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While vacationing on Oahu a few weeks ago, Laquana Sanders visited travel agency Hawai'i Tour Experts on Kalakaua Avenue. She claimed she was referred to Aloha Hawai'i Tours, and completed a Zoom webinar to learn more about the company's services. 

By the end of the session, Sanders said she paid $199 to become a member with the company. But, she reported she later learned she was unknowingly locked into a contract with Aloha Hawaii Tours, requiring 18 monthly payments totaling to more than $2,000. 

Despite numerous attempts to cancel the membership, Sanders said she was told the sale was final. 

'I just feel like I was robbed': visitor claims travel agency swindled her

'A'ali'i Dukelow

'A'ali'i is a reporter with KITV. He was born and raised on the island of Maui and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Journalism.

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• Aug 8, 2022
• Aug 8, 2022 Updated Aug 9, 2022

A local travel agency is facing multiple complaints for offering deals that some are calling too good to be true.

HONOLULU (KITV4) -- While vacationing on Oahu a few weeks ago, Laquana Sanders visited travel agency Hawai'i Tour Experts on Kalakaua Avenue. She claimed she was referred to Aloha Hawai'i Tours, and completed a Zoom webinar to learn more about the company's services. 

By the end of the session, Sanders said she paid $199 to become a member with the company. But, she reported she later learned she was unknowingly locked into a contract with Aloha Hawai'i Tours, requiring 18 monthly payments totaling to more than $2,000. 

Fake jewelry sellers changing strategies

• By Jefferson Tyler

"They never answer the phone," Sanders asserted. "They will respond to the emails, but they don't call back."

Sanders said she wants to nix the contract because she argued the company pledged to beat agency Priceline's deals, but when she tried out Aloha Hawaii's online booking system, the prices were the same. 

"The minute I saw this, I thought it was kind of shady," Bruce Fisher of Hawai'i Aloha Travel said, adding his company has received about four complaints over the past year from disgruntled customers who mistook his company for Aloha Hawai'i Tours. 

With more than two decades in business, Fisher is defending Hawai'i Aloha Travel's name, and advising visitors. 

"I do this every day and I'm always looking for the best deal for my clients and there's just no way that somebody can say that they're going to beat Priceline or any of the online travel agencies every time by paying a membership fee," Fisher said. 

There have been six complaints against Aloha Hawai'i Tours on the Better Business Bureau website, with customers claiming they were promised monetary gifts that they haven't received.

"But they have responded to those complaints," Roseann Freitas of the BBB said. Some of the grievances state they were invited to attend a Zoom webinar to receive $500. 

Aloha Hawai'i Tours' responses say the gifts take 3-to-5 days to process and they actually have sent them.

"So that is why they still have a B+ rating, because they are responding and as of right now we have not heard that people have not received those gifts once they went through the BBB system," Freitas added. 

One review posted on Hawai'i Aloha Tours' BBB profile wrote, "My wife and I are members and without a doubt have saved thousands of dollars...if you travel, this is a life changing program." 

A manager onsite Monday told KITV4 company representatives are clear with customers about their conditions beforehand and always address complaints. 

Hawaii Tour Experts could not be reached for comment. 

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About Hawaii Aloha Travel

Hawaii aloha travel.

HAWAII-ALOHA.COM is the official web site for HAWAII ALOHA TRAVEL, LLC (HAT), a licensed Travel Agency located in Honolulu, License #5750. HAT is a ( IATAN ) International Airlines Travel Agent Network certified agency and carries memberships and certifications in the following organizations: (HVCB) Hawaii Convention and Visitors Bureau , ( CLIA ) Cruise Line International Association certified. (BBB) Better Business Bureau, (ASTA) American Society of Travel Agents, and (OSSN) Outside Sales Support Network and (NACTA) National Association of Commission Travel Agents. HAT carries a 1 million errors and omissions policy and maintains a client trust account at First Hawaiian Bank.

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Travel protection, about hawaii aloha travel buying power.

