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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"The slowest stalking attack ever....."}]

Smile 26 3 22

<title>Daily Smile: Sunday, March 22, 2026</title>

The slowest stalking attack ever.....

Daily Smile: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

The latest round of storms bringing heavy rain to the Islands has so far had little impact on local airline operations.

"Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines are closely monitoring and assessing weather conditions," a spokesperson for the airlines told Aloha State Daily in an email. "As of 2 p.m., we have canceled six roundtrip Neighbor Island flights and remain focused on supporting our employees who live in the affected areas.

"We are continuing to evaluate our schedule and will notify guests of any changes to their flight," the spokesperson continued. "We encourage guests to regularly check their flight status and to check in online before arriving at the airport to save time. Guests should also monitor app push notifications for real-time updates."

In an announcement Friday, the Hawai`i Visitors & Convention Bureau offered this guidance to travelers currently in the state:

And for those with upcoming trips, HVCB says there's no reason to cancel or postpone travel.

"The state remains safe and welcoming, and conditions are expected to improve early next week," the announcement notes.

Travelers, though, should ensure their airline has a current mobile number on file and enable app and SMS notifications, as well as confirm flight statuses directly with the airline before departing for the airport.

Unrelated to the stormy weather, the state Department of Transportation on Friday confirmed that all airports in Hawai‘i are being staffed and will remain open and operational, despite some national reports that small airports nationwide may close or pause operations due to the partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and funding of the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA.

“All of our airports, including our smaller airports on the Neighbor Islands, are vital transportation links for our residents and visitors and they will remain open to serve the traveling public,” said DOT Director Ed Sniffen in a statement. “HDOT is in close communication with our federal partners impacted by the partial shutdown and we want to thank them for keeping our airports staffed and ensuring they remain operational, while minimizing disruptions to travelers. We appreciate the commitment of our dedicated federal workers and their families, who are again facing uncertainty due to the partial shutdown. We will continue to support these individuals who we work closely with on a daily basis, so they can continue to provide critical service to air travelers.”

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Daniel k inouye international airport hnl 100925

<title>How the storm is affecting airlines and travel</title>

Hawaiian Airlines has canceled just a few flights due to the current storms as of this afternoon, and the Hawai`i Visitors & Convention Bureau has offered guidance to travelers.

How the storm is affecting airlines and travel

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Looking back at Honolulu’s past, one might remember the chinaware, toys, and curios sold at Iida Store on the corner of Nu‘uanu Avenue and Beretania Street. The original owner, Masukitchi Iida, came from Japan in 1897 to open a branch of his family’s store, which was first located on Mauna Kea Street and then moved to the Nu‘uanu and Beretania corner in 1919.

On the other end of the block stood the Princess Theater. One of Honolulu’s grandest early movie houses, the Princess showcased silent films with live organ music before transitioning to talkies and later Cinerama. For decades, it drew locals and servicemen to its entertainment venue with films, live orchestra presentations, and occasional stage shows and concerts.

In 1930, a Hawai‘i newspaper printed a strange story. At midnight, a policeman had just finished his beat in the Downtown district and was making his way home. As he approached the corner of Kukui and Fort Street, something made him stop. While he stood on the corner, out of the darkness emerged a procession of men dressed in white. The silent parade moved past the policeman quietly without acknowledging his presence. There were too many to count, but what stood out even more than their ghostly countenance was the sight of a large, white dog leading the way. The policeman believed the spirit to be none other than Kū‘īlioloa, a demigod who could assume the form of a man or dog.

The article stated that the policeman was the stepfather of a prominent Hilo citizen, which seemed to lend some legitimacy to his story. There was no follow-up, and life went on, as usual. Honolulu evolved, and so did the district. Business at Iida Store grew, allowing them to relocate to Ala Moana Center, while the changing times led to the closure of the once-vibrant Princess Theater. Bordered by Kukui, Fort, and Beretania Streets and Nu‘uanu Avenue, the area known as “Block G” became the focus of Honolulu’s planned revitalization.

