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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Kam Napier in Mānoa. "Rainbows in Mānoa seemed especially big and bright on the weekend the 

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25 10 21 Kam Napier

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Rainbows in Mānoa</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Kam Napier in Mānoa.

Hawai'i Skies: Rainbows in Mānoa

Today&#039;s Hawai&#039;i Skies was captured by Kam Napier in Mānoa. &quot;Rainbows in Mānoa seemed especially big and bright on the weekend the UH Rainbow Warriors beat Colorado State.&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.

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

As Aloha Tower moved into the middle years of the 20th century, tourism was increasing, and it was recognized that future infrastructure improvements were going to be necessary. Although travelers arriving in Hawai‘i by ship were gradually diminishing while those arriving by air were increasing, discussions in 1958 determined that Honolulu's main docks needed major reconstruction. Piers 8 through 11, at the base of Aloha Tower, should have facilities for passengers moved to a second level while cargo handling should be confined to the ground floors of the wharves. 

Unfortunately, this assessment did not take into account two trends that were already identified at the time — jet planes would be starting service to Hawai‘i within a year or two, and ocean cargoes would soon be shifting exclusively to standardized shipping containers, which Matson had begun using this same year. The latter would eventually require all of Honolulu's cargo movements to be relocated to Sand Island.

So even as visitors were moving away from ship travel in favor of faster and cheaper jet airplanes, in June 1963 a bid of over $5 million was accepted for the revamp of the pier complex. On July 11, 1963 the work started, and in June 1964 a controversial elevated traffic ramp's construction began. This structure was to allow access by vehicles to and from the second-story passenger area that filled in the former open space between Piers 8, 9 and 10. The ramp was criticized for how it would block the view of the harbor when looking down Bishop Street, since to keep the degree of its rise gradual, it would have to extend from a base some distance away at Pier 6.

Even worse, to many people, was how the base of Aloha Tower was completely obscured by the new addition, which also left the ground level here perpetually in shadow. Regardless of complaints, the finished project was dedicated on March 29, 1965.

The anticipated need for accommodating increased ocean travelers at Aloha Tower turned out to be incorrect. Their numbers consistently decreased, and in 1970 Matson ended its once-famous passenger service completely, to focus exclusively on cargo transport from then on. The enlarged dock facilities were unused most of the time.

By 1981 came the start of Aloha Tower's next transformation, which truthfully is still going on today. But this process has been so complex and troubled that it's impossible to even attempt to recount it in any detail here. We'll just focus on what happened starting with the closure of the Tower and its docks on November 1, 1993 in preparation for demolition and then new construction. The overall plan for the area was a massive, multi-stage development, which would start with a "festival marketplace" of the type that had already been successful in other US cities like the first one at Fanueil Hall in Boston from 1976, or Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Planned to follow this at Honolulu Harbor would be an office building, a 350 unit condominium, a maritime-specific office structure, a 350 room hotel, a "historic park" and an elevated bridge over Nimitz Highway to Fort Street. Needless to say, none of the latter ever came into existence.

Starting off the redevelopment process was the tearing-down of everything that had been constructed in the 1960s, along with the pier structures at Docks 8 and 9. On July 14, 1994, Aloha Tower stood entirely by itself for the first time ever, with the two-story concrete & steel wharf buildings at its base entirely removed. This was seen as a very positive step in the anticipated creation of what was to become Aloha Tower Marketplace. Intense work was necessary to meet the opening date of November 19, 1994, when about 50,000 people came to see the new $100 million shopping center. Consisting of a very attractive group of two story buildings with open walkways between them, the mix of tenants included retail stores, bars, restaurants and an open area dedicated to kiosks and pushcarts, with total tenants planned to number 200. The unique, scenic setting and the substantial number of Honolulu residents and visitors as potential customers seemed to indicate a bright future.

Except...the bright future never happened. The immediate problem was parking, which was limited and expensive. The rejection of having to pay to leave your car someplace, when lots of other places fairly nearby were free, pretty much doomed the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Within a few weeks came the first worried complaints from tenants, particularly from the pushcart owners. By May 1995 the developer, Aloha Tower Associates, was in arrears to various unpaid vendors as well as to the State of Hawaii, its landlord.

For years afterwards, the marketplace limped along through bankruptcies, lawsuits, failed proposals for parking improvements, different owners and managers, and dwindling tenants. A few of the latter did well, but many failed.

