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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

Ed Rampell

Columnists

Arts & Entertainment

Hawai’i comedian Frank De Lima made a triumphant return to Los Angeles appearing before a sold-out crowd of mostly transplanted 

Taking the stage at the Nakaoka Community Center in the suburb of Gardena, De Lima told the 200 Aloha shirt-clad fans that he first began playing at L.A. venues “in the late 70s at the Kono Hawai’i Restaurant and showrooms such as the East West Lounge; in the early 80s at the Long Beach Airport Holiday Inn; then at the Torrance Airport Holiday Inn; and in the early 90s at the Normandie Casino.”

This was De Lima’s first live show in L.A. in 20 years 

 and what a show it was! For about 90-minutes Hawai’i’s clown prince performed “Uncle Frank’s” greatest hits, cracking jokes with his trademark ethnic humor and singing fractured melodies with “Hawaiian-ized” lyrics set to popular tunes, wearing goofy costumes poking fun at a variety of kooky characters. The slimmed down De Lima, who has shed more than 100 pounds for health reasons, climbed into a sumo wrestler fat suit, dancing and singing as he spoofed the traditional Japanese sport.

Changing into customary Chinese garb and playing off of the stereotype of Chinese people supposedly being tight with money, De Lima portrayed the host of a zany version of the TV game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" that he renamed "Who Wants to be a Five Dollar-aire," inviting members of the audience to join him on stage to answer wacky questions at only one dollar per point.

In another vignette De Lima donned a shaggy black wig and sunglasses to portray a tipsy Don Ho slurring his words through a barely intelligible version of “Tiny Bubbles,” accompanied by recorded music. Of course, De Lima’s piece de resistance is his takedown of Imelda Marcos while wearing a puffy-sleeved Filipiniana dress and another more manicured black wig. Satirizing the Philippines’ overthrown former First Lady, who had to flee with her husband President Ferdinand Marcos from Manila to Makiki, De Lima changed the lyrics of the "Chorus Line"

song “What I Did for Love” to “Kiss my shoes goodbye.” Although the crowd-pleasing comic told me in an interview that he generally stays clear of political humor to avoid alienating and polarizing audiences, De Lima’s Imelda is comparable to Charlie Chaplin’s mockery of Hitler in the 1940 classic movie, "The Great Dictator."   

As is De Lima’s wont, the equal opportunity court jester 

 who says his “chop suey” lineage includes “Irish-Scotch-English-Spanish-French-Portuguese-Chinese-Hawaiian” 

 made fun of all of multi-culti Hawai’i’s nationalities, sparing none, including the group he told me in an interview that he identified with most: the Portuguese. The former seminarian joked that: “The Jews think they’re the chosen people because they wandered around the desert for 40 years. But we Pawdagees can’t find our way home every night!” As for Haoles attending his show, De Lima quipped that they probably didn’t understand anything he was talking about.

Native Hawaiians, too, came in for some ribbing from the part-Hawaiian De Lima, especially in his act’s grand finale: A knee slapping, pidgin English, “kanak to da max” rendition of Kenny Rogers’ Country Western hit “Lucille,” hilariously re-set in “One bar in Kalihi.” With the Gardena throng shouting “hana hou!”, De Lima’s encore caused the extended event to go into overtime, if not overdrive.

Throughout his trip down comedy memory lane, De Lima was also interweaving his personal reminisces of and ruminations about growing up in Pauoa Valley, attending Chaminade and his ultimately unfulfilled aspiration to become a priest. (Religion’s loss is comedy’s gain – only God can decide who is better off for this turn of events?) Remembering the 16 homes on his block with eight different nationalities, De Lima mused onstage: “So much culture, so much idiosyncrasies, so much phraseologies in a little boy’s head … I was ‘Mr. Question Mark,’ I wanted to learn different stuff … I had a special gift from God: Daydreaming,” Frank shared frankly with the spectators, many of whom have been his fans for decades. At the end of his gig, lei maker Lamme' Malunao walked onstage and draped a ti leaf lei around De Lima’s neck.

The Hawai’i comedy legend, who is now semi-retired and living in 

, was brought to L.A. by promoter and podcaster Kamaka Brown, who was born and raised on O‘ahu’s North Shore, and presented the Gardena fundraiser for “the Sandwich Islands Social Network, a group of dedicated volunteers serving to reconnect Hawaiians and Hawaiians-at-heart with the spirit of Aloha. SISN produces media content and live events that entertain, educate and inspire the Southern California community,” according to Brown, who now lives at Simi Valley. Also a stand-up comic and senior citizen, Brown opened for De Lima at what he called the “Jurassic Unkoz” (or Uncles) act, which periodically included what the punster called a “Hawaiian T-Rex” prancing about onstage in a dinosaur costume. (Of course, several of the "Jurassic Park"

movies were filmed at O‘ahu’s Kualoa Ranch and on Kaua’i.)