Hawaii Aloha Travel (HAT) is backed and endorsed by Hawaii’s largest wholesale travel providers. These wholesalers are a major driving force in Hawaii’s travel industry, representing 80 percent of all travel booked to the islands. As a result, they have tremendous buying power by blocking thousands of airline tickets, hotel/condo properties, and rental cars. HAT taps into this buying power by choosing the best possible value, selection, and savings for each of its customers. We match our customers with the right wholesaler, for the right price, with the best value the first time. That’s our promise.

Yaling Fisher

Yaling Yu is a native of Taiwan who moved to the United States in 1992. She got her bachelor’s degree in marketing, management, and retailing at Southern Illinois University after studying engineering and working with microfibers in the garment industry for 3 years in Taiwan. She then went on to get her Master’s Degree in Fashion Design at Western Michigan University with a strong focus on marketing, CAD, and computer science.

Before moving into the private sector, she got certified in purchasing management at San Jose State University and then began working in Silicon Valley during the Internet Technology boom of the mid to late 90s. Yaling was quickly promoted from purchasing agent to product management, working for major computer companies such as Microland Inc. and Synnex Information Technology Corporation.

Bruce Fisher

Bruce is originally from Miami Beach, Florida, but has lived in Hawaii for 31 years. Bruce came to Hawaii in 1991 as a journalist for KGU radio and in 1992, was the first reporter to reach Kauai after Hurricane Iniki in September. 11, 1992. He did National feeds for CBS and Associated Press.

In 1995 Bruce left radio to start MCS Internet Solutions which provided programming and connectivity solutions to businesses. That company spun off a local ISP called Pacific Internet Connections. In 1997 after acquiring the domain HAWAI-ALOHA.COM Bruce merged all three companies and founded HAWAII-ALOHA.COM, Inc., which went on to design, develop and market numerous websites in Hawaii, including Planet-Hawaii.com, Hawaii Convention Center, Aston, Hotels and Resorts, Hawaii Prince Hotels, Doubletree Hawaii, Hawaii Department of Health.

We will make sure you get the best package for your vacation.

The Hawaii Aloha Travel Team

Born in Hawaii Meahea has been associated with Hawaii Aloha Travel for 13 years first as an advisor then later as a reservations manager for the company’s Tour business. Meaha knows all of the islands very well having lived on Ohau and Maui. Mehea specializes in custom itineraries and all-inclusive packages.

Along with being a veteran Travel advisor with 20 years of experience, Ya-Ling is the owner of Hawaii Aloha Travel. She is responsible for the day-by-day operations of the company. Ya-ling specializes in group travel and multi-island packages.

Born and raised on the Island of Oahu, Brycen brings his local perspective to planning Hawaii Vacations. He listens closely to his clients to make sure they have a memorable experience.

Kara takes time to get to know you personally, ensuring an unforgettable experience every time. She enjoys listening to your preferences and filling each day with activities you will love! In her free time, Kara enjoys taking pictures of the abundance of turtles found where she resides on the North Shore of Oahu

Grace, with her varied background in customer service, supports the entire HAT team as a reservation manager. Her attention to detail helps her to create memorable itineraries for customers wishing to visit Hawaii. Grace lives on the North Shore of Oahu where she surfs, hikes and enjoys the laid back Hawaiian lifestyle.

With over 25 years of experience in the travel industry, Lisa uses her knowledge to assists the HAT management team in troubleshooting and creating all-inclusive itineraries for HAT customers. Lisa works closely with Owner Yaling Fisher to manage the day-to-day operations of the company.

Bruce is a 22 year veteran in the Travel & Tourism business in Hawaii. He loves helping clients plan over the top, out of the box itineraries you can’t find on the web. If your’re looking to take your Hawaii Vacation to the next level, Bruce is your man!

Aloha! My name is Abby and I invite you to come and experience the beauty and magic of the Hawaiian Islands!! Whether you’re looking to hike the majestic Napali Coast in Kaua’i, whale watch in Maui, visit a volcano on the Big Island, or lounge on the beach and sip Mai Tais in Waikiki, my goal is to work with you personally to create your dream vacation here in Paradise.

