ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi. "The calm AFTER the storm."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

30b42fa6 0c2f 4e17 b45a 9bf4c358d315

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi.

Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Judy Peckenpaugh on Kauaʻi. &quot;The calm AFTER the storm.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

There are many stories about ghosts and hauntings in our old Hawai‘i newspapers. Some articles briefly mention someone who claims to have seen a ghost, while others unfold over several days with explicit detail. One of our favorite stories takes place in the area we now know as Kamāmalu Playground.

In 1905, Emma Street, as it was called then, was lined with rows of old wooden houses, and in one of them lived the Camara family. They made a living doing laundry for several prominent members of the community, including the Parker family and Princess Kawananakoa.

One night, in their shared bed, something disturbed the two daughters in their sleep. They awoke to a vision of a woman dressed in a white, floor-length gown with long black hair. Her skin was pale and ashen. The girls told newspaper reporters that the strange woman pulled back the sheets and then lay down next to them. It was that moment they both screamed loud enough to wake their parents, who ran to the bedroom just in time to see the haunting woman leave the bed and disappear into the dark.

After that, the family continued their laundry business during the day but refused to return to the house after sunset. They later found out that previous tenants also had a hard time staying in the home, and one family even forfeited their security deposit to vacate the house.

Reportedly, the description of the apparition matched that of the house’s original owner, who died many years earlier. The woman’s son, hoping to retain the Camara family’s occupancy, arrived at the home and said he wanted to speak with his mother. He thought he could tell her not to come back, as she was not wanted, but the family doubted his ability to reason with the spirit and continued looking for another place to live.

During all the commotion, two men showed up, claiming to be ghost hunters, and asked to be allowed into the house. Mr. Camara obliged but became suspicious when he took the men to the room where the ghost was seen, and they began opening trunks and bureau drawers, and examining the dresses and other articles sent there to be laundered. Finally, one of the men asked if they could spend the night in the house, along with Mr. Camara, to welcome the ghost if it appeared. Mr. Camara replied that he would not sleep in the house for a thousand dollars. He suspected the men were more interested in the valuable garments sent there to be cleaned and refused to allow them to stay in the house overnight.     

After the Camara family moved out, the property owner could not find any other tenants who were willing to stay in the house, and the house was finally torn down the following year. About 50 years later, a public park would be built on the site where that haunted house once stood.

One of the first public parks on O‘ahu was Kamāmalu Park, but it wasn’t always along Queen Emma Street.

Set aside in 1912 for the use and purpose of a public park and playground, the plot was originally on the ‘Ewa/makai corner of Fort and School Streets and was referred to as the “Old Fort Street School Lot.” In 1915, it was officially named Kamāmalu Park after the recommendation of the Outdoor Circle, explaining that all the land in the surrounding area was once the property of Princess Kamāmalu, the sister of King Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V. A year later, a resolution announced that the park would be equipped and provided with playground equipment and dedicated to public use. The official name would now be Kamāmalu Playground.

In 1932, Emma Street, where the haunted house once stood, was renamed Queen Emma Street, and then, in the late 1950s, the Queen Emma Reconstruction Project was proposed. The 73-acre project was bounded by School, Kukui, and Queen Emma Streets, and Nu‘uanu Stream. The plan was to tear down around 850 tenements, dilapidated houses, and old shops in the area, which were labeled as “a hazard and a threat.” More than one newspaper referred to it as the “slum clearing project.”

In 1958, the Parks Board approved the sale of Kamāmalu Playground at Fort and School Streets from the Free Kindergarten and Children’s Aid Association to the Territory, citing that the area was needed for construction of the Lunalilo Freeway. After six years, when the Nu‘uanu section of the freeway and the Queen Emma redevelopment project were complete, the new Kamāmalu Playground was built on the corner of Vinyard and Queen Emma Street, behind the new Nu‘uanu YMCA.

