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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Amy Schwab. "

I took it from my backyard in Kaimukī. I was soaking in some moon beams. 

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

25 10 7 HAWAII SKIES AMY SCHWAB

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Moon beams</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Amy Schwab in Kaimukī.

Hawai'i Skies: Moon beams

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Amy Schwab. "I took it from my backyard in Kaimukī. I was soaking in some moon beams. The sky whispers, the flowers listen." To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

s is hosting its first Battle of the Bands and Comedians. The fourth round of competition takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 

. Aloha State Daily is the media sponsor for the series.

Over the past few weeks, a panel of judges have been selecting one band and one comedian from each round to advance directly to the finals. On Nov. 21, five bands and five comedians will compete in the finals at The Gatsby in Kakaʻako.

The second-place finishers for each of the first four rounds of competition get a chance to qualify for the finals as a wildcard, if they are voted in by fans. Their names will be listed on the 

 from Nov. 10 -16. During that time, fans can vote for the band and comedian they want to see compete in the finals.

The third round took place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Lava Sports Bar & Grill in Kailua

. The comedians were Ian Shippen, Kanoa Morse and Pepper Lamb. Tehani and Ian Shippen advanced to the finals.

bands in the fourth round on Sunday, Nov. 9, include 

Cajun Peaches, The Issentials and Take One

. The comedians include Mutiyaa Vision, Andrew Joyce and Jack Schwab.

Tehani

<title>Battle of the Bands and Comedians: tickets on sale for next round</title>

HI93 FM Hawaiʻi’s Local Hits is hosting a battle of the bands and comedians. The fourth round of competition is this Sunday, Nov. 9.  In just a few weeks, five bands and five comedians will come together for the finals of the competition, held Friday, Nov. 21, at The Gatsby in Kakaʻako.

Battle of the Bands and Comedians: tickets on sale for next round

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Business & Tourism

Flights to and from Honolulu could be reduced as the Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce air traffic by 10%.

, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced Wednesday that the FAA will cut back on flights across 40 “high-volume” markets to pre-empt potential safety concerns as the federal government shutdown has left air traffic controllers without pay for more than a month.

The Associated Press reported that the month and increasingly short staff has put pressure on air traffic controllers, many of whom have called out of work, causing further staffing shortages. This has led to a range of major flight delays across several mainland airports, where the FAA warned flights could be delayed by up to seven hours from Wednesday into Thursday.

Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da Silva told Aloha State Daily last week that it had seen “no impacts to [their] operations” related to the ongoing shutdown.

The cuts will begin on Friday. The specific airports selected for the cuts have not yet been announced, and Bedford said a list of impacted airports will be released Thursday.  

, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport had the 22nd-most aircraft movements in the U.S. last year, with 334,695 aircraft flying in or out of the airport in 2024. It ranked 32nd in total commercial passengers — nearly 22 million last year — and 14th in cargo, with more than 600,000 metric tons of cargo moving through the airport in 2024.

Honolulu airport

<title>FAA warns of cuts to flights as shutdown continues</title>

Flights to and from 40 unspecified "high-volume" markets coming this Friday, warns the FAA.

FAA warns of cuts to flights as shutdown continues

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Located about two miles from Downtown Honolulu, the neighborhood of Mo‘ili‘ili was once primarily agricultural. Rice paddies and lo‘i kalo occupied most of the land, with houses and small businesses scattered about. By the 1960s, apartment buildings, grocery stores, and small shopping centers attracted more people seeking a quieter life while still wanting to remain close to Honolulu. The Mo‘ili‘ili community was tightly knit and soon became known as the floral capital of Honolulu as demand for lei and daily flower bouquets grew.

One gathering place for the Mo‘ili‘ili community was the Kamo‘ili‘ili Church, whose congregation was predominantly Hawaiian. Construction for the simple stone church began in 1850 and was completed three years later. Although the building was restored around 1900 and renamed Rice Memorial Chapel, many in the community continued to call it Kamo‘ili‘ili Church.

In addition to Sunday services, the hallowed building saw weddings, funerals, celebrations, and community meetings throughout its life. For a time, it even served as a Masonic hall to the Cosmopolitan Lodge of the Prince Hall Lodge of African American Freemasons in Hawaii.

