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[{"type":"text","text":"We think a pumpkin makes a great basketball..."}]

Smile 26 10 27

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026</title>

We think a pumpkin makes a great basketball...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

 We think a pumpkin makes a great basketball...

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

A new lounge is lifting off at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

Hawaiian Airlines has started construction of its new, nearly 13,000-square-foot premium lounge, which will be located at the entrance of the airport's Mauka Concourse. The milestone was recently marked with a blessing ceremony.

"Our guests are increasingly looking for premium experiences throughout their journey, from the airport to our cabins, and across our network," Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Our new Honolulu lounge will offer a relaxing and memorable experience that feels distinctly Hawaiian Airlines. It’s also part of our ongoing investments in lounges at our hubs in Seattle, Portland and San Diego so our guests can enjoy an elevated, premium pre-flight experience wherever their travels take them."

, the new lounge — set to open in the first half of 2028 — will welcome about 200 guests and offer an "elevated standard of preflight comfort."

Here, the airline says, travelers will find locally inspired food and beverages, a signature local coffee experience, a full-service bar with handcrafted cocktails, private workspaces and gathering areas, artwork and installations celebrating Hawai‘i artists and more.

"It will expand the company's existing HNL portfolio, which currently includes the Plumeria Lounge and six Premier Clubs across the Islands," the airline says. "The new lounge also complements Hawaiian's recently unveiled premium Leihōkū experience."

The lounge is part of Hawaiian's $600 million Kahu‘ewai Hawai‘i Investment Plan, announced 

. The plan also includes upgrades to Hawaiian's airport lobbies and gates across the Islands, a premium interior retrofit of its Airbus A330 fleet, technology improvements for travelers and exclusive deals for residents who are enrolled in Huaka‘i by Hawaiian, along with other sustainability and community investments, the airline said in the announcement.

Da Silva, however, says that that airline is not disclosing the cost of individual investments.

"The Honolulu lounge, along with the retrofit of our Airbus A330s and renovations to our airport lobbies and gate areas statewide, all represent significant investments within the broader Kahu‘ewai plan," he says.

Alaska Air Group Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

 to invest in the premium travel experience for both the Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines brands.

For Hawaiian, that means new interiors for its A330 widebody aircraft, a fleet of 24 that serves destinations in Asia, Oceania and select North America routes, an announcement from the airline noted at that time. That work begins in 2028 and includes 22 Leihōkū Suites for travelers on international business class and domestic first-class flights, ASD reported then. You can read more about Leihōkū 

As for the new lounge, Da Silva says Hawaiian doesn't anticipate any impact to the lobby flow during construction.

"The work area will eventually be enclosed so construction can take place out of view, and we look forward to unveiling the finished lounge when it's ready to welcome guests," he told ASD.

 of Hawaiian in September 2025 and stepped into the role on Oct. 29, 2025. ASD recently caught up Birkett Rakow to discuss the challenges and changes during her first year in the role. You can read that 

Hawaiian airlines lounge blessing 1026

<title>Hawaiian Airlines begins construction on new Honolulu lounge</title>

Located at the entrance to the Mauka Concourse at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the nearly 13,000-square-foot lounge is expected to open in the first half of 2028.

Hawaiian Airlines begins construction on new Honolulu lounge

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

 in Civil Beat argues against nostalgia for and attachment to Hawaiʻi. 

He says that we’re suffering from a “Stay-Put Syndrome that exaggerates Hawaiʻi as a special place while demeaning and patronizing former islanders who choose to live elsewhere.”

This is a theme Milner’s been milking for a while.

In 2018, he visited Hawaiʻi folks living in a retirement home in 

. The quality of care and lower cost on the Mainland led them to move, though they kept their sentimental “artifacts” and continued to wear aloha attire.

“Sure, the pull of Hawai‘i is strong for kupuna,” he wrote back then. “But stories, song, and political oratory about ‘ohana and home should not conceal the fact that there are good reasons why people who lived their life in Hawai‘i decide to spend their pau hana years somewhere else.”

