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ASD Staff

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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Daily Smile: Monday, July 6, 2026

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Daily Smile: Sunday, July 5, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, July 4, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, July 3, 2026

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Now, let's all enjoy watching Bowser the Bulldog play with the door-stopper thing...

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

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Daily Smile: Monday, June 29, 2026

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Gov. Josh Green created a new state Marine Affairs office amid another round of bill signings on Monday.

Among the seven bills Green signed into law Monday was 

, which consolidates various ocean-related duties and responsibilities within a new Office of Marine Affairs to be administered by the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corp.

The bill is aimed at managing the state’s “blue economy” — the various industries that rely on the ocean and aquatic resources — and creating a central framework for the state’s oceanic policies.

Consequently, the Office of Marine Affairs is tasked with developing a statewide marine affairs strategy governing subjects from ecosystem management and shoreline resilience to fisheries management and marine tourism.

Previous ocean-related powers and responsibilities held by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism — which primarily required DBEDT to collaborate with various other state agencies to help develop their own ocean-related plans — have been revoked.

“We have been told for years and years we have to diversity our economy, but we have to do it right,” Green said during the bill signing Monday. “We have to do it in a way that fits our state.”

Sen. Glenn Wakai, co-introducer of the bill, said he hopes the new office will be able to address the state’s status as a net importer of fish — he said the state imports two thirds of all the fish consumed in Hawai‘i.

While the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity has aquaculture programs to promote local seafood production, Wakai said only about 2% of DAB’s resources are dedicated to ocean affairs.

Wakai added that the Office of Marine Affairs could also improve swimming education among keiki to reduce the rate of drowning fatalities among children.

SB 2907 was one of several economic development measures Green signed Monday. Along with 

a bill creating new tax incentives for motion pictures filmed in Hawai‘i

 program — which partners with counties to provide tax credits to businesses within specific areas — to include additional industries within those zones, such as a local manufacturer’s retail space, medical product development and sale, aerospace technology development, IT services and more.

The bill also extends the tax credits available to businesses for an additional two years: where previously the tax credit began at 80% for a business’ first year of operation and attenuated each year until bottoming out at 20% in the seventh year, the bill now extends that 20% credit through a business’ eighth and ninth years.

 establishes a micro-loan program within DBEDT that allows qualified people or businesses to apply for small loans of no more than $50,000, as defined by federal law. The bill also allocates $1.5 million for the program and establishes a special fund that will continue to support it.

 renames the Stadium Development District to the Hālawa Community Development District and creates a special fund to manage developments within that district.

 increases standards within the state Agribusiness Development Corp.’s Food and Product Innovation Network — a program helping local food producers to scale up their operations — to require compliance with various food safety laws, establish specific key performance indicators, and coordinate Hawai‘i-specific branding across products.

 requires DBEDT to provide public notice whenever it grants filming permits to a film crew, or whenever a film production qualifies for the film tax credit.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

GovGreen

<title>Green signs new Marine Affairs office into law</title>

New state office will govern ocean and aquatic resources and policies.

Green signs new Marine Affairs office into law

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Sterling Higa

Columnists

Wai‘alae Country Club has hosted the PGA Tour every year since 1965. Next January it hosts something else. The Sony Open is now the Sony Championship Hawai‘i, a tournament for players 50 and over.

Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, and Vijay Singh have all won at Wai‘alae. Now they can return to play a course that suits men who no longer drive the ball as far as they once did. The tour looked at Hawaiʻi and assigned us to the seniors’ circuit. What stings is how well the assignment fits.

The Sentry was Maui’s tournament, played each January at Kapalua in West Maui since 1999. It is gone now — to California, as it happens — and it took about $50 million a year with it.

Drought came first, and then the lawsuits. Maui Land & Pineapple claims in a court filing that the Kapalua golf courses drank more than 11 million gallons in a single June while county drinking water got 80,000. It is easy to feel bitter about emerald fairways up the coast from a town still rebuilding from fire, and nobody weeps for the richest man in Japan.

But Tadashi Yanai, who owns those courses, has 

 to fix West Maui’s water system and hand it to the public for free. The problem is that nothing can get built here, even by a billionaire.