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REVIEWS OF ALOHA HAWAIIAN VACATIONS (TESTIMONIALS)

REVIEWS & QUOTES TAKEN FROM UNSOLICITED LETTERS AND CLIENT SURVEYS:

“We have now completed our sixth vacation to Hawaii with Aloha Hawaiian Vacations, and we cannot fully express our gratitude for all they’ve done! It’s so great to have a company like theirs to work with.” Vacation Review by: Dan & MaryAnn Westbrook (Lexington, NC)

“This was absolutely the VERY BEST vacation we have taken!!! Our Waikiki (Oahu) all inclusive Premier vacation was Excellent. Aloha Hawaiian Vacations’ staff was so helpful and personable!!!! We appreciated their help and advice so much!!!! We loved every breakfast!!!!! – and loved the breakfast ocean views!!! Every dinner was delicious and unique!!!! We had a wonderful time on all of our tours – the guides were so informative!!! Using Aloha-Hawaiian to book our first trip to Hawaii was the smartest decision we could’ve made!!!! Our trip was so well organized and worry-free, thanks to Aloha-Hawaiian. We had lots of hotel, activity, and food choices, and the itinerary we decided on was designed perfectly for our family. The Aloha-Hawaiian staff was also available if we had questions once in Oahu. After comparing prices, I found that going through this company was less expensive than if I had planned the same vacation myself–they saved us so much money!!!! Our hotel, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, was beautiful and had terrific views of the ocean and the city–and the location was super-convenient to restaurants and shopping. All of our dining experiences were superb–it was so much fun going to such a variety of places. All of the tours were on time and hassle-free–we would just get on the shuttle and sight-see along the way (with funny and informative drivers/tour guides). We would definitely plan our trip through Aloha-Hawaiian when we visit the other islands!!!! A+++++++ vacation!!!! We cannot recommend this travel company enough–we highly recommend them!!!! Again, this was the Absolute Best Vacation we have ever taken!!!!” Vacation Review by: Brian and Melody Smith, (Greensboro, NC)

“We had a great time on our Kauai Saver vacation. We could tell Aloha Hawaiian Vacations had a lot of experience doing this over the years and plan to use them for our next Hawaii adventure. We were happy with the setup. We did things we never would have known about or had the time to select on our own. It was a great way to spend our time and see the island. The Kauai Shores Hotel was great. Right on the beach, great swimming right out front. Excellent food. We are happy with the trip and the activity choices were a good fit for us.” Vacation Review by: Chris & Gwyneth Mellott, 9/16/19 (Mountain Center, CA)

“Our 2-Island 8-Day Premier vacation was excellent. We loved the islands of Oahu and Kauai natural beauty, mountains, coast lines, and the many waterfalls. The timeliness of all the tour guides and their knowledge of the islands’ history and points of interest on the islands. My wife and I had a wonderful time thanks to a well-planned vacation by the staff of Aloha Hawaiian Vacations. The staff members were very helpful in setting up the vacation itinerary six months ago and putting together an excellent package of vouchers and information for our vacation. The book of vouchers and the information on each voucher was outstanding. After receiving the voucher package two weeks before we left on our vacation, I made several calls about the voucher package and the staff members answered all my questions. Made a few calls to their office during our vacation and the staff member handled my request quickly and professionally. All meals were excellent. The Tours & Excursions were excellent. Our hotel on Oahu, the Ohana Waikiki East was good, and the Kauai Beach Resort was excellent. The staff members were friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, answered all my questions, and set up a fabulous vacation for our 50th Wedding Anniversary. We will use them for future Hawaii travel.” Vacation Review by: Larry Romeo, 9/15/19 (Clearwater, FL)

“We had a great time on our 2-Island 8-Day vacation to Maui and Kauai! We had an awesome trip and definitely want to do it again and will choose Aloha Hawaiian Vacations again! Meals were all very good. We had a great time on our Tours & Excursions. Both the Kauai Beach Resort and the Royal Lahaina Resort were excellent – beautiful. Our whole trip was amazing! I don’t think there is anything that would have made it better!” Vacation Review by: Tonya McCoy, 9/15/19 (Waynesville, OH)

