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[{"type":"text","text":"Your history professor said no dogs allowed in the class…."}]

Smile 26 6 24

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 24, 2026</title>

Your history professor said no dogs allowed in the class….

Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

 Your history professor said no dogs allowed in the class….

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Doug McLeod in Waikīkī. "Waikīkī sunset from a high floor. It was only this color for a few moments."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

25 12 26 Doug Mc Leod

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Color takeover</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Doug McLeod in Waikīkī.

Hawai‘i Skies: Color takeover

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

As we walk swiftly across the soft, burning sand of Polihale Beach, a wave crashes on the shore, and the ocean rolls up to meet us. I bend to pick up a seashell that made a brief appearance, but it’s quickly covered again by the ebb tide, and I miss my chance. Our granddaughter squeals with delight as the cold water runs up to her knees, and she takes the opportunity to splash the ocean water on her grandparents, too.

Located on the west side of Kaua‘i, it’s the longest stretch of beach in Hawai‘i and holds deep cultural significance to Hawaiians. As a state park, Polihale is a favorite spot for locals who grew up swimming, fishing, and camping there, and due to its increasing popularity, it’s a growing favorite for visitors as well.

However, it’s not an easy place to get to. The 5-mile-long, former cane-haul road to Polihale is full of ruts and potholes. It’s a dirt road, so if it rains, the road turns to mud, making it nearly impassable unless one has a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. Most rental car companies strictly prohibit their users from driving to the remote beach.

Swimming there can be deadly, as rip currents can quickly pull you away from shore, and large tiger sharks are frequently seen in the area. There is no cell service, which can mean disaster for the unprepared, but if you do make it out there, you’re met with incredible natural beauty.

For generations, Hawaiians have called Polihale their home. Aside from its visual splendor, Polihale is a place of ancient history and culture. The sand dunes hold the burials of our ancestors in sacred embrace, while the mountain peaks that butt up against the sand, jutting out into the ocean, serve as a leaping place for souls into the afterlife.

Like every place in Hawai‘i, Polihale has its own legends. As we sat basking in the sun, we were fortunate to share a bit of history and legend with our granddaughter, and now we share it with you.

There was a special type of limu called pahapaha, sometimes known as sea lettuce, that grew off the shores of Polihale. In our mo‘olelo, it was Nāmakaokaha‘i, goddess of the ocean and Pele’s sister, who gave the limu its special quality. It was said that a lei pahapaha, a garland made of this special seaweed, can fade and dry out over time, but when soaked in water, it will revive to its original freshness. Only the limu pahapaha of Polihale did this. Visitors who made the long trek to Polihale made lei pahapaha and wore them home to prove that they had, indeed, been there. Sadly, this legendary limu can no longer be found off the shores of Polihale.

Lei kauna‘oa was used when praying to Kapoʻulakinaʻu, another sister of Pele and the goddess of sorcery and dark arts. Kāhuna would offer a lei made of kaunaʻoa from the dunes of Polihale to ask for help in defeating their enemies. While the parasitic plant is often found growing on pōhuehue vines along beaches and sand dunes across every island, it is said that Kapo first discovered the yellow-orange plant at Polihale.

At the far end of the beach, just below the cliffs, there is an ancient heiau dedicated to Laka, which also serves an important purpose in the spiritual afterlife. The spirits of the dead come to the west side of Kaua‘i from all over the island. They gather at Kāʻana at the edge of Waimea Canyon and follow the Hikimoe Stream down to the heiau at Polihale. Then, they climb to the top of the 300-foot cliff and leap into the ocean to sink into Pō, the everlasting night. Any spirits that lost their way to the leina a ka ‘uhane, the leaping place of souls, or any spirits that were not accepted into Pō, were left to haunt the ridges of Waimea Canyon and the shores of Polihale. It was said that the people in the area never built their hale pili, their grass houses, with the entrance facing east, so the spirits traveling to Polihale would not enter their home and become trapped.

At night, the air is cool, and the sand loses the heat it soaked up during the day. The sound of crashing waves seems louder, broken occasionally by the music and laughter of shoreline campers. There are no streetlights here, so when the sun goes down, the darkness can feel quite intimidating, and for good reason.

In addition to the procession of the dead, people have witnessed the night marchers walking to and from the ancient heiau. There are numerous stories of people who set up camp on the beach, throw out their fishing lines, and sit back to wait for a bite, only to pull up their lines and leave quickly before anything got a chance to nibble at their bait.