The project brought Honolulu a larger botanical garden, tall condos, a new YMCA, a small shopping center, and a bigger park and playground. But after more than a hundred years, would the ghost of the Emma Street house still exist?

After one of my nightly ghost tours, a young couple stayed a little longer to ask me about Kamāmalu Playground. Before I could explain any history, they went on to share their own strange story.

As part of their evening routine, Mark and Laura usually walk their German shepherd from their condo on Kukui Street to Kamāmalu Park. One night, just as they crossed the Vineyard intersection, their dog somehow slipped his collar and took off toward the basketball courts. They explained that this was highly unusual after his intense obedience school training, but here he was, running through the overgrown grass like he was chasing something.

The couple tried to catch up, but the shepherd continued to elude them until they lost sight of him completely. As they stood near the back of the YMCA building, they heard the vicious barking and yelping coming from the playground. As they got closer, they saw the German shepherd being dragged through the grass and dirt by something they couldn’t see. Whatever it was, their dog was fighting against it with everything he had. The couple sprinted across the park to rescue their pet, but as soon as they got close, the commotion suddenly stopped. The shepherd turned to face them, sat down, and just stared at them, motionless.

Relieved, Mark started toward his dog, but his wife stopped him, saying something felt off. Laura called out to the dog, but it didn’t move. No wagging tail, no panting, and absolutely no reaction to them, aside from its blank stare.

The couple began to walk backward slowly, questioning whether this was actually their dog. They realized it would be a weird coincidence if their dog ran off and they came upon another dog that looked exactly like him. Then Mark saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look and then alerted his wife. There, under the shower tree, was their dog, lying in the grass, tail flapping, looking completely unbothered. When they turned back to look at the dog that was initially in distress, they couldn’t believe what they saw.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It literally vanished right in front of us!” Laura said."}]

They had no explanation for what might have happened to them that evening, and neither did I. However, I did suggest that, when they do take their dog out for walks at night, it might be best not to go to a place with a ghostly history. I then told them the story of what was once at Kamāmalu Playground.

Kamamalu Playground

<title>Ghostly history of Kamāmalu Playground</title>

A home once stood on the property, then known as Emma Street, and its owner seemed unwilling to stay away even after death. But is she the only spirit that haunts the site?

Ghostly history of Kamāmalu Playground

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just opened in a bigger space. The Honolulu eatery — which used to be on the second floor of the Hee Hing Plaza — just opened in the first floor of the same plaza (in the former space of Growlers USA).

 that it would be relocating to the new space. 

The bigger space now has around 75 seats; we’re told this is 1.5 times the amount of seating the eatery’s former upstairs restaurant had.

It now also features both counter and table seating. Walk-ins only are currently accepted for April; when you get to the restaurant, sign in to join the waitlist.

Each table is given eggplant, pickled daikon and gobo. Customers can also choose a rice — seasoned mixed rice, shiso seaweed rice or Hokkaido brand Nanatsuboshi — and miso soup (red miso soup with either clam and green onions or tofu and seaweed; or white miso soup with clam and green onions or tofu and seaweed).

The menu is the same as before. Sets include premium Japanese rice, miso soup, cabbage and pickles. Signature options include the Jyukusei (aged) pork loin katsu sets ($32.50 to $38) and Jyukusei pork tenderloin katsu sets ($32.50 to $35).

The combo sets — ranging from shrimp and pork tenderloin katsu ($35) and shrimp and chicken katsu ($35) to mix katsu set ($36) — are also customer favorites.

Takeout orders are also available. Customer parking is available at Hee Hing Plaza.

Open 4 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays to Fridays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tonkatsu Tamafuji shrimp and tenderloin katsu 041626

<title>Tonkatsu Tamafuji is now open in an expanded space</title>

The popular tonkatsu spot just opened on the first floor of Hee Hing Plaza (downstairs from its former location). The new space features 1.5 times the amount of seating, with both counter and table seating available. Tonkatsu Tamafuji is only accepting walk-ins for the month of April.

