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[{"type":"text","text":"Pushing through the week like..."}]

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<title>Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026</title>

Pushing through the week like...

Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Some people believe that in the heart of Waikīkī, the lingering presence of Hawai‘i’s last royal princess has never quite faded.

Her name was Victoria Kawekiu I Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kaʻiulani Cleghorn, also known affectionately as Princess Kaʻiulani.

Born on October 16, 1875, in Honolulu, Kaʻiulani was the daughter of Princess Miriam Likelike (sister to both King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani) and Scottish businessman Archibald Cleghorn. In 1891, Queen Liliʻuokalani named Kaʻiulani her successor to the throne, making Kaʻiulani the last officially designated heir of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Her childhood home was a lush 10-acre estate in Waikīkī called ʻĀinahau, gifted to her by her godmother, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani. Located in the area of Waikīkī known as ‘Au‘aukai, the estate was where Kaʻiulani spent much of her life with close family, friends, and her beloved peacocks. Her father was a serious horticulturist who introduced plants from around the world, so the ‘Āinahau estate was always lush and green. Archibald Cleghorn is also widely credited with planting Hawaii’s first banyan at ʻĀinahau, sometime around 1870.

In 1899, after a brief illness, Princess Kaʻiulani died at the age of 23. That night, her peacocks reportedly screamed loud enough for people to hear them miles away. Many believed the birds were mourning their mistress. Her mother, Princess Likelike, had also died at ʻĀinahau years earlier. Her father, Cleghorn, passed away there in 1910.

After the royal family was gone, the estate changed hands. From 1913 to 1917, ʻĀinahau was leased and operated as a hotel. Then came the transformation of Waikīkī itself.

Along Kalākaua Avenue, just in front of the driveway to ʻĀinahau, stood Waikīkī’s first grammar school, a humble graveyard, and a small church affiliated with Kawaiahaʻo Church. Nestled among coconut trees, the small chapel served a congregation of working-class residents of the neighborhood.

Time continued to march on, and in 1916, Kawaiahaʻo Church sold the Waikīkī church and graveyard property to the Territorial Hotel Company, which planned to expand the Moana Hotel. The remains of dozens of people were exhumed and quietly reinterred at the main cemetery on Queen Street. The land was cleared to make way for progress.

Just a short time afterward, in the late 1920s, the dredging of the Ala Wai Canal drained the waterways that once nourished ʻĀinahau. Nature dried up, and so did some of the memories of old Waikīkī.

Today, the Sheraton Princess Kaʻiulani Waikīkī Beach Hotel sits on what was once the long driveway to the ʻĀinahau estate. Beneath the hotel’s swimming pool area and souvenir shops lies the site of the old church and graveyard. And perhaps something else is there, too.

Guests who’ve stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kaʻiulani Hotel have reported unexplainable chicken skin (goosebumps), the feeling of being watched, and glimpses of shadows in empty hallways. Others have mentioned cold spots that never warm and a heaviness in certain rooms.

Some say they’ve encountered the gentle presence of the Princess herself as an apparition wearing an old-style Victorian gown, quietly observing and sometimes even offering comfort to the weary.

For several years, the hotel workers were kind enough to let me bring my ghost tour through their lobby while I shared stories of the area with my guests. Some might remember how the lobby was once filled with paintings and photos of the late princess. One particular portrait stood out to me, and I always made a point of showing it to my guests.

A life-sized picture of Princess Ka‘iulani hung on a wall near the porte cochère. The young woman wore a black Victorian-style dress and a large black hat, but it was her lifelike appearance that caught my attention. Her eyes seemed to follow you as you moved. She seemed almost present, as though at any moment she might step out of the portrait and into the hall with us.

One day, as I stood in front of the picture contemplating what life might have been like in her day, I swear I saw her blink. Perhaps it was my fervent imagination or wishful thinking, but I went on with my day, walking through Waikīkī. Later, I ran into a gentleman who used to work as a concierge at the Ka‘iulani Hotel. I shared my story with him, and he smiled and nodded.

