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Senators

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, and Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Government & Politics

We want our residents, especially our keiki, to make Hawaiʻi their permanent home. Everyone in Hawaiʻi knows someone who has made the difficult decision to move to the continent because the cost of living here is simply too high. As the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization's 

highlighted, our residents are frequently forced into impossible choices. This past legislative session, much coverage has been given to the historic tax relief measures maintained, yet little attention has been given to critical housing investments. While tax relief puts vital funds back into the pockets of working families, the state cannot stem the tide of out-migration without taking aggressive action on the biggest cost of living driver: housing.

We recognize that housing costs remain the heaviest burden on our local communities. That is why the Legislature focused on passing a comprehensive housing package. We secured over $280 million in the state budget for this coming fiscal year alone, contributing to a historic two-year budget total of nearly $500 million. This massive investment is actively building homes across the entire housing spectrum, from the most vulnerable to those who want to buy their own home.

Protecting our most vulnerable neighbors is a core priority. Over $80 million is currently being deployed across our two-year budget with the explicit goal of transitioning people off the streets and caring for our aging population. This robust funding supports community-based Kauhale villages, rent supplements for our lowest-income residents, and comprehensive supportive housing ensuring our kūpuna can safely age in their communities.

Working families must have access to affordable rentals, driving a $250 million investment into financing programs for affordable and workforce housing. We also recognize the need for holistic community support, pairing workforce housing with vital behavioral health services and dedicating $68 million to redevelop public housing communities statewide.

Empowering those dreaming of homeownership is another priority, with $40 million invested in for-sale homes and essential infrastructure. Fulfilling our commitment to Native Hawaiians, over $24 million will fund Department of Hawaiian Home Lands development statewide. Beyond building inventory, making these homes affordable is essential. The concept of housing sold under a 99-year leasehold program continues to be refined to establish a viable pathway for families. Furthermore, the expanded Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program directly lowers purchase prices, while a quadrupled tax deduction for Individual Housing Accounts helps families overcome the massive hurdle of saving for a down payment.

Funding alone does not solve the current housing need. Infrastructure and permitting reforms are equally necessary to expedite construction. The new Hawaiʻi Builds Pilot Program cuts through delays by mandating interagency coordination and expediting project reviews. Addressing the staffing shortfall causing severe bottlenecks in county permitting agencies, the Legislature authorized increasing salaries to recruit and retain essential permitting personnel.

Voters are also being asked to consider an additional tool to finance critical infrastructure, such as water lines and roads. A proposed constitutional amendment requires voter approval to grant counties the authority to issue Resilient Infrastructure for Shelter and Equity bonds. If approved, these bonds would be repaid solely by future property tax growth in those specific districts and not by countywide real property tax rates.

Tax relief provides immediate help, but a sustainable future requires housing our residents can afford. The bills and budget appropriations passed this session represent real steps forward. We have a long road ahead, but we are committed to doing the hard work so future generations do not have to leave home. We want every family to stay and thrive in Hawaiʻi.

Reprinted with permission by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, Sen. Sharon Moriwaki and Sen. Troy Hashimoto

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housing construction I Stock 885566710

<title>Beyond Tax Relief: Delivering Real Housing Solutions for Hawaiʻi</title>

While tax relief puts vital funds back into the pockets of working families, the state cannot stem the tide of out-migration without taking aggressive action on housing.

Beyond Tax Relief: Delivering Real Housing Solutions for Hawaiʻi

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Kady Pascual

Food & Dining

There's a new voice waking up Hawaiʻi mornings, and Aloha State Daily is joining the conversation.

94.7 KUMU, Hawaiʻi’s feel good station, recently announced a new morning radio show, "Morning Vibe with Sunway," airing live from 5:30 to 10 a.m. on weekday mornings.

, “Sunway is a veteran singer, songwriter, and performer from Hawai’i. She has been nominated for two Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and has released several albums of original music throughout her career.”

Looking for local grindz? Every Friday at 8 a.m., ASD’s Food & Dining reporter Kelli Shiroma Braiotta is on-air for "Local Flavor Fridays" to give you your weekly foodie update. She will serve up the latest scoop on new restaurant openings, food and drink specials, pop-ups, broke da mouth bites around the Island and more.

ASD can’t wait to be part of your morning routine!

Local Flavor Friday 94 7 Kumu Kelli and Sunway sml

<title>Aloha State Daily joins 94.7 KUMU on new segment, 'Local Flavor Fridays'</title>

Start your Friday off by listening to 94.7 KUMU’s newest segment, "Local Flavor Fridays," featuring ASD’s Food & Dining reporter Kelli Shiroma Braiotta.