The Champions Tour takes the game’s greatest players, now past their prime, and puts them on a shorter course.

Hawaiʻi runs the same format. Our past champions still tee off every year: Tourism, the military, construction. They are our Els, our Furyk, our Vijay. The difference is the gallery. Golf fans adore their legends. We line our fairways with protest signs. And no rookie industry appears anywhere on our leaderboard, despite decades of talk about farming and clean energy.

A place with no rising industry has no ladder. Young people who want to climb must leave, and they do. Who arrives in their place? People who are finished earning.

We provide for these new arrivals handsomely. Hawaiʻi has the lowest property tax rate of any state, and Maui County is among the lowest of any county in America. A traditional employer pension, a military pension, a government pension: none of it is taxed here. 

Meanwhile the worker still earning faces an income tax that climbs to 11 percent, among the steepest in the country. He also pays a general excise tax that reaches his groceries, his rent, and his baby’s diapers.

It is a tax code that welcomes people to rest and charges people who work. So the islands fill with California’s tech money and America’s pensioners, and the local kid packs for Las Vegas.

Somebody will say that older and slower is what these Islands ought to be. There is something to that. Communities may choose their own character, and any single project can be opposed for honest reasons. Perhaps the seven telescopes proposed for one acre of Haleakalā deserve a no. But protesters were arrested blocking the summit road over the last big telescope, in 2015 and again in 2017. Hundreds testified against this new one, and the county council has voted unanimously against it twice in two years. Maui has banned new vacation-rental complexes and is phasing out thousands of existing rentals. And rebuilding Lahaina’s Front Street, nearly three years on, is slow going. At some point the pattern stops being about any single project. 

A place may choose rest, but it must count the cost honestly, and the cost is the children. A short course is kind to a man of 55. A 25-year-old needs room to swing, and he will find it somewhere else.

Scripture says man was set in the garden to work it and to keep it. We have grown very good at keeping. But we’re allergic to working, and a society arranged to live off what was made before is out of order, however comfortable it feels. If that is true, our assignment has not changed: Settle West Maui’s water rights so that somebody can build something. Stop treating our three old champions with contempt while offering nothing to replace them. And rebalance a tax code that exempts the pension check while taxing a young family’s milk.

They are calling the two January tournaments the new Hawai‘i Swing, but nothing about them is new, and the seniors’ tour would be the first to admit it. It knows what it is: past winners, a shorter course, finished by Saturday. The players are past their prime. Are we?

Sony Open 070126

<title>Sony Open joins the seniors’ tour — and so has Hawaiʻi</title>

A pension check arrives in Hawaiʻi untaxed; a young family’s groceries do not. ASD columnist Sterling Higa on the golf rebrand that tells the truth about who these Islands are built for.

Sony Open joins the seniors’ tour — and so has Hawaiʻi

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

On Monday, EA Sports College Football 27, the latest installment in EA Sports' college football video game franchise, was released on Monday. 

All 138 NCAA FBS teams are in the game, including the University of Hawai‘i. Real-life players featured in the game are compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). Each player featured in the game will receive at least $1,500 and a copy of the game. 

In the University of Hawai‘i's case, not each player on the roster is featured in the game. For the second year in a row, none of UH's true freshmen are featured in the game's initial roster. Although Division I football teams are allowed to have up to 105 players, rosters in EA Sports College Football 27 are limited to 85. 

EA Sports previously divulged the highest-rated players on each team prior to the game's release. 

 and Elijah Palmer are both rated 85 overall, tied for the highest on Hawai‘i's roster. 

While Hawai‘i true freshmen aren't yet in the game, others from the Islands on Power Four rosters are. Michigan true freshman and Kamehameha alumnus 

 is rated a 79 overall, while USC linebacker and Kahuku graduate Talanoa Ili is rated a 75. 

For the second straight year, Oregon center and Farrington alum Iapani Laloulu is the highest rated player with Hawai‘i ties at 93 overall. Not far behind is USC quarterback and Pālolo native 

, who is rated a 92. Maiava also appears on the deluxe version cover, marking the first time a player from Hawai‘i has appeared on a cover of the game. 