Honolulu’s business center was expanding, and as with any growing city, housing seems to always be at the top of the list of urgent needs. City planners wanted a way to breathe new life into the Downtown Honolulu district, and at the same time, add more living space. In 1970, the City issued a notice inviting firms interested in developing Block G to submit applications. 

In 1973, after five years of back-and-forth with the city and reportedly “thousands” of stumbling blocks, the Kukui Plaza condominium project finally got the green light. Plans included twin towers soaring to 35 stories each, containing 908 apartments, with nearly a quarter designated for sale to families of moderate income. Between the towers would be a five-story parking garage and a two-acre recreation area. The completion date was estimated to be December 1, 1975.

Many construction projects of this scale experience a few setbacks and delays, and this was no exception. But when Kukui Plaza finally opened in 1976, it was one of the first residential developments in the business center of Honolulu.

Today, Kukui Plaza stands as a distinctive residential landmark at the edge of Downtown and Chinatown. Its residents are a mix of longtime local families, working professionals, retirees, and some investors and renters. But through its layered history, the stories remain.

A woman who used to work at the shopping center across the street said that she once saw a large dog in the area. At first, I nodded and smiled, thinking she saw a large stray or an escaped pet. But her expression was full of wonder as she described coming out of the short lane next to Long’s Drugs. She just turned left onto Kukui Street when she saw a dog crossing diagonally in front of her, but as it got closer, it grew bigger. And bigger.

“By the time it got right in front of me, it was as big as my car!” she said.

The figure came from the corner near the intersection of Fort Street, walked in front of the woman’s car, onto the sidewalk, to the parking ramp, and then seemed to disappear as it walked toward the building. She laughed as she said it was late and she was tired, but she knew she wasn’t delirious.

I came across the policeman’s story a few years after hearing the woman’s tale, but I still wonder whether it was the same ghostly dog. I also wonder if anyone else has seen this mysterious animal.

Kukui Plaza Large

<title>The ghost dog at Kukui Plaza</title>

Sightings, decades apart, of a ghostly dog suggest that an enduring presence roams the area of Downtown Honolulu that now houses Kukui Plaza.

The ghost dog at Kukui Plaza

The overhead lights are bright on this Wednesday morning.

In the commercial kitchen at Leeward Community College’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center, Kenny Tsuru carefully pours a bright green syrup into the creamy base for his ice cream. A melon scent fills the air.

After it’s mixed, he talks as he moves to the ice cream machine, pours it in and presses the buttons to make it go. It would take him 24 hours to make a batch at home, he says. This produces six times as much in less than 10 minutes.

When that step is done, he moves to the table and begins to meticulously scoop his Melono ice cream into individual cups.

“When I started this business, I really wanted to bring in a Melono [flavor], but make it unique,” Tsuru explains. “I really like the taste of Melona shave ice and the mixture of that with condensed milk and ice cream, so I started and I made my own creation, which is ‘Melono’ which is exactly that — all combined into an ice cream with a very creamy texture and really my dream ice cream flavor.”

The entrepreneur — and Pearl City High School senior — is the namesake and driver behind Kenny Boy Ice Cream. He produces out of the WVAPDC commercial kitchen and sells his ice cream online and at the center’s monthly market.

He’s also a member of ‘Āina to Mākeke’s newest cohort, and the youngest participant in the program’s history. The day we meet him — Feb. 18 — was his 18th birthday.

‘Āina to Mākeke is a 12-week program is offered by the LCC’s Office of Workforce Development and the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance. It aims to help local makers turn home recipes into market-ready products.

Aloha State Daily caught up with Tsuru to learn more about his business and participation in the program.

Tsuru started Kenny Boy Ice Cream after dealing with some health problems.

He was an active teenager, working two jobs, participating in sports and used to work out daily, but with his health condition, he could no longer do that. It even got to a point he says he couldn’t walk, couldn’t go to school and had to stop working.

“I wanted a way to put a smile on my face,” he told ASD. “I went out and bought a Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker for Black Friday [in 2024], and I just started making ice cream for myself and my friends and my family. I really got into it.”

His sweets-loving family was supportive and encouraged his work, and Tsuru began selling to friends, family, neighbors and people around him.

He “really got official” last summer. Tsuru says he started to feel better and his health problems began to go away.