Finally in 2011, Hawai‘i Pacific University — which occupied numerous rented spaces in multiple downtown buildings, mostly along Fort Street — purchased the lease to Aloha Tower Marketplace along with a commercial investor. The following year the complex was 70% vacant, and by 2013 HPU had bought out its partner and had full control. Thereafter the center was redeveloped into student housing and various other school uses.

A handful of commercial tenants are present today, but in February 2020 the last of the original businesses from the 1994 opening finally closed, which was the controversial Hooters bar and restaurant.

And so we conclude in 2026, Aloha Tower's 100th birthday, anticipating that discussions for the future of the tower and its surroundings will be ongoing indefinitely (perhaps), with probably few actual changes to take place. We can say with certainty that someday the Skyline elevated train will be traveling along nearby Nimitz Highway with a station at Bishop Street, but its effects cannot be anticipated, and if anything can be learned from history, it would be unwise to try to guess them in advance.

(For Part 1 of Aloha Tower at 100 Years, click 

1 Aloha Tower 60s 16x9

<title>Aloha Tower at 100 years old, Part 2: It seemed like a good idea at the time ...</title>

In the early 1960s, the State of Hawai‘i invested millions in harbor upgrades that included modernizing Aloha Tower as a terminal for passenger liners. But jet planes soon replaced passengers liners, rendering the terminal obsolete. In the 1990s, those structure were torn down to create Aloha Marketplace, a shopping and dining destination that would never draw the anticipated crowds. ASD history writer DeSoto Brown brings us to the present day as Aloha Tower celebrates its centennial.

Aloha Tower at 100 years old, Part 2: It seemed like a good idea at the time ...

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Films from around the world are heading to theaters on Maui as part of the upcoming 

inaugural Wailuku Film Festival, hosted by the Maui County Film Office and the County of Maui

Tickets for the five-day event are on sale now.

One of the films screening at the festival is “Lahaina Rising,” which was created by a 

, the documentary’s director and a third-generation Maui resident. The film is one of two directed by Schweitzer that will screen at Wailuku Film Festival.

 Lahaina wildfire that destroyed much of historic Lahaina town and killed more than 100 people. “Lahaina Rising” explores water rights, personal stories of how the Maui fires impacted families and the political movement that grew out of tragedy. Last year, the documentary won the 

Hawaiʻi International Film Festival’s Made in Hawaiʻi award for best feature film

“The thing that really inspired me and made me want to tell the story was the community,” Schweitzer told Aloha State Daily. “There was just so much going on. We weren't sleeping much for the first few weeks. But there were a couple moments where really time almost stood still because so many people were helping, so many people were moving, so many people were organizing and bringing in boats — and with how sad we all were at the time — it was beautiful. There were a couple of moments that just really stood out to me where I'm like, ʻThis is the best of humanity, right here.’”

Schweitzer is also the director of “Finding True North,” which will also screen at the Wailuku Film Festival. That documentary features Josh Bogle, a quadruple amputee who found purpose in surfing.

At the moment, these films are not on public streaming services, so events like the 

 are opportunities to see them on the big screen.

The Wailuku Film Festival features the work of more than 55 Hawaiʻi filmmakers, as well as ones from Aotearoa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Fiji, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Tonga, and the continental U.S.

For independent filmmakers, film festivals are often a place to build an audience and eventually make connections with streaming services.

“Unless we have a previous connection with Netflix or a major distribution platform, the way to do it is hit the film festival circuit for a full year — try to gain as many awards and recognitions as possible — which will hopefully get the attention of a distribution platform,” Schweitzer said.

One of the challenges of creating “Lahaina Rising” was deciding which stories would make the final cut, 

Schweitzer said. Determining which devastation scenes to include — and which to leave out — was also challenging.

“There are over 10,000 people that experienced what happened in Lahaina on August 8, and there's truly over 10,000 stories,” he said. “Everyone has such an important story.”

In April, “Lahaina Rising” was screened at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, which focused on health, conflict and disaster. 

“The biggest thing I want people to take away is I want them to have hope for humanity,” Schweitzer said. “I want them to have hope for mankind and for our earth. Again, there are all these issues that we talk about — and especially for people not from Lahaina and not from Hawaiʻi — the story shows how our Island has been stripped away, and our rights have been stripped away, and our water has been stripped away, yet our people still have so much hope. Our people still have a fight in them. We're not giving up. We are still optimistic. There are so many ways in here where I hope people can see how strong individuals can be when we come together as one as a community.”

 for screenings at the ʻĪao Theater and Naylor Theater are $15, while those for the 

 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center are $20. Readers can also visit 

 to help bring “Lahaina Rising” to communities across the nation.