Inside the spacious Nakaoka Community Center, the Ho’olina Foundation did brisk business selling BBQ pork manapuas and spam musubi. Another table featured Frank De Lima merch for sale, including DVDs, CDs and T-shirts featuring the comedian’s smiling face with the words: “Pawdagee Head Quadas.”

Among the audience of mostly local people now calling SoCal home was Janice Remland, who said she was Portuguese, grew up in public housing at Honolulu’s 

 and attended McKinley High School. “When I was 18-years-old I saw Frank and I thought his Imelda was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. … It made me decide to become a comedian,” gushed Remland, who stated she’d performed at California clubs such as the Comedy Store.       

Referring to De Lima’s ethnic humor, Remland added, “We have to be careful doing comedy nowadays” out of fear of being “canceled,” due to jokes some may regard as offensive. “It’s refreshing to go back to comedy that celebrates nationalities. … I loved Frank’s show! It brought back some characters. Awesome!” 

She agreed that De Lima gets away with his gentle spoofing of Hawai’i’s different ethnicities because it’s always done lovingly, in a good-natured way,  never mean spirited.   

For fans back in the Islands who miss De Lima since he moved to Las Vegas in January 2025, the good news is that he’s returning for the “Celebration of Laughs Tour” with Andy Bumatai and Augie T on Nov. 20 at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea, 

; and Nov. 22 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, 

During his Gardena gig De Lima candidly shared observations about the aging process, but having never lost that innocent inner child observing the world from his Pauoa Valley doorstep, Frank De Lima is now 77 going on seven, and a good fun time was had by all at his L.A. comeback show.

ASD Frankas Don Ho

<title>'Wow Laulau': Frank De Lima returns to L.A. after 20 years</title>

At De Lima’s first live show in Los Angeles in two decades, Hawai’i’s clown prince performed “Uncle Frank’s” greatest hits, cracking jokes with his trademark ethnic humor and singing fractured melodies with Hawaiian-style lyrics set to popular tunes, wearing goofy costumes poking fun at a variety of kooky characters. ICYMI: He'll be back in the Islands next month for the “Celebration of Laughs Tour” with Andy Bumatai and Augie T.

'Wow Laulau': Frank De Lima returns to L.A. after 20 years

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Local partners, advocates and families are planning to gather this week at 

 for Work360, a free community event highlighting various 

career pathways for people with disabilities.

The annual event, which coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October, will also showcase the nonprofit’s 

 program, among others, while recognizing individuals with disabilities who are making a difference in the workplace.

Work360 will run from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Lanakila Pacific, which is located at 

Validated parking will be available nearby at Kuakini Medical Center. For more information or to RSVP for the event, 

Last week, Aloha State Daily got to tour the organization’s facilities, where we learned more about its mission “to build independence and improve quality of life for individuals with cognitive, physical, social, or age-related challenges.”

In preparation for Wednesday’s event, organizers said at the time that it’s been “all hands on deck.”

“All of our departments are working together,” Lanakila Pacific’s development manager Mark Polonskiy

For Work360, we’re not just welcoming our vendors and partners, but it’s an opportunity for individuals and companies to get to know us on a bigger scale and to come see our social enterprises and programs.”

In its early years, the organization evolved from a rehabilitation program permitting patients to return to work after recovering from the tuberculosis pandemic of 1939 to supporting individuals with cognitive, physical and developmental disabilities, 

. It also served as a local manufacturer, creating custom aloha shirts. Today, custom screen printing and embroidery remains available for customers.

. The Lanakila Pacific Kitchen was established soon after to prepare the meals in-house, which were then dispersed directly to homes. The kitchen also prepares baked goods for local retailers and offers catering for larger gatherings.

In fiscal year 2025, more than 560,000 meals were provided to keiki, kūpuna and people with disabilities, according to the nonprofit

nearly 2,9000 O'ahu residents received service by Lanakila Pacific.

Nearly 290 adults with disabilities received job training and employment placement support from Lanakila Pacific Employment Services last year, and more than half of the organization’s staff have a documented disability, per the report.

