The Week In Review
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From: Sharon Westfall
HALEAKALA RECORD - Despite three weeks in which visitors were locked out
due to the federal government shutdown, Maui's national park set its own
attendance record in 1995, breaking the mark established the previous year
by nearly 70,000. National Park Service officials said that 1995's
attendance total was 1,623,687, which is a 4.3 percent increase over 1994,
when attendance was 1,556,417. Park Superintendent Don Reeser said
Haleakala remains Maui's No. 1 visitor destination even though the late
December shutdown occurred at a time of year when attendance should have
been even greater. "My guess is that if we were open those three weeks,
the total would have been close to 1.7 million," he said. Reeser said the
numbers likely reflect a year of excellent weather. "It's been
exceptional -- very dry," he said.
C. BREWER WATER -- Protecting Maui's main source of drinking water from
overpumping relies to a great extent on water supplies underneath or on
land owned by C. Brewer & Co. Ltd., according to the county Department of
Water Supply. Board of Water Supply members approved an official response
to a Nov. 30 request for information on the status of the Iao aquifer from
state Commission on Water Resource Management Chairman Michael Wilson, who
also heads the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Expressing
concern about pumping in excess of Iao aquifer's safe
20-million-gallon-per-day limit, Wilson asked for - among other things - a
description of water source alternatives, a detailed list of actions to
implement the alternatives and projected increases in water demand for the
Central Maui water system, which also serves South Maui residents. The
water commission has scheduled a Jan. 24 meeting on Maui to take up the
Iao aquifer issue. If commissioners are not convinced Maui water
officials can manage the water source, then they could "designate" the
aquafer, meaning its use would fall under state control.
GASOLINE EMERGENCY -- A gasoline leak caused by a faulty valve at the
Chevron USA Inc. tank farm near Kahului Harbor brought emergency crews on
the run and triggered the temporary closing off of streets in the area.
It was estimated that between 300 and 400 gallons of super-unleaded
gasoline spewed a 130,000-gallon storage tank, but the leak was contained
by the berm that surrounds the tanks. Things were under control within 90
minutes and none of the fuel was reported to have reached the ocean or
nearby Kanaha Pond Wildlife Refuge. The few businesses forced to
evacuate, such as Valley Isle Produce across the street, were allowed to
open up again at 1 p.m., the same time that traffic returned to normal.
For 2-1/2 hours, police blocked off roads within 200 yards of the spill,
including Amala Place and Hobron Avenue, frustrating motorists. Hana
Highway traffic was also rerouted during a portion of the incident.
NOT THIS NOMINEE -- There were no real negative comments about Board of
Water Supply nominee John Kikukawa. He did not appear before the Maui
County Council's Committe of the Whole, and no one asked to interview him.
Yet the panel voted 7-1 to recommend denial of Kikukawa's nomination
because Council Member Pat Kawano of Molokai thinks there is a better man
for the job. Saying he had "nothing against" Kikukawa, the owner and
manager of the Mid Nite Inn on Molokai, Kawano said he was disappointed
Lingle didn't nominate Rhinehardt Place of Kaunakakai, a retiree with 27
years of experience with the Department of Water Supply as a pipefitter
and foreman on Molokai. "He will know every tank, every pump and
everything else," Kawano said. "I think it's a big slap in the face to
not even interview this guy." Kikukawa's nomination won support only from
Committee of the Whole Chairman Wayne Nishiki, who was unable to get a
request from any panel members to call Kikukawa from Molokai to answer
questions. Nishiki told committee members the water board nomination was
the mayor's perogative. "We're not the mayor," he said. "Know your
position. We're council people." After the meeting, Lingle said the
committee's action was "hard to believe." "I think the council is
exceeding its authority by trying to decide who gets appointed," she said.
PARKS BILL OPPOSED -- Maui Tomorrow, an organization of residents
committed to managing growth, preserving natural areas and ensuring
ecologically sound development for the island, has gone on record opposing
the park assessment bill passed by the Maui County Council and awaiting
action by Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle. In a two-page statement to
lawmakers, the group urged Lingle to veto the ordinance. Maui Tomorrow
President Anthony Ranken later said that because he has been assured by
Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Alan Arakawa that controversial
clauses in the bill will continue to be addressed, the organization no
longer feels as strongly about calling for Lingle's veto. The bill that
was passed 7-2 by the council essentially gives developers the choice to
determine if they pay their park assessment in cash or land. An earlier
bill, the one that was recommended by the parks committee, provided that a
team of county officials decide the method of payment. Maui Tomorrow
suggests that "for any subdivision greater than three lots but less than,
say, 12 lots" the landowner would file a sworn statement claiming that 50
percent of the lots would be sold or given to family members. In this
case, the subdivider would have the option to chose cash or land. Maui
Tomorrow also urged the elimination of the large discrepancy between the
cash or land assessment. In the present law, if the developer pays cash,
a payment of only 45 percent of the land's value is required. The group
said that large gap is unfair to subdividers who are required to give land
and "it also encourages subdividers to choose cash contributions instead
of land dedications, which is against public policy." The group suggested
increasing the cash payment to 100 percent of the value of the land to
ensure "equal tratment of all subdividers."
JAIL SEX SUIT -- A former inmate at the Maui Community Correctional center
is suing state officials and the jail guard who forced her to perform oral
sex on two occasions last year. Attorneys for Brenda Lee Baker, 30,
contend that similar assaults against women in custody at MCCC and other
institutions in Hawaii are so common and have gone on for so long that
they constitute an endorsement of such activitiy by senior officials in
the state Department of Public Safety. Named in the lawsuit are former
guard Michael Saffery, 34, who was sent to prison for 10 years last month
for the offenses Baker details in her lawsuit, DPS Director George Iranon
and MCCC Warden Albert Murashige. The suit alleges that Saffery forced
Baker to perform oral sex on him on May 16 and June 7, 1994. On another
occasion, she was able to prevent the assault, the lawsuit states.
Saffery is accused of threatening her with solitary confinement, and
promising her extra privileges to gain sexual favors. Iranon and
Murashige are accused of being indifferent to the civil rights of Baker,
failing to implement policies to sreen out guards who might abuse female
inmates and general negligence in not protecting women in jail.
TRAFFIC DEATH -- Maui's first traffic fatality of the new year killed a
Wailuku Man after his car flipped over and was struck by a van driven by
his father. Eric Kolomitz, 19, was pronounced dead at Maui Memorial
Hospital following the 11:48 p.m. accident near Milepost 11 on
Honoapiilani Highway. Police say Kolomitz was driving a Black 1972 Toyota
sedan toward Maalaea when the car flipped over and skidded on its roof
along the highway. Kolomitz's father was behind the wheel of a white 1989
Ford Aerostar following behind the sedan that then struck the driver's
side of the vehicle.
The Week In Review
-----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
UPCOUNTRY PLAN -- Maui County Council Planning Committee members
maneuvered around cow pies and horse manure Wednesday afternoon during
site inspections of a number of Upcountry pastures proposed for changes in
the Makawao-Pukalani-Kula Community Plan. Later at the Mayor Eddie Tam
Memorial Center, they avoided, for the most part, the plan's most
controversial issue -- Eric Barto's proposed development of the 11.2-acre
former Crook Estate in the center of Makawao town. Planning Committee
Chairman Tom Morrow made it clear in advance of Wednesday night's meeting
that the Barto Project was not going to be up for discussion at this point
and that the committe's aim was to focus on other aspects of the community
plan. The meeting attracted about 75 people as opposed to the hundreds
that might have shown up if the Barto development were on the agenda.
Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr., a member of the former Upcountry citizen
advisory committee, and Madelyn D'Enbeau, chairwoman of the Makawao Main
Street Association, were critical of the decision not to discuss the Barto
project. Both said the Upcountry community plan should be viewed as a
comprehensive whole, with the Barto property as an important component.
Morrow said the dicision not to deal immediately with the Barto project
arose, in part, from his understanding that parties involved in the
controversy are trying to work out their differences. He said he wanted
to give them time to do that while the committee focused on other aspects
of the Upcountry plan.
BARBARA MATTSON -- Barbara Mattson, a Haiku resident and a member of
Molokai's Meyer family, died Dec. 29, 1995, at Maui Memorial Hospital,
leaving her husband, an son and a century-old collection of stuffed native
birds praised by Bishop Museum officials. She was 70. "She had all of
these birds in little boxes, carefully preserved," said Molokai attorney
Yola Meyer Forbes, whose grandfather was a sibbling to Mrs. Mattson's
grandmother. "They were in far better shape than some of the ones at
Bishop Museum." Mrs. Mattson was the great-grand-daughter of R.W. Meyer,
the legendary landowner of Molokai and longtime superintendent of
Kalaupapa settlement during the time of Father Damien de Veuster.
VISITOR PICTURE -- The Hawaii Visitors Bureau has found no reason to
expect much change in the visitor picture in 1996. In 1995, Asian tourism
grew at about 6 percent to 8 percent, and westbound visits were about
flat. A November survey of 351 travel agents found that Hawaii can expect
a modest growth in visitors, perhaps 1 percent to 3 percent. Mainland
travel is not expected to grow much, if at all, this year. That is
negative news for Maui and the other Neighbor Islands, since direct
flights come into Maui only from North America. Paul Case, HVB's
president, says many of the factors holding down westbound tourism are
beyond the control of business in Hawaii. Nevertheless, he says, "we are
moving aggressively to revitalize the important California market as well
as develop newer Midwest and Eastern markets that can produce
longer-staying visitors."
STATION CHALLENCE -- The excavation phase of a new sewage pump station
being built at Wahikuli Terrace Park has been completed, and workers with
Construction Development Inc. have begun pouring concrete. The $5.8
million Lahaina Wastewater Pump Station No. 3 replacement project is
nearly 40 percent complete, according to project superintendent Patrick
Torres, and should be ready to pump raw sewage north to the Lahaina
Wastewater Reclamation Facility by July. The new pump station will
replace a 20-year-old one that sits on the makai side of Honoapiilani
Highway midway between the Chart House and the Lahaina Civic Center. It
took nearly eight months to excavate 3,200 cubic yards of rock using
heavy machinery and explosives. On Dec. 20, workiers poured 212 cubic
yards of cement to make a 3-foot-thick concrete slab nearly 20 feet below
ground level. Last week, workers had sheet pilings in place and were
preparing to pour the pump station's walls. "I'm at a loss for words at
how tough this was," Torres said. "I'm building a three-story building
underground and underwater." One of the job's most difficult tasks was
keeping near-surface, water-saturated soil at bay while excavating space
for the pump station's subsurface structure. To complicate matters,
workers had to comply with strict federal Clean Water Act standards for
the discharge of water pumped away from the site.
SWAPPING TOILETS -- A Maui County toilet replacement program on Molokai
has reached about a third of its goal of supplying 600 Kaunakakai
residences with free ultra-low-flush toilets. Molokai Plumbing Co. had
replace 197 toilets as of last Friday, and Maui County officials say it
has received applications to switch out another 124 toilets. The
ultra-low-flush toilets are estimated to save residents 15 percent to 30
percent on their water bills. All Molokai residents who are on the
county's wastedwater system are eligible to participate. Department of
Public Works and Waste Management officials hope to reduce the amount of
wastewater coming through the Kaunakakai Wastewater Reclamation Facility.
Reducing demand on the facility would put off the need for a costly
expansion. The new low-flush models can use nearly 22 fewer gallons per
day than conventional toilets, according to county engineer Steve
Parabicoli. The replacement of each toilet, including parts and labor,
cost the county about $265. Nearly $160,000 was set aside by the county
for installation of new toilets and removal and disposal of old ones.
Molokai residents can have the work done free of charge.
HAPPY HOLIDAY -- Wet weather may have helped to make the weekend a
relatively safe New Year's holiday despite relaxed fireworks laws, fire
officials reported. "As a whole for legalizing fireworks, it went well,"
Assistant Fire Chief Conrad Ventura said Monday. "Thank God for the
rain." Ventura said that while there were a few minor brush fires, the
weekend was uneventful and filled with routine calls. A new state law
superceded county code that had outlawed firecrackers in Maui County.
Fireworks sales at stores and nonprofit booths were heavy. Organizers of
First Night Maui said 7,500 to 8,000 attended the second annual New Year's
Eve event at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. First-year estimates were
6,000 to 6,500 people. "It went fantastic. It was unbelievable," said
organizer Christopher Stark. "Even with the rain the day before it was
still packed... it was an all-around good time." Stark said about 500
people were in the parade from Kaahumanu Center - where children's
activities took place - to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. He said the
alcohol-free event is having a positive effect in the community, not only
on those who attend the celebration but in making others recognize they
don't need booze to have a good time.
PARK ASSESSMENT -- A park assessment ordinance that has been criticized as
a "land developers' bill" found a lot of friends on the Maui County
Council Wednesday as it easily passed second and final reading.
