Home Care In Aiea, HI

Related Photo Gallery: Aiea faces Kailua in OIA playoffs

He has a name like no other, but Elijah Nahoopii-Makakona is a pure playmaker.

The junior defensive back came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery as No. 10 Aiea stifled Kailua 41-0 in the semifinal round of the OIA Division I playoffs.

“That is the most fun I’ve had in a game. We’re doing all of our jobs,” said Nahoopii-Makakona, who believes film study was a key component. “The stacks, traps, treys, we’ve seen it all. I feel great. Going into the OIA championships, we don’t want to just win that. We want to win states.”

Defending league champion Aiea (7-2, 5-1 OIA D-I) will meet Waipahu on Saturday for the crown. Both teams sealed state-tournament berths with their semifinal victories this weekend.

The first time Aiea and Kailua met, Na Alii escaped with a 13-7 win on Sept. 10. This time, without quarterback Ma‘a Fonoti, Kailua struggled to move the ball consistently. It was a bit of a surprise given Kailua’s 30-29 win over Roosevelt last week to close the regular season. Prior to that, Kailua gave first-place Waipahu a battle before losing 26-16.

“There’s no excuses. You can’t have five turnovers. Before you know it, we were behind the 8-ball,” Kailua coach Joe Wong said. “We made the most mistakes. We had our opportunities and we didn’t capitalize. We looked good for two weeks, and what a game to have your worst outing of the season. Hat’s off to Aiea.”

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Kailua closed the season 4-4-1 overall, including 4-2 in the regular season. Backup QB Romeo Ortiz, normally a wide receiver, had some good moments running the option out of the Surfriders’ two-back set, but Aiea clamped down and limited Kailua to 69 yards of total offense.

Aiea drove to pay dirt on its first series, covering 68 yards in just six plays and ending with Kaimana Lale-Saole’s 5-yard burst up the middle.

On the ensuing kickoff, Aiea’s Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo hustled to recover kicker Bryson Boyea Quiton’s pooch kick at the Kailua 35-yard line. Two plays later, Olie found Rico Figueroa open on a quick slant for a 10-yard TD pass. Aiea led 14-0 with 7:13 to go in the opening quarter.

An 8-yard punt by Kailua set Aiea up at the Surfriders 30-yard line early in the second quarter. Five plays later, Olie maneuvered from the pocket, juked a defender and scored on a 10-yard TD run. Aiea led 21-0 with 8:33 left in the first half.

Kailua embarked on its best drive of the first half, marching from its 25-yard line to the Aiea 33. However, Aiea brought the house on a dive up the gut by Caysen Samson, who fumbled on a hit by Sila Unutoa. Nahoopii-Makakona recovered for Aiea.

Nahoopii-Makakona also came up with an interception near the goal line to end Kailua’s threat at the end of the first half.

—

AIEA 41, KAILUA 0

At Radford

Kailua (4-4-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0

Aiea (8-2) 14 7 14 6 — 41

Aiea—Kaimana Lale-Saole 5 run (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)

Aiea—Rico Figueroa 10 pass from Ezekiel Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)

Aiea—Olie 10 run (Boyea Quiton kick)

Aiea—Ezra Nahoopii-Makakona 6 run (Boyea Quiton kick)

Aiea—Olie 7 run (Boyea Quiton kick)

Aiea—Jayden Chanel 8 pass from Olie (kick failed)

RUSHING—Kailua: Ikaika Quidachay 7-29, Caysen Samson 7-19, Alai Sileli 1-5, Romeo Ortiz 6-(minus 3). Aiea: Kobe Higa 7-28, Nahoopii-Makakona 2-12, Lale-Saole 7-10, Noah Spencer 1-4, Chanel 1-3, Aizik Mahuka 1-0, Olie 5-(minus 4).

PASSING—Kailua: Ortiz 7-19-3-29. Aiea: Olie 19-26-0-222.

RECEIVING—Kailua: Na‘inoa SmithAkana 2-12, Aizek Ka‘anoi 2-10, Jathan Bejarano 1-3, Quidachay 1-3, John Griffiths 1-1. Aiea: Geronimo Ulgaran 7-96, Figueroa 6-57, Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 2-35, Chanel 2-19, Jheremie Cacpal 2-18, Lale-Saole 1-6.

Junior Varsity—Kailua 34, Waipahu 12

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A popular snack shop in Aiea shut down Monday after 20 years of serving the community with yummy treats.

