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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

A keiki’s point of view sure is interesting.

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IAmShaylaTorres

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @IAmShaylaTorres, with a lesson about drinking responsibly.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time

A keiki’s point of view sure is interesting.  Make sure you follow @IAmShaylaTorreson Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 at Waterfront Plaza last March. The night market is expanding soon to include a second location — Taste of Aloha will have its first market at NEX from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 31.

“As the community began to grow, we slowly realized we wanted a bigger space to support more local vendors,” says event coordinator Landen Tsuda. “With a bigger location, we realized that there were more opportunities to support not only the community, but also our local small businesses.”

The July 31 event will take place in the NEX parking lot. Attendees can look forward to local food vendors, handmade crafts and entertainment. Plus, for the first time, this night market will be welcoming food trucks into its vendor line-up, according to its 

“We will have the same favorites from Waterfront Plaza, but now with the bigger lot, we want to really showcase all of the amazing talent from all over O

ahu,” Tsuda says. “We want to thank our regular vendors who stuck with us through thick and thin; the market wouldn’t happen without their support. We want to thank the community for coming out to support them as well.”

Taste of Aloha’s upcoming market at Waterfront Plaza from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 11 will feature a matcha theme. Attendees can look forward to matcha drinks, desserts, specialty treats and other unique matcha-inspired creations.

For more information, visit Taste of Aloha's 

Taste of Aloha NEX 070126

<title>Taste of Aloha is expanding to include a second market location</title>

Taste of Aloha is currently located at Waterfront Plaza every second Saturday of the month. The market is expanding to include a second location; it will be at NEX on from 4 to 8 p.m. on July 31.

Taste of Aloha is expanding to include a second market location

, the new Indian takeout concept by chef Vikram Garg, just launched about two weeks ago. It's a separate concept from Umi by Vikram Garg, the restaurant located at Halepuna Waikīkī; dishes featured on Masala Māya's menu cannot be ordered at Umi. 

“We don’t want to mix Umi and Masala Māya together; this (the Masala Māya menu) is something that you take to your home,” explains Vikram Garg, chef and founder of Masala Māya. “You have really fine food in the privacy (of your home).

“I cook Indian food once in a blue moon; I decided to do it for takeout,” he adds.

that ‘masala’ refers to the centuries-old art of blending spices, while ‘maya’ means ‘enigma,’ ‘mystical’ or ‘magic.’

“It’s the magic of spices; that’s what the concept is,” he says. “There are no set recipes; it’s tradition that families pass down. You learn from your grandfather or mother.”

The menu features a variety of main dishes, set meals, bread and rice, side dishes and beverages. Masala

 Māya's menu is available from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays. 

Main dishes include chicken curry ($19.95), pork vindaloo ($19.95), Daal Makhani ($19.95), Keema Matar ($19.95), Goan shrimp curry ($24.95), and lamb rogan josh ($29.95). Vegan-friendly options like palak makai ($19.95) are also available.

The chicken curry — featuring organic chicken thighs in a tomato-onion gravy with Northern spices — and lamb rogan josh are expected to be customer favorites. The latter features a 12-ounce lamb shank with Kashmiri chili, yogurt and fennel.

“That’s a whole lamb shank which is braised with fennel,” Garg says. “Chicken curry is a very subjective term when it comes to India. When you drive around the country, there are little roadside stalls; these people have their own style of cooking, a very country style of making a dish. This chicken curry is what I put on the menu instead of butter chicken or chicken tikka masala. It’s very simply made, country style, and that’s one of my favorites, in terms of what I want to eat every day.”

Dal Makhani comprises black lentils with butter, fenugreek and ginger.

“The lentils are cooked for 48 hours minimum,” Garg says. “It’s got ginger and chilies; it’s very simple.”

He explains the history behind Dal Makhani.

“There used to be community kitchens,” he says. “When men would go for war, they would come back and they were hungry. There was a big oven pot in the middle of the village; they would have these lentils, stew it for days, and keep adding to it. They would have a bowl of lentils and they would crush onions with it. Dal Makhani is a warrior food — it’s high in protein, it’s nourishing and it’s pretty heavy. It takes about 48 hours minimum to cook that; it has tomatoes, lentils, ginger and chili powder.”

