For the Love of a Language
At Kula Kaiapuni ‘o Kapolei, class feels less conventional and more communal, a shared learning experience centered on the stewardship of ‘olelo Hawaiʻi. The learning continues outdoors, too, as the haumana (pupils) tend a garden.
04 Aug 2025Westward Holoholo
In summer of 2025, Hokule‘a and her sister canoe, Hikianalia, are set to resume the global Moananuiakea Voyage, with plans to return home in 2028. Though the recently wrapped Pae ‘Aina Statewide Sail marks the last Hokule‘a visit to the West Side.
25 Jul 2025Mountain Meditations
For Mākaha-based photographer Josiah Patterson, heading mauka, or toward the mountain, is an exercise in calm and repose. While many associate O‘ahu’s West Side with long stretches of sundrenched coast against a brilliant blue sea.
18 Jul 2025Local Kine Grinds
A local favorite, Highway Inn restaurant opened its doors in Waipahu in 1947. Highway Inn offer pau hana meals, serving more popular styles, like American, Japanese, or Chinese dishes, Highway Inn focused on Hawaiian fare.
11 Jul 2025Pua Aloha
What began as gifts for friends quickly blossomed. Drawn to his distinctive style, more and more people began requesting lei. Lei craftsman Dale Acoba sources the majority of his lei materials locally, growing many plants himself and regularly visiting friends.
03 Jul 2025Rock Star
Filipino American influencer Bretman Rock Sacayanan got a glimpse of his future stardom soon after arriving in Hawaiʻi from the Philippines as a child. Since going viral with his social media content as a teenager in 2015, Bretman has amassed a massive fanbase.
24 Jun 2025The Mating Game
Within the pool area of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa at Ko Olina, a saltwater lagoon glitters in the midmorning sun. Beneath its surface, hundreds of native tropical fish glide through a 3,800-square-foot reef designed to replicate natural marine habitats.
08 Apr 2025Chelsey Jay: The Cultivator
Serving as the executive director of Hoa ‘Aina O Mākaha since 2023, Chelsey Jay has worked with the ʻāina and community on O‘ahu’s West Side for more than a decade, including 10 years at Mālama Learning Center.
31 Mar 2025Scenes at Sunset
Photographer Josiah Patterson is no stranger to sunsets. In these snapshots of classic West Side sunsets, Patterson captures the gilded interlude between day and dusk—and the moments found within.