Additional Lanakila Pacific services that help build independence include 

, which offers participants guidance on life skills and personal growth; 

upkeeps commercial and government sites; 

, real-world job training in foodservice; and 

 gatherings and activities held in-person and online, according to its website.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Call for volunteers"}]

Looking to give back to community this holiday season and beyond?

Lanakila Pacific is seeking committed volunteers to help 

For those looking to commit to volunteering long-term, packing shifts are open Tuesdays through Fridays. Saturdays are great for one-time group volunteers.

Delivery drivers must use their own personal, insured vehicles. Note: Delivery routes and locations may vary across the island weekly and mileage is reimbursed. Drivers must be 16 years or older with a valid driver’s license and mobile phone to access the Lanakila Pacific Meals on Wheels delivery app. Shifts typically occur in the mornings from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays through Saturdays.

All volunteers must pass a background check. Learn more and apply 

 told ASD during the tour that a key part of a driver’s duty is to provide wellness checks and to socialize with seniors.

“We want to engage and talk story with them because sometimes we are the only human they see that day. Our app also allows us to update their condition, if needed,” he said.

A Meals on Wheels volunteer supervisor added: “There are a lot of moving pieces here, but our staff is so kind and our volunteers come from all walks of life."

When asked what he'd say to others thinking about joining Lanakila Pacific’s mission, he said, “They’re going to find like-minded and like-hearted people here. It’s a welcoming environment and I am grateful for this job and community.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Holiday meal fundraiser"}]

Let Lanakila Pacific Kitchen prepare your holiday meal for a good cause.

Customers can order full ($260, 20 to 22 pounds) or half ($230, 10 to 11 pounds) turkey meals for Thanksgiving, which include fixings of garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, herb stuffing, corn cobettes, dinner rolls with butter, cranberry sauce and pumpkin crunch dessert. Orders must be picked up between 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26

For Christmas, consider the prime rib meal ($280) complete with herb-roasted potatoes and au jus, green bean casserole, sweet Hawaiian rolls with butter and sweet potato haupia. Orders must be picked up between 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 25.

Quantities are limited; orders will be taken while supplies last. Both meals require reheating and instructions will be included with each order. To place an order, 

LP Kitchen Meal Prep

<title>Lanakila Pacific recruits volunteers, readies for Work360 event</title>

The nonprofit, known for its Meals on Wheels program that home-delivers meals to kūpuna across Oʻahu, is seeking volunteers to help pack and deliver meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas — and all year round. Members of the community are also invited to come out for its Work360 event Wednesday afternoon to learn more about the Employment Services program, which builds internal training sites and local career pathways for people with disabilities.

Lanakila Pacific recruits volunteers, readies for Work360 event

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Several new retailers and restaurants have recently opened at Ala Moana Center in Honolulu and more are set to open soon, the center announced Monday. Here’s what you should know.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What's new:"}]

, which will showcase contemporary works by local and international artists, can be found in an 8,000-square-foot space on Street Level 1 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

, an indoor family entertainment venue and indoor playground spanning more than 42,000 square feet, has opened on Mall Level 2 of the Mauka Wing. The space will have multilevel play structures, slides, an indoor zipline, trampolines and other play areas, along with amenities like supervised drop-off services, private party rooms, luggage storage and the Kids City Café.

, a modern beauty and wellness boutique offering a curated selection of facial and body spa treatments, personalized skin consultations, lash services, permanent makeup, Korean beauty products and more, can be found on Level 3 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

, known for its designer art toys, blind boxes and collectible figures, has opened its first Hawai‘i location on Level 3 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coming soon:"}]

, an Australian luxury fashion brand and global print house known for its vibrant, limited-edition prints and designs inspired by destinations around the world, is set to open its first Hawai‘i location Nov. 12 on Mall Level 2 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

To celebrate its Hawai‘i debut, CAMILLA will introduce "The Age of Aloha," a limited-edition print featured on a selection of apparel — including a kaftan, dress and graphic T-shirt — you'll only be able to grab at the Ala Moana Center boutique and select Hawai‘i retail partners.

 is expected to bring a Japanese-inspired arcade experience to Mall Level 2 of the Mauka Wing in December.

, a luxury wellness and recovery studio, is expected to open this month, while 

, offering a modern take on traditional tea culture, is expected to open in November.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Relocations:"}]

, a luxury Italian jewelry brand, has relocated to a newly designed 3,477-square-foot boutique on Mall Level 2 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

, a retailer offering tropical, coastal and Hawai‘i-inspired home decor, gifts and accessories, has moved to a new space on Level 3 of the ‘Ewa Wing.

