ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Ronald Freed at Ala Moana Park. "The lull before the storm."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

25 12 19 Ronald Freed

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: There's a storm coming</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Ronald Freed at Ala Moana Park.

Hawai‘i Skies: There's a storm coming

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Ronald Freed at Ala Moana Park. &quot;The lull before the storm.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Hawai’i residents are urged to once again batten down the hatches as the state’s summer of storms continues.

As of Wednesday, the newly named Tropical Storm Nolo was bearing northward toward the state, with the National Weather Service predicting the storm to intensify to hurricane status by Friday, and potentially to major hurricane status by Saturday — about the same time it is expected to make its closest approach to Hawai’i Island.

National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist John Bravender said Wednesday that tropical storm-force winds could hit the Big Island as early as Friday, and that the storm could bring 20-30 inches of rain through the weekend. 

Nolo is expected to veer westward just south of the state and slowly pass below the islands. As it passes, the Big Island will face “extreme” flash flooding risks on Friday and Saturday, as well as “extreme” winds on Saturday, according to a NWS outlook.

As of Wednesday afternoon, a hurricane watch is in effect for the entirety of Hawai’i Island and its surrounding waters. The NWS warns that there is potential for winds between 74 and 110 mph. A flood watch is also in effect for all of the Big Island, Maui and Moloka’i.

Gov. Josh Green acknowledged Wednesday that many on the Big Island, particularly in Ka’u, are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Lala two storms ago. 

“If you feel unsafe, please … go up to Hilo as this new storm approaches,” Green said, adding that the state Department of Human Services has 100 hotel rooms available for people to stay in if their home is threatened by Nolo. “If you do decide to wait out the storm at home … please listen to us if we ask you to evacuate. Material goods can be replaced, houses can be rebuilt, but we can’t bring back our loved ones.”

Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, Adjutant General of the State of Hawai’i Department of Defense, said 232 National Guard personnel are currently positioned for storm response and recovery efforts, and that he is authorized to activate up to 500 if the need arises. On Hawai’i Island, there are five high-water vehicle teams and 50 personnel standing by.

Hawai’i County has opened hurricane shelters in advance of the storm: at Yano Hall in Captain Cook, the Nā’ālehu Elementary School Gym, the Robert Herkes Gym in Pāhala and the Kea’au Armory. Transportation for Na’alehu residents seeking to shelter in Pāhala will be provided at Nā’ālehu Elementary at 6 p.m. today.

Big Island residents can fill sandbags at several 

 around the island provided by the county Department of Public Works, although they will have to bring their own bags.

As always, residents are urged to clear debris from around their properties, ensure that drainage areas are properly cleared, stockpile up 14 days worth of food, water and essential medications, prepare go bags and evacuation plans for themselves and their families, and to 

 from state and county emergency management agencies.

232344 5day cone 16x9

<title>NWS warns of major impacts as Nolo looms</title>

Tropical Storm Nolo is expected to become a major hurricane as it approaches the state, with Hawai‘i County the closest to its path.

NWS warns of major impacts as Nolo looms

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

The headline this week is $300,000 for lawmakers and state staff to fly somewhere and study transit-oriented development. Nobody knows where the trip is going.

Readers will see that headline and file it under government waste. That’s the easy reading, and it’s usually right. But it doesn’t have to be.

The appropriation went to the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, which voted two weeks ago to transfer the money to the Department of Health. I chaired HCDA’s board until June. The vote came after I left.

Coordinating big infrastructure is one of the few things government exists to do. State and county governments own the ports, the airports, the highways, and the bus and rail networks. Those systems decide where housing can go, how much of it can be built, and what it will cost. A rail line is a housing policy whether anyone calls it that or not.

And these decisions are close to permanent. A rail line reconfigures a community for generations and costs billions. The price of getting it wrong is not only the money spent. It’s the century of consequences that follows. $300,000 is a small price to pay for better decisions. Sen. Chris Lee, who used to chair the Senate Transportation Committee, said the state shouldn’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. He’s right.

Lawmakers should fly coach, sleep in modest rooms, and skip the room service. But 

, and I expect they’ll follow the receipts. The question isn’t whether the trip should happen. The question is where it should go.

