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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"If there's a better chess match out there, we have yet to see it..."}]

Smile 26 1

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, January 29, 2026</title>

If there's a better chess match out there, we have yet to see it...

Daily Smile: Thursday, January 29, 2026

 If there's a better chess match out there, we have yet to see it...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

An estimated 14 million cubic yards of lava erupted during Kīlauea volcano’s fiery display over the weekend.

[{"type":"text","text":"That seems like a lot of lava — but just how much is it?"}]

Aloha State Daily was curious, so we reached out to experts who would know.

Katie Mulliken, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, says that 14 million cubic yards, or 10.6 million cubic meters, is the volume of about 4,500 Olympic swimming pools and 2,000 Goodyear blimps.

For some additional perspective, according to 

, 10.6 million cubic meters is also 150 times as big as Spaceship Earth in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, 400 times as big as the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, 950,000 times as big as a concrete mixer truck and 15 million times as big of an average, four-person hot tub.

(As a comparison, there’s 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete in the 

 and 4.36 million cubic yards of concrete in the dam, the power plant and appurtenant works, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That’s enough concrete to pave a standard highway 16 feet wide from San Francisco to New York City, the bureau website notes).

Kīlauea has been erupting intermittently since Dec. 23, 2024, largely from two vents in Halema‘uma‘u crater within Kaluapele, the summit caldera.

“The volume of episode 41 is the third largest seen for this eruption so far, so it wasn't necessarily surprising,” Mulliken told ASD in an email. “Each episode has been different and the volume for each episode is related to the rate that lava is being erupted and the duration of the episode.”

The volume of the most recent episode is only surpassed by two others, a

Episode 25 on Oct. 17- 18, 2025, lasted 12 hours and had fountains that measured 479 meters, the tallest recorded to date. During this episode, 12.1 million cubic meters of lava erupted.

Meanwhile, 13 million cubic meters of lava erupted during episode 3. That episode was longer, lasting from Dec. 26, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025, but had shorter fountains, the highest of which measure 86 meters, she noted.

By comparison, a total of 800 million cubic meters of lava erupted during the four-month-long eruption of Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone in 2018, Mulliken says.

“In total, this ongoing eruption has erupted about a quarter of that volume.”

 — which started and ended on Saturday, Jan. 24 — blanketed Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and some surrounding Big Island communities with tephra and ash, prompted temporary park and road closures, and covered about 80% to 85% of the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor

. All areas that were closed due to the volcanic hazards have since been reopened.

HVNP spokesperson Jessica Ferracane told ASD in an email that the park has enacted a few brief, temporary closures in specific areas like 

, the summit region of the volcano, due to air quality or tephra fall during this eruption. 

But the last time the park saw an extended closure was during the 2018 eruption due to the Kīlauea summit collapse and damaging earthquake, she says. The park was closed from May 11 to Sept. 22, 2018, a total of 134 days, although the Kahuku Unit remained open.

A little more than a year after the current eruption began, the fiery display continues to draw throngs of visitors to HVNP.

“Visitation skyrockets during eruptions, especially if they occur on the weekends or holidays,” Ferracane says. “Since the eruption began on Dec. 23,2024, park visitation has increased by about 34% through 2025. Traffic can become congested on Highway 11, parking lots fill up quickly, especially on the east side of the summit, and trails and overlooks are busy with visitors eager to see an eruption.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Hoping to catch the excitement?"}]

Ferracane offers a few tips for people visiting the park during an eruptive episode:

, HVO said episode 42 of lava fountaining is currently anticipated to begin between Feb. 9 and 20, but that window will be refined as more data becomes available.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

HAVO 20250124 Visitors Episode 41 Kilauea Overlook tephra in air J Wei48

<title>This is how much lava erupted during Kīlauea volcano's most recent fountaining episode</title>

An estimated 14 million cubic yards, or 10.6 million cubic meters, of lava erupted during Kīlauea volcano’s most recent fountaining episode — but just how much is it? Aloha State Daily spoke with a geologist at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to find out. We also have some updates from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and tips for your next trip to the Big Island hot spot.

This is how much lava erupted during Kīlauea volcano's most recent fountaining episode

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

To the powers that be, the Aloha Stadium Authority's mere presence in Honolulu on the last Thursday of the month was an encouraging sign of progress. 

Stadium Authority meetings are typically held on-site in Hālawa, but with 

 in order to make room for construction of the new one, Beretania Street was the location on Thursday before temporary offices are installed in the Hālawa lot in February. 