One man described his experience with that exact scenario, saying that everyone in his camp heard the rhythmic beating of the drums.

The wind died, and the air was suddenly hot, when someone in the group shouted, “Night marchers!”

They all lay flat on their stomachs, covering their faces. The drums grew louder, and at one point, they seemed to be right next to the frightened campers. After the sound was gone and they could feel the wind again, the group immediately decided to break camp, believing that there was no way they’d catch any fish that night.

Another woman describes driving out to Polihale late one night to meet her family. With only the headlights from her car to see ahead, Amy drove slower than she would during the day. In the passenger seat, her sister Michelle was talking about her day, filling the silence left by the radio after they lost the signal.

They were almost at the last camp area, where their family was waiting, when Michelle shouted, “Did you see that?”

[{"type":"text","text":"She turned to Amy and said, “You did see it, didn’t you!”"}]

Though she didn’t admit it to her sister right away, Amy saw exactly what Michelle saw. Without saying a word, she pressed the gas a little harder and told Michelle to be quiet as she tried to focus on the road.

Amy told us that as they made their way through the darkness, they saw a person standing in the middle of the dirt road. The person was far enough away for Amy to gradually slow down, and as they got closer, they could see it was a woman wearing a long dress, walking in the same direction they were headed. But just as Amy started to move to the side and slow down even more, the woman vanished.

“She didn’t move or jump out of the way, and she didn’t run off anywhere. She just totally disappeared!” Amy said.

Polihale is far more than just a scenic beach. It is a wahi pana, a celebrated and storied place, that is culturally sensitive to the Hawaiian people. Park users can help protect this sacred area by leaving no trace of their presence. Be considerate by packing out all trash, and avoid moving rocks or boulders that may be part of the natural or cultural landscape. Resist the urge to drive on the sand beyond designated access routes and stay off the sensitive sand dunes. By treating Polihale with care and respect, we can all help preserve this special place for future generations.

Polihale Beach

<title>Legends and Spirits of Polihale</title>

At the end of an unpaved, 5-mile road on Kaua‘i's west side is Polihale Beach. It is many things — a treasured local hangout, a visitor attraction that's gaining popularity, and, in ancient Hawaiian tradition, it is a jumping-off place for souls seeking the afterlife. Eerie stories abound about it.

Legends and Spirits of Polihale

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

A multi-billion-dollar corporation has been stalled by an insect the size of a grain of rice.

The company is Host Hotels, based in Maryland. It wants to build a 375-room resort on the North Shore of Oʻahu, at Turtle Bay. The insect is the Hawaiian yellow-faced bee. On July 2, a court takes up whether an out-of-date environmental impact study forces the developer to start over. That process can take one to three years.

 was fitted to this coastline long before any of us arrived. It forages the native shoreline plants and asks nothing of anyone. It has held on in the few pockets of habitat we left it. There is a quiet dignity in a creature so suited to its place.

But the bee is not really the point of the lawsuit. The people bringing it would mostly agree. The point is to stall the development, and their lever is 

a 13-year-old environmental impact statement

 they say is out of date. The city’s own attorneys contend that nothing is being built where the bees actually live. The bee is the sympathetic face on a procedural fight, and the fight is about delay.

Delay is a strong tool here because we have built such a fine machine for making it. Before anyone pours a foundation near the water, a project must clear a Special Management Area permit, satisfy the Coastal Zone Management law, honor shoreline setbacks, pass historic and archaeological review, and complete an environmental impact statement. Once a species is listed as endangered, the federal government joins the table too.

Each of these has its acronym, and each acronym feeds a profession. We have raised up a whole guild of planners, engineers, archaeologists, and cultural consultants. They each demand a fee from the developer. He trusts them to navigate the thicket of regulations.

The thicket is built to slow development. A single environmental study can run from a quarter-million to two million dollars and add years to a project. And time is the one thing a developer cannot buy back. He has taken money from investors or bought the land on credit. He loses money every day the work does not start.

A developer who must survive years of delay needs enough margin to justify the risk. The modest project cannot carry those costs. The luxury project can. So a system meant to restrain development does not stop the mansions — it selects for them. It clears the field of everyone else.

A few miles down the coast from Turtle Bay, another developer is already building homes that start at $5.9 million each. That project is not affected by the lawsuit. The activist fighting the resort and the seller of the luxury home are working the same machine from opposite ends, and it rewards them both.

