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[{"type":"text","text":"Road trip with huskies..."}]

Smile 26 1 21

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 21, 2026</title>

Road trip with huskies...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

In ancient times, this was sacred ground. Kualoa was a wahi kapu, a place set apart for chiefs. In our oral traditions, newborn aliʻi were brought here to be raised in discipline and trained in warfare, raised with an understanding of their chiefly status. Those who broke kapu fled here seeking refuge, for Kualoa was also a puʻuhonua, a place where life might be spared if protocol was followed.

Even at sea, the land commanded respect. Any wa‘a (canoe) passing offshore was said to have lowered its sails in silence, acknowledging the mana of the valley before continuing on. This practice wasn’t limited to just fishermen and commoners, as it is said that Kamehameha I was also careful to acknowledge the sacredness of Kualoa, dropping his sails as he went by.

But Kualoa’s sacredness did not only place demands on those who passed by, it tested those who ruled.

Shortly after becoming aliʻi of Oʻahu, Kahahana called together a council of the island’s ali‘i along with the kahuna nui, Kaopulupulu. Kahahana presented the demands of his uncle, Kahekili of Maui, who sought control of Kualoa and the palaoa pae, the shoreline where whale bones were said to drift ashore.

Some ali‘i argued that the request was reasonable, a fair return for the protection and support that Kahekili had shown Kahahana during his rise to power. Others hesitated, uneasy with the implications of giving the Maui ali‘i such control.

But Kaopulupulu did not hesitate. He warned that to surrender Kualoa was a forfeiture of O‘ahu’s sovereignty. Kualoa, he reminded them, was among the most sacred lands on the island. It was home to the revered drums of Kapahuʻula and Kaʻahuʻulapunawai, and to the sacred hill of Kauakahi a Kahoʻowaha. To give up the palaoa-pae would not only dishonor this history but also disrespect the gods themselves. Kaopulupulu argued that Kahahana had no right to surrender the very emblems of the island’s independence.

Despite Kaopulupulu’s convincing the council and the agreement to deny Kahekili’s demands, things took a darker turn. Through manipulation and influence, Kahekili later convinced his nephew not only to relinquish Kualoa but also that Kaopulupulu was a traitor. With that accusation, the priest was killed. Soon after, Kahahana was also put to death, and Kualoa passed fully into Kahekili’s control.

The ancient stories tell of gods and goddesses, like Hiʻiaka, Pele’s sister, who battled a great moʻo in this valley. When she destroyed the creature, its body became the foothills, and its severed tail was cast into the sea, forming the tiny island of Mokoliʻi (some call it Chinaman’s Hat). Other tales are of Kamapuaʻa, a demigod who was half-man/half-pig, hiding in Kualoa while fleeing Pele’s wrath, tearing through the mountains as he escaped, leaving the deep cuts and ridges that still mark the land.

Then there’s the work of feeding people, which has its own kind of sacredness. Along this coast sits Moliʻi Fishpond. Built to raise and fatten fish, it’s estimated to be 800 to 1,000 years old. But the pond isn’t a relic. It’s one of the few original Hawaiian loko ‘ia (fishponds) still in use, raising and harvesting fish using sustainable practices. A reminder of the area's abundance.

Then change came, as it always does. During the Māhele, Hawaiian lands that had once been held through kuleana (responsibility) were divided by law and written documents. Kualoa was pulled into that new world, too. In 1850, King Kamehameha III sold roughly 622 acres at Kualoa to Dr. Gerrit P. Judd, his missionary doctor and advisor. Over time, through later acquisitions by his son, Charles H. Judd, the holdings expanded to nearly 4,000 acres, becoming Kualoa Ranch, run by the Morgan family line.

Sugar followed, briefly, with the Kualoa Sugar Mill rising near the road. The mill was built in 1864 by Judd’s son-in-law, Samuel G. Wilder. However, it didn’t last long. In 1866, Samuel Wilder’s nine-year-old son fell into a vat of boiling syrup and died from the severe burns a few days later. The sugar venture did not last, and the mill processed its final crop in 1868. The land was then used for ranching.

Yet for all the eras that passed through Kualoa, the valley itself saw little change. The sacredness, the mana, never diminished. And some say that when night settles in Kualoa, and the mountains disappear into shadow, the valley begins to tell its stories again.

