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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

His fan just had a case of resting “killah guy” face.

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Outdoor concert

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stink eye</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @ImLevz, who’s always prepared to fight.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stink eye

His fan just had a case of resting “killah guy” face.  Make sure you follow @ImLevz on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

On Wednesday night, Hale‘iwa's Bettylou Sakura Johnson was celebrated by her sponsor, RVCA, at a private dinner on the North Shore. 

There was indeed plenty to celebrate for Johnson, who recently completed a breakout season in the World Surf League's Championship Tour, which ended with her first appearance in the WSL Final 5 in Fiji at the end of August. 

Although Johnson ultimately didn't come away with a world title, her 2025 season was still a landmark year in her career. Johnson won two WCT events in 2025: the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro in Australia in May, as well as the Lexus Trestles Pro in California in June. Those two victories were Johnson's first in the Championship Tour, ultimately leading to her fifth place finish. 

Johnson, who turned 20 in March, says she likes to write down her goals in a notebook. Wednesday night's dinner, held at Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi on the North Shore, was a reminder that she has come a long way in the sport despite her young age. 

"Tonight is so special, so nice to have RVCA host all my friends and family for tonight's dinner," Johnson told Aloha State Daily on Wednesday evening. "It makes me feel very loved. I've only been with RVCA for two years, so it's very special and I'm thankful for them to do this for me, but just feeling a lot of gratitude this year, especially since I feel like I still have so much more to live for and things I want to keep doing in my life. So, hopefully, keep checking those goals off.

Johnson's unique first name is one she shares with her great grandmother, who also holds a March 22 birthday. "I still try to talk to her as much as I can," the younger Bettylou says. 

Johnson describes her childhood on the North Shore as "the best," where family time on the beach came early and often. With her father helping into her into the waves, her family discovered she had a precocious talent for surfing. Johnson, who lists Bethany Hamilton and John John Florence as her biggest surfing influences, says her motivation for winning surfing competitions in her early childhood were initially for material reasons. 

"I loved getting goodie bags. Like, that was the main reason why I loved doing contests, was to get a goodie bag," Johnson recalled with a laugh. "But now I love it for more reasons, but that started it."

The more Johnson surfed, the more her career ascended. Sessions after school and on the weekends turned into joining the pro ranks in her teenage years. After beginning her high school studies at Waialua High & Intermediate, she eventually transitioned to homeschooling in order to keep up with the travel and time demands of professional surfing. 

Despite her success in 2025, Johnson's year began on a somber note. Her close friend, Tiare Couto, passed away in an accident on the North Shore on Jan. 1. Johnson dedicated her first career WCT victory to her. 

"To do that and come back from such a tragic event at the beginning of this year, I think I don't think I would have gotten that one, without my friends being there for me all year and supporting me. So, that win was extra special for sure," Johnson said. 

Johnson and Cuoto were lifelong friends and grew up in the same neighborhood. 

"I've known her my whole life. I just know that she's always here around us all the time," Johnson said. "It was definitely one of the worst things I think I've ever gone through in my entire life, but I feel like I've been able to move on with my friends. Just being there for each other has helped a lot. Feeling her presence every day, it's crazy how much more you feel her when she's not here with us."

[{"type":"text","text":"The physical rigors of the WSL season also took a toll on Johnson. "}]

"I've gone through so many injuries already, and being so young and being an athlete, it's really difficult to come back, but I feel like you always come back stronger, and you come back with more gratitude, and you come back with more hunger," Johnson said. "I feel like that really fires you up. So, you know, not stoked and thankful for my injuries, but in a way I am, because it's made me the way I am today."

Long flights are part of the deal in pro surfing. In addition to Hawai‘i, the WSL schedule in 2025 alone included stops in Portugal, El Salvador, Australia, Brazil, Tahiti, Fiji, South Africa, California and the United Arab Emirates. 