"This is the first time to my knowledge that a Stadium Authority meeting has been held off-site," Aloha Stadium interim manager Michael Yadao remarked at Thursday's meeting. "And that delineates and communicates progress. We're moving forward with the dismantling of Aloha Stadium, and we're moving forward with the building of a new Aloha Stadium and a new Aloha Stadium Entertainment District, and that this is a real, tangible sign of that movement forward."

A blessing for the new Stadium Authority district offices will be held on Feb. 17. 

The New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) and its developer, 

 (AHDP) signed a pair of key agreements in September: A stadium operation and development agreement, as well as its initial ground lease. 

Three agreements between NASED and AHDP have yet to be signed: The master development agreement for the 98-acre area that doesn't involve the stadium itself, as well as the Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA) and Reciprocal Easement Shared Infrastructure Agreement (RESIA) associated with it.

"These three agreements kind of get wrapped up together, and you can see how they interchange," Yadao says. 

It is Yadao's hope that NASED and AHDP can agree in principle on the final three topics in early February, then have the involved lawyers draft the contract language around the time of the Feb. 17 blessing.  

"I've asked them to speed it up to be done before the blessing," Yadao said. "But look, that's really ambitious. That's really me pushing."

During his address, Yadao reached into a box of manapua and pulled one out, paying tribute to the late Jim Leahey, one of Hawai‘i's most prominent sports broadcasters in his 40-plus years serving as the voice of University of Hawai‘i athletics. 

"Jim Leahey made football personal. He made football local," Yadao said. "When a running back would (nearly) get that first down, he was just there. He was just this close. He was less than a yard away. Jim Leahey would say, 'He's a manapua away.' 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I'm telling you, we are a manapua away.\""}]

Thursday was Yadao's fist Stadium Authority meeting as Aloha Stadium's interim manager. He was voted in as the stadium's deputy manager in December's meeting after former interim manager Chris Sadayasu stepped down. Walter Thoemmes was unanimously voted in as the new chair.

In other Stadium Authority personnel changes, chair Eric Fujimoto stepped down during Thursday's meeting. He explained that he will still be on the board and involved, then became emotional as he expressed how much the stadium means to him as an ‘Aiea resident and University of Hawai‘i fan. 

Dismantling of the old Aloha Stadium began under the basis of the two previous agreements and completion of the new 22,500-seat Aloha Stadium is still targeted for March 2026. 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Michael Yadao 012926

<title>New Aloha Stadium 'a manapua away' from key agreements</title>

In its first off-site meeting, the Aloha Stadium Authority shared continued optimism toward a March 2029 completion date.

New Aloha Stadium 'a manapua away' from key agreements

It’s a new year and new leadership is at the helm of AIA Honolulu, the Honolulu chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Lance Hirai, an associate principal at G70, is serving as the 2026 president.

Hirai, who has served on the board for many years now, told Aloha State Daily that he’s lucky “to be a part of such a momentous time” for the organization, which marks it 100th anniversary this year. It’s “surreal just to be able to give back to our not just architectural community but our state, island home, in this way.”

Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Hirai went to school for architecture on the Mainland before finding his way back home in 2012. He’s been with G70 since.

ASD recently caught up with Hirai to find out more about his goals for the organization during this milestone year.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Mentorship is a priority"}]

“Personally, for me, I carry a strong, strong commitment to our next generation,” Hirai says.

Mentorship has been a big passion of his for many years — through AIA Honolulu, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Architecture, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i and even internally at G70.

“That has really guided me and I look to carry my experiences from that and move that forward, hopefully for our membership,” Hirai says. “Through mentorship, I do see the opportunities to strengthen our profession by bringing together all levels of experience — learning from our fellows, our senior architects, and being able to connect them through forums and opportunities so that our emerging professionals can learn from them. We’re looking to create new programming around that effort.”

Hirai says that he’s learned that great leadership takes “just really deep listening.” To that end, he started an initiative called “Lattes with Lance,” where he and AIA Honolulu Executive Vice President Julia Fink bring coffee to members in their offices, offering a chance to hear directly from them.

As a whole, though, Hirai says goals for AIA Honolulu’s centennial year are simple.

“It’s reflective and forward-looking,” he told ASD. “We’re going to honor the legacy of our members and the great work that AIA Honolulu has done for our built environment. And as we look forward, we want to continue to grow our mentorships, our innovation, our advocacy so that we’re elevating the public’s understanding of the value of the architect.”

