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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"My cart would probably look the same too!"}]

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Erickonda__

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @Erickonda__, who definitely needs to buy another check-in bag.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

An NCAA Tournament men's volleyball match hasn't been played at the Stan Sheriff Center since 2004, but if the University of Hawai‘i continues its winning ways, that could change in a matter of weeks. 

The NCAA men's volleyball tournament has expanded by one team each year since having seven teams in 2023. In 2026, the NCAA is making a sizable jump to 12 teams after having nine teams in the field in 2025. 

The new format in 2026 consists of the top four seeds hosting pods of three teams. After the two lower seeds in each region play each other, the winner will play the host team. Hosts and dates will be determined during the NCAA selection show on April 26. 

Each regional winner will then meet at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion from May 9-11 for the national semifinals and finals. 

In 2026, the University of Hawai‘i is currently 21-3 overall and off to a 4-0 start in Big West Conference play. The Rainbow Warriors are the No. 2 team in the country behind UCLA in both the AVCA national poll and RPI rankings. 

Although the 'Bows would be in line to host a regional as it currently stands, head coach Charlie Wade doesn't want to assume anything quite yet. 

"Pretty exciting," Wade says of the possibility of hosting a regional. "But I'm somewhat reserved on that, just from past experiences. Typically, the NCAA flying people out here has been a challenge for them to make that decision. So, we're just focused on winning as many games we can to put ourselves in a position that we're considered to be one of those teams."

The 'Bows are nearly halfway done with Big West Conference play, sweeping No. 8 UC Santa Barbara over the weekend, which was preceded by a 

convincing series sweep at Long Beach State the week before

Another test awaits the Rainbow Warriors this week in a road series at UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday. The Anteaters are currently the No. 5 team in RPI as well as in the AVCA poll. After flying back home for a few days, the 'Bows will hit the road again for a two-match series at UC San Diego on April 10 and 11. 

"We've been doing it for a while," Wade says of the back-and-forth travel between O‘ahu and California. "They're pretty used to it. I feel pretty confident that we'll be ready to play."

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Kainoa Wade 040126

<title>No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match</title>

If the Rainbow Warriors maintain their winning ways, an NCAA Tournament match could be played at the Stan Sheriff Center in May, thanks to an expanded field in 2026.

No. 2 Hawai‘i men's volleyball on pace to host NCAA Tournament match

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

The Hawai‘i Department of Education is lagging far behind a state deadline to bring more local foods into school lunches, a state audit has found.

The Department of Agriculture began a “Farm to School” program in 2015, as part of an effort to promote local food production and improve student health. By 2021, that program was transferred to the Department of Education along with a goal: to ensure than 10% of school meals be made of locally sourced food by 2025, and 30% by 2030.

[{"type":"text","text":"But by 2025, the DOE had seemingly failed to reach that first goal. "}]

 found that it was impossible to quantify how much local food was actually being sourced for the program. However, between 2023 and 2024, only 5.4% of DOE’s total food expenses — about $4.4 million out of more than $82 million — was spent on local food.

By the end of this year, DOE benchmarks suggest that the department’s school lunches should be composed of at least 18% local products. 

Even as the department’s food expenses have ballooned over the last five years — DOE reportedly spent $50 million on food during the 2021-2022 school year, the first year of full in-person instruction after the Covid school closures — local food expenses have not grown commensurately. Local food made up 6.2%, or $3.1 million of the 2021-2022 food budget, and for the 2022-2023 school year, that percentage shrunk to 6.1%, or $3.9 million out of the $64 million food budget.

The audit concluded that the program had very little departmental oversight. A Farm to School Coordinator the DOE hired in 2023 — unnamed in the report — only took “negligible” actions toward advancing the program, delivering “late, incomplete, inaccurate and, therefore, unreliable” reports about the program’s progress.

That Coordinator reportedly told the state Auditor that he thought when he was hired that he had the responsibility to meet the mandated deadlines, but he later concluded that he was merely “the leader of gathering information and making reports,” with only the authority “to ask and suggest.”

Meanwhile, at the individual school level, cafeteria managers who procure food for school lunches often had few options to purchase locally sourced products. A system by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Order/Receipt System, or FFAVORS — is meant to help schools procure locally sourced produce, aided by USDA funding.