Goa, located on the southwestern coast of India, is known for its seafood. Masala Maya’s Goan shrimp curry includes coconut milk, mustard seeds and Goan spices. Meanwhile, Keema Matar features ground beef with caramelized onions, green peas and garam masala.

“Keema Matar is like the Indian version of chili; ‘Keema’ means minced meat,” Garg says.

He explains that Palak Makai is a vegetarian-friendly dish, comprising spinach and corn, along with cumin, ginger-garlic masala and desi ghee.

Customers can opt for butter naan ($3.95), premium basmati rice ($3.95) or saffron-raisin pilaf ($6.95) to pair with the main dishes.

“The saffron pilaf has raisins and fried onions,” Garg says. “We buy aged basmati rice, minimum seven years of age. For basmati rice, if you don’t age it, you will not see the grains.”

He recommends eating the pork vindaloo and shrimp curry with the white basmati rice, lentils and spinach dishes with naan and saffron pilaf, and lamb rogan josh with the saffron pilaf.

Side dishes range from pickled red onions ($3.95) and pineapple chutney ($3.95) to Aloo-mint raita ($4.95) and hot sauce ($3.95).

“In Indian cuisine, when we eat, we always have something citrusy, something fresh to squeeze on (our food), like lemon or calamansi,” Garg says. “It’s just a tradition; it helps you digest the food better. Normally, we have mango chutney, but we’re in Hawaiʻi, so why not make pineapple chutney? The hot sauce is my hot sauce (recipe); if you like it spicy, you can add that.”

Māya also offers a variety of beverages. Choose from mango lassi ($7.95), Nimbu pani “lemonade” ($5.95), Madras filter Kappi ($5.95) or masala chai ($5.95).

The business’s mango lassi is made with Hayden mangoes, yogurt and honey. Its Nimbu Pani “lemonade” — comprising lemon juice, honey, Himalayan pink salt and mint — is a refreshing option, according to Garg.

“Nimbu Pani is like Indian lemonade; it’s a very common thing in India,” he says. “In summers, you go to Indian households and this is what you get. When you drink it, it replenishes your sugar and sodium. ‘Nimbu’ means lemon, ‘padi’ means water.”

The Madras filter Kappi ($5.95) features Arabica coffee with sweetened milk. The business’s Masala chai ($5.95) is a blend of milk tea, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger.

“One of my favorite things is the Madras coffee,” Garg says. “We use condensed milk inside; it’s close to Vietnamese coffee.”

Whether customers pick up their orders at Umi by Vikram Garg or order for delivery, rest assured that every dish is packaged to travel and made with high-quality ingredients.

“All the food is either made with ghee or we’re using good oil,” Garg says. “It’s delivered in eco-friendly, reusable bags.”

Customers can look forward to Masala Māya’s subscription model, which will be launching soon. The program will be limited to 100 subscribers, who will have access to specialty dishes — like chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken — that are not available on the business’s regular menu.

Open from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays

Online ordering for pick-up at Umi by Vikram Garg (2233 Helumoa Road) or for delivery via Uber Eats or DoorDash

Masala Maya chef Vikram 062826

<title>Masala Māya is a new concept featuring Indian dishes to-go</title>

Chef Vikram Garg’s new to-go concept features authentic Indian flavors, including dishes like chicken curry, pork vindaloo, Goan shrimp curry and lamb rogan josh. Masala Māya is open for online ordering from Wednesdays to Sundays; customers can pick up their orders at Umi by Vikram Garg in Waikīkī or opt for delivery.

Masala Māya is a new concept featuring Indian dishes to-go

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Aloha Tower has reached the venerable age of 100 years. It no longer is a focal point of the city of Honolulu, but it was once. And in fact that was what it was intentionally built to be.

As early as 1915 it was recognized that Honolulu Harbor was in need of improvements. The mix of miscellaneous docks, some covered by warehouses while others were completely open, was inefficient and often unsightly. Many business people also understood the desirability of adding a distinctive, prominent structure to the harbor to catch the attention of the increasing numbers of leisure visitors to Hawai‘i. Such a building would serve as a recognizable landmark that could be publicized in both print and in photographs. This idea would come true as Aloha Tower.