This is all well and good. We shouldn’t be criticizing people who choose to leave Hawaiʻi. And far be it from me to harangue Boomers as they retire to Oregon.

Perhaps retirees gathered to eat pastries at the Vineyard Zippy’s or sipping coffee at the Liliha McDonald’s really are savage toward their peers who left. But I have not once heard a Millennial express a similar sentiment. I’m happy for my high school classmates who left to raise families or to work careers on the Mainland.

What Milner misses in his analysis is that Hawaiʻi really does suck in a lot of ways. The cost of housing is high. Transit stinks. Homelessness and crime overwhelm many public spaces.

These problems are the result of policy decisions, many of them made long before I was born. If you make it illegal to build the housing people want, prices will rise. If you decide to build a “second city” that’s a 45-minute commute away from the actual city (hello, Kapolei!), you’re going to produce daily traffic. And if you have a habit of letting criminals off with a warning after they shoot heroin or defecate on a playground, your parks won’t be any fun for kids or seniors.

I can understand residents who feel hopeless. The near future doesn’t look promising.

Hawaiʻi’s population declined for eight years, and nobody thinks that tomorrow it will become a natalist paradise. Nor is Hawaiʻi going to build housing at a fever pace, despite Gov. Josh Green’s best efforts. And Hawaiʻi isn’t going to become Silicon Valley, no matter what its technology boosters say.

But arguing these points is to make the perfect the enemy of the good.

We really can make life easier for large families. We can build housing. And we can improve on our ranking as the worst state to do business in. Not only can we; we should.

A year after Milner visited his friends in an Oregon retirement home, I was 28 years old, writing for Civil Beat, questioning whether a young person should 

. I recognized that while some chose to leave, others were forced to leave in large part because of the conditions they inherited.

“These people deserve a home which does not expel them,” I wrote. “And our leaders are responsible for maintaining that home.”

There’s nothing wrong with leaving a place and having fond memories of it. Milner thinks these memories are mirages, asserting that “the Stay-Put Syndrome tries to perpetuate a world that no longer exists and that in some ways never really existed at all.”

Nostalgia can be a lie, and memory always distorts. But there really was a better Hawaiʻi — and we can remember, if we choose to.

There were decades when growth in the state of Hawaiʻi outpaced national growth. There were decades when we built much more housing than we do today. And there were decades when families could afford to buy homes and raise lots of children. Those children could then start families of their own, and they could support mom and dad in retirement.

It’s true that this world no longer exists. But it’s wrong for Milner to say that this world never existed at all.

Such willful forgetting lets a whole generation off the hook for their leadership or lack thereof. And such willful forgetting blinds the present generation to the opportunity before them.

Hawaiʻi’s present problems are real, but they are not inevitable. They can be solved.

We can look to the past without nostalgia, but then we should move into the future without fear.

Hawaii flag

<title>The Hawaiʻi that Neal Milner says never existed</title>

Retirees in an Oregon care home keep their aloha shirts, but a Civil Beat columnist says the Hawaiʻi they remember was never real. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on why willful forgetting is the one thing we can’t afford.

The Hawaiʻi that Neal Milner says never existed

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

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

During one of the first official practices for the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team ahead of the upcoming 2026-2027 season, a staffer was seen lobbing a silky, perfectly placed alley-oop to a Rainbow Warrior forward. Who was this mystery man with the assist, and what's his hoops background? 

Upon further inspection, it turned out the pass came from Brett Sheward, the team's new graduate manager. Sheward certainly knows a thing or two about dishing assists to high-flyers, though most of his expertise in that regard came from the volleyball court. 

Sheward, a Southern California native, was a member of the University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball team from 2019 to 2023. In the team's COVID-shortened 2020 season, he started eight of the team's 16 matches at setter. After backing up eventual AVCA Player of the Year Jakob Thelle in 2021, Sheward was the team's primary libero in 2022 and 2023, a crucial cog for a program that won national titles in 2021 and 2022 before losing in the 2023 NCAA championship match. 