A woman I know recalls time spent there as a child, waiting for her parents. With no babysitter at the time, she would have to stay in a small room by herself, where she was left to play, color, or find something else to keep herself busy. In a separate room, her father and the rest of his Prince Hall brothers would have their lodge meetings. In another room was her mother, who would attend the meetings of the Order of the Eastern Star with the other wives of Masonic husbands.

One evening, as a girl, she noticed a Hawaiian man looking in the window from outside. He had dark hair and a beard, thick eyebrows and full lips, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The man’s intense gaze was frightening as he pointed to the screen covering the window, indicating that he wanted her to open it. Without speaking, she shook her head, “No.”

Despite her refusal to cooperate, the hook holding the screen popped off on its own, and the man pulled the screen back. My friend said she remembers hearing a blood-curdling scream before realizing it was coming from her. She ran into the men’s lodge meeting and found the masons in a state of upset and confusion. They had apparently seen a Hawaiian man peering in at them from a window high up on the far wall. No outsider could bear witness to a solemn masonic ceremony, so the men went outside to chase the stranger away. They never found anyone hanging around outside, but did note that the window he peered into was nine feet off the ground with no crate, stone, or foothold to climb on.

As time marched on, the church fell into disuse and then disrepair, and was condemned by the city. While the building sat empty, the graveyard, too, had gone untended. In 1968, plans for a new high-rise were announced, and the land beneath the century-old cemetery was chosen for development. Newspapers cited weeds covering gravestones, some of which were broken or leaning awkwardly. Trash had gathered near several plots, more than one tomb was cracked and crumbling, and several markers had already disappeared.

Although the last burial was in the 1950s, letters to newspapers expressed mourning for the loss of history and lament for the irreversible change. One writer posed a warning to other congregations that they may not be exempt from such bittersweet progress in the future.

Work to remove gravestones began in August 1968. Reverend Abraham Akaka of Kawaiaha‘o Church acknowledged the tension between history and progress. He reminded those gathered that every civilization advances by giving up some of its past, saying that growth often demands “selling something of the soul.”

Over the following weeks, workers uncovered the remains of 466 people. Of those remains, 206 were identified, while the rest will forever be unknown. Some graves held the bones of parents and children, while others contained only ashes. The remains were placed in small containers and reburied at Kawaiahaʻo Church in a shared resting place marked by a plaque listing the known names. Above the memorial hangs the bell that once rang from the steeple at Kamoʻiliʻili Church.

[{"type":"text","text":"But that wasn’t the end of it."}]

In November, Reverend Akaka returned to the site to perform special purification rites. The special blessing was requested because workers were reluctant to enter the area. Using an ‘umeke, a Hawaiian calabash, dating back to the days of Kamehameha I, the Reverend sprinkled the ground with water from the well at Kawaiaha‘o Church while reciting his prayers. It is rumored that more bones were found during construction, including one skeleton measuring nearly nine feet long, near what is now the pool area.

Completed in 1971, the Contessa condominium stands on the old church and cemetery grounds. It boasts 37 floors, 144 units, a sauna, and a swimming pool in the vibrant Mo‘ili‘ili neighborhood. Almost from the beginning, tenants complained of hauntings in the building. One woman enlisted the help of Kahuna nui Emma de Fries to bless her apartment and the entire building after constant construction noise bothered her, even when no one else could hear it. 

More than two decades later, my mentor, Glen Grant, shared another story about the Contessa. A plumber was called to an apartment to fix a kitchen drain. The woman who lived there told him to put his ear to the sink. Although he was hesitant, he crouched and listened and heard voices speaking Hawaiian.

“They’re asking what will be done with their bones,” he said, backing away.

He hurried to the elevator and watched in shock as the doors opened before he touched the button. He stepped in and, as the doors began to close, a hand covered with red mud slid between them, opening them again automatically. Standing there was a tall woman, her body caked in red clay. She smiled and waved as the doors shut once more.

Without warning, the elevator dropped several floors before coming to a sudden stop. Shaken, the plumber took the stairs and never returned to the building.

For more than 50 years, people have passed through the Contessa’s lobby unaware of the hundreds of people that were once buried beneath their feet, and what may still be waiting below the surface.

Before the gates to Kawaiahaʻo Church’s graveyard were locked to the public, I used to stop there during my Ghosts of Old Honolulu tour. One night, as our group stood before the Kamoʻiliʻili Church memorial, an older man asked if he could speak. He said he had worked on the construction crew that built the Contessa.