By the early 1920s, construction began on the complex of Piers 8, 9, and 10 and by the time Aloha Tower's base was being prepared in 1925, a debate occurred over the planned height of the tower. Two reasons were put forth to increase it; first, because the nearby Hawaiian Electric power plant erected a second smokestack of 214 feet which it was feared would overshadow the tower, and second, the clock faces on the tower were too low to be seen from a distance. For a time an increase of 36 feet, or three stories, was actively pushed. In the end, however, only 12 feet was authorized, making the finished Aloha Tower 185 feet and 6 inches tall; with its spire included it surpassed 200 feet. It was the highest building in the Hawaiian Islands.

At the end of May 1926, Piers 8, 9, and 10, along with Aloha Tower, were declared complete. For a cost of $165,000, Honolulu now could boast of a building of 12 stories served by an electric elevator and containing a 7-ton time-keeping mechanism on the 10th floor that ran four separate clock faces, one on each side of the tower. On the 11th floor, above the clocks, were four separate viewing balconies for the public to marvel at the scenes of downtown Honolulu, the busy harbor and the natural beauties of the sky, the sea, and the Ko‘olau Mountains. Offices on the remaining floors were available on the rental market for commercial tenants. A flashing light at the top made the tower visible to ships far offshore at night, and a built-in siren was sounded from it at 7 a.m., one minute before 12 noon, and 4 p.m. to signal important times in the usual workday. (Later, for decades, the siren was switched to a single 8 p.m. sounding to designate a curfew for everyone under the age of 16.)

This grand new addition to Honolulu Harbor was made more attractive by the addition of Irwin Park on its mauka side, which was made possible by the demolition of other now-outmoded buildings nearby.

The parcel of 24,308 square feet of land for this green space was donated on November 7, 1930 by Helene Irwin Fagan in memory of her father, William G. Irwin, and initially was covered just by grass, shrubs and trees. But, not surprisingly, the congestion of motor vehicles that occurred every time a large passenger ship arrived or departed required the addition of space for parking, and in June 1939 Fagan gave permission for this to be placed in the park. It's still there today.

"Boat Days" were important, when big ocean liners arrived at, or departed from, Honolulu Harbor. Not only would cargo be unloaded and loaded, more importantly for the growing tourist industry, passengers would be coming or going. Usually scores of visitors would be getting off to begin vacations that usually lasted at least a few weeks, since the cost of a Hawai‘i trip was high enough that most travelers at this time were wealthy. Others on around-the-world trips would be hurried into luxury taxis or tour vehicles for sightseeing on O‘ahu along with a stop for lunch, before their vessel would depart in the late afternoon that same day. All this led to hustle & bustle at the docks, with a large and colorful part of the activity being the lei sellers who lined the sidewalks in hopes of selling all the lei that they held up. The competition could sometimes be aggressive since there was only a short period to earn income before the crowds of customers dispersed.

Originally, back in 1926, Aloha Tower and its piers had been made noticeable by a paint job of 1,900 gallons of "Egg-Shell Mill White" paint. Making the structure easy to see from offshore was the entire point of its construction, so that people on ships could spot it as they approached. But with the sudden and shocking arrival of World War II on December 7, 1941, abruptly the opposite tactic was necessary.

Japanese submarines actually were patrolling around and among the Hawaiian Islands in the first months of the war, and should one of these surface during the night, the view through a periscope of the light-colored dock buildings and the tower itself (even with a blackout of electric lighting) could lead to catastrophe if torpedoes were launched towards them. To make these (and many other important buildings) less easy to see by the enemy, camouflage paint jobs were quickly applied. The wavy outlines of brown, green and grey paint would, it was hoped, disguise sharp edges and reduce the contrast of buildings against the mountain slopes behind them.

This distinctive wartime paint job was officially made obsolete by the surrender of Japan in August 1945 which ended the war, but getting things back to normal didn't happen overnight. In fact it wasn't till April 29, 1947 that sandblasting off the camouflage colors and re-applying a light paint surface began.

The tower's makai side, the first to be finished, was completed on May 8th but work was still going on in September of that year. The entire renovation back to prewar conditions wasn't completed until the observation decks on the 11th floor were finally reopened to the public on January 1, 1948.

