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Stephanie Salmons

Government & Politics

The second segment of the Skyline rail, 5.2 miles of guideway that runs from Aloha Stadium to the Middle Street Transit Center, is set to open to the public next week, bringing passengers closer to the places they live and work.

Members of the media got a sneak peek of the new leg Thursday, a ride that stopped at each of the four new stations along the route: Makalapa (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), Lelepaua (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport), Āhua (Lagoon Drive) and Kahauiki (Middle Street Transit Center).

An opening ceremony is set for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Kalihi Transit Center followed by the grand opening at 4 a.m. the next day.

 and spans just under 11 miles from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium. This section includes the rail's first nine stations: K

aualakaʻi (East Kapolei), Keoneʻae (University of Hawai‘i-West Oʻahu), Honouliuli (Hoʻopili), Hōʻaeʻae (West Loch), Pouhala (Waipahu Transit Center), Hālaulani (Leeward Community College), Waiawa (Pearl Highlands), Kalauao (Pearlridge), and Hālawa (Aloha Stadium).

Scott Humber, communication director for the City and County of Honolulu, told Aloha State Daily on Thursday that ridership on Skyline's first segment currently averages about 3,500 a day.

But segment two will "take people where they want to go, to the biggest employment centers: Pearl Harbor and the airport," he says. "The goal for this segment is 25,000 a day. That is the goal. That is the goal that Mayor [Rick Blangiardi] has been talking about. I don't anticipate it happening right away, but that is the goal for us — 25,000 [rides] per day on this portion once it gets up and running."

[{"type":"text","text":"When segment two opens, the rail project will be 83% complete."}]

According to Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services, Skyline will operate segment two from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. everyday. Trains arrive every 10 minutes until 8:30 p.m. and every 15 minutes between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.

Segment one operates from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and city holidays.

or the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, the public transit authority responsible for planning and building the rail system for the City and County of Honolulu, 

 on the next phase of the project, the city center guideway and stations.

The CCGS project includes the construction of nearly three miles of elevated guideway and six rail stations, starting near 

Kahauiki, or the Middle Street Transit Center station, and ending at the the Civic Center station, just east of the intersection of Halekauwila and South streets, ASD previously reported. 

Construction is expected to be finished by 2030.

 for the design and construction of the CCGS project to Tutor Perini Corp. in August 2024.

Skyline 100925 1

<title>Second segment of Skyline to open Oct. 16</title>

Members of the media got a sneak peek of the rail's new leg Thursday, a ride that stopped at each of the four new stations along the route from Makalapa to the Middle Street Transit Center.

Second segment of Skyline to open Oct. 16

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Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

It is spooky season and multiple haunted houses are underway. Aloha State Daily rounded up a few of the scary events happening on Oʻahu this month. Several haunted houses will host tours Friday through Sunday this month. Another hosted by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks 

Recreation will be a free one-night-only event on Halloween Night.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"October 10+"}]

Step inside the site of the old Buca di Beppo Restaurant at 1030 Auahi Street in Kakaʻako for a Halloween experience called Trial of Fears. The haunted space is presented by Waikīkī Trolley. The event includes sinister puzzles and pitch-black corridors. 

Oct. 10-12, 17-19, 23-26 and 30-31, as well as Nov. 1 and 2.

 Tickets cost $38. Early bird tickets with promo code FEAR5 are available until Oct. 13. 

 will host its Haunted Plantation experience 

in Waipahu. The experience is recommended for attendees who are at least 13 years old. Tickets cost $21, including the reservation fee.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 17+"}]

 will share ghost stories at Paradise Park in Mānoa. He will also share stories, accompanied by the 

, as part of a one-night-only performance called 

“Hapa Halloween: Mysteries of Hawaiʻi in Concert,”

 at Hawaiʻi Theatre. Kapanui and his wife, Tanya, started the ghost tour company 

, which was recently ranked the No. 1 ghost tour in the nation by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The duo also writes a 

 offered by Mysteries of Hawaiʻi in October.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 24+"}]

The Hawaiian Railway Society will bring back the Spookapalooza with haunted train rides and trick or treat opportunities on 

 Costumes are encouraged. Reservations can be made by calling (808) 681-5461. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 31"}]

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation will host an inaugural haunted mansion from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the McCully District Park in Honolulu. There will be games, face painting and a haunted house suitable for all ages. There will also be opportunities to trick or treat in the parking lot. Limited parking is available at the King William C. Lunalilo Elementary School. The parking lot of the park will be closed for the event. High visibility clothes and lights are encouraged for traffic safety. Free.

Trial of Fears

<title>Haunted experiences on Oʻahu</title>

Ready to be scared? Aloha State Daily rounded up five options for haunted fun on Oʻahu at all different price points, from free to $38. Check out options in Kakaʻako, Waipahu and more.