“I was one of the men digging the foundation for the pool,” he said. “We uncovered a skeleton, about nine feet long. Even I knew we shouldn’t have disturbed it. Reverend Akaka came, blessed the burial, and blessed us. We covered the bones right where they were. They’re still there.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Contessa condominium

<title>The bones beneath the Contessa</title>

The Contessa condominium in Mo‘ili‘ili stands where Kamo‘ili‘ili Church and its mainly Hawaiian graveyard had served the community since 1850. The remains of nearly 500 people were moved for the condo, but workers and residents over the years have reported chilling tales of the spirits that remain.

The bones beneath the Contessa

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Everyone’s looking to save money and get the most bang for their buck. This series will show you where you can save while still savoring a good meal.

deal on its Korean fried chicken and chili mixed plate

. The plate was $9.99 for takeout ($11.99 for dine-in) at Oʻahu and Las Vegas locations.

Needless to say, the deal was hugely popular and customers were limited to three plates per transaction.

From Nov. 3 to 19, Zippy’s is bringing back its Kōkua Pac — comprising Korean fried chicken, Spam, half of a red hot dog and Portuguese sausage on a bed of rice — for $9.89 (on Oʻahu and Las Vegas; $10.89 in Kahului and Hilo). 

From Nov. 28 to Dec. 14, customers can take advantage of $9.99 chili frank plates ($9.99 on O'ahu and in Las Vegas; $10.99 in Kahului and Hilo). The plate features the business’s famous chili — choose from bean or no-bean options — a jumbo all-beef Miller’s frank, mac salad and two scoops of rice.

These limited-time deals are available at all Zippy's locations in Hawaiʻi and Las Vegas. These discounted offers are available only when customers order at the takeout counter, via the Zippy’s app, and online (

). Customers will be limited to five plates per guest per transaction.

Zippys November deals 102925

<title>Budget Bites: Limited-time deals at Zippy’s</title>

Take advantage of discounted Kōkua Pacs from Nov. 3 to 19, and discounted chili frank plates from Nov. 28 to Dec. 14.

Budget Bites: Limited-time deals at Zippy’s

Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 27. Whether you’re dining out or looking for an at-home feast, check out the following options:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"53 By The Sea"}]

: 53 By The Sea is offering standard ($275) and deluxe ($650) Thanksgiving packages. The standard package includes a half turkey, twice-baked potatoes, mushroom and leek bread pudding, frisee salad (apple, beets, farro, spiced orange vinaigrette), roasted squash with honey macadamia nuts and pomegranate, pineapple-cranberry sauce, gravy and ‘ulu custard pie. The deluxe package includes a full turkey, standing rib roast (6 pounds bone-in), kalo au gratin, twice baked potatoes, mushroom and leek bread pudding, frisee salad, roasted squash, pineapple-cranberry sauce, gravy, ‘ulu custard pie and pomegranate tiramisu.

Limited quantities available; preorder online. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Artizen by MW"}]

 888 Kapi‘olani Blvd. Ste. 102, Honolulu

: The turkey dinner “bento” meal ($39) includes organic free-range turkey, truffle smashed potatoes, yuzu kosho cranberry sauce, Arabiki sausage stuffing, roasted vegetable medley and MW chocolate cake. Preorder online at 

: Nov. 27, pick-up from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Big City Diner"}]

: The eatery’s Thanksgiving Big Meal to-go ($159.99) includes a fresh roasted half turkey (5-6 pounds cooked), 1.5-pound Portuguese sausage stuffing, 2 pounds famous garlic smashed potatoes, 2 pounds chef’s homemade giblet gravy, 1.5 pound baked cane sugar cinnamon sweet potatoes, sweet roasted corn with real butter, cranberry Maui pineapple relish, and eight pieces of Grandma’s macadamia nut pumpkin crunch.

Big City Diner’s oven roasted turkey special ($27.99) will also be served from 10 a.m. until sold out. It includes fresh roasted turkey with Portuguese sausage stuffing, chef’s homemade giblet gravy smothered on garlic smashed potatoes, cranberry Maui pineapple relish, baked cane sugar cinnamon sweet potatoes, and Grandma’s Mauna Loa macadamia nut pumpkin crunch with real whipped cream for dessert. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hard Rock Café"}]

: Hard Rock Café’s Thanksgiving menu (starting at $35.99 per adult, $12.95 per child) includes a seasonal autumn apple fizz cocktail, traditional slow-roasted turkey and gravy, creamy sweet potato mash and seasonal roasted vegetables, housemade cranberry sauce, and fresh apple cobbler or pumpkin pie for dessert.

