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Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Pokémon go</title>

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Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property on Hawai‘i Island’s Kohala Coast, has unveiled a new $180 million-plus renovation it says is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

The renovation, which spans both the hotel’s Main Tower and Beachfront Wing, includes 252 “fully reimagined” guest rooms and suites, along with a refreshed family resort pool with a new oceanfront hot tub and five private cabanas, a recent announcement noted.

Additions throughout both wings include handcrafted textiles, ceiling fans and plantation shutters, bedside lighting control panels, glass lānai doors, bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and more.

There’s also a new oceanfront wellness retreat with a state-of-the-art, 2,500-square-foot fitness center and an adults-only infinity lap pool along with refreshed public spaces with a curated gallery from the Rockefeller Art Collection.

According to the hotel, photovoltaic solar panels that supply about 45% of the resort’s overall electrical energy needs have also been added.

Other enhancements include the redesign of the Mauna Kea Golf Course by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the opening of the 28,000-square-foot 

, upgraded in-room amenities, and updates to the hotel’s restaurants, the announcement notes.

, for example, is a “re-concepting” of the resort’s beachfront dining venue, the announcement notes. Its lunch menu will include items like salads, burgers and Baja-style fish tacos, and evenings will feature contemporary regional Mexican dishes.

 restaurant also received a “refresh and introduced a new hyper garden-to-table menu” the hotels says is centered on local and seasonal ingredients that come from Big Island farmers, fishermen, ranchers and the resort’s new ‘Ulu Garden.

And coming this spring is The Spa at Mauna Kea, which will offer 11 treatment rooms, purification gardens, steam and sauna facilities, a pool and more.

“This renovation was always part of our long-term vision for Mauna Kea Beach Hotel,” hotel manager Kansas Henderson said in a statement provided to ASD. “Plans for the transformation were already underway prior to the [Covid-19] pandemic, and while it understandably paused our timeline, it did not pause our commitment. 

“As travel resumed around the globe, ownership recognized it was the right time to bring this long-planned vision to life, honoring our responsibility to preserve the hotel’s historic legacy and its culturally significant art collection while delivering the elevated and unforgettable experience today’s guests expect. The timing ultimately reflects both commitment and responsibility, ensuring Mauna Kea continues to create lasting memories for generations to come.”

Henderson says that on average, the hotel hosts approximately 25,000 visitors each year.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel opened with 154 rooms in July 1965.

“It was while swimming in the turquoise waters of Kauna‘oa Bay, surrounded by a vast landscape of lava rock and ranchland with clear views of Maunakea’s summit, that American conservationist and venture capitalist Laurance S. Rockefeller decided to build Hawai‘i Island’s first resort,” a history on the 

. “His inspiration to capture the spirit of this special place and ensure the hotel conformed to, rather than intruded upon, these beautiful natural surroundings, became today’s Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Its $15 million build-out made the hotel the most expensive hotel ever built at the time, the site states. Room rates started at $43 per night and included breakfast and dinner. The hotel expanded in 1968 with the Beachfront Wing and has undergone other renovations over the years.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel shares 1,839 oceanfront acres with The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort and Mauna Kea Residences, which together form the Mauna Kea Resort.

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Mauna Kea Beach Hotel 1

<title>Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation</title>

The hotel says this is the “most extensive transformation in the property’s 60-year history.”

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel debuts $180M renovation

Architect Francis Oda, one of the founders of G70, died Feb. 14 surrounded by family, including wife Caroline and children Reid and Nalani. He was 84.

Francis was more than one of our founders — he was a mentor, spiritual father and source of inspiration for everyone who had the privilege of working with him,” G70 CEO Linda Miki said in an announcement of his passing on Wednesday. “His legacy lives on in our G70 ‘ohana, our projects and our commitment to serving Hawai‘i and beyond with integrity and car

[{"type":"text","text":"Oda led the firm, founded in 1971, for more than 50 years."}]

His work helped shape Hawai‘i’s built environment and reflected his deep respect for culture, community and place,” G70 says. “Over the course of his career, he mentored generations of professionals whose work continues to reflect his values of excellence, humility and service.”

