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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Happy dog on the beach..."}]

Smile 26 2 14

<title>Daily Smile: Saturday, February 14, 2026</title>

Happy dog on the beach...

Daily Smile: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Daniel Farr 02

Daniel Farr

Government & Politics

A proposal from Honolulu City Councilmember Andria Tupola would make it easier to develop affordable rental housing on Oʻahu.

The Affordable Rental Housing Program, adopted in 2019, was designed to encourage affordable housing by easing certain zoning and construction rules. Tupola said in a recent announcement that only six projects have been completed under the program since its adoption.

As proposed, Bill 18 would expand where affordable housing projects are allowed, increase the number of units permitted on each zoning lot, and eliminate maximum lot and building area requirements and fixed height limits, among other provisions. Building heights could reach the maximum allowed by the underlying zoning. 

“At least 80% of units must be rented to households earning 100% of area median income or below, with rents tied to federal HUD limits,” Tupola told Aloha State Daily, adding that, units “must remain affordable for at least 15 years after a certificate of occupancy is issued.”

Hawai‘i needs an estimated 64,490 additional housing units by 2027 to meet demand, according to the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp.’s 2024 Hawai‘i Housing Planning 

The City and County of Honolulu has the largest shortfall, requiring 25,710 units to meet demand. The study notes that 18,676 of those units (73%) are needed for households earning 80% of Area Median Income or below.

Tupola also said the bill does not create new funding programs, change taxes, or alter developer fees. It simply reforms development rules to make affordable housing easier to build.

As of Friday, one member of the public submitted written testimony ahead of the hearing, suggesting that affordable housing projects include accessibility features such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant units, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms and designated parking.

Bill 18 is scheduled for a hearing before the full Honolulu City Council at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Honolulu Hale.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Tupola 16x9

<title>Bill aims to boost affordable housing in Honolulu</title>

Bill 18 aims to relax zoning limits, increase density near transit, and speed construction of affordable units across Oʻahu.

Bill aims to boost affordable housing in Honolulu

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Stand-up comedian Jose Figueras, also known as Jose Dynamite, first tried entertaining a crowd at a talent show when he was a senior in college at Chaminade University. His roommate helped him write some jokes. Unfortunately, his set followed that of another student who performed a song dedicated to classmates who had died in a recent car crash, he said.

He bombed. But that was not the end of his comedy journey. 

Figueras went on to become the founder of Comedy U Hawaiʻi, which provides up-and-coming comedians a space to try out their jokes, limited to three-minute sets. The group produces a stand-up comedy show with an open mic on Wednesday nights at Anna O’Brien’s, along with shows at other venues, including Blue Note Hawaiʻi.

“We keep the open mic in a very structured format where you're gonna get three minutes to start out,” Figueras told Aloha State Daily. “A lot of people feel like: ʻOh, I need more time.’ They don't realize if you suck for three minutes, that's a very long time for audiences to sit through.”

Figueras grew up watching Saturday Night Live and regularly watched performances by comedians, such as Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, David Spade and Phil Hartman.

“They would spoof commercials," he said. "I always thought that was the greatest thing ever, and I wanted to do that. I wanted to write funny commercials. And that's what made me want to get into marketing.”

After his initial attempt at stand-up comedy, he took some time off from the sport. But in the early 2000s, Laugh Factory came to Queen Kapi’olani Hotel, Waikīkī Beach. Figueras, who is now a media consultant for Pacific Media Group, was working in radio at the time and the station was doing a promotion for Laugh Factoryʻs amateur comedy night.

“And my co-worker, she just started laughing at everything I was saying and encouraged me to go try doing comedy,” Figueras said. “I realize now that she was just needing contestants. She didn't really think I was funny. Because I went up three times in a row, and I bombed so bad, again.”

The headliners for the event included Jo Koy and Ralphie May, he said, adding, “This is when they were just beginning to get a name for themselves.”

 was only allowed two minutes. Koy went on stage and made fun of 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“And it was hilarious,” Figueras said."}]

A few years later, a local news group ran a story about the resurgence of local comedy. At the time, comedians such as Augie T., Frank De Lima and Andy Bumatai were performing. Paul Ogata was also coming up. Da Braddahs had their television show.

