Letters to the Editor

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Kady Pascual

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Christian Shimabuku

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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Sports

Widely regarded as the best shooter in the history of the sport, Golden State Warriors star guard Steph Curry has drained an NBA record 4,248 career 3-pointers, making his shots behind the arc at an efficient 42.2% clip. His career free throw percentage of 91.2 is also the highest in league history. 

Curry, 38, took home NBA MVP honors in 2015 and 2016. He has spent his entire career with the Warriors, winning four rings with the franchise that took him seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. A two-year, $116 million extension he agreed to on Sept. 25 will take him through the 2028-2029 season, which will be his 20th season. 

Ahead of Year 18, Curry and the Warriors are stationed at BYU-Hawai‘i's Cannon Activities Center for training camp ahead of the upcoming 2026-2027 season. After a full week of practice, the Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers will meet for an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. 

During Golden State's first practice in the Islands on Tuesday, hundreds of fans lined up outside the team bus at BYU-Hawai‘i, many in Curry jerseys, hopeful to get a glimpse at the global hoops icon. 

Curry is certainly aware of the influence he has on fans worldwide, and he doesn't want to disappoint them. Two years ago, the Warriors held camp on the North Shore and also played an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center. Curry mentioned wanting to hit a 3-pointer in front of Hawai‘i fans to show his appreciation. 

In the exhibition on Oct. 5, 2024, the most prolific shooter the game has ever seen went 0-for-4 in 14 minutes played. It's a fact he was reminded of after Tuesday's practice. Come Sunday, Curry hopes to make amends by doing what he does best. 

"I only played the first half, and I was out there chucking," Curry said. "I'll try to make up for it on Sunday. It's a cool vibe. We're here for a week, we get to play in front of a different fanbase, different arena and we appreciate the love we get out here for sure."

After Sunday's exhibition, the Warriors will return to the Bay Area and play an additional five preseason games. The 82-game regular season begins with a contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 21. 

The trip to the North Shore for a handful of days is a welcome reprieve for a team that won't have much downtime once the grind of the regular season gets underway in a few weeks. 

"We're locked in on basketball all day, and practice is pretty much over. I want all the guys to do whatever they want. Have fun, go to the beach, play some golf. I believe that finding that balance is just fine. This is not the 1950s," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says. "The North Shore is beautiful. It's kind of, for me, like old school Hawai‘i. I've got a bunch of incredible surfing photos in my hotel room, and I'm a bad surfer myself, but I do like to surf. It's wonderful. Hospitality everywhere we go. People are treating us so well. It's a wonderful place for us to visit."

Across town, the Clippers are holding training camp at UH-Mānoa's Gym II, the upstairs gym frequented by both University of Hawai‘i basketball teams in their own practices. In September, the Clippers were fined $30 million by the NBA and stripped of five first-round draft picks after an investigation found that the team circumvented salary cap rules by paying additional money to star forward Kawhi Leonard through falsified endorsement deals organized by the franchise. Team owner Steve Ballmer was also suspended for one year. 

Days after the NBA revealed their findings and handed down its ruling on the Clippers, Leonard was officially traded to the Toronto Raptors, marking a new era for the franchise as it headed to the Islands for camp. 

"I think our season is going to be surprising to a lot of people," Clippers guard Darius Garland said following the team's first practice in Mānoa. "I think we have a good chemistry so far. We haven't even hit the season yet, so I think that's going to take a little bit since everybody's been in the gym for at least two, three months now. We've been around each other, got the camaraderie going. ... We got a lot of competitors. We got a lot of dogs in this team that can really go."

The Clippers, who will be the de facto home team on Sunday, are also involved in a number of community activations in an effort to grow their Hawai‘i fanbase, including a team visit to a 

Kaiser Permanente clinic on the weekend. Throughout the week, members of the team also participated in a 

"Waking up, seeing the water in the morning, seeing the people here that are excited to have us, it's been a nice change of pace," Clippers guard Max Strus said. "It's beautiful out here, and I'm just excited to get it underway."

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<title>Steph Curry vows to let it fly for Hawai‘i fans in Sunday exhibition</title>

Curry, the NBA's all-time 3-point leader, hopes to make his signature shot in front of the Islandsʻ supporters.

Steph Curry vows to let it fly for Hawai‘i fans in Sunday exhibition

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Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

The woman charged with murder after allegedly fatally shooting a man in Kailua last weekend was turned in by her father the day of the event, according to a Honolulu police report.

Hilinaikailimakualopali Keeno, 24, was charged on Sept. 30 with second-degree murder, carrying a firearm in the commission of a felony and improperly keeping a pistol or revolver. She is being held pending a $1 million bail.