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Oda made his first trip to the Mainland in 1959 to study architecture at Cornell University, according to the university’s 

“At the time, no one in his family had ever visited the contiguous U.S. and jetliner travel wasn’t available,” the write-up notes. “It took Oda five days just to reach the Cornell campus.”

He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell and a Doctor of Architecture from the University of Hawai‘i, where he was a “distinguished alumnus” and helped develop the Doctor of Architecture program, G70 noted.

Oda also was an adjunct associate professor at the UH School of Architecture.

According to G70, Oda received more than 50 design awards throughout his career, including the American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Our Divine Savior Church in Chico, California.

 His award-winning projects include the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, the Four Seasons Mānele Bay Hotel, Hanauma Bay Nature Center and the Nanea Golf Clubhouse

He also helped envision master plans and design guidelines for the city of Kapolei, the UH Long Range Development Program, Kanu o ka ‘Āina and Kamehameha Schools Kaiaulu o Kaka’ako Masterplan

, and designed several international projects in French Polynesia, Mauritius and Canada, the firm noted.

Oda was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, designated a Mānoa Forum Fellow by UH, received the 

 and was inducted into the Hawai‘i Business Hall of Fame.

, the 2026 president of AIA Honolulu, the Honolulu chapter of the American Institute for Architects, and an associate principal at G70, told Aloha State Daily in an email that Hawai‘i has lost "one of its most influential voices in Francis Oda."

"I remember sitting with Francis a few years ago — he asked us what we were dreaming about. Not what we were working on. Not what our goals were. What we were dreaming. Then he asked about our reality. He understood that balance — between the possible and the present — and that is what stays with me," Hirai says.

"For Hawaiʻi's architectural community, he was one of a kind. He identified early on that our profession carries a unique responsibility — to place, to culture, to the people who experience what we design. You see it in the buildings he left behind across these Islands and beyond. You see it in the culture he built at G70. And you see it in the people he mentored — who are now doing the same for others.

"As AIA Honolulu president, that question still challenges me — what are we dreaming about? What could our profession look like if the next generation had people willing to push their thinking the way Francis pushed ours?"

 of what was then called The Hawai‘i Society, the American Institute of Architects. You can read a 1982 interview with Oda in 

Recently, though, the architect was featured in newest episode of AIA Honolulu’s Let’s Talk Story series, a video and podcast highlighting conversations between an emerging and experienced architect. You can watch the video and listen to the podcast, 

[{"type":"text","text":"Hirai encourages those who didn't know Oda personally to take a listen."}]

"I'll be honest — hearing his voice again is not easy," Hirai says. "But it's an incredible way to experience who he was, and to celebrate everything he gave this profession and the community he loved."

"The Hawaii Architectural Foundation mourns the passing of Francis Oda, FAIA, whose career reflected an exemplary commitment to architecture and a deep devotion to the community he served," HAF President Katherine MacNeil told ASD in an email. "A recipient of the Foundation’s Gordon W. Bradley Humanitarian Award, Francis was recognized for his far-reaching leadership and enduring contributions to Hawaiʻi’s civic and cultural life. Elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he embodied professional excellence and principled leadership. Through award-winning architecture, visionary master planning, and dedication to architectural education, he strengthened Hawaiʻi’s built environment and the profession. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations."

In addition to his work, Oda was also a senior pastor and board chair of New Life Church Honolulu and served as global chair of Transform Our World.

A celebration of life service is set for Saturday, April 25, at First Assembly of God — Red Hill, Moanalua.

Francis Oda G70 03 A6249

<title>Architect Francis Oda, founder of G70, dies at 84</title>

Hawai‘i has lost "one of its most influential voices," Lance Hirai, the 2026 president of AIA Honolulu and an associate principal at G70, says.

