentially millions of dollars in fines after allegedly mismanaging water resources.

Last week, the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Commission on Water Resource Management issued a 

 of alleged violations to property owner Maui Land & Pineapple Co.

Maui Land & Pineapple is already facing a legal battle on multiple fronts, having been sued in August by neighbors accusing MLP of having misused its water resources and exacerbating drought conditions.

The Commission’s notice warns that MLP has consistently been non-compliant with a 2019 order to install various infrastructure to the Honokōhau Ditch System, an irrigation system maintained by MLP. Most pertinently, those improvements include a remotely operable valve controlling the inflow and outflow of water between the ditch system and Honokōhau Stream.

The notice claims that, in 2021, the Commission had required MLP to complete installation of the valve and associated improvements within six months. While temporary modifications were reported after six months, permanent fixes never materialized.

At a Water Resource Management Commission meeting in September, MLP presented plans that “appeared to contemplate” installing a gate elsewhere within the ditch system than the Commission had previously ordered. 

According to MLP representatives, the Commission stated its expectation that MLP will submit its final engineering plans, construction schedules and supporting materials for review as soon as possible.

But with the ordered improvements not installed, MLP could face fines of up to $5,000 per day of non-compliance, the notice warns. In an absolute worst-case scenario, with maximum possible fines levied for each day since 2019, that could mean a total fine of nearly $11 million.

The missing valve is only one of the possible violations alleged in the notice. Because the valve was intended to prevent excess draining of the Honokōhau Stream into the ditch system, the Commission had also established flow standards: at least 13.3 cubic feet of water must pass through a certain point on the stream each second (or, about 8.6 million gallons per day).

If stream flows drop below that rate for three consecutive days, or for four days out of any seven-day period, MLP would once again be in violation.

The notice states that real-time monitors at the site found that 36 days between Jan. 1 and Aug. 14 fell below Commission standards, with many of those days between May and July, a particularly dry period on Maui.

“We are investigating each of those days to determine whether water was diverted offstream for other uses, including for the County, and if so, what steps could have been taken to ensure the interim instream flow standards were met,” read a statement by MLP on Tuesday.

 that it expects to install “a remotely monitored and operated diversion in Honokōhau Stream” this week. The system allows water to be retained within the stream until it exceeds minimum flow thresholds, and includes a backup gate to return water to the stream as needed.

MLP stated that the construction should continue through Friday, with additional system testing to take place next week.

In the meantime, legal actions between MLP and neighboring water users are still pending.

 against MLP by TY Management Corp. — owner and operator of the Kapalua Plantation Golf Course — and several area apartment owners associations accusing MLP of allowing water in the Honokōhau Ditch System to fall below usable levels has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 25, as does MLP’s own 

 against TY Management, which accused the latter of using excessive water to irrigate its golf courses.

, by TY Management and one of the owners’ associations from the first suit, accused MLP and its CEO of conspiring to seize control of the Kapalua Resort Association by illegal land annexations. No hearing has yet been scheduled in that case.

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Maui

<title>Maui Land & Pineapple facing possible fines over water mismanagement</title>

State water commission issues notice of potential violations regarding landowner's stewardship of Maui irrigation system.

Maui Land & Pineapple facing possible fines over water mismanagement

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

 and with it a stop at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Travelers flying out of Honolulu should take note — the state Department of Transportation 

 modifications to the airport's ground transportation operations in coordination with the Oct. 16 launch of the new rail section.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here's what you should know:"}]

— Catching an Uber, Lyft or other rideshare? Beginning Oct. 16, the DOT says that all three rideshare pickup locations at the airport will relocate from the second floor to the first.

At Terminal 1, you'll find the rideshare pickup area curbside, mauka of baggage claim 6, a Tuesday announcement from the DOT notes. At Terminal 2, two pickup areas will move to the ground-level median across from baggage claims 19/20 and 31.

— Also on Oct. 16, city bus stops along HNL's second level roadway will be replaced with a temporary bus stop on the ground level across from the lei stands, according to the DOT. A new, permanent bus stop on the ground level in front of the Skyline station is under construction.