An HPD document — which was submitted on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to the Honolulu Circuit Court to establish probable cause to detain Keeno without a warrant — states that Keeno’s father brought her to the Kailua Police Station less than an hour after 

was declared dead of a gunshot wound to the neck in the Kailua Target parking lot.

The report states that HPD special duty officers, who were working security at the Kailua Fall Festival that day, were called to assist with a group of festivalgoers involved in an argument at about 8:26 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Officers escorted the group out of the festival and watched them head toward the Target parking lot, only to hear another altercation begin among the group minutes later.

During this new altercation, a pop resembling a gunshot was heard, and officers saw two men — one of whom was Keeno’s brother — assaulting a third. Both assailants were placed under arrest for disorderly conduct, while officers discovered Malone on the ground, covered in blood.

[{"type":"text","text":"Malone was declared dead at the scene by 8:43 p.m."}]

At 9:39 p.m., Keeno was brought to the Kailua Police Station by her father, who told police she was involved in the incident and wanted to provide a statement in the presence of her attorney.

According to the HPD report, no interview was conducted with Keeno that night. Subsequently, HPD sought photographs and videos from the public to help piece together the event and identify the shooter.

On Sept. 28, another witness identified Keeno as the shooter, and HPD confirmed that Keeno has one firearm registered in her name, a Sig Sauer P365 handgun.

[{"type":"text","text":"Following this, Keeno was placed under arrest."}]

Keeno’s preliminary hearing, when she will plead guilty or not guilty to the charges, will take place Monday, Oct. 5. She remains in custody.

Hpd 16x9

<title>Woman charged in Kailua shooting turned in by father</title>

Hilinakailimakualopali Keeno faces a $1 million bail for a second-degree murder charge.

Woman charged in Kailua shooting turned in by father

Government & Politics

Aloha Spirit

State and U.S. flags will be flown at half-staff this weekend in commemoration of former U.S. Rep. Patricia “Pat” Saiki, who died Wednesday at the age of 96.

Saiki was the second woman in Hawai‘i elected to represent the state in Congress — the first being Patsy Mink — as well as the first Republican Hawai‘i Congress member. She reportedly died peacefully in her home in Kāhala, according to the 

, a successor organization to the state’s first teachers’ union, which she founded.

Before her career in politics, the Hilo-born Saiki was a public school teacher at Kaimukī Intermediate School. When her daughter fell ill at school and was taken to the hospital, she was told she could not use school phones for personal business such as checking on her daughter, which led her to form the Teacher’s Chapter of the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association.

Saiki ran for the state House of Representatives in 1968 and won — becoming the first woman to hold the seat — and served through 1974. Following that, she ran for the state Senate, where she served until 1982, when she unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor.

In 1986, she was elected to her U.S. House seat, where she served until 1990 before an unsuccessful U.S. Senate run. That year, then-President George H. W. Bush appointed her to be the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Association, where she served until 1993.

Among her legislative achievements were the establishment of the Kapi‘olani Medical Center’s Sex Abuse Treatment Center, passing reparations for Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans detained in internment camps during World War II, and successfully urging President Bush to halt the use of Kaho‘olawe as a bombing range in 1990.

Later in life, Saiki was chair of the Hawai‘i Republican Party from 2014 to 2015 — during which time the party saw membership rolls triple, according to Gov. Josh Green’s office.

“Pat Saiki’s six decades of public service and her pioneering example for young women and Asian Americans in Hawai

i and across the U.S., combine to form both a lasting, inspiring legacy and a high bar for all of us who serve the public,” Green said Wednesday.

From Friday through Monday morning, U.S. and state flags will be flown at half-staff at all state offices and agencies, as well as Hawai‘i National Guard facilities.

Saiki is survived by four children, Stuart Saiki, Sandra Saiki, Margaret Saiki and Laurie Saiki, as well as numerous grandchildren. Services are pending.

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<title>Former Congresswoman Pat Saiki dead at 96</title>

Flags to fly at half-staff this weekend to honor the state's first Republican delegate

Former Congresswoman Pat Saiki dead at 96

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ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I have plans tonight, sorry...\""}]

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<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026</title>

"I have plans tonight, sorry..."

Daily Smile: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Black pearl with calamari and prawns. Seafood with shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams. Chicken and chorizo.

These are just a few of the flavors you’ll find at 

“The inspiration came from my Spanish roots and my passion for sharing authentic paella with people,” explains chef and business owner Santiago Garamendy. “We wanted to bring the experience of live paella cooking to Hawaiʻi, while incorporating the Aloha spirit and creating something that people could enjoy at farmers markets, festivals, private events and weddings.”