The success of Aloha Tower as an identifiable symbol of Hawai‘i can be seen by how often it was shown in advertising and other commercial illustrations, particularly in the 1930s. It was not just what tourists saw on their ocean arrivals and departures; more importantly, as a tall modern structure it implied that the Hawaiian Islands were up-to-date and economically advanced.

Next week, watch for the continued story of Aloha Tower and its two major redevelopment projects that both seemed like good ideas at the time, but which unfortunately didn't succeed.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

1 Gals 1953 16x9

<title>Aloha Tower at 100 years old: Part 1</title>

A hundred years ago, Aloha Tower was built as an intentional landmark for the bustling harbor where all visitors to O‘ahu arrived, and that plan worked, as it quickly became synonymous with Hawai‘i itself. In part one of our look back at the tower's history, ASD history columnist DeSoto Brown takes us from the creation of the tower to just after WWII.

Aloha Tower at 100 years old: Part 1

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Viewpoints

Aloha Spirit

 party over three years ago and declined to show, according to the Office of the Governor.

 from the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Josh Green was asked “to establish a Hawaiʻi Commission on the United State Semiquincentennial.”  

The commission formed by the governor did not receive any government funding

 “to coordinate a statewide effort commemorating and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America,” per the executive order.

Leading the 19-member Hawai‘i America250 Commission is Peter Young, a member of the Hawaiʻi Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, along with lawmakers and other representatives.

The commission is responsible for soliciting donations to bring local events and activities to “communities across the Islands [that] will reflect on our shared past, celebrate our diverse heritage, and honor our veterans and ancestors through events grounded in local culture and the Spirit of Aloha,” its website notes.

To donate, volunteer and learn more, go to: 

Hawaiʻi opts out of Great American State Fair

Hawaiʻi has no official government representation at 

, a block party on the National Mall in Washington D.C., running now through July 10.

It features attractions like rodeos and a 110-foot Ferris wheel, with more than 150 exhibits for all 50 states plus U.S. territories, as well as "businesses, innovators and civic organizations," according to 

, the organizer of the fair and other semiquincentennial events.

The decision for the Hawai‘i America250 Commission, which includes Green as an honorary chair, to say, “No can” to participating in the fair appears to have grown more apparent as the travel commitment grew “from a few days to two weeks with 12-hour days,” 

Green told Aloha State Daily in a statement Friday, “The Hawai‘i America250 Commission is not operating a pavilion at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., which is 5,000 miles away. No funds were earmarked by the state, or by Congress.”

One Mililani resident wrote in to ASD after hearing Hawaiʻi would not be at the fair.

“Especially with what's been happening in Hawaiʻi, participation in this national event would have been a great opportunity to formally and informally educate and share the history and Aloha of our people; to garner support/supporters from outside our state for the causes of the Hawaiian people and the legacy of its past monarchs,” the reader wrote.

Another ASD reader from Honolulu wrote, "

Wouldn't this have been a great opportunity for the state's Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)? According to their annual budget, they expend [millions] of our taxpayers’ money annually on branding and marketing!"

At least 10 mostly Democratic-led states decided against sending official government delegations to the fair, which including Hawaiʻi are: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, according to 

“Most of the states that opted out are led by Democrats. But all cited financial considerations, saying they'd have to spend at least $100,000 (and in some cases up to half a million dollars) of their own money and preferred to prioritize celebrations at home,” 

, noting, organizers offered to help cover basic booth setup.

 that “the decision came down to resources”; Illinois sent representatives from the Peoria Riverfront Museum to run the state's booth instead; and Oregon Gov. Tina Koteck cited both cost and concerns that the event is "a more partisan affair than originally presented,” per the The New York Times; while Young of the Hawai‘i America250 Commission has shifted focus to local initiatives.

New Hampshire, which has a similar population size to the Aloha State at about 1.4 million, found a way to participate by having its Department of Natural and Cultural Resources staff an official booth showcasing “historic documents, a presentation and a video featuring state political figures reading the Declaration of Independence.” It is the only New England State with a presence from local government, per the 

 and photos over the weekend from the Great American State Fair, Alaska and Hawaiʻi both have empty booth displays boasting red, white and blue backdrops, though, Hawaiʻi’s included a couple of rocking chairs. 

