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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Camera inside dog bowl....."}]

Smile 26 3 27

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026</title>

Camera inside dog bowl.....

Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Actor Takehiro Hira, who stars in the Sci-Fi adventure television series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” calls Kakaʻako home.

The Emmy-nominated actor appears opposite Brendan Fraser in the drama “Rental Family,” which had its 

Hawaiʻi premiere at the Hawaiʻi International Film Festival last year

. And he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the war epic, “Shōgun.”

Hira returns for the second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” which launched its first episode on Friday, Feb. 27. The actor spoke with Aloha State Daily ahead of the launch of episode five, which drops this Friday, March 27.

In the new season, Hira’s first scene shows him running from a monster, which was new, he said.

“Because season one, I was running away from my children, not from the monsters,” Hira said. “I was chasing the monsters but running away from children.”

, who plays Hira’s mother in the series and previously appeared alongside him in “Rental Family.”

“We’re really good friends,” he said. “We rehearsed and talked about the episode a lot actually.”

She found a Japanese song, “Furusato,” which she suggested could be worked into the storyline.

“It’s a nostalgic song about coming home pretty much, and she suggested that we sort of somehow incorporate the song into the story,” Hira said. “And the writers loved the idea, so we did that.”

Hira had not seen the episode — which is named after the song — yet, when he spoke with ASD earlier this month.

The Oʻahu-based actor often films outside of Hawaiʻi, including 

Canada, Australia and Japan for “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.”

The first food he wants to eat when he gets back to the Islands is an acai bowl, he said. Usually, he goes to Nalu Health Bar & Café, he said.

What is his favorite part of living in Hawaiʻi?

“Well every time I fly back from a job, when I see the Island — and sort of be able to call that home — that's the greatest feeling,” he said.

Hira wants audiences to know that while monsters make appearances in this television series, there is more to the storyline.

“It's more than a monster show,” he said. “It's people who are affected greatly by monsters — and their lives are shattered by monsters — and we're trying to come together again. It's a human drama.”

Watch “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” on 

. Hira also stars in “Anima,” which had its world premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival this month. Follow Hira on 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Takehiro Hira

<title>Behind-the-scenes with Takehiro Hira on Apple TV+’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”</title>

The Emmy-nominated actor, who calls Oʻahu home, shares how a poignant scene in “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” came together, as well as his favorite food to eat after being away from home.

Behind-the-scenes with Takehiro Hira on Apple TV+’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Government & Politics

Columnists

Here in Hawai‘i, celebrity politicians make marks under particular circumstances. Historically, they swoop-in to seize oft-forgotten seats in the State Legislature, the county level, or some government board. 

There is no blueprint for political success as a local celebrity. Success, however, has been possible at the county level, within state legislative offices, and on minor statewide boards and commissions. 

Celebrities may bring attention to these forgotten races and win elections in the process. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Finding a County Seat"}]

Duke Kahanamoku is perhaps the most notable example of a ‘celebrity’ politician. His trajectory is notable in that he focused much of his political career on a single office in the City and County of Honolulu. 

Kahanamoku had risen to prominence in the United States as an Olympian. He won medals on at least three separate occasions (1912 in Stockholm, 1920 in Antwerp, and 1924 in Paris). His success on the global stage later served him in this capacity. 

There was a time when the top law enforcement official in the City and County of Honolulu, known as the Sheriff, was elected. Kahanamoku served as a candidate, beginning in 1934 as a Democrat. He served in that position until 1961, two years after Hawai‘i’s admission into the union as a U.S. State.

He is perhaps the best example of a celebrity in the territorial era. He won re-election in 1936 as a Democrat, before switching parties before the 1940 elections. For the next two decades, the wily swimmer served as a member of the Republican Party. 

Kahanamoku showed how a celebrity, with enough tenacity, could endure as a force in Island politics.

Many decades later, another such local athlete took a stab at county politics on O‘ahu. 

