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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Dustin Narikiyo at Hilo Bay. "

Pele was unfortunately quiet during my visit, but I was able to capture and enjoy the fire in the sky Sunday evening."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

25 10 16 DUSTIN NARIKIYO

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Fire in the sky</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Dustin Narikiyo at Hilo Bay.

Hawai'i Skies: Fire in the sky

Today&#039;s Hawai&#039;i Skies was captured by Dustin Narikiyo at Hilo Bay. &quot;Pele was unfortunately quiet during my visit, but I was able to capture and enjoy the fire in the sky Sunday evening.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;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.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

[{"type":"text","text":"A new leader is at the helm of Honolulu Zoo."}]

The City and County of Honolulu on Tuesday announced that John Berry, a former director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Smithsonian National Zoological Park, has been appointed as the zoo's next director. 

Berry, also a former U.S. ambassador to Australia, was most recently the president of the American Australia Association, but has held a number of senior leadership positions in the federal government and also brings with him "extensive" conservation experience, per the city.

According to the Tuesday announcement, in his role with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Berry worked with the Inspector General's Office t

o "reconcile decades of financial records and helped to conserve millions of acres of wildlife habitat through public-private partnerships."

Meanwhile, at the National Zoo, Berry "successfully led the zoo through a major organizational turnaround, securing tens of millions of dollars in public and private funding for critical improvements, including new elephant, seal and sea lion exhibits, expanded conservation programs, and strengthened international partnerships," the announcement continued. "He also played a key role in negotiations with China over giant pandas and helped expand global wildlife conservation and research initiatives"

Additionally, Berry also previously served as director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where he oversaw human resource policy for more than 2 million federal employees and managed health and retirement programs serving millions of Americans; assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior; and deputy assistant secretary and acting assistant secretary for law enforcement at the U.S. Department of Treasury.

"John Berry is a transformational leader with an extraordinary record of public service, conservation leadership, and organizational management,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in the announcement. “His experience leading the Smithsonian National Zoo, negotiating international conservation partnerships, overseeing complex organizations, and building world-class teams makes him uniquely qualified to guide the Honolulu Zoo into its next chapter. We conducted a thorough search locally and nationally and found an individual whose credentials are second to none.”

Berry replaces former Zoo Director Linda Santos, who retired late last year, a city spokesperson told Aloha State Daily. He began his duties on Tuesday.

Berry, who received a bachelor's degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland and has a master of public administration from Syracuse University, has a connection to the Islands.

According to the city, his family recently moved to Hawai‘i, where they had spent most holidays over the last three decades, and when he was assistant secretary for policy management and budget at the Department of the Interior, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to help lead the 

“I am very honored and excited to be joining the passionate team of professionals at the Honolulu Zoo,” Berry said in the announcement. “Together with many partners, we can help advance wildlife conservation throughout Hawaiʻi.”

, 42.5 acres within Kapi‘olani Regional Park was designated as the Honolulu Zoo in 1947. The city had assumed responsibility for the park in 1914, the site notes, and the first park director, Ben Hollinger, began collecting animals, starting with a monkey, bear and an African elephant.

In the past year or so, the zoo has also taken steps to modernize, launching a 

In April, the zoo received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In an announcement at that time, the city said the accreditation is a "highly respected benchmark for zoos and aquariums worldwide, with fewer than 10% of licensed animal exhibitors earning this distinction."

The accreditation process includes an extensive, multi-day on-site inspection and comprehensive review of all operational aspects, the city said in April.

, the Honolulu Zoo welcomed 501,967 visitors in 2023, the most recent year that data was available.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

John berry

<title>Former director of Smithsonian National Zoological Park selected to lead Honolulu Zoo</title>

John Berry, who started in his new role as Zoo Director on Tuesday, has held several senior leadership positions in the federal government and also brings experience in conservation, having previously served as the director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and director of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Former director of Smithsonian National Zoological Park selected to lead Honolulu Zoo

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Why was Hawai’i’s governor compelled to attend an independence ceremony for an African country in 1966? 

The answer starts with a January 30, 1962 observation by Cornelius Downes, a journalist with the Star-Bulletin. “If a child digging in the sand at Waikīikīi excavated long enough and straight enough,” Downes discovered, “he would come out on the other side of the world in the heart of South Africa, on the edge of a bleak, backward, dusty region called the Kaukau Veld.”

Downes realized that Hawai‘i, unlike the continental United States, had an antipode on land. That place was then known as Bechuanaland. Today, it is the 

The cascading effects of Downes’ observation spiraled Hawai‘i down a strange affair of international diplomacy, one that culminated with Governor John A. Burns representing the United States of America at Botswana’s independence ceremonies. 