"It's a big experience. I feel like I've learned so much on the road. I've learned more traveling, I feel like with life skills and everything than I would ever learn just staying at home and doing school, so super grateful for that," Johnson said. "Just going up against the best is so awesome, because that means you're one of the best, too. Everyone has their own skill set, so it's really cool to put it out there to the world throughout the season."

The start of the offseason means additional opportunities for Johnson to reflect on the year that was and more time to jot down goals in her notebook.

"I want to keep getting better at surfing, so that's also another big goal," Johnson said. "Definitely to qualify on the Championship Tour and become a WSL surfer was a huge goal of mine. Growing up as a kid, I definitely didn't think it would happen, so as soon as I qualified when I was 16 years old, that was a big, like, 'Oh my God.' I feel like I want people to know that if they ever feel like they can't do it or can't do whatever they want to do, nothing is going to stop you but yourself."

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Bettylou Sakura Johnson 091125

<title>Hale‘iwa's Bettylou Sakura Johnson celebrated by sponsor RVCA following breakout WSL…</title>

Johnson, 20, reflected on her most recent season on the World Surf League's Championship Tour, in which she was in the 2025 Women's Final Five.

Hale‘iwa's Bettylou Sakura Johnson celebrated by sponsor RVCA following breakout WSL season

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Electric Co. has aims to raise $500 million through the sale of 

, or bonds, that will mature in eight years. The sale is expected to close next week.

The utility will use the net proceeds from the offering to finance capital expenditures, as well as repay or refinance debt, according to an 

 from its parent company, Hawaiian Electric Industries.

 earlier this week, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, that JPMorgan Chase & Co. was "holding meeting with investors over a possible high-yield bond sale for Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc."

The electricity supplier commenced calls with investors in the fixed-income market on Monday to discuss a potential $400 million senior, unsecured junk-bond deal, Hawaiian Electric said in a regulatory filing," Bloomberg wrote. "The bonds, which would mature in eight years, are expected to help fund capital expenditures and refinance debt."

You can find that filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, 

"Like other electric utilities, raising debt to fund capital expenditures and refinance maturing debt is a routine part of running our business," Darren Pai, manager of external communications for Hawaiian Electric, told Aloha State Daily in an email. "This kind of issuance is slightly unique for us in that it is a 'high yield' issuance; this just means it is 'higher interest rate' than it would be if our credit ratings were better (e.g., 'investment grade'). Our credit ratings were downgraded to sub-investment grade following the Maui wildfires because we are now considered higher risk — in the way that a person with perceived higher repayment risk would have a higher credit card interest rate. You can think of the term 'high yield' to essentially mean slightly higher interest rate."

As far as capital expenditures go, Pai says that electric utilities are "capital intensive," and constantly making investments into their infrastructure — thats why "regularly raising debt, as well as equity, to fund the investments is so routine across the industry."

"Last year, for example, Hawaiian Electric invested about $330 million of capital," he explained. "The capital we invest strengthens the resilience of our electricity grid, protects our communities from wildfires and other extreme weather events, improves the reliability of our power plants and increases the amount of clean energy power generation — among other things."

<title>Hawaiian Electric looks to raise $500M through the sale of bonds</title>

HECO will use the net proceeds from the offering to finance capital expenditures, as well as repay or refinance debt

Hawaiian Electric looks to raise $500M through the sale of bonds

ASD Staff

Adopt a Pet

Three-year-old terrier mix Bingo, formerly known as Kinako, was adopted on Aug. 8 by Matt Yoshika and Chiako Fukushima. 

Hawaiian Humane Society noted that "at the time of his adoption, Bingo was our longest stay resident between both of our campuses at just over 250 days in our care."

 foster homes, but he was still waiting for his perfect family."

When we met Bingo in his kennel, he was very shy, but something about his gentle presence made me want to get to know him more. We decided to do the Couch Crasher program, and as soon as we brought him home, he opened up. He is cuddly, playful, and so affectionate! Before the two-week trial period even ended, we knew he was the perfect fit and decided to officially adopt him.

