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ASD Staff

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Pauline Penano on da freeway out of Honolulu. "

Thumbs up from the sky! Every time I come back to this photo, I’m reminded that everything will be alright."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

IMG 1660

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: A thumbs up</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Pauline Penano on da freeway out of Honolulu.

Hawaiʻi Skies: A thumbs up

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Pauline Penano on da freeway out of Honolulu. &quot;Thumbs up from the sky! Every time I come back to this photo, I’m reminded that everything will be alright.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

, according to business owner Talia Bongolan-Schwartz. While the business's Kailua store has remained open, the bagel biz is soft opening another Honolulu location in a spot that's close to Ward Village.

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is opening on Friday, Aug. 21, on Waimanu Street, at the new artist co-working/gallery venue called OurSpace. While the new space is conducive to takeout, customer seating is also available. 

“A bunch of the folks who started OurSpace came from BoxJelly,” Bongolan-Schwartz explains. “They asked us if we would be interested (in coming here) when we were still open at Ward.

“OurSpace is quite new; they’ve got an artist co-working space and they do a bunch of events, too,” Bongolan-Schwartz adds.

During the business’s soft opening, only in-person ordering will be available. The biz still features its most popular menu items, including the b.e.c. ($13.99) — crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar and muenster — and the OG NYC ($17.99), which features premium lox, classic schmear, local dill, capers, tomato and red onion.

Newer menu items feature turkey, ham and pastrami bagel sandwiches, according to Bongolan-Schwartz.

“We decided to step up the lunch game,” she says. “The biggest difference you’re going to see on the menu is a whole line of Boar’s Head meats and a bunch of homemade sauces — we’re making a horseradish Russian dressing, lemon caper remoulade and spicy brown mustard. We’re slicing the meat fresh, too; none of it’s pre-sliced.”

New options include the deli ($15.99) — Mesquite-smoked turkey, black forest ham, housemade lemon-caper remoulade, cheddar, Swiss, local lettuce, tomato and sprouts — and the Jewish deli ($16.99), which comprises fresh-sliced pastrami, Swiss, housemade spicy brown mustard and house pickles.

Bongolan-Schwartz expects the business’s hot pastrami ($18.99) — fresh-sliced pastrami, housemade Russian dressing, Swiss, sauerkraut and a side of house pickles — to become a customer favorite.

“That is a New York classic, kind of going for the Katz’s Deli (vibe),” she says. “We’re basically going from a bagel shop to slowly expanding into a delicatessen.”

All sandwiches are served on the customers’ bagel of choice; the Everything bagel is the most popular flavor, according to Bongolan-Schwartz.

“We’ll normally have our full assortment of bagels,” she says. “I really like the onion (bagel); it’s a good complementary flavor. I would add onion onto any sandwich anyway, so it kind of cuts out the need for that.”

The biz also features an expanded drink selection at this location. Besides sparkling water and soft drinks, customers can opt for Israeli iced coffee ($7.99) — a cold brew slushie with oat milk, local mac nut syrup and a honey-tahini drizzle — and Shaloha slush ($6.50), which is made with local liliko

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays). The biz has extended its hours compared to its previous location, which was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

“We’re definitely excited to see our old customers,” Bongolan-Schwartz says. “That was important to us — to stay close enough by that people who have been loyal to us for three years at Ward Centre would be able to hopefully just walk over here. We’re excited to see how the new menu does.

“We were nervous about the new menu because we made a lot of cuts,” she adds. “We cut a lot of things off the old menu that are pretty traditional, like our white fish salad, which is a New York deli staple. But I think this menu is going to suit the needs and desires of the people here.”

The biz will eventually do a grand opening. For updates, follow Tali’s Bagels & Schmear on 

Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays)

Talis Bagels owner 081926

<title>Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is reopening in Honolulu</title>

The bagel shop, which used to be located in Ward Centre, is soft opening in its new location on Waimanu Street on Friday, Aug. 21. The business features bestselling dishes like the OG NYC bagel, along with new deli-style creations like the hot pastrami.

Tali’s Bagels & Schmear is reopening in Honolulu

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Government & Politics

Real Estate

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting announced Tuesday that applicants will be required to use an artificial intelligence tool to submit residential project permit applications.

CivCheck is an artificial intelligence pre-application review tool that checks for compliance with code regulations and local permitting requirements before applicants submit a permit application, according to DPP.

According to the public sector innovation group GovTech, “the system uses computer vision and rules-based AI to identify missing documents and code issues, improving application completeness, increasing review consistency and helping address housing development delays without adding staff.”

Projects that include new construction, additions, alterations of residential homes, accessory units and ʻOhana dwellings will be required to use the tool starting Sept. 1. According to a news release, additional project types will be made available on CivCheck later this year. DPP will let applicants for commercial projects voluntarily use the software later this year before making it mandatory.

The Center for Public Sector AI, the AI research arm of GovTech, 

 DPP national recognition in the project category for using AI to improve residential permit reviews.

DPP Director Dawn Takeuchi Apuna stated in a news release, "CivCheck is a proven tool for helping applicants prepare better quality and more complete permit applications before they enter DPP's formal review process. CivCheck for eligible residential projects will reduce the back and forth between the applicant and the review agencies, thereby speeding up the overall permitting process."

Clariti, the Vancouver-based firm that develops permitting software, 

 that decisions are 55% faster as a result of CivCheck, and review cycles dropped 58%. The data compared 19 residential permits processed by CivCheck with 17 projects that did not use CivCheck in the first quarter of 2026.

“Innovation is about finding better ways to serve our community, and this national recognition demonstrates what can happen when government embraces new technology with purpose,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. “By using tools like CivCheck, we are reducing permit review times, improving efficiency, and making it easier for residents to move their projects forward while continuing to uphold the safety standards that protect our communities.”

CivCheck costs more than $1 million for the residential module and $515,250 for the commercial module, according to a DPP spokesperson.

Julia Fink, executive vice president of AIA Honolulu, stated in an email to Aloha State Daily that AIA Honolulu has advocated for improvements to permitting and supports efforts to modernize the building permit process.

Fink said that several member firms participated in the 

 this year. “In testing a new residential project, they received prompt, detailed feedback on zoning and code compliance, demonstrating the platform's potential as a pre-screening and quality control tool. However, using the system also proved to be a labor-intensive process that involved some redundant tasks and, understandably, a learning curve for both users and reviewers,” she said.

AIA Honolulu members expressed concerns about the protection of their intellectual property.

Fink told ASD, “Architectural drawings represent significant professional expertise and are protected works. As plans are submitted through an AI-powered review platform, architects need assurance that their work is being handled appropriately. Greater transparency is needed regarding how submitted plans are stored, secured, retained, and whether they may be used to train artificial intelligence models or for any purpose beyond the permit review process.”

Fink said that members have not yet experienced a corresponding reduction in formal building permit review times, and that many permitting delays occur after plans leave DPP for review by outside agencies.

“We remain optimistic about the role AI can play in improving the permitting process, but success should ultimately be measured by meaningful reductions in permit timelines, increased predictability for applicants, and clear safeguards that protect the work product of licensed design professionals,” Fink said.

DPP logo

<title>Honolulu DPP requires use of AI tool for residential project permit applications</title>

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting announced this week that applicants will be required to use an artificial intelligence tool to submit residential project permit applications. Julia Fink, executive vice president of AIA Honolulu, shared with ASD why the organization is advocating for this AI.

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Authors

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