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Business & Tourism

Nearly a year after its opening, Pickles at Forté is expanding, soon adding more courts for Downtown Honolulu’s pickleball enthusiasts.

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14, in line with the inaugural 

, taking place at the same time at Fort Street Mall.

Pickles at Forté, the first air conditioned, indoor pickleball and social club in Downtown Honolulu, opened in January on the ground floor of 1032 Fort Street Mall. The space was formerly occupied by Walmart, which had been vacant since the retailer closed that location in early 2023.

It's also part of a larger redevelopment plan in the works by Avalon Group, a Downtown-based full-service real estate development, consulting and sales company that acquired the property in February 2024 for $38.25 million.

“This was just in response to massive demand that we’ve seen,” Robby Kelley, executive vice president for Avalon, told Aloha State Daily Friday. “Since we opened nearly a year ago now, membership for Pickles has grown to really where we’re at capacity with our court utilization. We were hurrying as much as possible to get some additional courts open to alleviate that capacity. Now we have more courts available. [It] gives us the ability to host more community events, more tournaments and just [have] more times available for our members.”

According to Kelley, 1,700 people initially signed up to play in its early weeks, but Pickles at Forté now has approximately 400 members and they’re looking to expand membership to 800 to 1,000.

Some membership specials will soon be available, including an upcoming BOGO promotion where people who sign up for a month will get a second month free, he says.

“Throughout this whole year, I’ve just been continually amazed at the level of interest in pickleball,” Kelley says. “[I’m] always a little incredulous when I go there on a Tuesday at 11 a.m. and I see all the courts are packed.”

The second phase of the redevelopment initially called for approximately 10 pickleball courts on the second floor as well as a restaurant, full locker rooms and other amenities. Kelley said Friday, however, that the developer is delaying the upstairs restaurant concept for a bit, focusing on pickleball and ground-floor retail, as well as looking at plans to potentially build about 100 units of workforce rental housing on top of the existing Walmart building. That effort is still in the planning stages, he noted.

It's a “continuum of continuing to improve the building one step at a time.”

Pickles at Forté expanded upon its initial offerings 

, welcoming a sports shop, Teapresso Bar and a golf simulator.

Kelley says the golf simulator is up, running and available to both members and non-members. A special golf membership also has recently launched.

Kelley noted, too, that Aloha Creamery now has a kiosk offering ice cream within Pickles as well.

“It’s really been a success for us so far doing exactly what we’ve wanted it to [do], which was to really help build a community and bring life to Downtown,” Kelley says. “… It is starting to do what we wanted, to change the character of the block there, and that’s just going to continue as we get more and more open.”

Pickleball is a popular pastime in the Islands. A study conducted by 

, a pickleball tech company, found that Hawai‘i has the third highest density of pickleball courts in the U.S., 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Pickles at forte1 012725

<title>More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu</title>

The Pickle Party, a grand opening of eight new courts on the second floor of Pickles at Forté, is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14.

More pickleball courts opening in Downtown Honolulu

It's the end of an era for Hawaiian Airlines.

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines — and just over a year after 

 — the last Hawaiian Airlines flight to the use the HA call signal arrived in Honolulu early this morning from American Samoa.

The move comes after Alaska Airlines on Wednesday received a single operating certificate, or SOC, from the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s a major milestone in the continued efforts to integrate the operations of the two airlines.

The distinct Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands remain, but this means the airlines are now operating under a single call sign, AS, which pilots and dispatchers use to communicate with air traffic control, Alaska Airlines explained in an 

According to that announcement, this is an FAA regulatory requirement that “marks the successful integration of training, policies, procedures and manuals across both airlines.”

Alex Da Silva, regional communications director — Hawai‘i for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines

, told Aloha State Daily it was a smooth transition, and that there are no material changes for guests.

“The most notable change is that we are assigning new HA flight numbers to avoid duplication with AS flight numbers, but the HA code preceding the flight numbers will remain in place until we reach a single passenger service system in late April.”

Once the airlines transition to a single passenger service system — the main technology guests use to plan trips, book tickets and on the day of travel — all flights will use an AS code, the announcement notes, but adds that travelers can still view and book Hawaiian Airline flights, which will be branded across its digital channels with an image of the Pualani aircraft tails.

