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Daily Smile

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Smile 26 4 12

<title>Daily Smile: Sunday, April 12, 2026</title>

Some A.I. is fun...

Daily Smile: Sunday, April 12, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Business & Tourism

Even as they clean up damage from the last two Kona low storms, Hawai‘i farmers are hunkering down again.

The scale of damage caused by the current storm still remains to be seen. But for farmers still picking up the pieces from the last storms, more severe weather can only delay their recovery even further.

“The soil in a lot of places is still mostly saturated,” Christian Zuckerman, vice president of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union, told Aloha State Daily Friday. “So flooding could happen very quickly.”

Zuckerman, himself a farmer in Wai‘anae, said the soil around his farm has a high clay content that allows it to retain moisture for a long time. Already, he said, the rains this week have caused standing water to pool around his farm again.

“The fear is, if there’s another 10 inches of rain, what’s going to happen?” Zuckerman said, adding that the first two storms dropped a year’s worth of rainfall in a matter of hours.

Zuckerman said that, out of an abundance of caution, some farmers in Waialua were preemptively evacuated to shelters on Thursday in case North Shore waterways flood. By Friday afternoon, a flash flood warning was in effect for Otake Camp, and the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management issued an 

Meanwhile, Zuckerman said that much of the work farmers and ranchers have done to recover over the last two weeks — clearing debris from the last storms, removing flood-deposited sediment from their farms, and more — all may end up for naught if this storm forces them to do it all over again.

“In farming, the profit margins are slim and the costs are high,” Zuckerman said. “In a disaster like this, it’s not just today’s harvest that’s affected, it’s tomorrow’s harvest, it’s your harvest for months to come.”

Zuckerman added that farmers are under further strain by a climate growing erratic. He said that Wai‘anae “didn’t have a lick of rain” between last May and December.

“And since December it feels like it’s never stopped raining,” Zuckerman said, adding that the heavy rains have been washing away the drought-stricken soil.

 this week that President Donald Trump will issue a major disaster declaration for the March storms likely won’t lead to immediate benefits for farmers. However, he said he hopes the state and counties will be galvanized into accelerating their own assistance programs, now that they are assured that their funds will be replenished by federal aid.

In the meantime, Zuckerman urged farmers to fill out 

 to help the state and federal government to determine what assistance programs to make available. He also recommended they reach out to the 

The Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation has also launched the 

, where people can donate funds to help farmers and rural communities recover from the floods. Aloha State Daily has found an anonymous donor who will match all donations up to $100,000.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Lewaterra Farm

<title>Farmers face flooding, storm damage once again</title>

Third storm in less than a month pelts Hawai‘i's beleaguered farmers

Farmers face flooding, storm damage once again

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Despite its own operations being impacted by both Kona Low storms last month, 

 is offering an incentive to giving blood this month: For every blood donation made through the end of April, the local nonprofit will make a financial gift to 

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund

BBH President and CEO Kim-Anh Nguyen said this disaster touches many lives across the Islands.

“I live in Mānoa and people saw the video footage of Mānoa Marketplace underwater,” she said. “We have friends and families on the Neighbor Islands. We have staff whose families live on the North Shore. We ourselves felt this in our lives and wanted to be part of the recovery.”

“We are deeply grateful to the Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi for their generosity and partnership in support of the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund,” he said in a statement. “Their innovative approach to engaging their donors reflects a shared commitment to building a more resilient Hawaiʻi, one where communities are supported before, during and long after disaster.”

As of April 8, nearly $400,000 has been awarded from the fund to nonprofits supporting storm recovery efforts.

Nguyen told Aloha State Daily that “Donors save lives, and we hope to build the community. It’s a win-win.”

Collections have decreased due to inclement weather over the last few weeks, she said, adding that more donors have missed or canceled their appointments, blood drives were postponed and bloodmobiles consolidated.

“BBH encourages donors to come out and donate only if they feel safe to drive/travel,” per the nonprofit, which for 85 years has been the sole provider of blood across Hawaiʻi and Guam hospitals. It is also the oldest community blood bank in the U.S.

