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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu. "

My son loves to watch the clouds roll from the hills makai of us over to the Koʻolaus which are mauka of us. These clouds were especially impressive!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

25 11 14 Bryan Mick

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu.

Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu. "My son loves to watch the clouds roll from the hills makai of us over to the Koʻolaus which are mauka of us. These clouds were especially impressive!" 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.

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

 to the Hilo shoreline near Lili‘uokalani Gardens collapsed this morning, sending a Hawai‘i County employee to the hospital.

The collapse happened around 7:40 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14, as a mini excavator operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation was crossing the bridge, the county said in an announcement. A single Parks and Recreation employee was transported by medics to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for assessment.

The county says that the cause of the collapse is under investigation.

Also known as Coconut Island, Moku‘ola is closed until further notice and the public is asked to avoid the area.

Aloha State Daily has reached out to the county for more information.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Mokuola Bridge

<title>Hilo park closed after footbridge collapses</title>

A portion of the bridge connecting Moku‘ola, or Coconut Island, to the Hilo shoreline collapsed Friday and sent a Hawai‘i County employee to the hospital.

Hilo park closed after footbridge collapses

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Quarterback coach and trainer Vince Passas, who now lives in Las Vegas, was supposed to have a session on Sunday at 7 a.m. He's in the process of moving that to the evening. 

Passas, a 1974 Saint Louis graduate, got his start in coaching in 1976. During his decades as the quarterbacks coach of Saint Louis' varsity team, he mentored some of the most iconic names in Hawai‘i prep football history: 

, Jason Gesser, Darnell Arceneaux, Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa, the list goes on. 

Each Saint Louis quarterback seemed to surpass the next one at the collegiate level. Chang set the NCAA passing yardage record as a senior at the University of Hawai‘i in 2004. Mariota won the Heisman Trophy, college football's top individual honor, as a junior at the University of Oregon in 2014. Tagovailoa guided Alabama to a national championship win as a true freshman and then was the Heisman runner-up in 2018. Mariota and Tagovailoa each invited Passas to their Heisman ceremonies in New York. 

On Sunday, Mariota's Washington Commanders and Tagovailoa's Miami Dolphins will go head-to-head in the NFL's Madrid Game, which kicks off at 4:30 a.m. HST on NFL Network, marking the first time the two will start in a game against each other. 

"I'm going to enjoy the game and cheer for both guys, hoping that they score on every possession and that the game ends in a tie," Passas told Aloha State Daily.

Mariota was the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, while the Miami Dolphins made Tagovailoa the fifth pick in 2020. Sunday's game will be the second time Mariota's team and Tagovailoa's team will play against each other, though Mariota did not play in the first matchup. In Tagovailoa's rookie year, the Dolphins played against the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 26, 2020. Tagovailoa started the game, while Mariota never entered, as Las Vegas starter Derek Carr played the entire way. Tagovailoa was then pulled in favor of backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins went on to win 26-25. 

Sunday's matchup between the Dolphins and Commanders will feature a pair of 3-7 teams. Mariota is starting in place of Washington sophomore Jayden Daniels, who suffered a gruesome injury to his non-throwing elbow on Nov. 2. Tagovailoa has been the full-time starter in Miami since Week 1. The Dolphins have struggled with injuries and consistency as a team but are coming off a 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills, which snapped a seven-game losing streak to the reigning AFC East champions. 

"[The NFL] is not for everyone," Passas said. "It was made for special people, and they're really special individuals. Not just as a human beings and genuine personalities, but you have to be intelligent enough to lead a team. I mean, if you ever heard what one play call sounds like, it's like a whole paragraph."

Chang was helping out at a camp the first time he met Tagovailoa. He had heard the elementary schooler, nephew of current Hawai‘i offensive line coach Derek Faavi, could sling it. Tagovailoa then walked up to Chang and told him he was going to break his high school and college passing records one day. 

"I was like, 'Derek, your nephew just said he's gonna come break my records,'" Chang, now the head coach at Hawai‘i, recalled following a recent practice. "I shook [Tagovailoa's] hand and I laughed and I said, 'Let's go get it then.'"

Tagovailoa went on to surpass Chang's Hawai‘i high school passing yardage record, but not his college yards record. 

"He just had a mindset that he was going to be the best," Chang recalled of Tagovailoa. "I just appreciated watching his growth from a youth from when he said that, and he just kept grinding. All these guys that are playing the NFL, they all have great families and great support systems that just helped guide them and sacrifice so much for them to be where they're at."

 is currently Chang's starting quarterback at UH and the backbone behind the team's 7-3 start. 

"I'm really happy with Micah," Passas said. "You just knew that Micah would be the guy there. He's got great anticipation, gets the ball out of his hands fast. Some guys sense it before it happens."

When Tagovailoa and Mariota take the field against each other on Sunday at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, it will be the first time an NFL game has kicked off in Spain. 

