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Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

An ‘Ewa Beach family is offering a $5,000 reward for information about a burglar who stole an estimated $135,000 in valuables from their house last weekend.

At around 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, a man entered a home in ‘Ewa Gentry while its residents — a couple and their young child — were out. Only the next morning, as the mother prepared for work, did she realize that her ring, along with dozens of other pieces of jewelry, was missing.

“When I opened up the closet, it was essentially ransacked,” the mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told Aloha State Daily. “Bags were on the floor and my jewelry case had been completely shelled out.”

The woman told ASD that the stolen items were largely jewelry, including some heirloom pieces set with jewels. Some individual pieces, she said, are worth almost $30,000 on their own.

“Some of those pieces were things that my grandparents had worked a lifetime to save for to give to us,” she said. “I have pieces from loved ones who have passed away, graduation presents … One of the necklaces, my husband had created himself when I gave birth to our first child.

“We’re not rich, we’re not well-to-do,” she added. “That was almost everything I had, asset-wise.”

The Honolulu Police Department is investigating the case, the woman said, and some blurry home security footage could help identify the culprit: the burglar is about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with an athletic build. They appear to be wearing a dark hoodie, gloves and a mask.

Moreover, the woman said, another house in the neighborhood was burgled about a month prior. A figure photographed in that incident, she said, seems to resemble her burglar in build and gait.

“The way he operated wasn’t messy,” she said. “The way that he looked for things wasn’t haphazard. He knew exactly what he wanted and he got it.”

The woman said HPD told her that the culprit could be someone familiar with the house, or it could have been an opportunistic hit.

But as HPD investigates the case, the couple is taking things into their own hands.

“My husband and I haven’t gotten much sleep because we’ve been hitting pawn shops, we’ve been emailing gold buyers, we’ve just been going all around the community, trying our best to get what was taken from us and to share footage of who this person was,” the woman said.

And, she said, she is offering a $5,000 cash reward for anyone who can provide a tip that leads to a valid conviction.

“I’m never going to stop,” she said. “This case is not going to dwindle out because … I’ll just do my own work to find out, like, who in the community has also been hit … I’d love to catch him, but also even if the news gets out wide enough, maybe it’ll shake him up and he won’t hurt anymore. He won’t ruin any more families.”

The woman said the aftermath of the home invasion has left her and her family shaken. She said they bought the house within the last two years to raise their child in a safe neighborhood, but now “the house is just not really the same.”

“You don’t really feel safe anymore,” she said. “Your home is supposed to be where you relax, your comfort spot … It’s just really shattered something that we had been dreaming of for so long.”

People with information about the case can submit a tip via 

 at (808) 955-8300. The woman said she will work with HPD and the owner of the stolenstuffhawaii.com website to connect with tipsters should their tip prove fruitful.

Ringnecklace

<title>‘Ewa Beach family offering $5,000 reward for tips about burglar</title>

A burglar made off with more than $135,000 in jewelry from a house last weekend. The owners are offering a reward for tips that lead to an arrest.

‘Ewa Beach family offering $5,000 reward for tips about burglar

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

As of this writing, a sizable and threatening tropical storm is bearing down on Hawai‘i.

Kama‘āina are all too familiar with the vulnerabilities associated with living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

However, there is an interesting dynamic amongst many locals. It's a defiance of the calls from government, non-profit agencies, and even family members to be prepared. There are some that will rather stock up on beer, cocktails, BBQ and poke and call those their survival supplies. I mean, if you're going to have a Hurricane Party, you'd better be prepared! Yes, that's right. While the vast majority of folks are battening down their respective hatches, others are making guest lists and preparing for a helluva time.

[{"type":"text","text":"I may not agree, but I do understand."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Time after time we are warned of impending doom and cataclysmic impact."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Take television weather coverage."}]

I firmly believe there is a genuine desire to inform and educate the public in times of impending threat. There is a myriad to choose from including hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, and more. With each event there is a relentless tempo of reports, segments, radar images and official statements from city, state and federal agencies. Again, I maintain that it's a true service to provide such information. However, there may be some unintended consequences.

