ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Nohua on Saddle Road. "Like I needed to take the photo."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

IMG 1271

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: An absolute</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Nohua on Saddle Road.

Hawaiʻi Skies: An absolute

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Nohua on Saddle Road. &quot;Like I needed to take the photo.&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.

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Honolulu foodies no longer have to drive to Oʻahu’s North Shore to enjoy poke bowls from Kahuku-based 

The biz soft opened its second location — its first Oʻahu expansion — on May 17. Ry’s Poke Shack’s Honolulu location is next to Jugo Life in the Ala Moana neighborhood.

The Honolulu location is a collaborative effort between Jugo Life/

, operations manager Daysen Masuda and himself, according to business owner Ryan Ching.

“We’ve been looking for any expansion on the west side or town side,” he says. “I wanted to do something with Tommy, too; the timing [now] was just perfect for us. It’s a good collaborative shop; all of us are in this one.”

Ry’s Poke Shack’s original Kahuku location started about six years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, Ry’s Poke Shack opened two locations in California — one year ago in Huntington Beach, and in Pasadena earlier in January — with a third So Cal location coming soon in Lomita.

While the most popular poke flavors are at each location, every store has a few exclusive options, according to Ching. The Honolulu store has two exclusive flavors from Oh and Matsuda.

“There are two new styles of poke Daysen and Tommy made,” Ching confirms. “Daysen made one called ‘Foodxjitsu,’ and we got one Tommy made with a local sauce.”

The Foodxjitsu poke is inspired by Chinese-style steamed fish, according to Masuda. It includes ginger, green onions, cilantro, onions, garlic and a shoyu blend, and is finished with chili flakes and ikura.

“This is something I’ve been doing from Hilo; every restaurant I’ve worked at, I’ve done a version of it,” operations manager Daysen Masuda explains.

Originally from Hilo, Masuda started selling poke bowls during the Covid-19 pandemic, which eventually led to him starting his own sushi business. He offered sushi platters and catering on Hawaii Island before moving to Honolulu.

“I’ve been doing sushi forever; my platters were always used for celebrations, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. “People were having small celebrations and for me, that was so rewarding.

“I’m just super fortunate; food always seems to bring people together, and that’s the common thing,” he adds. “Being able to work with guys who started from the ground and built up their company is nostalgic for me.”

Meanwhile, the What’s Crack’N flavor includes What’s Crack’n sauce — an umami Thai/Lao-style dipping sauce — with fresh ogo, sesame oil, onions, green onions and a shoyu blend.

Signature poke flavors include shoyu — Ry’s signature shoyu blend with onions, green onions and toasted sesame oil — spicy, and Lao style, a spicy option that includes garlic, fish sauce, Thai chili pepper, cilantro, shoyu blend, onions and green onions.

“Everyone always requests the Lao style,” Ching says. “The lao style seems to be popular at every single place, so that’s the one we always keep (on the menu).”

Customers can order poke bowls, poke by the pound or tsunami nachos ($23.95). The latter is the shop’s version of poke nachos, which features house fried wonton chips topped with tsunami-style poke, two scoops of crab surimi, Ry’s cucumber namasu, furikake and tobiko, finished with unagi sauce and chili mayo drizzle. The wonton chips are fried in 100% beef tallow to highlight its savory flavor.

Poke bowls can include one ($16.95) or two ($23.95) poke flavors; all bowls include Koshihikari (Japanese short-grain) rice and Ry’s cucumber namasu.

The community aspect is important to Ching, who says he’s open to collaborations and supporting other local businesses.

“It’s good for the community to reach out to us,” he says. “Every now and then, Tommy will do his burger pop-ups over here. Daysen is going to [eventually] make his chirashi bowls. This is a collaborative effort; it’s going to be much more unique in that way.”

Ry’s Poke Shack’s Honolulu store is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesdays to Fridays.

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesdays to Fridays

Rys Poke Shack owners 051826

<title>Ry’s Poke Shack opens in Honolulu</title>

The Kahuku-based biz opened its second location on Oʻahu this past weekend. The Honolulu location is located in the Ala Moana neighborhood next to Jugo Life, and features specialty collaboration poke flavors.

Ry’s Poke Shack opens in Honolulu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

LĀ‘IE — For the Le Jardin boys volleyball team, destiny was decided by a vote. 

With O‘ahu battered by heavy rain, flooding and lightning strikes on Friday, the possibility of postponing the HHSAA Division II championship match between Le Jardin and Pearl City at BYU-Hawai‘i's Cannon Activities Center to a later date was floated to both teams. 

