Hello Kapolei! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Pre-Season Kapolei Hurricanes vs Waianae Seariders and 5 more events.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Kapolei? Post it to Kapolei photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Hawaiʻi Is Reviving A Risky Play To Get Hawaiians Into Homes (civilbeat.org) — Native Hawaiian beneficiaries are finally receiving long-awaited homestead leases in Kapolei, including new lots in East Kapolei’s Kauluokahi and Kaupea subdivisions, even though infrastructure and homes are still years from completion. The state is reviving a controversial “paper lease” strategy to quickly cut the massive waitlist, backed by $600 million in funding but still facing big construction, financing, and trust challenges.
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2. Desalination plant on Oahu nearing construction after three decades of work (staradvertiser.com) — A long-planned desalination plant in nearby Kalaeloa is finally nearing construction, with water expected to help serve industrial users at Campbell Industrial Park and Kapolei Business Park as early as 2028. Backed by major federal funding, the project will free up groundwater for homes and businesses across the Leeward side, partly offsetting Red Hill-related losses and preparing for rapid population growth in the ʻEwa region.
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3. The Tradition of Remittances Continues to Bolster the Philippines, But It Also Comes at a Cost (thefilipinochronicle.com) — A Kapolei care home operator shares how she sends money home to the Philippines for relatives’ medical and funeral needs, even as a new 1% U.S. tax on cash remittances looms in 2026. The story explains how Hawaii’s Filipino community balances rising costs with the cultural tradition of Christmas aguinaldo gifts, and explores both the economic benefits and social downsides of heavy reliance on remittances.
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4. Microchip Madness: Is your pet safe for the holidays? (khon2.com) — Kapolei pet owners can get their dogs and cats microchipped for just $10 at VCA Kapolei Animal Hospital as part of a monthlong Oʻahu-wide safety initiative. The Hawaiian Humane Society’s Microchip Madness program, running through Jan. 15, helps residents meet Hawaiʻi’s legal microchip requirement and makes it easier to reunite lost pets with their families.
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Ok Kapolei! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
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