Samurai Snacks Aiea LLC, at the Aiea Shopping Center, initially planned to close next week, but once the store Friday announced on Instagram its plans to close May 24, customers flocked to the store throughout the weekend and Monday for its soft-serve ice cream, freshly popped popcorn and other goodies.

A steady stream of customers lined up in front of the store at lunchtime Monday waiting to enter Samurai Snacks to purchase treats.

Walls once covered with an assortment of snacks were bare, with only a few racks left of colored puff rice, shoyu peanuts and other goodies.

The store’s display freezer was nearly empty at 12:30 p.m., with only a dozen yuzu-flavored Hawaiian Frost frozen dairy cups left. Other flavors such as chocolate haupia, lychee, honeydew melon, chocolate banana, Kona coffee and mango had sold out.

Many customers, such as 21-year-old Justin Deuz of Salt Lake, left the store carrying a cup of soft serve in their hands.

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Deuz, who has been a loyal customer since he was a child, stopped by the store one last time Monday for Samurai Snacks’ vanilla and strawberry swirl soft serve, a customer favorite. The store has been here for so long, and now it’s going to be gone, Deuz said.

Once all of the store’s products sold out, Samurai Snacks Aiea permanently closed at 2 p.m. Monday.

Running a small business has been tough in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mari Kimoto, daughter of owners Chris and Marlo Kimoto.

“My mom and dad has worked really hard behind the scenes,” Mari Kimoto said.

Staff shortages, inflation, supply chain issues and minimum wage and rent increases were among the reasons that led the store owners to make the tough decision to close.

Tina Yamaki, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said small mom-and-pop businesses can’t compete with large stores and hotels that are able to pay their employees more.

“They don’t have national backing,” Yamaki said. “So the single mom-and-pop stores, they really suffer.”

The Kimotos acquired the snack shop 20 years ago from previous owner Glenn Yamamoto.

“My parents bought this when I was 1 year old,” Kimoto said. “I’ve just grown up with this business.” The Kimoto family said they are grateful for all of their customers’ and vendors’ support. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support and aloha that we’ve had for the past 20 years,” Kimoto said Monday.

Samurai Snacks Aiea was the sole franchise store of Samurai Inc., a Kalihi factory on Umi Street that manufactures snack products sold at supermarkets and stores in Hawaii.

While the factory has a small walk-up window where it primarily sells soft serve and popcorn, the Aiea snack shop carried a large variety of snacks that included snacks from other vendors.

Roz Funakoshi, vice president of Samurai Inc., said, “Samurai Kalihi would like to say mahalo nui loa for 20 years of partnership. The people of Hawaii have lost another precious treasure.”

“There are no words to express how saddened we are of their closing, but we understand it well,” Funakoshi said. “We wish the Kimoto ohana the very best in their future endeavors.”

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A big piece of a more than 20-year-old community dream to reuse part of the former Aiea Sugar Mill site on Oahu has begun to take physical shape.

Local government officials, a nonprofit development partner and other supporters participated Tuesday in a blessing and ceremonial start of construction on a 140-unit rental housing project for seniors with low incomes at the 3.4-acre property owned by the city.

The $62 million, three-story project called Aloha Ia Halewiliko is being developed by EAH Housing with mostly government financing to serve seniors 62 years or older who earn no more than 60% of the median annual income in Honolulu, or in some cases no more than 30% or 50%.

Marian Gushiken, EAH’s vice president for real estate development in Hawaii, led off the ceremony at the site, where grading has already begun, calling it a “huge” milestone.

“We’re looking forward to building something beautiful for the community,” she said.

Members of the Aiea Community Association praised the long effort to realize the project, which was conceptually part of a master plan produced by the organization and city officials in 2002 based in part on community advocacy that began around 1997 when a private landowner’s plan fizzled.

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“This is what happens when the stars align, when everyone’s heart touches each other, when government listens to the people and the abundance is shared with everyone,” said Kehaulani Lum, an Aiea Community Association board member.

Association President Claire Tamamoto was delighted by the start of construction given that the idea to create a community gathering space honoring Aiea’s sugar plantation history, along with kupuna housing, on part of the mill site was just a community dream with no money behind it nearly 30 years ago.

“I’m very proud and I’m very excited, and I have a whole hell of a lot of gratitude,” she said after Tuesday’s ceremony. “Aiea is not here because of Pearlridge shopping center.”

