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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Marian Yee near the Koʻolaus. "2026 months of rain ... means beautiful rainbows in the morning. Beautiful morning rainbow blessing us over the Koʻolaus, far left of Punchbowl Cemetery."

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Rainbow over Koolau Mountain

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Marian Yee near the Koʻolaus.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Marian Yee near the Koʻolaus. &quot;2026 months of rain ... means beautiful rainbows in the morning. Beautiful morning rainbow blessing us over the Koʻolaus, far left of Punchbowl Cemetery.&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.

Yamachika Tom IMG 1913 Large

Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

Last week we were discussing some of the expenditure controls in the Hawai‘i Constitution that are supposed to rein in spending by our well-meaning government officials.

One of these controls is a requirement that all general fund appropriations, namely money given out by our Legislature, must lapse within three years. When the appropriation lapses, all “unencumbered” funds need to go back to the general fund to be available for appropriation by the sitting lawmakers at that time.

But what does “encumbered” mean? It doesn’t mean “spent,” it’s more like “committed.”  The 

, published by our DAGS (Department of Accounting and General Services), says that “Encumbrance obligations or commitments are not merely anticipated future expenses, but are enforceable rights that bind the parties involved to complete a transaction based on proper performance of the acts called for by the obligation or commitment.” 

So, for example, if an agency wanted to buy a box of paper for $50 and issued a purchase order to a local store, the $50 would be encumbered because the store, after furnishing the paper, would have a right to be paid the $50. It would be an encumbrance at the time of the order because the store then had legal rights in the transaction, even before it delivered the paper.

So, what is the issue with the new Aloha Stadium?

, John Kawamoto points out that the budget item appropriating $350 million for the new stadium at Hālawa was enacted as Act 248 of 2022, which became part of the supplemental budget for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium.  Act 88 of 2021, which Act 248 amended, stated that the appropriations in the biennium budget would lapse on June 30, 2024. This is consistent with Attorney General Opinion No. 81-2, which states that an appropriation made in a fiscal biennium must lapse no later than one year after the close of the fiscal biennium under the Hawai‘i Constitution’s three-year lapse requirement.

So, did the $350 million appropriation for the stadium lapse?

When Kawamoto questioned DAGS about it, DAGS replied that the State Comptroller had extended the lapse date to June 30, 2026, citing 

. Those references appear to say is that encumbrances are normally cancelled after a certain period of time but can be extended under extenuating circumstances such as supply chain issues. What is extended is not the deadline to encumber the money, but the deadline to convert the encumbrance to a liability. The Comptroller has no right or power to extend the lapse date of an appropriation, and he has no right or power to rewrite the Hawai‘i Constitution. So, something is wrong with the answer DAGS gave.

Rather, the real question is whether an encumbrance against the Stadium appropriation exists at all. Has the State opened bids, awarded a contract, or otherwise given anyone enforceable rights to rebuild the Stadium?  Kawamoto pointed out that in October 2024, DAGS and the Stadium Authority selected Aloha Hālawa District Partners as the developer of the project. Six months earlier, at a Stadium Authority meeting, a deadline of June 30, 2025, to sign a contract was announced. However, there is still no signed contract.

What is the hold-up? Does Aloha Hālwa District Partners have enforceable rights sufficient to create an encumbrance? If so, why has no contract been signed? And what are the “extenuating circumstances” that DAGS is using to justify the extension to June 30, 2026?

$350 million is a big deal, folks.  The Clamoring Public wants answers!

Aloha Stadium 052925

<title>Community Voices: Encumbrance for the stadium</title>

Under the State of Hawai‘i's constitution and accounting rules, the $350 million budgeted for a new stadium has lapsed, and yet authorities are proceeding as if it hadn't.

Community Voices: Encumbrance for the stadium

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Pro tip: Go to this brunch spot around 11:45 a.m., to get the best of both worlds — brunch and sushi — because the eatery’s sushi menu is available starting at noon.

 — yes, that’s its name — opened a few months ago. Customers who have previously visited Sushi Spot Waikīkī might be a little confused, since both restaurants have the same address, but the eatery is one and the same. It features a brunch menu during the day, and transitions to a sushi-centric menu during lunch and dinner. (Technically, Sushi Spot Waikīkī opened first and expanded its menu to create Brunch Spot Waikīkī).

“We were running a sushi restaurant for five years, but we had some spare time in the morning, so we decided to do something else,” says Dawit Kim, the restaurant’s chief operating officer. “We do brunch in the morning and sushi in the evening.”

The brunch menu is served daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. It features a variety of egg-focused dishes, sweet options and local-style favorites.

We start with the Waikīkī omurice ($22); this version features a fluffy scrambled egg blanket over rice with a savory, mushroom-onion house gravy. It comes with grilled Portuguese sausage.

“Not a lot of brunch places sell omurice,” says Kim. “I grew up eating omurice; my mom made omurice all the time. We boil the gravy for more than 24 hours with local beef and other ingredients; the loco moco has the same gravy.”

I love eating omurice in Japan; it’s a comforting dish that always boasts umami flavors. This version doesn’t disappoint — the egg is fluffy and light, and the savory house gravy is love at first bite. Compared to other omurice dishes, this gravy is slightly runnier and boasts a stronger tomato flavor (instead of a rich, thick demi-glace), but it’s still flavorful. Seeing the grilled Portuguese sausage makes me smile — kudos to the eatery for trying to incorporate a local twist.

This loco moco ($27) is made with 100% grass-fed, locally grown beef over steamed rice. It’s smothered in a savory mushroom-onion house gravy — the same one that’s featured in the omurice — and crowned with a sunny side-up egg. The beef patty is tender and flavorful, and everything is sufficiently covered with that luscious gravy.

“Our goal is to use organic ingredients and to use 100% grass-fed beef here,” Kim says.

Other savory brunch options include avocado toast with diced garlic and crushed red peppers ($17), classic BLT sandwich ($19), Aloha omelet filled with vegetables and melted cheese ($19) and lox bagel ($22). The latter features a toasted open-faced bagel topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, red onions, mixed greens and sprouts.

Local-style dishes on the brunch menu include garlic shrimp ($25), crispy katsu plate ($23) and the Kūpono burger ($23), which features a 100% grass-fed, local beef patty topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions on a toasted bun.

If you prefer sweeter options for brunch, opt for the berry pancakes ($22) or Lei French toast ($23). The latter features a massive stack of thick-cut brioche ($23) topped with whipped cream and fresh citrus. It’s served with a mix of seasonal fruits, housemade custard and maple syrup. The brioche is soft and billowy, and there's no shortage of both, whipped cream and fresh fruits. 

Starting at noon, the eatery transitions to offer a sushi menu. You’ll find everything from sushi and sashimi combos to eight-piece sushi rolls.

Popular rolls include cherry blossom ($27) — a shrimp tempura and cucumber maki topped with crab meat, tempura flakes, coconut flakes, spicy mayo and unagi sauce — and hamachi maki ($28). The latter — a California roll topped with hamachi, jalapeño, Sriracha dots, spicy mayo and unagi sauce — was especially tasty, thanks to the fresh hamachi and slight spice from Sriracha. The cherry blossom roll is both crunchy and colorful, and those who enjoy coconut will appreciate it.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows

ASD Staff

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Hawaiʻi Skies: Rain = rainbows

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Aloha Friday

Hawaiʻi Skies: Legendary sunsets

Hawaiʻi Skies: In the moment

Hawaiʻi Skies: A bright and complete rainbow

Most read