Meanwhile, Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle apparently is reconsidering her
promise to veto the bill made in a letter sent to council members last
week. This morning, Lingle said she was not sure if she would go through
with the veto. "I'm going to read the final version before I make may
decision," said the mayor. While not clearly stating a reason for her
change of heart, Lingle alluded to Wednesday's 7-2 council vote in support
of the bill. The council would need to muster only six votes to override
any veto. Only Wayne Nishiki and Tom Morrow voted against the bill. The
point of contention in the bill centers around who will determine the
method of payment - land or cash - in which the park assessments will be
made. The current language, the administration claims, is ambiguous and
needs to clarified. So the original proposal, supported by Lingle,
contained a clause that would have delegated the power to a trio of county
officials: the directors of parks and recreation, public works and
planning. But last month, during the bill's first reading, Upcountry
Council Member Bob Monden amended the measure to give that authority to
developers. Monden explained he was sticking up for small landowners or
farmers who simply want to split up their property among family members.
Even though the current County Code allows exemption for subdivisions of
three lots or less, a majority of Monden's colleagues saw things his way
and approved his amendment.
1995 The Year In Review - The Top 10 Stories In The News
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>From Sharon Westfall
As years go, 1995 was a relatively quiet one for Maui County in terms of
news: no mudslinging elections to dessect and analyze, no single
controversy that dominated the county's political and community life as in
years past. To be sure, there were event s and issues that got people hot
and bothered - particularly a proposal to ban alcohol in county parks that
eventually was watered down to a nighttime curfew on booze. And speaking
of hot, everyone was talking about the weather, whew! How hot was it in
1995? Hot enough to be one of the warmest years on record. Unfortuately,
events of violence and tragedy always seem to make these year-in-review
lists, and 1995 was no different. State public safety and Maui Community
Correctional Center officials came under intense heat from citizens when
an inmate failed to return from a job-search pass and allegedly kidnapped
a Wailuku woman and her daughter. A handful of murders grabbed headlines
and shocked residents, while some segments of island life began to u
nravel at the cold hands of "ice" - a scourge that undoubtedly will
continue to plague us well into the new year. On the upside, a man called
Damien reminded us of the power of one, and native Hawaiians showed there
are strength in numbers - lessons we can carry with us throughout 1996.
Here are the Top 10 stories of 1995, as selected by the editorial
department of The Maui News.
DRINKING IN THE COUNTY'S PARKS - The great debate over banning alcohol in
county parks raged for most of the year. But, in the end, the fizzle in
the proposal went a bit flat. It started with a Lingle administration
bill that banned alcohol at four park s around the island. Another
proposal outlawed liquor at all the parks during certain hours. The hours
were left blank. A three-member majority of the Maui County Council Parks
and Recreation Committee - Alan Arakawa, Sol Kaho'ohalahala and Wayne
Nishi ki - decided to float a total ban at all parks. That's when the
debate went into full gear. Several hearings dres large crowds and
passionate speeches on both sides. The Maui News even got into the act
when it posed to its readers the question: Do you think drinking should be
restricted in county parks? The result was the largest response ever to
The Maui News Speak Out Hotline, with 123 opposed and 44 in favor. After
months of delays, research, lobbying, debate, speeches and compromise, the
full council ended up backing down on both the total ban and the regional
park ban. The final version of the bill made it illegal to consume liquor
from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in any park, except for those on Molokai. The
mayor signed it into law.
TROUBLE AT THE JAIL - Problems at Maui's jail - highlighted in last year's
list of top news stories - continued in 1995, most notably with the escape
of an inmate suspected of kidnapping a woman and her 12-year-old daughter
and raping the girl. James Edwards Mills, known on Maui as Shane Stewart,
did not return to the Maui Community Correctional Center from a four-hour
job search pass March 9 and allegedly kidnapped the two females later that
day before fleeing the island. He was arrested a few days lat er in
California after attempting to carjack a mother and her 3-year-old
daughter. Jail officials said they were unaware that Mills' record
included a prior escape from a facility on the Mainland. The incident
sparked a public outcry. A citizens task f orce was formed to look at
jail policies and the handling of the escape by police. A final report on
its findings is now being prepared. The incident led to an effort to
improve procedures for informing police and the public in the event of an
escape. There was also a murder at the jail in 1995. On May 5,
60-year-old Soso Nakasone was beaten to death while confined at the Maui
Community Correctional Center. Brysen Peralta, 20, who was sharing a cell
with the victim, was charged with first-degree murder and has not gone to
trial yet. There were questions about why Nakasone, who was awaiting
trial, was placed with a sentenced inmate, and why Peralta was sharing a
cell despite guard observations that he had been behaving erratically.
Jail officias con tended it is not unusual to mix inmates on a short-term
basis because of crowded conditions.
FATHER DAMIEN COMES HOME - He died more than 100 years ago, but last
summer Father Damien de Veuster seemed more alive than ever. The selfless
priest who volunteered to minister to Hawaii's early leprosy patients on
the Kalaupapa peninula in 1873 was bea tified in lavish ceremonies in his
native Belgium by Pope John Paul II, kicking off two months of
celebrations all over Hawaii. It was not only the elevation of Damien's
title to "Blessed Damien" that caused such a spiritual outpouring in
services from Honolulu to Hana, but also the return of his physical
presence. In 1936, against the wishes of the patients, Damien's body was
dug up and sent back to Belgium. During the beatification Mass in June,
the pope presented to Hawaii the bones of Damien's righ t hand. While the
gesture seemed inadequate to many and bizarre to others, the few remaining
patients of Kalaupapa were overwhelmed with emotion as their makua
(father) came home. There was no more touching sight than when the bones,
wrapped in royal kapa and encased in koa, were presented in St. Philomena
Church, the church that Damien twice rebuilt. Seven patients - Kenso
Seki, Ed Kato, Nellie McCarthy, Bernard Punikaia, Richard Marks and Paul
and Winnie Harada - joined Honolulu Bishop Francis X. DeLorenzo in a Mass
outside St.Philomena that culminated in the reburial of the bones in
Damien's original grave. As the tomb was sealed, there was no sadness.
The spirit of Blessed Damien was alive and well in everyone present.
KING KEKAULIKE HIGH SCHOOL OPENS - After years of lobbying and an
11th-hour construction rush, Maui's first public high school in two
decades opened in September 1995. Phase I of King Kekaulike High School
was completed only hours before students arrived for the first day of
classes Sept. 1. Even then, as students were touring the Upcountry
campus, construction workers were seen putting the finishing touches on
the $21 million project. There were fears whether the school would open
on time, with two dea dlines having passed, Delays were blamed on late
deliveries of materials from the Mainland and a couple of snags during
initial inspections. On that first day, the new school welcomed 375
freshmen. More classes will be added as construction continues on other
phases of the campus. Educators and community leaders on Maui lobbied
many years for the school, saying it was needed to relieve overcrowding at
Baldwin and Maui High School in Central Maui. The new school also made
for changes at other places, ma inly the transfer of Lokelani Intermediate
graduates in Kihei to Maui High, instead of Baldwin. All students from
Maui Waena Intermediate in Kahului were moved to Maui High, rather than
being split between Maui High and Baldwin.
HOW HOT WAS IT? - Many Mauians who've been enduring summer-like
temperatures this winter are wondering if 1995 has been one of the hottest
years on record. Well, yes. While National Weather Service meteorologist
Andy Stasiowski says 1995 has been "nothing spectacular," it was the fifth
warmenst on record in the last 30 years. Maui's average temperature this
year was 76.6 degrees, while its normal average mercury reading is 75.5
degrees. Some of the island's hottest weather has been toward the end of
the year. October's temperatures were 1.9 degrees above normal, and
November's exceeded the average by 2.2 degrees. October was the third
warmenst for that month on record, and November was the second hottest.
Stasiowski says Maui's also had a dry year, the eighth driest on record.
As of Dec. 25, the island had recorded 13.33 inches of rain, 36 percent
below normal rainfall levels. Every month this year, except January, had
above-average temperatures. (January was just a tenth of a degree below
normal.) Day and night temperature readings have been tied or exceeded 52
times over the year, he says. The last time Maui had warmer weather was
in 1984, which was the second hottest year on record. The warm weather
hasn't been bad news for everyone. Mike Nobriga, vice president of sales
and marketing for Maui Soda & Ice Works, says the heat hasn't hurt
business. "We've been going through a very positive volume trend this
year," he says. "The weather assists greatly."
FIVE MURDERS COMMITTED IN '95 - There were five murders in Maui County in
1995, including a double homicide in Omaopio, a jail killing and the death
of a Kahului woman found in a sugar cane field in Spreckelsville. Police
have charged two suspects in two of the deaths and have a prime suspect in
the double killings, while the cane field murder remains unsolved. On May
5, 60-year-old Soso Nakasone was beaten to death at the Maui Community
Correctional Center. His cellmate, Brysen Peralta, 20, was charged with
first-degree murder and is awaiting trial. Kihei resident Vilmar
Cabaccang, 23, was stabbed to death July 14 after he reportedly chased
down a man rummaging through his car. Taryn Christian, 19, of Kula, was
charged with second-degree murder in that case and is awaiting trial.
Cabaccang, a fish cutter at Sack N Save and car enthusiast, had many
friends on Maui, and his car club buddies organized a rally in his memory
that attracted statewide attention. Police continue to investigate the
murder of a Kahului woman found dead of a gunshot wound in a
Spreckelsville sugar cane field Sept. 22. Sherrie Trudy Abihai Piano, 21,
was shot in the head shortly after being seen by friends in the Kahului
area. On Dec. 1, a man and woman were found slain at an Omaopio Road
home. There were identified as James Cariotti, 47, and Betty Ballard, 40.
A 45-year-old Haiku man, Charles Apuna Jr., remains a suspect in the case
but has not yet been charged with murder. He is in custody charged with
crimes related to the drugs and guns police allegedly found in his
possession when he as arrested at the Maui Beach Hotel. The 1995 murder
toll is one less than the six murders that occurred in the county in 1994.
HAWAIIANS PROTECT SACRED SITES - Fed up with the desecration of places
they consider sacred, Native Hawaiians asserted themselves in two
high-profile cases this year to fight what they viewed as separate
affronts to their culture. The Friends of Moku'ula brought to
Malu-ulu-o-Lele Park in Lahaina, where a recent study showed that it is
home to an important archaelogical site containing the burials of Native
Hawaiians. The problem is that part of the ancient subterranean island of
Moku'ula extends into the park's makai ball field. The friends group, let
by Akoni Akana, insisted that the county acknowledge the importance of
Moku'ula and stop the activity over the island. They began negotiating
with county officials but were rebuffed by the administration. The
parties were at loggerheads for several weeks until Mayor Linda Crockett
Lingle agreed to meet with representatives of the group. A compromise now
appears to be in the works. In Iao Valley, a T-shirt vendor claiming a
First Amendment right to spread his "message" riled people unaccustomed
to commercialism in the scenic spot. Most of all, it rankled Native
Hawaiians who consider the valley sacred. Led by Charlie Kauluwehi
Maxwell Sr., the Native Hawaiians held protests and generally made life
miserable for the T-shirt seller. During a meeting between the vendor and
Native Hawaiian representatives, the vendor agreed to go somewhere else.
IMPACT OF ICE FELT IN COUNTY - The use of crystal methamphetamine in Maui
County drew increasing concern in 1995. The impact of "ice" was felt in
many areas, from increasing property crime and voilent crime to trouble at
schools and in homes. According to Maui Police Department records, there
were 37.4 grams of the drug seized in 1993. In the federal fiscal year
that ended Sept. 30 of this year, the latest recording period available,
the amount of the drug seized had risen to 6.5 pounds. Crystal meth was
also implicated in serveral traffic deaths, including the June 6 tragedy
at Stella Blues cafe in Kihei in which a California woman was killed when
a Jeep jumped a curb and plowed throught the restaurant. Capt. Paul
Winters of the department's Vice Division blames the drug's highly
addictive nature for the explosion in use of crystal meth, which he says
has escalated much faster than any of the drug waves of the past. The
community was called to action in 1995, with public forums held on Molokai
and Maui to educate the public about the drug and try to find ways to
reduce its use.
FACE OF RETAILING CHANGES - It was the year of the "big box retailer" on
Maui. Most of the big national retailing chains have been absent from
Maui, a situation that began to change when Kmart opened in 1993. In May
1995, Costco opened, and the Maui Marketplace at Maui Business Park, just
down the road, announced plans to bring in four more big boxers: Eagle,
Border's, Sports Authority and Office Max. However, A&B Properties
revealed that the biggest of them all, WalMart, had dropped discussions to
locate at the site of Kahului Shopping Center, which will continue as is.
It was Maui's first shopping center. A&B's plans to create a factory
outlet mall went awry for lack of an anchor tenant, and the building is
being marketed to local businesses. Local businesses were, with some
exceptings, finding the combination of big box competition and generally
slack economy tough going. Some, such as Ikeda's, a landmark for more
than half a centurey, closed. Others went through severe adaptions to
meet new times. The notable example was BFS Inc., which shrank its Ben
Franklin craft outlest while simutaneously expanding its Ace Hardware
stores. On the other had, Mainland chains also had their problems, not
necessarily originating on Maui but relected here. PayLess failed and its
space was taken over by Marshall's.
GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR RESORTS - As the big resorts go, so goes the
Maui County economy. Adn throughout 1995, the were going in two
directions at once. Occupancy rates were the best in years, with
Kaanapali exceeding 80 percent in the better months (with an assist from
the closure of the Sheraton-Maui for rebuilding). And average room rates
also climbed steadily through the year, although they are not as high as
they were (adjusted for inflation) in the peak period around 1989. On the
other hand, almost all resorts on Maui and thrughout the state struggled
under unbearable loads of debt assumed in high-flying taeovers in the late
'80s. Japanese lenders were reported ready to take their losses by
shedding ownership, but none did so on Maui during the year. The Kapalua
Bay Hotel was on the market all year, without finding new investment
money, and in December it sought bankruptcy protection from creditors, as
did the smaller Plantation Inn. The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua reorganized to
ease debt. And Hotel Hana-Maui and Hana Ranch, operating at a loss, were
in negotiations to bring in new owners, which had not been closed by
year's end. Hotels with ILWU contracts were cought up on labor
negotioations that have run far past the expected completion date, with no
end in sight. Through it all, every resort kept operating (which was not
true elsewhere in the state) and at levels of service that helped Maui win
the accolade "Best Tropical Island" two years running from Conde Nast
Traveler magazine.
==============================================================
The above stories from the Maui News were *lovingly* (yeah, right.. sore
fingers!) typed by me, to you, because, Maui is a special place and I know
there are many of folks out there who may have some ties here (or want
some ties here) and keeping up with the news will help keep them strong.
The Maui News Top 10 stories are special to me, because this was the
*first* attempt I did, last year... sending the 1994 Maui News Top 10
from The Daily Planet BBS to alt.culture.hawaii. I had a lot of good
feedback, that encouraged me to continue this (now still going, one year
later!)
Now I'm also sending this to Rabbett Abbett's Web Page, Ryan Ozawa's
mailing list, and (my personal favorite...) soc.culture.hawaii!!!
If you have Internet newsgroup access, please come drop in and say "hi" at
alt.culture.hawaii (unmoderated), and soc.culture.hawaii (moderated). We
have good fun, talking story and reminiscing about ono kine food, and
small kid time, and talking pidgin. Former islanders, be careful... might
make you homesick!!!
Just a reminder, the Maui News does have it's own web page:
http://www.maui.net.~mauinews/news.html
The stories are updated daily, so check them out and tell Richard Allen
I'm still chugging (typing) along... :-)
Thanks for all the words of encouragement this past year. I hope to
continue this for as long as I'm able (and as long as the Maui News says
ok...).
The Week In Review
PROJECT KILLED - Gensiro Kawamoto has withdrawn his application for an
affordable housing project in Kihei that would have provided about a
thousand dwellings. Two weeks ago, Kawamoto asked for public support to
be expressed for the project, after being given conditions that he called
unreasonable. County Council Chairwoman Alice Lee said this morning that
she had supported the project and called Kawamoto's withdrawal "really
unfortunate." Kawamoto came to Maui in 1989 at the invitation of
Hannibal Tavares, then the mayor, after his proposal to build affordable
housing in Honolulu was dismissed by Frank Fasi, then the mayor there.
He said he expected to lose $10 million on the development, a form of
personal or corporate contribution to the community in which he had done
a lot of business. Many people were skeptical about that, and Lee says
she thinks many remained so, but "over time, I came to believe that he
was sincere. After all, he kept the project" despite many rebuffs and
unforeseen obstructions. Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle said this morning
she was "not surprised" by Kawamoto's withdrawal. She denies that
Kawamoto was being given harder conditions than other developers. "He is
a sophisticated developer," she says, who had to know he would be
required to meet legal requirements. She says his complaints about
unfair treatment were ironic, since it was Kawamoto who wanted special
treatment.
FATAL CRASH - A pickup truck fleeing after its passengers stole two
12-packs of beer from Kihei Gas Express collided with another vehicle on
Piilani Highway, leaving one man dead and another in critical condition
at a Honolulu hospital. Maui police said Kamuela Rahl, 20, of Hana, died
while being transported to Maui Memorial Hospital following the 11:45
p.m. wreck. Rahl was riding in the bed of the red 1995 Nissan pickup
that was westbound on Ohukai Road after the theft at the gas station
store. Police said the vehicle entered the Piilani intersection and
struck a black Ford Bronco headed south on the highway. The lone
occupant of the Bronco, a 41-year-old Kihei man, suffered a fractured
skull and was sent to Straub Hospital on Oahu. Rahl's death is the 17th
traffic fatality of the year in Maui County.
FIREWORKS BOOMING - Merchants on Maui are reporting booming sales of
fireworks, particularly firecrackers, as the New Year's holiday
approaches. A new state law allows revelers to buy and ignite as many
firecrackers as they want on New Year's Eve without obtaining a permit.
Firecrackers were previously illegal in Maui County, although allowed in
other counties. "They're definitely the big-ticket item this year," said
Byron Ooka at Ooka Super Market, and sales of all fireworks are way up
over last year as a result. Ooka said customers are spending as much as
$300 to $400 a pop. Customer Glenn Costa of Wailuku said as long as
people practice safety, he doesn't see a problem with the large amounts of
fireworks being sold here. "The kids deserve it," he said. "I had to buy
for my son. He's been after me for days. "It's long overdue for Maui; it
didn't seem just for the other islands to have them and not Maui."
DROUGHT WATCH - Nearing the end of Maui's eighth driest year on record, a
"drought watch" has been issued by the county Department of Water Supply
for Upcountry residents. The notice calls for residents to voluntarily
cut back water consuption by 5 percent. Residents affected by the watch
include those living in Olinda, Kula, Omaopio, Keokea, Kanaio, Ulupalakua,
Makawao, Pukalani, Haiku, Pauwela, Haliimaile, Kokomo, Kaupakulua and
Ulumalu. According to a water department news release, Upcountry ditch
and reservoir levels have fallen significantly in recent weeks. "If low
rainfall continues, it will have a severe effect on reservoir levels," it
says.
HOTEL OCCUPANCIES - November hotel occupancies on Maui were about as good
as they had been the year before, a fairly healthy 75 percent. It was
similar on Molokai, where the average was a much less cheery 41.3 percent,
up about half a point from November 1994. However, the figures for Maui
island were more encouraging than anywhere else when the average daily
room rate is factored in. It rose nearly $8 per night for the month. For
the year, the average daily rate is up to $133.53, a gain of close to $9.
On Molokai, however, the average room rate was down more than $5 to $64.83
in November and is down slightly for the year. On Maui last month, the
key Kaanapali rate was almost unchanged at 79.7 percent, and the West Maui
occupancy rate also was unchanged at 75.85 percent. For the rest of the
island, the rate was up more than seven points to 67.7 percent, giving an
overall average of 75 percent.
POOLS OF 'OHE'O - By now, most locals know that the so-called Seven
Sacred Pools is neither sacred nor seven in number. So what to call the
place? After much discussion, debate and gnashing of teeth, Haleakala
National Park has settled on a name that will appear in the park's new
brochure map coming out this summer: the Plls of 'Ohe'o. "We've always
debated what to call the area. There's been quite a debate among our
staff." sand Haleakala Superintendent Don Reeser. "No one wants to use
Seven Sacred Pools." 'Ohe'o refers to both the gulch there and the
stream that flows through the popular pools area in the park's Kipahulu
District. The new title drops all mention of the number of pools. "We'd
like it to catch on," Reeser said of the new name, adding that he may
consider installing a Pools of 'Ohe'o sign.
The Week In Review
------------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
HALEAKALA FURLOUGH - The majority of Haleakala National Park's employees
showed up for work Monday only to be handed furlough notices showing that
they were out of a job - at least for now. Nearly 40 of the park's 46
employees who normally start their wo rk weeks Mondays received official
word of the federal government shutdown, according to Park Superintendent
Don Reeser. The park closed Dec. 16 after Congress and the president
could not agree on budget matters. Reeser said rangers continued to turn
ba ck would-be visitors to the park. The road to the crater was closed at
the 7,000-foot elevation at the park entrance. Hosmer Grove campground,
visitor centers and hiking trails were closed, as were campgrounds and the
backcountry cabins in the crater. Also closed is the Kipahulu District of
the park, including the campground, all hiking trails, swimming in the
pools, the Kipahulu Ranger Station and access to the parking lot.
BELLS SILENCED - Capt. William Begonia of the Kahului Corps of the
Salvation Army says donations at Maui's biggest mall are way down because
volunteers are not being allowed to ring bells while they man the red
kettles. He extimates that last year, $37,0 00 was plunked into Salvation
Army kettles on Maui. The Kaahumanu Center sites alone raked in an
average of $350 a day. Without bells, collections at the mall are down 50
percent, according to Begonia. Kaahumanu Center Marketing Manager Kathy
Kameda sa ys merchants complained last year that some of the volunteers
used annoying cow bells instead of the easier-on-the-ear silver hand
bells. In addition, some of the bell ringers set up on the stage without
permission, sometimes acting inappropriately. While kettle fund-raising
chairman Dr. Peter Galpin approached the mall about setting up again this
year for the holiday season, Kameda says she relayed the merchants'
concerns. The two parties agreed that volunteers manning the kettle near
the center stage would use "silent bells" without clappers, and that
volunteers standing by the kettle near JCPenney could ring a bell in the
corridor between Waldenbooks and Champs.
KAMALI'I IN KIHEI - Its name will be Kamali'i Elementary School. Its
first principal, Sandra Shawhan. And if you want to enroll for next
fall's opening of Maui's newest elementary school, it'll be first come,
first served. Maui District Superintendent Ralph Murakami announced those
three major decisions at School Advisory Council meeting in Kihei. The
council immediately concurred with Murakami's decisions, only one of which
- the school name - needs final approval from the state Board of
Education. As far as setting a boundary for determining which students
will attend the new school, there is none. This decision marks the first
time a public school in Hawaii will accept children in grades K-5 under an
open enrollment system. Originally Murakami w anted to set Welakahao Road
as the boundary for the new school. Those living north of the street
would've remained at Kihei Elementary, while those living south would've
gon to the new school. This drew an outcry from parents who live north of
the line, who said their children would be stuck with the old school,
while students living in the more affluent south side would get a
brand-new facility and a better education. A Kihei Redistricting
Committee formed out of the controversy persuaded Murakami tha t parent
choice would be feasible.
EVIL TOYS - Toy guns, plastic swords and action figures are piling up in a
garbage bag at Makawao Elementary School as part of a campaign against
violence. Among the items in the bag are Ninja Turtle action figure based
on the cartoon charater who fights evil and wins every time. "But he uses
violence to do that," explains Melanie Padgett, the school's parent
community network coordinator. This month the school started a call for
students and parents to participate in a "Violent Toy Turn-in" modeled
after the police-sponsored programs that collect real guns. Students who
bring in "war-like" toys, "evil" action figures or video games can
exchange the items for a certificate that will get them a treat at
McDonald's. The campaign is part of the school's attempt to teach
conflict resolution by discouraging violence and promoting peaceful ways
to solve problems. The event is one of many others sponsored as part of
the school's Drug and Violence Free Schools program.
The Week In Review
-----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
NAPILIHAU VILLAGES - The special management area permit for Napilihau
Villages is valid and develper JGL Enterprises can seek building permits.
Although on case remains on appeal to the Hawaii Supreme Court, the
bitterly contested housing project has weathered three challenges. Last
week's decision by 2nd Circuit Judge Shackley Raffetto removed the last
obstacle to going forward. However, lawyer Isaac Hall, who represented
the plaintiffs, said this morning that they plan to appeal Raffetto's
decision. Deputy Corporation Counsel Gary Zakian told the Maui Planning
Commission that the judge concentrated on two questions in a lawsuit
challenging the commission's approval of an SMA permit: drainage and the
need for an environmental assessment. Raffetto found the drainage
approach satisfactory. Hall, who represented downstreem property owners'
Kahana Sunset Owners Association, also had contended that the fact that a
culvert passed under a public road required at least an environmental
assessment, if not a full environmental impact statement. The developer
had obtained a "nagative declaration," meaning that not enough impact was
anticipated to require an assessment. Raffetto said the "neg dec," as
planners call it, was proper. Hall says he plans to appeal that.
KIDS' FRIEND PASSES ON - The day after 73-year-old Hiroshi "Blackie"
Hirozawa of Kahului passed away at Maui Memorial Hospital, his friends
were remembering a man who, no matter how many birthday candles he needed
on his cake, was still able to talk to the small kids. "He could always
relate to the kids," said Toshio "Tata" Fujimoto, Blackie's friend since
childhood when the two used to make their own toys and play the days away.
"He was always involved in Boy Scouts and Little League. He wasn't a real
active player, but he was a good coach. Mr. Hirozawa was born Aug. 5,
1922, in Wailuku, Maui. He died Dec. 12, 1995, leaving his wife, Janet
Y.; a daughter, Nancy, and a son, James, all of Kahului. He was being
memorialized in living rooms and over kitchen tables all over the island
not only for his dedication to Maui's youngsters and the community at
large, but for training with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World
War II.