I remember my initial days of my radio career here in Hawai‘i. KHVH was an ABC News affiliate, and I was called upon as a "stringer" (a freelance reporter) when the network required news from Honolulu and the state. In 1994, a tsunami warning was issued for Hawai‘i. We were informed that a tsunami had been generated and we would be affected. I filed reports to the network and here at home based on information provided and the urgency increased at time passed.

Evacuations were underway. Locals took to filled roadways leading to higher ground. Families were doing their best to communicate and ensure the safety of their loved ones.

[{"type":"text","text":"Then the tsunami hit."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"More accurately, it didn't."}]

"HONOLULU, Oct. 4, 1994 -- A tsunami warning for Pacific islands and the West Coasts of Canada and the United States, issued after a great earthquake rocked Japan, was cancelled Tuesday after only a ripple was reported in the Hawaiian Islands." 

Yes, there was a sigh of relief, but this was the beginning — from my perspective — of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome regarding severe warnings.

We have had numerous encounters with anticipated harm to Hawai‘i. And knock on wood, we have dodged what could have been dire consequences with each one of these challenges. Thank you, Lord. 

But with each year and each warning not coming to fruition, unfortunately, the seeds of doubt have been planted and cultivated throughout the public.

Hurricane Iniki in 1992 serves as a reminder of a lack of control over the storm, but a need for precise, timely, and well-disseminated information.

Iniki was the costliest hurricane ever to strike Hawai‘i, causing $3.1 billion in damage (in today's dollars, a staggering $7.39 billion). That made it the third-costliest U.S. hurricane at the time, behind 

 in August 1992, one month earlier. It was the first significant hurricane to threaten the state since 

 10 years earlier. Iniki affected all of Hawai‘i with high waves and strong winds, with the worst impacts on Kauaʻi. Seven people died during the hurricane – three on Kauaʻi, two offshore, and two on O‘ahu. The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation. Of the offshore deaths, two were 

 nationals who died when their boat capsized south of Kauaʻi. There were also around 100 storm-related injuries throughout the state, some of which occurred during the hurricane's aftermath. More than 1,400 Kaua‘i homes were destroyed, another 5,000 severely damaged.

The line, "The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation" remains an essentially importance statement.

Just two weeks earlier it was the aforementioned Hurricane Andrew which struck Florida with incredible fury. The cost in lives and more was virtually unprecedented. I was with another local radio station in Honolulu at the time and, ironically, I had recently signed on after having spent years in Florida. It was shortly before Iniki struck that I recall interviewing the Hawai“i State Civil Defense spokesman about Hawai‘i's exposure. At the time, Iniki was brewing as a possible tropical storm and, fortunately, the state issued its own reports including warnings.  

 24 hours in advance. Among the explanations was the abrupt change in the storm's direction. I think we all recall Iniki tracking to hit the South side of O‘ahu, Waikīkī, with full force. 

I'm not throwing anybody or any agency under the bus. This was more than three decades ago and a different time.

But the takeaway is, "The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation".

[{"type":"text","text":"As stated, we are in that window of potential right now. "}]

We also live in a time when information, technology, expertise and reach have never been more profound.

It's also clear that we have learned from the past. From governmental agencies to community organizations to neighbors and families who have never been so engaged. Yes, there are imperfections, but they do not define the generosity and compassion of so many for so many.

[{"type":"text","text":"I am prayerful that we emerge yet again, relatively unscathed."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"We have so recently endured Kona Low 1 and Kona Low 2."}]

What I can see is, regardless of what takes place in the coming days, the people of Hawai‘i will continue to share, support, assist and care for each other bringing to life the true Aloha Spirit.

[{"type":"text","text":"So, I say, bring it on."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"We're ready."},{"type":"hardBreak","text":""}]

Hurricane generic image

<title>Hamada: Don't be numb to warnings</title>

Impending disasters get the same amount of hype in advance, whether they come to pass or not. With Tropical Storm Lala approaching, ASD opinion columnist Rick Hamada says it's best to prepare for the worst rather than assume nothing will happen just because previous predictions fizzled.