Tonkatsu Tamafuji is now open in an expanded space

Christian Zuckerman

Viewpoints

Aloha Spirit

With a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution of up to $100,000 from an anonymous donor secured by Aloha State Daily, as well as support from individual donors and partners, the Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation (HFUF) has launched the 

 to help Hawai‘i’s farmers and rural communities recovering from severe flooding. This critical assistance is already providing emergency relief and restoring farms and food access.

Last month, communities across Hawai‘i were devastated by Kona Low storms that brought heavy rains and high winds, causing millions of dollars in damage. Farmers were among the hardest hit. Initial reports by the Hawai‘i Farmers Union

 show a total of $23 million in damage spanning more than 380 farmers statewide; however, 

 the losses are likely tens of millions more.

In addition to losing crops and fertile topsoil, farmers are experiencing severe impacts such as flooded fields, and damaged homes and equipment. Recovering their upfront expenses in materials and labor will be difficult if not impossible – only a small fraction of Hawai‘i farmers have insurance for crop loss.

Importantly, the fund will support the long-term recovery of Hawai‘i’s local food systems, which have rapidly declined in recent years. Between 2017 and 2022, Hawai‘i has lost more than 700 farms, while approximately 90% of Hawai‘i’s food is imported.

“Farmers are experiencing real losses right now — from washed-out fields to damaged infrastructure — and they need support that moves quickly,” said Kirsten Ham, COO of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union and Foundation. “This matching effort helps us provide fast, unrestricted relief so farmers can begin rebuilding and continue feeding their communities."

Founded in 2010, the grassroots, member-driven nonprofit HFU advocates for the sovereign rights of family farmers, ranchers, and fishers to create regenerative and sustainable agricultural communities that benefit the people of Hawaiʻi through education, cooperation and legislation. HFUF, the sister organization, provides charitable and educational outreach.

The organization has long worked alongside community partners to support disaster response and recovery across Hawaiʻi. Following the Maui wildfires, HFU President Kaipo Kekona helped establish a community response hub through HFUF in West Maui that distributed over $10 million in critical supplies and thousands of pounds of fresh food to families in need.

Mahalo for helping us mobilize once again. Together, we can ensure Hawaiʻi’s farmers have the support they need to rebuild and continue feeding our islands.

To learn more and support Hawai‘i’s farmers, visit 

 To donate to the fund and have that donation matched by Aloha State Daily's donor, please visit its official 

All donations made to the foundation are tax deductible. Impacted farmers seeking support should contact 

Christian Zuckerman is the vice president of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union and CFO of the 

Lewaterra Farm

<title>Community Voices: Help Hawai‘i farmers recover</title>

An anonymous donor secured by Aloha State Daily will match dollar-for-dollar, up to $100,000, donations made to the Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation's Hawai‘i Flood Response Fund.

Community Voices: Help Hawai‘i farmers recover

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

Honolulu-based Alexander & Baldwin will become a private company in a $2.3 billion deal set to close early next year.

A&B, the only publicly traded real estate investment trust focused solely on Hawai‘i commercial real estate, 

 it had entered into a “definitive merger agreement” wherein a joint venture group that includes MW Group, a privately held Honolulu-based, commercial real estate developer, with funding from Blackstone Real Estate and DivcoWest, will acquire all outstanding A&B common shares.

President and CEO Lance Parker said in the Dec. 8 announcement that the company is taking “an important step toward our long-term vision for A&B as stewards of Hawai'i's premier commercial real estate.”

“As a private company supported by the deep real estate expertise and experience of our new ownership group, A&B will have greater capacity to serve its tenants and communities. In our next chapter, we will continue focusing on real estate that supports the daily lives of residents, overseeing our properties with care and remaining steadfast in our role as partners for Hawai'i,"

A&B is the largest owner of grocery-anchored shopping centers in the Islands, owning, operating and managing about 4 million square feet of commercial space. That includes 21 retail centers, 14 industrial and four office properties, along with the fee simple interest in 146 acres of ground-lease assets.