HOTEL BANKRUPTCY - The bankruptcy of Kapalua Bay Hotel & Villas is not
expected to have any direct effect on labor negotiations with the ILWU or
on Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc., the landlord. Brett Huske, general
manager of the hotel, said he had had a chance to talk about the
bankruptcy petition with union representatives, and, "I think we'll be
fine." Kapalua Bay Hotel is one of a group of Maui resorts that has been
in protracted negotiations for a new contract with Local 142 of the
International Lo ngshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union. This week the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Honolulu approved the hotel's request to open a
new line of credit. The money, $2.85 million, will be used to pay wages
and operate the hotel while its owners seek a new investor or new owner.
The bankruptcy was in Chapter 11, which allows a business to continue
operating while it reorganizes.
WATER WOES - Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle urged Board of Water Supply
members to focus on getting more water for Central and South Maui and to
heed state warnings about the safety of the Iao aquifer. Alarmed by water
withdrawals from the aquifer exceeding its 20-million-gallon-per-day
"sustainable yield," state Commission on Water Resource Management
officials are warning they could take over control of the resource or
declare a water shortage. That could lead to a moratorium on new water
meters and on new development. Officials worry that taking too much
water from the underground water resource could damage it by breaking the
layer between the freshwater floating on top of heavier saltwater.
Appearing at a meeting of the water board's Technical and Planning
Committee, Lingle said more water is needed for "progress and growth" on
Maui, and there's no need for designation of the aquifer by the state.
"Maui has plenty of water. There is no water shortage," she said, adding
that the aquifer scare and potential moratorium on construction have
created unnecessary uncertainty among county residents and discouraged
"those who are investing in Maui and those contemplating investing on
Maui." The mayor questioned the leadership of Department of Water Supply
Director David Craddick and called on board members to take control of
the department.
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE - A "Maui University" should be established here with
continued leadership and start-up money from the county, participants in
a three-day symposium recommended this week. While the business,
education and community leaders agreed that the county should play a key
role in developing a four-year college, they also said the state should
not be "let off the hook" in making the project a reality. For three
days, about 150 people from the state, around the country and places like
Japan and Australia met in Wailea to discuss an idea that originated out
of a campaign promise by Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle. Participants
echoed the sentiments of what Lingle said her constituents and a 1993
task force have said: Maui needs and deserves a four-year university.
The Maui County Council also has expressed its support, with Council
Member Bob Monden pledging its backing.
The Week In Review
-----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
CRUISER BOB - Cruiser Bob Kiger, co-founder of the downhill bicycle tour
business on Maui in 1983, is not happy with the way it is now. So he's
changing his part of it. Cruiser Bob's Haleakala Downhill no longer
offers guided tours, and he no longer accepts bookings from activities
desks. Instead, he will provide transportation and equipment to "good"
riders, who will then be left on their own. That means shortening the
tour by about eight miles, because Cruiser Bob's FreeStyle customers won't
be able to start at the crater. Customers will be taken to the crater (if
they wish), given a van tour of the park, then brought below the park
boundary for a 30-mile descent (6,900 feet instead of almost 10,000 in
elevation) to Paia. "I'm betting the whole organization on it," says
Kiger, who has a list of complaints ranging from decaying pavement on the
lower stretches of BAldwin Avenue to high commisions in the agency
business. "There will always be those who favor the fully guided tours,"
says Kiger. "We will be happy to place them with the best company for
that type of tour."
RARE RITES - The had gathered simply to say farewell to a good man at St.
Anthony Church, but they left amidst a royal swirl of red and gold capes
with the realization that they had been a part of the final journey of a
beloved ali'i. "We never get to see things like this." said Harriet
Teshima, riveted in a back pew as the formal rites came to a majestic
close. "This is once in a lifetime. It gave me chicken skin." Teshima,
like many others, had come to pay respects to a dear friend, Adrian
Hussey, the 75-year-old Wailuku man who passed away on Nov. 21. What they
ended up witnessing was an event never before seen on Maui and seldom
performed anywhere else in the islands. More than 125 members of the
fraternal Royal Order of Kamehameha I and its auxiliary group of mothers,
sisters and wives converged on St. Anthony from all over the islands to
honor Hussey, the first Ali'i Nui ever elected from Maui, and
ceremoniously send him back to join his ancestors. The official funeral
ritual, featuring posture-perfect processions, old chants and stirring
anthems in Hawaiian, was a tow-hour display of solemn, yet showy, pomp and
circumstance rarely viewed by the general public.
BIRD CONTROL - A bill restricting the use of poisins for bird control
receiving initial approval by the Maui County Council. Council members
voted 6-2 in support of a compromise bill allowing the use of "chemical
frightening agents" such as Avitrol only as a last resort to quell threats
to human health. Council Member Wayne Nishiki originally had sought a
total ban on such chemicals, contending that the use of Avitrol is an
inhumane way for Maui's resorts and open-air restaurants to deal with
nuisance wild birds. But members of the full council last month said they
were not convinced the full ban is necessary. The sent the proposal back
to committee for further examination. Under a compromise bill by Council
Member James "Kimo" Apana, the county Public Safety Commission would be
charged with authorizing use of poison only when there is an actual threat
to human health. The issue came to light in September after actor Mark
Harmon and his wife, actress Pam Dawber, and their children reported
seeing birds dying at the Kapalua Bay Hotel & Villas. The Kapalua resort
has since discontinued the use of Avitrol.
IAO AQUIFER - Concern for the safety of Central and South Maui's
underground drinking water supply could bring about state control over the
Iao aquifer or the declaration of a water shortage. "Pumpage from Iao
aquifer connot be increased any further without evidence that the
additional withdrawals will not harm the aquifer," state Commission on
Water Resource Management Chairman Michael Wilson wrote in a Nov. 30
letter to Maui County Board of Water Supply chairwoman Marie Kimmey.
Department of Water Supply Director David Craddick said his department is
continuing to issue water meters in Central and South Maui. (Those
average about two meters per day, he said.) But the department stopped, as
of Nov. 1, giving developers water reservations normally granted under the
water system development fee.
MCC TUITION - Maui Community College Students brought forth
revenue-generating ideas as they testified against a proposed 75 percent
hike in the tuition ceiling on campus. The University of Hawaii Board of
Regents, led by Maui attorney Lee Ohigashi, listened in the MCC cafeteria
as 19 instructors and students spoke about how a tuition increase would
force may to leave school.
The Week In Review
-----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
HELP FOR NONPROFITS - Nonprofit social service agencies on Maui hit by
more than $2 million in state budget cuts could get some help soon. On
Tuesday, the Maui County Council Budget Committee recommended adoption of
a resolution setting aside $450,000 more for social grants and $50,000
more for youth centers. The resolution was drafted by Mayor Linda
Crockett Lingle's administration in the wake of deep state budget cuts in
Maui's social service agencies. Council Member Alan Arakawa said those
amount to a loss of more than $2 million. Lingle said the county couldn't
make up for all the lost money, but she said at least $500,000 could be
set aside to help the agencies. Her only condition was that the decisions
about how the money would be allocated be made by the county's Grants
Review Committee. Leaving decision-making up to that panel would mean it
would not fall in the "political arena" of the council, the mayor said.
She said the council could be specific about setting up guidlines, and
that the panel would almost certainly follow the council's recommendation.
"I can't imagine they won't follow the will of the people of Maui County,"
she said.
WAIEHU GOLF COURSE - A permanent committee should be established to advise
the greens superintendent at Waiehu Golf Course, a Maui County Council
subcommittee recommended. The recommendation was one of more than a dozen
adopted by the Waiehu Golf Course Subcommittee, a panel of golfers and
county officials charged with taking a close-up look at Maui County's
municipal golf links. The seven-member panel was formed two months ago at
the request of council Chairwoman Alice Lee in reponse to complaints about
the course's condition this summer. The complaints included the parched
condition of the course, the amount of weeds, and the thickness and length
of the rough. During its two-month assignment, the subcommittee toured
the oceanfront course and took testimony from golfers. Committee members
said a permanenet committee to help advise the superintendent would give
golf course users a voice in the way things are run at the publicly owned
course. The subcommittee also urged the construction of a new golf course
maintenance facility, including employee showers and lockers, a lunchroom
and separate storage shed.
YMCA REBOUND - Maui Family YMCA Executive Director Chuck Knobel wants
people to know that the organization's Kanaloa Avenue facility is "back to
normal," despite a recent construction catastrophe. "Normal" in this case
means back to the way things were before the YMCA opened its new $900,000
two-story building last month. Disaster struck just days after the
opening when, in the process of landscaping and installing an irrigation
system, a waterline in an exposed trench broke unnoticed, direction water
at the building's foundation. The water flow resulted in erosion under
the southeast corner of the structure, causing the slab to drop 6 to 7
inches, Knobel said. YMCA officals were forced to close the building to
members, who had quickly become accustomed to the swank new surroundings.
Knobel was hesitant to hazard a guess as to when the new building would
reopen, although six weeks would be a "best-case"scenario.
OLINDA OVERSIGHT - The state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved
a proposal to hand over the state-owned Olinda Endangered Species
Propagation Facility to the Peregrine Fund, an Idaho-based conservation
organization. Under the proposal, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife
will enter into a 20-year cooperative license with the Peregrine Fund,
giving it responsibility over all of the state's endangered bird recovery
efforts. The Peregrine Fund already oversees the 'alala program on the
Big Island and is set to run a new forest bird facility under construction
there in Ka'u. State officials said the move will result in more
efficient management of the endangered birds, boost private sector money
spent in the effort through the organization and free up state funds that
can now be spent on habitat conservation.
PROJECT RESURRECTED - The proposed West Maui Plaza Shopping Village,
supposedly buried by overwhelming community opposition last month, climbed
out of the grave with the assistance of four Maui County Council members.
Council Members Dennis Y. Nakamura, Bob Monden, James "Kimo" Apana and
Alice Lee voted to give a modified version of the project another chance.
Wayne Nishiki, Tom Morrow and Alan Arakawa argued vehemently to stop it
for good. Sol Kaho'ohalahala and Pat Kawano were not present. Because
the vote was not a majority of the nine-member body, the matter must come
up again. As chairwoman, Lee said she would not schedule it until all
nine members expect to be present, but she added that could be as soon as
Dec. 1 or 15. The shopping village had been proposed by Honolulu-based
Amfac/JMB Hawaii Inc. on 3.3 acres along Honoapiilani Highway at Dickenson
Street, right across from Sacred Hearts School. Less than three weeks
ago, the council's Planning Committee voted 8-0 against granting business
zoning for the parcel. Everyone from the public spoke against the
develpment, considered an undesireable "strip mall" by many that would be
built at the entrance to the former whaling town's historic district.
Concern was also raised about the safety of pedestrians, particularly
youngsters, crossing the highway to get to the center.
MCC TELETHON - Maui Community College exceeded its $40,000 goal in its
thelethon by more than $100,000. "We really got lucky," Provost Clyde
Sakamoto said Sunday. Campus officials have long known that Maui
residents support the college, he said. "They simply stepped forward and
helped us out." Saturday's telethon began airing about two hours before
the University of Hawaii-San Diego State football game and continued until
11 p.m., long after the Rainbows lost 49-10 in their homecoming at Aloha
Stadium. The telethon represented the first fund-raiser of its kind for
the college. It was organized to offset state budget cuts that reslted in
a reduction of course offerings, tutor availability and library hours.
NAME THAT SCHOOL - The Maui District office of the sate Department of
Education has officially opened the door for suggestions on how the new
elementary school in Kihei should be identified. There's no set criteria
for naming the school, although in the case of the new King Kekaulike High
School, officials apperared to favor a Hawaiian theme. Anything will be
considered except the current working name - Kihei II Elementary. "It's
kind of junk... We need more imagination out there," said Kihei School
Principal Ron Okamura. A committee of parents, students, staff and
community members has been formed at Kihei School to come up with a
recommendation by Dec. 1 for District Superintendent Ralph Murakami. In
addition, suggestions from others are being accepted at the school.
The Week In Review
-----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
DOES PARK NEED ROAD? - The Maui County Council Parks and Recreation
Committee indicated it probably would not be supporting a proposed road
that some have charged would divide the future Maui Contral Park in two.
A number of speakers said the road would serve no purpose but to divide
the 100-plus-acre park and isolate the Central Maui Youth Center. During
the same meeting, public works Director Charles Jencks came under fire
from community members upset over the planning of the road. Jencks
answered his critics by saying his only intention was to secure money for
a road that can be moved. "I have never said the road is going in matter
what," he said of a proposed straight-shot route connecting Kanaloa Avenue
and the proposed extension of Papa Avenue. "That's not my style." Jencks
said his goal was to get money for the park, and he was able to encumber
$7 million in federal funds to pay for not only the road through the park
but for the Papa Avenue extension, the park's drainage system and access
to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
EX-PROSECUTOR RETURNS - Artemio Baxa is returning to the Department of
the Prosecuting Attorney. The former county prosecutor was, in effect,
fired by Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle after she took office in 1991, an
action that sparked a months-long dispute with the County Council. As is
the custom when a new mayor takes office, appointed county officials,
including prosecutors, submit courtesy resignations. Baxa was not
rehired, and Lingle never publicly discussed the reasons for that
decision. The council majority at the time claimed it was politically
motivated because Baxa supported Lingle's opponent, former Mayor Elmer
Cravalho.