When coming up with a business name, Garamendy wanted something simple yet personal.

“We wanted a name that felt approachable, authentic and easy to remember,” he says.

The biz currently pops up at farmers markets and events across O

ahu. Regardless of the event, the business is known for cooking its paella in real-time.

“We cook everything fresh on-site, allowing guests to experience the entire process from start to finish,” Garamendy says. “Whether it’s an intimate gathering or a corporate event, our team is fully equipped to prepare and serve paella for up to 1,200 guests at the same time.”

The business’s seafood paella ($19) and black pearl paella ($19) are its bestsellers, according to Garamendy.

“The black pearl paella is our signature dish,” he says. “It’s black squid ink rice with calamari and prawns, served with housemade aioli.”

The business’s Hawaiian paella ($19) is a local-inspired version with pork, bacon and pineapple. Meanwhile, the veggie paella ($15) is a colorful option with asparagus, carrots, green beans, mushrooms and peas.

The biz also offers fried seafood cones, which all come with fries, according to Garamendy. Customers can choose from Santi’s cone ($17) — a mix of calamari, prawns and smelt — calamari cone ($14), prawns cone ($13) and more.

Santi’s Paella currently pops up from 8 a.m. to noon at the FarmLovers Kaka

ako farmers market on Saturdays and the Kailua farmers markets on Sundays. The biz is also a vendor at the Waikīkī Makers Market from 4 to 8 p.m. on Mondays at Waikīkī Beach Walk.

Santi’s Paella also offers catering for private events and celebrations, according to Garamendy. 

“We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from the Hawaiʻi community,” Garamendy says. “Our goal is not only to serve great food, but also to create an experience that brings people together. Whether it’s a farmers market, festival, wedding or private event, we want every guest to leave with a smile and memorable experience.”

Santis Paella owner

<title>This biz showcases authentic paella</title>

Santi's Paella, which officially opened last year, is known for its paella, which is always cooked fresh on-site. Customers can find Santi’s Paella at farmers markets and events across Oʻahu.

This biz showcases authentic paella

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

After the abolition of the kapu system in 1819, many heiau were damaged or dismantled. Some of their ki‘i (god images) were destroyed, while others were hidden or taken into private collections. For a long time, Hawaiian history was relegated to books, Hawaiian-language newspapers, and word of mouth.

Restoring an ancient Hawaiian site is about much more than putting stones back where they once stood. These places can tell us how generations of Hawaiians lived, farmed, worshipped, and cared for the ‘āina. They give us something tangible to learn from, especially when so much of the physical landscape has changed.

When places like these are respectfully restored, it can help Hawaiians reclaim and preserve a meaningful part of their cultural heritage. It can also provide a space where younger generations can learn about their ancestors, traditional practices, and the responsibilities that come with caring for wahi pana (storied places).

Despite its current dry, rugged environment, Mākaha Valley once contained settlements of people among an agricultural landscape. Investigations have documented hundreds of archaeological features throughout the valley, including stone walls, terraces, and water-diversion structures that allowed the cultivation of hardy crops like ‘uala (sweet potatoes) and uhi (yams). Archaeological evidence shows that people lived in the valley as early as AD 1120, based in part on radiocarbon dating.

[{"type":"text","text":"Kāneʻākī Heiau was an important part of that landscape."}]

While the abandonment of traditional kapu caused many heiau to be destroyed or fall into disrepair, Kāne‘ākī was once documented as one of the best-preserved heiau on O‘ahu. Perhaps its location in the very back of Mākaha Valley offered some protection. Later archaeological work showed researchers that Kāne‘ākī was not built all at once. Instead, it developed through six recognizable construction stages, beginning with a simple temple dedicated to Lono and agriculture and becoming progressively larger and more elaborate.

Researchers believe the final transformation and expansion of Kāne‘ākī occurred under Kamehameha I, who may have ordered its transition to a luakini (sacrificial) heiau dedicated to Kū. He may have done this to ensure victory in his final conquest of Kaua‘i.

Modern restoration of Kāne‘ākī began in 1969 under the supervision of Bishop Museum, with support from the Mākaha Historical Foundation. Because no surviving detailed description or drawing showed exactly what the haieu looked like, those who led the restoration process had to rely on knowledge of other heiau and the archaeological remains found in the valley. Pu‘ukoholā Heiau served as a model for some of the hale (houses) and ki‘i (images), while postholes discovered in the original stone platform supported the placement of the structures.