As a team, Hawai‘i is rated 67 overall, with a 66 rating given to its offense and a 69 given to its defense. 

, released in July 2025. UH's highest-rated redshirt freshman in EA Sports College Football 27 is running back 

In lieu of real players, EA Sports has filled in some of the gaps with aliases for certain players. UH's highest rated kicker in the game is the fictitious Penei Letoa, rated a 67 overall.  

Hawaii FB EACFP 27

<title>Hawai‘i football sold short again in latest EA Sports release</title>

EA Sports College Football 27 was released on Monday, the latest in an annual installment of college football video games.

Hawai‘i football sold short again in latest EA Sports release

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Food & Dining

Liliha Bakery will bring its iconic Coco Puffs and local comfort food to another Waikīkī locale, opening its sixth location on O‘ahu July 17.

You'll find the new 6,000-square-foot eatery on the second level of Waikīkī Beach Walk. According to a recent announcement, the bakery and restaurant will feature both outdoor and indoor dining spaces.

Liliha Bakery first opened in 1950. Its bakery items include the iconic Coco Puffs, poi doughnuts and butter rolls, and you'll find faves like the loco moco, garlic shrimp, omelets and more, on the menu, according to the announcement.

"While Waikiki has many restaurants, there is still an absence of local-style dining options that truly represent Hawaii's comfort food. We wanted to help fill that gap by creating another space where visitors can experience local food and hospitality, while providing a convenient new location for guests to enjoy Liliha Bakery," Peter Kim, owner of Liliha Bakery, said in the announcement. "

We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support we’ve received from communities across Oʻahu, and we’re excited to continue sharing the Liliha Bakery experience with both visitors and kamaʻāina.”

Marketing Coordinator Katie Matsuno shared similar sentiments, telling Aloha State Daily in an email that Waikīkī Beach Walk felt like the perfect fit for Liliha Bakery because it allows the restaurant to bring its local-style food and bakery to the heart of Waikīkī.

While there are plenty of restaurants in the area, we saw an opportunity to offer the kind of comfort food and bakery items that have been part of our tradition for the past 75 years," she says.

As for the demand the bakery is hoping to see in this spot, Matsuno told ASD the hope is to serve a "good mix" of both local residents and visitors.

"Our goal is to become a destination where people can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and freshly baked pastries throughout the day. We also hope to introduce more visitors to our scratch-made menu, iconic Coco Puffs and the warm hospitality that has been part of Liliha Bakery's legacy for more than 75 years."

When asked whether there are plans for future expansion at this time, Matsuno says that right now, the focus is on making 

Waikīkī Beach Walk "a successful opening and delivering the same quality, consistency and hospitality our guests have come to expect from every Lilha Bakery location."

"While we're always looking for opportunities to grow, we don't have any additional expansion plans to announce at this time."

The original Liliha is located at 515 N. Kuakini St. in Honolulu but you'll find 

 at 580 N. Nimitz Highway, the third floor of Macy's at Ala Moana Center, International Market Place in Waikīkī and Pearl Highlands Center in Pearl City.The location at Waikīkī Beach Walk will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Parking is available at Embassy Suites Waikīkī Beach Walk valet parking.

Liliha bakery waikiki

<title>Liliha Bakery to open new spot in Waikīkī</title>

This will be the brand's sixth location on O‘ahu.

Liliha Bakery to open new spot in Waikīkī

De Soto 2025

DeSoto Brown

Hawai‘i History

As Aloha Tower moved into the middle years of the 20th century, tourism was increasing, and it was recognized that future infrastructure improvements were going to be necessary. Although travelers arriving in Hawai‘i by ship were gradually diminishing while those arriving by air were increasing, discussions in 1958 determined that Honolulu's main docks needed major reconstruction. Piers 8 through 11, at the base of Aloha Tower, should have facilities for passengers moved to a second level while cargo handling should be confined to the ground floors of the wharves. 

Unfortunately, this assessment did not take into account two trends that were already identified at the time — jet planes would be starting service to Hawai‘i within a year or two, and ocean cargoes would soon be shifting exclusively to standardized shipping containers, which Matson had begun using this same year. The latter would eventually require all of Honolulu's cargo movements to be relocated to Sand Island.