Hamada: Don't be numb to warnings

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

For the first time since it opened in 1964, Sea Life Park Hawai‘i near Waimānalo is under Native Hawaiian stewardship.

Hawaiian Council on Wednesday announced it acquired the oceanfront attraction from Herschend Family Entertainment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Georgia-based Herschend 

"The transaction ensures that the park remains in local hands while creating an unprecedented opportunity to shape its next chapter as a place where marine life, Native Hawaiian culture, education and community come together," an announcement from 

, formerly known as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, noted.

Sea Life Park will continue to operate without interruption; Hawaiian Council says that existing reservations, memberships and annual passes will be honored, and no layoffs associated with the purchase are planned. 

“For generations, Sea Life Park has helped people discover the beauty of Hawaiʻi’s marine life. Our opportunity now is to help people understand something deeper — that these animals have always been part of Hawaiʻi’s story,” Hawaiian Council CEO Kūhiō Lewis said in the announcement. “They appear throughout our moʻolelo, genealogy, navigation traditions and cultural practices. Under Native Hawaiian stewardship, Sea Life Park can become a place where kamaʻāina reconnect with those relationships and visitors experience Hawaiʻi through the voices and values of the people who have cared for these Islands for generations.”

Former Sea Life Park General Manager Valerie King will support the transition with other operational support in place to help "ensure continuity," the announcement says.

"Sometimes you go looking for opportunities, and sometimes the kuleana finds you. This was one of those opportunities," Lewis told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "Valerie King first approached me about Sea Life Park and the possibility of bringing it back under local ownership, and I give Herschend a lot of credit for wanting to find a buyer that understood Hawaiʻi and cared about the park’s future. The more we looked at it, the more we saw an opportunity to create local economic value, support jobs and bring an important Hawaiʻi institution under Native Hawaiian stewardship. For us, local ownership also means that the value generated here can stay here and be reinvested back into our communities."

According to the announcement, Sea Life Park operates on state-owned land and Hawai‘i Pacific University holds the master lease; Hawaiian Council will continue operating under the existing lease structure, and continue working with HPU, the state and other partners to grow opportunities in marine education, research and community learning.

The park will be operated by Attractions Hawai‘i, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hawai‘i Holdings & Investments, or HHI, Hawaiian Council's for-profit holding company.

"Sea Life Park is an important Hawaiʻi institution with a long history and deep connection to the community,” Eric Rose, senior vice president of zoological advancement at Herschend said in the announcement. “As we considered its future, it was important to identify an owner who understood that responsibility. We believe Hawaiian Council is well positioned to guide Sea Life Park’s next chapter with care, continuity and respect for Hawaiʻi.”

Lewis told ASD that because the terms of the acquisition are confidential, Hawaiian Council is not able to disclose the purchase price, but noted that the acquisition was made through HHI and no nonprofit resources were used.

[{"type":"text","text":"Long-term vision"}]

Hawaiian Council says the acquisition builds upon its broader work in Native Hawaiian culture, economic development, destination stewardship and community impact, which includes initiatives like its tourism division, 

 and the upcoming Broadway-style musical, "

Hawaiian Goddess: The Epic Tale of Hi‘iaka

The nonprofit's long-term vision for Sea Life Park is "still being shaped," the announcement notes, "but the organization sees the park’s future as a Native Hawaiian-led cultural and educational destination inspired by the ocean, navigation, healing and the deep sea — a place where marine life, cultural interpretation and education can help residents and visitors understand that Hawaiʻi’s honu, nai‘a, monk seals, sharks and other marine species are more than remarkable animals. They are part of Hawaiian genealogy, moʻolelo, navigation, spirituality and the enduring relationship between people, the ocean and ʻāina."

Initial investments at the park will focus on "preserving what guests already value while introducing experiences that deepen their understanding of Hawai‘i," the announcement states.