The biggest fight in Hawaiʻi government over the last decade has been Honolulu against the state, and the fight has been about transportation money. The counties want more of it. The state thinks the counties spend it badly. It wants proof of return, either in tax revenue or in something the public can point to, like affordable housing. Rail sits at the center of that fight, with a slice of the general excise tax feeding it.

Critics are right that ridership is low. Skyline carries 11,000 to 12,000 riders on a weekday, against the 84,000 the city hopes for once the line reaches Ala Moana. They’re also right that development around the stations has barely moved, more than a decade after the route was drawn.

Why? Zoning at the county level came slowly. Some areas lacked the sewer and water capacity to support redevelopment. Nobody had the capital to build at scale. And Hawaiʻi has almost no firms that know how to redevelop whole districts around a transit line. Those four gaps are the whole story of rail’s disappointment.

So the trip has to answer four questions at once. Which country zones well? Which one matches its transit buildouts with the infrastructure to support them? Which one has capital looking for a home? And which one has companies that specialize in redeveloping around stations?

 Singapore’s public housing, and he’s also fond of Vienna’s social housing, much of it built under socialist governments. Both are worth understanding. Neither is a model Hawaiʻi can copy. Our state leans toward overreach, but it has neither the ideological unity of Red Vienna nor a leader with the standing of Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore also runs on a civil service whose professional culture rivals its best companies, and it pays accordingly. The prime minister’s salary was recently raised to $2.8 million. Nobody at the Capitol is proposing that.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Go to Japan."}]

Japan lives with the constraints we live with. Scarce urban land, earthquakes and typhoons, imported food and energy, an aging population.

It has one of the best zoning systems in the world. Small urban parcels can be 

, which is why its cities feel alive in a way few others do. It’s a slow-growth economy sitting on enormous capital that needs somewhere to go. A delegation could come home with investors, not just design notes. And nearly everything standing in Tokyo was built after 1945, because the war leveled it. Few countries have more recent experience rebuilding cities.

Anyone who has hired a contractor knows the fear. What if he takes the deposit and vanishes? What if he goes under halfway through? That fear shrinks when your partner has been in business for a century and is counted among the best builders in the country.

Consider Tokyu Corporation, which has run commuter rail across greater Tokyo since 1922. Tokyu doesn’t just operate trains. It masterplans the districts around its stations and develops them. Shibuya, home to what’s often called the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, grew up around a Tokyu terminal that once served about a dozen passengers a day. Projects like 

 remake entire neighborhoods by the time they open. 

And Tokyu is already here. Its transit-development expert has sat on the governor’s advisory committee since 2024. Last October he walked the committee through 83 slides on the Skyline, including a fix for something HART never designed: passing tracks so some trains can run express. The state is now negotiating a memorandum of understanding with the company.

Japan and Hawaiʻi share a love of baseball. For years Hawaiʻi has refused to swing big. It bunts. It settles for singles. That habit shows up most clearly in infrastructure. The state rarely attempts real masterplanning. When it does, it can’t manage the work over time, so projects drift and die. It parcels out work through RFPs and gets piecemeal results. Playing small yields small returns, when it yields any. But there are teams that play big and win big in development, and Japan has several of them.

You don’t meet those teams by reading. Gov. Josh Green learned that on his first trip to Tokyo after taking office. He thought he was going to 

, he said, and “was actually talking about partnerships.”

If the goal is to learn how transit networks work, buy a book. If the goal is to actually redevelop Honolulu around its rail line, you visit the people who build cities around theirs. And you build relationships that outlast the trip. Hawaiʻi has spent years counting the cost. It has even sat down with people who have finished the work. Now it’s time to take them seriously.

Relationships in Japan aren’t made by one traveler with a per diem. Seriousness means a full delegation, receiving the hospitality of hosts, and returning it here. That will cost more than $300,000. It’s still cheaper than another decade of empty lots beside the stations.

That’s how you tell a partner you’re ready.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Is Hawaiʻi?"}]

HART rail car

<title>Hawaiʻi’s $300,000 transit-oriented development trip should go to Japan</title>

Lawmakers and state staff have $300,000 to fly somewhere and study development around rail stations. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why the trip is worth taking, why Singapore and Vienna are the wrong models, and why Hawaiʻi should book Tokyo and stay long enough to make a friend.

