Honua Ola Bioenergy on Hawai‘i Island and Hawaiian Electric are in the midst of negotiations on an agreement in which the plant will sell energy and capacity to the utility.

A joint letter submitted to the state’s Public Utilities Commission and filed on June 3 informed the commissioners that Hawaiian Electric received an offer from Hu Honua, which owns Honua Ola Bioenergy, to sell energy and capacity by Hu Honua as a qualified facility under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, also known as PURPA.

This federal law is designed to encourage energy conservation, efficient use of energy resources and development of renewable energy sources. It does this by obliging electric utilities to purchase electricity from qualifying facilities that meet certain criteria.

This letter comes less than a month after Honua Ola Bioenergy filed a lawsuit in 1st Circuit Court on O‘ahu seeking relief from anticompetitive and other unlawful conduct designed to foreclose competition and restrain trade in the wholesale market for firm power generation (power that is guaranteed to be available at all times, even during adverse conditions).

Joint Letter to PUC From Hu Honua Bioenergy and Hawaiian Electric by Tiffany De Masters on Scribd

The lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric, the state’s largest power supplier, claims the company has created a monopoly that has resulted in the renewable energy plant being unable to operate. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for Aug. 12.

It is unclear how these negotiations will affect the impending lawsuit.

Honua Ola Bioenergy is a new 30 megawatt firm, renewable biomass facility located in Pepe‘ekeo. When operating, it would generate renewable and sustainable energy by using locally produced biomass feedstock from eucalyptus crops and invasive species. The plant would also create more than 220 direct and ancillary jobs in the greater Hilo community, the company said.

The June 3 letter indicates the facility is already constructed, essentially complete and ready for commissioning in short order.

According to a fact sheet from Hu Honua, enough renewable energy would be produced to power more than 19,500 homes, which also supports wind and solar by stabilizing the grid, delivering nearly 20% of Hawai‘i Island’s power.

Documents filed with the state’s Public Utilities Commission indicate the two companies have made substantial progress and have reached a power purchasing agreement in principle on the major terms. The parties are now working on completing all of the components to implement the agreement.

The documents don’t outline the terms of this agreement.

The commission responded to the letter on June 23 stating that “given the current uncertainty around global supply chain- and tariff-related issues, as well as the age of the original IRS (Interconnection Requirements Study) for this project,” the Commission advises the two parties to file the power purchasing agreement and any associated waiver request with the Commission when the study update is complete and final.

The parties are in the process of conducting an updated study, which was originally done in 2010.

“Honua Ola continues to pursue all available paths to starting operations at its renewable energy facility, which will provide reliable and affordable energy for Hawaiʻi Island’s ratepayers,” said Warren Lee, president of Hu Honua.

He said starting operations at the plant will reduce Hawaiʻi Island’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and help shield residents and businesses from spikes in oil prices that drive volatility in monthly energy bills.

“Adding a new source of always-available, reliable energy will bolster the grid and help avoid rolling power blackouts, while affordably achieving the state’s clean energy goals,” Lee said.

Honua Ola’s facility also will reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to the island’s fossil fuel-powered facilities, he said.

The company also is committed to growing and planting trees and other crops that sequester greenhouse gas.

Hawaiian Electric declined to provide further comment on the matter, citing its policy not to discuss ongoing negotiations.

Hawaiian Electric first entered into an agreement with Hu Honua in May 2012 for the generation and sale of electricity from the power plant.

Application for the agreement was initially approved by the state with Hawaiian Electric emphasizing that Hu Honua would help “reduce HECO’s reliance on fossil fuels” and “increase its overall renewable energy portfolio.”

Hawaiian Electric ultimately terminated the agreement because Hu Honua missed certain contractual milestones, according to the May lawsuit documents.

About 1-1/2 years ago, the family-owned property that sits on about 2.4 acres of lush land at 82-6151 Māmalahoa Highway was listed for $6.5 million by Standard Commercial and at one point had gone as high as $7.5 million in 2024.

But after negotiations in January 2024 with a Honolulu-based nonprofit to turn it into workforce housing ended, and another recent deal with an unidentified buyer fell through, the sale price is now at $5.75 million.

“You don’t see a lot of boutique hotels,” on the market,” Standard Commercial Realtor Ian Clagstone said. “We think it’s a great opportunity for someone to come in and get it to reach its full potential.”

The property includes the 64-room hotel, commercial spaces, a residential apartment, two residential studio units and a two-story home.

The Manago Hotel still has much of its old charm. The lobby hasn’t changed much over the decades, with the same front desk.

Just off to the right of the lobby is the beloved Manago Hotel restaurant, which also opened in 1917. While the family stopped renting rooms more than a year ago, the restaurant is still running and offering its famous pork chops.

In 2023, the restaurant was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of six America’s Classics Awards, which recognizes locally owned restaurants that have timeless appeal and reflect the character of their community.

Japanese immigrants Kinzo Manago and his “picture bride” Osame Manago founded the hotel. In 1942, it was turned over to Harold and Nancy Manago, the second generation. They managed the business for 42 years, according to the hotel’s website.

In 1984, Harold and Nancy’s youngest son, Dwight and his wife, Cheryl, took over the hotel and are still running it today. Their 35-year-old daughter Britney Manago is the hotel’s general manager.

“I can’t remember not being at the hotel,” Britney Manago said. “The earliest childhood memory I have is being with my grandparents at the front desk or working in the garden.”

The hotel rooms still do not have televisions. Britney Manago said the hotel has a communal TV room for guests.

One of Britney Manago’s favorite spaces at the hotel is the koi pond. She has fond memories of running around the pond, which was full of fish, with her sister and cousins.

“Unfortunately, we only have one fish right now,” Manago said.

Britney Manago said the hotel hasn’t changed much over the past 30 years, although during the COVID-19 pandemic the communal TV room was converted into additional space for the restaurant.

She said it took the family a long time to decide to put the hotel on the market, but when they finally came to that conclusion, it felt like it was the right time.

“I was fortunate to be part of this great family legacy,” Britney Manago said.

Several experienced hotel management companies have expressed interest in taking over operations, enabling a smooth transition.

Yifan Chen, assistant professor of finance and real estate in the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i, said commercial real estate transactions in Hawai‘i often take time, and overall deal volume tends to be lower due to the state’s relatively small market size and higher capital costs.

“The Manago Hotel has attracted significant interest, and understandably so — it’s a historic property with deep roots in the community and a long-standing, award-winning restaurant,” Chen said. “Any potential transactions or renovation of the property must balance multiple considerations: preserving the building’s historic legacy, maintaining its appeal to visitors, and ensuring the operations remain compatible with the needs and values of the local community.” 

The hotel has generated a lot of interest. In January 2024, the Honolulu-based nonprofit Mental Health Kokua was interested in turning the hotel into workforce housing. The nonprofit acquired $5.5 million in funding from Hawaiʻi County, but the deal fell through.

Recently, Clagstone said there was a buyer for the hotel, but it fell out of escrow.

“It’s really about finding the right buyer,” Clagstone said.

Despite parts of the property being more than 100 years old, Clagstone said the hotel is in pretty good condition. He said: “The family has always taken good care of it.”

According to the offering summary published by Standard Commercial, there is some undeveloped land at the property that could be developed into new amenities like a swimming pool or a grand lawn.

Clagstone said every interested buyer has expressed interest in keeping the hotel’s beloved eatery open.

When it comes to a potential buyer, the Manago family wants to find someone who understands the importance of the hotel and what it means to the community.

“I’d prefer to get someone willing to run it as is,” Britney Manago said. “We just want it to be maintained.”

Ku‘ulani Auld, the archivist for the Kona Historical Society, grew up celebrating birthdays and family parties at the Manago Hotel Restaurant.

Auld, who ate there just last week with her extended family visiting from California, said the establishment is one of those places “you feel at home.”

As always, she ordered the pork chops, however, Auld said the restaurant also makes a good simple hamburger and potato salad.

“I hope whoever takes it over loves it and wants to be part of the community,” Auld said.

Britney Manago said the restaurant has continued to be successful over the years because they don’t overcomplicate things and continue to use the same recipes that opened the restaurant.

“People come to our restaurant because it’s nostalgic,” Britney Manago said. It brings people back to their childhood. People want to come home and feel at home. We wanted to maintain that and have a sense of comfort.”

Auld said the Manago family is deeply rooted in the community and believes they will do what’s best for their family and the business.

When news broke in January 2024 that the hotel was being considered to be turned into workforce housing, Auld thought that was a great idea.

But she said she hopes “the restaurant never closes. I know that would be important to the Manago family.”

Hawaiʻi County Department of Research and Development presents the 2025 Hawaiʻi Business Mākeke until 3 p.m. today (July 12) at Prince Kūhiō Plaza, located at 111 E. Pūʻainakō St., in Hilo.

The event features a lineup of 60 vendors who actively give back to the community.

“This event was shaped by feedback from Hawaiʻi Island entrepreneurs, small business owners, community groups and residents who called for spaces that go beyond just commerce,” said Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda in an announcement about the event. “They wanted opportunities to support people who mentor others, share knowledge, care for ʻāina and help their communities thrive. This mākeke is built to celebrate those efforts, whether it’s passing on cultural practices, growing food or investing in future generations.”

Community organizations, cultural practitioners and grassroots initiatives are also part of the lineup, standing alongside the makers and entrepreneurs they often collaborate with behind the scenes.

“This isn’t just a place to shop,” said Hawaiʻi County Research and Development Director Benson Medina in the release. “It’s a space to reconnect, discover something new and support businesses that are rooted in purpose,”

From handmade jewelry, fashion and wellness goods to cold-pressed juices, sweets, shave ice, plate lunches and pantry staples — there’s something for everyone.

Every business and organization participating in the 2025 Hawaiʻi Business Mākeke brings something more, says an Instagram post promoting the event by Hawaiʻi County Department of Research and Development’s Business and Industry Development Program.

“They’re contributing to Hawaiʻi Island’s future through how they show up and who they support,” the post says.

Follow @hawaiicountybusiness on Instagram for additional information about the 2025 Hawaiʻi Business Mākeke and other initiatives.