“Our Kauai Premier vacation was one of the best vacations we have ever had. The reservation process was simple, our questions were answered, all of the reservations for the activities was smooth and flawless. Aloha Hawaiian Vacations took care of flights, resort, meals, activities, rental car, when we should tip and when not to tip. The resort, the Kauai Beach Resort, was beautiful, looked just like photos. We went on the Waimea Canyon Tour, Outrigger Canoe Ride to Secret Falls, Riverboat Cruise to Fern Grotto – all the excursions were exactly as described. The Sunset Dinner Sail was the highlight of our trip, so beautiful. We did not encounter any hidden fees; all expenses were explained to us. I would highly recommend this company to everyone.” Vacation Review by: Ann Bolton, 9/13/19 (Prairieville, LA)

“We enjoyed Waikiki Beach (Oahu) 8-Day Premier vacation very much and feel our next one would be shorter but with the kids. Denise, our booking agent with Aloha Hawaiian Vacations, was wonderful and helped in dining selections. All follow up issues were handled very quickly, and we enjoyed all of our communication with the AHV staff. Loved every morning and especially enjoyed the breakfast buffets – learned our lesson on day one not to overindulge. Nothing was crowded on our Tours & Excursions and our events were very, very enjoyable. We enjoyed our hotel, the Aqua Pacific Monarch, so much we looked at purchasing one of the rooms that are currently for sale. Really enjoyed how it was quiet and had a wonderful deal. Also enjoyed the free movie rentals and the restaurant downstairs. The front desk was very helpful with all of our questions as well as recommending places to go. The car rental had a little bit of an issue as they threw away our voucher and charged my credit card, I had to dig through their trash can get my voucher speak to the manager and he still charged my credit card. Once we got home, I had to call the rental company and they finally reversed the charges. What we enjoyed most was how the vacation was already full of activities yet allowed us numerous opportunities to enjoy Hawaii on our own and explore. We also very much enjoyed the Japanese dinner that had all of our favorite foods and when we got home, we had to find a restaurant that carried Japanese curry because we were now addicted to it. Overall, our vacation experience was excellent, and we will use AHV to book our next Hawaii vacation.” Vacation Review by: Toby Kitterman, 9/13/19 (Rio Rancho, NM

“The 2-Island 8-Day vacation we chose was the perfect way to see two islands and go on excursions but also have time to relax and explore. Our booking agent with Aloha Hawaiian Vacations, Nina, was phenomenal! She helped us reschedule one of our events and was very easy to contact if we had questions. Excellent selections for activities, hotels, flights and food. Meals were good to excellent. The Tours & Excursions were excellent. We were satisfied with our hotel on Oahu, the Aloha Surf Waikiki, and the Royal Lahaina Resort on Maui was excellent. AHV was easy to contact with questions and concerns. It took the stress out of our honeymoon since we only had to tear off one voucher after the other. Everything was preplanned and booked! We will travel with them again.” Vacation Review by: Rebecca Franklin, 9/12/19 (Seattle, WA)

“We chose the Waikiki Express 5-Day vacation and it was the best vacation of my life – AMAZING! The peace of mind offered by the services of Aloha Hawaiian Vacations – knowing we had a plan, and everything was taken care of really made it stress free. Their staff was excellent, extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The meals were delicious. Time frames for breakfast meant for a rushed meal or two. Couldn’t have asked for anything better for the dinners. Loved all the Tours & Excursions – just, WOW. And we loved everything about our hotel, the Waikiki Beachcomber Resort. Overall, we rate the vacation as excellent and we will use AHV for future Hawaii travel.” Vacation Review by: Trevor Kruzick, 9/12/19 (Lakeside, CA)

“Our Waikiki Beach – Oahu Premier vacation was start to finish first class! Hopefully we have pointed folks in their direction! Liked best – the organization! The meals on the lanais! We celebrated my sister’s 60th birthday and it was her birthday week! We’re happy folks anyway, but we were made to feel like we were family the entire week. The staff of Aloha Hawaiian Vacations was excellent! I enjoyed the chronological voucher aspect. I love to plan our outings and didn’t have to!!! I was able to be the navigator on the day we had a rental car and we enjoyed exploring! Breakfasts exceeded our taste buds, and, on the dinners, we tried something different each night and family-style shared with each other to taste everything! Our Tours & Excursions were excellent. Every mode of transportation was on time, and the guides were courteous and informative! And we would rate our hotel, the Ohana Waikiki East, as excellent also, although we were so busy doing outside activities we basically just slept there!” Vacation Review by: Shelly Warner, 9/9/19 (Dundalk, MD)