Hawaiʻi’s $300,000 transit-oriented development trip should go to Japan

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Business & Tourism

Food & Dining

, officially started her business when she was a freshman in high school. Even though she was only 14 years old, Dickens says her “passion for entrepreneurship started much earlier.”

“I grew up surrounded by family members in business — from my grandparents, who have their own storefront (Marlyn Meat Market) in Chinatown, to my aunties, who do pop-ups alongside me,” Dickens says. “Growing up around business owners taught me that entrepreneurship is about so much more than making money. I think part of me always knew I wanted to create something of my own someday; I just didn’t know what it would look like yet.”

Chillex Pops started selling Filipino ice candy, also known as ice buko, according to Dickens.

“My mom used it (ice buko) as a side hustle to make extra income as a single parent,” Dickens explains. “She eventually taught me her recipes and that became the starting point for Chillex Pops. From there, I started experimenting, learning and expanding our menu into the specialty beverages — from our matcha lattes and coconut water beverages to our coffees — we are known for today.

“For my business name, I knew I wanted something fun and playful with the word ‘chill,’ because I wanted the name to give the feeling that you could come cool down with us,” she adds. “I also wanted to incorporate my name — Lex — so I combined the two.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Chillex Pops now focuses more on serving specialty drinks."}]

“Our menu is something special to us, as every drink is made with so much love and effort,” Dickens says. “Each beverage has taken weeks — sometimes, even months — of testing and perfecting everything from our homemade syrups to our creamy cold foams.”

Dickens originally started making matcha because it was highly requested by her family members. Through the process, she realized she enjoyed experimenting with different flavors and creating new specialty drinks.

“One of our most popular drinks is our banana bread matcha latte ($10), made with housemade banana bread syrup, oat milk, ceremonial matcha, vanilla cold foam and banana chips,” Dickens says. “Another favorite is our cookie butter cold brew ($10), made with homemade cookie butter syrup, steeped cold brew, oat milk, cookie butter cold foam and Biscoff crumbs.”

The biz is currently featuring a seasonal special — its cinnamon roll matcha latte ($13) includes oat milk, ceremonial matcha, vanilla foam and a housemade mini cinnamon roll as a topper.

Other menu items include strawberry matcha lattes ($10), mango matcha lattes ($10) and a regular cold brew ($8).

The biz pops up at events across Oʻahu, including every third Friday at What the Truck?! at Waikele. Dickens’ next goal for her business is to have a “cafe on wheels” or a storefront.

“We still have so much to learn and so much room to grow, but we’re excited to keep trying new things and build Chillex Pops little by little,” she says. “We’re a keiki-owned, Filipino-inspired business, and everything we do is very personal to me and my family. As a 17-year-old business owner, I’m proud that I get to bring pieces of my Filipino and Hawaii upbringing into our menu, while creating something that people can enjoy.”

For updates and to see where it will be next, follow Chillex Pops on 

. The business is one of the featured vendors at the upcoming 

“I watched my family work hard for what they had, sacrifice, stay consistent, and build something of their own,” Dickens

says. “Seeing that hustle firsthand showed me the value of working for what you want, even when it isn’t easy. When people support Chillex Pops, they’re not just supporting a small business; they’re supporting a young, local entrepreneur’s dream behind it. I’m really grateful for everyone who has supported us and believed in us along the way.”

Chillex owner 090226

<title>‘Chill’ out with this keiki-owned business</title>

Chillex Pops — owned by 17-year-old Alexus Dickens — specializes in matcha, coffee and ice candy. Dickens founded the company when she was 14 years old; now, the biz pops up at What the Truck?! in Waikele and at various events across Oʻahu. Chillex Pops is one of the featured businesses at Whisk & Brew: Coffee + Matcha Fest, coming up on Sept. 13 at Wai Kai.

‘Chill’ out with this keiki-owned business

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

More affordable housing options for seniors and families will soon be available on O‘ahu.

Koa Vista is a new two-phase development located within Koa Ridge, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i's 576-acre master-planned community situated between Mililani and Waipio in Central O‘ahu, that will ultimately offer a total of 192 affordable senior and family rentals in two mid-rise buildings. The project was developed by the nonprofit Homes Hawai‘i Inc in partnership with GSF LLC.