“It just made me say, ʻOK, I want to give this a try,’” he said. “And so, I went to one of the open mics, and after I got off stage, one of the guys that was one of the comedians that was there came up to me said, ʻYou know what? People like you. They really like you. You should come out Monday to this open mic here.’ And so, that's when I started going almost every single night of the week and getting on stage.”

When asked which personality traits are shared by comedians, Figueras did not skip a beat.

“Well first of all, there's so many different personalities in comedy,” he said. “There is one common denominator with all comedians: there is a level of narcissism and fear of rejection, and there is a sense of being a social outcast that all of us share. It’s such a common thing that no matter where you would go, the comedians will naturally be able to gravitate toward each other. You can look at news headlines and what's going on in the world, and you'll find the most disturbing, saddest thing ever and comedians are like, ʻOK, what's funny about that?’”

Comedians also share a dark sense of humor, 

“We're looking for that silver lining,” he said. “It’s our coping mechanism. Because comedy is always tragedy, plus time. After enough time, we can find something that’s going to be humorous in a situation.”

There are different techniques and styles of comedy, but finding your own voice is important, he noted.

“That's really discovering who you are as a performer and what is your point of view that is unique to you,” 

Recently, Figueras opened for Tumua Tuinei at the Blaisdell Arena on Dec. 27 and 28.

“Several years ago, he got his start on the Comedy U stage,” 

 said. “I've been in his corner from the first time he got up on stage. He's one of those guys that — when you talk about the ʻit factor’ when it comes to entertainers or movie stars or anything like that, there's some people — they just have it. … He had that gift from the very first time he got on stage at an open mic. He crushed it in the three minutes that we gave him.”

Figueras immediately offered him a chance to do the same three-minute set at a show that Friday night. 

“Eventually he started headlining his own shows, and now he's selling out arenas and theaters all across the U.S.,” he added. “I feel very blessed to be part of the journey and still continue to be able to work with him and support him and be invited to be on his stage

Comedy U started in 2013. Figueras had been doing a show on Friday nights at O'Toole’s Irish Pub a few years before that. The owner of that pub offered him the opportunity to move the show to Anna O’Brien’s, which has a larger performance space. Figueras teamed up with another local comedian Patrick Tyrrell to start a featured show, followed by open mic on Wednesday nights. Since the venue is close to the university, the group was named Comedy U.

“The concept was kind of like a university in that with doing the open mic, it would be a stage where we could allow the newer comics to come in and get the exposure practice.”

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the show and open mic at Anna O’Brien’s 

Jose Figueras

<title>Stand-up comedian shares how he started Comedy U Hawaiʻi</title>

Comedian Jose Figueras did not grow up as a class clown. In fact, he bombed his first few open mics. But he continued to hone his skills and now runs Comedy U Hawaiʻi, which provides a space for amateur comedians to test their jokes with a live audience.

Stand-up comedian shares how he started Comedy U Hawaiʻi

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s a new all-you-can-eat sushi option on Oʻahu. "}]

 at Ka Makana Aliʻi is offering a new AYCE sushi menu during lunch and dinner. Lunch costs $28.95 and dinner is $38.95. Children ages 5 to 11 years can enjoy half-price admission; children ages 5 years and under have free admission. 

Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner is 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. There’s a 90-minute time limit for the AYCE experience. 

The menu is extensive, and comprises appetizers, noodles and rice, nigiri, and sushi rolls. 

Appetizers include cold tofu, gyoza, shrimp tempura, crab rangoon, baked mussels, and chicken wings. In addition, appetizers available during the dinner all-you-can-eat experience include salmon poppers, tuna tataki, and yellowtail jalapeno.

Diners can also enjoy hibachi-style dishes — like chicken teriyaki and noodles — along with nabeyaki udon or ramen, hibachi fried rice and a variety of salads.

Nigiri options include tuna, hamachi, salmon, unagi, tako and more. Each order includes two pieces. Sashimi options include tuna, unagi, red snapper, squid, yellowtail and salmon.

Customers can also choose from a variety of six- or eight-piece sushi rolls. Recommended options include the Hawaiʻi roll — spicy crunchy tuna and cucumber topped with cooked shrimp, avocado, unagi sauce and spicy mayo — and Godzilla roll, comprising spicy crunchy salmon and avocado topped with eel, spicy kani (crab), unagi sauce and spicy mayo. 