Aloha State Daily joins 94.7 KUMU on new segment, 'Local Flavor Fridays'

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

To kick off the summer, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort is offering a 20% 

 and Seaside Grill. The discount can be applied to Plumeria Beach House’s a la carte or buffet menus (the discount doesn’t apply to alcoholic drinks). The restaurant is known for its open-air, casual atmosphere with ocean views.

Plumeria Beach House’s seafood dinner buffet is on Friday and Saturdays only from 5 to 8:30 p.m. It normally costs $97 per adult and $49 for children ages 6 to 12. With the kamaʻāina discount, it’s around $78. Buffet seating is limited to two hours per table.

Buffet highlights include seafood on ice — including oysters, snow crab and shrimp cocktail — and a carving station with the eatery’s signature garlic and rosemary-rubbed prime rib of beef.

The seafood station features ‘ahi sashimi, spicy ‘ahi poke, limu ‘ahi poke and mixed ginger scallion poke, along with assorted sushi. Diners can choose from ‘ahi nigiri, inari, dynamite California rolls and more.

Hot entrees include the fresh catch of the day, Thai-style fried chicken, scallop fried rice, salt and pepper shrimp, stuffed salmon and more. Meanwhile, the salad bar features Caesar salad, Nalo greens, Chinese chicken salad, summer watermelon feta salad, seasonal fresh fruits and more.

Desserts include Oreo cheesecakes, caramel walnut sable, fruit tarts, lilikoʻi crunch macnut cakes, cobbler of the day — apple was featured during our visit — and the Kāhala signature bread pudding with creme anglaise. The dessert station also features a self-serve soft serve ice cream machine with a toppings bar.

Diners will receive four hours of complimentary parking with a $50 minimum purchase.

https://www.kahalaresort.com/dining/plumeria-beach-house-menus-seafood/

Seafood buffet from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays

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<title>Kamaʻāina can enjoy a 20% dining discount at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort</title>

To kick off the summer, The Kāhala Hotel & Resort is offering a 20% kamaʻāina discount at Plumeria Beach House and Seaside Grill. The discount can be applied to Plumeria Beach House’s a la carte and buffet menus.

Kamaʻāina can enjoy a 20% dining discount at The Kāhala Hotel & Resort

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Michael Brestovansky

A Hawai‘i senator has co-introduced a bill that would improve flood resiliency among federal infrastructure projects.

Sen. Brian Schatz introduced — alongside New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen — last week the

, a measure that imposes flood safety standards upon any infrastructure project that receives federal funding.

As written, the measure states that any federally funded project must include, where practicable, design elements such as elevating the structure above the floodplain, flood protection measures for any structure in a floodplain, markings on structures delineating the high water levels of past floods in the area, and more.

These standards were initially established via an 

 by President Barack Obama in 2015, but President Donald Trump rescinded that order with his own 

 in 2017. President Joe Biden, in turn, reinstated the standards via another 

 in 2021, and Trump re-rescinded them in 2025 with yet another 

The bill, therefore, codifies the standards into federal law, rather than continuing the presidential back-and-forth.

“Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more severe in Hawai‘i and across the country, and it’s taking a huge toll on our infrastructure,” Schatz said upon the bill’s introduction. “Our bill will help ensure that federally-funded infrastructure is built to be more resilient to the impact of floods and other disasters.”

The measure has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

Meanwhile, the Senate also passed last week a measure improving wildfire mitigation efforts on federal land.

The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act

 requires the government to review all existing federal programs and rules to determine whether they impede a federal agency’s ability to work with local governments to mitigate wildfires across the boundaries between federal and non-federal lands.

The Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill, which now sits before the House.

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<title>CONGRESS WATCH: Flood control, fire control</title>

U.S. Senate introduces, passes measures to improve flood and wildfire mitigation on federal lands.

CONGRESS WATCH: Flood control, fire control

Hawai‘i History

Many people will be familiar with the fountain at the far end of Kapi‘olani Park, close to the base of Diamond Head. Since it’s been there for almost 60 years, it’s understandable that few will be aware that this is actually the third water feature in this area.

This story starts in 1912 with the ascension to the Japanese throne by Emperor Taisho. Thousands of Japanese immigrants in Hawai‘i at this time still felt strong ties to their homeland, so their pride in their original culture  made many of them want to support the suggestion of the Japanese Consul in Honolulu that a monument to Emperor Taisho be erected in a public place in Honolulu. This concept was proposed at the time of his ceremonial coronation in 1915. The Honolulu Board of Supervisors agreed to accept the planned fountain as a gift; it was to be 20 feet tall and topped with a metal sculpture similar to one in Hibiya Park in Tokyo. The pool at its base was planned to be 25 to 30 feet in diameter. November 10, 1916 was the targeted date of the structure’s dedication. 