“I know which one you’re talking about,” he said. “You’re not the only one.”

He didn’t say anything more on the subject, and I was left to wonder how many people had the same experience I did. Was it a glitch in the lights above the painting? Were we all subject to the same hallucination?

Months later, I brought my tour group through the hotel lobby like I did every week. We stopped in front of the portrait, and I began to share the story about the young princess attending school at Great Harrowden Hall in England when a woman in my group let out a yelp.

“She blinked!” the woman shouted. “The woman in the picture just blinked!”

Although the woman was the only person who saw it, the entire group suddenly huddled closer together, training their cell phone cameras on the portrait. I don’t think anyone got a video of the portrait actually blinking, but it was certainly an interesting night.

A few months after that, the hotel began a series of renovations and redecorating, and I made sure to stay away from the area to avoid any injuries or complaints. But when the grand lobby reopened, my heart ached a bit when I realized that the portrait was gone. I asked a few employees at the front desk and concierge where it went, but no one was really sure.

I never found out what happened to the portrait. Maybe it ended up in a storage room somewhere, or in someone’s private collection. Perhaps it was given to an employee or simply discarded. Wherever it is, I like to think that the princess is still watching through the eyes of the portrait.

‘Āinahau and the tiny church and graveyard may have disappeared, and much of old Waikīkī may have been buried beneath concrete and asphalt, but if the stories are true, maybe Princess Ka‘iulani never really left.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel

<title>Through the Eyes of a Princess</title>

Princess Kaʻiulani spent much of her tragically brief life at her beloved Waikīkī estate, ʻĀinahau. Over time, the property changed hands and developed into the hotel we know today. But there are stories the Princess is with us still in spirit at the site.

Through the Eyes of a Princess

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

[{"type":"text","text":"Sharon Har is passionate about affordable housing."}]

The former state legislator, who served in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives from 2006 to 2022, has joined Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp. as its housing development director.

In her new role, Har will focus on the day-to-day development of Hale Pilina, CCHDC's newest affordable housing project located in Kahului, and serve as the primary point of contact for financing, construction and consulting partners, a recent announcement noted.

Hale Pilina is CCHDC's first development designed for families, the announcement says. The 178-unit community, which will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments across four buildings, will serve families earning up to 60% of the area median income. And for the first two years, priority will be given to those affected by the 

Har says she started her career as an attorney — her background was in land use, real estate and construction, "and I think that was my first foray into any type of development."

[{"type":"text","text":"She represented developers, general contractors and architects."}]

"I've always just wanted to help people," she recently told Aloha State Daily. "That's why I became a lawyer; I thought I was going to help people, and then I had an opportunity to run for office back in 2005 and I thought I would be helping people on a greater scale, so I ran for office."

[{"type":"text","text":"While in the state Legislature, Har represented Kapolei and Makakilo."}]

"There I really focused on doing the same thing," she says. "It was about affordable housing. It was about public policy and getting sound public policy so that we could really help build affordable housing, making it a little bit easier."

She joined The Michaels Organization in 2019, where, the announcement notes, she most recently served as vice president of development and operations for the organization in Hawai‘i, leading the execution of affordable housing developments and overseeing statewide development activities. Har says that's when she "really started working nuts and bolts as a real estate developer, as an affordable housing developer, and it's been such a passion of mine."

"It is so hard. It is so hard and it is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my entire life, but it is so rewarding," Har says. "Anyone who understands the real estate development process, especially affordable housing — I mean, it can take anywhere between five to seven years to get a building online — you really have to be passionate about it. But at the end of the day, it's worth it because it's about putting our local residents in and giving them access to affordable housing here in Hawai‘i."

[{"type":"text","text":"Her past experiences have prepared her for her new role."}]

"I tell everybody, as a former attorney, you can go to law school but law school doesn't prepare you to be a lawyer,” Har told ASD. And the same goes for real estate development; Har says that you don’t really understand the complexities of development “until you've actually done it. I think serving as a vice president for The Michaels Organization here in Hawai‘i really prepared me for that role."