You can also visit the Hawaiʻi County Department of Research and Development website to learn more about what the department does, what is has going on, future events and get additional general information.

Starting in August, PMG will roll out an outreach and awareness-building campaign featuring a different nonprofit each month for a year, with a different focus highlighted. Starting the initiative, the focus will be on youth services and programs.

“Nonprofits are the heartbeat of our island,” said Cyrus Johnasen, General Manager for PMG on Hawaiʻi Island. “They care for our keiki and kūpuna, safeguard our ʻāina, and show up every day to serve our people. This initiative is our way of showing up for them.”

Participating organizations will gain access to significantly discounted radio advertising, on-air recognition, and community engagement opportunities across PMG’s Hawaiʻi Island platforms, which include KAPA, KBIG and The Beat radio stations.

As part of the campaign, new nonprofit partners aligned with each month’s theme will receive a Buy One, Get One Free advertising offer. Existing nonprofit advertisers will receive a generous 2-to-1 ad match in appreciation of their continued partnership.

Each month’s theme will be highlighted through DJ mentions, public service announcements, and station-wide messaging across PMG’s family of stations.

The initiative runs through July 2026. The scheduled themes are as follows:

• September 2025: Food security and agriculture
• October 2025: Health and wellness
• November 2025: Domestic violence and family support
• December 2025: Veterans and active military support
• January 2026: Houselessness and housing assistance
• February 2026: Education and literacy
• March 2026: Cultural preservation and Hawaiian programs
• April 2026: Women and girls empowerment
• May 2026: Environmental stewardship and conservation
• June 2026: Disability and special needs services
• July 2026: Kūpuna Services and aging in place

Nonprofit leaders, community advocates, and listeners are encouraged to help spread the word and make sure that the organizations doing critical work on Hawaiʻi Island get the visibility and support they need.

Nonprofits interested in participating can contact Cyrus Johnasen at 808-961-0651 or email cjohnasen@pmghawaii.com to learn more and reserve space in the upcoming monthly features.

Steve Haumschild loved his job as a ranger at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, but thought he could better provide for his family by changing course and tapping into his love of creating beer.

In 2014, he started Lanikai Brewing Co. on Oʻahu, and now he is back on the Big Island, set to open on Friday a second taproom and restaurant near the national park in Volcano Village.

“Since opening Lanikai, I have split my time between Oʻahu and Volcano because I have always loved it here,” Haumschild said of the Big Island, where he lived for 20 years. “There is a powerful mana you feel in this spot, and the community cares about everyone here.”

The Lanikai Taproom and Restaurant, which he calls his satellite location, has taken over the space at 19-4005 Haunani Road formely occupied by now-shuttered ʻŌhelo Cafe. He has some soft launches planned for the community this week before the official opening on Friday.

Volcano is a small, sometimes sleepy town, so Haumschild is making the taproom’s closing time “not too late” at 9 p.m. to mitigate noise and safety concerns.

“We want the people who live here to know that we want to hear their feedback and make sure they know that we want to cater to their needs,” Haumschild said. “I do think we will be offering something Volcano doesn’t have already, so I’m making sure the restaurant does not step on anyone else’s toes.”

Sam Hall, vice president of sales and marketing, said: “Steve is ingrained in the community in Volcano and has spent quite a bit of time creating great working relationships.”

Residents and visitors can look forward to an intimate taproom experience, with indoor and outdoor seating. It will feature exclusive small-batch brews with names such as Party Wave, Board Schwartz and Aloha Friday, and a locally curated menu with special collaborations with local farmers, artists and chefs.

“It feels like every 10 minutes, people pop in to say hi and see how everything is going,” Haumschild said. “The community loved ʻŌhelo Cafe and it left a void up here when they closed. When it was announced that we would be here in this spot, people were really excited about it and very supportive.”

Since opening his first location, Haumschild and brewers have focused on crafting island-inspired beers and spirits that reflect the flavors and culture of the islands. The business is committed to using local, island-grown ingredients to support local agriculture and community initiatives for sustainability.

“Our dream has always been to celebrate Hawaiʻi’s incredible biodiversity through our beers,” Haumschild said. “There’s no better place than Volcano — a place of raw, natural power and beauty — to expand that vision.”

Lanikai develops its flavor profile with the seasons to create a product that aligns with the natural climate changes in Hawaiʻi. When mango season is over, Lanikai will move onto the next seasonal product.

“Tying ourselves to seasonal differences and sourcing food throughout the whole island chain creates a product we are proud of,” Haumschild added.

But Hall added that they would like a majority of the ingredients for the new taproom to come from the Big Island.

“We want to call Kaʻū and Puna farmers for ingredients and open contracts with people close by to support a system of sustainability,” he said.

Lanikai is also one of the only places offering compostable packaging for all of its beer. The packaging breaks down so that any ocean animal can eat it and be unharmed.

Lanikai also will be a place for events and gatherings, especially during Volcano Village’s arts and culture events such as the Artists Hui and the Experience Volcano festival, Hall said.

“We have such a great location and lots of support,” Hall said. “Everyone seems excited to have a consistent restaurant coming and a place to go, grab a drink, and spend time with friends and community members.”

Lanikai Taphouse and Restaurant will open at 11 a.m. for lunch only on July 11, and will then open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The Lanikai Brewing taproom in Kailua has 14 drafts available on the menu, including:

• “Party Wave” — Pilsner ABV 5% IBU 30, Local ingredient: Māmaki
• “Pualani” — Sour Ale ABV 5.5% IBU 6, Local ingredient: Rosehips and hibiscus
• “Pillbox” — Porter ABV 6.5% IBU 45, Local ingredient: Vanilla
• “Moku” — Imperial IPA ABV 8.1% IBU 75, Local ingredient: Pikake
• “Aloha Friday” — Hazy IPA ABV 6.8% IBU 16, Local ingredient: Lilikoi
• “Cheehoo” — IPA ABV 5.9% IBU 55, Local ingredient: Citrus zest
• “Board Schwartz” — Schwarzbier ABV 5.1% IBU 23, Local ingredient: Cacao
• “Zicatela” — Mexican Lager ABV 5.5% IBU 13, Local ingredient: Lime and sea salt
• “Negra Zicatela” — Dark Mexican Lager ABV 5.5% IBU 15, Local ingredient: Lime
• “Surf Czech” — Czech Lager ABV 4.2% IBU 33, Local ingredient: Citrus juice blend
• “Lilikoi Lemonade Shave Ice” — Tropical Seltzer ABV 5%, Local ingredient: Lilikoi
• “Punaluʻu” — Nitro Stout ABV 6.2% IBU 42, Local ingredient: Macadamia and vanilla
• “Cesar’s Michelada” — ABV 5.5%

For more information on the newest Volcano Village business, visit the Lanikai Brewing website and its social media pages.

For centuries, tattoos have been an artistic form of expression for humans, sometimes signifying a memory or milestone, and other times representing a new beginning and letting go of the past.

After 17 years in the business, tattoo artist Jayers Ko, a Hong Kong native who now calls Kona her home, has found a new meaning for her art form. She helps people who have undergone breast reconstruction surgery or a mastectomy by deftly creating areola and realistic nipple tattoos.

“A restorative tattoo, especially an areola tattoo, is completely different and is much more technical than tattoos I have done over my first 16 years as a tattoo artist,” Ko said. “Itʻs also extremely emotional and you have to approach clients differently. This is their opportunity to have some say over their body after going through so many traumatic changes. It can be incredibly healing.”

When she was pregnant with her daughter in 2021, Ko decided to specialize in providing tattoos for people affected by major surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She was ready to “slow down,” and her passion led her to Tanya Buxton, one of the world’s leading cosmetic, medical and traditional tattoo artists, who practices in London.

In 2024, Ko invested in three months of training with Buxton and has used her experience to specialize in areola-nipple tattooing for breast cancer survivors, people recovered from gender-affirming top surgeries, and those who had surgery after a breast injury.

Clients are encouraged to wait one to two years after their final procedure or cancer treatment to get tattooed, so their bodies and minds have time to recover after the often traumatic changes.

“About 90% of people who look in the mirror after their reconstructive tattoo will feel a sense of self and feel happy that they were able to have some say over their body after going through traumatic changes,” Ko said. “And some people need time to digest, which is why it is so important to wait that time for your physical and mental health to recover. Sometimes that’s hard to tell clients because they want to reclaim their bodies right away.”

Ko has also adeptly covered birthmarks or made them a focal point of elaborate designs, giving individuals newfound confidence in their bodies so that they can wear shorts or swimsuits for the first time without feeling ashamed.

“I have been tattooing birthmarks since I started, and I have learned a lot through the experience, mostly when it comes to the psychology behind wanting to cover a birthmark,” Ko said. “Even if a birthmark is not obvious to the public, it’s a curse to them and has affected their whole life. When they trust me to decorate the canvas of a birthmark or to hide it, I have seen that empowerment they feel afterward.”

Providing these niche services seemed an inevitable pathway for Ko, whose family members are medical professionals. Her dad is a surgeon, her mother was a nurse, and her younger brother is a doctor. Ko herself majored in veterinary science for two years in college before switching to psychology.

When she decided to pursue tattooing and began an apprenticeship in 2008, she knew her family would not be supportive since it was a male-dominated field and more socially unacceptable in Hong Kong. However, Ko could not help but be drawn to this passion where she could be creative and excel.

“I got my first tattoo in Thailand at 19, and everything about the experience was incredible,” she said. “I was amazed by what you could do with a needle and ink.”

Ko was attracted to the visually stunning nature of tattoos, and the history of it being a human ritual for thousands of years.

“Tattoos are a connection for all of us,” she said.

Ko spent five and a half years working under her mentor, Kenny Chin, in Hong Kong. Validation for her career choice came during her third year as an apprentice when her dad visited the tattoo shop.

“He was impressed with the hygiene of the shop’s practices and encouraged me to keep going,” Ko said. “He’s actually gotten a tattoo since then.”

In 2013, Ko opened Lovinkit Tattoo, a world-renowned tattoo studio, in the Sham Shui Po neighborhood of Hong Kong. Over the years, she has attended more than 40 tattoo conventions, had guest spots at events, and participated in art exhibitions across four continents.