The same pattern is visible from the stalled rebuilding of Lahaina to the Neighbor Islands. There, the only people still willing to build are the ones who can afford to wait. It is the same machinery that strangles the affordable housing everyone claims to want, though that is an argument for another day.

The bee’s fit to its coast was authored. It is a small instance of a world that was made, and made well. The thicket answers to no such wisdom. It was authored by no one in particular and is accountable to no one at all. It is a heap of law upon court ruling upon administrative rule, each layer added in good conscience. But it is always added to, never refined. One of these is design. The other is accumulation.

None of this argues for tearing the rules down. Development without restraint would be a sin of its own. The ground was given to us to keep, not to strip. The coast and its creatures are real goods, not obstacles in the way of profit. The man who treats untouched nature as the highest thing and the man who treats his return on capital as the highest thing have made the same error pointed in opposite directions. Both have set something small in the place of God.

We cannot redesign the bee, and we have no business trying. The thicket is the one thing here we did make — and what we have made, we can unmake.

Hawaiian bee

<title>Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury</title>

An endangered bee could stall a Turtle Bay resort, writes ASD columnist Sterling Higa. A few miles down the coast, homes that start at $5.9 million are going up untouched.

Turtle Bay Resort vs. a bee: Why the rules keep choosing luxury

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Business & Tourism

Roselani Aiwohi, owner of Waiwaolani, a Maui-based clothing brand inspired by Hawaiʻi's native ecosystems, described the store opening Saturday at Kāhala Mall as “a beautiful day.”

“Four and a half years of Waiwaolani and the only way I was able to continue and persevere is because of the love I received by my ʻohana and hoaaloha (friends),” 

. “At the end of every day and through every trial and bump in the road, it was the love I received from my family, the kako'o (support) and the kōkua (help) that pushed me along. So grateful for the sea of support and to be surrounded by such love.”

This is the brand’s first retail store on Oʻahu, which can be found on the ground floor of the mall in the former Fighting Eel space.

Aloha State Daily spoke with Aiwohi in January

, she teased about moving into a permanent space on Oʻahu “soon.”

“I can’t really say much, but it is going to take up a lot of my time, and then, I’m under that lease and unable to do as many pop-ups on Oʻahu as I used to,” she said at the time. 

In 2024 alone, Waiwaolani was at 20 pop-ups across the Islands. Earlier this month on Oʻahu, the biz was a vendor at Hoʻomau Market. It is also participating in the 

, which will be held from Aug. 20 to 23, at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. (ASD will be there, too! Stop by our booth for free merch.)

ʻi and raised on Maui, Aiwohi said that the business, which launched in November 2021, “happened by accident,” after she befriended a family in Bali in need of work. They later became her team of seamstresses, while she designed prints at home that share stories of Hawaiʻi's native plants. Waiwaolani’s various giveback programs focus on conservation, mālama ʻāina and local youth development.

“Through our locally designed clothing and products, we hope to inspire people to learn about and appreciate Hawaii's native ecosystems, while supporting the organizations working to protect them,” Aiwohi said in a Tuesday statement.

Aiwohi adds that the new location will “allow Waiwaolani to connect with new customers, expand its reach across the Islands and build relationships with community organizations, while continuing to support the Native Hawaiian community.

“Kahala Mall is delighted to be the first Oʻahu location for Waiwaolani,” said Kāhala Mall 

in a statement. “We look forward to introducing our customers to this unique Maui-based brand and supporting its continued growth in Hawaiʻi.”

Waiwaolani is looking to partner with other Native Hawaiian groups and organizations statewide for its Kāhala Mall store. Interested? Email aloha@waiwaolani.com.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Waiwaolani 005

<title>Maui-based clothing shop now open at Kāhala Mall</title>

Waiwaolani, a Native Hawaiian-owned alohawear business featuring prints of Hawaiʻi’s native species, has expanded to Oʻahu with the opening of its first retail store on the island.

Maui-based clothing shop now open at Kāhala Mall

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Food & Dining

Red Lobster, the restaurant chain known for its seafood and cheddar biscuits, has closed its doors in Hawai‘i.

The chain's only location in the state, found at 1765 Ala Moana Blvd. in Waikīkī, permanently closed on June 21, a corporate spokesperson confirmed to Aloha State Daily. 