The dinner AYCE menu also includes options like the sweetheart roll — spicy crunchy tuna and avocado topped with fresh tuna, and served in the shape of a heart — crispy yellowtail roll and crazy Friday roll. The latter features shrimp tempura and lobster salad topped with avocado, wasabi mayo and masago. 

For an additional $20 per person, customers can have access to premium dishes in addition to the regular AYCE menu. All individuals in each dining party will be charged accordingly with this selection.

Premium nigiri include ama ebi, ikura and scallop. Premium rolls include salmon belly Osaka roll, lobster delight roll, angry dragon roll and more.

The premium AYCE experience also includes sashimi like sweet shrimp, scallop and ikura.

AYCE sushi lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays

Sakura Kapolei assorted nigiri 021126

<title>Sakura Sushi & Hibachi has a new all-you-can-eat sushi menu</title>

The eatery, located in Ka Makana Aliʻi, now offers AYCE sushi during lunch and dinner on Mondays to Thursdays. The AYCE experience costs $28.95 per adult during lunch and $38.95 per adult during dinner.

Sakura Sushi & Hibachi has a new all-you-can-eat sushi menu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

The top four teams in collegiate men's volleyball were supposed to converge in Southern California from Feb. 19-20 as part of an NIL tournament at the Honda Center in Anaheim. No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Long Beach State, No. 3 Hawai‘i and No. 4 USC were set to compete against each other in what would have served as a first in the sport. 

As the start date for the landmark event crept up, no tournament sponsor was announced. Then on Jan. 27, teams were notified that the event was being scrapped in 2026. That meant all four teams suddenly had gaps in their schedule. 

The University of Hawai‘i pivoted quickly, securing a home series against No. 7 BYU. Matches are set to be played on Feb. 25 and 27 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors, who originally 

did not have any home matches scheduled in February

, are set to host the Cougars for the first time since 2020. A thrilling five-set sellout victory over BYU on March 6, 2020 turned out to be the last time Hawai‘i played in front of fans until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to their home series against BYU, the Rainbow Warriors will head to the Bay Area for a pair of road matches at No. 18 Stanford (3-6) on Friday and Saturday. First serve for both matches is set for 4 p.m. HST. While UH will not look past the Cardinal, who took a match off the Rainbow Warriors in a 2025 series at the Stan Sheriff Center, there certainly is a sense of relief that the 'Bows will have more competition to come home to.

"It was a lot of good work by a lot of people," Hawai‘i head coach Charlie Wade said of the scheduling pivot. "I think we were in contact with both UCLA and USC about dropping down from Stanford to play them. That would have required us to literally stay on the road for another week. There wasn't a lot of help financially for that. And then our administration started asking the idea about finding an opponent to come here. 

"We were able to do that, not only an opponent, but a really good one. A team that's played really well, and we have a long history and tradition with so I give a lot of credit to (UH athletics director) Matt Elliott and to Brian Santiago, the AD at BYU. ... Those guys were able to come up with an understanding it works well for both teams. And I think it just it speaks to the fact that you're talking about two schools where volleyball means a lot, that the ADs are willing to get in and do what's right for the program. And we're excited to have a couple quality matches against a great opponent here at home."

Part of the agreement in getting BYU to come to O‘ahu entails UH heading back to Provo in 2028 for a road series. The Rainbow Warriors most recently visited Provo in 2025, winning both matches. Additionally, in lieu of the NIL tournament cancellation, a portion of the ticket sales for the BYU series will go towards the Hawai‘i men's volleyball team's NIL fund. 

"Again, it speaks to just a level of commitment that our institution has to men's volleyball," Wade said. "They're willing to step up and do something great for our program and for our fans. We're pretty fortunate that volleyball is a big deal here."

As for the NIL tournament, Wade is hopeful it can come to fruition in the future. 

"Certainly a lot of promise, right? I know the people are putting the event on are looking at doing a women's (NIL tournament) in the fall, and we've 

," Wade said. "The devil's always in the details. What's the venue, and how many teams in the field are you trying to do? I know there's going to continue to be discussion of a men's volleyball event, and we'll see what happens in the future."

Hawaii mens volleyball 021126

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball continues to take on the best amidst scheduling pivot</title>

The Rainbow Warriors will travel to No. 18 Stanford before taking on a longtime rival at the end of the month thanks to a new scheduling change.