Makes sense, since they chose to sit this one out.

Hawaii at Great American State Fair

<title>Hawaiʻi says ‘No can’ to Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.</title>

Hawaiʻi government officials will not be present at the Great American State Fair, put on by Freedom 250 now through July 10, along with at least 10 mostly Democratic-led states citing cost, staffing and for some, political reasons. Gov. Josh Green says no funds were earmarked for the fair by the state or Congress and instead, has thrown support behind local celebrations.

Hawaiʻi says ‘No can’ to Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.

Christinapic2

Christina O'Connor

Crime & Courts

For Atlanta-based airline pilot Matt Alexander, the two weeks stretching from late June through the Fourth of July are always difficult.

It marks the anniversary of when his aunt, 57-year-old Kapaʻa resident Amber Jackson, was murdered on Kaua‘i. Jackson had last been seen on June 23, 2010, and was reported missing when she didn’t show up to work the following day. Her body was found 10 days later in a remote area of Keālia.

“Anniversaries are tough emotionally for the fact that she is gone, and additionally it’s frustrating that her killer is at large,” Alexander said. “Every time we think we are able to move past this and have some peace, the anniversary rolls around and it dredges up [everything]. … It all gets rehashed again every year.”

This year — the 16th anniversary of Jackson’s murder — is no exception. But, on the heels of a recent development, this year also brings renewed hope that the case will be resolved after all this time.

In December 2025, the Kaua‘i Police Department issued an arrest warrant in connection with Jackson’s murder to 57-year-old Gregory Glaser, who had previously been identified as a person of interest in the case. He is wanted for second degree murder, with bail set at $1 million. Kaua‘i police said at the time that the warrant issuance was the result of “new information” in the case.

Despite the warrant, however, arresting Glaser isn’t so easy. Glaser himself is now a missing person. He was reported missing on Hawai‘i Island and was last seen on April 12, 2025, in the Hawaiian Acres subdivision, according to the Hawai‘i Police Department.  

Earlier this week, in conjunction with the anniversary of Jackson going missing, the Amber Jackson Justice Group — a group formed by her family and friends — and KPD issued a renewed call for the public to come forward with any information that could assist in the case, including Glaser’s whereabouts.

“If anyone has any knowledge as to where we can find him, so we can have some closure, that would be amazing,” Alexander said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Feeling right at home"}]

Jackson was born and raised about an hour outside of Los Angeles, in Riverside, California, and in her 20s moved up north to Marin County, where she lived until relocating to Kauaʻi in 2000. In California, she worked for a stint at a bakery, and later worked for a few different nonprofits, including a substance abuse treatment center and an organization that helps people access legal services.

For Alexander, Jackson was the quintessential cool aunt.

He said there was a big age gap between Jackson and her older brother — Alexander’s father — and the siblings didn’t really grow up together. So Alexander didn’t meet his aunt until a family funeral when he was in his early 20s, but once they did meet, they formed a quick bond.

“I’m very fortunate that I’m an airline pilot, so I could fly back and forth easily to visit her. [I came to Kauaʻi] as much as I could,” he said.

Alexander has fond memories from those trips — he learned to surf with her at Hanalei Bay, and she introduced him to jazz music. She once hosted a group of Alexander’s friends and helped them coordinate a hike along the Kalalau Trail.

“She was very fun, very cool,” Alexander said. “Everybody that met her liked her. She was down to earth.”

While Jackson hadn’t been part of his childhood, Alexander said her warm personality made any distance between them melt away.

“[She] just immediately made you feel right at home and non-self-conscious and relaxed, which is like a superpower,” Alexander said.

Ann Spaulding, a close friend of Jackson’s from California, also describes an immediate connection with Jackson. The women met more than 40 years ago, in their 20s, and Spaulding can still recall the exact moment that Jackson came into her life.

“I was working in a little bakery in Fairfax, California, and she walked in one day and she ordered a cream puff and asked for a job.

She came to work at the bakery, and we just became best friends.

Spaulding describes Jackson as “honest, authentic, fun, nice, and funny.”

She said they bonded over their shared love of the outdoors and “had the kind of friendship where we could bare our souls to each other.”

The pair remained close even after Jackson moved to Kaua‘i in 2000.