"Very, very honored, and I don't take that very lightly," Mariota said in his weekly press conference on Wednesday. "Tua and myself, we grew up in the middle of the Pacific, far away from here. The fact of the matter is, we get a chance to be a part of this game and it's very special. I don't take that for granted at all. I do enjoy the experience, I do enjoy being away from the country. We're gonna do our best to put out a great product and a great show and I'm excited for the challenge on Sunday. 

Tagovailoa was still in high school when Mariota was putting Saint Louis and Hawai‘i on the map during a stellar career at Oregon. 

"Long story short, I think a lot of people know I looked up to Marcus when I was in high school and he was at Oregon and then when he transitioned, getting drafted to the Tennessee Titans. I was a big fan of him. Still am, just the person that he is outside of the player. Just happy for his success. I know he's been going through ebbs and flows with teams but if you get to know the kind of person he is, I think the playing and whatnot is second."

The matchup between Mariota and Tagovailoa will be the first time two quarterbacks from the same Hawai‘i high school have started a game against each other. On Oct. 19, Tagovailoa's Dolphins lost 31-6 to the Cleveland Browns, led by Mililani's Dillon Gabriel. The Oct. 19 contest was the first in which two starting quarterbacks from Hawai‘i went against each other in an NFL game. 

Sunday's game is already being viewed as a massive victory for Saint Louis and the Hawai‘i football community at large. 

"I'm proud to have graduated from Saint Louis and representing the school. We as locals are proud of where we went to high school, and that's just our thing here in Hawai‘i," Chang said. "Looking at those two guys, just very proud. I think we all get to adopt Marcus and Tua as a state, and I'm proud I was able to just watch them grow into who they were from a young age to where they are now and playing on the biggest stage. 

"It's something that Hawai‘i has to enjoy and get behind and just really be proud of these guys. They inspire so much of the youth and the kids and everybody that came behind them, even the kids in college, to the high schoolers, to the middle schoolers, to the youth now. It's pretty remarkable that these guys are there, and Dillon too. For the last couple weeks, we've had three starting quarterbacks in the NFL from Hawai‘i, and that's pretty unbelievable."

Tua Tagovailoa Marcus Mariota 111325

<title>Saint Louis beams with pride ahead history-making QB matchup</title>

Former Crusaders Tua Tagovailoa and Marcus Mariota are set to start against each other in Madrid, Spain on Sunday.

Saint Louis beams with pride ahead history-making QB matchup

Real Estate

Condo owners across the Islands can learn more when the Real Estate Commission, along with the Community Associations Institute Hawai‘i Chapter, hosts Condorama XV this weekend.

The free webinar, geared toward condominium owners, will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15.

The program will feature speakers discussing topics related to the condominium community. According to an announcement from the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Professional and Vocational Licensing Division:

“Condominiums are the fastest growing segment of housing in Hawai‘i and educating existing residents, prospective buyers, board members responsible for managing the properties, as well as related service providers is vital on condominium living,” DCCA’s Real Estate Branch told Aloha State Daily in an email. “Condominium living is often complex for board members, owners, prospective buyers and related services such as contractors, insurance carriers, and service providers to condominiums.”

, 9,626 condos were sold statewide in 2024 compared to 8,381 single-family homes that year.

The Real Estate Branch says that the twice-a-year seminars are a chance for the condo community and future buyers to “deeply understand the issues facing condominiums to then plan to meet the future needs of their condominium projects, prevent and resolve disputes and decide if they want to get involved in the industry as an owner, a board member or a service provider.” 

The Real Estate Commission is one of 52 boards, commissions and programs that are administratively attached to DCCA’s Professional and Vocational Licensing Division.

Brandon karaca Kaf 2 VAU Ldo unsplash

<title>Free webinar for condo owners set for Saturday</title>

The Real Estate Commission, along with Community Associations Institute Hawai‘i Chapter will host “Condorama XV" on Nov. 15.

Free webinar for condo owners set for Saturday

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 is iconic for its fresh-baked pastries and breads. Established by Roy and Louise Stillwell and Jerry Gibson in 1994, the bakery quickly became known for its high-quality baked goods.

Stillwell’s Bakery & Café recently announced via social media that it is projected to open a second location early next year, according to business managing partner Matt Portilla.

“It will be inside the new Central Pacific Bank across from Target,” he confirms. “We are going to offer breakfast, lunch, coffee, tea and, of course, pastries. We’ll even have a couple new items that will be exclusive to that location.”

The bakery’s cream horns ($4.95 each) are its most popular pastries; mini versions ($3.75 each) are also available. The confections feature puff pastry dough filled with housemade pastry cream, and are covered in fine milk chocolate and powdered sugar.

“Stillwell’s cream horns are a favorite for visitors and locals alike; boxes of them are often seen leaving Maui as a special gift,” Portilla says.