Most recently, Har said she was project manager for the developer’s 

"It was just such a learning experience and I think that really kind of put me into that echelon of being able to speak to the issues and why affordable housing is so difficult to deliver, and dealing with all the obstacles that you deal with in trying to build affordable housing and trying to bring it online so that our community has greater access to it."

Har says her background in real estate and affordable housing development also aligns with CCHDC's mission to provide affordable housing to local residents.

There was a "synergy there and that's why it was so exciting to come work here," she says. “ ... I've only been [here] for a few weeks, but I consider it a great honor because I feel that [CCHDC's] mission, it comports with my passion, just trying to continue on that momentum statewide of building affordable housing."

Stepping into this new role, Har says her first priority will be ensuring that Hale Pilina, which is slated for delivery next year, is “delivered on time and on budget, so that we can, again, begin leasing up as soon as possible so that our residents on Maui can have access to affordable housing. In the meantime, I also plan on doing our best to build pipeline.”

“Bringing Sharon onto our team strengthens everything we’re building at CCHDC,” Executive Director 

 said in the announcement. “Her experience and deep commitment to Hawai

s possible, not just at Hale Pilina, but throughout the Islands.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has been around since 1947, but CCHDC was incorporated in 1999 as a nonprofit affiliate. It owns, develops and manages real estate properties across the Islands for seniors, families and those in need.

In addition to Hale Pilina, CCHDC manages six other affordable housing developments on O‘ahu and Maui.

Sharon Har Headshot Courtesy of Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation 16x9 Copy

<title>Former legislator joins Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp.</title>

In her new role as housing development director, Sharon Har will focus on the day-to-day development of CCHDC's newest affordable housing project, Hale Pilina, and serve as the main point of contact for financing, construction and consulting partners.

Former legislator joins Catholic Charities Housing Development Corp.

Yamachika Tom IMG 1913 Large

Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

This week’s article comes from a tip from one of our very alert constituents.

It concerns one of the special funds set up in the City Charter of Honolulu that is fed automatically by an earmark on property tax revenues. 

. Today’s topic of discussion is the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund.

Our alert constituent pointed out that although the annual earmark from property tax gives the fund $8 to $9 million a year, the money in this fund has been piling up. According to the City’s 

, this fund had, at the end of fiscal year 2025, an “Unreserved Fund Balance,” meaning cash that is neither spent nor encumbered, of $65 million.

The City Charter provision establishing the fund says that it can be used for preservation of beaches and coastal areas, as well as public outdoor recreation.

Now, let’s take a look at Ala Moana Regional Park. The 

 “one of the state’s oldest and busiest parks, currently seeing an estimated four million users every year.”

Due to erosion, the park beach requires sand replenishment periodically. An effort to plan and gain approvals for the project was begun sometime around 2019, which is the date the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a 

 asking for the public’s comments on an application for the project that the City had submitted to the Corps.

 being considered by the State Board of Land and Natural Resources for its approval of the work. The extension request reads:  “Due to the continued impacts of COVID-19 on budgets and schedules, the Applicant was unable to comply with [a permit condition requiring work or construction to start within one year after approval] and a time extension was granted by [the Department of Land and Natural Resources] on February 24, 2022. The City continues to seek funding for the project. We respectfully request that [the existing permit] be again extended to allow adequate time for the Applicant to secure project funding and proceed with construction.”

So, on the one hand, we see that the City initiated an Ala Moana beach replenishment project in 2019 or earlier.  It had to and did get permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the State Department of Land and Natural Resources.  They say they can’t execute the project because there’s no money to do so.

And, on the other hand, there is a special fund with tens of millions of dollars in it, and the scope of the fund includes preservation of beaches and coastal areas, including public recreation.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Is this making sense to you?"}]

Furthermore, Ala Moana Regional Park surely isn’t the only beach out there that needs some TLC.