The adoption of a single passenger service system next spring is the next big milestone in the merger and integration process, Da Silva says, noting that’ll be followed by the combination of collective bargaining agreements with the airlines’ unionized teams in about 12 to 18 months.

Another key milestone, however, was marked at the start of the month with the transition from HawaiianMiles to a joint loyalty program offered by both Hawaiian and Alaska airlines, 

“We're very pleased with the transition of HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards and excited for our members to experience the full benefits of the program,” Da Silva told ASD. “At the same time, we recognize there is a learning curve as our members familiarize themselves with the features of the new program. We remain engaged with our members and always appreciate their feedback, and we are honoring several legacy HawaiianMiles benefits through the end of the year.”

Additionally, with the single operating certificate secured, Wednesday also marked the changing of the guards, so to speak, at Hawaiian Airlines, with several Honolulu-based leadership roles formally taking effect.

Diana Birkett Rakow, formerly the executive vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines, became CEO of Hawaiian Airlines Wednesday. The first woman to hold that position, she succeeds 

, who has held the position since the acquisition was completed in 

Jim Landers, Hawaiian Airlines senior vice president for technical operations, is now head of Hawai‘i operations and Shelly Parker, Horizon Air’s vice president of station operations and inflight is now head of Hawai‘i guest operations, Wednesday's announcement noted. Read more about the 

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Alaska Hawaiian Airlines 1920

<title>Alaska, Hawaiian airlines reach merger milestone</title>

Alaska Airlines on Wednesday received a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing it to operate alongside Hawaiian Airlines as two separate brands.

Alaska, Hawaiian airlines reach merger milestone

Government & Politics

One of Kalihi’s largest public housing communities will be transformed as the 

first of a multi-phase redevelopment effort

As part of the redevelopment, 13 existing buildings at Kūhiō Park Terrace Low-Rises and Homes will be demolished and 60 of the current 174 aging public housing units will be replaced with 302 new affordable rental homes and two manager units. The new units will be constructed in three mid-rise buildings that will range from six to eight stories.

Construction was expected to begin this month and be finished by mid-2028.

Financing for this first phase, a $214.3 million redevelopment, was recently secured.

The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Housing Land Management, or DHLM and the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority, or HPHA, made that announcement late last week.

“The Kūhiō Park Terrace redevelopment represents an essential reinvestment in one of Honolulu’s largest and oldest public housing communities,” Kevin Auger, DHLM director-designate told Aloha State Daily via email. “The original complex was built more than 60 years ago, and like many older properties across the island, it no longer meets the needs of today’s families.”

Auger says the project will replace aging infrastructure with “modern, resilient housing designed to support long-term affordability and quality of life for residents.”

“It reflects a broader effort to ensure that public lands and public resources are being used to provide safe, dignified homes for local families who are most at risk of being priced out.

Financing for the first phase includes a $115.7 million investment from the city, which includes $107.7 million in private activity bonds and $8 million from its Affordable Housing Fund, the announcement noted.

Meanwhile, the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp. is providing more than $10.18 million each in 4% federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, along with $48.6 million in gap financing through the Rental Housing Revolving Loan Fund, the city said.

The project’s tax credit equity investor is the Royal Bank of Canada, with construction financing provided by Bank of Hawai‘i.

In the first phase, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units will be available, along with community amenities that include a playground, picnic area, community meeting room, fitness loop and gardens, as well as 96 parking stalls, the announcement notes.

All units will be reserved for households that earn 30%, 40% and 60% or below of the area median income. HPHA also will provide 65 project-based vouchers and guarantee some units for households at or below 30% AMI, the announcement states. These income limits vary depending on the household size. You can find the 

Kūhiō Park Terrace Low-Rises and Homes are adjacent properties at 1449 Ahonui St. that are currently home to 174 units of federally subsidized public housing on 22 acres, the announcement notes.

“Working in partnership with HPHA and its developer partner Highridge Costa Development Co., the full master plan envisions 650 new low-income rental homes across three phases,” the announcement reads.

The total capitalization for the first phase of work is approximately $214.3 million.

 said in an emailed response to questions from ASD, shared with us by a department planner, that the $214.3 million capitalization represents the total development cost for the first phase of the redevelopment. It includes “everything required to plan, finance and deliver a complete, occupied and operational housing community.”