In 1925, a story appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser’s editorial column, “The Bystander,” that described ghost stories shared on a Sunday visit to Kualoa. The author wrote that his host claimed to often see the specter of his grandfather, Charles H. Judd, pacing on the lawn in front of the houses. And on every full moon, the ghosts of Kamehameha I and his entourage would march past the gates toward Hau‘ula.

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s not the only tale of the huaka‘i pō."}]

A few years ago, a young man shared his own story with me. He used to work as a guide for the ranch, leading visitors through the valleys in all-terrain vehicles. One late afternoon, when the sun was already low behind the mountain, he returned to the trail overlooking Kualoa Beach and Mokoli‘i. A woman said she left her backpack, and the young guide volunteered to go back and look for it. He realized it was getting dark pretty fast, and he didn’t want to get stuck out there by the time it got fully dark. He got to the spot, turned off the motor, and got out of the vehicle to look around. The young man quickly found the bag, tossed it into the back of the vehicle, and jumped in. But it didn’t start.

Slightly irritated, he kept trying the ignition until he heard a sound that was completely out of place. He swore it sounded like drums, but tried to tell himself that it must be something else. All of a sudden, a gust of wind ripped past him, kicking up dirt everywhere, forcing him to cover his face. As he leaned forward against the steering wheel, he heard footsteps. He wasn’t aware of any other sound, no talking, no chanting, just the sound of dozens of feet marching. He froze in his seat and prayed, keeping his face in his palms, refusing to look up. After a few long minutes, the pounding sound was gone, and he finally lifted his head. He looked around to see nothing out of the ordinary. He turned the ignition key, and his ATV started on the first try. He drove back carefully, not wanting to drive too fast and meet up with whatever just passed him.

He believes he encountered the night marchers and was thankful to make it out unscathed. However, although he enjoyed his job, it was the final straw in a series of creepy encounters that led him to quit.

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Kualoa Ranch Large

<title>The haunting history of Kualoa</title>

Long regarded as sacred, Kualoa was originally a special place reserved for chiefs and it was once a place where ali‘i from O‘ahu and Maui wrestled for control. With legends dating back to ancient times, and more modern tragedies as well, spirits of the past make their presence known.

The haunting history of Kualoa

For nearly four decades, the Honolulu Club was more than a gym. It was a routine, a meeting place, and for many, a second home.

The Honolulu Club opened in 1980 across from the Neal Blaisdell Center, with a major focus on racquetball. After a 2012 bankruptcy and major reinvestments in 2014, the renovated club boasted a lounge, a 32-foot pool, steam rooms and saunas, hot tubs, cold plunges, personal training, and dozens of classes each week.

Members came for training sessions or group classes, but often lingered long after their workouts, talking story in the lounge and around the pool. The club quickly developed a reputation for networking and a camaraderie that extended far beyond its walls.

However, after temporary shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by renewed restrictions and declining membership, the club's owners made the difficult decision to permanently close. In its farewell message, the club emphasized that it had always been about more than fitness — it was about ‘ohana.

Another popular hangout in the building was T.G.I. Friday’s. People who worked in the building and in the surrounding area made the restaurant their regular lunch spot for years. Concertgoers and event attendees often stopped by for a meal before and after their events at the Blaisdell Center. Like the Honolulu Club, regulars enjoyed the camaraderie and the family-style atmosphere. With its sudden closure in 2007, patrons and staff were shocked to be left uninformed.

Other businesses housed within the structure included physicians’ offices, a hair salon, real estate firms, and investment and insurance advisors. Although all of these establishments are gone now, people who have worked in or visited the building often seem to describe the same uneasy moments.

Tales of furniture that refused to stay where it was left, doors that moved without wind, and persistent, uneasy feelings in certain areas of the building and the parking garage are examples of similar accounts that connected the various businesses. Some club members have described shadows glimpsed from the periphery or fully formed apparitions roaming the steam room and the weight room.

What makes these stories hard to dismiss is not just who experienced them, but where the building stands. A land survey conducted during recent construction stated that they found no visible archaeological remains during surface inspection. Yet even in its careful, technical language, the report leaves important questions open. Background research indicates that this stretch of King Street followed a major Hawaiian trail that was in use for centuries before Western contact, suggesting that traditional cultural deposits in the area cannot be ruled out. More pointedly, the survey acknowledges the possibility that burials associated with the Roman Catholic Cemetery next door may extend beyond its present boundaries and into the area of the concrete building. A walk through the cemetery shows marked graves just inches away from the building’s west-facing wall.