From what Spaulding remembers, Jackson decided to move to Kaua‘i after falling in love with the island on vacation.

On Kaua‘i, she worked at the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association as a field operations secretary (HSTA officials declined an interview for this story), and bought a home in Kapaʻa, which Spaulding said she adorned with her “eclectic, whimsical and classy sense of décor,” and where she transformed the overgrown yard into a bountiful garden.

“She really did that place up, and she loved it — she loved her garden, she loved her two dogs, and she had a really nice lifestyle,” Spaulding said. “She was very caring for people — she was active in the community, and she was dedicated to the work she did and to her friends.”

Alexander said Jackson formed close friendships on Kaua‘i and had a tight-knit circle of friends that he remembers as all “very genuine, warm and welcoming” people.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Searching for answers"}]

Alexander vividly remembers the moment on that day in June 2010 that he found out Jackson was missing. It was his day off, and he was at the pool, sitting in a lounge chair when his phone rang. It was the Kaua‘i police.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"He was on a flight to Kaua‘i that night."}]

Though foul play was suspected, Alexander was holding out hope that maybe Jackson had just gone hiking — something she did often — and was injured or lost on a trail somewhere. While investigators searched, Alexander launched into his own search efforts — he rented a plane and flew around the island, hoping to catch sight of Jackson along one of her favorite hiking trails. He called newspapers. He put up flyers.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Nearly two weeks went by with no answers."}]

Then, on July 3, 2010, pig hunters discovered Jackson’s body in a ravine. An autopsy revealed that Jackson suffered blunt force trauma to her head, along with other injuries consistent with assault.

Police identified Glaser as a person of interest early on. He was Jackson’s tenant; he lived in a yurt on her property. KPD pursued leads, but the investigation didn’t turn up sufficient evidence tying Glaser — or anyone else — to the murder.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The case went cold for 15 years."}]

“Over the years, successive generations of KPD detectives built on prior investigative efforts, re-interviewing witnesses, reviewing evidence, coordinating with other law enforcement agencies, and traveling both interisland and out of state to follow up on leads,” the department said in a December release in announcing Glaser’s arrest warrant. “These ongoing efforts eventually uncovered new information, culminating in an arrest warrant for Glaser for Murder in the Second Degree.”

KPD declined to be interviewed for this story, as the investigation remains ongoing, and said that it cannot share details about what new information led to the arrest warrant.

Public Information Officer Tiana Victorino shared this statement via email:

“The Kauaʻi Police Department continues to pursue all available leads and remains dedicated to seeking justice for Amber Jackson. The passage of time does not diminish our commitment to this case, and we remain focused on holding those responsible accountable and providing answers to her family and loved ones.”

In response to questions from Aloha State Daily about KPD’s general process of looking into cold cases, Victorino said cold cases fall under the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, which is staffed by 13 detectives.

“Cold cases are assigned to an investigator within the Criminal Investigations Division, who is responsible for reviewing and following up on them as part of their caseload,” Victorino said. “Cold cases may receive renewed attention whenever new information becomes available, such as credible tips, witness updates, or advancements in forensic technology that allow previously collected evidence to be reexamined.”

In addition to Jackson, there are 12 other cold cases currently listed on KPD’s website, dating back to 1979.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Seeking justice for Amber Jackson"}]

Spaulding calls Jackson her best friend, but she also notes that Jackson held that title for many people.

“Amber was a wonderful person, and I loved her so much,” Spaulding said. “And she had a lot of people who called her their best friend, not just me. She was dear to many.”

Some of those “best friends” comprise the Amber Jackson Justice Group. Spaulding, Alexander and a friend of Jackson’s on Kaua‘i who did not wish to be identified or interviewed comprise the core group, alongside several others who are involved.

Spaulding said they formed the group shortly after Jackson’s murder, as a way to handle media requests. Through the years, the core group has regularly met with the Kaua‘i police and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to provide potential leads and discuss case updates. The group also conducts outreach efforts to the media and the public in an effort to raise awareness and to keep Jackson’s case top of mind.

For Spaulding, the work has been a way to deal with the loss of Jackson. Especially during the anniversary weeks of Jackson’s disappearance and her body being found, she said it feels like “there is this darkness that happens.”