That includes not only construction costs but demolition, site work, infrastructure, architectural and engineering services, environmental and permitting work, legal and accounting expenses, insurance and project management, as well relocation assistance for existing tenants, financing and bond issuance costs, interest, reserves for long-term operations and maintenance and more.

 says that all 60 families affected by the first phase of development were successfully relocated earlier this year, a process that was planned and carried out in coordination with each household “to 

ensure that every family was treated fairly, supported throughout the move and provided with safe, affordable housing options.”

No other families will need to be relocated for the upcoming phase 1 redevelopment, and once the construction is complete, relocated residents who are in good standing and in compliance with their lease will have priority to return to the property, he noted.

Before relocating these families, Ouansafi says HPHA offered “one or more comparable housing units for each displaced tenant” and they were offered housing where they would not pay more than 30% of their income, like the cost of renting in public housing. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Addressing housing needs"}]

Auger says this project reflects the kind of partnership critical to addressing the island’s housing shortage.

“The City’s involvement helps make large-scale redevelopment like this possible,” he says. “By providing financial resources to the HPHA, the city is leveraging public funds for maximum community impact — strengthening surrounding neighborhoods, improving connectivity and ensuring that affordability is preserved well into the future.”

According to Auger, the KPT redevelopment aligns with the city’s 

 and the department’s mission to deliver more affordable and workforce housing by activating public lands — in this case state lands — through public-private partnerships.

Backed by the city’s $115.7 million investment, the redevelopment project “underscores DHLM’s strategic use of its newly reactivated PAB program to unlock large-scale redevelopment opportunities,” Auger says

“By combining city, state and private resources, the project exemplifies the kind of catalytic, results-driven investment that moves Honolulu closer to a more equitable housing system — one where every family, regardless of income, can find a safe, stable place to call home.

Amanda Ybanez, chair of the Kalihi-Pālama Neighborhood Board No. 15, meanwhile, told ASD in an email that she’s “all for the redevelopment of KPT,” having long supported efforts to revitalize the community by supporting workforce affordable housing. She says she feels that affordable housing is the “real push” for thousands of local residents.

Kpt1

<title>Financing secured for first phase of Kūhiō Park Terrace redevelopment</title>

In this phase, 60 of the current 174 aging public housing units will be replaced with 302 new affordable rental homes and two manager units.

Financing secured for first phase of Kūhiō Park Terrace redevelopment

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 just soft opened in Pearl Highlands Center. The eatery is the sister business of Hot Pot Heaven, which is located in McCully Shopping Center.

Customers can get 15% off during soft opening week, which is Oct. 27 to 31. The eatery is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A limited menu is available, but there’s still a variety of dishes to choose from.

If you can’t decide between banh mi and pho, the pho dip ($16) is the best of both worlds. This pho-style French dip features a crispy baguette filled with sliced beef brisket, saute onions, bean sprouts and Thai basil. It comes with a side of hot pho broth for dipping.

We loved the umami flavor of the concentrated pho broth, along with the satisfying crunch from the crispy baguette and savory brisket.

Of course, traditional banh mi sandwiches ($10) are also available. Toasted baguettes are layered with pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, fresh cilantro and filled with the customer’s choice of protein. Options include grilled pork, roast pork, lemongrass chicken, char siu pork belly and pulled pork.

The beef rib pho ($24) features housemade beef stock, hearty pieces of short rib and white onions. It’s ideal if you want something savory and meaty with lots of umami flavor.

The banh mi shumai ($14) is one of the more unique menu options. A crispy baguette is served with juicy pork shumai. The baguette is meant to be dipped into the tomato-like sauce, and the pork is designed to be spread on top each piece.

The dish’s bright, slightly acidic flavor reminded me of spaghetti and meatballs — especially because the shumai are a generous size.

The eatery also has a grab-and-go section with pre-packed options like summer rolls ($9) and banh uot ($10). The latter comprises soft, steamed rice noodles served with Vietnamese ham, fried shallots, bean sprouts and fresh herbs, along with a side of tangy nuoc cham.

Pho Heaven’s menu will also eventually include build-your-own pho bowls. The customizable option will include the eatery’s signature broth topped with onions, cilantro, Thia basil and bean sprouts, along with one ($16), two ($18) or three ($20) meat options.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

1000 Kamehameha Hwy. Ste. 226, Pearl City

Pho Heaven banh mi hero shot 102725

<title>‘Pho’-nomenal: Vietnamese eatery Pho Heaven just opened in Pearl City</title>

The restaurant, located in Pearl Highlands Center, is the sister restaurant of Hot Pot Heaven in McCully Shopping Center. Customers can get 15% off during soft opening week, which is now until Oct. 31.