Arnold Morgado Jr., formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, briefly served in the Hawai‘i House of Representatives before gaining a seat on the Honolulu City Council through a special election in 1985.

While he eventually rose to become Chair of the Honolulu City Council, he was ultimately defeated in a race for mayor in 1996. A celebrity flair is not always enough to win election.

Athletes are not alone when seeking political office. Augie Tulba worked hard to win his seat on the Honolulu City Council in 2020, where he serves to this day. His background as a well-known comedian played a part in gaining name recognition. It certainly played a part in his upset defeat against former State Senator Will Espero. Tulba is likely the best contemporary example of a local celebrity who has gained office. 

Success in local politics is not only reserved to county positions. There is room for celebrities to also find limited success at the state level. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Legislators"}]

At least a couple celebrities initially parlayed their fame in sports into stints at the state legislature.

Jim Clark, a notable football player for the Washington Redskins, later served in the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives and the State Senate throughout the ’60s. His father-in-law, then-Honolulu Mayor Neal Blaisdell, likely influenced his initial affiliation with the Republican Party. However, evolving political circumstances ultimately led Clark to the Democratic Party. 

A few years after Clark vacated the House, another former football player (and longtime actor in "Hawai‘i Five-O") made a play for a seat in the Legislature. Following a brief stint on the Honolulu City Council in 1968 as a Republican, Herman Wedemeyer successfully won a seat in the House of Representatives as a Democrat, where he briefly served as Chair of the House Committee on Tourism. After leaving the House, he continued to make regular appearances on the show. 

Fred Hemmings, a renowned surfer of O‘ahu’s North Shore, parlayed his fame into a seat in the State Senate at a time when the Republican Party’s fortunes were far from certain. He served three terms in the State House of Representatives in the late ’80s before serving as a State Senator for over 10 years nearly a decade later. 

Between those two stints, he was also an unsuccessful candidate for Governor in 1990, losing to incumbent Governor John D. Waihe‘e by more than 20 points. 

Both Clark and Hemmings show that celebrities, even when they are not affiliated with the most popular political party, can still gain some level of support. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Quiet Statewide Offices"}]

In crowded statewide races with little voter engagement, celebrities can attract a notable amount of support. This is especially true where multiple candidates compete for multiple seats. 

This has been the case with two local celebrities that competed for seats on two particular legislative bodies: the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Board of Education. 

Rockne ‘Rocky’ Freitas, a football player of Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fame, served on the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, eventually ascending to briefly become the Board’s Chair. He ultimately served until 1986, opting to not seek re-election. 

What is surprising is that Freitas started his tenure as an appointee. His predecessor, Frenchy DeSoto, had resigned to unsuccessfully seek a seat in the State Senate. 

In the realm of business, the well-known tire salesman Lex Brodie also parlayed his brand into a notable political career born out in his retirement years. 

Starting in 1992, Brodie served several terms on the State Board of Education. During his first election, he received more votes than any other candidate. Ultimately, he served on the Board for more than 10 years. 

By the time he was running for a third term, the businessman was also serving as a campaign manager for Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris. It didn’t matter that he had reached his 80s.

Such boards as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Board of Education do not always garner the most attention from members of the public. Nevertheless, celebrity candidates electrify these sleepy races. 

From the vantage point of civic engagement, that might not always be a bad thing. 

Celebrity status does not always accord with political success. At least two examples have played out at the highest rungs of state office. 

When longtime Mayor Frank Fasi ran for Governor as a third-party candidate in 1994, he needed an affable name to attract attention to their ticket. This is where he turned to the longtime entertainer Danny Kaleikini.

The melodic Kaleikini was tapped to balance out Fasi’s sharp edges. In that three-way race, the Fasi-Kaleikini ticket was sandwiched between the victor (Governor Ben Cayetano) and the third-place finisher (former U.S. Representative Pat Saiki). 

A more recent example is the boxer B.J. Penn. Penn, who has now been an unsuccessful candidate at the statewide level and at the local level.