“I can’t describe it, except to say it feels like a pit,” she said. “But the way that I've been able to deal with the grief, really, is to continue to get the meetings with [law enforcement],

write the press releases, get press releases out,

and keep her case in the eyes of the public.”

Now, after 16 years, the Amber Jackson Justice Group might be closer to justice than ever.

In their latest plea to the public issued earlier this week, the group asks people to “come forward with any information about Glaser’s whereabouts, network, or timeline, past or present.”

“No detail is too small or insignificant,” the group said in the release.

“There are people that have information about Greg Glaser. We know it,” Spaulding said.

Alexander said, at this point, the best-case scenario is that Glaser will be put on trial for Jackson’s murder and found guilty. Unless that happens, Alexander admits he will feel a little “shortchanged” that Glaser may never have to face what he is accused of. But even if that is not possible, Alexander still hopes Glaser will be located.

“We just want to know for sure [where Glaser is] so we can stop looking for him.

Because otherwise, we'll never know — he might still be out there, maybe doing something like this again to somebody else,” Alexander said.

If Jackson were still alive today, she’d be in her early 70s. 

Spaulding imagines that Jackson would be spending her golden years volunteering with nonprofits for causes she is passionate about, and spending time in nature.

Alexander likes to think that Jackson’s life today would be much the same as it was the last time he saw her.

“[She’d be] hanging out with her besties on Kaua‘i and doing her thing,” he said. “Life seemed not too bad at the time, so I’d imagine it’d be much the same as before — and I could go visit.”

KPD and the Amber Jackson Justice Group ask anyone with information on Glaser’s whereabouts or any other details relevant to the case to contact Sergeant Brian Silva at (808) 241-1908 or KPD Dispatch at (808) 241-1711. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i at (808) 246-8300, on 

, or via the P3 Tips mobile app. Glaser is described as a white male, 57, approximately 5-foot 8-inches tall and 160 pounds, with long brownish gray hair.

Amber Jackson 16x9

<title>Family, friends continue to seek justice for Amber Jackson 16 years after Kaua‘i murder</title>

For 16 years, the murder of Amber Jackson on Kauaʻi has gone unsolved, but in December 2025, the Kaua‘i Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Gregory Glaser, wanted for second degree murder in connection with the case. ASD crime writer Christina O'Connor spoke with Amber Jackson's family and friends to learn about Jackson's life and their tireless pursuit of justice for her.

Family, friends continue to seek justice for Amber Jackson 16 years after Kaua‘i murder

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

Real Estate

The City and County of Honolulu is taking another step toward transforming its urban core, choosing a partner to lead master-planning efforts around the 

Kūwili Station Transit-Oriented Development Redevelopment Area

a Honolulu-based Native Hawaiian-owned strategy, planning and design firm — 

 — has been selected to do the work following a competitive bid process, it was announced Monday.

BDP Quadrangle brings expertise in transit-oriented development and will support master-planning and urban design, Wilson-Okamoto Corp. will lead traffic analysis and infrastructure coordination while Nippon Koei will offer "systems-level insight" into transportation and urban infrastructure, the city said in the announcement.

 seeking a multidisciplinary planning and 

development team to prepare a TOD plan dubbed "Transforming Iwilei-Kapālama: Connecting People and Places," which the RFP noted is a "coordinated TOD and infrastructure investment program for development around the Iwilei-Kapālama sub-corridor."

The effort is a joint initiative of the city's Department of Housing and Land Management, Department of Planning and Permitting and Department of Transportation Services.

The city notes that this will be the first time the Iwilei-Kapālama area will be master-planned through a formalized joint city-state effort, a coordinated partnership between Honolulu and the Governor's Office of Housing "to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing and infrastructure in one of Honolulu’s most strategically located and publicly controlled urban corridors." 

According to the city, master-planning efforts will focus on "refining connectivity, improving multi-modal access to transit, and aligning infrastructure investments to support future housing, flood mitigation, and broader development in the area."

Kevin Auger, director-designate of DHLM, said in Monday's announcement that with the Kūwili station design "nearing finalization, and the pending selection of a 

Last month, the city issued a request for proposal seeking a multidisciplinary planning and development team to prepare a transit-oriented development plan called "Transforming Iwilei-Kapālama: Connecting People and Places."

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