“Our 8-person group spent 5 days in Oahu and 3 days in Maui on our Excellent 2-Island vacation. The staff was excellent, too, Nina, our booking agent at AHV, was amazing throughout our entire experience. She was so helpful and was always available to answer all our questions, a delight to work with. She was so patient with all of us and was always accommodating! All our breakfasts and dinners were delicious and fun. The atmosphere was always beautiful with great service. We all had so much fun on our Tours and Excursions! Our drivers, tour guides, and choices were amazing! We loved everything! We had a beautiful view at our hotel, the Royal Lahaina Resort! The hotel was a little dated and the walls were very thin. We had a very loud neighbor. One elevator was broken which took time to return to our room. The staff was friendly and helpful. The restaurant was good. We so enjoyed having our trip paid for before we left! We loved the amount of selections for our excursions and meal choices. It was so nice to have everything preplanned when traveling with 8 people. I know that between the four couples Nina answered a lot of questions, and I am sure many of them several times. This was by far the easiest trip we have ever been on! We will definitely be using Aloha Hawaiian Vacations again, and I recommend it to everyone I talk to!” Vacation Review by: Michael & Lori Hevrin, 9/8/19 (Normal, IL)

“Our 2-Island 8-Day vacation was excellent – dining, tours & excursions, our hotels, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani and the Royal Kona Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, and the staff of AHV. The only suggestion was that it was hard to identify the cars that picked us up for tour/excursions. This vacation was absolutely incredible. My husband and I truly enjoyed our honeymoon and will be making Hawaii vacationing very routine! We will surely book with Aloha Hawaiian Vacations EVERY time!” Vacation Review by: Victoria Libby & Ryan Grover, 8/25/19 (Harrisville, RI)

“We booked both the Maui 7-Day Premier and the Kauai 6-Day Premier vacation packages, and both were incredible. Everything was laid out perfectly and set up ahead of time for us by Aloha Hawaiian Vacations. Everyone we worked with was extremely friendly and able to help with any questions. The food was phenomenal, and you can’t beat the views for breakfasts! And all the food on our dinners was excellent and we ate handsomely every night. All of the excursions were awesome, I’d highly recommend the tubing through the sugar cane plantation on Kauai, one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. The rooms were great at our hotels, the Royal Lahaina Resort on Maui, and the Kauai Beach Resort on Kauai. Conveniently located close to the pool and beach, with incredible views. We encountered no problems at all. Everything was so conveniently laid out for us in order for both islands and they gave detailed instructions of what we need to do/where we needed to go, and if there was anything we needed to know about an excursion, etc. I would highly recommend using AHV and will be using them again in the future.” Vacation Review by: Brendan Lawler, 8/23/19 (Williamsville, NY)

“We had such a great experience. We are so glad we decided to purchase this Waikiki Express – 5-Day vacation package with Aloha Hawaiian Vacations. Everyone at AHV was so nice and extremely helpful. We enjoyed our breakfast options and loved sitting by the beach. Dinners were amazing and I am so happy with our selections. The Tours & Excursions were excellent. We had so much fun at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Snorkeling was so much fun and a great experience. We were happy with the island tour. I thought maybe we should have gone out on our own, but after going on the tour I enjoyed the knowledge we learned from our tour guide. I think we had the best hotel, the Waikiki Beachcomber Resort, I loved it and it was in a prime location. I would recommend this hotel and would want to stay here again. I enjoyed the whole experience. I am so happy we decided to book with this company. It was the best decision we made for our vacation. We were carefree having everything planned for us and able to enjoy it instead of thinking about what we should do next. The excursions were so much fun and a huge highlight of our trip. We also enjoyed the great food and different atmospheres. I highly recommend booking your Hawaii trip with this company!” Vacation Review by: Adrien Perfecto, 8/14/19 (Moreno Valley, CA)

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Hawaii legislature wraps up session - here's what passed and what didn't

Hawaii lawmakers recently wrapped up a legislative session with nearly 200 bills awaiting Democratic Governor Josh Green’s desk for signature.