Back in Kailua, Le Jardin already loaded its team bus on campus. Head coach Makana Wade told his team they didn't have to play on Friday if they didn't want to, that tournament organizers could move some things around to get the match played later in the weekend. Wade asked his players to raise their hands if they wanted to play on Friday.

"Everybody's hand went straight up," setter Brennan Nakayama said. "We just knew we were ready for this, and we knew what we needed to do."

Following a commute to the North Shore that lasted three hours due to traffic brought on by the weather, the Bulldogs arrived prepared to do something the school had never done before. With a 25-18, 25-9, 25-21 sweep over Pearl City, Le Jardin won its first HHSAA boys volleyball championship in school history. 

"Just a real surreal feeling," Wade told Aloha State Daily following the match. "When I took this job, this is the last thing I could ever dream of, was being here. I'm just so happy for Le Jardin and everybody there for believing in me and giving me this job. And so blessed to be able to coach these amazing players."

When he saw the look of determination in his team, Wade knew they were destined to take the title home. 

"I wish everybody could have seen inside our bus for three hours. You would have thought we were gonna play UH or something," Wade said. "The guys were so locked in, having fun. I kept getting calls from our AD, my dad asking, 'Sure you wanna play tonight, coach?' I'm asking the guys, 'Are you sure?' And they're yelling at me, like, yes, of course. There's no way we weren't going to play this match tonight. I think we really took what was ours tonight."

The notion of playing against UH is something Wade would have deep knowledge of. The son of Hawai‘i head coach 

, Makana Wade was a UH men's volleyball assistant coach for multiple seasons. He departed the program in January in order to take the position of Le Jardin head coach, as NCAA rules prohibit one from coaching high school and collegiate teams of the same gender and sport in the same season.

leading Hawai‘i to a national title on Monday

 since arriving back to Honolulu on Tuesday. After taking care of business on Monday, Charlie Wade made it clear where his priorities were during the program's celebration event on Wednesday. Ahead of a scheduled autograph session, Wade told the thousands of fans gathered at the Stan Sheriff Center that he'd have to leave early in order to watch his son coach. 

On Friday, Charlie Wade sat courtside across from the Le Jardin bench, locked in on the match. When the Bulldogs secured the victory, father and son shared multiple long embraces following the match, the look of pride in Charlie Wade's eyes undeniable. 

"Very cool," he told ASD. "He's been coaching with me at the club level, and obviously the last couple years at the collegiate level. He's always kind of had that analytical brain that it takes to be a good coach, and he and I have spent uncountable hours out walking the dogs at night and talking about coaching. He's asked me about a lot of different stuff over the years, and it's great to see him take on that role as a head coach and have to deal with playing time and all that other stuff that is not coaching that's a part of it, but not the X's and O's part. He's doing a great job and has a lot of passion for it, so fun to see him have some success."

"I don't think we have enough time to talk about what I've learned, but I think the basic is just be a guy that people can lean on and trust," Makana Wade said when asked what he learned from his father. "My dad has taught me countless things, and I'm just so happy to be able to learn from him every day, really. I wouldn't be here without him."

For the 2026 season in particular, Makana Wade worked closely with UH associate head coach Kupono Fey on analytics and strategy. He suddenly received the opportunity to run his own program at just 21 years old. 

"It was really hard to leave," Makana Wade said. "I love those guys to death. It was only gonna be a special job like this, a place like this, where there's amazing people, amazing kids. ... It was pretty crazy. I got hired, couple weeks later, we had tryouts, and then next week we're playing our tournament, then we're playing ILH. It's been a pretty hectic couple months, but it's all worth it in the end."

Makana Wade, a UH-Mānoa junior, also had a French final exam he had to take on Friday morning. "It's been a crazy day, but it's been awesome," he said. 

On Friday night, the Bulldogs were in control for the entirety of the match. Nakayama paced the offense with 39 assists, while La‘akea Kamahale had 20 kills on 31 swings. Following a commanding win in Set 2, Le Jardin took a comfortable 24-19 lead in Set 3. After consecutive Pearl City points to cut the lead to 24-21, a calm Makana Wade called timeout to make sure his team was composed. The Bulldogs finished their 2026 campaign 16-1 and state champions for the first time in school history.

"Our whole team can't thank him enough for how lucky we are to have him," Nakayama said of Makana Wade. "The knowledge and experience is super cool. The scouting reports, and how tight he keeps the team and everything, all the way to the bus rides, everything you want. I think we started a legacy."