She met her future husband, Olivier Server, a French freediving instructor, while in the Philippines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many countries and activities were in lockdown, he moved to Hong Kong to be closer to Ko.

After travel restrictions were lifted, Ko and her husband visited Hawai‘i Island as avid free divers and fell in love with the island.

Due to the changing politics of Hong Kong under China’s authoritarian rule, the birth of their daughter and their new love for Hawaiʻi, Ko and Server decided to start the process of moving to the United States. After completing months of paperwork and the task of proving her skillset, Ko was granted a talent visa, and the family made Kona their permanent home as of January.

Ko tattoos at Kā’eo Hawaii Tattoo Shop & Creative Studio, which is a coworking space for a collective of tattoo artists and other creative entrepreneurs. She offers traditional tattooing as well as areola-nipple tattooing, which has become one of her greatest passions.

“There is a lack of awareness about the transformative potential of tattoos, and I’m glad to be part of this pioneering effort to usher in this new mindset,” Ko said. “Tattoos restore their dignity; they can dramatically change our outlook and improve our wellbeing.”

3D areola-nipple tattoos are ideal for individuals looking to reconstruct or enhance their nipples and areolas after various surgeries, including:

• Breast enlargements
• Breast reconstruction surgery
• Breast augmentation or reduction
• Cosmetic breast lift (mastopexy)
• Gender-affirming/top surgery
• Breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy)
• Burns/scarring
• Gynecomastia surgery (male breast reduction)

Whether reconstructing symmetry or improving visual appearance, Ko’s goal is to help craft a tattoo to reflect personal journeys of healing and transformation.

“These tattoos are not just about aesthetics—they are deeply empowering and transformative. They help rebuild self-confidence and support body positivity, allowing you to reclaim your body and feel at peace with who you are,” she said.

More information on reconstructive tattoos, her past work and a tattoo request form can be found on her website at jayersko.com. For inquiries and bookings, text 808-987-8113, or email jktattoohongkong@gmail.com.

The commission OK’d an 18.1% temporary rate increase.

It is based on an assessment of the minimum amount necessary to allow the company to continue providing essential interisland shipping services while the commission completes a review of the firm’s request of a 25% general rate increase.

Effective July 1, the temporary rate increase will run through Dec. 31, or until the pending general rate increase request by Young Brothers is decided — whichever comes first.

The short-term increase is aimed at minimizing customer impact from a general rate increase and any adverse effect on service.

Young Brothers also is required to conduct community meetings — including hybrid options on each affected island — to explain the temporary increase, listen to customer feedback and answer questions.

The shipping company also is required to provide public notice when these meetings are scheduled.

Protecting Hawai‘i’s businesses is the priority of the Public Utilities Commission.

Commissioners will investigate Young Brothers to assess the shipping company’s financial health and plan to return to financial stability that will not rely on continued rate increases.

While the investigation is ongoing, the commission encourages residents and businesses to submit public comments, as well as participate in the upcoming community meetings.

Visit the commission’s online public comment page to submit a comment and be sure to reference Docket No. 2024-0255.

Commissioners also approved on Friday approved a temporary additive increase of the Island Agricultural Product Discount by 2% for less-than-container load and container shipments to support local agriculture.

Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi — a Native Hawaiian-mixed, woman-owned company located in Kaʻū on the Big Island — is now at the forefront of a burgeoning sustainable industry that will make getting wood-chipped mulch from one island to another much easier despite those challenges.

The Nāʻālehu-based company was recently cleared by state agricultural inspectors to transport a shipment of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis mulch, commonly known as flooded gum or rose gum, from the Big Island to Maui.

“We needed this win to carve out an approved path to begin a non-tourism-based industry that could be sustainable, respect the land and bolster each island company that becomes part of our journey,” said Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi Chief Executive Officer and bagging production and sales representative Christine Kaehuaea in an announcement about the momentous milestone. “However, more importantly, we had our first bulk customer hanging in the balance that we needed to take care of immediately.”

The company — started in 2016 to develop and promote diverse natural and sustainable products through partnerships with local food producers, ranchers, fishermen, agricultural producers and private industry — decided to work with a Pepeʻekeo chipping partner to start chipping 2-year-old stockpiled logs of Eucalyptus grandis grown on Hawaiʻi Island.

It was an effort to clean up the island and create a new industry from Hawaiʻi, for Hawaiʻi, and done under guidance from the Hilo, Honolulu and Kahului, Maui, offices of Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture.

After one failed fumigation attempt, Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi was awarded a green tag from state inspectors, indicating no life was found in the bulk load of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis following a second successful fumigation attempt.

Successful fumigation was the result of using the non-residual gas Profume, administered by Mid-Pacific Pest of Maui, the only active company licensed in the state to use the gas.

Being able to legally dial up the dose to levels that would ensure no coconut rhinoceros beetle contamination also aided with the fumigation’s success.

“We all had to pivot quickly and learn from our first failed fumigation as delivery deadlines expired, bills piled up and we were days from shipping,” said Kaehuaea. “But thanks to some angels around us, we were immediately connected to Alex at Mid-Pacific Pest.”

The first clean bulk order of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis wood-chipped mulch by Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi for new customer SiteOne Landscaping Supply of Kona was two 20-foot containers used in that trial-and-error testing phase.

The containers, once given the green light, were transported by KonaTrans of Hilo and shipped by Young Brothers from the Port of Hilo to their final destination on Maui.

Tri Isle Trucking of Maui picked up the loads for delivery to the site, and with a state agricultural inspector on Maui ready to test the wood-chipped mulch, it was once again found to be clean.

This was a huge victory in the fight for clean agricultural products to be shipped interisland and opened up an unprecedented path for Eucalyptus grandis, which can be seen growing straight up to the sky around Hawaiʻi Island.

Once a tree is cut just above ground level, it can resprout and within 7 years grow to be 150 feet tall again, making this the beginning of a sustainable industry in the islands.

This first bulk order of wood-chipped Eucalyptus grandis mulch shipped to Maui was finalized the third week of June by official approvals and now resides at luxury beach resort Montage Kapalua Bay.

Bags of the product will be available at local retailers by July.

Stargazer Industries Hawaiʻi says Eucalyptus grandis is one of three eucalyptus species found on Hawaiʻi Island. There are more than 800 eucalyptus species around the globe.

With less oil than its California cousin, which is used for essential oils, wood of Eucalyptus grandis trees has mainly been used for burning, powering machinery, paper pulp, fencing and fence posts.

It has no marketplace presence as a landscape product in the United States, and Florida is the only state where it is milled for fencing or flooring.

June 2024 wood chips market industry forecast data show the global wood chips market was valued at $11.73 billion in 2023. It is anticipated to reach $23.06 billion by 2032, growing at a rate of 7.8% from 2024.

“We actually won ‘Wheel of Fortune,’” Laura Ahuna said. “In 2014, we decided to audition just to try it out. Many weeks later, they gave us a call after our wedding and invited us to be contestants. We won a honeymoon and some cash and used that to invest in the business and ultimately open our own music shop.”

On Sept. 1, Big Island Guitars and Music Supply, located inside the Hilo Shopping Center, will celebrate its 10th anniversary.

During the past decade, the Big Island natives have created a small oasis for musicians of all levels to expand their collection, repair a long-loved instrument or learn how to play a new one. It also has become a place for musicians in East Hawaiʻi to converse, share ideas and jam.

Laura Ahuna said she noticed during this year’s Hoʻolauleʻa, an annual, free music festival in downtown Hilo, that there were a good portion of instruments used on stage that were purchased or repaired at their shop.

“It’s beautiful to know that we are supporting the music scene on the Big Island and that musicians are supporting us,” she said.

While Laura Ahuna does not play an instrument, she has been around the music scene her whole life, beginning with her father and followed by her husband. She also enjoys vocal performance and was recently in the Palace Theater musical, “Shrek,” with their daughter.

Spencer Ahuna primarily plays guitar and is in the 8-piece band, Beyond Paradise, which plays cover songs of popular music for corporate events and large, private celebrations.

At their shop, people looking for a new instrument can try them out. Almost everything is available to play and plug into to jam right away.

Along with offering instruments, strings, tuners, amplifiers and much more, the Ahunas also offer repair services that is the specialty of Spencer Ahuna. When he got his first guitar at age 17, he brought it home and took it completely apart only to put it back together.

“I think it’s just how my brain works because I started learning how to fix guitars for my parents when I was 10,” Spencer Ahuna said. “Guitar repair is really a niche thing. It’s hard to find people who work on guitars and I have been able to learn a lot from others over the years. I have always been interested in modifying my guitar or just the idea of taking a cheaper guitar and making it extremely unique.”

The repair work is in such demand that there is a waiting list.

“The repairs are endless because people here often pass down their heirloom instruments, and they want to take care of that stuff,” he said. “The weather can also deteriorate instruments faster, so it’s important to have a shop where you can bring in a guitar to get it checked. This island is artistic and musical, which is why there are so many people in need of repairs.”

To lighten his load, he has been mentoring and teaching a couple employees how to repair guitars, which is a precarious job. 

Over the years, the Ahunas have been able to hire more people, giving themselves more time to make changes to keep up with the always evolving music industry.

“We have a goal to bring cool information and cool gear to the public while also opening people’s eyes to the creative and professional possibilities available in the music business,” Spencer Ahuna said.

Laura Ahuna added: “There has really been a resurgence of young people interested in playing music, whether that’s on stage in a band or by themselves in their safe space. It’s an exciting time and we want to keep the music going.”

Big Island Guitar and Music Shop has been able to introduce youth and adults to the world of music by offering their customers connections to local entertainers, a studio for private lessons, and a free, monthly workshop, which takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday of the month.

“We have awesome music teachers that give us their schedules and contact information every year and it’s awesome seeing the youth and the adults that are taking lessons every week,” Laura Ahuna said. “YouTube is one way to learn, but there is something different about learning in person. You can ask questions, learn something different like putting together a pedal board or playing in a certain style.”

The shop works with teachers that offer lessons in guitar, bass, ʻukulele, violin, music theory, voice, drums, saxophone, mandolin and more.