Haunted experiences on Oʻahu

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Michael Brestovansky

As teachers struggle to make ends meet in Hawai‘i, progress continues on a teacher housing project in Mililani.

In 2023, the Hawai‘i State Legislature tasked the Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority develop workforce housing for teachers and education staff in order to offset the high cost of living in the state, which has exacerbated a teacher shortage across the islands.

As its first project, the HSFA announced last year plans to build a teacher housing project at Mililani High School. Cheri Nakamura, HSFA’s program and policy officer, told Aloha State Daily that an environmental assessment for the project is underway, with a draft expected to be published in early 2026.

Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in late 2027 and be completed in 2029.

The project, a public-private partnership with the Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation — an O‘ahu-based nonprofit affordable housing developer — initially pitched 109 housing units to be built on the Mililani High School campus. That initial proposal is subject to change, however, after the initial planned site received pushback from residents.

“The previous site was planned to be on the same site as the school’s ag program,” Nakamura said, adding that the original site on Hookelewaa Street was also considered to be too close to the school’s academic buildings and could cause traffic congestion nearby.

After taking public feedback, the project’s new site remains on-campus, but in a southeastern corner of the property near the ballfields on Meheula Parkway.

Nakamura said she believes residents are more amenable to the new site, and added that a successful project in Mililani could serve as a model for future developments around the state.

“School land has space, it has infrastructure,” Nakamura said. “On undeveloped land, it can be hard to build affordable housing because there’s no infrastructure and it’s expensive to build that … And in Mililani, you’re within walking distance from the town center.”

The project would not be free for teachers: Nakamura said the developers are considering an even split between rental units available for people making up to 60% of the area median income — she estimated that most teachers early in their career fall under this margin — and those available for people making up to 120% AMI.

Housing would not be exclusively for teachers, said Nathan Hokama, HSFA spokesman, as other education staff and faculty could qualify for residency, as could spouses or children.

While the project would be fenced off from the campus proper, other specifics about the development — amenities, conditions for residency — are still up in the air.

However, Nakamura pointed to a 2023 survey by the state Department of Education that indicated the desire of Hawai‘i teachers for employee housing options. According to that survey, only 50% of respondents own their own homes and 41% believe themselves likely to leave their job within the next five years because of the high cost of housing.

“The DOE’s trying some incentives,” Nakamura said. “But it’s the cost of living. We all know teachers don’t get paid a whole lot.”

The survey also found that 70% or more respondents want an in-unit kitchen and an on-site laundry, and the most they are willing to pay for a 1-bedroom apartment is $1,400 a month.

The cost of the project itself is still undetermined. Nakamura said that, as a public-private partnership, the Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. will be the one setting the cost. The state Legislature in 2023 appropriated $170 million for teacher housing, but slashed that investment to $5 million following the Maui wildfires.

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Map of WH Site 16x9

<title>Teacher housing project in Mililani progresses</title>

Housing development for teachers and education workers to open in 2029.

Teacher housing project in Mililani progresses

Real Estate

Owner-occupant sales are set to begin for select residences within 

a planned luxury high-rise in Honolulu’s Ala Moana neighborhood.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"A public lottery will be held next month."}]

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, July 2, and the lottery itself will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9.

"We're very encouraged by the level of interest so far," Tim Lee, CEO of project developer JL Capital,

 a Honolulu-based real estate and private equity firm founded in 2017 that’s focused on the Ala Moana neighborhood, told Aloha State Daily. "There's been strong engagement from prospective buyers, and we're hopeful that momentum continues throughout the application period."

Located at 1538 Kapi‘olani Blvd., the planned 39-story tower was designed by architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and local partner Benjamin Woo Architects, a recent announcement noted. It’ll include 315 residences with floor-to-ceiling windows, high-end appliances and “spacious floor plans.”

There are 158 owner-occupant residences available in this offering, which include a mix of studios, one-, two and three-bedroom tower residences, urban lofts and townhomes, according to the announcement. P

rices start in the $700,000s for studios, $800,000s for one-bedroom units; $1.2 million for two-bedroom units and $2.2 million for three-bed homes.

Lee told ASD in an emailed response to questions that by law, half of all units must be offered exclusively to owner-occupants for 30 days. That's standard across new residential developments, he noted.

"Buyers must sign an affidavit stating that the unit will serve as their primary residence for at least one year," Lee explained, noting that remaining units will be available to other qualified buyers.

The primary target buyers for Muse Honolulu are Hawai‘i residents, "especially those looking to downsize or those who want the convenience of living, working and enjoying life in the heart of town," he said.

There'll be plenty of amenities across three levels for those who live there, the announcement noted, including a rooftop sky lounge with 180-degree views of Diamond Head, Ala Moana Beach Park and the ocean; a wellness spa with steam rooms, saunas, treatment rooms and a multi-level fitness center; and a recreation deck with a pool, hot and cold plunges, golf simulator, putting green, private dining rooms and more.