Actually achieving this idea, however, did not take place on schedule. A celebratory “carnival” held at the Japanese Consulate in November 1915 attracted thousands of attendees who paid a steep admission of $1 each (comparable to over $30 today), which raised nearly $8,000. This was not enough though, and another fundraiser program at the Honolulu Opera House in December 1915 netted another $200, but this was still $800 short of the goal. 

All the elements of the fountain were to come from Japan. In March 1916, completion was stated to be in “a few months.” But it wasn’t until November that the 228 carved stone pieces actually arrived by ship and the finish date was now projected to be February 1917. And this in fact turned out to be when all the stone work ended up in place, which was noted by an inscription in the structure’s base. But still not received were all the metal parts, which, like the stone, had been ordered from the Tokio Fine Arts College. The fountain stood incomplete for the rest of the year. 

In May 1918 work was to “commence soon” as the metal elements were expected in early July. Except … none of it got to Honolulu till September. This consisted of the iron phoenix which would stand with outspread wings at the top, plus two bronze basins, one larger than the other. By January 1919, completion (as usual) was expected “in a month or two.” By now the total cost was over $10,000.

At last, the dedication ceremony was scheduled for February 11th. But in the same pattern already established, this had to be postponed due to continuing casualties in Honolulu from the terrible flu pandemic that had begun killing millions of people internationally the previous year. So it was not until after this medical emergency subsided that on March 16, 1919 — nearly four years after the initial announcement of the project — it finally, really, was finished. 

As can be seen by the photos included here, the complex structure was undeniably dramatic. Water issued from the beak of the phoenix at the top and ran down into the smaller bronze basin, from which it overflowed into the next, larger basin below it, before finally reaching the round pool at ground level. However, most surviving photos of the fountain show no evidence of running water and it’s possible that the supply was eventually just turned off. The entire monument was noteworthy enough without it. 

Considering the years of effort and fundraising to erect the fountain, it was unfortunate that the ruler who was honored by this impressive structure was both physically and mentally incapable of actually performing his imperial duties. Emperor Taisho was withheld from public and ceremonial appearances from 1919 onwards and died seven years later. 

Then came World War II. After the shocking surprise attack on the island of O‘ahu by the Japanese military on December 7, 1941, all things associated with this new enemy were treated with suspicion or outright hatred. The showy fountain, not surprisingly, felt the effects of this rejection. The City & County of Honolulu Parks Board received letters from the public calling for the monument to be demolished, and the board itself was in favor. It was hoped that the metal contained in the structure — derided as being merely iron along with (incorrectly) “cheap brass” — could be melted down to be turned into war munitions of some kind, to symbolically be used against Japan.

As manpower and equipment were busy with other war-specific jobs, there was a brief call for citizens to gather and literally pull down the structure by hand. However, City & County workers did the job professionally on December 14, 1942, a year and a week after the infamous attack that had started the war. Some of the artistic handwork of the fountain appears to have been saved, like the four large stone dogs that stood around the base of its pedestal, along with four carved vertical panels. But once this vengeful destruction was completed, the park was left without a water feature — for a time.

In August 1949, the City & County of Honolulu accepted a contractor’s bid of $10,784 to build a new Kapi‘olani Park fountain which was to be completed by December of that year. This was not located in the same spot as its predecessor; it was more towards Diamond Head in what was called the “Kalākaua Avenue Circle”. This was a round island in a park roadway that had been started in late 1941 but wasn’t finished probably until late 1945 and which mostly paralleled the original Kalākaua Avenue that was lined by ironwood trees, closer to the beach. Far simpler than the previous ornate Japanese fountain, this new 1949 version consisted of just a shallow round pool with a single jet of water in the center. In turn, this lasted until 1967. 

The unassuming pool was then considerably improved to become the Louise G. Dillingham Memorial Fountain which was dedicated on July 27, 1967 and remains in use today. Funded by Mrs. Dillingham’s adult children and family friends and constructed by Hawaiian Dredging, the new fountain was accepted as a gift by the City & County of Honolulu. It contains multiple jets of water of different heights, like the classical ones found in public squares in Europe, and was designed by Edwin Murayama and Albert Ely Ives. Its honoree had been a member of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation from 1931 until her death in January 1964, and she and her husband Walter had lived in the estate that they had constructed nearby known as La Pietra. This still remains today on the slopes of Diamond Head not far from this fountain, housing a private girls’ school of the same name.