Downes’ 1962 article captured the attention of the Bulletin’s readers and editorial leadership. In May 1966, the paper began to quietly advocate for the creation of a ‘Hana Botswana’ program to encourage greater ties between the soon-to-be African nation and the people of Hawai‘i. It was announced on May 13, 1966. 

The ’60s were a time of rapid decolonization, with 20 countries gaining independence  across the African continent alone. For the U.S. State Department, it was a welcome opportunity to foster new relationships with these proliferating countries.

The Bulletin’s plan had been heartily endorsed by diplomats in Washington, D.C. “When I showed the plan to our officers in Southern African Affairs, they lit up like Christmas trees over the prospect of a ‘sister relationship’ between Hawai‘i and Bechuanaland,” 

 Edward W. Mulachy, the deputy director of the Office of Eastern and Southern African Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

Botswana also agreed to participate. Charles Fletcher, the U.S. Consul at the American Consulate in Gaberones, forwarded a radiogram on behalf of Botswana’s Prime Minister to Norman B. Hannah, the political advisor to the Pacific Commander in Chief, Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp. Hannah was to extend the message to Hawai‘i Governor Burns.

Talks of further engagement ratcheted up as Gaositwe Chiepe, the country’s Deputy Director of the Department of Education, visited Hawai‘i in 1966 to meet Governor Burns and other top statewide educators. Soon thereafter, Chiepe was dispatched to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and U.S. Representatives Patsy Mink and Sparky Matusnaga. 

In June, KAIM Radio of Honolulu formed a ‘tape-recording alliance’ with Radio Bechuanaland in Botswana. The Bulletin even dispatched Jim Becker to Botswana to report on the country. The idea was that both societies would report on one another and educate each other’s populations as a form of cultural exchange. 

In September, Governor Burns was tapped by President Lyndon B. Johnson to represent the United States of America at the country’s independence ceremonies on September 30, 1966. To coincide with the event, Botswana’s flag even briefly flew over ‘Iolani Palace, which then served as the State Capitol. 

Burns was accompanied by Alfred Laureta, Director of the Hawai‘i Department of Labor. Burns would also attend a similar ceremony in the Kingdom of Lesotho, receiving an audience with the King in the process. 

While traveling, Governor Burns had to travel through apartheid South Africa, which still openly discriminated against Black Africans and other non-white persons. Laureta, a Filipino-American, was denied a visa. Burns readily received one.  

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Flickering Ties"}]

Trips between Hawai‘i and Botswana continued throughout the ’60s and early ’70s. 

Gaorewe Kewrepe, a member of Botswana’s national assembly, visited the country in July 1967. The State of Hawai‘i marked the first anniversary of Botswana’s independence with a ceremony at Farrington High School on September 29, 1967.

Moutlakgola Nwako, the Botswana Foreign Minister, 

 to Honolulu and Hilo In October 1968. Nwako, as a former Minister for Agriculture, was anxious to learn about the state’s agricultural and hydrological efforts. Governor John Burns hosted him in Honolulu, while County Chair Shunichi Kimura hosted him at the Naniloa hotel in Hilo. Nwako was anxious to see Volcanoes National Park. 

Mokwadi Kpogo, the Secretary of Health, Labor Home Affairs, visited Hawai‘i in July 1971. President Khama of Botswana and Governor John A. Burns spoke to one another in September 1972. The phone call, as far as newspaper records suggest, was one of the last documented occasions where officials engaged with one another. 

As part of a ‘Hana Botswana’ program, student exchanges had even started between Botwana and the University of Hawai‘i. One 1998 

 by Susan Kreifels of the Star-Bulletin found that one of the two graduates, Emang Maphanyane, rose to become Executive Director of the Botswana Housing Corporation. The other, Israel Mosele, was tragically crippled by a car accident in Los Angles and died in the early ’90s.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Affairs Ends"}]

Hawai‘i’s affairs with Botswana faded away within less than a decade of Burns’ visit to Botswana. People came and then left. And then they stopped coming. The novelty wore away. 

Like many affairs, this one wore away because it was no longer convenient. Today, there is no documented connection between the State of Hawai‘i and the Republic of Botswana. 

Botswana is home to about 2.3 million people and ranks among the wealthiest countries in Africa. Nevertheless, the country also currently experiences a major public health emergency, which is 

 as being gravely exacerbated by cuts in aid from the United States. 

Hawai‘i’s fascination with Botswana was an expression of our blind willingness to engage with the rest of the world. While the State of Hawai‘i still maintains dozens of sister-state relationships, they primarily focus on societies across Asia and the Pacific region.

If we ever want to look further, Botswana is always there. 