Architect Francis Oda, founder of G70, dies at 84

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

Another investigation into a fatal police shooting has cleared the officers of wrongdoing.

In 2024, four Honolulu Police officers shot 56-year-old Eric Walsh 15 times in a Waikīkī apartment building. On Wednesday, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm announced that the officers’ use of lethal force was justified and that no charges will be filed against them.

While the incident that ended in Walsh’s death took place between July 18 and 19 in 2024, the events that led to it began weeks before. On July 3, a man matching Walsh’s description entered a bank in Kāne‘ohe and delivered a teller a handwritten note reading “This is a robbery. Do not move your hands or feet or say a word.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The teller complied and gave the robber $1,100 in cash before he left."}]

Five days later, another robbery took place at another bank in Kailua. The robber delivered a teller a similar handwritten note and walked away with about $5,200 in cash, though not before apologizing to the teller for the stressful situation.

By the time a third robbery took place at a Pearl City bank on July 16 — during which the robber made off with approximately $6,646 — HPD detectives had identified Walsh as the primary suspect. Walsh had 27 prior felony convictions, mostly for various forms of identity theft, and his probation officer identified Walsh in the banks' surveillance footage.

On July 18, officers learned that Walsh was staying with a girlfriend at an apartment building on Ala Wai Boulevard in Waikīkī. While the girlfriend initially told officers that she hadn’t seen Walsh, a neighbor later told officers that Walsh was in her apartment and that he was armed with a handgun.

This initiated a lengthy standoff, with two teams of officers stationed in the apartment hallway, counter-sniper teams across the street, and a police robot physically blocking the apartment door. Walsh repeatedly shouted that he wouldn’t comply and reportedly racked his firearm loudly and frequently.

At one point, Walsh shouted that he was high on meth and taunted officers, telling them to “come in here and get me.”

But in the early hours of July 19, Walsh — having endured multiple rounds of tear gassing — left the apartment. As he walked toward officers, raising his pistol, the four-officer team opened fire.

Alm said Wednesday that 15 shots struck Walsh, but added that more shots were likely fired that missed the target.

“It may seem like a lot, but each officer in that situation assumes they’re the one who has to shoot,” Alm said.

According to the prosecuting attorney’s report, Walsh seemingly shot two officers during the final gundown, but they were uninjured. Officers found Walsh was only armed with an air pistol, a replica Glock handgun only capable of firing BBs. No other weapon was found on Walsh’s body or in the apartment.

Alm said Wednesday that the pistol did not have the orange tip on the barrel that typically distinguishes air guns from real firearms, and looked like the genuine article from a distance.

“These realistic replicas have caused some real problems, here and on the mainland,” Alm said, adding that he is unaware of any legal regulations that apply to the sale of realistic replica guns.

 does require that all toy and imitation firearms transported or sold within the country have markings such as the orange tip, although there is no law against removing or painting over those markings.

 prohibit the public display of air guns or replica guns and require that any transaction involving an air gun take place between parties at least 18 years old, unless a child’s parent or guardian is involved in the transaction.

Walsh, declared dead shortly after the shooting, was found to have meth, cocaine and benzodiazepines, a category of depressant drugs.

Alm’s office has investigated in the past year

, Alm concluded that the incident was yet another case of “suicide by cop,” that Walsh clearly wanted to be killed and, by appearing to be a “violent and desperate” man, forced officers to oblige.

“I wish that folks who felt this depressed, who feel that living is too difficult, would get the help they need,” Alm said.

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<title>HPD justified in 2024 Waikīkī fatal shooting</title>

Eric Walsh was shot 15 times in Waikīkī following a string of bank robberies.