The new legislation includes a wide range of initiatives, including tax reductions, regulations on short-term vacation rentals, hazard pay for local government workers during the height of COVID-19, and a significant aid package of $1 billion designated for Maui’s wildfire recovery efforts. It even recognized the “shaka” as the first official state gesture .

What didn’t make it to the governor’s desk is just as notable, including election reform or wildfire-related policies, such as establishing a recovery commission and redevelopment board in Lahaina.

Highlights from the 2024 Aloha State's legislative session:

Lawmakers allocated $1 billion to address expenses arising from the Maui disaster on Aug. 8, 2023, that destroyed most of Lahaina, killing 101 people and leaving thousands without a home .

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

This includes $500 million designated for emergency housing to accommodate displaced residents and $124 million earmarked for rental assistance targeted at individuals ineligible for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

More: Devastating losses: Economic toll from Maui fires at least $4 billion, Moody's projects

House Committee on Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita (D) called Maui aid a “top priority.”

“As we commenced this legislative session, our immediate focus remained to address the Maui wildfire recovery efforts,” Yamashita said. “Prioritizing safety and rehabilitation of our communities while ensuring core services for our state were not neglected.”

However, a bill proposing the establishment of the Lahaina Recovery Oversight Commission, which would oversee and guide the recovery process, failed to pass, as did another seeking to create an elected board composed of West Maui residents to govern the redevelopment of Lahaina, with support from the Hawaii Community Development Authority.

The legislature approved tax cuts totaling $5 billion over the next six years. These cuts include a boost to the earned income tax credit, enhancements to the standard tax deduction, and adjustments to income tax brackets.

Additionally, they eliminated the general excise tax on medical bills for patients with Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare health insurance.

House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto (R) referred to the tax cuts as the “largest in state history."

“We rallied behind legislation that improves the lives of our residents across the State—from homeownership assistance, GET exemption for medical services, and the largest income tax cut in state history,” added Matsumoto.

More: Hawaii lawmakers greenlight $449M COVID hazard pay for essential state workers

Vacation rentals & housing

Legislators in Hawaii took steps to address the state’s housing crisis through a series of bills aimed at zoning reform and tighter regulations on vacation rentals.

As part of the zoning reform bill, counties are now mandated to allow for two additional dwellings on each residentially zoned lot, primarily promoting denser development.

More: 'Downright inhumane': Maui victims plea for aid after fires charred homes, lives, history

The urgency to address vacation rentals was highlighted following destructive wildfires on August 8, which shed light on the prevalence of short-term tourist rentals, particularly in Maui. In response, lawmakers passed a bill granting counties the authority to phase out vacation rentals and prioritize housing for local residents. Gov. Josh Green endorsed the measure, signing it into law on May 3.

Housing bills that did not pass included giving counties power to adjust land-use district boundaries for parcels of 15 to 100 acres, and the other sought a temporary ban on non-residents purchasing residential properties until the governor’s affordable housing emergency proclamation ends.

Lawmakers passed a bill to tackle AI-generated deepfakes in political campaigns. The bill bans false information about candidates, criminalizes distributing fake political messages, and empowers the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission to investigate and fine deceptive content.

They could not pass legislation establishing “clean elections” for political candidates. The program would have provided public funding based on voter support, with spending limits and a ban on private donations. Another bill prohibiting non-U.S. entities or businesses from contributing to Hawaii’s election activities didn’t advance.

Lawmakers have officially approved a bill to designate the “shaka” as Hawaii’s official state gesture, recognizing its origins in the islands. This hand symbol, also known as the “hang loose” sign in surf culture, is widely used on the islands for greetings, farewells, and expressing gratitude.

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow.

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Talk to the hand: Hawaii makes shaka state’s official gesture

Made by extending the thumb and little finger, while curling down the three middle fingers the sign is also known as ‘hang loose’

The shaka is poised to become Hawaii’s official hand gesture.

Last week, Hawaiian lawmakers passed a bill that would officially enshrine the gesture in the state’s culture. The shaka, also popular in surf culture and commonly known as “hang loose” is a friendly hand signal made by extending the thumb and little finger while curling the three middle fingers.

“While multiple origin theories exist, all theories have the shaka developing within the state,” the bill states .