Nguyen notes that the state has about one week of supply on its shelves 

 half at BBH and the other half at Hawaiʻi's civilian hospitals 

 which comes from 100 to 150 donors per day.

“Every single day, that’s how many people we need to roll up their sleeves. … We really depend on donors to still be safe, but to come out and honor their appointments.”

, red blood cells used for trauma, surgery, anemia and blood disorders, can last up to 44 days refrigerated; platelets, used for cancer treatments and organ transplants, lasts up to five days at room temperature; and plasma, which is used for burn patients, can be stored for up to a year when frozen.

During long power outages in March at its Young Street Donation Center and 

, BBH did not lose blood supply, according to Nguyen.

“One of the reasons we built our new headquarters from the ground up was to have a larger, more secure, higher-capacity facility to process the blood. We were not impacted thanks to backup generators and fuel tank.”

After two years of construction, the blood bank’s new 19,000-square-foot headquarters, 

 opened on March 19.  The facility has ultra-low freezers that can store blood products for up to 10 years, a feature that is mostly used for rare blood types.

 is also excited for the upcoming blood drive set for April 14-16 on Kauaʻi. To make an appointment, 

Looking ahead, she hopes to grow BBH’s workforce development program and open a donation center in Kapolei.

The monthlong partnership with HCF will apply to all donations made at BBH’s Young Street Donor Center, Waikele Center, mobile drives on Oʻahu, Lifesaver Clubs, high school blood drives and the upcoming drive on Kauaʻi from April 14-16. The monetary donation will be announced at the end of the month.

BBH reported a total revenue of $23.9 million for the 2024 fiscal year, per 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Kim-Anh Nguyen BBH

<title>Donate blood, help support disaster recovery</title>

For every blood donation made through the end of April, Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi will make a monetary contribution to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund. The fund provides grants to nonprofits on the frontlines of disaster and emergency-related preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation and resilience.

Donate blood, help support disaster recovery

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

First things first: The “missing grass shack” 

 that Sumida Farm posted on April 1 was an April Fool

’s joke. The shack is not lost and is still present at the ‘Aiea farm, according to general manager Kyle Suzuki.

“It was a good reminder that the farm and the shack won’t necessarily be here forever,” he says. “We are here because of the support of the community.”

While the farms didn’t suffer as much damage as others following the Kona Low storms in March, 

Sumida Farm’s watercress was definitely impacted

, according to Suzuki. He explains that watercress season typically starts in March, but with the constant heavy rain and little sunshine last month, the season was delayed.

“The reality is, with the Kona Low storms, it did stunt the growth of our watercress,” Suzuki says. “Too much rain means not enough sun. This year, we are four to six weeks later; it (watercress season) will run into June. This year will be a little shorter than normal. Watercress growth depends on heat, humidity and weather.”

While the farm does have watercress now, Suzuki says that within the next few weeks, its fields should be full. To celebrate the start of watercress season this month, Sumida Farm is launching a variety of different collaborations:

Please Come Again: Watercress ginger lime sorbet

Sumida Farm partnered with the Kailua-based ice cream shop last year to create this flavor. It was a hit with customers, so 

“Sumida Farm chef Elijah Madayag made a watercress ginger lime syrup, and they turned it into a sorbet,” Suzuki says. “You taste the watercress, but it has a sweetness; the bite pairs well with the lime and ginger. It was a popular flavor for Please Come Again last year, so we’re excited to have that again this year.”

The watercress ginger lime sorbet will be at Please Come Again while supplies last.

Restaurant collabs: Tali's Bagels, Alan Wong's at The Kāhala and more 

Several Oʻahu restaurants are incorporating Sumida Farm watercress in their menus. Watercress is featured in a variety of permanent dishes, along with seasonal specials.

Tali’s Bagels launched a Passover-related special that featured watercress in a bread-free meal alternative. Its seasonal bitter herb salad ($15) is a Seder inspired salad made with Sumida Farm watercress and Waialua Growers parsley. It’s topped with housemade pomegranate horseradish dressing, seasoned matzo croutons, ponzu pickled eggs, beets and pomegranate seeds.