EFFECTS OF THE SHUTDOWN - Like some invisible force, the federal
government's shutdown of Haleakala National Park has rolled downhill to
hit businesses dependent on tourist traffic up and down the mountain.
"We're completely closed," said Herbert Loui, a member of the family that
owns and operates the Kula Sandalwoods Restaurant. Kula Lodge &
Restaurant owner Fred Romanchak said it has lost more than 50 percent in
revenues, and its 40 employees are having their hours cut back. Bicycle
tour operators are modifying their rides down the mountain by beginning
outside the park entrance at the 7,000-foot level and by discounting
prices, he said. Also being affected are tour busses that take visitors
up to the summit and horseback riding tours. Also affected by the
government shutdown was the Social Security Administration, where only
Branch Manager Luann Aiu was staffing the office, and the Internal Revenue
Service, whose office in Wailuku was closed entirely.
FIRST HUMPBACK OF SEASON - A humpback whale was sighted in Lahaina waters,
much to the amazement of those aboard the Trilogy II who laid claim to
being the first to witness the return of the whales to Maui this season.
The marine mammal was first spotted about 2 miles off Lahaina Harbor. The
Trilogy II was headed toward Lanai when the whale surfaced about 300 yards
away, according to Capt. Jim Coon.
PATH TO ACCESS - After more than 10 years of protest and pleas by Native
Hawaiians for continued public access to the white sands of Palauea Beach
and the ancient King's Highway, there finally may be a light at the end of
the disputed road. Deputy Corporation Counsel Howard Fukushima told the
Maui County Council's Committee of the Whole the long delay was because
money was not available for the survey needed by the county, many
landowners had to be notified and discrepancies in the surveys done for
two different developers needed to be cleared up.
MAIN DRAG BEAUTIFIED - In the course of a few hours, the uphill stretch of
Kaahumanu Avenue from Kanaloa Avenue to the Wailuku bridge was transformed
from bleak and barren to lush and lovely. While volunteers and hired
hands pitched in to plant 60 trees along the medial strip, appreciative
motorists honked and yelled their approval. The idea to landscape the
medial strips of Kaahumanu Avenue and Hana Highway was hatched 15 years
ago. The state drew up a plan and community groups were encouraged to
participate. Some sections of medial strips were planted but one of the
most glaring dead spots was the section leading to Wailuku. A year and a
half ago the Kaahumanu Avenue Medial Planting Committee tackled the
problem. Saturday's effort was the result of many hours of planning,
organizing and finding funds. The lion's share of the $100,000 project
came from the State Department of Transportation. Of the 60 trees
planted, 30 are royal poinciana and 30 are Hawaiian loulu native palms.
The Week In Review
----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
MAALAEA TRIANGLE - Barring unexpected difficulties with the last needed
permits, construction at Maalaea Triangle and its anchor business, Maui
Ocean Center, should begin early next year, developer Michael Spalding
told the Maalaea Community Association. It has been a long time coming.
Spalding, general partner in Maalaea Triangle Partners, first proposed
the shopping center eight years ago. There have been big changes over
the years, he said, included a doubling of upfront development costs.
Plus, now "we're over-retailed on the island." His project, he says,
"must be a special place to make it viable." Ron Benjamin, a longtime
Maalaea condominium owner, said he is afraid the shopping center means
"we're going to lose our small village charm." A prime 5-acre piece
nearest the harbor is going to Maui Ocean Center, a large aquarium.
Although the center's owner, Coral World International, had its Virgin
Islands aquarium destryed by a hurricane, Spalding siad that will not
affect its Maui Plans. On either side of Maui Ocean Center, there are
large lots to be developed with an anchor tenant and smaller shops. At
the Honoapiilani side, the hunt is on for a fine-dining restaurant. At
the Wailuku end of the triangle, there will be the sewage treatment
plant. Next to that are three lots. One is in escrow to a company
planning a service station. Besides appearance, security and types of
business, the 35 association members who attended the meeting at the
Waterfront Restaurant were most concerned about traffic.
FOUR-YEAR COLLAGE - University of Hawaii President Kenneth Mortimer told
the Maui Economic Development Board "We will support efforts (to
establish a four-year, degree-granting institution on Maui) whether or
not they're based on the University of Hawaii." One listener who earlier
served on Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle's committee on a four-year college
on Maui called that remark the most positive one Mortimer has yet made on
the subject. A symposium has been scheduled next month at Wailea, at
which university presidents and other leaders in education will discuss
alternative prospects for higher education on Maui. Although Mortimer
mentioned several times that the university doesn't have any spare money,
he was not withdrawing U.H. from any educational dreams on Maui.
FINAL PINE HARVEST - The final harvest of pineapple has concluded at
Wailuku Agribusiness Co. Rey Prado, human resources director, said the
situation in agriculture is like "night and day." compared with just five
years ago, when Wailuku Ag had to import labor. Wailuku Ag, formerly
Wailuku Sugar, grew sugar cane for more than 125 years, then made a
transition to pineapple under contract from Maui Pineapple. But when
pineapple started losing money, Maui Pine withdrew from the agreement.
In 1993, Wailuku Ag announced it would wind up its pineapple operation
within two years. At that time, the pineapple operation had 63 union
workers. By last week, the work force had been whittled down to
approximately 45 rank-and-file workers and about half a dozen salaried
employees, Prado says. All were laid off, although there is a
possibility that one or two could regain employemnt with Wailuku Ag's
macadamia operation. The mac nut operation requires a year-round staff
of about 25 plus "a bare-bones" administrative staff. The macadamia
orchards also need 60 to 70 workers seasonally during harvest, which runs
from August to January or February.
KANAHA CAMPGROUND - A campground at Kanaha Beach Park is open to the
public. Permits are required. Fees are $3 a day per adult and 50 cents
a day per child. Camping will be restricted to weekends for now - from
noon Friday to noon Monday - while workers install irrigation systems,
landscaping, picnic tables, cooking grills and other improvements.
Located at the Kahului end of the park, the campground will accommodate
both tent camping and beach-area camping.
ML&P EARNINGS - Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc. reported net income of
$4.3 million for the third quarter. That was a profit of $2.40 a share,
compared with a loss of $1.9 million in the third quarter of 1994. The
company's Maui Pineapple Co. subsidiary is losing money, while its resort
and commercial diversions are profitalbe, but the main contribution to
the third-quarter profit was a resolution of the Kaptel Associates
partnership. ML&P owned 25 percent of Kaptel, the owners of the
Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Hotel, which resulted in losses in the millions. On
Oct. 31, a previously announced deal was completed. ML&P and the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., based in Atlanta, transferred thir 25 percent
shares to NI Hawaii Resorts Inc., the other original partner. Mortgages
on the hotel will be restructured, including changes in the ground lease
from ML&P. The management agreement with Ritz-Carlton will be extended.
As a result, earlier losses to ML&P were reversed, adding $5.7 million to
income in the latest quarter and $3.2 million for the first nine months.
That put the company into the black for the year so far, to the tune of
$254,000, or 14 cents a share. Total revenues for the nine months, $90.2
million, were slightly higher than in the year before.
STELLA BLUES DRIVER DIES - The driver of the Jeep that crashed into
Stella Blues Cafe & Deli in Kihei in June, killing a Los Angeles woman,
has died of complications arising from AIDS. Deputy Prosecutor Kevin
Jenkins said his office has received a copy of a death certificate that
states Howard Matthew Hammond, 34, died Oct. 8 at his Los Angeles
residence. Jenkins said Hammond had been the subject of a negligent
homicide investigation, but the case will now be closed. "We basically
don't have anyone to prosecute," he said. A civil case filed in August
against Hammond and the restaurant owners alleging negligence in the
death of Olga Jonsson Hendrix, 46, will go forward, according to personal
injury attorney Stephen Goldsmith.
'ALALA IN PRIVATE HANDS - It looks like the sate is getting out of the
endangered species recovery business, at least at its Upcountry Maui
outpost. State officials said they've reached a tentative agreement to
had over the poerations of the Olinda Endangered Species Propagation
Facility to an Idaho conservation organization known as the Peregrine
Fund. A proposal for a 20-year lease will be considered Nov. 17 by the
state Board of Land and Natural Resources, according to Michael Buck,
director of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The move, which
is targeted for 90 days after formal board approval, would consolidate
all of the state's Hawaiian crow recovery efforts under one management
team. The Boise-based Peregrine Fund already oversees the 'alala
hatching, rearing and release program on the Big Island, and helped to
secure $1.5 million in federal funds for a new forest bird captive
propagation facility under construction on Bishop Estate land in Ka'u.
AG PARK SETTLEMENT - A Kula Agricultural Park farmer was awarded $1.1
million in a case that saw her accuse Maui County and two adjacent
farmenrs of failing to prevent soil erosion that damaged her fruit farm.
Lahaina resident Paula Harrison sued Maui County because it is the owner
of the ag park and leases lots to farmers. Also named were Paul Otani and
Kenneth Tengan, who farm lots next to her 30-acre parcel. James
Bickerton, Harrison's attorney, said the suit was filed after a third of
the woman's lot was rendered unusable because neighboring farmenrs did not
take adequate procautions to keep topsoil from washing off their lots and
onto Harrison's parcel. The repeated sedimentation, which began after a
major storm in 1988 shortly after she had cleared the lot and continued
over several years, made it impossible for her to use the most productive
part of the lot because of the sediment, he said. Hundreds of potted
trees purchased for planting died while she unsuccessfully sought to have
the problem fixed by the farmers and the county, according to the
attorney. Responsibility for the damages was split among the defendants.
The jury found that Harrison herself was responsible for 10 percent of the
damages, reducing her award by that ammount. Otani was found 35 percent
reponsible, Tengan 25 percent responsible, and Maui County 30 percent
responsible.
KIHEI BRUSH FIRE - A brush fire in Kiheiburned 9 acres and threatened the
Haggai Institute on Lipoa Street. Several youths were seen running from
the the area about the time the fire started. About a half-acre of brush
was in flames when firefighters arrived. The blaze was almost under
control 30 minutes later, when shifting winds spread embers beyond the
perimeter that had been established. The fire was to the north of the
Haggai Institute, the former Maui Sun Hotel that was purchased by the
religious/educational organization earlier this year after the hotel closed.
The Week In Review
----------------------------------------
From: Sharon Westfall
CARROLL FREE - Former Maui County sewage tratment plant worker William
Carroll was aquitted of threatening to assault or murder U.S. District
Judge Samuel King. Carroll, 60, was released from custody by the U.S.
Marshals Service Wednesday afternoon after having been held without bail
since mid-January at Oahu's Halawa Medium Security Facility. Saying it
was a "wonderful feeling to be home," Carroll said that he was elated when
the jury found him not guilty on all charges after deliberating for 12
hours. Carroll said he will definitely pursue his civil lawsuit against
the county, but needs to find a new civil attorney. He was terminated
from his job as a Wailuku-Kahului Wastewater Reclamation Facility operator
in August 1992 for releasing the confidential personnel records of another
employee. He filed a federal lawsuit three months later claiming he was
fired for exposing mismanagement in the county's Wastewater Reclamation
Division.
WATER RATE PLANS - A disagreement about how to calculate water rate
increases led Board of Water Supply members to decide to put two separate
proposals before the public in December. Water officials say millions of
dollars are needed to improve Maui's decaying water distribution system,
which is plagued by water leaks, low water pressure and poor water
quality. The dispute was whether the Department of Water Supply should
use what's known as the "peaking factor" to charge large water customers
such as hotels higher water rates. Water Director David Craddick
explained the "peaking factor" as a calculation of the department's higher
cost of providing large volumes of water to such consumers. He said the
department has greater pumping costs and needs larger water transmission
lines to get water to hotels during peak tourist seasons.
LIQUOR BAN - A booze ban in county parks during late night and early
morning hours passed final muster as Maui County Council members agreed to
extend the prohibition to designated camping areas. Department of Parks
and recreation Director Charmaine Tavares testified that permitting
alcohol consumption in county campgrounds was an "open invitation to
all-night beer busts." She said that could ruin the camping experience
for Boy Scouts, youth groups, families and others seeking privacy, peace,
quiet and safety. Tavares said drinking in campgrounds would heighten the
county's liability exposure as well as lead to more vandalism and broken
glass littering the ground, contributing to maintenance problems. The
final version of the bill, which now goes to the desk of Mayor Linda
Crockett Lingle, would make it illegal to consume intoxicating liquor from
11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in any park or recreational facility, except civic and
community centers. The prohibition does not apply to Molokai.