Workforce woes continue to challenge architecture in Hawai‘i

Lattes with Lance is already bringing some of the industry’s current challenges to light.

Through the effort, Hirai says the organization is hearing about “some of that missing middle level of experience.” Professionals with 5, 10 or 15 years of experience who are “the backbone to the project deliveries of our projects” are hard to come by, he says.

Hirai says mentorship can strengthen and retain this group, “in the same way that I had an opportunity, when a mentor trusted in me. It really changed the trajectory for my career. I hope that through mentorship, we bring that forward for our members to see the opportunities and space for them to grow into this profession for years to come.”

Additionally, Hirai notes that the industry is looking at artificial intelligence and how technology continues advancing in the profession, “and how do we work with it to support out workflows?”

[{"type":"text","text":"Legacy and looking ahead"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The organization got its start with a group of architects joining forces."}]

“That’s something I also wanted as a goal, was strengthening the unity across our memberships because that’s how we started,” Hirai says. “It was a group of architects coming together.”

It’s played out similarly in the past, he noted, with members coming together to offer design expertise and public testimony “on some of our significant public community developments.”

In addition to Hirai, AIA Honolulu’s 2026 Board of Directors Executive Committee also includes Vice President and President-elect Sheryl Seaman, of council at G70; Treasurer Andrea Aegerter, principal at MASON; and Secretary Jessica Shimazu, architect at HDR Inc.

“We continue to be advocates, not just for architects ourselves, but for the public, for the community, protecting the health, safety, the welfare of those who are occupying the spaces that we create for them and that allow them to thrive,” Hirai says. “… I think our organization will continue to be a steady, informed voice advocating for Hawai‘i.”

AIA Honolulu 2026 Lance Hirai

<title>Mentorship is priority for Lance Hirai, 2026 AIA Honolulu president</title>

In an interview with Aloha State Daily, Hirai said that he’s lucky “to be a part of such a momentous time” for the organization, which marks it 100th anniversary this year.

Mentorship is priority for Lance Hirai, 2026 AIA Honolulu president

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison has worked alongside 

, first as his father in “Aquaman” movies and later as King Kahekili, his rival, in the Apple TV+ mini-series “Chief of War.”

 when speaking with Aloha State Daily about 

 Now, the actors are starring together in “The Wrecking Crew,” where Morrison plays the governor of Hawai’i.

The fast-paced action comedy features estranged brothers Jonny (Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista), who reunite in Hawai’i to find out who murdered their father. The movie launched on Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 27. 

“Hey, if there's any chance to work in Hawai’i, that's the best place to work in the world,” Morrison told ASD. “Stay on Waikīkī. Go and do some filming. Come back to Waikīkī. Have a little swim. Go eat. Go to the mall — Royal Hawaiian [Center] — and watch a little hula. Go try some malasada donuts. Oh, my God.”

“The Wrecking Crew” included 12 days of filming in Hawaiʻi and 43 days in New Zealand, Angela Laprete, the Hawaiʻi producer for the movie told ASD. Laprete is a founder of the 

Hawai’i Film Alliance, which formed in July

 and is advocating for tax incentives that could bring more movies and television shows to Hawai’i.

Morrison first captured Momoa’s attention when he played Jake Heke, the violent and alcoholic father at the heart of “Once Were Warriors” (1994), 

one of the most successful movies in New Zealand film history

“I think he'd seen my movie ‘Once Were Warriors,’ which I was a big part of and it moved him in a way that actually put him into acting,” Morrison said. “So, when ‘Aquaman’ came along, I think he was a big mover in getting me to play his dad. He's just been a big fan of mine. He's like my son, really.”

Over the years, Morrison played Boba Fett in the “Star Wars” movies and the voice of Chief Tui in “Moana,” among other roles. Recently, Morrison and Momoa appeared in “Chief of War,” which was filmed mostly in ‘Olelo Hawai’i. “The Wrecking Crew” focuses on the Hawaiian side of where Momoa grew up, he added.

“He's worked hard,” Morrison said. “He's put himself in a nice, viable place now, where we can make these kind of movies.”

Morrison said with a laugh that he doesn’t look like the state’s current governor, Josh Green.

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘What the hell am I doing in this film?’” he said. “But anyway, my buddy is asking, so I better just turn up and be the governor.’”

Morrison remembers the first time he met Bautista.

“I met Dave Bautista some time ago, too, when he first started out,” he said. “It was really nice to reconnect with Dave. In fact, when I saw Dave on set for the first time, he goes, ‘Do you remember me?’ I said, ʻOf course, I remember you!’”