In the 2022 Republican primary for Governor, Penn captured second place and more than a quarter of all votes. It was a telling sign that many GOP voters, despite the conspiracy theories, liked the candidate. Penn ran for a seat on the Hawai‘i County Council in 2024 and may well do so again in 2026. 

Celebrities, for the time being, are not projected to disappear from the political scene. They’re not very common. Nor are they very rare. 

In an era where fewer and fewer candidates are filing to run for office, could celebrities be the answer to our civic apathy? 

Maybe the state legislature needs an actor or two. Time will tell. 

[{"type":"hardBreak","text":""},{"type":"hardBreak","text":""}]

Duke Kahanamoku Getty Images 80749514

<title>Hawai‘i's celebrity politicians</title>

From Duke Kahanamoku to Herman Wedemeyer to Augie Tulba, there have been local celebrities who have added one more role to resume — politician. ASD columnist Perry Arrasmith walks us through the legends.

Hawai‘i's celebrity politicians

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Food & Dining

Francis and Charles Higa, the founders of Zippy's Restaurants, were really more than brothers.

"They were best friends growing up," says Francis' son Jason Higa. "It wasn't surprising, I think, to those that knew the two brothers that they would start a business together."

Zippy's, a popular and iconic institution in the Islands, was founded by the Higa brothers in 1966 and will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"In the beginning"}]

Higa says his dad and uncle were two of six siblings working at a family-owned meat market, which is still operated today by cousins.

"But at that time, Francis and Charlie knew that Higa Meat Market was not going to be big enough to sustain ... six siblings, so they decided to leave [and] start their own business," he told Aloha State Daily earlier this month.

It was the 1960s, and Higa says the pair began to look at different business options. Eventually, they started to talk to restaurant operators — more so drive-in operators, he says. Those operators, though, were quick to discourage the brothers because of their lack of experience — but the pair continued on anyway.

The Higa brothers opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966.

They had no culinary background, Jason Higa says, so the duo hired Shiro Matsuo, a chef for then-Gov. John Burns. Matsuo, who went on to open his own restaurant called Shiro's Saimin Haven, helped Higa's father and uncle create the first menu for Zippy's.

"He was an excellent cook, came up with all the recipes for our original menu and that's how Zippy's got started."

The restaurant was open 24 hours at the start. Higa says that was unusual for the time and a lot of business in the early years came between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. "because there were no other options."

Zippy's, he says, became a destination for late night movie-goers, customers from the bars that were open until 2 a.m. and hotel workers coming from or headed to late night shifts in Waikīkī.

"We had a very robust customer base because of the 24 hours of operation, of course seven days a week."

In the early days, Higa says his uncle would work 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. or later, and his father would would 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

"They always felt that one of them should be active at the restaurant to make sure they can support the team members and make sure the customer service was where they wanted it to be," he told ASD. "Growing up, my recollection was my father was always sleeping because he was sleeping during the daytime, preparing to go to work at 6 p.m."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Family traditions"}]

Not surprisingly, Higa — who was around 3 when the first Zippy's opened — says his first job was at Zippy's in Makiki when he was 14.

"My dad wanted me to experience working at an early age and so I worked as a utility dishwasher that first summer, and subsequently would work on the weekends during high school and summers between high school," he says. "I pretty much worked in almost every position in the company over that period before leaving to the Mainland for college."

Higa, though, says he had no desire to lead the company. In fact, after college he went to law school and subsequently spent five years working at a Hawai‘i law firm before returning to Zippy's in 1995. He went through the management training program and worked at various stores and Zippy's central kitchen before taking the leadership position in 2003.

"I had no desire to come back to the family business, but after five years working as an attorney, I realized that there was a special opportunity that I had in terms of coming back to the family business," he says. "The truth is that I think I was motivated from the standpoint of when I grew up, my father was always working, so I really didn't get a chance to get to know him as well as I wanted to. Coming back to the family business in '95 was probably, for me, an opportunity to get to know him better.