This is just the latest project for JL Capital, which also developed 

, a $507 million mixed-use twin tower condominium and hotel at 1388 Kapi‘olani Blvd. 

Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, a Marriott brand

, an adaptive reuse project that will convert a five-story former office building at 765 Amana St. into 32 studio, 20 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom affordable rental apartments.

Lee told ASD at the May 30 groundbreaking of Amana Lofts that a second, a ground-up project at 

, is set to get underway in several months and will create another 37 affordable units.

Earlier this month, it also was announced that JL Capital 

 in Tournet Hawai‘i Inc. a travel and transportation agency focused on the Korea-Hawai‘i market.

Construction on Muse Honolulu is expected to begin next year and anticipated to be finished in late 2028. Lee says the total development cost has not yet been finalized.

The Muse Honolulu sales gallery is located at 1388 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 101, and is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

. For more information, you can also email 

Muse Honolulu 2

<title>Owner-occupant sales set to start for luxury condominium in Ala Moana</title>

Muse Honolulu will launch the sales through a public lottery next month. Applications for the lottery opened June 21 and the deadline to apply is next Wednesday. The lottery itself will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9.

Owner-occupant sales set to start for luxury condominium in Ala Moana

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Mid-Pacific Institute broke ground on a new $7.5 million track and field facility on Tuesday morning, commemorating the moment with a ceremony and Hawaiian blessing. 

The project, which was announced in the summer 2022, was bolstered by a $1.5 million donation by Michael Wood, a local businessman and former track athlete at Cal, along with his wife, Joanne. 

In Mid-Pacific's 117 years in Mānoa, the campus previously never had a track facility. 

"It's a dream come true," Mid-Pacific track and field head coach Rick Hendrix told Aloha State Daily. "I've been here 17 years, and I never thought I'd see this day coming. But it's all about the kids, and they're gonna have a great facility next year. We won't have to ride a bus for 40 minutes one way, and 40 minutes back. They'll be able to just come out of  campus and hop on the track. So, it's a blessing."

Track and field practices for the Owls previously included bus rides to Hawai‘i Kai on Kaiser High School's track or Kalihi on Farrington High School's track. Other times, the Owls would practice on the grass field on campus. 

MPI's new track facility, spearheaded by local firm G70, will feature a six-lane track. The facility will also accommodate other track and field events such as pole vault and triple jump. 

In addition to the Wood family donation, local organizations such as the 

Atherton Family Foundation and Central Pacific Bank Foundation contributed to the funding of the facility. 

"The goal is that 100% will be funded by donations, and we're clearly on our way there," said Dr. Paul Turnbull, Mid-Pacific president. "We've got just a few months left to close out, and we're really making great progress."

Construction of Mid-Pacific's new facility is expected to be completed well in time for the school's Class of 2026 to graduate on it. 

"Pure joy for the students," Turnbull said. "We have so many students who are dedicated not only to the sport of track and field, but also just to improving themselves and really pulling together mind, body and spirit. When you think about a total school experience, this is the beginning of generations of that happening on campus, rather than us needing to look for other facilities for those particular students."

Included in Tuesday's festivities was a blessing for Mid-Pacific's Wailele Spring, with plans to beatify and revitalize it. 

Renderings of Mid-Pacific's new track and field facility are below (courtesy Mid-Pacific):

MPI TF groundbreaking 032725

<title>Mid-Pacific Institute breaks ground on first-ever $7.5 million track and field facility</title>

Bolstered by a $1.5 million donation, Mid-Pacific's new track and field facility is expected to be completed in 10 months.

Mid-Pacific Institute breaks ground on first-ever $7.5 million track and field facility

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Just minutes from Downtown Honolulu lies a high valley where cool breezes from the Ko‘olau Mountains flow down into the city. Lush and often shrouded in rain, Nu‘uanu has long been considered a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance. This valley was the site of the infamous “Kaleleaka‘anae,” the final, decisive battle in Kamehameha’s quest to overtake O‘ahu. But beyond its historical significance, it is also home to a very famous haunted house.

In 1848, a man named John G. Lewis purchased a parcel of land from the Hawaiian Government. He built a house on the property, but he sold it to John Young II only two years later. Young named the place “Hānaiakamalama” after the ancestral god of his mother, the high chiefess Mary Kuamo‘o Ka‘oana‘eha, niece of Kamehameha I. Young’s father was the famous Englishman John Young, who was befriended by King Kamehameha and became one of his trusted advisors. John Young II was also the uncle of Emma Rooke, who became Queen upon marrying Alexander Liholiho, King Kamehameha IV. 