Read more about changes to city bus routes to coincide with the 

— And for those taking pre-arranged ground transportation services such as passenger shuttles, tours and courtesy car services, the Terminal 1 pick-up and drop-off spots will move from the mauka end of the terminal to the makai end on the ground level.

The pre-arranged transportation services location across from the lei stands will close temporarily to accommodate the temporary city bus stop, the DOT notes. Meanwhile, three other existing locations for pre-arranged ground transport services — on the median across from baggage claim 16, on the east end outside of baggage claim 31 and at the consolidated rental car facility — will remain the same.

Skyline's Lelepaua airport station is located on the mauka side of Terminal 2 and connects the fourth floor of the Terminal 2 parking garage and the fourth floor by way of a pedestrian walkway on the makai side of the station, the DOT says.

Riders can also enter or exit the station from the ground level on Ala Onaona and Ala ʻAuana Streets.

You can find wayfinding maps and information about the new Skyline service and ground transportation modifications on the 

Passenger service for the new Skyline segment begins at 4 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16. 

5.2-mile stretch of new guideway runs from Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center and has four new stations: Makalapa (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), Lelepaua (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport), Āhua (Lagoon Drive) and Kahauiki (Middle Street Transit Center).

 and spans just under 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. This section includes the rail's first nine stations: Kaualakaʻi (East Kapolei), Keoneʻae (University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili), Hōʻaeʻae (West Loch), Pouhala (Waipahu Transit Center), Hālaulani (Leeward Community College), Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), Kalauao (Pearlridge), and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium).

Daniel k inouye international airport hnl 100925

<title>Changes coming to airport ground transport operations as Skyline expands</title>

The relocation of the airport's rideshare pick-up spots are among the changes coming with the launch of the new rail segment this week.

Changes coming to airport ground transport operations as Skyline expands

A new University of Hawai‘i economic forecast predicts a difficult next few years as recession looms.

Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, described a newly released third-quarter economic forecast as “bleak,” with multiple national and global factors driving down the state’s prospects.

[{"type":"text","text":"“The risks seem stacked against us,” Bonham said."}]

The forecast, released Friday, predicts a “mild recession” in the state over the next year as tourism falters: “not too deep or not too long,” Bonham said, with the worst impacts expected toward the end of 2026 before a gradual recovery over the following years.

Bonham said the state has been relying on domestic tourism, with international tourism still having not quite recovered from the impacts of Covid-19 and the Lahaina fires. But as the U.S. economy weakens, Mainland tourism has seen a sharp downturn. By mid-2026, UHERO predicts 5% fewer tourist arrivals than at the end of 2024, with quarterly tourist spending expected to fall by more than $600 million.

At the same time, tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration have left businesses feeling “overwhelming uncertainty,” Bonham said. He said some businesses are unable to get any quotes for materials more than three months out because nobody can predict how much more anything will cost that far away.

UHERO predicts that, by the end of 2026, “tariffs will have raised Hawai‘i prices by about 1.5% over what they would otherwise have been. This will represent a permanent annual cost of perhaps $1,400 for a median-income household.”

Compounding the issue is the loss of unauthorized immigrant labor, which will continue to increase the price of produce. Between the impact of immigration crackdowns and impacts of tariffs, UHERO forecasts an inflation peak of about 4% at the end of 2026 — which, UHERO notes, is a lower peak than previous predictions, thanks to recent reductions to inflation. 

[{"type":"text","text":"But UHERO predicts broader losses across the entire labor market. "}]

"Job losses will be seen across virtually all local industries," the forecast warns, expecting about 2,400 job losses among federal workers alone. As cuts to federal contracts compound and the tourism industry shrinks, knock-on impacts will spread across the state's private sector.

Hawai‘i employment is still about 15,000 jobs below pre-pandemic levels, and Bonham said that this year’s estimated job growth is predicted to stand at about 0.7%.