Ahead of his final collegiate season in 2024, Sheward transferred to UC Irvine, where he went back to being a setter and helped the Anteaters reach the NCAA semifinals. 

With his playing career behind him, Sheward is back at UH-Mānoa pursuing a graduate degree in finance with eyes on a potential career in basketball. 

"I was always trying to get into basketball eventually," Sheward told Aloha State Daily. "I've always loved it and thought about it for the past four or five years, just trying to think about what's available in the basketball space, sort of the behind-the-scenes work, not the coaching side. Studying finance, trying to mix sports and the finance world, and just thought of ways I can get experience in that space. 

"That was the feedback I got from people I talked to in the industry: get a graduate degree, then move on to jobs further than that. It's a good experience to start as a GA, and honestly, it's been great because it's all new to me, right? I get to do a little bit of everything and be visible and learn everything about how a basketball team is run and operates."

Sheward grew up loving basketball and playing on various teams but chose to focus on volleyball midway through high school when it became clear the latter would be his sport at the college level. The new gig has allowed him to reconnect with basketball and as he's already shown, he doesn't mind getting in on the action from time to time. 

"I absolutely love [basketball]. I think it's an awesome game. It's another true team sport where everyone has to be connected. That part of it is awesome," Sheward says. "But I'm by no means a good basketball player. I just love it. ... I still love playing. We get to play usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the staff, so that part has been fun, and hopping in every once in a while in practice."

How would Sheward describe his game during pickup runs? 

"Definitely a pass-first, effort, defense guy," he says. "I'll hit an open 3 if it's a slow set shot, but definitely more of a defensive guy. I think defensive in every sport, honestly, if I really think about it, like trying to anticipate what the offensive guy is trying to do, and then just the effort part. So defense first for sure, and let the other guys on the team score."

Sheward describes the opportunity with the men's basketball team as "killing two birds with one stone." On top of the experience he's set to accumulate, he'll graduate with his master's in finance in the spring. Between now and then, he's ready to pay his dues on the hardwood. 

"You're starting at the bottom. You got to work your way up, and you have to be ready for anything. You're on call, and your goal is to try and make everyone's lives easier. Coaches, players, and trying to make it run smoothly. If there's something that you're asked to do, no matter how small the task, you got to be willing to do it, and you got to come at it with a lot of humility and no ego. It's been great," Sheward said. "The coaches have been awesome in terms of the relationship piece and just building trust with each other."

Though Sheward is still new to the gig and vice versa, count UH men's head coach Eran Ganot as one of those impressed by his presence in the early going. 

"His love for Hawai‘i, his love for UH, his love for the athletic department, his work ethic, his character, and he wanted to get into this side," Ganot said when asked how the Sheward hire came about from his perspective. "He's already made a big impact for us. Obviously, everybody knows about his leadership values, his understanding of winning, but he's just been a breath of fresh air. 

"He's a hard worker and has a bright future. He has a basketball background, and now he's getting thrown in the fire. But just such a great attitude every day, and it's really been helpful for us."

Brett Sheward 102326

<title>Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball standout Brett Sheward joins men's basketball program as…</title>

With his sights set on a potential career in basketball, Sheward is ready to pay his dues on Eran Ganot's staff.

Former Hawai‘i men's volleyball standout Brett Sheward joins men's basketball program as graduate manager

Things are starting to feel like 2024 again for the University of Hawai‘i soccer team. 

Just two short years ago, the Rainbow Wahine won their first ever Big West Conference regular season title, going 8-1-1 against conference foes despite going 3-6 during the nonconference slate. 

In 2026, the 'Bows challenged themselves with an opening trio of matches against a pair of Big 12 teams in No. 23 Texas Tech (now ranked 14th in the country in Monday's latest IWSOC Coaches Poll) and Kansas State, as well as three-time defending MAC champion Western Michigan. The Rainbow Wahine began that stretch 0-3 but have only lost one other time since then, a 2-0 road loss at current Mountain West leader Colorado College to begin conference play on Sept. 24. 