Hānaiakamalama came into Queen Emma’s possession after Young willed the property to her upon his death in 1857. The Queen and her family enjoyed the home until her son, Prince Albert Edward, died in 1862 and then her husband, King Kamehameha IV, in 1863. Queen Emma then used the house as a summer home until her death in 1885. 

In 1890, having been vacant for the past five years, the property was put up for auction by Alexander J. Cartwright, the executor of the Queen’s estate. Cartwright stated that the home needed extensive and costly repairs. The Hawaiian government subsequently bought the house and land.  

In 1902, a local newspaper, The Hawaiian Star, published an article about an old house in Nu‘uanu Valley. 

The story said that the house “would, in all probability, if situated on the [M]ainland, come under the jurisdiction of the Society for Psychical Research, so numerous, so authenticated, and so inexplicable, are the tales of weird happenings that have occurred almost continually, as far back as the memory of the oldest inhabitant can carry.” 

The newspaper described this house as a true halelapu, or “ghost hall.” The sound of unseen footsteps echoed through its halls every evening and throughout the night. Visitors to the mansion have both seen and felt the presence of these ghostly beings. 

The home had been vacant for some years and was described as an empty house with dusty windows like dead eyes, untrimmed gardens, and yawning shutters, describing the perfect visual suggestion of a “haunted house.” 

Many of the haunting encounters were reported by people who were not known for silly stories of uncanny encounters. 

William T. Seward, also known as “Major Seward,” once slept in the house. He awoke in the middle of the night and saw a Hawaiian woman with a regal stature. A female attendant wearing a veil was with her. The major attempted to stand, but he felt like some kind of cloth was thrown over his head from behind, and he was dragged back. He made another attempt to get up, and the Hawaiian woman thrust him back, grasping his thigh. A third attempt at rising resulted in the disappearance of the ghostly figures. 

The next day, Seward went swimming, and on his thigh was a black stain. He said it wasn’t a bruise, and it wasn’t painful, but it would not wash off. The major showed the mark to a friend who asked him where he’d slept overnight. His friend then informed him that it was a “spook mark” and brought bad luck. Two months later, Major Seward was arraigned for treason. 

One young lady of a well-known family was sleeping in the room of the big hall. She awoke in the middle of the night to see, by moonlight, the disembodied head of a young Hawaiian boy lying beside hers. 

Another visitor left alone in the house went to bed peacefully in one room but later woke to find himself in another room, wrapped tightly in his blanket. 

A group of women on vacation and the children in their care heard trunks and chairs being dragged across the large hall but saw nothing moving before them. 

The son of one of the former occupants was seated at the billiard table, cutting out some papers. He felt his mother walk by, her skirt brushing against him as she passed. The boy saw her exit the room from the corner of his eye. He called her back to show her his project, and after his third call, his mother appeared from an entirely different part of the house. 

One guest slept overnight in a small room with a screen. In the middle of the perfectly calm night, he was startled awake by the heavy screen falling with a smash and then watched as something unseen dragged it across the floor. He explained that there wasn’t the slightest breath of wind stirring at the time.

Reportedly, neighbors knew to stay away from the property. No mangoes were ever stolen from its yard. People gathered to investigate the house and its terrors, but no one ever stayed long. Parents sometimes forbade their children from playing there and even went as far as fetching them away from the house before nightfall. No one who remained in the house for very long was ever disappointed. Something always happened. 

The house’s most famous inhabitants were often seen in later years as spectral entities, quietly walking through the old hall or one of the neighboring rooms. In one room, if a light were left on at night, visitors would see the ghost of His Royal Highness, King Kamehameha IV. The image of Prince Albert, his son who passed away at the age of five, is seen playing about. And, of course, often seen wandering about her home was Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke, Queen of Hawai‘i. 

All of these stories were collected before 1902. The house remained vacant for several more years until plans to sell the property in 1906 were met with strong opposition, and turning it into a public park was suggested. In 1911, the Governor of Hawai‘i set the land and house aside to be used as a park to be maintained by the city. However, in 1914, due to the inability of the city to maintain the house, rumors began floating around that the house was to be torn down. Thankfully, the Daughters of Hawai‘i stepped in, and in 1915, the maintenance of the house was given to the group. 

Today, Queen Emma Summer Palace serves as a museum, historic landmark, and cultural site preserved by the Daughters of Hawai‘i. 

[{"text":"Have you seen any ghosts there?  ","type":"text"}]

QESP 1 16x9

<title>Haunted Hānaiakamalama</title>

This storied house in Nu‘uanu Valley was well known more than a century ago for its many frightening experiences, from the sound of footsteps to visions of a disembodied head.

Haunted Hānaiakamalama

Andrea Cavaliere

Andrea Cavaliere is a freelance journalist from the Big Island of Hawai‘i. With a background in conservation and historic preservation, she writes about local history, events, and all the people and places that give the Big Island its unique character.

Andrea Cavaliere

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