The building’s basement, which spans the entire footprint, is nearly nine feet below street level. The report ultimately concludes that this makes the survival of intact burials or subsurface cultural deposits unlikely. But unlikely is not the same as impossible. The report still doesn’t actually answer the question that keeps surfacing whenever unexplained activity is discussed: Is the building partially built over graves?

Today, after a complete renovation, the building has entered a new chapter as the Liliʻuokalani Center, a community hub supporting Native Hawaiian youth in culture, creativity, technology, and exploration.

On my visit there, I met someone who works at the new facility. She gave me a thorough tour of the state-of-the-art building, and then she said, “There is one place I want to take you. You tell me what you think.”

We took the elevator to the basement, and when the double doors opened, I felt it immediately. 

[{"type":"text","text":"“Burials?” I asked."}]

Nodding, my friend pointed to a corner and said, “During construction, they uncovered iwi. That’s where they put them.”

[{"type":"text","text":"“Were they able to identify the remains?” I asked."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"This person shrugged and left it at that."}]

But as I left the building, I saw a thick mist floating from the main doors through the intersection. It moved as if it had an intended destination. Vehicles swerved a bit or slowed down, so I know I wasn’t the only witness. Despite the minor chaos, the mist drifted over to Thomas Square, where it dissolved into nothing.

Is this part of the reason people think the building is haunted? Was it a previous resident from the building? Or perhaps a traveler from ancient days following the old trail?

Whatever it was, the imprint of the past remains on the newly renovated building, but we’ll find out soon enough whether its spirits remain as well.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Liliuokalani Center

<title>Hauntings at the old Honolulu Club</title>

The former home of the Honolulu Club and T.G.I. Friday's has a new life as the Liliʻuokalani Center. But according to reports, spirits older than any of these entities remain there.

Hauntings at the old Honolulu Club

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

 has awarded more than $2.7 million to 31 local nonprofits focused on mental health, following the 2023 Maui wildfires. Grants of up to $100,000 will go to each organization that is working to increase access to mental health resources for individuals and families directly. 

The hui of funders particularly for this Mental Health RFP

, which sought grant applications in October, is comprised of the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the HMSA Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund and Maui United Way. Established in response to the wildfires, The Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative has awarded more than 80 recipients over $9 million in total.

 continues to support wildfire response and recovery since the immediate aftermath of the fire, as we understand the deep trauma that fire survivors and their families have experienced,” said Keanu Lau Hee, vice president of community resilience and strategic implementation at Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “We are grateful to the nonprofits for their tireless efforts to support and strengthen the resilience of their surrounding communities, and we are grateful to the participants of the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative for supporting community-led recovery efforts well over two years after this disaster.”

 that the Maui Strong Fund is committed to supporting “case management and the urgent needs of our community – both mental health and wellness, with a focus on the education of our youth, as well as thinking about our impacted workforce.”

Similarly, The Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative Mental Health RFP

’s aim to support health for youth, kūpuna and workforce, as well as first responders and mental health providers.

For Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, the funding will go toward its Maui Support Center in Wailuku, which is open to 

 told ASD that the center “provides counseling services for those tirelessly caring for and assisting survivors of the recent Maui wildfires

“The program provides individual and group therapy, wellness activities, outreach and much more," she said. "This continued assistance aims to promote healing and well-being within the community.” 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The full list grantees are:"}]

Na Hoaloha-Maui Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers

Looking ahead, other funding priorities for Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative include food, housing and cultural and natural resource management. 

Interested in applying for a grant in 2026? Contact

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Kaibigan ng Lahaina 2024 event

<title>Nonprofits receive grants to continue mental health services on Maui</title>

A hui of funders including the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the HMSA Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund and Maui United Way committed more than $2.7 million to organizations providing support to survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Nonprofits receive grants to continue mental health services on Maui

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

Business & Tourism

Kamehameha Schools has sold its remaining interest in the Royal Hawaiian hotel, selling the lease fee landholdings under the iconic pink oceanfront resort to Japan-based Daisho Co. for $510 million.

The transaction closed Nov. 6, KS said in an 

According to KS, the property will continue to be held and operated under its current long-term ground lease to 

Daisho Co. is a private, family-owned company with hospitality holdings in Asia and the Pacific, KS noted. This is the company’s first commercial venture in the Islands.