“They said during Passover, a symbolic component is bitter, leafy greens,” Suzuki explains. “They paired our watercress with ponzu pickled eggs and baked croutons.”

While the salad is only available until April 12, starting April 15, Tali’s Bagels will run another watercress-inspired special. The Sumida Schmear will be available through watercress season, and the vegan-friendly schmear is inspired by tofu watercress salad.

“Instead of cream cheese, they’re going to use a tofu spread,” Suzuki says. “It’s our tofu watercress salad in spreadable form. It will be available at Tali’s Bagels Ward and Kailua locations through the month of April.”

officially opened to the public at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort

, also features Sumida Farm watercress in one of its salads.

“We have a longtime relationship with chef Alan Wong,” Suzuki says. “We’re so fortunate he continues to highlight local farms. He’s highlighting our Sumida Farm Leko — our younger varietal — in his kalua pig Caesar salad. That’s really exciting that he has that on his opening menu; we’re really excited to have him feature it.”

Chinatown-based O’kims Korean Kitchen is featuring Sumida Farm watercress in its meat jun, which is an April special.

“They used so much watercress last year,” Suzuki says. “I remember when we met with chef, and she ended adding watercress to almost everything on her menu last watercress season.”

Other eateries using watercress include Kailua-based Faria — the eatery recently ran a roasted bone marrow special with watercress “milho verde,” according to Suzuki — and Breadshop in Kaimukī.

Faria's bone marrow was served on a bed of lemon-herb watercress salad. The restaurant told Suzuki it was a huge hit with their customers.

“It was an honor to have them think about using our watercress,” Suzuki says.

“Every once in a while, Breadshop drops their watercress goat cheese Danish,” he adds. “It’s always in limited quantities. It’s an interesting, savory way to create a Danish with our watercress.”

Aside from restaurant collabs, the farm recently did a kokedama collaboration with Momo Terrascapes. (Kokedama translates to “moss ball” in Japanese, and features a gardening art form.)

Sumida Farm invited Chase Hamano from Momo Terrascapes to visit the farm, and he wanted to make something inspired by the farm and its field workers.

“It’s just a fun, different way to collab during watercress season,” Suzuki says. “We love partnering with restaurants and chefs; that’s the best way to enjoy our watercress — to eat it. We love to have artists and creators out to visit, so they can bring their creativity to tell stories about our farm, too.”

Suzuki says that within the next few weeks, watercress should be easier to find in grocery stores.

“Every year is a little different,” he says. “This year has been an exceptional year in how wet it’s been. But we feel very fortunate that, despite being slowed down, that we can still farm and grow watercress and get it out to the community.”

Sumida Farms farm picture 040926

<title>Sumida Farm launches collabs to celebrate watercress season</title>

The farm's watercress season was delayed as a result of heavy rains from the Kona Low storms in March. Sumida Farm is celebrating the start of watercress season this month with a series of collaborations with other local businesses.

Sumida Farm launches collabs to celebrate watercress season

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

Columnists

On a Monday morning earlier this month, Mayor Rick Blangiardi sent his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year to the Honolulu City Council. The total came in $133 million less than the year before. The operating side grew by less than one percent. There were no ribbon cuttings. The 

 lasted about 40 minutes and drew a few paragraphs in the morning papers.

Had the number gone up — a record spend on city services, a bold new chapter — there would have been more headlines. The budget that doesn’t grow is not a story.

What matters is whether government grows faster or slower than the income of the people paying for it. The University of Hawaiʻi’s economic research arm, UHERO, 

 personal income in Honolulu will grow about 3.7% this year. That 3.7% is the speed limit. A government budgeting above it is spending money its people haven’t earned yet.

Blangiardi’s operating increase of less than 1% means city government is shrinking against the economy. That’s harder than it sounds. Union contracts alone required wage raises above 1%. He covered that and still cut the total.

The pattern elsewhere is mixed — and mostly worse. On Kaua‘i, Mayor Derek Kawakami’s current budget 

, more than twice the county’s projected income growth.