Botswana Independence Talks 1965 2 upscaled

<title>Hawai‘i's love affair with Botswana — and why it ended</title>

For most Mainland United States locations, the antipode — the place on the directly opposite side of the globe — falls right in the middle of an ocean. For Hawai‘i, the antipode is in Africa. That realization was the beginning of a 1960s relationship between Hawai‘i and Botswana as that nation gained independence. Hawai‘i Governor John A. Burns was America's official representative at the independence ceremonies.

Hawai‘i's love affair with Botswana — and why it ended

Real Estate

Hawai‘i County is seeking organizations that can help build new affordable housing on the island or support what it already has.

The Office of Housing and Community Development this week issued a request for proposals for its Affordable Housing Production Program, which receives at least $5 million a year for such projects.

"With this fund, I'd like to see a spur of out-of-the box thinking around homeownership [such as] down payment assistance programs, housing preservation — helping our kūpuna stay in place with low-interest loans or grants that help them to do the renovations or the rehabilitations that they need to their home so that they can age in place," Housing Administrator Kehaulani Costa told Aloha State Daily. "Those are the low-hanging fruit that help our families either stay in homes, or how to extend affordability. I'd like to see creative ways that our developers and our nonprofits can extend affordability of existing housing."

 enacted in 2022 requires at least $5 million per year to be allocated to OHCD "to facilitate programs that support affordable housing production." Eligible nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public agencies and community land trusts can submit proposals.

In this round of funding, the county will prioritize projects that will increase the number of housing units for the "gap group," or households that earn between 81% and 140% of the area median income; projects that will support "sustainable homeownership opportunities"; and the preservation of existing affordable housing stock.

Costa says the priorities were developed through a "pretty comprehensive" community survey as well as her input as administrator.

When prioritizing housing for the "gap group," the county says these moderate-income families don't usually qualify for housing assistance programs but still struggle to afford market-rate housing.

There are a number of subsidized programs to support low-income housing but not really a way to address workforce housing. With this fund, though, she says "we're able to be flexible in that way."

When asked about the overall need for housing on Hawai‘i Island, Costa said a housing study is commissioned every five years and the county is in the midst of finalizing a new study she says will capture the current housing needs.

In a "qualitative way," however, "we always have a need for affordable rentals, and we have programs that help support affordable rentals, but we really need to address affordable homeownership."

In fiscal year 2024-2025, OHCD received 13 proposals requesting a total of $48 million in funding, the 

 notes. The office awarded nearly $13.3 million for four projects. And in 

, seven projects received approximately $17.3 million in funding.

Proposals, which must be submitted electronically, are due by 4:30 p.m. July 7. Find the application portal at 

Two informational sessions are planned via Zoom for organizations interested in submitting proposals — 10 a.m. May 20 (

OHCD has an Affordable Housing Dashboard you can 

. According to that dashboard — which shows an inventory of affordable housing projects within the county, including projects owned by private, nonprofit or government entities and developed with funding or support from federal, state or county resources — there currently are 3,568 existing units and 90 existing facilities islandwide, with nearly 8,000 units and 71 projects in the pipeline.

stock photo construction roof

<title>Hawai‘i County aims to increase affordable housing</title>

The Office of Housing and Community Development this week issued a request for proposals for its Affordable Housing Production Program, which receives at least $5 million a year.

Hawai‘i County aims to increase affordable housing

Business & Tourism

A new leader is at the helm of Hawai‘i Farm Project, an organization that aims to connect people to the land, the food it produces and those who grow it.

John White was named CEO in March. In this role, he'll oversee the company's brands, including Maui Gold Pineapple, Maui Pineapple Tour, Maui Pineapple Store, Maui Chocolate Tour, Lahaina Honey Co. and Maui Farm Events.

White began his marketing career at Nike, where he held a number of leadership roles, before moving to a marketing agency where he led a number of brand campaigns for global companies such as American Express, Heineken and Pepsi, as well as events such as the Olympic Games and X Games, according to an announcement earlier this month.

“With his extensive experience in hospitality, management and brand development, John is poised to lead Hawai'i Farm Project as it navigates the evolving agritourism landscape,” Todd Domeck, owner of Hawai'i Farm Project, said in the announcement. “John’s leadership, passion for our mission, and deep connections to Maui will ensure Hawai'i Farm Project continues to thrive and share its unique offerings with the world.”

White and his wife moved to Maui in August 2003. He laughs when asked how he ended up on the Valley Isle more than two decades ago.

At that time, White, who had spent a number of years in corporate marketing at that point, says he and his wife were "at a crossroads," and they both received job offers on the same weekend — his in Colorado where they were living at the time and hers in Hawai‘i.