As attractive as the current fountain is, we can regret that the unique tribute to Emperor Taisho did not survive. Its outstanding craftsmanship might not even be possible to replicate today, and it would be an outstanding attraction of Honolulu if it still stood in Kapi‘olani Park.

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<title>The saga of the fountains</title>

The fountain we all know and love near the Diamond Head end of Kapi‘iolani Park is not the first fountain in the area, nor is it in the original location of the first fountain. ASD history columnist DeSoto Brown takes us through the fountain's story, all the way back to its original source — Imperial Japan.

The saga of the fountains

Business & Tourism

 — Oʻahu’s largest Latin American market — just opened its second location.

The business's second retail and wholesale location is in Waipahu. Its grand opening block party will be on Saturday, June 20, in Waipio’s Koa Ridge (in the Royal Koa parking lot). The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the retail store will be open for shopping until 6 p.m. The store is currently in its soft opening, and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Saturday event will feature a variety of local food and beverage partners. Attendees can look forward to pop-up booths with authentic cuisine, music and an exclusive Mercado de la Raza gift (available while supplies last).

“I think a lot of people have been waiting for this moment, and we see lots of kids coming in (to our store), so we want to make it a family event,” says Alex Villarino, who co-owns the business with his wife, Megahn Chun.

“We’re in a very residential area, so we wanted to share a little bit of the culture, and introduce them (community members) to the culture and food,” Chun adds.

Mercado de la Raza has been open since 1994, according to Villarino.

“It’s a common thing in Mexico for a mercado to be known as ‘mercado de la raza,’” he says. “Raza means ‘of the people,’ kind of like ‘market of the people.’”

The husband-and-wife team says they wanted to open in central Oʻahu when it was time to expand to a second location.

“We learned there were a lot of people who were traveling from the North Shore, Kapolei, ‘Ewa Beach, Wahiawā and Mililani to our Beretania store,” Chun says. “We decided when we open a second location, it had to be in Central Oʻahu — just to be closer to everybody and serve these communities.

“It was a journey (to find the right location),” she adds. “It’s never easy to find the right fit.”

Chun recalls how she and Villarino would drive around at night, looking at potential places for their next location.

“When we saw this place, we asked our realtor to come and show it to us,” she says. “After we opened the door, I just felt this is the place. We saw a vision, and this is the place that it had to be.”

This second location has been in the works for about a year, according to Chun. The Waipahu store is bigger than the original store, and it features a warehouse section and retail store. Customers will be able to shop in the larger retail space, which is fully stocked with handmade tortillas, imported beverages and snacks, and more. There are also a variety of dishes, merch, flags and more.

“This is a hybrid location,” Villarino says. “We have one side that is destined to help more of the business owners that are on this side of town. On the right side, we have a retail location; we have a little bit more space here, so we’ll probably have a few more products.”

Customer favorites have included tamarind candy, specialty sodas, empanadas, and — in light of the World Cup — jerseys and flags.

“We have sodas from all over Latin America — from Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru,” Villarino says. “Sodas are a big thing.”

“It’s definitely a festive place,” Chun adds. “Anything related to empanadas (is popular) — we have ready-made empanadas you can put in the air fryer or oven.”

Partnering with and highlighting up-and-coming businesses is important to Villarino and Chun. At the Beretania store, a local Latino entrepreneur was featured every month, and their products would be sold in the store, according to Chun.

“We would set them up at the front of the store and give them a sales channel,” she says. “We had Raiz Tortillas, Madres Churros and more; we carried all of these locally made brands.”

“We serve a lot of established restaurants, but we want to give the opportunity to a lot of the smaller ones who are just starting,” Villarino says. “A lot of what we do is to support people.”

A dedicated community gathering space — which will host language workshops, cooking classes and other events — will open later this year.

“We can have a little more space for activations here, things that are more geared for the community,” Chun says. “We have a lot more children’s books; we want to have more children’s events, as well.”

The Waipahu store’s hours are the same as its Beretania Street location — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Customers can park in the lot outside the store; street parking is also available.

“Food is the ultimate connector, and we’ve always taken pride in helping people find the exact ingredients that taste like home,” Villarino states. “We want families to walk into this new space and immediately feel a sense of belonging, education and community.

“I think it’s important to show that Latinas are good, hard-working people, and we’re ready to offer so much to the communities,” he adds.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

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<title>Mercado de la Raza opens second location in Waipahu</title>

This Latin American market is celebrating the grand opening of its second store this Saturday, June 20, in Waipio’s Koa Ridge. The block party will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This second location is bigger than the business’s original store on South Beretania Street.

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, and Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Latest from Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, and Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Beyond Tax Relief: Delivering Real Housing Solutions for Hawaiʻi

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