Lahina Rising Stills 13 1 43 2

<title>Documentary spotlights Maui wildfire</title>

"Lahaina Rising"  focuses on how the devastating Lahaina wildfire of August 2023 changed lives and ignited already existing concerns about water rights and land. Director Matty Schweitzer shares more about the award-winning documentary, which will screen at the inaugural Wailuku Film Festival in June.

Documentary spotlights Maui wildfire

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

When the University of Hawai‘i football program's coaches decided to shelf returning starting quarterback Micah Alejado for the vast majority of the team's 

, that meant the signal-callers behind him were about to receive a windfall of live reps during practice sessions. 

Following the departures of Luke Weaver and Dermaricus Davis via the 

 following the 2025 season, only two quarterbacks other than Alejado were on the UH roster this spring following movement in the transfer portal, and both were new to campus in January. Bjorn Jurgensen joined the Rainbow Warriors after redshirting at the University of Virginia in the fall, while O‘ahu native 

 enrolled early after graduating from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. 

In his first year as UH's quarterbacks coach, Chad Kapanui built a room full of rapport, where the four players in the position group became close friends and spent ample time with each other off the field. With Alejado the lone returner in the group, the spring semester figured to be a time where Jurgensen and Eugenio would compete with each other on the field while building a bond off it. 

Though they're both freshmen competing for the same spot, both Eugenio and Jurgensen spoke respectfully of each other throughout the spring and offered each other pointers on the field. It turns out the two go back a much longer way than converging on the UH-Mānoa campus in January. 

"It's funny. We've known each other for a while and it's just a pretty cool, full circle moment, just to be here with him and compete with him," Jurgensen told Aloha State Daily of Eugenio. "We're both getting each other better, and it's been really fun."

Says Eugenio of Jurgensen: "We actually met each other in the sixth grade at a competition. I love seeing him out here. He's a good dude. Love competing with him, love throwing with him, love doing drills with him. It's just great. We both get each other better every day, and I'm just blessed."

In the summer of 2018, the Jurgensen and Eugenio families were among the many across the country to make the trip to Fayetteville, Ga. for The Duel, a national competition put on by NFA Quarterback Academy, which attracts the nation's best QBs across a bevy of age groups. 

The two-day competition was measured by an intricate point system that was out of 100. A 10-year-old Eugenio wowed onlookers with 50-yard throws and won the sixth grade division with 94 points. He was the event's highest finisher, surpassing the point totals of all the high schoolers at the event. Not far behind was Jurgensen, the runner-up in the division. The top three finishers posed for a photo afterwards. 

Eight years later, the paths of Eugenio and Jurgensen brought each of them to UH, where they'll both vie to be Alejado's backup for the 2026 season. That competition has carried over from spring ball to 

The Rainbow Warriors are unlikely to release a depth chart until the week of their 2026 opener at Stanford on Aug. 29, but Kapanui says each present plenty to like. 

"When you're looking for a quarterback in the recruiting process, you got to look for someone that has everything from a high IQ, could throw the ball well and the ball jumps out of their hands. Both of those guys are guys that can throw it and sling it," Kapanui says of Eugenio and Jurgensen. 

"Those guys want to learn. When you recruit a quarterback and they're willing to learn, to come into the meeting room and always want to sit down and ask questions, that's so important for this offense. They're doing a great job, they're coming in trying to learn the offense, and it's been good the whole time working with them."

Maika Eugenio Bjorn Jurgensen 041526

<title>Former competitors Maika Eugenio and Bjorn Jurgensen now Hawai‘i teammates</title>

After meeting at a youth camp in Georgia in 2018, the two freshmen quarterbacks have reunited as Rainbow Warriors.

Former competitors Maika Eugenio and Bjorn Jurgensen now Hawai‘i teammates

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Kāhala Mall — the first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center in the Islands — celebrates its 55th anniversary in October.

“Celebrating 55 years really means the world to us, and we truly couldn’t have done it without the incredible partnerships we’ve built with our merchants, the loyalty of our customers and the unwavering support of this amazing community,” 

Ezy Paeste said in statement. “Over the years, we’ve witnessed so many special moments unfold here — teens landing their first jobs, couples on their first dates, families and friends turning visits into lasting traditions. Some folks have been coming here for generations, and now we’re seeing their children and grandchildren strolling through the same halls. It’s been an absolute honor to be part of those memories and to grow alongside this community through the years.”