Ala Moana Center opened in 1959 and is the world's largest open-air shopping center with more than 2.4 million square feet of retail space. It offers more than 350 stores and restaurants, including more than 100 dining options. It is owned and operated by GGP, a retail real estate company headquartered in Chicago.

Ala Moana Center 052526

<title>Here's what's new — and coming — to Ala Moana Center</title>

CAMILLA, an Australian luxury fashion brand and print house, is among the new tenants coming to Ala Moana Center. See what other shops have recently opened, or will soon open, at the shopping center.

Here's what's new — and coming — to Ala Moana Center

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

As Hawai‘i voters begin receiving their ballots for the general election, they may ask: What does Constitutional Amendment Question 2 actually mean?

 to the state constitution will be on the ballot this election. One of those is self-explanatory — should the state Senate be allowed 60 days to appoint judges and justices between April and January, instead of the current 30 days — but the other may seem complicated.

Constitutional Amendment Question 2 asks whether the state should allow the counties to issue “Resilient Infrastructure for Shelter and Equity bonds” — or RISE bonds — to help fund public improvement projects. These bonds would be repaid by future tax revenues on the new developments funded by said bonds, without imposing additional taxes or raising tax rates, and would be exempt from the counties’ debt limit.

The proposed amendment was introduced in the state Senate this year with the stated purpose of attempting to lower the development costs of affordable housing. As noted in 

 — the measure introducing the amendment — the development of new homes requires large up-front investments in water, drainage and other infrastructure.

Rep. Luke Evslin, chair of the House Committee on Housing, said Wednesday that the solution to this has been either to pass on those up-front costs to homebuyers, leading to rising house prices and a lack of affordable housing, or to raise taxes.

RISE bonds would, in theory, present a third option by allowing counties to fund that infrastructure, with the debt being serviced by future increases in tax revenue specifically generated by those selfsame new developments made possible by the infrastructure.

This is not an original concept; 48 other states, excluding Hawai‘i and Arizona, use “tax increment financing bonds,” which operate on the same principle.

Evslin told Aloha State Daily Wednesday that it’s only due to a quirk in Hawai‘i's constitution that the state doesn’t also use these bonds. He said the constitution as written does not permit the counties to issue such bonds, hence the need for a constitutional amendment.

Evslin emphasized that the bonds do not bring an increase in taxes. The property taxes paid by new homeowners in a new development made possible by the bonds will be at the same tax rate as any other comparable development, but the revenues from those taxes will go to pay off the bond, rather than back to the county.

However, Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday that this does not mean the bonds will reduce the counties' tax revenues, as the tax revenues generated by these new developments do not currently exist. Rather than reduce existing revenues, the bonds will simply redirect some future revenues.

Furthermore, the amendment would exempt RISE bonds from counties’ debt limits, which Evslin said means a county could issue any number of the bonds — although, he added, because developments funded via the bonds will still require taxpayer-funded services such as police and fire department responses, counties will likely be judicious in how many they issue.  

Evslin said that the tax increment financing bonds are typically structured conservatively so that the municipality that issues them takes on little to no risk. He said in the event of a disaster wiping out the infrastructure investments — something he said has happened in California — typically the bondholder, not the municipality, is left holding the bag.

The proposal was nigh-universally popular as it passed through the legislature, with major unions such as the Pacific Resource Partnership and the General Contractors Association of Hawai‘i voicing strong support of the amendment. This week, the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i urged members to vote yes on Question 2. 

One of the few people to testify against the proposal, Hawai‘i County resident Cindy Freitas, warned about the potential for lost tax revenue and the lack of guardrails for how much of a county’s tax base can be captured by the bonds.

But Green and several other lawmakers spoke in favor of the amendment Wednesday. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said there is a roughly 28,000 unit deficit of housing on O‘ahu, which he said RISE bonds can help to reduce.

Kaua‘i Mayor Derek Kawakami called the bonds “a monumental change to how we fund infrastructure,” adding that, after the many disasters of 2026, it is clear that the state’s resilience is dependent on having modern and reliable infrastructure.

“Communities can only be as resilient as the roads that connect us,” Kawakami said.

Evslin

<title>So what is a RISE bond anyway?</title>

Voters may wonder what Constitutional Amendment Question 2 means when they receive their ballots this week.

So what is a RISE bond anyway?