“We hope to start offering more workshops, classes and performance opportunities like open mic events to help musicians make more connections and get a feel of performing,” Laura Ahuna said. “I do think Hilo is lacking in live music opportunities, so I have this goal of creating venues that can be used by our community, but also by musicians from around the world.”

The necessity of music shops has recently increased since the Music Exchange recently closed its stores in Hilo and Kailua-Kona after many years in business. While there are music stores located in Hilo, Pāhoa and Kona, the loss of a longtime small business can change the landscape of what is available to musicians.

“We honestly could not have gone as far as we have without the Music Exchange,” Laura Ahuna said. “I just want to thank them for everything they have done for the Big Island music community.

“It felt like I was calling them every week to see if they had something someone asked us about and vice versa. We wanted to work together to keep money local and we want to continue that sense of aloha with the other local shops. We need each other and can accomplish so much more together.”

The Ahunas say they will continue to listen to musicians’ needs and make sure they are there to help them achieve their artistic and creative goals.

Recently, they also began offering opportunities in audio recording and production with sound engineer Drew Zaragoza. Musicians can work in a studio setting tracking, writing, editing, mixing and mastering original music. To inquire about studio time, email Zaragoza at zaragozamusician@gmail.com.

“Hilo deserves good performance spaces and music shops, and our plans are just to keep this going,” Spencer Ahuna said. “We feel like this is what we’re supposed to do, like it is our civic duty.”

Big Island Guitars and Music Shop is open Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Private lessons are available seven days a week. For more information on the shop and its upcoming opportunities, follow Big Island Guitars on Instagram.

To inquire about private lessons, email bigmusicstudio@gmail.com. For repairs, call 808-969-9342, or visit the shop at 1221 Kīlauea Ave. Suite 10 in Hilo.

The event is a partnership between Hawai‘i U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono — who is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship — and Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i.

It provides members of the Hawai‘i business community the opportunity to meet directly with congressional leaders while also showcasing Hawai‘i businesses and products to members of Congress, their staffs and the District of Columbia community.

“Small businesses and local entrepreneurs are foundational to Hawai‘i’s culture, communities and economy, and engagement at every level of government is crucial to setting these businesses and businessowners up for success,” Hirono said in a press release.

She’s grateful for all those who made this year’s Hawai‘i on the Hill events — including a policy summit and the flagship Taste of Hawai‘i — such a success, and looks forward to a continued partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, work together to support small businesses throughout the islands.

Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i President and Chief Executive Officer Sherry Menor said Hirono’s continued support helps amplify the voice of Hawai‘i’s small businesses and strengthen their opportunities on a national stage.

In addition to Hirono and Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i state Senate President Ron Kouchi of Kaua‘i served as an honorary co-chairman of this year’s Hawai‘i on the Hill.

Hirono participated in a fireside chat and talk story session moderated by Menor to kick of the week. The Hawai‘i Democrat spoke about her work in the U.S. Senate to support Hawai‘i businesses and communities as well as took part in a Q&A session.

Hirono the following day hosted the Hawai‘i on the Hill Policy Summit, featuring remarks from:

• Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green.
• U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
• U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
• Dilawar Syed, former deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration.
• U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
• U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
• U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.
• Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who also is a former Social Security Administration commissioner.

A variety of important issues were discussed, including the unique challenges faced by Hawai‘i businesses, programs that provide support for businesses and nonprofits in the islands and building community resilience and partnerships.

The highly anticipated Taste of Hawai‘i was hosted later that night on Capitol Hill, with more than 1,500 people in attendance.

Members of Congress and their staffs were given the opportunity to experience and learn more about Hawai‘i’s unique culture through cuisine, music and more. Attendees enjoyed live music performed by Hawai‘i artists as they visited different tables and sampled different products from throughout the islands.

Some of this year’s exhibitors included:

• Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.
• Aloun Farms.
• Kaua‘i Kookie.
• Kōloa Rum.
• Lappert’s Ice Cream.
• The Orchid Lei Company.
• Hawaiian Chip Company.
• Maui Gold.
• University of Hawai‘i.

“Hawai‘i on the Hill continues to be a powerful platform to showcase the best of our state, and this year’s events were nothing short of incredible,” said Menor in the press release, adding through all of the events during this year’s Hawai‘i on the Hill, the chamber was “proud to bring the spirit of aloha to D.C.”

To celebrate the launch of the mix, which is produced by the Hawai‘i ʻUlu Cooperative, a series of live cooking demonstrations will take place throughout June at select Foodland locations on the Big Island and O‘ahu.

“‘Ulu is such a versatile and nutritious product and our chefs enjoy using it in many of our Foodland recipes,” said Sheryl L. Toda, vice president of branding and communications at Foodland. “We’re excited that our customers will now be able to easily enjoy delicious pancakes made with ‘ulu flour through this innovative local product.”

The Hawai‘i ʻUlu Cooperative is a farmer-owned business founded in 2016 that works to revitalize ‘ulu as a viable crop and dietary staple for the community — and to guarantee a market and stable price for the starchy exotic fruit.

The co-op operates in Kona and Hilo, with more than 180 farmer members statewide.

Its ʻulu pancake mix highlights the cooperative’s commitment to revitalizing Hawai‘i’s food system by expanding the use of culturally significant staple crops. It also blends convenience with sustainability.

Dana Shapiro, CEO of the co-op, said the production of the pancake mix is a big step toward wider distribution of ‘ulu flour in the mainstream marketplace.

“Our hope is that it (the pancake mix) will make it much more accessible to try ‘ulu,” Shapiro said. “It’s a good product for Hawai‘i because it has a good shelf life.”

Breadfruit flour is a healthy alternative to conventional wheat flours. Shapiro said it’s low glycemic, which means it doesn’t spike blood sugar, and is loaded with micronutrients.

“To be able to hit the mainstream palate with something that’s more of a traditional food item, it’s really important,” said Lani Eubanks, a farmer in Hawī. “I do hope there is greater interest in the community at least trying it.”

The mix costs $12 per 8-ounce bag.

The pancake mix joins a variety of other retail products produced by the co-op, including ‘ulu humus, ‘ulu chocolate mousse and pre-steamed, peeled and cut canoe plants that include kalo, ‘ulu, ‘uala (Hawaiian potato).

‘Ulu is considered a canoe crop, which refers to the 23 plants Polynesian voyagers brought with them more than a thousand years ago as they traveled across the Pacific Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands.

The co-op also sells bags of ‘ulu flour, which they started producing in 2021, in specialty health stores. The pancake mix is a blend of ‘ulu flour, rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, tapioca starch, sugar, xanthan gum and salt.

The peak season for breadfruit is from October through December.

The cooperative had a record ‘ulu season in 2024, bringing in 220,000 pounds between all of its member farmers. The flour production went from 5,000 pounds in 2021 to 15,000 pounds in the last season in 2024.

Eubanks’ farm in Hawī, a member of the co-op since its founding, has 48 ‘ulu trees. Eubanks said the production of flour allows her to use all the breadfruit her trees produce, from selling the actual fruit to using the less premium quality fruits in the flour or pancake mix.

Eubanks also has been using the ‘ulu flour to make drop noodles, banana bread and her own pancake mix.

“There’s a definite aftertaste with ‘ulu,” Eubanks said. “‘Ulu flour will give you the breadfruit taste. It is a little more dense, needing to use an extra egg or water.”

Shapiro said the co-op’s goal is to make the mix a permanent product sold in local stores and is looking at selling it in Safeway and Times Supermarkets on Kaua‘i, Maui and O‘ahu.

This partnership, which lasts until Sept. 1, is part of the Auberge Resorts Collection’s continued goal to bring an elevated culinary experience to guests and Big Island residents visiting the resort.

On Friday, a long table was set for dinner on the Great Lawn. Resort leadership was hosting a small number of guests, including five fine dining journalists from Los Angeles, to experience OTOTO dishes paired with different flavors of sake at the Surf Shack.

“Hawai‘i has deep culinary ties to Japan, and we saw an opportunity to celebrate that connection in a fresh, modern way,” said Pete Alles, general manager of Mauna Lani.

Alles said the resort team liked OTOTO’s food and felt they had good casual options that would fit in well at the Surf Shack, which doubles as a place where guests can rent snorkel gear and buy easy-to-eat food at the window. Items already offered feature a spicy grilled chicken sandwiches, a poke wrap, a smash burger and salads.

OTOTO is a James Beard award-winning Japanese bar that combines sake with casual dining. The menu items include a cucumber salad, potato salad, a roasted Okinawan sweet potato, Tebasaki, OTOTO’s fried chicken wings with sesame seeds and Aloha TO Mos Burger, a Japanese style beef burger with housemade chili, a special sauce and sesame bun.

One of the favorite dishes among dinner guests last week was the beer-battered cod Filet-O(TOTO) Fish Sando, inspired by McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish. It costs $27.

“I’m a fan of the McDonald’s version, and I still eat them once in a while,” OTOTO Chef Charles Namba said Monday. “I think they steam the buns, which gives them that warm, soft, pillowy texture, and I wanted to create a restaurant version.”

While he won’t be at Mauna Lani for the duration of the menu, Namba worked with the Surf Shack’s culinary team leading up to the launch of the limited-edition menu. Namba is excited for people to not only enjoy OTOTO’s food, but also get comfortable with sake.

“Sake and a burger on the beach in Hawai‘i? What could be better?” Namba said. “It’s the perfect place to eat this kind of food, other than Echo Park [in Los Angeles].”

Mauna Lani culinary director Michael Arnot said Namba’s visit to the Big Island resort allowed the culinary team at the Surf Shack to get exposure to other styles of cooking and ingredients, including specialty misos, different types of vinegars and yamaimo (Japanese mountain yams).

“It gives them creative juices and gets them engaged,” Arnot said.

The menu is tailored to use many local products, including cabbage, scallions, tomatoes and cucumber in the cucumber salad, the Keiki Cuke Sunomono.

“I think it’s a really fun venture and it brings local community out to enjoy approachable Japanese bites,” Arnot said.

OTOTO recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. Namba, who has been working as a chef for nearly 20 years, said it was one of the LA restaurant’s regulars, who works with the hotel, that came up with the idea that OTOTO and Mauna Lani should partner up.