The Rainbow Wahine have been rolling the last five weeks, winning all five of their matches. As of Wednesday, the 'Bows (8-4-1, 5-1 Mountain West) are just one point behind Grand Canyon in the 

, positioned to clinch a spot in November's conference tournament. 

"It's very similar," Hawai‘i associate head coach 

 acknowledged in comparing the program's 2024 and 2026 seasons thus far. "We definitely don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but these are the things that you need in order to win championships. You need, obviously, to not give up a lot of goals. You need to win games. You need to kind of close games out. ... I would say defensively, as far as organization and discipline, I think we're a little bit better this year than 2024."

expanding its horizons to the Mountain West

 over the summer, coaches across multiple UH sports have emphasized the importance of winning on the road in order to stay in their respective conference races. The Rainbow Wahine did just that last week, defeating San Jose State 2-0 on Oct. 15 and UC Davis 1-0 on Oct. 18. 

Defensively, the Rainbow Wahine have pitched eight shutouts and are 13th nationally in shutout percentage. Goalkeeper Kennedy Justin was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after submitting consecutive clean sheets, maintaining the team's conference lead in least goals allowed. 

"Just super happy for the team," Justin said. "I think for us, the team chemistry is what sets us apart. We're all there for the same mission, so no matter what it is, we're just gonna get the job done. You look at the person next to you, that's why you're playing. That's something you can't teach, and it's something you also can't beat. I'm really happy that we have that for our program."

Of their four remaining regular season contests, the Rainbow Wahine will have three consecutive home contests, starting with Grand Canyon on Saturday at 3 p.m., followed by UNLV on Oct. 28 and senior day against New Mexico on Nov. 1. 

"We're all trying to stay humble," Rowe says. "We're all trying to stay grounded because if you watch any sort of sports, and if you watch women's college soccer from week in and week out in games, you understand that there's some teams that have won early on and now are struggling to finish their season. The excitement is there, but we're just trying to keep level-headed and we just want to take it one game at a time. 

"We know exactly the position we're in because we felt it before, but I also think we just need to stay grounded. We need to just take one game at a time and just keep chopping at it right now."

Hawaii soccer 102126

<title>Hawai‘i soccer aims to continue winning vibes during Mountain West homestand</title>

The Rainbow Wahine, winners of five straight, have emerged as Mountain West contenders in their first year in the conference.

Hawai‘i soccer aims to continue winning vibes during Mountain West homestand

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, which specializes in authentic Japanese yakiniku, is opening on O

, Japan, will be located in Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa.

Aloha State Daily got a preview of what’s to come to the Hawai

i location during a hosted media experience at Yakiniku Haretoke’s Kawagoe eatery.

Yakiniku Haretoke is unique because it will be the only restaurant in Hawaiʻi to serve Joshu wagyu, which is raised exclusively in Japan’s Gunma prefecture. Joshu wagyu is a rare breed, according to chef Masanori Tsuda, who will be the executive chef at Yakiniku Haretoke Hawai

Tsuda is currently one of the chefs at Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery, and he explains that Joshu wagyu is known for its lean meat and fine marbling. He notes that Joshu wagyu will be available in Hawaiʻi through an exclusive direct purchase-and-ship relationship with Gunma.

“We will buy the whole cow and break down everything (from nose to tail) to serve every cut; that’s the restaurant concept,” he explains. “Joshu wagyu has a lighter taste, but still has that umami flavor. Some Japanese wagyu is super fatty and has a strong flavor; after eating one bite, that’s enough. But Joshu wagyu is easy to eat.”