"Since then, Bingo has been doing great. He’s incredibly sweet, loves greeting our guests, and everyone who meets him says they can’t believe he spent so much time in the shelter. Our lives have been filled with so much joy since he became part of our family. He’s already been on two camping trips, gone hiking with us, and enjoyed swimming at the beach. He has made many friends at the dog park, too."

For more information about how to adopt from the 

Hawaiian Humane Society, with two locations on Oʻahu, visit 

[{"type":"text","text":"More events happening this month"}]

Bring home twice the love with the Purr-fect Pairs Adoption Special! From now until September 30, adopt one kitten and the second kitten’s adoption fee is completely waived, says the 

Can’t commit to adopting? Other ways to help animals in need include signing up to be a 

. If you or someone you know need to surrender a pet, consider 

at Foodland, Sack N Save or Foodland Farms, which will be matched as part of its Give Aloha program to 

the Hawaiian Humane Society, among all participating organizations. More information 

[{"type":"text","text":"Stay up-to-date: "}]

09 10 2025 Bingo fka Kinako

<title>Adopt-a-Pet Sept. 11, 2025: Kinako, renamed Bingo, has found a furever family</title>

Three-year-old terrier mix Bingo, formerly known as Kinako, was adopted on Aug. 8 by Matt Yoshika and Chiako Fukushima. Aloha State Daily featured this 29-pound pooch on April 4.

Adopt-a-Pet Sept. 11, 2025: Kinako, renamed Bingo, has found a furever family

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Diamond Head Theatre, Mānoa Valley Theatre and Kumu Kahua Theatre are sharing performances of their first shows of the new theater season this week.

“Smother,” which was written by an Oʻahu-based playwright, had its world premiere on Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 28 at Kumu Kahua Theatre. “Come from Away” and “Da Mayah” start shows on Sept. 11 at 

Mānoa Valley Theatre, respectively. Learn more about each production and how to get tickets: 

 Diamond Head Theatre is launching its next season of shows with performances of “Come from Away,” a Tony Award-winning musical inspired by the 38 planes grounded in Canada after U.S. air space was closed following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Performances run through Sept 28. Opening night is Sept. 11 for first responders and Sept. 12 for the general public. 

As part of preparations for the show, actors and actresses spoke with Chef Vikram Garg, who runs UMI by Vikram Garg, located in the lobby of Halepuna Waikīkī by Halekulani. The Honolulu chef was among the people stranded in Canada and helped organize massive food efforts in makeshift kitchens to serve thousands of meals to the stranded passengers.

The cast includes Howard Bishop as Claude, Andrew Erwin as Oz, Kalani Hicks as Nick/Doug, Samuel Tofolo as Kevin J. , Isaiah Gundermann Graham as Bob, Jarren Amian as Bob, Vanessa Manuel-Mazullo as Beluah, Marisa Noelle Capalbo as Bonnie, Courtney Watanabe as Diane,  Leleaʻe “Buffy” Kahalepuna-Wong as Hannah, Ainsley Shearer as Janice and Chelsea LeValley as Beverely/Anette. 

 can add playwright to her resume, following performances of 

 which had its world premiere on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Kumu Kahua Theatre. “Smother” tells the story of a mother who goes to extreme lengths to control her daughter’s love life. 

On Sept. 12, the theater will launch its first Kumu Kahua Theatre Ladies Night, which allows attendees to buy one ticket and get a second one for free to that night’s performance by using the code “LADIES” at the box office or online. On the same day, the nearby Black Shamrock Tavern will also offer a themed drink called the Ginpenny Cocktail, which includes gin and limeade, for $6.

The show is directed by Harry Wong III and showcases Shannon Winpenny as Marcia, the mother, along with Kirstyn Trombetta as her daughter, Julia. Other featured actors include Kenia Chacon, Andrew Chow, Daron Gaskin, Alysia-Leila Kepa‘a, Kirk Alexander Lapilio, Kris10 Misaki and Jackie Young.  