"I never worked directly under him at any point before his passing, but I definitely began to understand him as a person, pretty much through the company culture."

[{"type":"text","text":"When his father died, Higa says he didn't feel ready to take the reins."}]

"It eventually took me four years before I realized that, hey, I just got to do my best, and learned over the years how to navigate, how to build our leadership team, how to make decisions. [I] always led by the core values, which gives you a sense of direction in terms of decision-making and that has always helped us to make good decisions along the way."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Legacy"}]

Zippy's has long been popular with kama‘āina. Actor 

 has called it his first stop in the Islands when he visits Hawai‘i. His newest movie, '

' features select scenes filmed at Zippy's ‘Ewa Beach location, and as a tie-in with the movie, Zippy's even offered a limited-time menu item called 

. Former President Barack Obama is said to have frequented the 

 across on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and in Las Vegas. And if you're wondering, it sells more than 

When asked about Zippy's legacy, Higa says it's a byproduct of the last 60 years.

"As I was in the stores, what was clear is that there was a strong connection between our team members and customers," he says. "We still today have many customers, some of them would come in every day. We had customers that would come in for breakfast and lunch and sometimes even dinner, which is just amazing. And so they, of course, got to know the team members. The team members got to know the customers."

[{"type":"text","text":"The connections are multi-generational, too."}]

Higa says there are team members who have children whose first jobs were at Zippy's, "and then you see the multi-generational evolution of our early customers now bringing in their children and then now grandchildren coming into our locations."

"I think that's just a special part of our relationship with our community," he continued. "Francis and Charlie always understood that they were only successful because of our customers and because of the community, so we have a long history of giving back to the community."

And when he's asked about things that have contributed to the chain's 60-year success, Higa sites the core values that go back to Zippy's founders. 

The company uses the acronym CHIPS: commitment, humility, integrity, passion and supportiveness.

"It's really reflective, I think, of why we have been able to stay in business," he says. "So definitely the level of commitment, but also humility, and humility translates into being willing to learn, to evolve. We certainly have done that over our history, a lot of changes that we have to do in order to adapt."

As an example, Higa cites the Covid-19 pandemic, which he says allowed Zippy's to "make a lot of changes, which are benefiting us today."

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, integrity is \"essential\" in Hawai‘i."}]

"For Francis and Charlie, the reputation of the business was so important, and there's many examples where they didn't care about profit," Higa says. "They were looking at the long-term and making sure they always did the right thing throughout their history and that, I think, created the trust with our customer base and even internally with our team members."

Supportiveness is reflected in Zippy's growth, he told ASD, "especially in the early years, they were very encouraging of team members to advance into management or other positions of greater responsibility."

"I think what they learned early on [is that] expansion created opportunities for team members to continue to progress and grow within the company. We have many team members that have been with us for decades, and started out as a utility, a counter person ... and today they're in executive leadership or management or they're a key part of our administrative positions."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"60th anniversary"}]

How does it feel to hit this milestone and lead the company across that threshold?

"At times, it feels overwhelming, but I realize that is a privilege, for not just for me, but I know for the executive team or any of our longtime team members," Higa says. "They understand the legacy of our founders and how hard the founders worked and we continue to carry on that legacy by remaining successful, figuring out what we need to figure out, and ensure that we can continue to operate because we also realize that we are providing a living for all of our team members."

Zippy's, which will celebrate the milestone throughout the year, kicked off its anniversary celebration earlier this month with the launch of a new line of 60th anniversary merch.

, includes apparel and accessories inspired by the brand's evolving logos and design history.

Zippy's also will introduce limited-time menu offerings and a series of collaborations with Hawai‘i-based businesses throughout the year, including collabs with Kahala, Hawaiian Island Creations, FITTED Hawai‘i, Keiki Kaukau and others, a recent announcement noted. More will be announced through the year.