However, the audit reported that DOE didn’t even spend all of its USDA credits: in the 2023-2024 school year, the DOE received $5.5 million in USDA credits, but left $1 million unspent, which were subsequently redistributed among the states.

At the state level, DOE maintains lists of distributors of produce, dairy products and ground beef. But those foods are not themselves necessarily sourced from in-state: the audit found that those lists make no differentiation between local and imported items.

In any event, DOE’s record system does not track whether a given food purchase is local, and the audit cast doubt on whether the information that is tracked can be trusted. Annual reports of Farm to School spending showed discrepancies with DOE spending reports to the legislature, with those discrepancies ranging from $700,000 in the 2023-2024 school year, to an $11.2 million gap from the previous year.

DOE could have rectified these reporting gaps using a new tracking system, called Titan, that went live in 2024. But Titan’s rollout was wracked with problems: the audit found that many cafeteria managers never used the new system at all, while those that did use the system complained of having been insufficiently trained.

Eventually, the state found that DOE had improperly procured Titan, leading to more than $20 million in withheld federal reimbursements until, in May 2025, Titan was discontinued, leaving cafeteria managers to continue to document their purchases on index cards.

The audit ultimately concluded that DOE never appeared to prioritize meeting the mandated deadlines and never made any intentional effort to increase spending on local produce.

However, the audit also reported that local distributors don’t believe the 30% goal is attainable by 2030. Produce such as broccoli and carrots simply don’t grow well in Hawai‘i, and distributors reportedly believe that local farmers cannot produce at a scale commensurate with DOE’s needs.

DOE responded to the audit in broad agreement with a series of recommendations for more formal organization and strategic planning. DOE claimed that it is in the process of transitioning to standardized menus in the 2026-2027 school year, along with electronic food ordering systems to prioritize local food purchases and ensure that all USDA credits are used.

[{"type":"text","text":"Aloha State Daily reached out to DOE for further comment."}]

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<title>Farm to School program leaves student lunches "essentially unchanged," audit finds</title>

The Department of Education has until 2030 to ensure that 30% of school meals be made of locally sourced food. By 2025, the department managed only 5.4%.

Farm to School program leaves student lunches "essentially unchanged," audit finds

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Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Real Estate

A Waikīkī project more than five years in the making has hit a milestone.

Developers last week topped off Ka Haku, a Hilton Club, a new timeshare property under construction by Hilton Grand Vacations, an Orlando-based timeshare company.

Dozens celebrated the topping off Friday at the Honolulu Zoo, including leaders and from HGV and Nordic PCL, the project's contractor, among others.

A senior superintendent told the crowd gathered that getting to this point was a group effort.

"There's a lot of work that's been put into this project, and it does take the group to get to where we're at," they said. "The structure top-off is a major milestone. Let's celebrate it today. Let's enjoy ourselves today. But we still have a lot of work to do."

Located at the former King's Village site at 131 Ka‘iulani Ave., the timeshare offers 213 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites; a private arrival and departure lounge; state-of-the-art fitness center, pool and pool bar; and a Japanese-style bathhouse.

Tyler Middleton, senior director of development for Hilton Grand Vacations, told Aloha State Daily on Friday that construction on the project began in 2019, "and we were about a year into all of the underground work and then Covid hit."

"We made the decision to shut the project down," he continued. "We quickly became the most expensive parking lot in Waikīkī."

Middleton says the developer got approval to restart the project in spring 2023 and "remobilized" that fall. Ka Haku is expected to be finished and open in summer 2026.

The last of the concrete has been poured and the roof has been completed, but Middleton notes that the crane will remain on site for a few more months to lift some heavy equipment onto the rooftop and into the tower.

As for the work that remains, he told ASD, "It's just going to be all the interior work," including mechanical, plumbing and electrical, furniture, mill work, finishes, paint, wall coverings, tile, flooring and more, as well as the work in the public areas.

[{"type":"text","text":"There will be two retail spaces on the ground floor, Middleton says."}]

After nearly six years, Middleton says it "feels great" to reach this point.

"[At the] end of the day, Hilton Grand Vacations has had very little to do with it other than selecting a great team to build the project, and [we] couldn't be more proud of everyone that's had their hands, their fingerprints on this project and to get us where we are today."