Planned improvements include enhancing landscaping with Native Hawaiian plants, expanding cultural storytelling, educational programming and hands-on demonstrations. The organization also will evaluate opportunities to expand  cultural partnerships, school programs, community access and learning opportunities, and look for ways to "strengthen the integration" of marine science, Native Hawaiian knowledge and storytelling.

[{"type":"text","text":"Lewis says that guests shouldn't expect any immediate major changes."}]

"Sea Life Park remains open, reservations and programs continue, and our focus right now is on supporting the team and making sure operations remain strong," he told ASD. "We know the park needs investment, and we absolutely intend to reinvest in the property, its facilities and the overall guest experience. We are still assessing those needs, so it would be premature to put a dollar figure on that today, but we did not acquire Sea Life Park simply to maintain the status quo. We see a lot of potential here."

More details about future investments, educational experiences, cultural programming and community partnerships will be announced in the coming months. 

Lewis says that Native Hawaiian stewardship is really about responsibility.

"Sea Life Park is in a special place, with a deep connection to the ocean, the surrounding community and the culture of Hawaiʻi," he says. "We now have the opportunity to think intentionally about how the park reflects those connections through education, culture and storytelling. Just as important, it is locally owned. That means decisions about its future are being made here in Hawaiʻi, with the goal of creating opportunities for local people and ensuring the park’s success also benefits the broader community."

Sea life park

<title>Hawaiian Council acquires Sea Life Park near Waimānalo</title>

"Sometimes you go looking for opportunities, and sometimes the kuleana finds you," Hawaiian Council CEO Kūhiō Lewis told Aloha State Daily of the acquisition. "This was one of those opportunities."

Hawaiian Council acquires Sea Life Park near Waimānalo

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 — which has locations in Japan and California — is bringing is signature Japanese kissaten-style café experience to Honolulu for a limited time.

The pop-up will be open to the public starting at 10 a.m. Aug. 13, according to Takuma Lathrop, president of Dining Innovation West. It’s located in an enclosed section of TsuruTonTan, which is located in Royal Hawaiian Center.

“We’re friends with the owners of the brand in Japan,” says Lathrop. “They opened in California and we went to check it out; we started talking about the possibility of partnering up.”

Right now, there is no set end date for the pop-up, but Lathrop says it should be open for at least one month. To start, the pop-up will be open to the first 60 customers — no reservations accepted; first-come, first-served — but Lathrop says its hours will eventually be extended.

“As soon as we feel more comfortable to handle more people, we’ll get to a point where there won’t be a limit,” he says. “We just want to make sure we are making the best possible dishes correctly so everyone can enjoy the taste.”

Takagi Coffee is known for its handcrafted, made-to-order souffle pancakes and freshly roasted coffee. The Honolulu pop-up’s menu is more limited, compared to the brand’s California and Japan locations, but will still feature signature dishes, according to Lathrop.

The coffee menu features a house blend ($5), cold brew ($6) and lattes ($7). Customers can also choose from several hot or iced matcha lattes ($7-$9). The matcha cream ($2 add-on) comes highly recommended for the iced matcha lattes.

Souffle pancakes come with toppings like strawberry, mango and matcha (two pieces for $17, four pieces for $22). In addition to your fruit of choice, pancakes are topped with whipped cream, cookie crumbles and vanilla ice cream.

A savory option (two pieces for $18, three pieces for $23) — topped with thick-cut bacon, sunny side-up eggs and hollandaise — is also available. 

“Personally, I like savory things; the savory pancake is really good,” Lathrop says. “It’s surprisingly very hearty and good for people who aren’t super into sweets.”

The pop-up also features Yoshoku (Japanese-style Western dishes) plates, which are served with miso soup.

Choose from omurice ($19), tonkatsu with rice ($20) and wagyu hamburger steak ($22).

The omurice features a more traditional version, according to Lathrop. The Japanese tomato-flavored rice comprises bacon, onions and mushrooms, and is enrobed with a fluffy egg and topped with demi-glace sauce.