CIRCUIT BREAKER - Thousands of Maui County taxpayers can expect to get
higher property tax bills next year. The Maui County Council gave
unanimous final approval to a bill eliminating the temporary tax relief
measure known as the "max tax" and replacing it with a "circuit breaker"
that caps residents' property tax liabilities at no more than 3 percent of
their adjusted gross income. The bill was passed with an amendment
requiring the council to review the new property tax law in a year.
Council members also passed on second and final reading a $10,000 increase
in the homeowners' property exemption - bringing to $50,000 the amount
taken off a property's value befor taxes are figured - a move that would
save taxpayers $35 each if the tax rate remains at $3.50 per $1,000 of
assessed property value.
CHRISTMAS SEAL - Eleven-year-old Erin Mikami's festive drawing of a merry
hula dancer, wintery island peaks and a coconut tree wrapped in holiday
lights was chosen as Hawaii's official Christmas Seal. As a result, the
Kaunakakai girl will have her art distributed across the nation. Some 30
million mailboxes from the top of Alask to the tip of Florida will receive
sheets of Christmas Seals that will include one stamp from each state,
including Erin's.
FATAL CRASH - Blood tests have confirmed police suspicions that a driver
in last week's fatal three-car wreck on Hana Highway was under the
influence of alcohol. According to Lt. Charles Hirata of the Maui Police
Department's Traffic Section, the 23-year-old Kahului man had a blood-
alcohol content of 0.16 - double the legal standart of 0.08 to prove
intoxication. Hirata's office plans to refer the blood tests and accident
investigation results to the prosecutor's office for possible criminal
charges. The collision claimed the life of 48-year-old attorney and
community leader Jonathan Waxman of Haiku.
The Week In Review
----------------------------------------
>From Sharon Westfall (westfal@aloha.net)
'ALALA WATCH - Last year at this time conservation officials were
trumpeting the success of their 'alala recovery efforts, having hatched an
unprecidented nine new chicks and released seven of the critically
endangered species into the wild. This year there's not much to crow
about. In fact, officials report an overall decrease inthe world's
population of Hawaiian crow, down from one estimate last year as high as
35 captive and wild birds to about 26 to 30 this year. Only one chick was
hatched during the recently concluded breeding season, and officials said
a handful of wild bords are lost and anaccounted for - some of which are
likely dead. But federal biologist Scott Johnston, who manages the 'alala
recovery project, said scientists may have witnessed a transitional year
in which the adult population is grwing older, as well as nearing the end
of their reproductive lives. Johnston said a whole new generation of
breeders is preparing to determine the fate of he species. This year's
only new 'alala was produced in late May at the Olinda Endangered Species
Propagation Facility. Last year Olinda achieved its most prolific 'alala
breeding season ever when four Hawaiian crow chicks were hatched. No more
than one chick had been produced during a captive breeding season since
1981. Peter Shannon, Olinda's captive propagation program manager, said
Olinda's newest resident, a female, was born to mother Wa'alani and father
Ho'ike, the same pair that produced all four chicks last year. Wa'alani
and Ho'ike were among three of five potential breeding pairs tha produced
only 12 eggs this year.
SPECIAL NEEDS - Nineteen families on Maui have given a federal oversight
team reasons to believe that the system overseeing children with special
needs in Hawaii is in poor shape. Only seven of the 19 cases evaluated by
the Felix Monitoring Project could be rated as adequate ongoing services,
according to a preliminary report issued during the oversight team's
briefing last Friday. The 12 other cases were deemed as having poor
results for the children and their families. The federal oversight team
appeared to pinpoint what parents and advocates of special needs children
have been saying for a long time. It all started in 1993 with a class-
action lawsuit filed by lead plaintiff Jennifer Felix of Maui against Gov.
John Waihee and state agencies. The plaintiffs charged that officials
were not fulfilling their legal duty to properly provide a system of care
for children and adolescents with mental and emotional health problems.
In 1994, the state reached an out-of-court agreement with the plaintiffs
and promised to establish a new system of care that would have positive
outcomes for the children. As part of the some agreement, an independent
federal office called the Felix Monitoring Project was created to make
sure the state would follow guidelines and put a new system in place. The
main defendants and parties to the agreement were the state Department of
Health, the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services.
These agencies have tried to repond to the lawsuit by creating their own
teams committed to oversee the implementation of a new system. In the
aftermath of the settlement, a plan has been developed to establish a new
"seamless" system of care for the children and their families. The plan
is pending approval from a federal judge overseeing the lawsuit known as
Felix vs. Waihee. Meanwhile, the Felix Monitoring Project made its
second round of case examinations to trace the current delivery of
services for children. In August, the federal team issued a written
report after reviewing 17 cases during the summer on Oahu. Last week, the
team - which included a nurse, a social worker, a psychologist and an
independent health consultant - visited 19 children and their families on
Maui. A written report on what they found is to be issued in about six
weeks.
HELIPORT - Four acres of the former Puunene Airport on Maui can be
temporarily transformed into a heliport for the Kahoolawe cleanup project,
the Board of Land and Natural Resources decided last Friday. Kahoolawe
Island Reserve Commission Director Keoni Fairbanks wants to use the area
because he said it can use Puunene Airport to fly to Kahoolawe to remove
many of the unexploded munitions from the island, which used to be a site
for U.S. muilitary bombing and shelling practice. The board approved the
request under conditions that all of the parties involved in the cleanup
meet and develop an operational and safety plan since the area is
currently not monitored, a DLNR spokesperson said. The board wants to
ensure that the heliport's operations will comply with Federal Aviation
Administration and state Department of Transportation airport
requirements. Concerns have been raised about whether air traffic in and
out of Puunene would interfere with flight patterns of aircraft flying
into Maui from Honolulu. After the safety plans are approved, DLNR
Chairman Mike Wilson said the temporary heliport will be allowed to
operate for one year.
CRASH CAUSE - Pilot error probably caused the fatal crash of a small plane
in Iao Valley in March, according to National Transportation Safety Board
investigators. The pilot of the twin-engine Cessna 310, Frank L. Leary
III, 52, of Kailua-Kona, was the only occupant of the plane when it
crashed just after midnight March 25. In its recent factual report on the
crash, the NTSB said the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot's
failure to maintain a adequate terrain clearance altitude while flying in
a mountainous area at night." According to witnesses on the ground
interviewed by the NTSB, the pilot took off from Kahului Airport after
dropping off passengers picked up in Kona. Leary makd a gradual U-turn as
he headed from the airport back to the Big Island before hitting the
southeast wall of the valley at about 2,700-foot level. "Police officers
who witnessed the crash stated that the night was very dark and even
though there was no visible weather at the crash site, it was their
opinion that the pilot would have had difficulty in seeing the ridge line
prior to impact," the report states. All witnesses interviewed described
the in-flight sounds of the aircraft as normal and reported seeing the
aircraft's rotating beacon, strobe light and position lights. "Witnesses
stated that the impact was followed by an explosive flash and subsequent
ground fire," the report states. Leary was in good heath and not
experiencing any personal or psychological problems prior to the flight,
according to the report, and reslts of toxicological analyses were
negative. The engines were operating properly at the time of the crash
and no structural problems were found. Controls in the plane were in the
appropriate position for cruising, and the landing gear was up.
MOLOKAI FIRE - A brush fire on Sunday spread to a diversified agriculture
farm for the second time in recent months, according to fire officials.
The blaze was reported around 2:23 p.m. when all three fire crews on
Molokai were called to respond. It was extinguished early Sunday evening.
The fire burned 50 acres of brush and an undertermined amount of
agricultural crops. Fire officials said they were awaiting word from
farmer Joe Kennedy on the extent of the damage. About 60 percent to 70
percent of Kennedy's crops was destroyed in the same way a few weeks ago
when a brush fire went out of control, according to an official. At the
time, damage reached $200,000. The cause of Sunday's fire was classified
as "suspicious."
NEW PUBLISHER - Richard H. Cameron assumed the post of publisher of The
Maui News on Monday. The announcement of Cameron's impending appointment
was made last January. Cameron resigned his position as vice
president/property management at Maui Land & Pineapple Co. in order to
take the top executive post at The Maui News. He succeeds his aunt, Mary
Cameron Sanford, who remains wiht Maui Publishing Co. as president and
chairman of the board of directors. Cameron is the grandson of J. Walter
and Frances Cameron and the son of Colin and Margaret Cameron. J. Walter
and Frances Cameron preceded Mary Cameron Sanford as publisher of the
newspaper, and Colin Cameron long served as president and director of Maui
Publishing Co. until his death in 1992. Richard Cameron lives in Kula
with his wife Jyl and three daughters. The Cameron family has owned a
controlling interest in The Maui News since 1939. The newspaper was
founded in 1900.
RAMOS VISIT - The United States must remain a strong player in East Asian
relations to prevent China from dominating the region, Philippine
President Fidel Ramos said Monday. Filipinos fear China may revert to
"warlordism" and exercise its political and military clout, Ramos said
during a speech on regional security matters. "Only with America's help,
only with America's leadership,...are we to have lasting regional
stability," Ramos said to about 300 state officials and Filipino leaders
at the East-West Center. Ramos arrived in Hawaii Monday for a two-day
stopover en route to the 11th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and an
address to the United Nations General Assembly. He spoke to a group of
island business leaders earlier in the day, trying to drum up investment
for his country, and later attended a ceremony with hundereds of Filipino
veterans from World War II. "I extend our warm invitation from the new
Philippines to all of you to visit and to do business with us," Ramos
said. "Join with us in helping to build a more modern Filipino nation."
It's the first visit to Hawaii for Ramos - where Filipinos number about 15
percent of the population - since he was elected president in 1992.
SOC.CULTURE.HAWAII - In case you haven't heard yet :-) the CFV
results came out on Saturday, soc.culture.hawaii was passed by an
overwhelming margin. Yippeeeee! There a few more items for us to clear up
administratively but hopefully, we'll get those things cleared soon and
get the newsgroup rolling! Since it's a soc. group, or a "Big 8" topic,
there shouldn't be a problem with propagation like the alt. or hawaii.
newsgroups.
Thanks to all for voting, even those that voted NO, too... because of your
participation in the group creation process. The vote truly spoke louder than
the shouting and ridicule tactics that have been going on thus far....
Also just in....
This mornings paper (Sunday, Oct 22) has an article about Microbreweries in
Hawaii, and it mentions a new one opening in Kaahumanu Center in December,
called Sharktooth Brewery Steakhouse. Mark Ehret is the managing partner for
the new restaurant which will be similar to the ever popular Gordon Biersch
Brewery Restaurant at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
Ahhhh... a home for ACHLM-Maui!
The Week In Review
From: Sharon Westfall
MAUI NEWS ON-LINE - Bernhard Kauntz of Vasteras, Sweden, sent an e-mail
message to The Maui News last Wednesday (Oct. 4). He wanted to know if
he could put the electronic version of The Maui News on Werbeka Marketing
Agency's Internet sampling of newspapers from around the world. The
answer was yes, says Richard Allen, computer systems manager at The Maui
News. This newspaper has been on the net since Aug. 10, and the more ways
to access it, the better. About 100 people a day call up The Maui News
home page on the World Wide Web. The do not get the whole package you are
reading. The do get: A brief history of the newspaper; top local news and
sports stories. (These are changed each day at 1 p.m., or about the same
time the paper hits the street.); the state News in Brief (largely from the
Associated Press); Maui Weather Today, a service provided by Glenn James, a
weatherman and research associate at Maui Community College; top stories
from The Lahaina News (updated weekly); the Making the Maui Scene column of
Entertainment and Features Editor Rick Chatenever; the Calendar of Events
from the Sunday Currents section; The Music on Maui and Resort Entertainment
listings from the Thursday Scene magazine; a calendar of Maui Community
Events, from Maui Global Computing that includes Jon Woodhouse's music
column, Dona Early on dining and other information about local doings; and
a summary of data about Maui County, with a map. On-line advertising
includes, so far, the classifieds from business opportunities, to help
wanted, to situations wanted; a link to the Maui Net Real Estate page
(which in turn has pages by at least three Maui real estate firms); a
listing of vacation rental that have 800- phone numbers; and one display
ad for a north shore residence. The most direct way of reaching the
electronic Maui News is at the World Wide Web address
http://www.maui.net/~mauinews/news.html.
T-SHRTS LEAVE IAO - A T-shirt vendor who clashed with Native Hawaiians
over his use of the Iao Valley will apparently search for another Maui
location to do his business. Prancois Provenza, an agent for the nonprofit
group Our Yesterdays Children, agreed during a meeting with the Native
Hawaiian protesters Tuesday to stay away from the historic valley. "He
just decided he wasn't going to go there anymore," said Maui District
parks manager Floyd Miyazono, who acted as mediator during the 75-minute
discussion at the State Building in Wailuku. Provenza declined to talk to
the press afterward. Miyazono said the vendor started out arguing his
constitutional right to sell in the park but ended up recognizing the
cultural sensitivity of his actions. He announced his decision at the
conclusion of the meeting. "It was awesome, just awesome. I was very
moved," said Native Hawaiian cultural specialist Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell
Sr., who was joined by three other Native Hawaiian leaders. During the
meeting, the vendor indicated he was eyeing other locations on Maui for
his T-shirt operation, including the pali lookout and Banyan Tree Park in
Lahaina.