Mānoa Valley Theatre launched its 2025-2026 season with “Da Mayah,” an island-style comedy that runs Sept. 11- 28. Set in Hilo, it follows a new mayor with a shady past and involves a loyal assistant, hitman and karaoke bar owner.

“We’re thrilled to open our season with a true local gem that reflects our community’s humor, resilience, and spirit,” said Kathleen Young, the theatre’s executive director, in a written statement. “Lee Cataluna’s work is deeply rooted in Hawai‘i’s storytelling tradition, and ‘Da Mayah’ is both wildly entertaining and wonderfully relatable.”

“Da Mayah"

<title>Three theater productions to see this week</title>

Ready to watch live performances? These Oʻahu-based theater organizations are performing the first shows of their seasons. Get ready to be transported to Canada and Hilo, all while exploring universal themes from a seat by the stage.

Three theater productions to see this week

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Ala Moana Shopping Center is said to be the largest open-air mall in the world, but its beginnings were far humbler. Long before the plans were drawn and the foundation was laid, this flat, sandy area was once filled with loko i‘a (fishponds) and loko i‘a kalo (taro fields used to raise small fish). The ‘ili (land division) of Kālia ran from the ‘Ewa end of Ala Moana Center to what is now Halekūlani Hotel.

Within these wetlands, wildlife was abundant, and Hawaiian families lived and worked to care for the land and feed their people. They raised their children here, and served their ali‘i as was required, and lived out their years as a community of abundance. 

In the 1920s, the landscape of Kālia changed drastically as the Ala Wai Canal was created. The marshes, the lo‘i kalo, and loko i‘a were filled in with the dredge from the canal project, leaving a foundation for future developers. Later, a daring idea of an expansive, two-level, open-air mall broke ground. In August 1959, Ala Moana opened its doors, and almost overnight, it reshaped Honolulu’s commercial landscape. Where Fort Street once bustled as the city’s premier shopping district, lined with department stores and filled with foot traffic, Ala Moana offered something new and modern. With its wide walkways, ample parking, and a design that encouraged strolling between open-air shops, the mall became the city’s new hub for commerce and social life.

The shopping mall grew steadily, adding new wings and anchor stores as Honolulu expanded around it. Soon, Ala Moana Center was recognized as an international destination, blending entertainment, everyday necessities, and luxury stores. Its stage in the center court became a place for hula shows, school performances, and community events, reminding shoppers that the center is also a gathering place.

But beneath the polished storefronts and bustling walkways lies a much older story—one that reaches back to the days when Kālia was nothing more than sand, wetlands, and fishponds. In those sands, generations of Hawaiians laid their loved ones to rest. Though the newspapers of the 1950s said nothing of such discoveries during construction, the uncovering of pre-contact burials in the immediate vicinity in recent years reminds us that Ala Moana was not built on empty ground.

Behind the scenes, often out of view of the customers, Ala Moana Shopping Center takes on another life entirely. Employees who have worked its halls day in and day out tell of shadows that do not belong to any living person, of whispers caught in the stillness, and of presences that refuse to let go of the space.

One former worker at Sears confessed that the stockroom was unbearably haunted. At first, she just saw glimpses of a small girl darting between racks where no child should have been. After a few weeks, sightings of this girl were constant, even early in the mornings before the store opened. Another person stated that he once saw a man gliding across the sales floor in the middle of the day. He emphasized gliding.

“As in, his body didn’t bounce like a normal person walking,” he said, “The dude literally floated across the floor because he had no feet!”

There were strange sounds, too. At night, it sounded like hangers scraping over the metal bars of the clothing racks when no one was nearby. Others claimed to hear heavy ladders being dragged across the tile floors. The most numerous complaints were strange footsteps. One person said they’d often hear steps behind them as if someone was following them. Another said they heard what sounded like dozens of people walking past, but the store was already closed and no one was there.