They originally met while working together on one of the “Scorpion King” movies. Bautista was “still pretty new to the whole acting scene” and was trying to learn his lines, he added.  

“I was giving him some hints: ʻWell, this is how you learn your dialogue, Dave. You don't put any emphasis on it. You just learn it flat,’” he said. “Later on, when you start to work with the other actor, that’s when the color will come.”

Learning the lines without inflection allows for more authentic emotional responses to the other actors in a scene, he explained.

“But if you started to shape it in the rehearsal now — or while you're at home at night — it's hard to break those patterns because you'll just get into your rhythm,” he said. “It’s best not to have any rhythm, any pattern, any emphasis anywhere until you start working with the other actors.”

On set for "The Wrecking Crew," Bautista recounted that advice and presented Morrison with a pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses as a thank you, Morrison added.

“So again, at all kinds of levels, we're having fun,” he said.

As viewers stream the movie, he wants them to also have fun.

“Where there's Polynesians, there's also a lot of comedy,” he said. “It's a great popcorn movie to sit down, take the family, have a good old laugh. It’s very colorful. There's a few surprises.”

Temuera Morrison

<title>Temuera Morrison plays Hawaiʻi governor in new film</title>

“The Wrecking Crew,” a movie starring Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista and Temuera Morrison is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Temuera told Aloha State Daily about the acting advice he gave Bautista, when they first worked together years ago, which resulted in a gift of Louis Vuitton sunglasses on set.

Temuera Morrison plays Hawaiʻi governor in new film

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

, a cultural learning center in Waiʻanae where ʻāina, ʻike kūpuna and community come together, volunteers wanted the same in Mākaha Valley

Waiʻanae residents William Aila Jr. and his wife, Melva, have been involved with stream and land restoration efforts in Mākaha since the start.

“Our roles have evolved from volunteers to holding different leadership positions on the board of directors,” he said. “In the early years, we advocated for climate change education, watershed education and stream protection. We testified at the Waiʻanae Neighborhood Board, [Honolulu] City Council, and the state Legislature on efforts to raise awareness. We incorporated Native Hawaiian values and cultural concepts.”

 became a nonprofit in 2011, though, the core group of volunteers spent more than 10 years prior getting it to that point, Aila said, adding, “We sought nonprofit status to fundraise and establish a land instrument with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to partner and manage some of their property in Mākaha Valley.”

BWS, which owns the 11 acres in Mākaha the group stewards, now provides water and funding for the project, along with other foundations and individuals. Additional partners include Ka’ala Farm; state Department of Land and Natural Resources, where Aila previously served as chair and as the department's harbor agent for Waiʻanae Boat Harbor for much of his career; and local schools and nonprofits.

Key individuals, he said, include Cynthia Rezentes, Jo Jordan,  Shar Poe, Richard Medeiros, Eric Enos, Jonathan Deenik, Landis Ornellas, and Willy Centiro.

Aila, who retired in 2022 as director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, added: “We have presented several water conferences on the past 20-plus years, focusing on the importance of watershed and stream management with a focus on climate change and its future impacts on the Waiʻanae Coast.”

The last conference, free and open to the public, took place in 2024 thanks to BWS. He expects another one will happen later this year.

Volunteers work roughly 1-2 times a week, not including monthly gatherings for the community.

“With some cultural/historical sites on property, we’re doing this in a pono way. We’re bringing life back to the land,” Aila said. “It seems to be raining more in that area, so I take that as a yes, kūpuna are approving what we do. It’s much cooler now that we’ve planted trees. Increased number of birds. The stream appears to be running more often. I feel as though the land is responding. It has missed having a human presence. It’s enjoying providing food for the community and cultural materials on the Wai’anae Coast.”

Another byproduct of this work is increased food production. Currently bananas, ʻulu, taro, ʻōlena (turmeric), and other crops are planted, grown, harvested and shared directly with community organizations or distributed at 

The project has also increased wildfire safety, or what he calls “edible firebreak,” clearing and planting trees alongside roadways to protect homes and life, but to also cultivate crop.

“In the near future, we will be harvesting more ʻulu, avocado, mango, mountain apple, fig, citrus, and other specialty fruit trees,” Aila said. “Watching these newly planted trees double or triple in size in the last year is something we will not forget. Watching a haole koa and grass dominated landscape, ripe for fire during the dry season, being transformed into a food-filled landscape is and continues to be inspiring!"