A blessing and dedication was held Monday, March 17, for Koa Vista I, the completed first phase of the project — a $39 million, seven-story, 95-unit rental apartment building available to seniors who make between 30% and 60% of the annual median income.

A groundbreaking also was held Monday for the second phase, Koa Vista II, which will offer 97 affordable rentals to qualifying families.

According to an announcement Monday, tenant applications are being accepted for phase one and can be found online at 

 or picked up at 1050 Queen St., suite 304.

 notes that applicants must be at least 55 years old and the household's gross income limits, depending on the AMI and household size, range from $29,250 for a one-person household at 30% AMI to $75,180 for a three-person household at 60% AMI. 

Gov. Josh Green told the audience gathered on Monday that building housing is a top priority, "because we have been losing people to the Mainland."

"We've been losing young people to the Mainland because they simply can't afford housing," he said. "Our kūpuna have been concerned about whether they can afford housing as we go forward. ... As we head toward 2035, that's when our population is expected to peak in age, and that means this is a very, very smart project to do.

"When we get older as a society, there are going to be people who are vulnerable, but we don't want our grandparents to have to leave, to not be near their grandchildren. That's why this is extraordinary."

"If people don't have a roof over their head, or they don't have stable housing, they suffer very greatly. ... So when you come to an event like this, where we have 95 one-bedrooms here at Koa Vista, that's 95 family units that are going to be healthier, that are going to be happier, that they're going to stay in society," he said. "It's extraordinary to see this. We want our kūpuna to age in place. We want them to really have a stable life. And I will tell you, when you go into these units, they are rock solid. They are very well constructed, and they are going to give a lot of people peace of mind and they're going to be able to do better in their life. So we're excited to see these units."

Catherine Taschner, director of the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Land Management, told the audience that housing — especially affordable housing — is a top priority for the administration of Mayor Rick Blangiardi, "and potentially the biggest challenge of our lifetime."

Taschner said that too many local families are being forced to leave the Islands because they can't find or afford housing that meets their needs.

"This isn't just a housing issue," she continued. "It's about keeping our workforce here. It's about strengthening our economy and it's about ensuring that future generations can continue to call Hawai‘i home. That's why projects like Koa Vista are so important. Together with Koa Vista II, these 192 much-needed affordable homes for kūpuna will allow them to age in place with dignity, while at the same time, giving local families the opportunity to stay here and thrive in the communities that they call home."

According to the announcement Monday, work on the first phase began in the summer of 2023 and was finished late last year, while construction of the second phase is currently underway and expected to be complete in 2026.

Developers said the units will come furnished with a refrigerator and range, cable and high-speed internet access, window coverings and laminated flooring, while shared amenities include a multi-purpose room, laundry and office space, a garden and park.

Wally Inglis, president of Homes Hawai‘i Inc., told Aloha State Daily following the ceremonies that "exhilarating" was the first word that came to his mind when asked how it felt to see the first phase completed and the second underway.

"There's so many moving parts to putting these things together and it takes so many people working together," he said.

Inglis says there's "tremendous" need for affordable housing for both seniors and families.

[{"text":"\"There's a need for housing for everybody.\"","type":"text"}]

"We're very happy to finally see this project come to fruition," Andrew Furuta, project manager for GSF LLC, told ASD after the ceremonies. "It's a longtime in the works, but we couldn't have done it without partnership with the state and the city and our vendors and consultants."

The Koa Ridge development broke ground in 2017 and welcomed its 

, its website notes. Approximately 3,500 new residential homes are planned for the development, along with shops and retailers, restaurants, parks and more, 

Koa vista1 031725

<title>New affordable rentals coming to Central O‘ahu</title>

Koa Vista is a new two-phase affordable rental development located within Koa Ridge that will ultimately include a total of 192 senior and family rental apartments in two mid-rise buildings.

Hawai‘i Skies: There's a storm coming

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Views from the airplane

Hawaiʻi Skies: Signs for whales

Hawaiʻi Skies: When things work out

Hawaiʻi Skies: A thumbs up

Most read

Hawai‘i Skies: There's a storm coming

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: Views from the airplane

Hawaiʻi Skies: Signs for whales

Hawaiʻi Skies: When things work out

Hawaiʻi Skies: A thumbs up

Most read