The hamburger steak features American wagyu beef and is served with rice and miso soup. The demi-glace is served on the side, so customers can add as much or as little as they want.

Customers can opt for the tonkatsu plate or the katsu sando ($16), which features pork cutlet, veggies, mustard mayonnaise and katsu sauce between pieces of Japanese bread. It’s served with wedge fries on the side.

Customers can also look forward to Japanese-style parfaits ($13), which are layered with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, cornflakes and more.

[{"type":"text","text":"Choose from matcha, fresh strawberries and coffee jelly."}]

The pop-up might add dishes to the menu as time goes on, according to Lathrop, who encourages customers to follow the business on Instagram for updates.

“It’s simple dishes, but executed with very high-quality ingredients,” he says. “Because we’re slowly rolling out, we want to make sure that we can give everybody a good experience.”

Open from 10 a.m. Aug. 13; limited to 60 customers per day (to start)

Takagi Coffee Takuma Lathrop 081026

<title>Takagi Coffee is a new Japanese-style cafe pop-up in Honolulu</title>

The pop-up is opening to the public on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 10 a.m. It’s within Royal Hawaiian Center’s TsuruTonTan, and for the first few days, the pop-up will be limited to the first 60 customers. Takagi Coffee is serving up sweet and savory Japanese souffle pancakes, omurice, wagyu hamburger steak and layered parfaits.

Takagi Coffee is a new Japanese-style cafe pop-up in Honolulu

Fun fact: Selling homemade cinnamon rolls was not 

While the business is currently known for its warm, fluffy rolls, Jasmine “Jaz” Milam, who co-owns Hele Rolls with Brittany “Kawai” Lopez, remembers she started out with doughnuts.

“It was doughnuts to begin with; I’m no good at doughnuts and I already knew that, but I think she (Lopez) really likes doughnuts,” Milam says. “After a couple weeks, I was like, doughnuts are not working.”

Milam, who always loved baking, remembers making homemade cinnamon rolls regularly when she was deployed.

“I was making homemade cinnamon rolls every Sunday to share with my fellow service members,” she says. “It became a tradition that brought everyone together, and seeing how something as simple as a warm cinnamon roll could create that sense of comfort and connection has always stayed with me.”

Milam suggested featuring cinnamon rolls for Hele Rolls’ main product and, long story short, they quickly became a hit.

“Cinnamon rolls felt like the perfect fit,” she says. “They’re nostalgic, comforting, and have a way of bringing people together, which is exactly what we hope every customer experiences when they enjoy one of our rolls.”

Hele Rolls officially launched last June, shortly after Milam’s father died. The business was created as a way to honor his legacy and the values he believed in, especially the idea of food having the power to bring people together.

The business’s name pays tribute to Hele Nui, the food truck Milam’s father previously operated.

“Everyone says it (the business name) should be Jaz’s cinnamon rolls, and I didn’t want my name on it,” Milam says. “All of a sudden, it came to me — his food truck’s name was Hele Nui, so what about Hele Rolls? It’s using his name, but kind of paving my own path, carrying his legacy forward.

“Now, I tell everybody, this started off as a side hustle, but it’s turned into so much more,” she adds. “I have a legacy that I’m trying to continue with my dad. It’s more than just making cinnamon rolls for some extra cash; it’s making him, my family and my community proud.”

The family-operated business accepts pre-orders and pops up at various events across O

ahu, such as the Taste of Aloha Night Market at NEX and What the Truck?! in Waikele. The business’s first What the Truck?! market was recent, and Hele Rolls sold out of its cinnamon rolls in 45 minutes, according to Milam.

“I had about 220 to 240 rolls at What the Truck?!,” she says. “Taste of Aloha was the most I’ve done at a market; it was a little more than 300.”

All cinnamon rolls are handmade in small batches, according to Milam, who says the business focuses on creating that soft, fluffy texture and homemade frostings.