As part of the transaction, shareholders will receive $21.20 per share in cash for each share of A&B 

 they own, the announcement said, a 40% premium to the stock’s closing price on Dec. 8.

According to the announcement, the transaction was unanimously approved by A&B’s 

 and is set to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending “customary closing conditions, including approval by the company’s shareholders.” Once complete, A&B’s common stock will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

The board is chaired by Eric Yeaman, founder and managing partner of Hoku Capital LLC, and includes directors Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Co.; Diana Laing, retired chief financial officer of American Homes 4 Rent; John Leong, co-founder and CEO of Kupu and Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC; Lance Parker; and Douglas Pasquale, founder and CEO of Capstone Enterprises Corp., the A&B website notes.

“We're pleased to reach this agreement, which delivers significant, immediate and certain value to our shareholders while strengthening A&B's ability to serve the diverse needs of communities across Hawai'i," Yeaman said in the announcement. "The Board is confident that today's news is in the best interests of all of A&B's stakeholders. It delivers a substantial cash premium for shareholders and long-term benefits for our valued employees, tenants and communities."

, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Parker wrote that the unanimous decision meant that he, too, "voted in support of this new direction because we believe it is the right step for A&B's long-term success."

"As a company geographically focused in a local market, the structure and pressures of the public markets are not ideally suited to where A&B is today or where we aspire to go," he wrote. "As a private company, we won’t have to worry about moving the stock price, we can simply focus on strengthening the company, supported by partners who share our vision for Hawaiʻi’s future."

Following the closure of the deal, A&B will keep its name, brand and Honolulu headquarters, and will continue to be led by a Hawai‘i-based team, the announcement said. 

In an email to Aloha State Daily, A&B says that the new ownership group has been "highly impressed by the full A&B team through this process, and our depth of local expertise is one of the reasons they were eager to partner with us in this transaction."

As it relates to specific leadership roles, A&B says that many details still need to be determined and relevant updates will be provided, as appropriate, throughout the process.

For employees, it's "business as usual at A&B as we work to complete this transaction," the company says.

The investor group also intends to spend more than $100 million “to enhance the properties and reinforce their essential role in the communities they serve,” the announcement noted.

In the same email to ASD, the investor group says it is committed to maintaining A&B's properties "at high standards of quality for tenants and community members," but did not elaborate what that $100 million investment might entail.

When asked about what this means for existing commercial tenants, A&B says that the transaction has no impact on its day-to-day operations or how it works with tenants.

"Following the close of the transaction, we expect to continue operating largely as we do today, with the benefit of being supported by the deep real estate expertise and experience of our new ownership group," A&B noted.

A&B got its start more than 150 years ago, when childhood friends Samuel Alexander and Henry Baldwin established a sugar-growing partnership on Maui in 1870. The company was one of the “

” companies that dominated Hawai‘i’s political and economic landscape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You can find more of the 

In recent years, though, the company pivoted its focus to Hawai‘i commercial real estate.

, one of the state’s largest asphalt paving contractors, materials and construction companies, to locally owned construction company Nan, Inc.

 and its sale marked the “culmination of A&B’s simplification strategy, allowing us to sharpen our focus on our core business a s the preeminent commercial real estate company in Hawai‘i,” Parker said in a statement 

More recently, A&B in August broke ground on a project at its 

 in Kapolei. An announcement at that time noted the project, which replaces an existing 16,000-square-foot building on 5.7 acres, includes the construction of two Class A industrial buildings totaling some 121,000 square feet of gross leasable area.

As for the investor group, MW Group, Ltd. has led the acquisition, development and management of a $1 billion-plus portfolio that includes retail, industrial, office, self-storage facilities and senior assisted living facilities.