, KS says it manages its portfolio as one that “evolves to meet the needs of the trust and the Native Hawaiian community.”

“In a globally competitive market, Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha must manage Pauahi’s portfolio with care and strategy, mindful of how best to position our ‘āina to serve the evolving needs of our lāhui, both today and for generations to come,” the announcement states. “This means sometimes acquiring ‘āina, sometimes restoring it, and at times, when conditions call for change, releasing lands so their value can further the mission in new ways.”

KS sold the buildings and improvements at the neighboring Royal Hawaiian Center in 2014 — you can read more 

 — but said in the Nov. 7 announcement it is “not presently considering a sale” of its remaining interest in the lands underneath the shopping center.

Crystal Rose, chair of the KS Board of Trustees, said in the announcement that the trust only sells land “after much deep and agonizing consideration.”

“Our kuleana is to steward a dynamic portfolio that best serves our trust. At the same time, we know that our lands carry historical significance, especially this one, which our founder and generations of ali‘i before her had nurtured,” she says.

KS CEO Jack Wong said in the announcement that in the coming months, KS will meet with its school communities, alumni and lāhui to discuss and better explain its changing role as a landowner.

Dubbed the “Pink Palace of the Pacific,” what’s now called the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikīkī, opened nearly a century ago on Feb. 1, 1927, and was built for $4 million by the Matson Navigation Co., as a “luxurious resort for Matson passengers,” a 

Following the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy recreation and morale office leased the Royal Hawaiian, “transforming the resort into a major rest and relaxation center for Navy personnel,” the site reads. “The resort was restored to its pre-war elegance in 1947.”

KS is one of the largest landowners in the state, according to the 

, ranking third behind the state and federal government with more than 373,000 acres.

In August 2024, KS announced it would pay a total of $872.5 million as part of a $4 billion global settlement in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires. Read more about that 

It’s also gearing up for another legal battle: Virginia-based nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions recently filed a 

Royal hawaiian unsplash

<title>Kamehameha Schools sells land under Royal Hawaiian for $510M</title>

Japan-based Daisho Co. is now the fee-simple owner. The property, however, will continue to be held and operated under its current long-term ground lease to Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, KS says.

Kamehameha Schools sells land under Royal Hawaiian for $510M

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Kauai‘i residents have reacted negatively to plans by the U.S. Navy to retain its missile testing facility on the island.

For three days this week, the Navy has held public meetings to discuss an environmental impact statement for the retention of 8,172 acres of state land used for the Pacific Missile Range Facility in West Kaua‘i.

All leases involving those lands are set to expire by 2030, and so the Navy published in June a draft environmental impact statement describing its plans to extend those leases for at least another 25 years.

But that plan was unpopular among the PMRF’s neighbors, dozens of whom testified at this week’s meetings to highlight perceived inadequacies in the plan.

“Are we really supposed to believe that decades of water diversion, rocket launching, wargames, access restrictions, development expansion has no cumulative adverse impacts?” said Christopher Kaia‘apu at Wednesday’s meeting in Kekaha, who added that the document does not sufficiently address PMRF’s long-term impacts on marine ecosystems.

Kaia‘apu said the PMRF operates pump stations that have shrunk wetlands that “supported some of the largest known native waterbird populations in Hawai‘i.

Ni‘ihau resident Kaneali‘i Williams said the EIS needs to take into account the PMRF’s impact on the Kaulakahi Channel between Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, and was skeptical of the document’s claims that the Navy has contacted Hawaiian lineal descendants to carry out a Ka Pa‘akai analysis, a process that government agencies must follow to avoid impinging on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary rights.

Several testifiers called the facility’s presence on Kaua‘i “desecration” and warned of long-term health impacts caused by the Navy’s activities.

The testimony wasn’t strictly negative. Kekaha resident Keith Castaneda, by way of constructive criticism, recommended that the Navy consider allowing local residential use of the land and uncap several freshwater wells on the land.

Jose Felix, a worker at PMRF, said he and other workers do everything in their power to comply with environmental regulations, but acknowledged that the Navy doesn’t convey that information well to community members.

“I can testify that [the land] is being stewarded in the right way,” Felix said. “If you allow the state or the county [to manage it] I believe it’s going to get worse.”

The Navy was not able to respond to any of the testimony, as the meetings only served to gather public testimony. A final environmental impact statement taking public comment into account is scheduled for publication next spring.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

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