“For us at Mauna Lani, we’re always trying to elevate and grow from a culinary standpoint,” Alles said. “The exposure that our team gets when we work with outside talent and learning from them, enhances their education.”

Mauna Lani also has re-imagined its Ha’Lani Restaurant and has an award-winning signature oceanfront restaurant, CanoeHouse. Other renowned chefs to partner with Mauna Lani include Nancy Silverton, Andrew Zimmern and culinary talent from sushi restaurants Blue Ribbon and Nami Nori.

Prices on the OTOTO-featured menu vary, with entrees ranging from $21 to $31. The side dishes range from $10 to $19. Click here for more information.

The goal of the Pay It Forward program is to help women in the community start or expand a business through a microgrant intended to provide assistance.

Each grant will be up to $2,000. Awardees are encouraged to “Pay It Forward” when they are financially able.

“Helping women to succeed and improve our communities advances the mission of Zonta,” said Zonta Club of Hilo President Laurie Higashi. “Pay It Forward is one of the many programs our club offers to empower women and girls through service and advocacy.”

The local chapter of the Zonta Club launched the Pay It Forward program in 2014 with a donation from Nancy Cabral, a Zonta member and owner of Day-Lum Realty Inc.

Cabral’s desire was to encourage other women to achieve financial independence and business success. Since its inception, many other generous donors have contributed to these microgrants for women entrepreneurs.

Applications are being accepted until midnight July 20. The online application is available on the Zonta Club’s website.

The Zonta Club of Hilo was founded in 1950 and is a member of Zonta International, whose mission is to build a better world for women and girls.

For more information, email info@zontahilo.org.

Dianna Kahler always knew opening a restaurant was in her future.

The 52-year-old grew up in restaurants owned by her parents in California. They owned a New York-style deli, a Mexican restaurant, a French restaurant and two restaurants with a menu of “elevated comfort food” created by her mother. Kahler was trained as a cashier at 9 years old, learned to cook and bake at 10 and was a server by 12.

“When I was 17, my parents sold the restaurant, and I wanted to try something new since I had lived my whole life in restaurants,” she said. “I decided to become a hairdresser, but when I moved to Colorado, I realized I belonged in the kitchen.”

After decades of working in the kitchen for others, Kahler now is working to open her own restaurant, Kitchen Witch Cafe and Bakery in the Puna Kai Shopping Center in Pāhoa.

Kahler named the restaurant “Kitchen Witch” because it reflects how she identifies — a person who uses magic (skill, mindfulness and care) in everything they make to improve health, home and well-being through food.

“I know how to make things that can put a smile on people’s faces and make their day better,” Kahler said. “That is where I thrive and how I grew up.”

Kitchen Witch will be a bakery and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. The menu features recipes created by Kahler, a lifelong cook and baker, and will highlight local, organic ingredients.

“There aren’t any restaurants in Pāhoa that serve breakfast all day, and I know many in our community work late-night shifts and may want dinner in the morning or breakfast in the evening,” she said.

Kahler had wanted to open her own restaurant when she lived in Colorado, working as a cook and pastry chef for Hilton Hotels. But that changed when she became pregnant with her daughter.

In 2021, after losing her husband, Kahler and her daughter moved to Hawaiʻi Island, where she worked as a cook for Kīlauea Military Camp in Volcano.

“I have never worked so hard in my life, and one day I realized that if I was going to work this hard, it should be for myself,” Kahler said. “I told my friend about what I wanted to do and she made me realize it would be the perfect opportunity to lead by example for my daughter and show her that you can make your dreams come true at any point in life.”

But it has not been easy.

With limited eating options in the area, Kahler said when she saw the space available in Puna Kai “it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make this concept a reality.”

But when she first walked into the 2,000 square foot space, there was a “funk” left by the previous owners, Thep Thai Cuisine. It has taken months to properly clean, fix and buy new equipment, and to prepare the space for customers.

“The equipment is five years old, and in the culinary world, that is brand new as long as it is cared for properly,” Kahler said. “Unfortunately, the previous owner did not care for equipment properly, and it’s been a constant battle. Management has been understanding and doing everything they can because they want us to open, too.”

According to Kahler, the only obstacle to opening is the funding needed to purchase a few more items for the kitchen, the inspection from the state Department of Health to become a certified kitchen, and the food needed to open the restaurant.

“The constant fixes really set me back,” she said. “I started with $100,000, and it is now gone. But I do think I finally have funding secured and I should have it by this month.”

She said the menu is completed and includes a variety of “elevated comfort food” that is similar to the menus her mom would create. Some examples of the dishes on the menu include: biscuits and gravy, several kinds of omelets and sandwiches, egg rolls made with her mother’s recipe, and lilikoʻi short ribs.

“I have a staff of 20 who are ready to go whenever we have an opening date,” she said. “There isn’t much else to do except wait for the money.”

Kahler has considered searching for a business partner but is reluctant to give up any control of the vision she has for the restaurant’s daily operations. However, if anyone had business experience to help her with the back-end details of Kitchen Witch, she would be more open to that.

“I am not someone who can sit in an office,” she said. “I know I am a good leader and don’t want to mess with the dynamic I will have with my staff. I understand every aspect of restaurant work and single parenthood. Having a boss that understands is a major reason why employees decide to stay somewhere for a long time.”

During this time, Kahler has been meeting with local farmers and implementing contracts to purchase their produce, meat, eggs and herbs when the time comes.

While the setbacks have been discouraging over the last few months, Kahler is confident that she will be able to open Kitchen Witch and serve the community that allows her daughter, who is now 10-years old, and herself to thrive.

“This concept really came from living in this community,” she said. “It is robbery that we have to pay up to $11 for a loaf of bread when I can sell fresh loaves of bread every day for $5.”

Kahler added: “I have applied to accept EBT (food stamps) so the community has an opportunity to buy celebration desserts for special occasions instead of having to travel all the way to Hilo for a cake.”

Kahler also plans to close on Mondays to host free classes or open the certified kitchen to nonprofits that can use it for their outreach programs.

“I am able to stay positive because I know that we will help change the food landscape of Puna and will support this community that I love so much,” Kahler said. “Living and thriving here is important to me and it’s a great feeling to know I’m doing this for more than just my daughter and myself.”

Although a date has not been set, Kahler expects to open in early July. Updates can be found on the Kitchen Witch Facebook and Instagram pages.

Visit the Puna Kai website for more information on leasing, current businesses, and upcoming openings.

On a 10-acre property in South Kona where coffee trees grow, husband and wife Peter Cooper and Belinda Liu have turned a building used as an Airbnb and the property into their second retreat center on the Big Island.

Paliuli Farm Sanctuary opened last December on property that has been referred to as the “Garden of Eden” and home of Princess Laʻieikawai, who was known as the Beauty of Paliuli.

“The space is very grounding,” Liu said. “The alchemy of soil, the different fruits and land medicines, the coffee trees and hiking trails. People can feel the connection to the earth, to be with the trees and feel grounded, and take a break from the fast pace of life.”

Paliuli Farm is part of Hestia Magic retreat centers, which began in 2014 with a location at Mount Shasta, California, and last year added a second location at Kealakekua Bay.

Prior to starting Hestia Magic, Liu and Cooper were educators, both domestically and internationally. They spent their early career supporting education
initiatives, particularly with disadvantaged communities, then transitioned into land
stewardship.

“I think bringing people to the land can be just as powerful as the schools,” Liu said.

The name Hestia comes from the Greek Goddess of the hearth, home, community and family. The couple’s long-term plan is to have eight locations around the world, where they can tend to sacred lands, build community and live in rhythm with nature.

Their new retreat center in South Kona is tucked off Painted Church Road, with mango and other fruit trees lining the driveway to the main house, where guests can experience peace and stillness, with the exception of birds chirping and coqui frogs croaking at night. 

“We wanted it to be a place of deep healing,” Liu said. 

“Before it was Paliuli, the farm was a very special land,” she added.

She remembers speaking with a farmer who told her: “There’s something magical about that particular strip of land. You can plant something in the ground and it just grows.”

The couple wanted to preserve that tradition. They seek visitors who respect and honor the land, do their own inner work and healing, and treat others with respect.

“We’re working on building a relationship with the land,” said Pōlani Ho’omai’elelehua Monderen, the onsite land steward at Paliuli. “We’d love for people to come and stay who are wanting to connect deeper to themselves and the earth around them.”

For Monderen, who grew up on the Big Island spearfishing and hunting pigs, it’s about connecting to the earth through the senses.

“I learned how to become close to the breath, the quiet and stillness,” she said.

When Monderen was asked to steward the land at Paliuli, she jumped at the opportunity.

Paliuli Farm has a main house with 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 bathrooms and an outdoor shower; a 1-bedroom suite with an en-suite kitchen and bathroom; and three suites with queen beds and a large community patio for outdoor gatherings and dining. The space can hold up to 35 people for community events and sleeps up to 13 people.

Each summer and winter, the sanctuary hosts one week solstice retreats. Liu and xx bring in  holistic health experts to guide the retreat and celebrate the changing seasons. 

Audrey Jacob, a book author who flew in from California for the winter solstice retreat, recalled the deep healing she experienced on the lanai of the retreat center, overlooking the ocean. 

“We would sit in circles everyday and hold space for each other,” she said. “People told deep grief stories, recalled traumas and we all just listened in community.” 

Jacob had a dream about Paliuli Farm, and found herself at the retreat center not long after. 

“There is definitely something magical about the land there,” she said. “And when I came back to California, I found myself connecting with people who were from that part of the island. Call it serendipity, but there is definitely a strong sense of community there.”

Paliuli Farm is home to an array of tropical and medicinal plants, including cocoa, several noni trees, avocados, citrus, passionfruit, mangos, bananas and papayas.

“That’s why we fell in love with the coffee farm,” Liu noted. “The feeling of peace and fertility that is present.”

Down the street and along Painted Church Road, visitors can find an array of local fruit and bread basket stands, as well as working coffee farms and coffee tasting tours.

The grounding, fertile soil at Paliuli Farm contrasts with the expansive, ocean views at sister site Kealakekua Bay, which is often buzzing with visitors from all over the world, many hoping to see dolphins.