The reconstruction was completed in 1970, but the efforts were not just about bringing a forgotten ruin back to life. Projects like these are about allowing the mana (spiritual essence) of this wahi pana to tell its own history.

Today, Kāneʻākī Heiau is located within Mauna ʻOlu Estates, a private, gated community in Mākaha Valley. Although the site still holds cultural significance for the Hawaiian community, outsiders have limited access to the heiau and need permission to go beyond the gates. Still, its location within a modern residential community is simply another chapter in the valley’s long history.

Places like this often have stories that linger, and Kāneʻākī is no exception. Alongside its archaeological and cultural history are accounts of unusual experiences connected with the heiau and the surrounding valley. And that brings us to another chapter in the story of Kāneʻākī.

A woman who attended one of our tours a few years ago told me she lived in the gated community of Mauna ‘Olu Estates. She explained that one night, while she was home alone, she heard an unusual pounding sound. She said despite what anyone else suggested, she knew it wasn’t simply a car playing loud music on huge speakers with the bass pounding.

But the sound she heard was a cacophony of drums that felt like they were pulsating right in her ears. Then it became cavernous, like it was fading into the depths of a well with no bottom. Then another wave came; as soon as one drum sound faded, another rose right on top of it.

The sound kept going until it crashed through her living room and went through the front door. It felt like she’d been in a tornado, except when she looked around, nothing was out of order. She thought she’d lost her mind and told her husband once he got home. Because there was no physical evidence to support what his wife described, her husband found it hard to believe her. That is, until later in the year, when it happened a second time. This time the woman’s husband was home, and he experienced the dramatic crashing sound of deep cavernous drums himself.

But the husband’s experience was a little different. He said he also heard men’s voices speaking in an urgent tone. The husband is not from Hawai‘i, so he didn’t recognize the language, but based on a few sounds he was able to mimic, his wife believed it was Hawaiian.

She had no idea that Kāne‘ākī Heiau was at the back of the valley. I briefly explained some of the history of the heiau, and she sighed, as if the wind had been knocked out of her sails.

[{"type":"text","text":"“That would explain it,” she muttered."}]

Her description sounds like she and her husband encountered the huaka‘i pō. Their tale corroborates stories I’ve been told by some elders in Mākaha about the night marchers’ procession that walked through the valley long before Mauna ‘Olu Estates was originally developed.

The woman contacted me a month later, saying that she and her husband went up to visit Kāne‘ākī Heiau, where she brought flower lei that she made herself. With her lei and a prayer, she said she had nothing to do with where her house was built and that she and her husband meant no disrespect in living there. Then, as they walked back to their home, they noticed that many of the houses had stone walls around their properties that looked hand-set, like the ones at Kāne‘ākī.

She asked me, “Do you think the heiau still has influence over this neighborhood?”

Who’s to say, really? Whatever mana they may encounter could be from the heiau, or it might be from hundreds of years of life and death in that quiet valley on the west side of O‘ahu.

Kii at kaneaki 2010

<title>Drums of Kāne‘ākī</title>

In the back of Mākaha Valley stands Kāneʻākī Heiau, a temple built and enlarged many times by Native Hawaiians and restored in 1969. It is believed to have started out as devoted to the god Lono and agriculture, and King Kamehameha dedicated it to Kū, god of war. The heiau is difficult to access now, surrounded by the gated community of Mauna ʻOlu Estates, but residents there report that it has ways of making its presence known.

Drums of Kāne‘ākī

This is Oreo. He will eventually eat the blueberry. But first he must establish dominance over it.....

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Daily Smile: Sunday, July 19, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, July 18, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, July 17, 2026

Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Peter DeForest in Honolulu.

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Hawaiʻi Skies: An interesting combo

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 16, 2026

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Target acquired. Initiating stealth-waddle mode.....

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Rich on Hawaiʻi Island.

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Hawaiʻi Skies: Heaven on earth

Three months of free testing offered by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa's Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center ends soon. Tests can identify soil and plant health issues and shifts in pest populations since the storm.

Farms flooded

Free soil, plant testing for Kona Low-affected farmers ends July 21

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Daily Smile: Monday, July 13, 2026

Now, let's all enjoy a bulldog attempting to get on a chair...

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Daily Smile: Sunday, July 12, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, July 11, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, July 10, 2026

It's worth it to get a cat just to buy these...

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 9, 2026

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Martin on Lānaʻi.

Scott

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sky show

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Cutting the cheese with a dog on my head...

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

The Miami Marlins are searching for the dog that went viral after watching another pup enjoy a hot dog during Monday’s game. The team has posted a "wanted" flyer and is promising the overlooked pooch a dream day at the ballpark.

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