"As part of our normal course of business, Red Lobster continuously evaluates individual restaurant performance and lease terms and may, from time to time, choose to close select restaurants," the spokesperson said in an email. "This closure reflected specific decisions tied to the unique operating conditions at this restaurant. We remain committed to making thoughtful decisions that position Red Lobster for long-term success, stability and growth. Honolulu has been a meaningful part of our story, and we truly appreciate the guests and team members who have made this restaurant special over the years."

 shows a sign on the restaurant's door that notes its closure and thanks customers for "32 years of memories."

The Orlando-based company got its start in 1968 when Bill Darden opened the first Red Lobster in Lakeland, Florida, according to a 

Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024, days after after closing dozens of restaurants, the 

It exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection months later, when a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved a reorganization plan "which included a lender group led by asset manager Fortress Investment Group acquiring the business," AP 

RL Full Logo Full Color CMYK 1

<title>Red Lobster closes Waikīkī location</title>

The restaurant permanently closed on June 21, a company spokesperson confirmed.

Red Lobster closes Waikīkī location

Real Estate

[{"type":"text","text":"It's a first for James Campbell Co."}]

The Hawai‘i-based, nationally diversified real estate company recently acquired its first multi-family property: The Element, a garden-style apartment community in West O‘ahu's Ho‘opili master-planned community.

Built in 2020, The Element offers 318 one-, two- and three-bedroom rental apartments, 20% of which are reserved for households earning no more than 80% of the area median income, according to a recent announcement. Income limits vary by household size, but you can find current limits for the City and County of Honolulu 

"The Element is an exceptional, relatively new (only 6-years-old) Class A apartment community in one of the fastest growing regions on the island," JCC President and CEO Kevin Penn told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "The property’s ideal location near University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu, Skyline Keoneʻae rail station, Ho‘opili and access to major employment centers coupled with a very limited supply of comparable Class A rental properties make it a compelling long-term addition to our portfolio. It is also a strategic complement to Nāliko, our 300-unit apartment community in Kapolei currently under construction with completion expected in late 2027. 

"We’re committed to investing in the future of West O‘ahu, where we have longstanding roots, and this brings a high-quality multi-family property back under the ownership of a local company, reinforcing our role as long-term stewards of this residential community."

 late last year. Penn told the crowd gathered in November that it was the first time the company was developing a housing community it intended to keep as part of its long-term portfolio, ASD reported at that time.

James Campbell Co. has assets totaling $4.8 billion with more than 22 million square feet of properties and 2,300 acres of land across 11 states and Washington, D.C. 

It has played a pivotal role in the development of Kapolei.

Penn declined to comment on The Element's acquisition price, citing company policy. 

 from the City and County of Honolulu show that the land and building have a total assessed value of nearly $89.4 million.

When asked how the purchase of The Element plays into the company's current business strategy, Penn says: "We know quality housing is an important long-term need in Hawai‘i, particularly in West O‘ahu, and The Element provides an opportunity to expand our multi-family presence through a high-quality asset in a market we know well. Adding multi-family properties enhances our portfolio diversification, while balancing our existing portfolio with a new asset type and complementing our ongoing residential development, Nāliko."

According to the announcement, The Element will continue to be managed by Greystar. Amenities include a resort-style saltwater pool with cabanas, an indoor-outdoor clubhouse, co-working facilities, shared outdoor kitchens and barbecue areas, a coffee shop and a two-story fitness center.

And ICYMI: It's not a residential development, but JCC also held a blessing ceremony last month for 

, the redevelopment of the former Paradise Cove Lū‘au site adjacent to the Ko Olina resort area, last month.

That redevelopment is being led by Cove Campbell Kobayashi LLC, a joint venture led by James Campbell Co. in partnership with Kobayashi Group, a locally owned and operated real estate development firm; and BlackSand Capital, a Hawai‘i-focused private real estate investment firm.

As ASD reported then, citing an announcement in May, 

Waianiani will include a new oceanfront entertainment amphitheater with nightly lū‘au shows from Tihati Productions; three full-service restaurants, including Duke's at the Cove, the chain's first West O‘ahu location; a cultural pavilion and open-air activity lawn; and a 20,000-square-foot "village walk" marketplace, with retail space that aims to showcase local artisans and produce. Meanwhile, an existing wedding chapel will be retained and improved for future use.

Penn told ASD last month that Waianiani was just one of five active development projects in progress for JCC, a "high water mark" for the company and its history.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

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