And then there are the stories from the loading docks, places few shoppers ever notice. One man remembers working late at night, running air conditioning conduits overhead along the Mauka side and through the service corridor near where the old Arby’s used to be. As they approached the service corridor, one man jumped down from the scissor lift to open the door. He struggled a bit and realized that it was locked tight, the knob refusing to turn.

He turned around and started walking back to the lift, calling out, “The door’s locked!”

Suddenly, the door swung open behind him. For a long moment, no one spoke. The four men stared at the open doorway, the echo of what had just happened leaving their skin cold. Two decades later, the memory still lingers, sharper than any dream.

Another construction worker shared his story about the area when Foodland used to be near the Post Office. They were working on renovations, and in the middle of the day, he saw a Hawaiian woman walking through the construction area. He yelled at her because she was barefoot and not wearing a hard hat. As he rushed to approach her, he said she just walked right through the wall.

The old-timers at Sears whispered that Ala Moana sits atop a portal, a crossing point for spirits. Although the center has changed dramatically over the years, some things, like hauntings and portals, neer go away. Maybe it was the sandy ground, once used for burials, or maybe something older still, tied to the waters and fishponds that once filled Kālia. Whatever the reason, the mall seems to hold open a door to the other side.

Ala Moana Loading Dock Gates Large

<title>Hauntings at Hawai‘i’s Biggest Mall</title>

With a long history of Hawaiians living in the area prior to Ala Mona Center's development, the shopping center has been home to many strange and eerie sightings.

Hauntings at Hawai‘i’s Biggest Mall

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Kamehameha Schools is facing a possible legal challenge over its admissions policy.

The Virginia-based nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions launched a 

 Thursday condemning Kamehameha Schools’ policy granting preference to Native Hawaiian students over any others.

“We believe that focus on ancestry, rather than merit or need, is neither fair nor legal, and we are committed to ending Kamehameha’s unlawful admissions policies in court,” reads the website.

While no court case has yet been filed, the message on the website urges parents whose children have been denied admission to Kamehameha Schools to share their stories.

Students for Fair Admissions has launched other campaigns against affirmative action policies at other schools. In particular, in 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court found that race-based admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were unconstitutional as a result of cases brought by the group's founder, Edward Blum.

Blum is a conservative activist with a lengthy career of lawsuits against various policies or procedures that, he argues, are unfairly preferential to minority or ethnic groups.

Kamehameha Schools issued a statement on the matter Thursday assuring that they are “confident that our policy aligns with established law, and we will prevail.”

“We anticipated that our nearly 140-year-old admissions policy, providing preference to Native Hawaiian children, would again be challenged,” the statement read. “…Our kula and operational leaders are prepared and committed to vigorously defending the vision of Ke Ali‘i Pauahi.”

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees made its own statement, calling SFFA’s challenge “not only a direct affront to the will and legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, but also an attack on the right of Native Hawaiians to care for our own, on our own terms.”

OHA’s statement noted that SFFA has no connection or commitment to Hawai‘i and that its challenge is not new, but represents one component of an escalating series of attacks against “the hard-won protections that enable our people to heal, rise and chart our future.”

In a 2003 lawsuit, Doe v. Kamehameha Schools, a U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the schools after an unnamed teenager — who was not Native Hawaiian — sought admission to Kamehameha Schools.

, Kamehameha Schools defended its policy on the grounds that it is a privately funded school system and that it exists to correct ongoing imbalances facing Native Hawaiians, particularly an educational need recognized by the U.S. Congress.

 in 2006 that the admissions policy is valid and “designed to counteract the significant, current educational deficits of Native Hawaiian children in Hawai‘i,” Kamehameha Schools 

 $7 million to the student a year later when the case was poised to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Aloha State Daily reached out to OHA, Kamehameha Schools and SFFA for comment.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stink eye

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stink eye

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Surf report

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Story time

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