Maui’s Richard Bissen is a different story. UHERO projects Maui’s income to grow about 4% this year. Bissen’s proposed budget for next fiscal year 

. That’s nearly flat in real terms — a return to earth after the fire-driven spending surge.

The outlier nobody talks about is Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda. His proposed operating budget 

 against projected income growth of 3.4%. Nearly as disciplined as Honolulu, with almost no press. Alameda governs quietly, and Hawai‘i County draws less notice than Maui or Honolulu.

Blangiardi didn’t cut services. He cut the budget lines for vacant jobs. With roughly one in five city jobs vacant, that pay was already sitting idle. The mayor pulled about $50 million in vacancy funding back across departments. The police chief called it tight but workable. AI tools are rolling out across city offices — not to cut jobs, but to get more done.

Blangiardi is not always easy. Councilmembers, reporters, and slow-moving department heads have all felt the friction. But for five years, he’s been the strongest check on government growth in Hawai‘i. And in his 2026 State of the City address, he 

 not to raise property taxes while in office.

Government that lives within its means doesn’t produce ribbon cuttings. It fills the potholes, keeps the lights on. In the oldest sense, it’s a good neighbor. It doesn’t always make the news.

0000 0000 Mayor Blagiardi Square Wide 16x9

<title>The budget that doesn't grow</title>

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi did something remarkable early this month in releasing a city budget that came in $133 million under the previous year's budget. ASD columnist Sterling Higa looks at all four county budgets to see which counties are living within the means of their citizens.

The budget that doesn't grow

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

 returns this Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10, at the Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi. Friday is military appreciation day and is open to active and retired military service members, as well as Department of Defense employees and first responders, plus their families. The free event is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

“Of course, the headliner of the show is the U.S. Navy Blue Angels,” said Janna Herrington, a marketing specialist with Marine Corps Community Services Hawaiʻi. “They are the show headliners. They usually will be the last one to go up in the air in the afternoon. But there are a whole lot of things happening.”

Aloha State Daily compiled a few things to know ahead of the event expected to draw at least 100,000 people over three days:

The air show grounds open at 9 a.m. and the grandstands open at 10 a.m., according to the event’s website. “

,” Herrington said. “The earlier, the better.” Water bottles are allowed into the venue. 

 include pets, personal drones and outside food or drinks (except water).

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, KC-135 Stratotanker (92nd Ops Group), Pacific Air Forces C-17 Globemaster III, and the U.S. Special Operations Command's “Para-Commandos” parachute team, as well as the B-52 Stratofortress (307th Bomb Wing), Fat Albert, MV-22 Osprey, MH-60 Seahawk, KC-130, AH-64 Apache and The Flying Leathernecks.

Attendees of the event can walk up to planes, including military and commercial ones. “Even Hawaiian Airlines is coming, and they're bringing some of their planes,” 

 said. “There's just going to be a lot of different options where people can go and check it out up close and personal.” The military airplanes on display will include ones that people can walk into, so they can see what it looks like from the inside.

The three-day event also features a car show with vintage and muscle cars, plus racing cars, such as Lamborghinis.

People can purchase food and drinks from vendors. There will also be a 

 for keiki, with free interactive activities. The activities will be hosted by groups such as Hawaiʻi FIRST Robotics, Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum and the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy.

The event also includes live music, including a performance from the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band.

Combining multiple families into one car is recommended.

“We definitely encourage people to carpool, because it is going to be busy,” Herrington said. “And people have to be patient because they're going to be waiting in line to come onto the base and then going into the air show grounds.

 Finally, Herrington encourages good walking shoes to make it easier to take advantage of all the activities. The event is free, but 

 closer to the performances is also available. 

Kāneʻohe Bay Air Show

<title>Kāneʻohe Bay Air Show: 8 things to know</title>

Planes and automobiles are just part of the attractions at the Kāneʻohe Bay Air Show, which will be held this Friday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 10. The free event allows attendees the chance to explore military aircrafts and listen to live music. Here are tips for the event this weekend, which organizers estimate will draw 100,000 people over three days.

Daily Smile: Sunday, April 12, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Sunday, April 12, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

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