HPD justified in 2024 Waikīkī fatal shooting

Christine Hitt

Viewpoints

Arts & Entertainment

[{"type":"text","text":"To Kaleʻa Raymond, kapa is something to be worn, lived in and loved."}]

“It is a reverent thing to have a piece of kapa,” says Raymond, owner of Laʻahana Creations, which sells handcrafted, wearable kapa accessories. “But a lot of Kānaka Hawaiʻi, when they receive a piece of kapa, or you know, they make a piece of kapa, it goes on the wall, or it goes into a cabinet. It’s loved and it’s precious, but it’s not used, right?”

Raymond, who learned kapa-making from her mother, kapa practitioner and teacher Lisa Schattenburg-Raymond, wanted to change that. “I wanted to start doing things where people could wear kapa again,” she said.

Her vision was to make wearable kapa pieces, so she started by making hat bands in 2021 and then earrings in 2022. “I’m still expanding the things that I make,” Raymond said, “but it’s pieces that people can wear every day.”

Each hat band features a uniquely patterned piece of kapa, set on felt and secured to the hat with a ribbon or Velcro. She offers the hat bands as custom orders, allowing her to tailor each one to the individual hat. The earrings come in different colors in wire frames, from circles to crescent moons to triangles to diamond shapes — each pair also uniquely patterned using native dyes.

Raymond is now experimenting with other kinds of products, such as belts, bracelets and necklaces, but wants to make sure that they stay affordable and wearable. “Everything that I make, I wear-test. I make sure that they’re going to hold up,” she says. One day, she would really like to add a lei hulu-style of kapa adornment.

Born and raised on Maui, Raymond attended a Hawaiian immersion school before earning a degree from UH Mānoa with a focus in costume design. She moved to California and lived there for seven years to pursue a career in costuming but felt a longing to return to Maui in 2019. It wasn’t until she moved back that she reconnected with kapa and found herself drawn to it.

“The pandemic was a really unfortunate thing for many, but it was really fortuitous for me because being with my parents, and with my mom in particular, she gave me a deep dive into kapa,” Raymond said with a laugh, amused by the memory. “I did the full immersion experience with my mother. And I’m very grateful for that and I’m still learning.”

The name of her business, Laʻahana Creations, is in reference to a moʻolelo about two sisters who are kapa makers. Lauhuʻiki is the one who is knowledgeable in harvesting and processing, while Laʻahana is skilled in decorating.

“When I first heard that story, and I was first starting on my kapa journey, I realized that Lauhuʻiki and Laʻahana are my mom and I,” she smiled, noting that her mom has the green thumb while she has a passion for art.

To make the kapa pieces, she and her mom grow, harvest, and process the wauke (paper mulberry) themselves.

“My mother and I, when we’re making kapa, especially the watermarked pieces, we usually tend to do large sheets instead of just a small piece, and that can take between 20 to 30 hours of beating,” Raymond said.

“We only do it in four-hour periods, otherwise your body just hurts.” It takes focus, she explains, as they must listen and watch what they’re doing to move the fibers over.

She uses traditional dyes to print the kapa patterns, harvesting plants and materials sustainably. “I make my own ink in a traditional way. I use all handmade ohe kapala (bamboo stamps) from Nalu Andrade of Nā Maka Kahiko. He hand-carves all my ohe kapala,” Raymond said.

Because the kapa is delicate, she fully encases all the earrings in resin to protect them. The resin is see-through and preserves the kapa for longer wear.

Raymond has a strong passion for kapa making, and dreams of there one day being “a hui of kapa makers together to make a 10-layer, 12-foot-long hula pāʻū and have somebody perform in it,” she said.

“With our growing connection back to our ancestors, we’re having more men wearing malo, but we don’t have a lot of women wearing pāʻū,” referring to history books about hula dancers and the kapa pieces that were worn.

While that may be her lifetime goal, for now she would like to see more people making and wearing kapa — and that’s what she’s working toward through her business.

This article is reprinted with permission from 

," OHA's Ka Wai Ola newspaper, November 2025, Vol. 42 No. 11. Read more at 

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