The Thanksgiving menu will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

: Hy’s Thanksgiving ‘Ohana feast-to-go ($585) is designed to serve eight to 10 people. It includes:

: Pick-up 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 27 (select time when you preorder online)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Jolene’s Hawaiʻi"}]

: These turkey ($220) or brisket ($280) feasts are designed to feed six to eight people. The turkey feast includes a 17-pound roasted turkey, stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, 24 pieces of gau gee and hot mustard, 24 dinner rolls, chicken salad and dressing, and pumpkin pie. The brisket feast includes a 6-pound, 18-hour smoked brisket, housemade barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, 24 dinner rolls, 24 pieces of gau gee and hot mustard, chicken salad and dressing, and pumpkin pie.

A la carte add-ons like smoked pulled pork, smoked brisket and candied pork belly are also available. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Little Sparrow"}]

: Little Sparrow’s Thanksgiving takeaway feast ($85 per person) is designed for customers to simply reheat at home. Each dish includes easy heat and serve instructions. It includes:

[{"type":"text","text":"Preorders accepted until Nov. 15."}]

: Pickup from 1 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 26 and 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 27

888 Kapi‘olani Blvd. Suite 201, Honolulu

: MW Restaurant’s Thanksgiving family feast ($695) is takeout only and is designed to feed six to eight people. It includes Brandt beef prime grade prime rib, organic free-range turkey breast and leg meat, smoked Kurobuta pork, miso honey glazed butterfish with taegu salad, truffle smashed potatoes, Arabiki sausage stuffing, yuzu kosho cranberry salad, farmer salad, and an 8-inch pumpkin crunch cheesecake. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Quiora"}]

: The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach, 

: This family-style Thanksgiving menu ($99 per adult, $49 for children ages 6-12 years) features seasonal dishes crafted from locally sourced ingredients. It includes sweet potato casserole, Ho Farms kale and tomato strata, herb-roasted turkey breast with Small Kine Farms mushroom and turkey gravy, crispy honey walnut Mountain View Farms pork belly with cranberry and fig chutney, Hy’s signature mashed potatoes, corn bread with honey-herb butter, seasonal roasted vegetables, Egan’s pumpkin crepe roll cake, and housemade spiced apple doughnuts. 

: Tanioka’s Thanksgiving package ($284.95) is designed to feed four to six people. It includes sliced roast turkey, turkey gravy, housemade stuffing, pineapple-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, spicy ‘ahi on sushi rice, fresh cranberry sauce and pumpkin crunch squares. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Zippy’s Restaurants"}]

: Zippy’s is offering pre-cooked whole or half turkey packages, plus pumpkin and custard pies.

Whole turkey packages ($204.95 online, $224.95 via store and phone) are designed to serve eight to 10 people (allow 2 to 2.5 hours reheating). They include a 10-12 pound turkey, 3 pounds of stuffing, 4 pounds of mashed potatoes, 4 pounds of poultry gravy, 1 pound of cranberry/pineapple relish and 12 King’s Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls.

Half turkey packages ($119.95 online, $129.95 via store and phone) are designed to serve four to five people (allow 1 to 1.5 hours reheating). They include a 5-6 pound turkey, 1.5 pounds of stuffing, 2 pounds of mashed potatoes, 2 pounds of poultry gravy, a half pound of cranberry/pineapple relish, and six King’s Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls.

Customers can receive a $25 promotional money coupon with every whole turkey package, or a $10 promotional money coupon with every half turkey package (the coupon will be included with your order at pickup and expires on Jan. 31, 2026). 

: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 26 and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 27 (excluding Hilo)

Thanksgiving part 1 53 By the Sea 102225

<title>Where to go for Thanksgiving 2025 – part 1</title>

Celebrate turkey day with these dine-in and takeout experiences.

Where to go for Thanksgiving 2025 – part 1

Oʻahu-based music artist Myron Armstrong, who goes by the stage name 

, grew up in Mākaha and wrote “On Sight” while missing Hawaiʻi during a work trip to the Mainland. The song was created by 

 and released July 1 in collaboration with 88rising, a record label and music management company with about 7.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

 asking a girl for her phone number, and then bringing her from the “301” area code back home to the “808.”