‘Pho’-nomenal: Vietnamese eatery Pho Heaven just opened in Pearl City

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Aloha Spirit

When Isiah Kiner-Falefa and the Toronto Blue Jays punched their ticket to the World Series with a dramatic 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 20, the Mid-Pacific baseball community beamed with pride. 

Kiner-Falefa, a 2013 Mid-Pacific alumnus, has played at the Major League level since 2018, building a reputation as a trusty utility player. His presence in the Major Leagues alone marks the first and only time a player from the school has reached the show. 

With the Blue Jays trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 7 against the Mariners, Kiner-Falefa fought off an 0-2 single, setting the stage for a 3-run home run by George Springer. Toronto secured its spot in the World Series for the first time since 1993, where it would face the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. 

 head coach Dane Fujinaka, a 2011 MPI alum, watched the pennant-clinching game on television. As soon as the Blue Jays won, he contemplated buying tickets to see his former high school teammate in person. He then realized that if someone were to make the trip to watch him play, it should be Dunn Muramaru, head coach of the Mid-Pacific varsity baseball team since 1987. 

"That night, I just kind of ran through my head how cool it would be to be able to go watch," Fujinaka recently told Aloha State Daily. "And I just thought of coach Dunn because being in a coach's shoes, I couldn't imagine having one of my current players grow up and become a big leaguer and then play the World Series. And that's something that doesn't happen often. It happens sort of once in a lifetime, right? I was like, You know what, we got to send him up there. I think that's like the icing on the cake for him with being inducted into the (American Baseball Coaches Association) 

"It was honestly really easy because people want to find a way to give back to him because he's given so much to everybody."

Fujinaka was a senior when Kiner-Falefa got his shot to join the varsity team as a sophomore. Although Kiner-Falefa played sparingly that year, the two maintained a friendship over the years. Fujinaka, who worked with the Blue Jays organization for three seasons before getting the HPU gig in 2021, says he still keeps in touch with colleagues during his time with the organization. They all gush about Kiner-Falefa, who signed with them in 2024, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates that same year, but rejoined in time for the 2025 postseason. 

"It's unbelievable to just see the way he carries himself," Fujinaka said of Kiner-Falefa. "He's the heart and hustle guy on every team, it seems like. They all said tremendous things about him as a person and a teammate. He's kind of like their spark plug. It doesn't shock me, because he's literally done everything that every club has ever asked of him."

Muramaru will have a former player serving a prominent role on each team. In addition to Kiner-Falefa, 2007 MPI alumnus Will Ireton has served as an interpreter for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani since the 2024 season, one of his roles as the team's director of Japanese operations and strategy. 

Fujinaka successfully purchased two tickets to Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, which begins at 2 p.m. HST on Monday. He was able to purchase a pair of upper level tickets above the third base dugout, priced at approximately $1,200 apiece. Muramaru will be accompanied by Mid-Pacific pitching coach Craig Hayashi. They were the best seats available when Fujinaka purchased them, and when he checked for tickets the next day, none were available.

When Fujinaka reached out to his network, agreement that Muramaru deserved to be at the World Series was so strong and unanimous that the contributions needed were met within hours. Fujinaka sent out another update to say that he had raised enough money, but funds still came in. The excess money will go to Muramaru and Hayashi, with helping MPI's baseball program floated as one of the possible uses.  

Fujinaka estimates that about 50 people chipped in, with 30 to 40 of them former MPI baseball players. An additional 10 to 15 are other coaches, teachers, or those who simply learned something from Muramaru and appreciated what he gave to the game. 

"I was just in shock," Muramaru said when he was informed of the efforts to get him to the World Series. "It's hard to explain. It's like, wow. You don't really think that you did that much to deserve all that. I'm just overwhelmed."

Muramaru, 71, will continue to coach the baseball team at Mid-Pacific when a new season begins in the spring. His run with the Owls includes five state titles and six runner-up finishes. When he tuned in to Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, the feeling he got seeing two former players was priceless. 

"I was thinking, wow, you have two people in the World Series from the same high school," he said. "That's kind of neat. Must be kind of rare."