While Kealakekua Bay in Captain Cook shines bright, something remains mysterious and untouched at Paliuli Farm.

“What’s there is intangible,” said Jen Lighty, the former caretaker of the coffee farm. “For me it was like a refuge that wasn’t participating in modern life. It was so… quiet… And when you live in a place like that, I saw so many people come through (with some renting rooms). People had really profound healing transformations.”

Lighty said: “It’s pretty simple. If you listen, the land speaks. You get answers.” 

Rooms range from $150 to $175 nightly. Full property rental is $1,500 per night, sleeping up to 13 people. For more information, go to HestiaMagic.com.

Kelleigh Stewart and Brandon Damitz also have turned the company into an award-winning brand, a successful café and a public roastery in Hilo.

And during the process, they have helped to put the relatively young Kaʻū coffee on the map.

Big Island Coffee Roasters began in 2010, when Stewart and Damitz of Portland, Ore., bought a coffee farm and moved to Puna despite having no experience in the industry.

They wanted to give it a try and in just three years, they grew and roasted the Puna Pink Bourbon coffee. It earned them a first place prize in the creative division of the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association Statewide Cupping Competition in 2013. It was the first and only time a Puna coffee had received the award.

When neighboring farmers began asking for advice, Stewart and Damitz found their true passion in roasting coffee beans already milled from local farms.

Milling is the step that comes after harvesting, which involves removing the outer fruit pulp of ripe coffee cherries, breaking down the sugars (fermenting) the coffee cherries, washing and drying.

After the dried beans are sorted, they are sent to Big Island Coffee Roasters for roasting, which is the process of using heat to transform raw, green coffee beans into the familiar brown beans that unlock flavor and aroma. The beans are then packaged and labelled according to the type of coffee bean and the roast.

“We wanted to focus on our bigger mission to revitalize Hawaiʻi coffee,” Damitz said. “Everything was very dated when we first moved here, with the bags of coffee not accurately depicting Hawaiʻi or showcasing the diversity of the island.”

In 2023, Stewart and Damitz opened their first public roastery and café at 76 Kalanianaʻole St. in Hilo, across the street from Coconut Grill. They run production, order fulfillment, and the retail shop all in one place.

In 2024, they shipped 31,000 orders of coffee beans grown across Hawaiʻi and roasted at Big Island Coffee Roasters to coffee lovers across all 50 U.S. states and 29 countries. And since they began keeping track in late 2023, local farmers participating in the farm-direct coffee and crop purchases have earned a total income of $9.6 million.

“One thing we’re proud of is how we work closely with farmers to bring them more recognition,” Stewart said. “Recently, we just got the highest award given to any Kaʻū coffee.”

It was for Kaʻū Morning Glory, the top-rated Big Island coffee with 97 points on Coffee Review, a leading coffee guide.

Kaʻū Morning Glory captures the spirit of the southern Big Island and was carefully crafted from a proprietary blend of exquisite coffee varieties grown on nearby farms, its description says.

“The number of people who came to us from that review was incredible,” Stewart said. “We’ve gotten a lot of exposure for Kaʻū and have been working with farmers in that region more than any other.”

The coffee industry in Kaʻū is only 30 years old, which Stewart says makes the farmers typically more receptive to advice.

“This award is validation in the work we do to help farmers and it is amazing to see that growth for them, especially because a better product means we will pay more for it every time,” Stewart said.

When most people think of coffee from Hawaiʻi, they think of Kona coffee, which is known around the world.

But Kaʻū coffee is growing in popularity, and this week is showcased at the Kaʻū Coffee Festival.

“What makes Kaʻū coffee different is that the farmers were never beholden to any variety or method of growing and roasting coffee,” Stewart said. “That can’t be said about Kona coffee because of the brand that was created and how rare it is. The variety of coffee makes Kaʻū special. It’s like the trail mix bar of coffees and regions of Hawaiʻi.”

The Kaʻū Coffee Festival gives visitors and residents a chance to learn about the history of the industry and to taste all the coffee that comes from 600 acres of farmland. However, it is also a chance for farmers and producers from the area to come together to catch up without a feeling of competition.

“We have known and have grown with producers for several years, so it’s a time to reconnect and it does not feel competitive because we have been friends for years and cheer for one another’s accomplishments,” Stewart said. “In this community, we’re all rowing the same boat with different paddles. We all see that we’re working together to do justice for the representation of Hawaiʻi as a prominent coffee-growing region.”

On Saturday, Big Island Coffee Roasters will be hosting the Kaʻū Coffee Sensory Experience, which will feature three to four baristas as they prepare 15 varieties of Kaʻū coffee using different brewing methods to best bring out the flavors.

Attendees can get cups of this coffee and watch the professional baristas as they brew.

While production numbers continue to grow, the café and roastery also have earned Big Island Coffee Roasters numerous accolades and awards, including two this year. The café was recognized as the third best coffee shop for remote workers in a MarketBeat survey and was noted as one of the best cafés on the Big Island by Barista Magazine.

With help from their staff of 25, the café and roastery has become a place for brewing workshops, espresso martini classes, mamaki talk-and-sip activities, and a place for people to celebrate.

“The café has been amazing, better than we could have anticipated, in terms of traffic, response, and our team. We have awesome people,” Stewart said. “We get a lot of visitors and traffic from the cruise ships, but have been working to incorporate more elements of community, especially being on the border of Keaukaha.”

Next up, Big Island Coffee Roasters will be joining Sen. Mazie Hirono for Hawaiʻi on the Hill and will bring Hawaiʻi coffee directly to Congress.

For more information, visit the Big Island Coffee Roasters website.

According to the lawsuit filed in the 1st District Court on O‘ahu on May 19, Honua Ola Bioenergy, referred to as Hu Honua in the lawsuit, is seeking relief from anticompetitive and other unlawful conduct designed to foreclose competition and restrain trade in the wholesale market for firm power generation. This type of power is provided by biomass, fossil fuel and geothermal facilities on the Big Island.

Hu Honua, which owns a renewable, dispatchable firm energy biomass power plant in Pepe‘ekeo since 2008, is seeking a jury trial in the district court.

“That plant sits idle today because of HECO’s [Hawaiian Electric’s] conduct, even though Hawai‘i Island has an acute need for additional independent generating capacity — and especially renewable firm energy capacity — given the rising risks of power interruptions, blackouts, and outages that have resulted from HECO’s high-handed, monopolistic dominance of the market,” the lawsuit states.

Hawaiian Electric responded to the suit in a statement Wednesday, saying the extensive public record shows “precisely the opposite of what Hu Honua claims.”

“Hawaiian Electric advocated for Hu Honua and signed a contract to buy electricity from the facility, subject to the Public Utilities Commission’s determination that the pricing was reasonable,” power company officials stated. “That contract was rejected by the PUC, which cited the increased cost to customers and elevated greenhouse gas emissions. Hu Honua appealed to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, which reached the same conclusion in 2023.”

A call for comment to Honua Ola Bioenergy on Wednesday was not returned by press time.

Hawaiian Electric entered into an agreement with Hu Honua in May 2012 for the generation and sale of electricity from the power plant’s renewable, dispatchable firm energy biomass.

Honua Ola Bioenergy would generate renewable and sustainable energy by using locally produced biomass feedstock from eucalyptus crops and invasive species. The plant would also create more than 150 direct and ancillary jobs in the greater Hilo community.

Application for the agreement was initially approved by the state with Hawaiian Electric emphasizing that Hu Honua would help “reduce HECO’s reliance on fossil fuels” and “increase its overall renewable energy portfolio.”

Hawaiian Electric ultimately terminated the agreement because Hu Honua missed certain contractual milestones, according to the lawsuit.

“Terminating the Power Purchase Agreement was a competitively irrational act that sacrificed short-run gains and endangered system reliability; HECO would not have taken that step but for the prospect of obtaining higher profits in the long run from the exclusion of competition as alleged in this complaint,” according to the lawsuit.

Hu Honua filed claims against the power company with the Hawai‘i Supreme Court in November 2016, which alleged violations of federal and state antitrust law, unfair competition under state law, and various other state law claims.

The high court ultimately dismissed Hu Honua’s claims.

Hawaiian Electric serves 95% of the state’s 1.4 million residents on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i, Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i, with more than 88,000 of those customers living on the Big Island.

According to the lawsuit, Hawaiian Electric’s energy reserve margin has deteriorated and fallen below reliable target levels due to anticompetitive and monopolistic conduct. As a result, the suit states Hawaiian Electric is causing Hawai‘i Island to be beset with energy problems, including rolling blackouts and calls for reduced electricity use by its customers.

In the first few months of 2024, the lack of adequate supply in the wholesale market caused HECO to initiate rolling blackouts multiple times, leaving thousands of customers without power, the lawsuit said.

“The failure of supply to meet customer demand is a hallmark of a monopolized market and is the avoidable and direct result here of HECO’s elimination of competition and reduction of firm power output on Hawaii Island,” the lawsuit states.

“It’s kind of like cooking spinach on the stove,” said Hambly, owner of Steam Weeding Services in Hilo. “You can see the results right away without having to use something toxic on the vegetation.”

Steam weeding is the process of using steam and hot water to heat the water within plant cells, causing them to burst and effectively cooking the plant from the inside. The method kills the plant, but also breaks down seeds in the soil, preventing future weed growth.

Hambly saw how steam weeding worked more than 25 years ago when he watched his father use a a homemade contraption that created water hot enough to kill weeds around his garden in Portland, Oregon.

This intrigued Hambly for a long time. Finally, he spent his free time conducting his own research and saving the thousands of dollars it would require to buy a machine he not only could use on his own property, but also use to create a business.

After he moved to Hawaiʻi Island in 2020, the idea of starting a steam weeding business continued. He finally was able to buy his own machine in 2023 from an Australian company, Weedtechnics. He didn’t disclose how much he spent, but machines on Weedtechnics website range from $17,000 to $48,000.

Hambly’s machine, which is powered by a small gas engine, uses the company’s patented technology, Salusteam, to weed control.

The process uses pressurized water that is heated by a diesel boiler to 248° Fahrenheit and then delivered to weeds gently at 40 to 60 pounds per square inch. At 212° Fahrenheit, the plants’ cells burst on contact and the waxy cuticle of the plant is destroyed. This leads to rapid dehydration and decomposition in the soil. 