Hawai‘i men's volleyball continues to take on the best amidst scheduling pivot

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Not far beneath the paved roads, apartment buildings, and high-rises, a hidden system of underground caverns and spring-fed ponds once nourished wetlands, lo

i kalo, and freshwater ponds across the M

ili district. This karst, the underground cave system, was formed by eons of erosion of the coral limestone base that consists of beach sediments, marine organisms, and fragments of shells and water-worn coral. The M

ili Karst is thought to be part of the original channel of Mānoa Stream, and contained fish that lived so long in the darkness that they were blind.

It is said that when someone asked an old fisherman in the area where he was going, he

m going holoholo,” out for a walk. For if he announced he was going fishing, the fish that lived underground would hear his plans and spread the word, and the fisherman would have no luck that day.

The water in the underground streams rose to the surface in sacred ponds. Among these, one of the most important was Kapa

akea, also remembered as Kumulae and then later called Hausten Pond. Like nearby Kānewai, Kapa

akea was believed to possess healing qualities and was associated with restoration.

The pond was a favored retreat of Princess Victoria Kamāmalu, who inherited the land from her mother, Kina

ahumanu. Kamāmalu died in 1866 with no heirs, and Kapa

akea eventually came under the ownership of Princess Pauahi and the Bishop Trust. In the 1920s, it was purchased by John McGuire, whose wife, Emma Kaleimoku Ai, established a sanctuary for her family. The property overflowed with a wide variety of tropical flowers, plumeria, ulu, and kukui trees, as well as Hawaiian medicinal plants and herbs, and, of course, Emma

s graceful willow trees that would eventually give the place a new name. The family even had a diving board over the freshwater pond to entertain the children and visitors. The pond was stocked with koi that were said to have interbred with the fish inhabiting the underground streams.

s passing, Emma remarried Henry T. Hausten. The family began hosting political dinners and occasional lu

au for important guests. With the help of Emma

s daughters, her sister, and her brother, things quickly evolved into a full-time business and eventually into The Willows.

Since their official opening in 1944, The Willows welcomed everyone with beautiful settings, warm hospitality, and delicious food. On almost any given day, one would see average working families having a quiet meal alongside the rich and famous. The Willows catered to everybody, perhaps even the otherworldly.

One afternoon, while I was still teaching at a Hawaiian immersion school, a parent asked if she could share her story with me.

She said she used to work as a cashier at The Willows restaurant. At night, she counted the money from the day

the cage,” while a security guard kept watch. One night, out of the blue, they heard Hawaiian music coming from the main part of the restaurant. They could hear lively conversations and the sound of cutlery on plates. But the restaurant had been closed for hours.

After locking the cage door, she and the guard went to check, but the place was empty and completely quiet. The silence was unnerving, but the two were not going to wait for the proverbial shoe to drop. They decided she would quickly finish counting the cash, and then they would leave as soon as she was done. But as she neared the end of her count, they heard splashing in the pond and the sounds of laughter and fun.

Once she finished her work, she and the security guard braced themselves to leave, trying to ignore anything else they might see or hear.

The laughter and splashing kept going until we left the restaurant,” she said, 

When we got to the parking lot, we heard the Hawaiian music again. The security guard quit the next day, and later that week, I started working at the airlines.”

I shared a bit of the pond's sacred history, and she looked as if she had just remembered something important.

She added that sometimes, while counting money in the cage, they would finish and look up to see tiny footprints all over the ceiling and walls, as if children had been stomping around, though they never heard any footsteps. A staff member once told them there was supposed to be a menehune path through The Willows, but no one knew exactly where it was.

Of course, not everyone who worked at the Willows had a supernatural experience, but based on her stories, there was enough happening that it was hard to keep security guards on staff.

Sadly, The Willows closed in 2018 after serving the public for nearly 70 years. I wonder if the neighbors still hear the music, laughter, and celebrations.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

The old Willows Restaurant Large

<title>Echoes of The Willows</title>

Generations of kama‘āina have warm memories of The Willows restaurant in Mō‘ili‘ili. Here's the real history of the location, and the reasons why people who worked there heard singing when no one was present and saw the footprints of ghostly children.

Echoes of The Willows

This is Foster. A massive rainstorm hits, but he's out there gleefully swimming laps in the pool like it's the best day ever...

Daily Smile: Saturday, February 14, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Authors

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