For the Wade family, the week started with Charlie and Kainoa Wade winning an NCAA championship. On Friday, Makana Wade coached his own team to a championship, capping an unforgettable week for a family that has no plans to stop chasing greatness in the sport for the foreseeable future. 

"Monday seems like a long time ago," Charlie Wade said. "It doesn't seem like it's the same week, but obviously very cool, a lot of positive stuff."

Added Makana Wade: "I'm just so happy for my dad, and they worked really hard this season. To be able to do this too is just a surreal feeling."

Makana Wade 051626

<title>Makana Wade coaches Le Jardin to first state title in boys volleyball</title>

Makana Wade, the son of UH men's volleyball head coach Charlie Wade, led the Bulldogs to the HHSAA title in his first season at the helm.

Makana Wade coaches Le Jardin to first state title in boys volleyball

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A home high above Honolulu on the Tantalus ridgeline —  designed by and built for a local architect — has hit the market with a $3.9 million asking price.

The 2,798-square-foot house, located on a 1-acre rim lot at 228 Forest Ridge Way, was designed by and built as the personal home of architect Darrell "Buck" Welch Jr., co-founder of 

The home, which was finished in 2023, is listed by Hawai‘i Life's Noel Pietsch Shaw.

"Every once in a while in our careers, we get these dream projects that you get to work on, and I'm so honored to represent the family on this special home, especially because new construction ... is so rare," Shaw told Aloha State Daily.

Such homes are typically built for people's personal use, "and we don't get to see them on the open market," she continued.

"When you get new construction, everything's new," Shaw says. "It's all new, it's very in-style. It's working great and it's designed for modern times."

The top of Tantalus was a sought-after location for homes in the 1950s, "which is why the 

 is there, the Pauling House is there and [noted architect Vladimir] Ossipoff sought it for many of his sites," she told ASD.

[{"type":"text","text":"Shaw says the home is both modern and timeless."}]

The three-level house has three bedrooms, three full- and one half-baths, and offers panoramic views of Diamond Head, the Ko‘olau Mountains, Honolulu and the Wai‘anae Range, according to information provided by a representative of Hawai‘i Life.

According to the provided information, the home is designed to follow the "natural slope of the land, prioritizing connection to the landscape, passive cooling through trade winds, and natural light via clerestory glazing."

Additionally, dining and living areas of the main living level are connected by polished concrete floors, vaulted wood-paneled ceilings, a volcanic basalt fire place and access to covered outdoor areas, the information notes. Meanwhile, a sculptural staircase "integrates gallery niches, a window seat, and a reading nook;" the home operates with photovoltaic power and battery storage, water catchment, and septic; and the property borders conservation land.

Shaw says the home has two bedrooms on the first floor, which can allow single-level living for those aging in place, while the third bedroom is large and "almost serves as a second living room." An office on the third floor is tree level.

Shaw says, too, that there are koa trees and ginger in the yard, as well as "lots of room for planting, if someone wanted to have a garden or expand the flowers." The property also has a "flat, very usable yard."

When asked about the ideal buyer, Shaw said the top buyers for a neighborhood like this are those "whose heart has memories or nostalgia for being up on the ridge. That could be someone that's currently in the Islands or that could be someone that has been off the Islands with a yearning to come back home."

228 Forest Ridge Way 30

<title>For sale: Tantalus home made for an architect</title>

The 2,798-square-foot house is located on a 1-acre rim lot at 228 Forest Ridge Way.

For sale: Tantalus home made for an architect

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A Washington man seen in a viral video throwing a rock at a monk seal on Maui has been charged in U.S. District Court.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Wash., was charged Wednesday with violating the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration into an incident on May 5, in which a man was recorded on video hurling a large rock at a Hawaiian monk seal — identified in a U.S. Department of Justice news release as “Lani” — which was swimming off the Lahaina shore.

In the video, the rock appears to only narrowly miss Lani’s head, causing the seal to rear out of the water and swim away. Witnesses reportedly told NOAA the seal remained still for a long time, leading them to worry if it was even alive.

According to a criminal complaint, the man — identified as Lytvynchuk, who was visiting Maui on vacation — told witnesses he was “rich enough to pay the fines” when they told him law enforcement was on the way. A Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officer apprehended Lytvynchuk later that day, but made no arrest.

Another viral video appeared to depict Lytvynchuk being beaten up by an unknown man while attempting to return to his hotel. Neither the Department of Justice nor the NOAA made any mention of this incident.