According to Weedtechnics, the Salusteam turns the weeds into cooked vegetation that is initially a thin layer of mulch that turns into the humus layer (top layer) of soil over time. A study by Australian permaculture students also found that there is an increase in microbial activity after steam treatment breaks down the desiccated weed material into soil organic matter.  

“Not only are the results visible immediately, there is also evidence that steam weeding is beneficial to the soil long-term,” Hambly said. “Most customers are very impressed by the immediate results, and I hope they see a positive effect with their crops over time.”

As proof that it works, Hambly shared before and after photos of his own property on the social media page of his Steam Weeding Services. In 2024, he gained clients eager to steam weed their lawns, gardens and orchards.

Hambly’s service is $80 an hour. He can cover 400 to 1,000 square feet of land an hour depending on if the client wants spot treatment or full coverage.

One of his favorite parts about his business is showing people across the island an effective method of weed management that negates the use of herbicides.

“The benefits to me are huge, because it means less people are using poison,” he said. “There is no run-off into water sources. No harm to people or pets. And, you can do specific targeting with the machine.”

He said there also is no spray drift, so nothing is killed by accident.

“I can kill weeds around fruit trees, garden beds and ornamental plants, and the water won’t cause any harm,” Hambly said.

On Saturday, Hambly spent about 3 hours weeding a fruit orchard to help the owner better walk through the space.

“This job would not be possible to do with herbicide without harming the trees,” Hambly said. “Itʻs a big job that has taken about 15 hours in total to complete, but I love doing the work and [the property owners] really appreciate it.”

According to Hambly, customers may need to get a steam weeding treatment every 3 to 5 weeks, which is similar to herbicide treatments. However, every time the weeds are sprayed with the steam, the seed bank reduces in size and will create less weeds over time.

While Hambly mainly uses his machine to weed properties across the island, he is also able to use it to pressure wash for residential cleaning, which is done even more effectively with the heat. He has used it to clean walkways, house siding, roofing, rock walls and has even been able to remove graffiti on walls.

Hambly hopes to grow his clientele, so he can run his business full time one day. Until then, he will steam weeds on the weekends and continue working at Hawaiʻi Care Choices hospice facility in Hilo during the week.

“I think a lot of people don’t know much about this method, but many of my clients are excited with the technology, because like me, they donʻt want to use poison of any kind, especially around their valuable gardens and orchards,” Hambly said. “My ultimate goal is to do this job full time because I absolutely love it and believe in how it is changing the idea of weed control.”

Visit the Steam Weeding Services Facebook to learn more about Hambly’s work and call 808-765-5630 to schedule an appointment.

ʻOhana Thrift Store, the thift store operated by The Salvation Army Kona Corps’ in Kailua-Kona, is officially closed.

The last day the store will be open to customers is today (May 17). It is located 74-5583 Pawai Place.

ʻOhana Thrift Store opened in 2018, offering a place for shoppers to find low-cost donated clothes and household goods, as well as a hub for sustainability in the community and place of fellowship and center for vocational training.

“We are so grateful for the public’s patronage and support of the aptly named ʻOhana Thrift Store,” Kona Corps Captain Shawn Keoho said in an announcement about the store’s closure. “It is in that same spirit of community service that we now look to pivoting energies to meet the increasing local needs for our food pantry program, help for houseless neighbors and at-risk teens and the educational and emotional development of our keiki.”

The store’s closure comes as the Kona Corps’ focus shifts to maximizing support and resources to its other local social services programs and The Salvation Army’s Kona Preschool.

Efforts are being made to minimize any disposal costs by selling all remaining item.

The community is invited from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through today to explore the final day of shopping opportunities, which includes iteems beyond the usual selection of donated clothing, furniture and household goods.

Everything is on sale storewide, including facility fixtures, front glass counters, shelving units, clothes racks, industrial shelving units, desks, office chairs, bookshelves and more.

Any remaining goods will be donated to other local nonprofits and community partners.

A full closure of the thrift store will be completed by the end of the month.

In the Aloha State, it’s a common sight to see high school seniors stacked with lei on commencement day. Lei made of flowers, ti leaves, candy and even money are part of the celebration.

With high school and college graduation ceremonies scheduled in the coming weeks, lei makers on Hawai‘i Island have been taking pre-orders for at least a month, with some already completely booked.

Muscian and kumu hula Kuana Kahele explained that from the Hawaiian standpoint, lei for a graduate should be made from leaves and flowers gathered in the place they grew up.

“To receive that lei grounds them in where they come from,” Kahele said. “It reminds them of the land and love they come from.”

Kahele also is an accomplished lei maker who teaches the art. He said there’s been a surge in lei artisans, including a dozen on the Big Island who took his class.

There are a handful of traditional styles of lei, including twisting strands, braiding and weaving fibers and materials together. Kahele said the grad lei is the party lei where non-traditional materials are incorporated into the garland.

Materials include ribbon, non-native plants and even money with bills from the $1 to $100.

Big Island native April Qina, who owns Qina Girl Floral in Kealakekua, said kids growing up on the island knew how to make a basic lei.

Qina has owned her shop for 12 years and said graduation is one of her busiest times. This year, she already has stopped taking pre-orders.

Qina said she wants to make her specialty lei, like ilima, to “someone who knows how special it is.”

Ilima is a native plant to Hawai‘i, which historically was worn by royalty and has since been used in weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. It takes about 1,000 flowers to make a lei.

Qina perpetuates traditional lei making by planting as many lei plants as she can, like the ti leaf or the crown flower, because it helps with supply. She also makes lei with popular non-native fragrant flowers, including tuberose, pakalana, crown flower and lokelani.

Qina taps into her network of kūpuna who make lei with native and non-native materials.

Qina said she is making a lot of twisted lei this graduation season.

A basic single-strand floral lei, like plumeria, costs about $20. A double carnation is $80. A ti maile is $50. Qina will also make lei po‘o (head lei).

Click here to see Qina’s lei.

Lei maker and Kumu hula Lahela Spencer, owner of Mōhalu Hawai‘i in Waimea, said lei giving has to be done with intention and aloha, with graduation as a person’s “first big accomplishment.”

Spencer, who grew up dancing hula, learned how to make lei at a young age. As a dancer, she learned about how to correctly harvest and the significance of the flowers and leaves used for certain dances.

While Spencer would make lei for friends and family, she didn’t get into making large quantities of graduation lei until she did so for the graduating Class of 2019 at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy.

As part of the private school’s tradition, the boys and girls don’t where the traditional cap and gown. The boys wear a white shirt and white slacks and the girls wear a white dress. The school’s administration would gift each graduate a maile lei.

Maile, a fragrant endemic vine that grows in Hawai‘i, has historically been used for ceremonies and ancient Hawaiian rituals. Now, maile is one of the most sought-after lei to give a graduate.

To protect the special plant, Spencer, whose husband worked at the school, suggested to him that they make a ti-leaf lei in the maile style instead.

Spencer did a lei pop-up stand outside her house the following year where she sold out. She ultimately opened her small business where she teaches how to make lei as well as taking orders to fulfill.

Spencer also has continued to make ti maile for the graduates at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy.

Spencer opened this year’s graduation orders at the end of February. She currently has 150 lei orders and expects to get a bit more. You can order from Spencer’s business by clicking here.

She offers the ti leaf maile style lei and lei po‘o.

Spencer sells a single ti maile style lei from $25-$30. A double ti maile costs $45-$55.

Spencer said she tries to keep the maile-style ti leaf lei under the price of a maile lei, which ranges in price from $50 to $100.

Spencer makes colorful head lei as well as head lei from the leaf of the kukui, a nut tree that represents enlightenment, “which is perfect for graduation.”

The lei po‘o range in style and cost varies depending on that and the materials used.

“A lei is a way to show aloha for one another,” Spencer said. “A lei doesn’t have to cost much if you are making it yourself. You are putting all your good intentions into the lei that you are placing on the graduate’s shoulders.”

So far, the new traffic pattern has led to more than 30 calls to Hawai‘i County, with most of the callers complaining about the increased traffic congestion, particularly at the Hualālai Road and Kuakini Highway intersection, according to Tom Callis, spokesperson for the mayor’s office.

This intersection, where the biggest bottleneck is occurring, is the first spot where motorists traveling south on the oceanfront road can get back onto Kuakini Highway, which runs parallel to Ali‘i Drive.

Mayor Kimo Alameda said he heard from some residents claiming they were at least an hour late to work.

To address the issue, the county’s Department of Public Works has been adjusting the timing of the light. County officials said motorists had been seeing wait times of up to two minutes, depending on the day, to clear the intersection.

Alameda said he is a man of action and this one-way traffic pattern was meant to be a free parking solution, not a traffic solution.

The trial was put into place to address the skyrocketing parking prices and limited free spaces that have become a problem for the downtown business district, with fewer tourists and locals patronizing the area or doing so for less time because the meter was running. It has led to some businesses going out of business or struggling to survive.

The parking issue started in 2022, when some privately owned parking lots in downtown Kona started charging to make up for losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.

All parking lots are now paid, with fees ranging from $12 to $21 an hour. They are operated by Parklinq or Diamond Parking. There is one county-owned parking lot that offers free parking.

Alameda said: “I find for every solution, there’s a problem.”

While the one-way road has created 46 free parking stalls, Alameda wondered how much of the traffic burden the community can take. “Is it worth it for 46 free additional parking stalls?”

Ross Wilson, executive director of the Kailua Village Business Improvement District, said the complaints over the one-way road have calmed down, and people are getting used to the new traffic pattern.

Wilson, who works downtown, said he’s observed additional parking on Ali‘i Drive with available stalls on the road and in the free parking lot.

“The additional stalls have made a big difference,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the county has done a good job of syncing the traffic lights to reduce the bottlenecks, noting he counted 17 cars coming off of Ali‘i Drive from Hualālai Road and getting onto Kuakini Highway.

While Wilson hasn’t heard of a lack of business on Ali‘i Drive since the trial was put in place, some business owners say they are seeing a negative impact.