While the business’s original cinnamon roll continues to be a bestseller, it also offers specialty flavors which change every month, according to Milam. Previous specialty flavors include strawberry shortcake, chocolate haupia, ube and Oreo. In July, the business featured Oreo and lemon blueberry cinnamon rolls.

“We love keeping our menu fresh with rotating flavors inspired by Hawai

i, classic desserts and seasonal favorites,” Milam says. “One of our favorite things is challenging people’s expectations of what a cinnamon roll can be. They can be familiar, nostalgic and comforting — or completely unexpected.

“Lemon blueberry had our housemade blueberry compote, our icing, homemade whipped cream, fresh blueberries, lemon zest and blueberry shortcake, which is like cookies with freeze-dried blueberries,” she adds. “The Oreo one was like a cookies and cream. Our menu rotates regularly, so there’s always something new to discover. We put a lot of heart into everything we make.”

At markets, customers can buy individual cinnamon rolls or get sample packs, which include two original rolls and two specialty flavors. If customers pre-order, only packs are available. At markets, original cinnamon rolls cost $6 each; specialty flavors cost $8 each.

When asked about her favorite cinnamon roll flavors, Milam says she likes her kūlolo one — “I still need to perfect it a little bit more” — and also recommends the haupia flavor, which features original icing, toasted macadamia nuts and coconut shavings. 

Besides pop-up events and accepting pre-orders, the biz also offers catering for private parties, corporate events and celebrations. Customers can opt for the full-sized cinnamon rolls or the business’s Cinni-Maninis, or bite-sized cinnamon rolls.

Hele Rolls wasn’t even a year old when the biz was asked to participate in Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”

“One day, we were making cinnamon rolls; I was in the kitchen, and Kawai yelled my name,” Milam remembers. “It wasn’t a panic yell; it was more of an excited yell. I came to her, and she said, ‘Look at this.’ It was a casting agent who reached out to us through Instagram. Obviously, like everyone else, we thought it was Spam.”

“We thought it was Spam for sure, but we were like, ‘Who knows, let’s just take a chance,’” Lopez says.

Hele Rolls responded to the message, the agent got back to them, and from there, “it just snowballed,” according to Milam.

That was earlier this spring; Hele Rolls left to compete on “The Great Food Truck Race” in April. Hosted by Tyler Florence, this season follows eight food truck teams from across the country, as they travel through the Great Smoky Mountains. The winning team gets a $50,000 grand prize. Previous show episodes can be viewed on HBO Max.

Keeping the competition a secret was a huge challenge, especially since Hele Rolls has regular customers.

“We couldn’t tell anyone,” Milam says. “On Instagram, we said, ‘This is our last pick-up and preorder until further notice;’ we didn’t know how long we were going to be there. Our regular customers were like, ‘What are you doing? Are you done?’ It was crazy to see all of that play out.”

The current season of “The Great Food Truck Race” premiered on July 26. The teams started in Nashville, according to Milam, who still remembers the first day of filming.

“We were so starstruck because we knew what we were doing there; everybody was looking at us,” she says. “It was insane; I will never forget that feeling.”

Hele Rolls usually pops up in tents at events; the business currently doesn’t operate out of a food truck, though that’s a future goal. Creating new friendships with other cast members and competing teams was one of the highlights of being on the show, according to Lopez.

“Though it was a competition, at the end of the day, we respected one another and cherished that experience as a whole,” she says. “We got a lot of different advice from everybody, their companies and their brands. A lot of them were more experienced in business; we’re freshly new in business. It was a lot to soak in, and also a chance for us to really be OK with being ourselves.”

[{"type":"text","text":"For Milam, being on the show instilled a newfound sense of confidence."}]

“This show has given me the ability to see the worth in ourselves,” she says. “All these people believed in me and believed in us. Being selected to compete on Season 19 of Food Network’s 

has been an unforgettable experience and an incredible opportunity to represent Hawai

“We continue to stay humble, but we’re so proud at the same time,” Lopez adds. “I think the best thing to do is to take a chance on yourself. You never know what can come out of any experience.”