Aiea Sugar Mill, later known as C&H Sugar Mill, dates to 1898 and was once part of a 4,000-acre plantation begun as Honolulu Plantation Co.

Redevelopment plans for the mill site covering 19 acres date back to 1994 when the then-owner of local retailer Crazy Shirts, Rick Ralston, bought the property for $19 million with the intention of preserving the historic site and using it as his company’s headquarters and factory.

Ralston abandoned his initial plan, which had community support, in 1997 amid costs and economic recession pressures. He then tried to interest others in developing the property as an industrial subdivision, shopping center or something else after he demolished the mill in 1998.

Ultimately, Ralston lost the property to Bank of Hawaii in lieu of foreclosure, and the bank sold the land in pieces.

In 2002 the city bought 6.8 acres for $8.9 million to support Aiea community leaders who initially tried to prevent demolition of the mill and then fought to preserve the vacant site for community uses.

Under a 2002 master plan produced by the city and community leaders, uses envisioned for half the parcel included a community center documenting the area’s sugar plantation history, an outdoor performance area, an art center, meeting rooms, retail shops, a sports field, a dog park and gardens as part of a “town center.” The other half was largely slated for senior housing tied to a requirement for federal funds the city used for part of the purchase.

A new public library also was part of the plan, and that facility opened in 2014 on 2 acres the state bought in 2003.

In 2018 the city sought proposals from developers to build senior housing on the 3.4-acre site. EAH was selected in 2019 and obtained a 65-year land lease. In 2020 the City Council approved zoning and fee waivers for the project. EAH applied for most of its financing from the state in 2021, and building permit applications were submitted in 2022.

The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp., a state agency that helps finance affordable housing, provided a roughly $24 million loan, state and federal tax credits worth about $38 million and $27 million in bonds. Some of this financing is used on an interim basis and is replaced by other parts.

The city also contributed $6 million to the project.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said strong wills and stubbornness from a lot of people contributed to the project getting to the construction phase.

“I know it was years in the making,” he said during the ceremony.

Brooke Wilson, chief of staff to Gov. Josh Green, said the private-public partnership is resulting in a special project that had been discussed for decades.

“The redevelopment of this land beneath us at the Aiea Sugar Mill is symbolic because of its historic ties to Hawaii’s rich plantation roots,” she said at the ceremony.

Aloha Ia Halewiliko roughly translates in Hawaiian to “aloha to a house for cranking sugar cane” or “aloha to a sugar cane mill.” One of the entryways to the project is off Halewiliko Place.

Of the 140 apartments, 51 will be reserved for seniors earning up to 60% of the median, 75 will be for those earning up to 50% and 13 will be for those earning up to 30%.

Maximum incomes this year range from $27,510 for a single person or $31,440 for a couple at the 30% level, up to twice as much at the 60% level.

Monthly rent, depending on income level, is projected to range from $614 to $1,117 for 83 studios and from $647 to $1,261 for 56 one-bedroom units. There is also one manager’s unit.

Rent will be adjusted for changes in Honolulu’s median income when the project opens, which is expected to be late 2025.

UPDATED: 4:50 p.m.

A high surf warning is still in effect for the north-facing shores of Oahu, Kauai and Molokai as well as the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau.

In addition, a high surf advisory remains in effect for the west-facing shores of Oahu, Kauai and Molokai and the north-facing shores of Maui.

Both the warning and advisory are in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday. The warning applies to Niihau, Oahu North Shore, Kauai North, Koolau Windward, Molokai Windward and Molokai North Shores.

Forecasters are warning of dangerously large breaking waves of nearly 25 feet on the affected islands. On Hawaii island, expect large breaking waves of 12 to 16 feet across the north shores.

“Stay away from the shoreline along the affected coasts. Be prepared for road closures. Postpone entering or leaving channels affected by the high surf until the surf subsides,” according to the forecast.

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9:30 a.m.

The earlier flood advisory for Oahu has expired.

EARLIER COVERAGE

A flood advisory is in effect for Oahu as a weak cold front moves over the Hawaiian islands from the northwest today.

At 6:46 a.m., radar showed heavy rain falling over East Oahu at 0.5 to 1 inch per hour, according to the National Weather Service. A flood advisory was subsequently posted through 9:15 a.m. today.

Some locations that will experience flooding include Honolulu, Waiahole, Waikane, Kahaluu, Ahuimanu, Kaaawa, Aiea, Pearl City, Halawa, Kaneohe, Moanalua, Punaluu, Salt Lake, Mililani, Kalihi, Kaneohe Marine Base, Wahiawa, Maunawili, Hauula and Kailua.