Higa, who spoke to ASD between back-to-back Kona Low storm systems that battered the Islands this month, shared his gratitude for Zippy's team members, its customers and the community.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Waipahu1971 01

<title>Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026</title>

Brothers Francis and Charles Higa opened the first Zippy's Restaurant in Honolulu's McCully neighborhood on Oct. 17, 1966. Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Jason Higa, CEO of Zippy's parent company, FCH Enterprises, to learn about the restaurant's origins, its legacy and more.

Zippy's Restaurants celebrates 60th anniversary in 2026

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Aloha Spirit

Through the nonprofit he started in 2023, Kaua‘i native and Saint Louis alumnus Nick Herbig continues to give back to his home island. 

Raised on The Garden Isle in Kalaheo, Nate and Nick Herbig each eventually relocated to chase their football dreams on O‘ahu. Both graduated from Saint Louis — Nate in 2016 and Nick in 2020. Nate went on to play college football at Stanford, earning freshman All-America honors at guard. Meanwhile Nick was a three-year starting linebacker at Wisconsin. Both declared early for the NFL Draft after their respective junior seasons. 

Nate Herbig played in the NFL from 2019 to 2024, announcing his retirement in the summer of 2025, while Nick Herbig is set to enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers this fall. 

Despite moving away from Kaua‘i, the Herbig brothers have refused to leave their roots behind. In 2023, HerbieGives was officially registered as a 

501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, with the aim of providing resources needed for kids from Hawai‘i to succeed. 

Earlier in the month, HerbieGives held multiple events on Kaua‘i, including a golf tournament, a "Pau Hana with Purpose" event, where local busnisses were able to learn about the organization and how to contribute, and a youth camp. 

The youth football camp catered to youth tackle football players, as well as girls' flag football players, a sport that was 

Former and current NFL players, some of whom are Nick Herbig's teammates on the Steelers, where on hand to provide instruction to players at the camp. 

HerbieGives remains active in the community even during the football season. One of the organization's first endeavors was raising over $25,000 for Lahaina wildfire victims in 2023. 

More information about HerbieGives is available on the 

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

Nick Herbig 032626

<title>NFL standout Nick Herbig hosts hometown camp</title>

Through HerbieGives, a nonprofit organization founded by Herbig in 2023, multiple charitable events have been held on his home island over the years.

NFL standout Nick Herbig hosts hometown camp

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

A measure intended to prevent corporations from influencing elections is still going strong in the state legislature.

 sets limits on what it calls “artificial-person powers,” political powers afforded to corporations or similar entities.

Under current state laws, corporations have “the same powers as an individual to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out [their] affairs,” such as the power to file lawsuits, to own property, to make contracts and the like.

Most of those powers would not be impeded by SB 2471. However, the ability of a corporation to be involved in elections or any “ballot-issue activity” would be terminated by the bill. Specifically, this would include the ability for a corporation to pay, donate or otherwise spend money to support or oppose a political campaign, political party, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or any other issue on a ballot.

These limitations would apply to corporations, associations, limited-equity housing cooperatives, limited-liability partnerships and nonprofits. It also applies to “foreign corporations,” which in this case means any corporation formed in other states as well as other countries.

Should any such organization take any action considered to be an election activity, that organization will forfeit all of powers and privileges afforded by the state.

The bill is a response to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court verdict in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The upshot of that verdict was that laws prohibiting political spending by corporations were determined to be a violation of the First Amendment’s protections toward free speech.

 on the measure by the Senate Judiciary Committee stated that, since the Citizens United verdict, “corporations and other entities have spent large sums of money to influence political campaigns and elections, undermining public trust in the democratic process.” That report added that the Hawai‘i State Constitution allows for the Legislature to “withdraw any corporate or entity powers that the State has conferred.”

The Center for American Progress, a self-described nonpartisan public policy think tank, has testified extensively in favor of the measure, testimony which multiple committees have specifically responded to. In 

, CAP senior fellow Tom Moore wrote that corporations only exist because states allow them to by conferring privileges and powers, something that states can change without violating the Citizens United ruling.