Ola Shaw recently opened Flight of Aloha theater inside the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, which is located at the start of the one-way portion of Ali‘i Drive.

“That side of the street is dead,” Shaw said.

Since opening, most of the traffic the theater received was from those walking Ali‘i Drive and seeing the signs on the sidewalk. Shaw said they were seeing 60 to 100 people per day. Since the change in traffic, that number is down to 30 to 50 people per day.

In Shaw’s opinion, he believes the traffic is a big deterrent to foot traffic to the historic Kona District.

“Fixing the lights won’t matter if people aren’t going down there,” Shaw said.

Shaw said people who are driving on Ali‘i Drive aren’t circling around to check out the town because the traffic is a nuisance.

Shaw conceded this traffic pattern might be the best solution, but he’s just not seeing it.

“I’ve only seen the negative parts,” he said.

Tee Elle, who works at the snorkel rental shop Boss Frog, which is located on the one-way stretch of Ali‘i Drive, said they were dead all week since the change began. “Some days it seemed like a ghost town.”

Elle said she does expect it to be quiet since business typically slows down after Easter weekend, but picks up once summer break starts for the schools.

Elle said business has been declining on Ali‘i Drive for the past two years, which she attributes to the expensive paid parking lots.

Elle said employees of the downtown shops are using the newly created free parking stalls.

“Their cars are parked there all day, beyond the two-hour limit,” Elle said. “I can tell you that I watched an ambulance unable to get through because there was no place for the cars to pull over.”

Elle said feedback from customers indicates that it takes them 10 to 15 minutes to loop around to find a parking spot.

Alameda is still looking for feedback and ideas on how to address the traffic and parking issues on Ali‘i Drive. Click here to leave a comment with the county.

The organization’s 2025 second quarter forecast shows sharp increases in U.S. import tariffs, sweeping federal layoffs along with volatile fiscal and immigration policies are undermining consumer confidence, raising inflation expectations and worsening the business outlook — nationally and in Hawaiʻi’s visitor-dependent economy.

National and global context

President Donald Trump’s imposition of the highest import tariffs in more than a century — including a universal 10% tariff and levies as high as 145% on some Chinese goods — destabilized U.S. markets.

Equity indices plunged in response, and business and consumer sentiment declined sharply.

With federal layoffs now exceeding 130,000 and at least another 140,000 planned, labor market weakness looms.

Because of the inflationary impact of tariffs, the Federal Reserve is likely to delay interest rate cuts, barring a marked economic slowdown.

U.S. gross domestic product is now forecast to grow less than 1% this year, while global growth projections have been revised downward across most economies, including in the key Hawaiʻi visitor markets of Canada and Japan.

Hawaiʻi tourism outlook

Although the year began with modest gains — particularly on Maui, which benefited from post wildfire recovery — Hawaiʻi’s tourism sector now faces significant headwinds.

International arrivals are already down 3% to 6%, with double-digit percentage declines in airlift from Japan and Canada. A soft booking trend and still-weak currencies suggest a deepening slump in international travel.

Domestically, economic uncertainty and higher costs also are expected to dampen demand. Total visitor arrivals are now projected to decline by 4% during the next two years, with a $1.6 billion reduction in real visitor spending by 2026.

All counties will see declines in visitor-related employment. A full recovery of visitor arrivals is not expected until 2028.

Labor market and inflation

Job growth began the year on solid footing, but momentum will fade.

The new forecast anticipates a nearly 1% contraction in employment for 2026, with the biggest losses in public sector and visitor-related jobs.

Federal spending cuts might ultimately reduce Hawaiʻi’s federal workforce by 2,300 civilian positions, and spending cuts will reverberate through local government and nonprofit sectors dependent on federal funding.

Tariffs will drive an increase in inflation, with the Honolulu Consumer Price Index forecast to exceed 4% in 2025 and 2026, up from earlier projections.

Construction and housing

Construction remains strong for now, buoyed by public infrastructure and Maui rebuilding, but tariffs on imported materials and labor constraints will weigh on future activity.

By 2027, construction employment will begin to gradually recede.

Housing prices remain elevated, with median single-family home prices continuing to rise.

Condominium markets, especially on Maui, are stagnating because of the ongoing insurance crisis and potential regulatory changes such as the “Minatoya List” vacation rental phase-out.

Local policy impacts

Federal budget decisions continue to inject uncertainty into Hawaiʻi’s funding landscape.

Potential cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, often still referred to as food stamps, could affect hundreds of thousands of island residents.

Initiatives such as the statewide “green fee” via a transient accommodations tax hike — passed this year by the Hawai’i Legilsature and set to go into effect at the beginning of 2026 — aim to fund climate and economic development efforts, but timing and impact remain uncertain.

Forecast risks

University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization now forecasts limited gross domestic product growth for 2025 and a contraction in 2026, marking Hawaiʻi’s first recession since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recovery will be slow, with real income growth remaining below 1% until 2028.

Risks remain exceptionally large: sustained tariffs, delayed policy reversals and global backlash to U.S. actions could deepen the downturn.

While fiscal stimulus and currency shifts could offer partial relief, the near-term outlook is marked by uncertainty, fragility and broad-based economic stress.

Visit University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s website for the entire forecast.

The Hawaiʻi Master Food Preservers, an organization focused on advancing entrepreneurial skills and workforce development, will debut its first conference on Thursday, Oct. 23. This event coincides with the 35th Hawaiʻi International Tropical Fruit Growers Conference, running from Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26.

“The food preservers conference is a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to discover our evolving local food cottage industry,” said Ken Love, president of the Hawaiʻi Master Food Preservers and executive director of Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers. “Those wishing to sell their canned, pickled, fermented, dehydrated, and frozen products to retail stores, online, and farmers markets should attend.”

The Hawaiʻi Master Food Preservers program educates community members on how to safely develop, prepare, package, and market value-added products through eight days of course instruction. The organization helps ensure that students’ endeavors succeed and impact island sustainability.

Participants will learn how to process and preserve locally grown fruit, produce, and proteins, develop value-added products, and receive guidance on packaging, understanding production costs, and current cottage industry rules. The program offers tips on marketing safe, shelf-stable products.

The food preservers event will include:

• Presentations on pectin
• Value-added product development and food safety
• The state’s new cottage industry laws and updates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center
• The Maui Innovation Center

Dr. Carla Schwan, director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Derek Kurisu, a KTA champion in fostering Hawaiʻi food sustainability, will host a panel to discuss current successful preserved food products.

The Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers, dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing, and promotion, will follow the Hawaiʻi Master Food Preservers with both conferences sharing the theme “Digging Deeper.”

The fruit growers event is aimed at farmers, educators, orchard managers, and proponents of sustainable agriculture. It serves as a focal point for information and training in the industry.

The range of timely topics includes industry news, trends, and new research, such as developing value-added products from off-grade tropical fruits—those that do not meet commercial export or sale standards but are still edible.

Dr. Yoshimi Yonemoto will deliver a keynote address on “Pruning, Pollination, and Predictions to Produce More Fruit,” and the conference will offer educational sessions on growing dwarf trees and creating healthy soil and quality crops.

Along with a trade show and popular fruit tasting, discussions will cover agricultural theft, new local research, and legislative updates. Attendees are also invited to tour local farms on the final day of the conference.

According to the Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers, the tropical fruit industry is rapidly growing across the state, alongside the expansion of its membership, which includes small and commercial growers, rare fruit tree collectors, nurseries, packers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.

The West Hawaiʻi Chapter recently introduced tropical fruit posters and cards to promote Hawaiʻi’s many tropical fruit varieties to chefs, retailers, and consumers at trade shows, food festivals, and industry events.

The conferences are made possible by support from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and organization members across the state. More information on both conferences and registration can be found at the Hawaiʻi Master Food Preservers website and the Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers website.

Goo replaces outgoing chair Dave Erdman, PacRim Marketing Group/VectorUSA Senior Advisor. During his three-year tenure, Erdman led the organization through a period of growth, increased advocacy and enhanced support for Hawaii’s exporting businesses, the organization said in a news release. 

“HPEC has made great strides in supporting Hawaiʻi’s exporters by providing valuable resources, mentorship and market intelligence,” Erdman said. “I am confident that our new leadership will continue this momentum and take HPEC to new heights.” 

Goo, who has extensive experience in global trade and entrepreneurship, brings a deep commitment to advancing Hawaiʻi’s export initiatives.

In addition to Goo, the new Executive Committee for 2025-2027 includes:

• Vice Chair: Dale Wright – Advisor, Retired-US Commercial Service 
• Secretary: Lori Hiramatsu – Business Advisor, VBOC of the Pacific 
• Treasurer: Susan Utsugi – Group Senior Vice President and Division Manager, Central  Pacific Bank 
• Past Chair: Dave Erdman – Founder, Senior Advisor PacRim Marketing Group, Inc.

Jan Rumi of Guild also returns to the organization’s 40-person board.

“We are excited to welcome our new Board members and leadership team, who bring fresh  perspectives and expertise to our mission,” Goo said. “As we continue to support Hawaii  and Pacific region businesses in expanding their global reach, our focus will remain on  education, advocacy, and strategic partnerships that enhance export opportunities.” 

The limited liability company recalled packages in the 0.6 ounce and 4 ounce bags that were distributed to multiple retail locations in Hawai‘i as well as in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington State, Wisconsin and Guam.

While no illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported, the company warns that consumers who have allergies or severe sensitivity to almonds and cashews run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the affected product batch.

The affected 0.6-ounce bag has the UPC 0 72992 05464 4, marked with lot numbers K5069C1 and K5069C2 and best by date 10/2026. The affected 4-ounce bag has the UPC 0 72992 05556 6, marked with lot numbers B4339E1 and B4340E1 and best by date 07/2026.

The recall was initiated after Mauna Loa’s internal quality control process identified that the affected batch, manufactured by a third-party co-manufacturer, contained undeclared almonds and cashews. Immediate action was taken to contain the affected product, notify the third-party co-manufacturer, alert consumers and distributors, and report the issue to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Consumers who have purchased the affected Mauna Loa Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamias and have an almond or cashew allergy are urged not to consume the product and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Customer Service at 1-888-255-5998, Monday through Friday.