“More importantly, while multiple Hawaii ethnic cultures and resident groups have contributed varying layers of meaning to the shaka, there is a shared agreement in the shaka’s positive sentiments and usage toward sharing aloha, fostering connection, and being pono,” or righteous and balanced, the bill adds.

It goes on to describe shaka as a “key brand symbol for the state, offering influential power to build the state’s economy, global brand and resident pride”, adding, “As the shaka is now used around the world, this act ensures that Hawaii retains recognition as the birthplace of the shaka.”

In February, Steve Sue, a film-maker who documented the roots of the hand gesture in a 2023 documentary, testified at a state house meeting on the bill.

“If California lays claim to it first because they’re hanging loose, easygoing. Not good for us, right? Not good for the meaning of the shaka, not good for the aloha meaning of it. Texas might use it as the Longhorns. I know in Utah, BYU [Brigham Young University] uses that for the “Y,” Sue said.

In Hawaii, the origins of the shaka can be traced back to the early 1900s when Hamana Kalili, a worker at Hawaii’s Kahuku sugar mill, got his right fingers caught in a sugar cane presser.

Following the incident, Kalili was transferred to work as a security guard for a train that ran between Oahu’s Sunset Beach and Kaaawa. As Kalili yelled and gestured at kids to prevent them from sneaking joyrides on the train, he would raise his right hand at them. The kids soon adopted his gesture and would signal to each other whenever Kalili was not around that they were free to jump on the train.

The gesture eventually became popular among other residents and spread across the world over the years. In addition to being featured in movies, the shaka gesture has been widely used by former presidents including Barack Obama , as well as athletes such as the Brazilian football player Neymar.

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Speaking to the Associated Press earlier this year, Mailani Makaʻīnaʻi, Kalili’s great-great-granddaughter, said, “I love the compassion part of it, you know, where, ‘Oh, OK, he doesn’t have all three fingers so I’m going to say hi the way he’s saying hi … It’s the idea that … I’m like you and you’re like me.”

According to the office of Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, Green supports the bill and is expected to sign it into law, “presuming there are no flaws or issues”, the Washington Post reports .

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Residential development planned for former St. Francis School campus

MANOA (HawaiiNewsNow) - The campus of St. Francis School has been closed since the last graduating class in 2019. Now, a developer wants to use the property for residential units, but many Manoa neighbors are pushing back.

The 11.2 acre campus on the east side of Manoa Valley is already zoned for residential use. The Avalon Group purchased it for $23.5 million and wants to turn it into Aria Lane Manoa, with 76 single-family homes and 26 townhomes. Prices haven’t been set yet.

“We’d like to have affordable housing that we can deliver as well as market housing at all levels, and this project allows us to do that,” said Avalon Group CEO Christine Camp.

Camp called a community meeting Wednesday night to answer questions from curious, and even anxious, neighbors.

Some worry the added housing will increase traffic congestion on the Pamoa Road, the narrow street that leads to the land.

“The reality is we need to be reasonable about what we put down that street because it’s a two-lane -- well, it’s a single lane road, functionally. So you guys think about it,” one resident said.

“Building a hundred houses at the end of this dangerous intersection and into a dead end road is just way too -- too many people, too much more people coming into that area,” said Pamoa Road resident Michelle Clark.

Camp said her company commissioned a traffic study showing there would be fewer cars on the road during morning and afternoon rush hours than there were when St. Francis School was operating. But residents are skeptical.

“I think it’s very much understated what the traffic will be. And they’re just talking about morning and night, but there’s going to be traffic all day long when you have that many units, that many people,” said Manoa resident Mac McClain.

The project has its supporters. Camp said the sale of the Catholic school property was approved by the pope himself and blessed by the Bishop of Honolulu.

Some also welcome the new homes.

“They’re building houses for young families, starter homes, and I think that’s a big gap in Manoa, because I think Manoa’s the greatest place to live and we should give more opportunities for people to live here and to buy homes,” said Brenda Lam.

“Manoa needs housing because it’s a mature community, and traffic has always been a concern. But if not here, where?” said Camp.

Camp said Aria Lane Manoa is still in the concept stages and that Avalon Group is holding three more community meetings, including next week Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and again on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. All meetings will be in held in the Manoa Elementary School cafeteria.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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