As the business heads into its second year of operation, Milam and Lopez are focused on new goals for Hele Rolls. Milam — now running Hele Rolls full-time — says they would eventually love to own their own food truck and have a storefront.

“We’ve done so much in year one that we never thought was even possible,” Milam says. “We’ve been so blessed in one year — all these things that happened to us.”

She remembers when one of her first goals — in the business’s early days — was just to “have a line.”

“That’s all we wanted — two to three people,” she laughs. “A line means people are willing to sacrifice their time to stand in line for us and for our product. Having a storefront would be (amazing) because I know I can pump out more for them and it would be better quality; that’s always the goal.”

Being involved with the community is also important to the Hele Rolls team, who is always looking for ways they can support Hawai

“We want to be known not just for cinnamon rolls; we want to be known as a business that’s supporting our community,” Milam says. “If somebody needs something, I want Hele Rolls to be in the front of people’s minds. It’s literally about family, food and community.”

No matter what the future holds, staying true to themselves and maintaining the brand’s mission is essential, according to Milam.

“Beyond the cinnamon rolls themselves, I think what truly makes Hele Rolls unique is the experience,” she says. “From the very beginning, we’ve wanted every customer to feel like they’re part of our ‘ohana. That sense of connection is just as important to us as the product we serve.”

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support our community has shown us over the past year,” Milam adds. “As a women-owned, LGBTQ+-owned and family-powered business, it means so much to see people embrace not only our cinnamon rolls, but also the story and values behind Hele Rolls. We wouldn’t be here without our amazing ‘ohana and community, and we can’t wait to share what’s next.”

For updates and information, follow the biz on 

Hele Rolls The Great Food Truck Race credit Food Network 080526

<title>Oʻahu-based family business is 'on a roll'</title>

Hele Rolls, known for its homemade cinnamon rolls, started its business last June. The biz regularly pops up at events across Oʻahu and accepts pre-orders. Hele Rolls is also competing on the new season of Food Network’s "The Great Food Truck Race," which premiered on July 26.

Oʻahu-based family business is 'on a roll'

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Government & Politics

The criminal complaint says the lieutenant was careful. When money changed hands, he allegedly insisted on Instagram messages and FaceTime calls on burner phones, apps he believed the police could not easily reach.

Michael Vaituʻulala served nearly 18 years with the Maui Police Department. According to the complaint 

, he took cash to keep officers away from illegal cockfights. One organizer paid him a cut of the proceeds, and the low end was about $3,000 an event. On one trip to Las Vegas with an organizer, he allegedly gambled more than $30,000 at blackjack. Vaituʻulala is also accused of tipping off drug dealers about pending investigations, alerting them to wiretaps and warrants.

He is charged, not convicted, and the courts will sort out the truth. But one detail deserves a long look. Vaituʻulala led the Maui Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit. The man assigned to watch organized crime on Maui is accused of working for it.

If the watchers are bought off, who watches them? If the allegations hold, this went on for years under the department’s own roof. The case that finally landed is federal — the FBI and federal prosecutors are bringing it, not the Maui Prosecutor, and not the state Attorney General.

There is a reason, and it is not an insult to Maui. Wire fraud is a federal crime, and electronic messages cross state borders. Drug trafficking is a federal crime, and the cooperating witnesses in this case were likely bargaining down their own federal sentences. But this is not the full story.

Corruption is rarely rooted out at its own level. The local police live next door to the people they would have to investigate. They are related to them, or they owe them, or they are afraid of them. So counties answer to the state, and the state answers to the federal government. Each rung of the ladder is watched by the rung above. When the feds bring a case, they bring wiretap recordings, witnesses who flipped, and private messages the defendant believed were beyond reach. They tend to win.

A Maui police lieutenant allegedly arranged his bribes over burner phones and Instagram, certain no one could read them. The FBI read every word. ASD columnist Sterling Higa on why corruption is only ever answered from the rung above.

Ray Tsuchiyama

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