PETTING ZOO ADVANCES - The Maui Zoological Society Inc. received a special
management area permit Tuesday for its petting zoo at Maui Central Park.
The vote was unanimous, though several members of the Maui Planning
Commission expressed doubts about the financial prospects. Wanda Riggs,
speaking for the society, said the estimated construction expenses are
$1.2 million, not counting various services (architectural design, grading
and others) that are being donated. The society has spent $19,000 of a
grant of $150,000 from the county and has raised another $125,000 from
memberships, donations and foundation grants, Riggs said. Asked by
Commissioner Barbara Long whether the society expects to ask the county
for more money or to borrow money, Riggs said she hoped not. The petting
zoo will operate on park land, under license, next to the county zoo, which
is being closed as a zoo but will continue to operate as a botanical
garden. Riggs said the petting zoo will concentrate on smaller domestic
animals, rather than exotic beasts, and is not intended to become a large
operation. Other small zoos, she said, raise 75 percent of their operating
expenses through gift shops, a target the society hopes to reach.
The Week in Review
ON THE BALLOT - If Maui County voters want to decide whether alcohol should
be banned in county parks, they'll have to get it on the ballot themselves,
a county council committee decided. However, a proposed nighttime curfew
on drinking in the park won unanimous approval, advancing to the full
council for consideration likely by the end of the month. Parks and
Recreation Committee Chairman Alan Arakawa said he proposed the ballot
measure to ban alcohol in the parks in response to one time or another
during the months-long debate on the issue, suggested that citizens be
allowed to vote on the issue. Arakawa said many voices were heard on both
sides of the debate, and a vote would clarify exactly where the community
stands. But the council did not want to be the one to put it to a public
vote, and decided to leave it to voters to organize an initiative.
FILLING A HOLE - An old, dangerous gravel pit will become a modern dump for
contruction debris, under a permit approved by the Maui Planning Commission.
Mercer "Chubby" Vicens, Alexander & Baldwin's Maui executive, said it would
be a win-win-win solution. First, A&B will fill up a 100-foot-deep hole at
the intersection of North Kihei Road and Honoapiilani Highway that leaves the
company open to liability claims. Second, Richard "Chick" DeCoite of DeCoite
Trucking Co. has a good chance of making a profit hauling and disposing of
trash from demolished buildings. Third, by diverting one class of trash from
the county's landfill, the county will save hundereds of thousands of dollars
in operating expenses and estend the life of the landfill, perhaps by years.
TURTLE SIGN - It's hawksbill turtle nesting season, and motorists on North
Kihei Road are being urged to ease off the accelerator a bit and watch out
for any of the slow moving reptiles. And just in case you forget, officials
have installed newly designed "turtle crossing' signs along the road that
bisect Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. Refuge Manager Kathy Smith
said the signs are intended to remind motorists that the critically
endangered species is known to cross the road there at night, putting the
driving public and themselves in danger. There were four sightings of
hawksbill turtles last fall and, in at least one instance, a big female was
able to cross the road in a apparent search for nesting sites before wildlife
officials hauled the turtle back to the ocean. Two years ago a large,
egg-bearing hawksbill female was struck and killed while it was crossing
North Kihei Road. The incident was especially tragic because biologists
estimate that Hawaii is home to only two dozen or so female hawksbill
turtles, and more that 170 egs were recovered at the accident scene. The
female turtle could have produced thousands of hatchlings over its lifetime.
NEW FAIRGROUNDS - The search for a permanent fairgrounds has been narrowed
to two Central Maui locations: one at the old Puunene Airport site and the
other near the corner of Kuihelani Highway and Waiko Road. The locations
were selected by members of the County Council's Maui County Fair and
Community Center Site Selection Subcommittee. Council Member Alan Arakawa,
subcommittee chariman, said a new subcommittee will be now formed to take a
closer look at the technical requrements of each site. The site selection
panel, which included members from the island's major landowners, examined
numerous sites in Central Maui, looking for an area suitable for a
fairgrounds and regional community center. The old Puunene Airport site was
selected because, among other things, there would be no cost for the state-
owned land and the project would have little impact on residents. The
fairgrounds and community center could be incorporated into a 273-acre
county project area along Mokulele Highway, a region already master-planned
by the county and supported by the administration. The Kuihelani site was
selected, in part because it os close to the central area and could be
easily accessible by as many as six roads. The area is cooler and not as
dusty as the airport site.
The Week In Review
A STORMY WINTER? - Hawaii may be in for a stormy winter, according to a
weather forcaster, Hans Rosendal of the National Weather Service said there
are indications the winter months will be wet and stormy compared to the
dry summer Hawaii has experienced. Hawaii hasn't been threatened by any
storms for the pat month or more, and it has been unususally quiet, Rosendal
said. Rosendal notes that the first cold front of the season is aproaching
Kauia, and the conditions make the National Weather Service suspect that
more cold fronts and rainy storms could follow.
CHOPPER TOUR QUITS - Papillon Hawaii Helicopters, the state's biggest
helicopter tour business, closed this week. General Manager Bill Payne
says about 100 employees statewide will be out of owrk, though he hopes
some can find places at other air tour companies. He was unable to say
how many workers on Maui would be affected. He blamed government
regulations and a leveraged buyout that didn't work out for bringing down
a business that had been profitable for 20 years. The Federal Aviation
Administration's Special Federal Aviation Regulation was 60 percent to 70
percent of Papillon's problem, Payne said. The regulation imposed last
October kept helicopters form flying closer than 1,500 feet from the ground
or from valley walls, making the air tours less attractive to passengers.
The restriction also meant more flights were grounded due to cloud cover.
AIR MOLOKAI MOVES - Air Molokai, which for almost 30 yers has had its own
place at Honolulu International Airport, is moveing over to the commuter
terminal with everybody else. It also added direct flights from Maui and
Honolulu and is contemplating other changes to keep up with the times.
Mike Johnson of Air Molokai says the old ways "worked real well" but just
aren't feasible anymore. So it gave up its private terminal (and the free
parking it offered) on Lagoon Drive for the same terminal the other
operators use. It continues its claim as the lowest price leader - $29.90
from Molokai to Honolulu, no restrictions.
SKINNY-DIPPER SAFE - A 25-year-old San Francisco man missing after a
nighttime flash flood at Oheo Gulch turned up around 4 a.m. the next day
sitting naked in a Koali yard 3 miles away. The man had been skinny-dipping
with three other men in the bottom pool of Oheo Gulch when they heard the
rumbling of rushing water. Three of the four men were able to climb out of
the stream as it became swollen with rushing water. The companions serched
for their friend for about 20 minutes before getting to a pay phone and
calling for help. Firefighters and Kipahulu District national park rangers
searched but gave up because the darkness prevented them from seeing
anything. Fire officials had planned to launch a heicopter search at dawn
but around 4 a.m. police called to a residence 3 miles away where dogs were
barking at a man sitting nude in a yard. The man told officials he had
been washed out to sea and suffered a bump on his head.
RESTAURANT ACCIDENT SUIT - A lawsuit has been filed by the husband of a Los
Angeles woman who died in June when a Jeep crashed into a Kihei restaurant.
In the suit filed in 2nd Circuit Court, Reginald W. Hendrix asked for an
unspecified amount of money in connection with the death of his wife, Olga
Jonsson Hendrix, 46. She was killed June 6 when a rented 1995 Jeep Wrangler
jumped the curb outside Stella Blues Cafe & Deli. The Jeep ran over a
wooden planter box, crashed through a plate-glass window and plowed into
the restaruant. Hendrix died andseven otheres were injured in the incident.
The drover of the Jeep, a 33-year-old Los Angeles man, was arrested for
investigation of negligent homicide, but then released. Neither he nor
his male passenger was injured. In July, Maui police reprted that a
"substantial amount" of drugs was evident in blood tests done on the driver.
The driver has yet to be charged. Mr. Hendrix names the driver as a
defendant in his complaint, along with the partnerships that operate Stella
Blues.
DUI ARRESTS - Maui police report arresting seven drunken driving suspects
over the Labor Day weekend. Two of the suspects were caughtat DUI
checkpoints. Yet, with no serious accidents reported, "it was pretty good
for a holiday weekend," Lt. Charles Hirata said.
INS ROUNDUP - Some 35 illegal immigrants, most of them Mexican and nearly all
of them the breadwinners of struggling families, have been rounded up at West
Maui resorts and restaurants by federal immigration officials and quickly
sent to the Mainland for deportation. Community members say what has angered
them the most is the way the arrests were made. Left in the wake of the raid
are frightened wives and childre, many of whom speak little English, and a
host of legal immigrants who are under survellance. "Obviously, the INS
(Immigration and Naturalization Service) can do what they want, but when you
separate families, I think that's a bit much," said the Rev. Michael Hill of
Maria Lanakila Church in Lahaina. "This was hardly humane." Mark Ellman,
owner of four restaurants on Maui, including Avalon in Lahaina, was hit hard
by the illegal immigrant roundup. He said INS agents came into a crowded
Avalon at 7:45 p.m. and asked to see the kitchen employees. Ellman, who says
he requres signed statements and copies of documentation from all his workers
indicating they can legally work before he hires them, complied. Five were
arrested on the spot. Perhapes even more devastating, Ellman said, is that
30 other employees didn't show up to work the next day and have yet to
return. The INS received complaints of illegal aliens on Maui, prompting
the raid, sand Radcliffe. He added that the island has a growing population
of illegal Mexican immigrants.
CULTURE VS. GOLF - If the Office of Hawaiian Affairs would like to buy the
proposed golf course land in Waihee for a cultural preserve, the county would
be willing to lend a helping hand. That's what Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle
said in a recent letter to OHA Chariman Clayton Hee. Under the proposal,
the county would acquire the property using its powers of eminent domain,
with the cash provided by OHA. The county would then transfer the property
to OHA. "I have neverbeen comfortable with this area being developed for a
golf course," Lingle explained in a statement Wednesday. Noting that the
land contains numerous Hative Hawaiian precontact burials, two heiau and
other important features, Lingle said a purchase by OHA would be a
significant step in the cultural preservation of Hawaiian history. Hee said
that OHA would need a lot more information before deciding to buy theland,
including land appraisal, zoning and additional historical data.
BAD SIGNS? - Maui's sign ordinance may be one of the most abused laws in the
county. Signs are proliferating as Maui grows, getting bigger all the time.
Yet the ordinance designed to preserve the beauty of the island is widely
ignored by businesses - perhaps by as many as 40 percent. And the county's
efforts to make them comply are minimal. "Everyone has illegal signs. It's
everywhere," sand Barbara Long, a board member of the Maui Outdoor Circle,
which is holding a public meeting on the subject Saturday. "...It's getting
out of control." "It's getting worse and worse, unfortunately," agreed
Steve Heller, chairman of the county's Urban Design Review Board. The
problem is leading to what Long calls growing "visual pollution" on an
island that makes a living on its environment. Ralph Nagamine, head of
the county's Land Use and Codes Administration, admits that the only time
the law is enforced is when somebody complains. This, he said, is because
at present the county has only five building inspectors, and their main
priority of doing building code inspections and zoning enforcement.
Although the law authorizes the county to issue civil fines to violators,
only two notices of violation of the sign ordinance have ever been issued.
One was a $100 citation to a Paia business in June 1994. The other was a
$200 citation to a Lahaina activity center in May.(By law, civil penalties
from $100 to $1,000 may be levied.)
ROBBER SENTENCED - A 29-year-old man whose hunger for drugs led to armed
robbery was served up a 20-yer prison sentence Wednesday by 2nd Circuit
Judge E. John McConnell. Jeffrey Makekau, who lived in Kihei before becoming
homeless, earlier pleaded no contest to two counts each of first-degree
robbery and using a firearm during the commission of a felony, one count of
burglary and 20 counts of first-degree theft for stealing a collection of
firearms. Makekau will not be eligible for parole for at least seven years.
Before hearing from attorneys in the case, McConnell listened to angry
burglary victim Michael Chargin of Pukalani, who said he lost his gun
collection, and his wife was deprived of nearly all her jewelry. He said
the crime has meant "total stress" for his family, adding his children still
have nightmares about the "bogeyman." Makekau and co-defendant Gary Danley
participated in the armed robbery of the Paia Pit Stop on Jan. 5, 1994, and
later that same day robbed Kahului Party Pantry.