"We flipped a coin and she won, and two weeks later, we moved to Maui," he said with a laugh. For White, the natural transition was a move into tourism and hospitality.

He most recently served as director of commercial strategy for Honolulu-based MacNaughton Hospitality and was previously director of sales and marketing at Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel, the announcement noted.

According to the announcement, his appointment to the new role comes as the company "focuses on long-term growth post wildfires and continues its commitment to Maui's rich agricultural heritage."

White recently told Aloha State Daily that he worked with Hawai‘i Farm Project's owner and chief operating officer around 2008 or 2009. They approached White and "we started talking about what their needs were."

The company had grown, made it through the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the 2023 wildfires that destroyed much of Lahaina town, he said.

"They were, in a way, coming up for air and saying, 'You know, I think the organization needs to have a little bit more structure, a little bit more vision on that side of things,'" White said. "So they developed this new position, the CEO position, to bring Maui Gold, as well as all the agritourism businesses together, and shape it for the future going forward.

"That combination of working with the leadership many years ago, as well as my skills in bringing teams together, organizations together, to be able to lead it on this next chapter was really enticing," he continued. "That, coupled with the personal drive to help Maui continue to recover, was near and dear to my heart."

White says his top priority stepping into the role was first to meet with each employee and listen — to their wishes, fears, concerns and why they work for the company.

"What I found was that everybody was extremely passionate about what they do," he said. "Some people have worked here a short amount of time — under a year — and others have worked here 40, 50 years. It's the melding of these cultures together that I want to harness and support. I'm a big believer in servant leadership, so I wanted to calm any fears and concerns people had because on the Maui Gold side, they've had many different owners ... and assure them that my job and vision is to perpetuate the future of pineapple on Maui. Then, for the activities and tourism side of the business, is help them navigate these very uncertain times and come together and harness their creativity to continue to innovate. So it's very multi-faceted on that side."

When talking about long-term goals, White says that because of the turmoil of the past five years, coming up with a sustainable path for the coming years is a priority.

"There's many different aspects," he said. "On the Maui Gold side, we have a workforce that is aging, similar to what a lot of hotels are seeing in their housekeeping departments. How do we get people to continue to be farmers and to enjoy and persevere on that side? On the tourism side, we all know that Hawai‘i needs tourism to be healthy, so continuing to find innovative ways to show people, have them experience the unique beauty of Maui, whether it's the chocolate side or the pineapple side of our businesses."

Hawai‘i Farm Project lost its Front Street store in the 2023 Lahaina blaze, and suffered "bit of loss" with the chocolate tours, White said.

"We lost a considerable amount of revenue to keep the business going," he said. "We definitely realized that we all needed to jump in and help with the recovery." White says there were efforts to help the community as well as employees who lost homes.

"Fast forward to the end of 2024, we just opened our new Pineapple Store in Hāli‘imaile right before Christmas, and it's been met with resounding success," White says. "We have equal amount of residents to visitors who are enjoying that store, and it's much bigger than before."

[{"text":"A pineapple bar also will be opening in the coming months.","type":"text"}]

"We're really excited that we've been able to pivot and continue to grow the business as well as survive through all of that."

Now more than 20 months out from the fires, White says given the external circumstances, "we're doing pretty well."

"What we are offering on the tourism side is being very well accepted by the visitors that are coming to Maui," he said. "Our chocolate tours are selling out really well. ... Our pineapple tours [in Upcountry Maui] are doing very well. That concept of authentic agritourism is really resonating with the people that are coming to Maui right now."

As for pineapples, which White says have an 18-month growing cycle, "it takes quite a while to see the effects of change on that side of things, but we continue to have more demand than we have supply, which is a good problem. So we're definitely focused on planting more pineapples for the future. We're continuing to grow that into 2026 and 2027."

According to White, there are about 66 employees total across all brands and the company is hiring more.

Among those positions will be a replacement for Maui Gold's "beloved" general manager, Rudy Balala, who is retiring, as well as a director of finance, and guide and retail store positions, White said.

Hawaii Farm Project John White CEO 3

<title>John White talks about his new role with Hawai‘i Farm Project</title>

White was named CEO of the organization in March. Hawai‘i Farm Project brands include Maui Gold Pineapple, Maui Pineapple Tour, Maui Pineapple Store, Maui Chocolate Tour, Lahaina Honey Company and Maui Farm Events.

Hawai'i Skies: Fire in the sky

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Hawai'i Skies: Fire in the sky

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows

Hawaiʻi Skies: Legendary sunsets

Hawaiʻi Skies: In the moment

Hawaiʻi Skies: A bright and complete rainbow

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