So even as visitors were moving away from ship travel in favor of faster and cheaper jet airplanes, in June 1963 a bid of over $5 million was accepted for the revamp of the pier complex. On July 11, 1963 the work started, and in June 1964 a controversial elevated traffic ramp's construction began. This structure was to allow access by vehicles to and from the second-story passenger area that filled in the former open space between Piers 8, 9 and 10. The ramp was criticized for how it would block the view of the harbor when looking down Bishop Street, since to keep the degree of its rise gradual, it would have to extend from a base some distance away at Pier 6.

Even worse, to many people, was how the base of Aloha Tower was completely obscured by the new addition, which also left the ground level here perpetually in shadow. Regardless of complaints, the finished project was dedicated on March 29, 1965.

The anticipated need for accommodating increased ocean travelers at Aloha Tower turned out to be incorrect. Their numbers consistently decreased, and in 1970 Matson ended its once-famous passenger service completely, to focus exclusively on cargo transport from then on. The enlarged dock facilities were unused most of the time.

By 1981 came the start of Aloha Tower's next transformation, which truthfully is still going on today. But this process has been so complex and troubled that it's impossible to even attempt to recount it in any detail here. We'll just focus on what happened starting with the closure of the Tower and its docks on November 1, 1993 in preparation for demolition and then new construction. The overall plan for the area was a massive, multi-stage development, which would start with a "festival marketplace" of the type that had already been successful in other US cities like the first one at Fanueil Hall in Boston from 1976, or Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Planned to follow this at Honolulu Harbor would be an office building, a 350 unit condominium, a maritime-specific office structure, a 350 room hotel, a "historic park" and an elevated bridge over Nimitz Highway to Fort Street. Needless to say, none of the latter ever came into existence.

Starting off the redevelopment process was the tearing-down of everything that had been constructed in the 1960s, along with the pier structures at Docks 8 and 9. On July 14, 1994, Aloha Tower stood entirely by itself for the first time ever, with the two-story concrete & steel wharf buildings at its base entirely removed. This was seen as a very positive step in the anticipated creation of what was to become Aloha Tower Marketplace. Intense work was necessary to meet the opening date of November 19, 1994, when about 50,000 people came to see the new $100 million shopping center. Consisting of a very attractive group of two story buildings with open walkways between them, the mix of tenants included retail stores, bars, restaurants and an open area dedicated to kiosks and pushcarts, with total tenants planned to number 200. The unique, scenic setting and the substantial number of Honolulu residents and visitors as potential customers seemed to indicate a bright future.

Except...the bright future never happened. The immediate problem was parking, which was limited and expensive. The rejection of having to pay to leave your car someplace, when lots of other places fairly nearby were free, pretty much doomed the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Within a few weeks came the first worried complaints from tenants, particularly from the pushcart owners. By May 1995 the developer, Aloha Tower Associates, was in arrears to various unpaid vendors as well as to the State of Hawaii, its landlord.

For years afterwards, the marketplace limped along through bankruptcies, lawsuits, failed proposals for parking improvements, different owners and managers, and dwindling tenants. A few of the latter did well, but many failed.

Finally in 2011, Hawai‘i Pacific University — which occupied numerous rented spaces in multiple downtown buildings, mostly along Fort Street — purchased the lease to Aloha Tower Marketplace along with a commercial investor. The following year the complex was 70% vacant, and by 2013 HPU had bought out its partner and had full control. Thereafter the center was redeveloped into student housing and various other school uses.

A handful of commercial tenants are present today, but in February 2020 the last of the original businesses from the 1994 opening finally closed, which was the controversial Hooters bar and restaurant.

And so we conclude in 2026, Aloha Tower's 100th birthday, anticipating that discussions for the future of the tower and its surroundings will be ongoing indefinitely (perhaps), with probably few actual changes to take place. We can say with certainty that someday the Skyline elevated train will be traveling along nearby Nimitz Highway with a station at Bishop Street, but its effects cannot be anticipated, and if anything can be learned from history, it would be unwise to try to guess them in advance.