“I decided that this wasn’t just going to be a passion project. This was going to be my business. This was the first thing I ever found in my life that I really enjoyed, and I felt this is my purpose. I felt this was a calling. This was really the career I wanted to go into,” he says. “And I know as a high school teenager, not a lot of people say that, and it is early on, but I really found that this made me happy. This helped me during that hard time in my health, and I really felt that this is what I wanted to do, so I went all-in in July.”

He came up with the name — Kenny Boy Ice Cream — and borrowed the slogan from an uncle: “It’s ono ono brah!”

From there, Tsuru says he started selling 32-ounce family-size tubs of the sweet treat, began networking and attended business entrepreneurship opportunities.

Tsuru also is in the management cohort program of the 

International Business and Design Academy

 at Pearl City High School, where he can earn early college credits and a certificate of achievement. His mentor at school suggested he check out the WVAPDC and he went to the showcase for the ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort six.

“I got to see what the ‘Āina to Mākeke program was and I was so amazed,” Tsuru says. “I wanted to make it happen for me. I wanted to be a part of that, so I really made it my goal to figure out what it was going to take for me to be a part of the cohort. As a young entrepreneur —  at the time under 18 — I didn’t know if it was possible.”

He kept talking with employees of the center, participated in workshops and went to events the center hosted to get in the door. When applications for the new to ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort opened, he jumped at the chance to apply.

"I said no matter what, no matter my age, I want to do it, so I signed up."

Tsuru says, too, that he was working to become a WVAPDC kitchen user at the same time he was applying for ‘Āina to Mākeke.

Using the center has allowed Tsuru to scale his production, commercialize his product and made the process much faster.

 — Melono, a melon cream flavor; Strawono, a strawberry flavor made with fresh fruit; and a cookies and cream flavor — as well as rotating flavors. He sells them in 32-ounce tubs but you can find 6-ounce cups at pop-up events and for his newly launched catering component.

When he started his business, Tsuru says he not only wanted to support himself financially and save for college, he also wanted to dedicate a portion of his profits to helping local organizations. This year, he’ll donate 10% of all profits to Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i.

Tsuru is one of 15 food entrepreneurs from O‘ahu and Kaua‘i that’s part of the seventh ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort, which ranges from early-stage makers to established local chefs.

When asked why he wanted to participate in the program, Tsuru say he saw the opportunities it provided when he attended the showcase for cohort six.

“The whole thing about ‘Āina to Mākeke is you take a value-added food product — ice cream is my product — and you get it to market,” he says. “That’s something I wanted to do. I wanted to share my ice cream in the market, and I wanted to someday live out that childhood dream of having a product that I can go to the store and say ‘That is mine. I’m proud of that.’”

He also wants to grow his business and help more people.

In addition to Kenny Boy Ice Cream, other cohort 7 entrepreneurs include Hawaiʻi’s Only; Honolulu Mochi; Kahawai Farms; Kauaʻi Fresh Fish; Mālama Protein Bar; Myna Trading Co.; Nā Kālai Waʻa; Nourish Your Soul; ReBran; rōmu; SAVA Provisions; Shaka Butter; Shaka Mex and Sol Food Kitchen.

Now, more than 100 entrepreneurs have participated in the ‘Āina to Mākeke program since its launch in the spring of 2023.

“It’s incredible. It’s surreal, in a relatively compact period of time,” Chris Bailey, manager of the WVAPDC told ASD of hitting the milestone. “I think it demonstrates the need and the interest from local entrepreneurs to figure out how to take all the parts and put it together and continue to build that mindset for actually taking an idea and really having a strong and stable business that they can grow and take to the next level.”

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Kenny tsuru 021826 1

<title>The scoop on Kenny Boy Ice Cream</title>

Entrepreneur — and Pearl City High School senior — Kenny Tsuru began making ice cream after going through a challenging period with his health. He is a member of the newest cohort for ‘Āina to Mākeke, a food business program from Leeward Community College's Office of Workforce Development in partnership with the Hawai‘i Ag and Culinary Alliance, and at 18, he's the youngest participant in the program’s history.

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