He said he has personally donated mountain apple trees to this initiative and given away close to 800.

seeds and native plants from, he noted that 

The goal for the new year is to continue to mālama the ‘āina, educate the community and make opportunities for connection, he said, estimating that about 3 of 11 acres so far have been maintained.

“We are inspired by the youth in our community that are ready to pick up the shovels and expand our efforts.”

Aila added that this kuleana in Mākaha has taught him: “When you establish a reciprocal relation with ‘āina; you grow in understanding, you grow in having mana, and you realize that you’re part of a cycle."

Makaha Watershed 01

<title>Nonprofit works to restore watershed in Mākaha Valley</title>

Mohala I Ka Wai and its various partners including Ka’ala Farm, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and state Department of Land and Natural Resources, among others, aim to provide a space for the community to participate in ʻāina restoration, while creating opportunities for sustainable food production in Waiʻanae. Longtime volunteer and resident William Aila Jr. shares about the group’s history and purpose in this place.

Nonprofit works to restore watershed in Mākaha Valley

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, recalls when he first got the idea to start a gourmet hot dog business.

“For almost two years, I worked security at a gay nightclub,” he recalls. “That’s where I got the idea of making a hot dog business with a catchy theme that was meant for fun, and not to be offensive. The idea (for) ‘Sausage Fest Hawai

Rutkowski started brainstorming potential business names, logos and custom hot dog creations, but his ideas were “put on the backburner” due to other priorities.

[{"type":"text","text":"“I had my second child in 2018 and got caught up with life,” he says."}]

“I joined the army at 18 (years old),” he adds. “I also was a bouncer for 15 years, until the Covid-19 pandemic. I worked at various locations over the years, and I would always see a hot dog vendor. The business is a low investment, and you could fill bellies and put smiles on faces.”

Fast-forward to 2020. During October of that year, Rutkowski had a spine injury that led to him being paralyzed from the waist down for two months. The following January, he started going to physical rehab to learn how to walk again.

“During those months was one of the darkest times of my life,” he recalls. “Coming from a background of being Army Infantry and deployed, and involved in martial arts … it was the most humbling experience in my life, from (being) physically active to partially paralyzed.”

During that time, Rutkowski learned a lot about himself and had “a different outlook on life.”

“While going to physical therapy, I enrolled in a massage school,” he says. “I’ve strengthened my core and legs from rehab and proper massage techniques. I would tell everyone that going through massage school was one of the most spiritual things I’ve ever done.”

Rutkowski graduated from massage school in March 2022 and was contemplating his next move. He came across a small, standard hot dog cart on Facebook Marketplace and took that as a sign.

“I was like, ‘Let’s do this!’” he says. “The next two months, I got everything finalized and printed, and by May, Sausage Fest Hawai

i’s menu is centered on gourmet 100% all-beef hot dogs ($8 each), which Rutkowski refers to as Glizzys.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Glizzys is a term used on the Mainland for hot dogs,” he explains."}]

The menu usually includes options like hot dogs topped with grilled Cola onions drizzled with Angel’s sauce; hot dogs wrapped in bacon and topped with ground beef and avocado, drizzled with barbecue sauce; and hot dogs topped with kalua pig and lomi lomi salmon, drizzled with Angel’s sauce.

“The most popular (order) are our combos, where they can choose from any of our five Glizzys and it will come with two birria tacos with consommé, onions and cilantro,” Rutkowski says.

From now until March, customers can find Sausage Fest Hawai

i at Mānoa’s men’s volleyball and basketball games at Stan Sheriff Center. The business is switching up its offerings at the games, though, and will be featuring a birria-centric menu, complete with birria tacos ($15), birria bowls ($18) — birria meat, corn, salsa, avocado, cheese, diced onions, cilantro and lime over white rice — birria sliders ($12) and birria grilled cheese sandwiches ($15).

i’s location and upcoming events, follow the biz on social media.

“Our long-term goal for Sausage Fest Hawai

i is to become a franchise and to have multiple hot dog carts and locations in different states, as well as countries,” Rutkowski says.

Sasauge Fest Hawaii owner 011526

<title>Sausage Fest Hawaiʻi offers gourmet Glizzys</title>

The food business — which can be found at events across Oʻahu — specializes in “Glizzys,” which is slang for hot dogs. These gourmet dogs feature toppings like bacon bits, kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon and more. Plus, the biz also now offers birria tacos.

Daily Smile: Thursday, January 29, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Thursday, January 29, 2026

Authors

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