According to the Department of Justice, Lytvynchuk was arrested Wednesday near Seattle by NOAA special agents. He has an initial court appearance in Seattle Thursday morning.

Lytvynchuk’s actions constitute harassment of an endangered marine animal and of a marine mammal, which are respectively violations of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Both charges carry a possible prison sentence of up to one year, and fines of up to $50,000 (under the Endangered Species Act) and $20,000 (under the Marine Mammal Protection Act).

“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson in a statement. “We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani. We pledge that those who harass and attempt to harm our protected wildlife will face rapid accountability in federal court.”

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Screenshot 2026 05 13 at 3 19 31 PM 16x9

<title>Man arrested for attack on monk seal</title>

Igor Lytvynchuk, who reportedly said he is "rich enough to pay the fines" from allegedly attacking an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, faces up to $70,000 in fines and potential prison time.

Man arrested for attack on monk seal

More than 150 affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom rentals are expected to be available on Kaua‘i next year.

Uahi Ridge, a new affordable rental housing development underway in Līhu‘e, broke ground this week.

Located at 4534 Uahi Road, the project is being developed in partnership with Kaua‘i County; Mark Development, Inc.; Wa‘a Partners, LLC; 3 Leaf Holdings, Inc.; and the Hawaiian Community Development Board, a recent announcement noted.

“Kaua‘i has some of the most expensive housing costs in the state,” Dean Sakata, acquisitions and development manager for Mark Development, on behalf of Uahi Ridge Hui LP, said in an email to Aloha State Daily. “Uahi Ridge addresses this need by developing new affordable rental housing for Kaua‘i.”

When complete, this phase of the project — the first of two — will offer 96 affordable rental units for families earning at or below 60% of the area median income in eight buildings. The second phase will add 60 more units in five buildings.

According to the announcement, rents were "established in compliance with federal guidelines that aimed to support households earning 50% and 60% of the area median income," but 10 units will be reserved for households that earn 40% AMI and eight will be set aside for those earning 30% AMI.

[{"text":"Allowable income levels vary depending on household size.","type":"text"}]

Sakata told ASD that for a family of four on Kaua‘i, for example, the maximum income level at 30% of the area median income is $39,870; at 40% AMI is $53,160; at 50% AMI is $66,450; and at 60% AMI is $79,740.

Rents will range from $616 to $1,364 for a one-bedroom unit; $716 to $1,614 for a two-bedroom unit; and from $1,499 to $1,844 for a three-bedroom unit, he said, but noted that incomes and rents are subject to change.

 to find the county's breakdown of 2024 income limits.

The developers say Uahi Ridge also will offer a multi-purpose room, storage space and “abundant” parking for tenants and guests, as well as a keiki playground.

Completion of the first phase is projected for summer of 2026, with the first building ready for move-in starting next spring, Sakata said. Work on the second phase is expected to start this summer with completion scheduled for late 2026.

Sakata says that the proximity of the site to employment opportunities, heath care services, schools and shopping attracted the developers to the location.

There are few available sites on the Garden Isle “that allows families to spend more time together by minimizing their commute times,” he says.

“The project is located next to the Aloha Church Kaua‘i, offering a unique opportunity for residents to walk next door to escort their child to preschool.”

According to Sakata, the first phase of the project will cost an approximate $73 million. 

Uahi Ridge received financing from the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp., Hula Mae Multi-family bonds, federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, with further support from the Kaua‘i County Housing Agency, and U.S. Housing and Urban Development project-based Section 8 vouchers, the announcement noted. American Savings Bank is the lead bond purchaser and lender and Hunt Capital Partners is the tax credit syndicator, it further noted.

Sakata says that financing for phase one closed last year so the developers were able to lock in prices for most materials prior to tariff increases.

Uahi Ridge rendering front

<title>Affordable rental project coming to Līhu‘e</title>

Ground broke this week on Uahi Ridge. When complete, the first phase of the project will offer 96 affordable rental units for families earning at or below 60% of the area median income. The second phase of the project will add 60 more units.

Hawaiʻi Skies: An absolute

ASD Staff

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Morning sail

Hawaiʻi Skies: Reminiscing

Hawaiʻi Skies: Unique quality

Hawaiʻi Skies: In between stormy and sunny

Most read

Hawaiʻi Skies: An absolute

Authors

ASD Staff

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Morning sail

Hawaiʻi Skies: Reminiscing

Hawaiʻi Skies: Unique quality

Hawaiʻi Skies: In between stormy and sunny

Most read