HGV currently operates 13 resorts across four islands, including six on O‘ahu. Ka Haku — which HGV says is named in honor of Prince Albert Kamehameha — is the 14th Hilton Grand Vacation resort in the state and is the only Hilton Club in Hawai‘i. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Middleton says Hilton Club is the company's \"luxury brand.\""}]

[{"type":"text","text":"He declined to disclose the cost of the project."}]

When asked what the project means for the Waikīkī community, he said, "This is just a continued testament that Hilton Grand Vacations is 100% committed to Waikīkī, O‘ahu, the Hawaiian Islands."

According to Middleton, the project has generated more than 500 construction industry jobs during the build, and will support 150 to 175 full-time employees once it opens.

He said, too, that HGV also will make a $1 million contribution to support projects selected by the Honolulu City Council that will "benefit both residents and visitors here in Waikīkī." Additionally, HGV will make a donation to the Waikīkī Community center for every sale, approximately $10,000.

Ka haku hilton grand vacations

<title>Waikīkī timeshare hits major development milestone</title>

Developers last week topped off Ka Haku, a Hilton Club, a new timeshare property under construction by Hilton Grand Vacations.

Waikīkī timeshare hits major development milestone

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Kamapuaʻa, the wild and rebellious demigod, is usually found in Hawai‘i’s lush, rain-drenched forests and valleys. Part man and part pig, Kamapua‘a is a shape-shifter whose most common form is that of a large wild hog. His restless spirit drew the fury and disdain of Pele, the fiery goddess of the volcano, but he pursued her relentlessly.

With his boundless passion, the nature of the pig god’s affinity for cooling rains and verdant lands countered Pele’s tempestuous fire and her lava’s destructive creation. The relationship between the two was filled first with anger and violence and then with wild desire. Eventually, Kamapua‘a could never tame the goddess’ flames, and Pele could not cage the demigod.

In their final epic battle, the pair realized it was impossible to destroy one another. Kamapua‘a proposed a truce, and the pair agreed that Pele would remain on her side of the island where it is hot and arid, and Kamapua‘a would remain on his side, where it is cool and lush, and none shall trespass into the other’s domain. From this ancient feud comes the superstition of carrying pork from one side of the island to the other.

Locals on O‘ahu will be quick to tell you, “Don’t bring pork over the Pali!”

This is a warning that if you should bring pork from Kailua over the Nu‘uanu Pali, you are carrying the kinolau (the embodiment) of Kamapua‘a into Pele’s territory, angering her. Personal stories of car trouble, strange occurrences, and even ghostly encounters from people who had pork in their cars reinforced this belief, with the scary events only ceasing once the pork was removed.

The story of bringing pork over the Pali is just one layer of the complex and spiritual history surrounding this place. If you ask different people why the Pali is haunted, you’ll likely get several vastly different answers, and most of those answers might be true. This haunting, spiritually powerful place has a long and violent history. It’s not just one thing that haunts the Pali; it’s many. 

In 1947, ten years before the first Pali tunnel was completed, a group of young men and women had been discussing the supernatural and learned that, under certain conditions, “spooks” could be seen at the Nu‘uanu Pali. They initially took this information as a joke and decided to test the theory just after midnight. Upon the advice of their Hawaiian friends, they brought with them some raw pork and fish. The night was very dark, and there was no moon.

Just around midnight, they drove up to the lookout, parked their car facing the plaque dedicated to King Kamehameha I, and sat there in the dark, waiting for something to happen. After a short while, one woman alerted the group to a large figure that looked like a man sitting on the side of the hill with his arms locked over his knees.

The driver turned on the car’s headlights, and the figure moved. When the lights were turned off, it suddenly reappeared in a different place. Although the night was dark, the figure was clearly visible, and the group watched in horror as the ghostly man changed his shape to that of an animal. The group tossed the pork out of the car, and in that instant, the awful odor of death and decomposition enveloped them. 

Around 12:45 am, this group of young men and women entered the police station and excitedly shared their terrifying experience with the police lieutenant on the midnight watch. Although the story may have impressed the Lieutenant, his only comment to the newspaper was, “They threw away pork at $1 a pound!”

What or who did these five young adults encounter? Could the strange figure have been the demigod, Kamapua‘a? What is your experience in bringing pork over the Pali?

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When locals become tourists

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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