Moore wrote that there is a distinction between “powers” and “rights,” whereby SB 2471 limits a corporation’s “powers” but not its “rights”. Instead, he wrote, it simply “defines the powers that Hawai‘i chooses to grant to the artificial entities it creates and authorizes to do business within the state.”

Whether this will actually hold any legal water is unclear. The state Department of the Attorney General has 

, warning that it will likely be challenged under the Citizens United verdict — something which, the attorney general noted, will likely incur 

“While many Americans strongly disagree with … Citizens United, under our federal system of government, it is our duty to state that this opinion remains the law of the land, irrespective of its merits (or lack thereof),” read the Attorney General’s letter (parenthetical theirs).

During the bill’s most recent committee hearing, on Tuesday, Rep. Scot Matayoshi (D-Kāne‘ohe) said he hopes “we don’t get too smoked in court” should the bill pass.

Matayoshi moved during Tuesday’s meeting of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce to remove language in the bill differentiating charitable donations and political donations. The current draft of the measure defines “artificial-person powers” as those powers necessary for a corporation to carry out its “lawful, charitable or public-benefit purposes.”

This language, Matayoshi said, would effectively force many nonprofits, unions and veterans associations to lose their nonprofit status if they engaged in any ballot-related donations. If passed, the bill would effectively prohibit political donations by for-profit corporations while allowing it for non-profits and unions.

“It is this committee’s belief that a natural person’s free speech is not impeded by the restriction of corporate speech,” Matayoshi concluded.

The bill passed Tuesday’s committee with no opposition: all committee members present, including Republican Rep. Elijah Pierick (Royal Kunia), voted to recommend the bill’s passage with Matayoshi’s amendments. No legislator has voted against it in committees since its introduction.

The bill must still pass review by the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, but that committee has not scheduled any hearing for the bill yet.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Matayoshi 16x9

<title>Bill prohibiting corporate political donations nearing the finish line</title>

A bill limiting a corporation's ability to make political donations has passed all but one committee in the state Legislature.

Bill prohibiting corporate political donations nearing the finish line

Waimānalo Country Farms, which is known for its 

 and corn, as well as its pumpkin patch and lemonade, won’t have a spring harvest due to flooding from the recent Kona low storms, which followed earlier ones in January. Shawn Kadooka, who owns the farm with her husband, estimates the 52-acre farm sustained about $100,000 in damages and hopes it will be open again in the summer.

“Our spring harvest is not happening,” Kadooka said. “We're hoping that our summer harvest will come through.”

She hopes the federal government will declare this a major disaster because farms rely on low-interest loans to replant and rebuild, Kadooka said. Gov. Josh Green submitted a 

formal request for a major disaster declaration

 to support recovery efforts earlier this week.

Back-back Kona low storms pummeled the Islands this month, causing widespread power outages, and flooding homes, farms and roads. Green estimates 

. As rain continued to fall last weekend on already saturated ground, concerns mounted that 

 for about 5,000 residents of Haleʻiwa and Waialua.

“We are telling people that if they want to give a monetary donation, direct it to people who lost their homes,” Kadooka said. “Please give it directly to them because I'll be very honest with you – farmers, we have to expect these things, because either a pest hits us or a disease hits us. This year, it's weather. You have to prepare for those things. But these people that have lost everything, I mean our hearts are just — I can't even sleep thinking about it.”

At Waimānalo Country Farms, the storm flooded fields, damaged vehicles, and destroyed a garage and supplies.

“But our major loss that we're having is that we are not able to plant,” she said. “We are behind on our planting. … Our spring harvest is not happening. We're hoping that our summer harvest will come through.”

The farm known for its sunflower fields and fresh corn, as well as lemonade and pumpkins, was hard hit by the recent Kona Low storms and lost its spring harvet. But Shawn Kadooka wants people to give to those who lost homes and says they can support the farm later by visiting when it opens this summer.

Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

Authors

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