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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Dillon at Diamond Head Beach. "

Another beautiful sunrise taken while visiting last January."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

Scott 2

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Another one</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Dillon at Diamond Head Beach.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Another one

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Dillon at Diamond Head Beach. &quot;Another beautiful sunrise taken while visiting last January.&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

Crime & Courts

Hawai‘i is being sued by the federal government over its illegal immigration policies.

 against Hawai‘i Thursday over a state administrative rule that the department alleges undermines federal law by providing unfair support for undocumented immigrants that isn’t available for U.S. citizens.

, which is part of the rules governing the University of Hawai‘i and the terms for which in-state tuition can be established. For most prospective students, students must prove they have been a resident of Hawai‘i for at least the 12 consecutive months before applying for in-state tuition.

However, the rule in question states in full: “An alien may establish residence to the extent permitted by the Immigration and Nationality Act. The date of approval of such status shall be the earliest date upon which the twelve-month residency requirement may begin to accrue.”

includes several provisions concerning illegal immigrants and their resident status. But, the DOJ lawsuit states, the Act does not in any way bar an illegal immigrant from establishing their residency within the U.S. or within a specific state.

In this way, the DOJ argues, the administrative rule allows illegal immigrants to be eligible for in-state tuition while denying non-resident citizens the same benefits.

Because Congress has prohibited states from providing these sorts of education benefits to illegal aliens without making them available to all U.S. citizens, the suit states that Hawai‘i’s rule is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which prohibits state laws from superseding federal laws.

“This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Civil Division said Thursday. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”

The suit concludes with a request for the U.S. District Court for Hawai‘i declare the rule unconstitutional and issue a permanent injunction against the rule being enforced. The request also asks the court to prohibit the state from offering in-state tuition to illegal aliens by any other means.

The suit against Hawai‘i was one of four the DOJ filed on Thursday, alongside similar complaints filed against Arkansas, Utah and Washington D.C. The DOJ has filed suits against 24 states in total, along with D.C., over state laws providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

Some of those suits have already ended in the DOJ’s favor: a U.S. District Court judge in Kansas issued an 

 Wednesday against that state’s law allowing for in-state tuition to certain immigrant students.

Most of the other suits — including complaints filed against New York, Minnesota, Washington and elsewhere — are still pending.

Manoa miro rur rankings 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i sued over illegal immigrant tuition law</title>

U.S. Department of Justice challenges state policy allowing illegal immigrants to be eligible for in-state tuition.

Hawai‘i sued over illegal immigrant tuition law

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"There was an early morning phone call which was quite unusual."}]

Both Bernadette and I were in the news and information business but rarely did the phone ring at such an hour.

Berna's sister, Angie, was serving her term as Miss America 2001 and was, literally, traveling the world.

[{"type":"text","text":"It was Angie on the line."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Turn the TV on. We're at war\""}]

She was calling Hawai‘i family and friends from LAX, told us, prayed with us and called others.

[{"type":"text","text":"The images broadcast was startling, even on the brink of surreal."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The World Trade Center in New York City was in flames enveloped in smoke."}]

Bernadette bolted to our son, Zachary's room, took him from his crib and held him while we watched quietly, sadly as the pictures and the narration told the story of what was believed to be a terrorist attack on our country.

There are times when the conversation about September 11, 2001, among friends or others when the inevitable question is asked, "Where were you on 9/11?"

I was in a high-rise condominium in the developing Kaka‘ako neighborhood with my family.

[{"type":"text","text":"How about you?"}]

Occupational necessity took me to the studios on KHVH Radio where my team and I were on the air for over 30 hours of broadcast. News updates, announcements, authority directives, but primarily the taking of telephone calls from listeners around the state. It was an accurate reflection of the national sentiment ranging from shock to incredulity to grieving to anger and even fear. As the day turned night and night turned into another day, the prominent expressions were, "Are we next?" to "We need to find and bomb those bastards!" with a few things in between.

But the prevailing question filled with so much emotion was, "How could this happen?"

[{"type":"text","text":"This is what we know that happened."}]

The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by the militant group al-Qaeda in the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"The Attacks"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"},{"type":"underline"}],"text":"Casualties and Impact"}]

The United States and the entire world changed on that day. The War on Iraq, the global war on terrorism, the authorization of unilateral military action, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, The Patriot Act and so much more changed the tone, tenor, and activities of the federal government and the U.S. military, at home and abroad.