Blackstone, meanwhile, is the largest owner of commercial real estate globally. Its current Hawai‘i hospitality holdings include the Grand Wailea; The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua; and King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. The company also owns rental housing on O‘ahu, including The Element near the University of Hawai‘i — West O‘ahu and Kapolei Lofts.

DivcoWest is a real estate investment firm headquartered in San Francisco that, along with its predecessor, has, since its inception in 1993, acquired about 61 million square feet of commercial space, largely throughout the U.S.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Alexander Baldwin Building 013125

<title>Alexander & Baldwin to become private in $2.3B deal</title>

President and CEO Lance Parker said in a Dec. 8 announcement that the company is taking “an important step toward our long-term vision for A&B as stewards of Hawai'i's premier commercial real estate.”

Alexander & Baldwin to become private in $2.3B deal

Business & Tourism

Hawaiian Airlines has moved to new terminals within Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport this week, joining Alaska Airlines in an effort to streamline operations.

, Hawaiian's check-in operations moved to Terminal 6 at LAX on April 22, "co-locating with Alaska Airlines, to offer guests quicker and easier access between gates, counters and baggage claim."

On Tuesday, Hawaiian also moved from Terminal 4 at JFK to Terminal 8, a move Alaska says "enhances connectivity with Alaska's oneworld Alliance partners, including American Airlines and British Airways."

Alaska, which will move from its current location in the airport's Terminal 7, and Hawaiian are expected to be fully consolidated in Terminal 8 by October, according to the airline.

[{"text":"What does this mean for travelers to and from the Islands?","type":"text"}]

A Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson told Aloha State Daily in an email that, "As we continue to optimize our network, co-locations allow guests flying on both Alaska and Hawaiian a more seamless travel experience while also fostering a collaborative environment for our teams."

The process of co-locating is a "large collaboration" with each airport authority as well as the teams from both airlines, the spokesperson said, noting that co-location plans began once the airlines combined seven months ago.

Seattle-based Alaska Air Group, Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time.

. At that time, the airlines began working to secure a single operating certificate with the Federal Aviation Administration, "which will allow the two airlines to operate as a single carrier with an integrated passenger service system," according to an announcement at that time.

However, the distinct Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands will be maintained.

"As part of our continued work to improve the guest and customer experience, last month, we also co-located Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air Cargo operations in Honolulu," the spokesperson said. "We now have combined cargo operations in Līhu‘e, Maui and Kona in addition to Honolulu.

"Similar to airport co-locations, our cargo co-locations create a stronger, more connected cargo network that delivers greater value to our customers."

According to Alaska Airlines, co-location efforts began last year, when Hawaiian relocated next to Alaska in San Francisco International Airport's Harvey Milk Terminal 1 followed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona.

And there are plans for the airlines to co-locate in Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City and Las Vegas by the end of the year, the airline said.

The Hawaiian Airline spokesperson told ASD that co-location timelines depend on a number of factors, including availability at each airport to accommodate the moves.

"We are looking forward to co-locating at all stations that Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines share," they said.

Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Holdings, Horizon Air and McGee Air Services are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group. With its acquisition of Hawaiian, it now serves more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Central America, Asia and across the Pacific.

 CEO of Hawaiian Airlines in September following its combination with Alaska Air Group. Read more from Sprague 

Hawaiian and Alaska SFO

<title>These airlines are now neighbors in terminals at two major Mainland airports</title>

Hawaiian Airlines has joined Alaska Airlines at terminals in Los Angeles International Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm

ASD Staff

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sunrise before school

Hawaiʻi Skies: "Wow" and "ahhhh"

Hawaiʻi Skies: Pink moon

Hawaiʻi Skies: Magnificent sunsets

Most read

Hawaiʻi Skies: After the storm

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sunrise before school

Hawaiʻi Skies: "Wow" and "ahhhh"

Hawaiʻi Skies: Pink moon

Hawaiʻi Skies: Magnificent sunsets

Most read