Now home to nearly 100 retailers, restaurants and service providers, the East Honolulu retail hub opened in 1970. But its origins date back even earlier.

What was then called the Wai‘alae Shopping Center opened in November 1954 by Bishop Estate, according to a timeline included in a recent announcement from the mall. It featured a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, later Star Market, and Longs Drugs, and had the state's first Woolworth variety store and Wai‘alae Bowl.

In 1957, Kāhala Barber Shop, which is still in operation today, opened in phase 2. The next year, Liberty House opened in a 70,000-square-foot space.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are some more timeline tidbits:"}]

 formed the Kāhala Center Co. to redevelop the open-air Wai‘alae Shopping Center into the state's first fully enclosed, air-conditioned shopping mall.

: Construction begins and the existing anchor stores — Longs Drugs, Liberty House and Star Market — remain opened. The H-1 freeway is also under construction at the same time.

: Kāhala Mall officially opens, with anchor tenants that include JC Penney, Longs Drugs, Liberty House, Star Market and other early merchants like Yum Yum Tree, Zales, Kāhala Barber and Reyn's.

: Compleat Kitchen opens in 1976 and Calista by Cotton Cargo opens in 1979. Both shops are still open today.

: Consolidated Theatres opens its eight-screen complex, which underwent a complete renovation in 2020-21, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

: California Pizza Kitchen opens its first restaurant in the Islands — and the first outside of California.

Pizza Hut (1986), Jeans Warehouse (1987), The Paperie (1991), Marsha Nadalin Salon & Spa (1993), Sanrio Surprises, GNC (1996), 

, American Savings Bank (1997), GameStop, Pictures Plus (1998), Panda Express (1999) and Chili’s (2000).

: Starbucks opens its first Hawai‘i location at Kāhala Mall.

: Flash flooding on March 31 damages about 60 of the mall's 90 businesses but the mall quickly reopens.

: Whole Foods Market opens its first Hawai‘i location in the space formerly occupied by Piggly Wiggly and Star Market.

: Kāhala Mall spans 414,000 square feet with nearly 100 tenants. Thirty merchants have operated there for a decade or more.

commemorative merchant flags featuring photographs of longstanding tenants will be displayed throughout the center, the announcement noted.

According to the mall, popular gift-with-purchase promotions will showcase the colors and design of the Kahala Mall carpet, a recognizable feature of the center for decades. You can receive these limited-edition gifts in September and throughout the holiday season.

Follow @kahalamall on social media to see photos of the Center's early days and through the years. Customers also can share their own memories of Kahala Mall by tagging #KahalaMall55 for a chance to win Kahala Mall gift cards and a grand staycation at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

Kahala Mall is located at 4211 Waialae Ave., and open from 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Old Longs Drugs

<title>55 years of Kāhala Mall</title>

The first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center in the Islands celebrates its 55th anniversary in October.

55 years of Kāhala Mall

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

— yes, that’s all 67 7-Eleven stores across the state. Plans for these desserts have been in the works for some time, according to Debbie Lee Soon, 7-Eleven Hawaiʻi category manager of fresh food & pastry.

“Mochi donut development has been in the works for more than one year,” she confirms. “Special equipment had to be ordered and then there was recipe testing with different flavors and toppings.”

The donuts currently come in three flavors — chocolate, ube and strawberry.

“Milk chocolate, of course, had to be included,” Soon says. “Ube is a fan favorite, but we love the strawberry — real, dried strawberry powder is added to white chocolate to make the glaze; it’s so good!”

Mochi donuts cost $2.29 on Oʻahu and $2.69 on Neighbor Islands. 7-Eleven Hawaiʻi stores are also offering a special “Build Your Own Box” promotion until March 30; a box of six donuts will cost $12.99 on Oahu ($15.79 on neighbor islands).

“Eating mochi donuts is just fun,” Soon says. “Who can resist pulling apart the little balls to eat one by one?”

Hawai'i Skies: Rainbows in Mānoa

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Hawai'i Skies: Rainbows in Mānoa

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: An interesting combo

Hawaiʻi Skies: Heaven on earth

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sky show

Hawaiʻi Skies: Jellyfish clouds

Most read