“I keep getting homesick super quick,” 

 told Aloha State Daily. “I was fantasizing: ʻOh, what if I meet this cool person out here?’ And then she's all like, ʻOh, where are you from?’ And I'm like, ʻHoney girl, I’m from the West Side, where the beaches are cool. I’ll show you to my family over there, and we go beach.’”

To make the music video for “On Sight,” 

 and a few friends pulled off the feat with the aid of “three Red Bulls and one hour,” he said.

 is just getting started. He published his first music on YouTube about eight years ago. After high school, he decided not to go to college. His grandmother told him “just pay rent and don't do drugs [and] don’t do anything illegal,” he said. So he took a job at McDonald’s and started making music. He tried being a rapper, but that wasn’t a fit, so he leaned into his island roots.

 has more than 230,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. In 2024, he was featured in 

Spotify’s global Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Campaign

, which included appearances on billboards in Los Angeles and New York City.

But each song he writes from “Chee Hoo!” (featuring 

) is heavily steeped in island life and aloha spirit.  His recent song “Counting on You,” released in February, continues to chart on local radio stations. He has also released songs like “Wana” (featuring 

“I get inspired by a lot of stuff,” he said. “I grew up on the radio because we were too poor to buy an iPod touch.”

As a kid, he listened to a lot of 92.3 KSSK, which frequently played Kalapana, Stevie Wonder, Daryl Hall & John Oates. In high school, he learned about rap, including Drake and Tupac.

“There's different definitions of aloha depending on where you grow up,” he said. “They have stuff to do on the West Side. You gotta go to work. You gotta go through traffic. I just want to replicate that with my music, so when they hear it — particularly people from the West Side — they can get: ʻOh, we're being represented properly.’”

He still remembers when he had just a handful of followers on Spotify.

“I gotta say, on the West [Side], we stay humble,” he said. “We stay appreciative. I still remember the days where I checked my monthly [Spotify numbers] and it was like five people, and I was talking to all five people because it was all my friends.”

When he looks at the analytics now, he has seen an uptick in viewers around the world, including in Japan and Taiwan, since “On Sight” was released earlier this month.

“I'm just tripping because I get to be their first exposure to music from Hawaiʻi, especially when it's not traditional Hawaiian — or music with ʻŌlelo [Hawaiʻi] in it — or even ... music talking about ʻwe're on a beach,’ ” he said. “I'm proud and excited that I get to be their entry into our world.”

, who is used to smaller venues, performed at his first music festival, the Holo Holo Music Festival, which took place in an arena in Oceanside, California, and featured Common Kings, Josh Tatofi, Spawnbreezie and KʻNova. 

It was his first experience with in-ear monitors, which took some getting used to. “I learned that in-ear monitors are super cool and super scary at the same time,” he said.

Since he was performing outside of Hawaiʻi, he didn’t expect anyone to yell “hana hou.”

“Guess what happened?!” he said. “They asked for a hana hou! We looked around, and I went on the mic, ʻOh no hana hou, sorry.’”

But the emcee had already asked the crowd if they wanted more, so 8RO8 performed “Hawaiian Sun” as a dedication to his grandmother,

who passed away a little over a year ago.

“After that, I got to meet fans and a lot of the moms who were forced to bring their daughters and their sons were like, ʻThat last song you dedicated, that touched my heart. It was super special,ʻ" 8RO8 said. "Meeting people on the Mainland I never met — and I would never meet because they couldn't make it out to Hawaiʻi — that was also very special. It was an eye-opening and humbling experience.”

He wants his listeners to follow their passion.

“You should really just chase after whatever is real to you,” he said. “We get caught in a lot of the noise, whether it's from your parents or the world, and you really have that inner voice that was super loud when you were younger get quiet, the older you get. ... I'm discovering that everybody has a mission.”

8RO8

<title>Oʻahu-based 8RO8 shares inspiration for new single, “On Sight”</title>

What is the sound of aloha? 8RO8 is one artist here to find out. He grew up in Mākaha and pursued music after high school, while working at McDonald’s. Now, he has more than 230,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Learn about his new song, “On Sight,” released July 1.

Hawai'i Skies: Moon beams

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Authors

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