There are debates and discussions, legal actions and court decisions and other contributions to the divisiveness in America today when polar opposites have strident yet non-negotiable positions. There are those who firmly and absolutely believe at 9/11 was an inside job. That our own government orchestrated the entire 9/11 attacks using patsies from the Middle East to conflate fear amongst Americans for their own agenda. Even the release of the 9/11 Commission investigative findings generated more questions than answers further cementing the divide among citizens.

[{"type":"text","text":"Again, that is not for contemplation nor consideration today."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"America was attacked."}]

Thousands of innocents lost their lives leaving behind grieving families whose own lives came to an abrupt and tragic end. The children of victims who lost their loved one, never experiencing them in their lives as they grew into adults.

The hundreds of first responders who lived their oaths to protect lives even if it meant losing their own. And they did.

The thousands who dedicated themselves to the clean-up and restoration of New York City to their own detriment, contracting lifelong debilitating health issues, even leading some to their own deaths.

Finally, my focus on this 25th Anniversary of 9/11 includes the remembrances of those from and connected to Hawai‘i and their respective loved ones who are poised to relive those tragic moments and renew the inevitable grieving connected to such profound loss. As Hawai‘i News Now 

 filled his office on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center with pictures of his son, Zachary. 

, a manager at the brokerage firm, Cantor Fitzgerald. Collins was married to Leilehua High School graduate, Lissa Collins.

Four floors above them, at the "Windows on the World" restaurant, Punahou alum and rising culinary star, 

 was busy baking her special desserts. She'd always dreamed of working at the acclaimed eatery.

Sitting at a table not far away, 26-year-old 

had a morning meeting at the restaurant. A kukui nut tree grows in her memory at the valedictorian's alma mater, Kaiser high.

 was also at a meeting at the twin towers. The senior vice-president of "Marsh incorporated" had a sister, Charlotte, who used to work at Kuakini Medical Center. She's since moved away.

Also at the World Trade Center, 1979 "Our Redeemer Lutheran" graduate, 

 an executive secretary on the 96th floor of the north tower. She moved from Hawaii to New York soon after graduation.

 was a civilian budget analyst. Laychak's wife, Laurie a graduate of Hawaii Baptist Academy was teaching when a note about the attack was delivered to her classroom.

On United Airlines Flight 53, which plunged into a field in Shanksville, PA, 56-year-old grandmother and antiques dealer, 

, of Kailua, who was then the programs manager for The Outdoor Circle and who was returning home from National Urban Forestry Conference. According to a remembrance posted by that organization, "

Many of the beautiful trees you enjoy today are a result of Christine’s work. In the year before her passing, Christine and some dedicated volunteers planted 50 coconut, palm, claw-blossomed wiliwili, and beach heliotrope trees on Magic Island. Her work extended far beyond as her love of trees was an integral part of her life."

[{"type":"text","text":"Peace to all who have suffered such tremendous loss."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"A full generation of Americans and more were not yet born on 9\/11\/2001."}]

We are responsible to educate and inform our children, and they are responsible to educate and inform their children about 9/11. It is the very least we can do because the adage, "If you don't know history, you're doomed to repeat it", certainly applies here.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Never forget.\""}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":" "}]

WTC ruin 9 11

<title>Hamada: Remembering 9/11</title>

It was about a quarter to 3 in the morning in Honolulu when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. For many of us in the Islands, the first we heard of the attack was a strangely early morning phone call from a loved one who had seen the news. "Turn on the TV. We're at war." ASD columnist Rick Hamada describes getting such a call, then spending 30 hours on the air at KHVH as kama‘āina called in with their fears, tears and rage.

Hamada: Remembering 9/11

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

Fun fact: Selling homemade cinnamon rolls was not 

While the business is currently known for its warm, fluffy rolls, Jasmine “Jaz” Milam, who co-owns Hele Rolls with Brittany “Kawai” Lopez, remembers she started out with doughnuts.