From The Maui News - Friday, September 1, 1995
The Week In Review
PROPERTY TAX - A bill that would dramatically reduce the number of Maui
County homeowners benefiting from property tax breaks was reviewed for
the first time by the County Council's Finance Committee. Nearly 12,000
homeowners have reaped full benefits from the socalled "max tax"
program, which froze tax liabilities for longtime residents at 1987
levels. Most taxpayers have paid $250 less per year during the 4-year-
old teporary program while others have seen windfalls of thousands of
dollars a year. Under a new measure, the "max tax" program would be
eliminated a year early and replaced with a "circuit breaker" that would
apply to homewoners whose property tax bills exceed 3 percent of thier
adjusted gross income. Department of Finace officials roughly estimate
the circuit breaker would benefit about 600 homeownerss. Of those, only
about 40 percent, or 240, are expected to go through the trouble of
applying for the tax credit by disclosing their state and federal income
tax returns. The "max tax" is costing the county $2.6 million in this
1995-96 fiscal year. With a circuit-breaker program, the county might
have to return only $300,000 to $400,000.
ILLNESSES CLAIM YOUTHS - A 10-year-old boy whose health problems over
the years drew concern and cash donations from many Mauians has died
form leukemia. Obed Galeai died at his home in Paia. "He was a fighter
to the very end," said his sister, Rashawyn DeFrancia of Paia. Galeai
was the object of much attention when, at the age of 3, he traveled to
California to undergo surgery to correct a heart defect. Even after the
surgery, Obed's heart problems had him in and out of hospitals. The
island community responded to Galeai's well-publicized plight by
donating money to help his family cope with travel and medical expenses.
In addition, various organizations, including Make-A-Wish Hawaii,
sponsored special events such as a trip to Disneyland made last August.
Two years ago, family members noticed the young boy's stomach swelling,
which led to a diagnosis of leukemia. A Molokai girl who traveled to
Maui earlier this month for a special 15th birthday celebration has died
from a rare cancer of the nerve. Isabelita Bermas Cabreros of
Kaunakakai was with family when she died at her home. Isa, as she is
known, was the subject of an Aug. 11 front-page article in The Maui
News. She had been diagnosed with schwanoma, a rare cancer in children,
and had asked to spend what would be her last birthday on Maui. A few
calls by the American Cancer Society resulted in island businesses
trating the family to special meals, free hotel stays and transportation
and a complimentary submarine tour. "She really enjoyed herself and I'm
so thankful," said Isa's mother, Josie Cabreros.
FARM SUBDIVISIONS - Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle has proposed a temporary
solution to the problem of residential subdivisions that now can be
built in the state agricultural district without any governmental notice
or review. She presented it as a replacement for a County council
proposal to accomplish the same goal, but which she says is too complex.
The initial reaction of Tom Morrow, chairman of the Planning Committee,
who introduced the council version, was positive. "It looks like it
might work," Morrow says, "and that's what I've been after." The
question of proliferating developements on 2-acre lots has been an issue
since at least 1983. Lingle says her alternative would provide for
public hearings and discretionary review by the council on the
subdivisions below a certain size. She says she is not wedded to any
particular cutoff point, although the draft uses 25 acres.
NEW LANGUAGE - Never judge a student by his pidgin English, Maui's
newest teachers were advised during an orientation. This school year,
the state Department of Education has hired up to 160 new teachers in
public schools throughout Maui County. About 100 teachers as well as
newly hired counselors and librarians gathered at the Maui Beach Hotel
to get tips on how to find their way around Maui and to hear speeches on
topics ranging from Hawaiian sovereignty to the unique lerning styles of
island children. Kamehameha III Elementary School Pricipal Rick Paul
and Warren Gouveia, the parent education resource teacher for Maui,
asked teachers to be careful when dealing with children who speak
pidgin, a unique style of grammar that mixes Englsh and other languages.
"Our job is to accept our students' first language and for some that's
pidgin," Gouveia said. "We're not asking you to lower your standards or
wimp out," Paul told the teachers. "We want high standarts and we want
you to model standard English."
WATER PROTECTION - A Maui County council committee was urged to
establish new development requrements aimed at protecting Maui's
drinking and coastal waters. Wendy Wiltse, the state's West Maui
watershed coordinator, asked members of the council's Planning Committee
to consider establishing a "watershed protection overlay zone." The
zone, proposed for West Maui initially, would be a new layer of
regualtion that would require developers to use the best management
proctices possible when it comes to drainage and erosion management.
Wiltse told the council members that Maui's coastal waters are showing
increasing signs of degradation in the form of nuisance algae blooms and
water turbidity following storms.
For Maui News subscription info please call them at 808-244-3981
Friday, August 11, 1995
SEIBU MONEY - Money paid by Seibu Hawaii Inc. several years ago to settle
legao action over public beach access at Makena remains in the bank accounts
of a nonprofit group formed to promote Native Hawaiian culture. While
critics have intimated something untoward happened to the $500,000 recieved
in the settlement between Native Hawaiian group Hui Alanui O Makena and Seibu,
builder of the Maui Prince Hotel, group leader Dana Naone Hall said this week
the money has grown to almost $650,000 and is being used for the preservation
of traditional Native Hawaiian rights and culture as stipulated. A nonprofit
group called Keauhou O Honua`ula ("the new era of Honua`ula," the traditional
name of the area) was born out of the settlement agreement and is overseeing
the money. The group has decided to operate off the interest generated by
the money, leaving the principal intact to ensure its long-term survival. The
money spent by Keauhou O Honua`ula to date has financed legal action to pre-
serve a portion of Old Makena Road at Palauea Beach and funded monitoring of
items relating to public beach reserves in South Maui that have come before
the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Money also has been spent on grants
to Native Hawaiian interests that include a Hawaiian lanuage immersion program
and to reinter Hawaiian bones returned to Maui by the Smithsonian Institution.
CENTRAL MAUI PARK - The 145-acre Maui Central Park would have baseball fields
and soccer fields, basketball and volley ball courts, skateboard and horse-
shoe areas, ponds and expansive lawns - but no fairgrounds. That's what
members of the Maui County Fair and Community Center Site Selection Subcom-
mittee learned in the first public unveiling of the park's master plan since
it was approved by the Maui Central Park Advisory Committee in May. The long-
awaited park sits on land between Kahului and Wailuku, bounded generally by
Kaahumanu Avenue, Kanaloa Avenue, Kahului Beach Road and Maui Community
College. Paul Flinn and Chris Hart of Chris Hart & Partners, the firm that
designed the plan, explained that the mayor's advisory committee felt that
including the kind of facilities required of the fair would detract from the
everyday use of the park.
EXTRADITION IN WORKS - Maui officials are proceeding with plans to extradite
a man accused of escaping from prison and kidnapping a woman and her child,
then raping the girl. James Edward Mills, 31, known on Maui as Shane Stewart,
pleaded guilty July 31 in a Los Angeles court to trying to abduct a woman and
her 3-year-old son in Santa Monica on March 18. He will be sentenced next
week. That incident occurred nine days after Mills allegedly kidnapped a
Wailuku woman and sexually assulted her 12-year-old daughter, tying up the
pair and leaving them overnight in a cane field near Kahului Airport. He
fled to California after using the woman's credit and bank cards. Mills had
been released from the Maui Community Correctional Center that morning on an
unsupervised four-hour pass. The incident sparked an uproar among Maui resi-
dents and led to the creation of community task force that is continuing to
look into public safety issues relating to the jail.
GAMBLING MONEY - Legalized gambling will be on the table during a round of
upcoming public hearing across Hawaii as two state House committees hear
testimony on the stakes involved in using gaming as a revenue source. The
Maui hearing, to be conducted by the Legislature's Judiciary and Finance com-
mittees, is set for Sept. 14 in Wailuku. House Speaker Joe Souki, a proponent
of legalizing gambling to offset declining revenue in the state, said that
public comment is going to be a key to deciding the issue. "In these hard
economic times, the State of Hawaii must consider sources of income other than
raising the taxes and user fees of our residents who are already economically
overburdened," Souki said. Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle is a staunch opponent.
She recently told the Maui Visitors Bureau she would fight legalized gambling
because of the social ills and degradation of the tourism experience she be-
lieves would accompany such a move.
-------------------------------------------
THE ACH MAUI SHINDIG - SUMMARY!
We had such a great time putting on the Shindig! Thanks all who attended:
Paul & Sharon Burke, and sons Anthony and Josh, from Ripon, California
John Hong from Sunnyvale, California
Neal & Yong Ran Oribio (She's originally from Guangzhou, P.R. China),
from Oahu
Elaine & Maynard Olsen, and son Patrick
Bill *porogee.map.maker* Medeiros
Royce Jones, who used to live in Katmandu
Jacob V & kids Joshua & Lehua
Ola Karlsson & Annelie Johansson, visiting from Lund, Sweden (and showed
Michael where the Volvo factory was, right outside Goteborg)
Jesse & Nancy Crawford, from the Big Island (with Beanie & Cecil hat!)
SusanJ & Richard Ekimoto, and kids Katya and Nicky, from Oahu
Nathan Yuen from Oahu
David Judd (aka J** S*****)
Frank *Foz* Fazzio & friends, David Wood, Michael Dexter, & Kristie Rea,
from San Jose, California
Ken Ogawa
Ann & Mike Kinsinger
Peter & Ursula Bennett from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Leynette Wissinger & son Kai
Special mahalos to my husband, Michael who took care of the food and
my weirdness before the event, daughter Brooke and her friend Kimberly
Skog for manning the Registration table, daughter Erin who took charge of
cleanup, son Sean for helping dad cook.
Also stopping by was Bob & Arminda Alexander to deliver coffee for Nathan.
Bob does the Computer radio show on KMVI on Saturday Mornings.
I went to the park at 8 in the morning, hoping to reserve pavilion 1 that was
closest to the parking lot and larger than the other pavilions. It was al-
ready taken! (The girl that was there said she got there at 6:00 and the
other larger pavilion went a few minutes after that!) The only remaining
pavilion, #8 turned out to be a better choice: off by itself and close to
the taro gardens where the kids enjoyed playing. I had to do a makeshift
sign to direct people for the shindig down the path beyond the restrooms.
Luckily it worked and everybody found us.
It was really wonderful, everyone enjoyed themselves, there was no structure
('cause Sharon can't do programs or speak in public!), just talking story and
getting to know one another. The altas Michael brought from home was an un-
expected hit, we not only found out where the out-of-state visitors were from,
but also where other shindiggers were originally from, like Ann Kensinger's
originally from Maryville, Tennesee but her heart is in Seattle, Washington;
Richard Ekimoto's originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota (Katonk!); SusanJ's
originally from New Canaan, Connecticut; Elaine *Kiernan* Olson grew up in
Hackensack, New York; Vimmerby, Sweden is the town where Annelie was born,
also born there was the author of Pippi Longstocking (I nevah know that!)
Earlier that morning, the skies over the island was clear except for the
normal clouds over Iao Valley. During the shindig, it sprinkled a bit from
time to time, but it was ok because we were under a roof and conversations
were so good that sometimes we didn't even bother to move inside. By late
afternoon it turned into a bonafide downpour and wouldn't let up. Thanks
to John Hong and Ken Ogawa for staying behind to help Erin and me carry the
remaining picnic items to my car, we were drenched none-the-less!
I got home and showered and changed to my Lynch Mob shirt (proper beer and
karaoke attire) and headed back into town. I thought I was going to be late..
When I got to Sandy's... only Bill and Susan were there! Susan said she got
lost following Bill's directions and had to stop and ask for directions! We
figured Neal guys and Foz guys and maybe even the Bennetts were totally lost
and driving to Waihee by now. Neal, Yong Ran, Nathan & John finally showed
but I think John really wanted to go to Club Koa. Bill started out with
the karaoke staple, Mac the Knife. The man is good! Susan and I took our
turns with some hawaiian numbers (I forget what they were) and Nathan wanted
to do Climb Every Mountain, but we talked him out of it because we figured it
would require a falsetto voice like the way the nun sang it on Sound of Music,
and they wouldn't stop the song just cause he couldn't carry it. What did
Neal sing? I forget but he was good too! We always sang along with whoever
had the mike, Susan could harmonize even! Only Bill didn't sing. He only
sang when he had a mike. I was wondering, was singing when you didn't have
a mike a *newbie* trait? John refused to sing, he just wanted to watch us
make A and talk about world conspiracies. I think he really wanted to go
to Club Koa that's why.
We finally broke up at about 11:30. I was sad the day was over, but happy
how everything worked out. It's so nice to make friends on the net and even
more fun getting together with them in person.
BTW, I didn't go to the MRTC tour on Friday but I heard it was a success from
those that did attend. Thanks Bill Medeiros and Leynette Wissinger for
putting it together.
The Maui News, Friday, January 5, 1996
The Maui News - Monday, January 1, 1996
From The Maui News - Friday, December 29, 1995
The Maui News -- Friday, December 22, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, December 15, 1995
The Maui News, Friday December 8, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, November 24, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, November 17, 1995
From The Maui News - Friday, November 10, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, October 27, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, October 20, 1995
The Maui News - Friday, October 13, 1995
From The Maui News - Friday, September 15, 1995
From The Maui News - Friday September 8, 1995
Compiled by Sharon Westfall
The Week In Review as gathered from the Maui News with their blessing.
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