“Rainfall and runoff will also cause hazardous driving conditions due to ponding, reduced visibility and poor braking action,” NWS officials said in a bulletin this morning.

The advisory may need to be extended if flooding persists.

Forecasters said the cold front moving slowly down the island chain today is expected to stall over Maui County later today. Clouds and showers will develop from Kauai to Maui into Tuesday.

Newly returned tradewinds will be locally breezy today following the cold front from Kauai to Molokai, easing back to typical tradewind weather Tuesday through Friday.

A high surf warning remains in effect for the north and west shores of Niihau and the north shores of Kauai, Oahu and Molokai while a high surf advisory is in effect for the west shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and Maui’s north shore through Tuesday at 6 a.m.

A large north-northwest swell grew overnight and will continue to build east, bringing “dangerously high” surf to exposed north shores and high surf to west shores today, weather officials said. The swell is forecast to gradually weaken and turn more northerly Tuesday.

“Dangerously large breaking waves” near 25 feet” are expected in warning areas while surf up to 15 feet is forecast for advisory areas, according to the NWS.

After a hot day at the beach, nothing sounds better than a scoop or swirl of dairy-free ice cream. Luckily, there are several hidden spots on Oahu, in the tourist areas and beyond, where you can order vegan flavors. We have a very extensive Dairy-Free Oahu Guide for restaurants and shops, but the post below focuses specifically on the best creamy ice cream, gelato, and wonderful local soft serve! And it’s just been updated for you to enjoy …

Photo from Banan.

16 Cool Spots to Get Dairy-Free Ice Cream on Oahu

Not every shop on Oahu caters to special diet needs, but these wonderful shops and stands serve delicious vegan frozen desserts. Technically, this list contains more than a dozen. I’ve buffered it with a couple extra since this has been a wild time. We’ve seen some long term ice creameries close over the past year and a half. Fortunately, new ones seem to be popping up!

If you’re seeking creamy refreshment without the sugar rush, then look no further than Banán. They swirl banana soft serve made purely with fruit. Consequently, it’s not as sweet as your average soft serve, and can even stand in as a late breakfast or satisfy as a fulfilling afternoon snack. Each location offers at least a few flavors and an array of local toppings. My favorite is the Acai soft serve with honey.

This hidden little shop lacks the aloha greeting, but they are kind enough to have a nice vegan ice cream menu that’s often bigger than their dairy ice cream menu! They boldly state “no samples” on their menu, but you can order a mini Wing Flight of three flavors for just a little more than the price of a scoop. And this is THE place for trying unique Hawaiian flavors. All of their non-dairy flavors are hand-crafted in house, and most are made with a coconut milk base. But they occasionally use soy, like in their Kinako (roasted soy) flavor.

I tried the Cinnamon Toast Ulu (breadfruit), which seemed odd at first, but the warm creamy flavor grew on me with each bite. I didn’t see the flight option until after I ordered (the staff wasn’t too interested in customer service), but if I had, I would have ordered the Chocolate Haupia and Black Sesame flavors too.

Yes, another dairy-free soft serve shop! They offer pints of their plant based ice cream for pick up, and swirl various flavors at local farmers markets on the weekends. All of their flavors are coconut-based.

Sure, you can get pineapple Dole Whip at several stores on Oahu, but it’s much more fun to enjoy it at the source. On the way to the North Shore, you can stop in to enjoy the “Pineapple Experience” that’s very family friendly. After everyone has worked up an appetite on the tour and in the pineapple garden maze, they can order a generously-sized, dairy-free pineapple whip with pineapple on top. There is also a Dole Whip stand often set up at the base of Diamond Head.

Though their dairy-free flavors have faded over the years, we can still count on this ice cream chain to have at least one creamy flavor! See our Baskin-Robbins Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

This local vegan restaurant churns their own dairy-free ice cream, and the selection seems to rotate often. They sometimes use a coconut milk base, sometimes cashew, and they usually have at least a couple flavors to choose from but sometimes more. Just some of the flavors that they’ve tinkered with include Black Sesame, Chocolate Avocado, Taro, Okinawa Sweet Potato / Berry, Chai, apple Pie, and Vanilla. The prices at Peace Cafe are actually quite competitive, and they have a handful of toppings available to make it a sundae experience. They also serve their vegan ice cream affogato style.