“The number of jobs in Hawai‘i basically hasn’t changed since January,” Bonham said.

Bonham said it isn’t only bad new across the board. The construction industry, he said, is expected to be the only sector in the state to grow during the recession, with the redevelopment of Aloha Stadium, the construction of the last leg of Skyline, and other military construction projects expected to bring nearly 40,000 jobs over the next five years.

Even so, the jobs gained by construction will hardly offset the total job losses predicted statewide. By the end of 2026, the UHERO report predicts about 1,000 additional construction jobs compared to this year — and more than 5,000 jobs lost in other sectors, primarily in government positions.

Through all of this, Bonham said there are some potential off-ramps. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the Trump administration tariffs are legal in November. Depending on that verdict, he said, the worst of the tariffs may not go into effect, staving off the worst impacts of the recession.

But Bonham was not optimistic. Even if the tariffs are partially reversed, there is no guarantee that the Trump administration can’t reintroduce them in different forms — once again leaving businesses uncertain about the future.

“There is a possibility that some of the new threats at the federal level will convince Democrats to come to the table and we avoid a government shutdown,” Bonham said. “I think the biggest off-ramp is … the U.S. economy bouncing back. With all these investments in AI infrastructure … maybe the U.S. economy will surprise everybody.

“What could help is if the very wealthy continue to thrive,” Bonham said. “The top end of the income distribution contributes enormously to visitor spending here.”   

Hawaii A2003147 2110 250m

<title>"Bleak" economic report predicts recession</title>

UHERO forecast warns about rising costs, stagnant jobs as tariffs and federal government job cuts continue.

"Bleak" economic report predicts recession

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

I was recently driving on McCully Street and a new restaurant sign caught my eye. I made it a point to look it up and find out more.

 opened about two weeks ago on McCully Street in the former space of Izakaya Torae Torae. The eatery started by opening for dinner — its menu features udon and izakaya-style small plates — and just started its lunch service.

Lunch features counter seating only, while the entire restaurant is open for dinner.

The lunch menu is more limited, compared to the eatery’s dinner options. The lunch menu features udon sets, which all come with a mini salad, kinpira gobo and mix rice (made with hijiki seaweed).

The noodles and sauces are made in house. We’re told that the restaurant gets its flour from Sun Noodle — who imports it from Japan — and uses a special machine to make the noodles. The udon noodles here are known for their firmer, chewier texture.

This dipping-style udon is the eatery’s signature dish. We’re told this udon style is from Saitama prefecture, which is north of Tokyo. 

The noodles are served cold, separately from the broth, and customers dip the noodles into the hot broth at their leisure. This process ensures the noodles stay chewy throughout the duration of meal, instead of getting softer as they sit in the broth.

Pork or chicken can be included in the hot broth, if customers desire a more savory, meatier flavor. I enjoyed the noodles’ elasticity and chewy texture.

The shrimp tempura udon set comprises hot udon served with two pieces of shrimp tempura. This set features udon served in a more familiar way, and noodles are slightly softer, especially when sitting in the broth for some time.

Other lunch sets include curry udon, which features a curry-based soup ($21.50); tanuki udon ($18), or udon in a hot dashi broth with tempura flakes; and kitsune udon ($19). The latter features hot udon with jumbo inari.

Meanwhile, the dinner menu includes pūpū like takoyaki ($9.75), salted seaweed cabbage ($5.50), fried squid skewers ($7), inari sushi ($4), agedashi tofu ($8.50) and more. You can also choose from bowls like kake udon ($13.50), zaru udon ($13.50) and more.

Udon Yonpachi is open for dine-in only (no reservations accepted), but the eatery will eventually offer takeout. Limited customer parking is available in the restaurant’s lot.

Open for lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, dinner 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays

Limited customer parking is available at the restaurant

Udon Yonpachi noodles 081825

<title>New udon spot open in McCully</title>

Udon Yonpachi offers firmer, chewier noodles served with a hot dipping sauce. The new eatery recently started opening for lunch with a variety of noodle sets.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Miscommunication

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

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