Kiner-Falefa was an All-State shortstop for Muramaru who bypassed a college commitment to San Jose State to go pro immediately out of high school. After making his Major League debut in 2018 for the Texas Rangers, the franchise that drafted him in 2013, Kiner-Falefa has played for four different teams, carving out a role as a respected utility player. He has played every single position on the field, with the exception of first base. As a mop-up pitcher, teams have scored just two runs off of him in his 6.2 career innings. 

"Really proud of him and just the way he carries himself," Muramaru said. "All the years he's played, we're just proud of him, as far as being from our place and how he represents not only our school, but the state of Hawai‘i with how good a person he is."

Although he's not a player, Ireton receives far more screen time than Kiner-Falefa due to his presence as Ohtani's interpreter. During games, Ireton also serves Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed a complete game to help the Dodgers even the World Series at one game apiece heading back to Los Angeles. 

"He didn't play too much for us, honestly," Muramaru said of Ireton, who played collegiately at Occidental College and Menlo College. "But a really good teammate. Everybody liked him, and he was just a really good person. I think that goes a long way. And I'm pretty sure that's what (the Dodgers) saw in him, too."

The funds raised covers tickets, transportation and one night at a Los Angeles hotel. Muramaru and Hayashi are teammates in a softball league and had a playoff game on Sunday and will arrive in LA on a red-eye that lands on Monday. 

"It was funny because I said you guys don't have to fly the red-eye Sunday," Fujinaka said. "Why don't you guys go up a day before the game? Their softball team is in the playoffs and they cannot miss it. Both of those guys are just ultimate teammates. They're not willing to even miss a softball game to go up a day earlier for the World Series. I thought that was pretty fitting."

Isiah Kiner Falefa 102725

<title>Mid-Pacific alums chip in to send coaches to World Series</title>

Two longtime Mid-Pacific baseball coaches will be at Dodger Stadium for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday to watch a former player on each team.

Mid-Pacific alums chip in to send coaches to World Series

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

ʻi’s Local Hits is hosting its first Battle of the Bands and Comedians. From each round, the top contestant advances to the finals. The final competition will feature five bands and five comedians and will be held on Nov. 21 at The Gatsby in Kakaʻako.

The competition started with round one on Friday, Oct. 17, at Anna OʻBrien’s. 

Aloha State Daily is the media sponsor for this event. 

Among the judges was ASD’s Editor-in-Chief Kam Napier. The comedians included Saul Smith, Josh Staples and Handsome Harold. The bands included Sumor, Last Resort and The Reppahz

. The winners of the first round were Josh Staples and The Reppahz, who advance straight to the finals.

There are four rounds of competitions, with the best of each night advancing to the finals. The second place finishers for each round get a chance to qualify as a wildcard, if they are voted in by fans. The names of each second place winner will be listed on the 

 from Nov. 10 -16 and fans can vote on which band and comedian they want to advance to the finals as the fifth competitor. 

“There's a lot of people that listen to music that maybe don't know there's a comedy scene here, and there's a lot of people that go to comedy shows that may not listen to these bands here,” said Austin Correia

, the event coordinator and media consultant for Pacific Media Group, which includes HI93 FM

 Hawaiʻi’s Local Hits. “The whole idea was bringing the two crowds together to drive both local scenes harder than they've ever been driven before.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Upcoming events include:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The Boardroom Kailua"}]

: Wicked Reef, Jackie Chan (the band), Johnny The Third

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[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Lava Sports Bar & Grill, Kailua"}]

 Mutiyaa Vision, Andrew Joyce, Jack Schwab

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Moani Waikīkī"}]

Battle of the Bands and Comedians

<title>Battle of the Bands and Comedians: Tickets on sale now</title>

Up-and-coming bands and comedians are competing in a new event in Honolulu this week. The second round of competition takes place in Kailua on Saturday, Oct. 25. The winner earns a spot in the finals next month.

Battle of the Bands and Comedians: Tickets on sale now

ASD Logo

<title>Michèle McCoy</title>

Michèle McCoy

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs aims to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians through advocacy, research, funding and more. Here is a breakdown of the measures that would advance its mission, if approved by Gov. Josh Green.

Michèle McCoy

Latest from Michèle McCoy

Community Voices: Bills from the 2025 legislative session that will most impact Native Hawaiians

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