(For Part 1 of Aloha Tower at 100 Years, click 

1 Aloha Tower 60s 16x9

<title>Aloha Tower at 100 years old, Part 2: It seemed like a good idea at the time ...</title>

In the early 1960s, the State of Hawai‘i invested millions in harbor upgrades that included modernizing Aloha Tower as a terminal for passenger liners. But jet planes soon replaced passengers liners, rendering the terminal obsolete. In the 1990s, those structure were torn down to create Aloha Marketplace, a shopping and dining destination that would never draw the anticipated crowds. ASD history writer DeSoto Brown brings us to the present day as Aloha Tower celebrates its centennial.

Aloha Tower at 100 years old, Part 2: It seemed like a good idea at the time ...

Tree authors

Daniel Dinell & Carol Kwan

Viewpoints

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an above-normal 2026 hurricane season in the Central Pacific, with up to 13 tropical cyclones expected this year. For Hawaiʻi residents, that's a reminder to stock emergency supplies, check flashlights, review family preparedness plans — and perhaps think about something many of us overlook.

Most homeowners understand the importance of maintaining roofs, clearing gutters, and securing outdoor furniture before a storm. We recognize these as critical parts of our property's infrastructure. Yet few of us think about the trees that tower above our homes, streets, schools and parks.

[{"type":"text","text":"Trees are infrastructure, too."}]

They cool our neighborhoods, reduce energy costs, absorb stormwater, improve air quality, and make our communities healthier and more beautiful. But like any infrastructure, trees require maintenance. A neglected tree has a higher risk of failing during severe weather, while a healthy, properly maintained tree is far more likely to withstand high winds and continue providing benefits long after the storm has passed.

Hawaiʻi residents have seen firsthand how destructive extreme weather can be.

The good news is that there are practical steps homeowners can take now to reduce risk.

No tree is "hurricane-proof," but properly maintained trees are generally more resilient to strong winds. Strategic pruning can reduce wind resistance and lessen the likelihood of branch failure during a storm. The key word is 

Unfortunately, some common practices actually make trees more dangerous. Topping a tree by removing most of its canopy can trigger rapid growth of new branches that are weakly attached. "Lion's tailing" branches by stripping foliage from the interior and leaving foliage only at the tips amplifies wind loading on branches. Both of these practices increase the likelihood of failure and are prohibited under nationally recognized arboriculture standards. They leave trees structurally weaker than before.

Instead, qualified arborists use pruning techniques that preserve a tree's natural form while reducing risk. Dead, dying, or damaged branches should also be removed as part of a regular maintenance cycle.

[{"type":"text","text":"One of the most important things homeowners can do is act early."}]

Tree care is not something to put off until a hurricane watch is issued. Reputable tree care companies often become overbooked when a storm is approaching, and proper pruning should never be rushed. Hurricane preparedness for trees is most effective when done well before a storm appears on the horizon.

When hiring a tree care professional, verify that the contractor is properly licensed and insured. Tree care contractors in Hawai‘i are required by State regulations to hold a specialty license. You can check a contractor’s license status online at Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs’ Professional & Vocational Licensing search website, 

. If the company is licensed, click on its name and then License Class to verify they have a C-27 or C-27B license.

Homeowners should also ask whether an ISA Certified Arborist is involved in the work. Check credentials 

 by using the Find an ISA-Credentialed Arborist tool.

Hiring an unlicensed, often uninsured, contractor may save money upfront, but it can become an expensive mistake if property is damaged or a worker is injured. And only prune trees that you own unless your neighbors’ tree has grown over the property line into your yard. In that case, while you can prune it back to the property line, it’s best to speak with the tree’s owner first. Your neighbors may prefer to prune it themselves. In addition, the tree fronting your house along the street typically belongs to the county where you live, so you could be breaking the law if you prune it.

As hurricane season unfolds, it's worth remembering that preparing for storms isn't only about what we store in our closets or garages. It's also about caring for the living infrastructure that surrounds us.

A resilient Hawaiʻi depends on staying healthy and prepared — and that includes our urban forest. Well-maintained trees help neighborhoods recover faster, remain cooler, manage stormwater more effectively, and continue providing benefits for decades to come.

This hurricane season, add one more item to your preparedness checklist: look up. Your trees may be some of the most valuable infrastructure on your property.