Formerly known as Pressed Juicery, this is a chain with a smattering of locations throughout the U.S. They swirl dairy-free frozen dessert called Freeze in their stores. This is a good-for-you vegan soft serve that’s made with a base of dates and almonds, and contains no added sugars. See our Pressed Dairy-Free Menu Guide for ingredients and topping options.

Dairy-free ice cream on Oahu is anything but ordinary, as you will discover at via Gelato. Sadly, their Ward Village location closed due high rent. But their location in the more local Kaimuki neighborhood, a few miles from Waikiki, lives on. Their menu changes almost daily, but they usually have 4 to 6 vegan flavors available. Some regulars include Chocolate Haupia and Lilikoi (passionfruit). But we’ve seen other fun flavors like Lava Flow, Green Tea Oreo, and Okinawan Sweet Potato. They also make vegan gelato cakes.

This is a New Zealand-style ice creamery that blends vanilla ice cream with your choice of real fruit. They offer a dairy-free option with locally made coconut milk ice cream as the base.

This soft serve shop offers a unique selection that includes one dairy-free flavor. The flavors rotate monthly. We’ve spotted local favorites, like pineapple lilikoi and matcha mango, and creamier flavors, like vanilla oat latte. This shop isn’t inside Ala Moana, but rather, just across the street to the north west of the mall. It’s where Ben & Jerry’s used to be.

If you’re planning to hike Diamond Head, put this trailer on your agenda. They offer all things pineapple, to refresh after your hike, including the popular dairy-free Dole Whip.

Ube is a purple yam that grows abundantly on Hawaii and is extremely starchy. This local shop uses ube as the base for all types of desserts, including dairy-free soft serve!

Sorbet might seem a little anticlimactic, but Cafe Glace in Waikiki makes it interesting. It’s a locally-owned and operated gelato shop that always has about ten varieties of dairy-free and vegan sorbetto available. They’re all fruity flavors, but have the creamiest finish. The staff at Cafe Glace is very friendly and will let you sample as many flavors as you like. We ended up getting a multi-flavor cup, which was delicious since the fruit flavors tended to compliment one another.

In addition to Italian ice and acai bowls, this shop scoops vegan gelato. At last check, they offered coconut, chocolate, and matcha flavors. They also offer various sundae toppings, including dairy-free whipped cream.

This is a Thai-style rolled ice cream shop. They have a dairy-free and vegan base option for your custom order, and a good selection of mix-ins and toppings.

Because the Dole Plantation is right on Oahu, you will see the Dole Whip sign on several stores. But Aloha Whip is one of the few to offer multiple flavors of this allergy-friendly soft serve. They typically serve three different Dole Whip flavors, which can include pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, mango, orange, lemon, or lime. And they periodically make their own non-dairy coconut and ube flavors. Aloha Whip has a great location, tucked inside the open air lobby of the Queen Kapiolani in Waikiki. Just make sure to check the pricing before you order – some people have had issues with the customer service at this spot.

You can only get this soft serve once a week, in the morning, but it’s worth it when available. This was probably my favorite local dairy-free ice cream on Oahu, so I broke my “no dessert before noon” rule for it. It’s a creamy but refreshing blend of soy and macadamia nuts with a perfectly sweet, warm flavor. They have a few toppings available, but the crushed macadamia nuts are the most popular. The catch is, they might not always be there. Keep your eye out for them!

Where to Buy Pints of Dairy-Free Ice Cream on Oahu

Believe it or not, the broadest selection of dairy-free ice cream products can be found at Safeway on Oahu. Safeway now dedicates an entire aisle to ice cream, and the vegan options get several shelves. They also tend to have the most ice cream sales of any store, and their non-dairy options usually go on sale right alongside the dairy version. There are several Safeway stores scattered on the south shore of Oahu and in Kailua.

Whole Foods is the runner-up for pints of dairy-free ice cream on Oahu. They sell many of the “healthier” brands and some of the local options, and they have three locations – one near downtown Honolulu, one at Kahala Mall, and one out in Kailua.

Target ranks number three on the list, not because they have the biggest selection, but because they have the best sales. The non-dairy varieties of Haagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s and So Delicious tend to go on sale here often. They are located at Ala Moana mall.

Down to Earth Organic & Natural stores are also great for dairy-free ice cream and desserts. And their prices are usually competitive with Whole Foods. They have two locations in Honolulu and additional stores in Aiea, Kapolei, and Kailua.

For More Dairy-Free Living Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!