How about Waikīkī Beach?  As recently as 2025 and 2026, 

 planning, environmental review, and stabilization projects, indicating that substantial corrective work remains outstanding.

Why aren’t we using the tens of millions of dollars now in the special fund to at least make a dent in these problems?

Wake up, folks!  The Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund isn’t there simply to save up money for a rainy day.  It’s there to provide money for specific needs.  We have those needs and the projects, so let’s take care of them!

Ala Moana Regional Park

<title>Community Voices: Save Ala Moana!</title>

The City & County of Honolulu received permits for beach replenishment at Ala Moana Regional Park back in 2019 but never moved forward for lack of funding. And yet, the county has $65 million accumulated in its Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund. Why isn't this money being used to replenish this beach, or Waikīkī Beach?

Community Voices: Save Ala Moana!

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Looking for ways to enjoy the weekend? From live music from the Royal Hawaiian Band to remembering 9/11, here are some of the events happening on Oʻahu this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Sept. 11"}]

Work in Downtown Honolulu? Head over to ʻIolani Palace at noon to hear a free performance from the Royal Hawaiian Band. Founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III, this band plays classic Hawaiian melodies, marches and hula music. 

Award-winning journalist Carol Lin, who now calls Honolulu home, wrote “When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War,” which is a collection of personal stories from 9/11. She is credited as the first national journalist to report the first 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. Read more about 9/11 and her work. 

Celebrate Okinawan-owned restaurants and businesses which will offer specials as part of Okinawan FEASTival through Monday, Sept. 21. Featured dishes include Okinawan sweet potato croquettes, pandan andagi, and more. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, Sept 12"}]

This weekend is the Hawaiʻi Heroes – First Responders Night, and the 

 will play New Mexico State University at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. First responders will receive 30% off select tickets. Throughout the night, special presentations will honor the Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, and lifeguards. There will also be a pre-game flyover by the American Medical Response Medevac helicopter. 

The fourth annual event, created by JCI Honolulu and Hawaii Todaiji, features a bon dance, games and merchandise and takes place at Leeward Community College. Learn more about LCC’s educational programs and support local businesses and performers. Admission is $1.

 Visit Waimea Valley’s plant sale, which runs from 8 a.m. until noon every Saturday. Explore the collection of plants in the nursery and learn tips for how to care for them. 

Catch “Kind of New, Kind of Blue, A Miles Davis Centennial Celebration.” 

The event features Reggie Padilla on alto saxophone, Larry Cook on tenor saxophone, Dan Del Negro on piano, John Kolivas on bass, and Darryl Pellegrini on drums. 

“The Queen’s Will” (Aug. 20 – Sept. 20).

 In the early days of the Territory of Hawai‘i, Princess Theresa Owana Ka‘ōhelelani La‘anui Wilcox Belliveau was accused of conspiracy to commit forgery of the last will and testament of Queen Lili‘uokalani. In this story, she fights for her freedom and identity. “The Queen’s Will” runs through Sept. 20 at Kumu Kahua Theatre. 

Tickets for “The Queen’s Will” are $28

 for general admission, with discounts for students, kūpuna, and large group orders. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, Sept 13"}]

 It’s Kamaʻāina Sunday, where residents of the islands can visit ʻIolani Palace for free. 

Self-led audio tours are available to the first 500 guests. 

Enjoy music and activities from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m., including featured performances from Hālau ʻO Nāpualaʻikauikaʻiu, led by Kumu Hula Sallie Yoza, as well as Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Hawaiian Ensemble, led by Kumu Kaleo Trinidad.  There will also be kōnane lessons with Kapena Baptisita, as well as instruction on how to make floral kūpeʻe and weave lauhala. Finally, check out the lauhala anthurium workshop, led by Naomi Nascimento, which will be held for up to 30 people. Free. 