“Joshu wagyu is a good balance of fat and meat,” adds Rika Tsuda, current manager at Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery. Tsuda will be a restaurant manager at Yakiniku Haretoke Hawai

Yakiniku Haretoke’s Kawagoe location opened in 2023. The restaurant name stems from bringing the extraordinary (“hare”) and the everyday rhythms of life (“ke”) together; the eatery is designed to be a place to celebrate special occasions, but also provide a welcoming atmosphere for everyday dining. The Kawagoe eatery seats around 48 guests — including seating in its private room — and the Hawai

i restaurant can seat around 65 individuals, according to Masanori.

The Hawaiʻi restaurant’s menu will be similar to the one in Kawagoe, he notes, but the Honolulu location will feature locally sourced vegetables. Like the Kawagoe location, the Honolulu restaurant will have pre-set course menus, as well as a la carte options. (At the time of our interview, the menu for the Honolulu restaurant had not been finalized.)

The Kawagoe location offers two pre-set course menus — the Haretoke course, and the Harenohi course, according to Rika.

“Both courses include special cuts (of meat), but Harenohi is more expensive,” she says. “It also includes seafood and meats like marbled sirloin with grated radish.”

Yakiniku Haretoke Kawagoe’s a la carte menu includes tri tip, flap meat, seared marbled short rib yaki-shabu with grated daikon ponzu, premium beef loin (served yaki-shabu style, with Tsukimi egg yolk sauce), short ribs, filet mignon, wagyu beef tongue with salt, and more. Everything is hand-cut and served for diners to grill, according to Masanori.

“There are so many yakiniku places now; we have to make ours special,” he says.

He explains that cutting the whole cow is a process; he likens it to a high-grade Michelin star sushi chef breaking down a fish. He trims the fat off the meat before breaking each piece down further.

“The yakiniku style is different here; he (Masanori) has to learn the special cuts of the cow,” Rika explains.

Rika says her favorite cut is the premium beef loin, which is served yaki-shabu style. It’s lightly grilled and served with Tsukimi egg yolk sauce.

“It’s a thinly sliced cut, so you just put it on the iron plate for a few seconds and you dip it in the egg yolk to enhance the umami flavor,” she says. “It’s sukiyaki-style; it will be popular in Hawaiʻi.

“For the egg sauce, we are going to use Japan eggs in Hawai

i — it will be very fresh eggs,” she adds. “We actually sell eggs imported from Japan at Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery.”

“Everybody likes kalbi, and the yaki-shabu is the most popular (option) at the Kawagoe location,” Masanori adds. He says his favorite from Yakiniku Haretoke Kawagoe’s menu is shinshin, a rare, tender cut near the tri-tip.

At the Kawagoe eatery, the meats are served with two sauces; one features a soy garlic base, while the other is made with fresh lemon. The staff will give recommendations for pairing the sauces with various cuts of meat; for example, Masanori recommends dipping shihshin in the shoyu sauce, while the wagyu beef tongue pairs well with the lemon sauce.

Other a la carte options include seafood (prawns, squid and scallops), vegetables (grilled shiitake mushrooms), appetizers like assorted kimchi, and soups, including a comforting beef bone broth.

Yakiniku Haretoke will also feature a hand-selected sake list designed to complement each cut of beef.

i currently has a food truck — which is parked at Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery — that is participating in events across O

ahu to promote the new restaurant. The truck was recently at the Lotte Championship presented by Hoakalei, where it showcased its Joshu wagyu beef yakiniku bowl.

The Hawaiʻi location’s hours and prices are still to be determined, but the restaurant is expected to open for lunch and dinner. For updates, follow the biz on 

Yakiniku Haretoke chef 101826

<title>Yakiniku Haretoke is opening in Honolulu</title>

The Japanese yakiniku restaurant’s original location is in Kawagoe, Japan. Yakiniku Haretoke — expected to open this winter in the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa — will be the only restaurant in Hawaiʻi to serve Joshu wagyu, which is raised exclusively in Japan’s Gunma prefecture. Aloha State Daily got a preview of what’s to come for the Honolulu restaurant by visiting the Kawagoe location.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

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