“It was doughnuts to begin with; I’m no good at doughnuts and I already knew that, but I think she (Lopez) really likes doughnuts,” Milam says. “After a couple weeks, I was like, doughnuts are not working.”

Milam, who always loved baking, remembers making homemade cinnamon rolls regularly when she was deployed.

“I was making homemade cinnamon rolls every Sunday to share with my fellow service members,” she says. “It became a tradition that brought everyone together, and seeing how something as simple as a warm cinnamon roll could create that sense of comfort and connection has always stayed with me.”

Milam suggested featuring cinnamon rolls for Hele Rolls’ main product and, long story short, they quickly became a hit.

“Cinnamon rolls felt like the perfect fit,” she says. “They’re nostalgic, comforting, and have a way of bringing people together, which is exactly what we hope every customer experiences when they enjoy one of our rolls.”

Hele Rolls officially launched last June, shortly after Milam’s father died. The business was created as a way to honor his legacy and the values he believed in, especially the idea of food having the power to bring people together.

The business’s name pays tribute to Hele Nui, the food truck Milam’s father previously operated.

“Everyone says it (the business name) should be Jaz’s cinnamon rolls, and I didn’t want my name on it,” Milam says. “All of a sudden, it came to me — his food truck’s name was Hele Nui, so what about Hele Rolls? It’s using his name, but kind of paving my own path, carrying his legacy forward.

“Now, I tell everybody, this started off as a side hustle, but it’s turned into so much more,” she adds. “I have a legacy that I’m trying to continue with my dad. It’s more than just making cinnamon rolls for some extra cash; it’s making him, my family and my community proud.”

The family-operated business accepts pre-orders and pops up at various events across O

ahu, such as the Taste of Aloha Night Market at NEX and What the Truck?! in Waikele. The business’s first What the Truck?! market was recent, and Hele Rolls sold out of its cinnamon rolls in 45 minutes, according to Milam.

“I had about 220 to 240 rolls at What the Truck?!,” she says. “Taste of Aloha was the most I’ve done at a market; it was a little more than 300.”

All cinnamon rolls are handmade in small batches, according to Milam, who says the business focuses on creating that soft, fluffy texture and homemade frostings.

While the business’s original cinnamon roll continues to be a bestseller, it also offers specialty flavors which change every month, according to Milam. Previous specialty flavors include strawberry shortcake, chocolate haupia, ube and Oreo. In July, the business featured Oreo and lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls.

“We love keeping our menu fresh with rotating flavors inspired by Hawai

i, classic desserts and seasonal favorites,” Milam says. “One of our favorite things is challenging people’s expectations of what a cinnamon roll can be. They can be familiar, nostalgic and comforting — or completely unexpected.

“Lemon blueberry had our housemade blueberry compote, our icing, homemade whipped cream, fresh blueberries, lemon zest and blueberry shortcake, which is like cookies with freeze-dried blueberries,” she adds. “The Oreo one was like a cookies and cream. Our menu rotates regularly, so there’s always something new to discover. We put a lot of heart into everything we make.”

At markets, customers can buy individual cinnamon rolls or get sample packs, which include two original rolls and two specialty flavors. If customers pre-order, only packs are available. At markets, original cinnamon rolls cost $6 each; specialty flavors cost $8 each.

When asked about her favorite cinnamon roll flavors, Milam says she likes her kūlolo one — “I still need to perfect it a little bit more” — and also recommends the haupia flavor, which features original icing, toasted macadamia nuts and coconut shavings. 

Besides pop-up events and accepting pre-orders, the biz also offers catering for private parties, corporate events and celebrations. Customers can opt for the full-sized cinnamon rolls or the business’s Cinni-Maninis, or bite-sized cinnamon rolls.

Hele Rolls wasn’t even a year old when the biz was asked to participate in Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”

“One day, we were making cinnamon rolls; I was in the kitchen, and Kawai yelled my name,” Milam remembers. “It wasn’t a panic yell; it was more of an excited yell. I came to her, and she said, ‘Look at this.’ It was a casting agent who reached out to us through Instagram. Obviously, like everyone else, we thought it was Spam.”

“We thought it was Spam for sure, but we were like, ‘Who knows, let’s just take a chance,’” Lopez says.

Hele Rolls responded to the message, the agent got back to them, and from there, “it just snowballed,” according to Milam.