The bakery offers desserts like fresh fruit tarts, chocolate mousse cups, bread pudding, brownies, creme brûlée and apple tarts.

Stillwell’s Bakery & Cafe also offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served daily from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.; options range from fried egg sandwiches ($10.95) to the Hapa Boy plate ($12.95), which includes two eggs, two hot cakes and two choices of breakfast meat.

Meanwhile, lunch dishes are served daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Choose from a variety of sandwiches — which come with a side Caesar salad or chips — salads, and noodles. Options include crab cake sandwich ($17.25), Cobb salad ($15.90), Chinese chicken salad ($10.75 half, $15.75 full) and chow fun noodles ($12.95).

The Chinese chicken salad ($10.75 half, $15.75 full), a mix of Romaine, carrots, purple cabbage, cucumber, won ton chips, sesame seeds, freshly cooked chicken and housemade dressing, is a customer favorite. The bakery-cafe is well known for its homemade dressings, according to Portilla, who says Stillwell's raspberry vinaigrette, Japanese vinegar and oil, and Oriental dressings can be purchased in-store. 

The business’s dinner menu is available daily from 4 to 8 p.m., and includes dishes like hot pastrami sandwich ($17.25), meatball sandwich ($17.25) and a build-your-own-pizza option (starting from $12).

Stillwell’s also offers daily specials. During our visit, a spicy pork bulgogi sandwich ($16.85) and mahi mahi fish sandwich were featured. The latter included a grilled egg-battered fish fillet with lettuce, tomato, tartar sauce on a choice of bread. Meanwhile, the bulgogi sandwich featured a torpedo roll stuffed with marinated pork bulgogi, cucumber, carrots and cabbage coleslaw with calamansi crema.

Stillwells managing partner 103125

<title>This iconic Maui bakery is opening a second location</title>

Located in Wailuku, Stillwell’s Bakery & Cafe has been serving its freshly baked pastries to the Maui community since 1994. The bakery and cafe recently announced it’s opening a second location in early 2026.

This iconic Maui bakery is opening a second location

Business & Tourism

Nearly a year after its opening, Pickles at Forté is expanding, soon adding more courts for Downtown Honolulu’s pickleball enthusiasts.

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14, in line with the inaugural 

, taking place at the same time at Fort Street Mall.

Pickles at Forté, the first air conditioned, indoor pickleball and social club in Downtown Honolulu, opened in January on the ground floor of 1032 Fort Street Mall. The space was formerly occupied by Walmart, which had been vacant since the retailer closed that location in early 2023.

It's also part of a larger redevelopment plan in the works by Avalon Group, a Downtown-based full-service real estate development, consulting and sales company that acquired the property in February 2024 for $38.25 million.

“This was just in response to massive demand that we’ve seen,” Robby Kelley, executive vice president for Avalon, told Aloha State Daily Friday. “Since we opened nearly a year ago now, membership for Pickles has grown to really where we’re at capacity with our court utilization. We were hurrying as much as possible to get some additional courts open to alleviate that capacity. Now we have more courts available. [It] gives us the ability to host more community events, more tournaments and just [have] more times available for our members.”

According to Kelley, 1,700 people initially signed up to play in its early weeks, but Pickles at Forté now has approximately 400 members and they’re looking to expand membership to 800 to 1,000.

Some membership specials will soon be available, including an upcoming BOGO promotion where people who sign up for a month will get a second month free, he says.

“Throughout this whole year, I’ve just been continually amazed at the level of interest in pickleball,” Kelley says. “[I’m] always a little incredulous when I go there on a Tuesday at 11 a.m. and I see all the courts are packed.”

The second phase of the redevelopment initially called for approximately 10 pickleball courts on the second floor as well as a restaurant, full locker rooms and other amenities. Kelley said Friday, however, that the developer is delaying the upstairs restaurant concept for a bit, focusing on pickleball and ground-floor retail, as well as looking at plans to potentially build about 100 units of workforce rental housing on top of the existing Walmart building. That effort is still in the planning stages, he noted.

It's a “continuum of continuing to improve the building one step at a time.”

Pickles at Forté expanded upon its initial offerings 

, welcoming a sports shop, Teapresso Bar and a golf simulator.

Kelley says the golf simulator is up, running and available to both members and non-members. A special golf membership also has recently launched.

Kelley noted, too, that Aloha Creamery now has a kiosk offering ice cream within Pickles as well.

“It’s really been a success for us so far doing exactly what we’ve wanted it to [do], which was to really help build a community and bring life to Downtown,” Kelley says. “… It is starting to do what we wanted, to change the character of the block there, and that’s just going to continue as we get more and more open.”

Pickleball is a popular pastime in the Islands. A study conducted by 

, a pickleball tech company, found that Hawai‘i has the third highest density of pickleball courts in the U.S., 

Pickles at forte1 012725

<title>More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu</title>

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor of Pickles at Forté, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14.

More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu

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). 

Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills

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Authors

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