 Send us your pictures of sunrises, sunsets and more. Submitted photos may be featured in our reader submission series called Hawaiʻi Skies. Tell what you saw and why it was special. 

2025 Okinawan FEAS Tival Andagi photo courtesy Reid Shimabukuro

<title>Megabon, music, and more: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu</title>

Lots to choose from among O‘ahu events this weekend, from Megabon to the chance to eat Okinawan food, including andagi, at local restaurants. Here are some of the events happening this Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13.

Megabon, music, and more: Your guide to the weekend on Oʻahu

The Hawai‘i International Film Festival

 recently announced its first wave of films for the 46th edition of the festival, which takes place Oct. 21 through Nov. 5 on Oʻahu, followed by screenings on Neighbor Islands. 

 for short films in the state and is an international film festival dedicated to advancing cinema from Hawaiʻi, Asia and the Pacific. This year, the festival, which is being presented by Halekūlani Hotel, starts on Oʻahu, and will be followed by screenings on Neighbor Islands from

The list of 15 films being announced includes the Hawai’i premiere of “Drifter,” 

; three films with strong Hawai‘i ties, two selections from the New American Perspectives program presented by the Vilcek Foundation, four films arriving at HIFF following premieres at the Cannes Film Festival, and five short films competing for the Academy Award-qualifying Best Short Film Award.

“Drifter” is the centerpiece presentation of the festival and will be having its Hawaiʻi premiere. The film focuses on car culture, community, and Hawaiʻi’s 1990s underground drifting scene. The film recently had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival

“It’s incredibly exciting to present the 

as HIFF’s Centerpiece Presentation,” said Anderson Le, HIFF’s artistic director, in a written statement. “Hawai‘i was one of the earliest places where Japanese drift culture took root in the West in the 1990s, helping establish a community that would eventually grow into a global phenomenon. Sung Kang was embraced by that community through his iconic role as Han in the ʻFast & Furious

 films, and ‘Drifter’ brings that connection full circle. The film is a deeply personal love letter to drifting and the people who built the culture, making its U.S. premiere in Hawai‘i especially meaningful.”

Also announced in the first wave of films for the festival is the 

world premiere of “Protecting Kahoʻolawe: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina,”

 which is directed by Mark Carpenter and Corbin Gregory. The film is being released 50 years after the historic landing of the Kahoʻolawe Nine and chronicles the founding of the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana

, as well as generations of restoration and activism.

Zilla Barbosa, which explores how hula continues to evolve while honoring ancestral traditions. At the heart of the story are two queer kanaka maoli kumu hula training a diverse group of haumāna, or students, for the prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival.

 directed by Noah Keone Viernes and Sancia Miala Shiba Nash, will also be part of the festival and focuses on Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a Kanaka ‘Ōiwi community leader, activist, and caretaker of Nā ‘Aikāne o Maui Cultural Center in Lahain

a. The film explores sovereignty, cultural preservation and kuleana.

HIFF continues its partnership with the Vilcek Foundation through the New American Perspectives program, which will bring these two films to the festival: 

Henry Ian Cusick, known for his role in “Lost;” and 

 which features Aotearoa-born actor Alex Tarrant, who appeared in “NCIS: Hawaiʻi” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”

Hawaiʻi premieres of “The Baddest Screenwriter of All,” and “Sheesh, A Taylor Love Story;”

U.S. premiere of “Pouākai (Raptor);” 

world premieres of “Oli” and “The Man and the Tree."

 are now on sale. All-access passes for screenings at the Kahala and Kapolei venues start at $400 for HIFF members and $500 for non-members. Packages of six or 12 tickets are also available. 

"Drifter"

<title>HIFF announces first wave of festival films</title>

Catch the Hawaiʻi premiere of “Drifter” and the world premiere of “Protecting Kahoʻolawe: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina” or “Making the Line,” among other films reaching new audiences for the first time at the upcoming Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. The first wave of films, which includes 15 titles, has been announced.

Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, March 13, 2026

Authors

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