As a freshman at the University of Hawai‘i, entrepreneur Eddie Flores, Jr., co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, says he took a writing class — and got an F.

Since then, though, he's written several books: two small publications "just to spite my teacher;" a Hawaiian barbecue cookbook, which has recipes and "a lot of jokes," and another offering "108 Tips on Business, Travel and Culture in China."

He's just published his latest: "Franchising the American Dream: 

The Story of Eddie Flores, Jr. and L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

In it, Flores shares his personal story of overcoming poverty and learning challenges, and looks at the secrets to L&L's success. The book offers insights for people considering franchising their business, buying a franchise or looking for inspiration.

He'll hold a book signing and discussion at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at 

Aloha State Daily recently spoke with Flores about his background, his work and the new book. He's chatty and charming as he shares his story, and that of L&L.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Back to the beginning"}]

Flores said his mother was born in Hawai‘i but returned to China when she was young. She met his father, a Filipino musician, in Hong Kong. They later married and Flores was born in Hong Kong. 

[{"type":"text","text":"He was entrepreneurial from a young age."}]

Flores recounts a story where, in Hong Kong, he would buy a slice of watermelon and cut it into three pieces — then sell two of the pieces to his siblings, recouping his costs.

"The funny thing is, my kid brother and sister had no money to pay me. I had to extend credit to them," he laughs. 

(We asked: his siblings never paid him back, "so I lost money on that," Flores says).

[{"type":"text","text":"In 1963, when he was 16, the family returned to Hawai‘i."}]

"When we came, it was a little difficult, because my dad was a musician, my mom never did work before, and they both only had a sixth-grade education, so it was really rough on us to find a job or do anything."

For Flores, though, he says the most fortunate thing was being able to attend UH, where he received a business degree.

He worked for a bank for a couple of years out of college, but just two years after he graduated, he started a real estate business.

Flores says he decided in high school that he wanted to be a millionaire, "and the only way to do it is really real estate at that time, so I went into real estate business — with no experience, mind you. I didn't know anything. I only worked part-time and I actually hired 12 people."

He specialized in "business opportunities," the buying and selling of restaurants, bars and the like. And in 1976, he saw a "little restaurant for sale" called L&L Drive-Inn. It was founded as L&L Dairy in 1952.

"I look at a financial statement and it shows that it's making money," he told ASD. "You never see that in any small business. I decided to make an offer and I purchased the restaurant and I gave it to my mom as a gift."

His mother, Margaret, had been working as a dishwasher and counter girl at Lynn's Deli in Ala Moana Center, he says.

"Knowing the fact that she doesn't really know anything about [running a] restaurant, I called my good friend. His name is Johnson Kam," Flores says. "... Johnson actually came in helped us."

Flores said his mother ran the restaurant for two years, after which everything was sold to Kam.

Flores says Kam, a close friend, had been approached by others who noted the success of L&L and wanted to know how it was done. Kam, he says, taught them to cook and let them use the name. By doing that, he opened up several more L&L locations, Flores said.

About a decade later, the friends, while on a family vacation together, began discussing franchising the business.

"When you look at restaurant business, chances of success is very slim," Flores says. "But for L&L, that's why the book is called 'Franchising the American Dream.' ... We seldom have someone say, 'oh, I'm going to close because it's not making money.'"

In 1999, L&L and its plate lunches were introduced to the Mainland, and the company was rebranded to L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. With the recent opening of a location in Albuquerque — the second in New Mexico — L&L now has a total of 232 franchises throughout the U.S. and Japan.

When asked why decided to write the new book, Flores said that since she's running the business now, "I got nothing to do. And two years ago, I said 'Gee, let me write another book.' Because every time you write a book, you're promoting L&L. We're branding the company."

As for what he hopes people take away from the book, Flores said the biggest thing is that "no matter where you come from — like myself, I came from a very poor family — if you work hard enough, you will make it. You will make it if you work hard enough. In order to make money, you've got to be in business."

You can find the book at bookstores and other retail outlets, from online booksellers including 

 and direct from Legacy Isle Publishing at 

CREDIT LL Hawaiian Barbecue Eddie Flores Jr

<title>Eddie Flores Jr. on 'Franchising the American Dream'</title>

The businessman and entrepreneur has just published his latest book, "Franchising the American Dream." He'll hold a book signing and discussion at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at Barnes & Noble in Ala Moana Center.

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: 'It was worth the wait'

Hawaiʻi Skies: Crashing waves

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sunset wisps

Hawaiʻi Skies: Zoomed in

Most read