That was earlier this spring; Hele Rolls left to compete on “The Great Food Truck Race” in April. Hosted by Tyler Florence, this season follows eight food truck teams from across the country, as they travel through the Great Smoky Mountains. The winning team gets a $50,000 grand prize. Previous show episodes can be viewed on HBO Max.

Keeping the competition a secret was a huge challenge, especially since Hele Rolls has regular customers.

“We couldn’t tell anyone,” Milam says. “On Instagram, we said, ‘This is our last pick-up and preorder until further notice;’ we didn’t know how long we were going to be there. Our regular customers were like, ‘What are you doing? Are you done?’ It was crazy to see all of that play out.”

The current season of “The Great Food Truck Race” premiered on July 26. The teams started in Nashville, according to Milam, who still remembers the first day of filming.

“We were so starstruck because we knew what we were doing there; everybody was looking at us,” she says. “It was insane; I will never forget that feeling.”

Hele Rolls usually pops up in tents at events; the business currently doesn’t operate out of a food truck, though that’s a future goal. Creating new friendships with other cast members and competing teams was one of the highlights of being on the show, according to Lopez.

“Though it was a competition, at the end of the day, we respected one another and cherished that experience as a whole,” she says. “We got a lot of different advice from everybody, their companies and their brands. A lot of them were more experienced in business; we’re freshly new in business. It was a lot to soak in, and also a chance for us to really be OK with being ourselves.”

[{"type":"text","text":"For Milam, being on the show instilled a newfound sense of confidence."}]

“This show has given me the ability to see the worth in ourselves,” she says. “All these people believed in me and believed in us. Being selected to compete on Season 19 of Food Network’s 

has been an unforgettable experience and an incredible opportunity to represent Hawai

“We continue to stay humble, but we’re so proud at the same time,” Lopez adds. “I think the best thing to do is to take a chance on yourself. You never know what can come out of any experience.”

As the business heads into its second year of operation, Milam and Lopez are focused on new goals for Hele Rolls. Milam — now running Hele Rolls full-time — says they would eventually love to own their own food truck and have a storefront.

“We’ve done so much in year one that we never thought was even possible,” Milam says. “We’ve been so blessed in one year — all these things that happened to us.”

She remembers when one of her first goals — in the business’s early days — was just to “have a line.”

“That’s all we wanted — two to three people,” she laughs. “A line means people are willing to sacrifice their time to stand in line for us and for our product. Having a storefront would be (amazing) because I know I can pump out more for them and it would be better quality; that’s always the goal.”

Being involved with the community is also important to the Hele Rolls team, who is always looking for ways they can support Hawai

“We want to be known not just for cinnamon rolls; we want to be known as a business that’s supporting our community,” Milam says. “If somebody needs something, I want Hele Rolls to be in the front of people’s minds. It’s literally about family, food and community.”

No matter what the future holds, staying true to themselves and maintaining the brand’s mission is essential, according to Milam.

“Beyond the cinnamon rolls themselves, I think what truly makes Hele Rolls unique is the experience,” she says. “From the very beginning, we’ve wanted every customer to feel like they’re part of our ‘ohana. That sense of connection is just as important to us as the product we serve.”

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support our community has shown us over the past year,” Milam adds. “As a women-owned, LGBTQ+-owned and family-powered business, it means so much to see people embrace not only our cinnamon rolls, but also the story and values behind Hele Rolls. We wouldn’t be here without our amazing ‘ohana and community, and we can’t wait to share what’s next.”

For updates and information, follow the biz on 

Hele Rolls The Great Food Truck Race credit Food Network 080526

<title>Oʻahu-based family business is 'on a roll'</title>

Hele Rolls, known for its homemade cinnamon rolls, started its business last June. The biz regularly pops up at events across Oʻahu and accepts pre-orders. Hele Rolls is also competing on the new season of Food Network’s "The Great Food Truck Race," which premiered on July 26.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Another one

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Hawaiʻi Skies: Another one

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Hawai'i Skies

Hawaiʻi Skies: A thumbs up

Hawaiʻi Skies: So many kinds of clouds

Hawaiʻi Skies: A perfect emergence

Hawaiʻi Skies: Throwback Thursday

Most read