Windmills reduce reliance on petroleum
I had the opportunity to take a leisurely stroll along the walkway through the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on a beautiful Maui day, catching a glimpse of a few wild birds mauka, and a couple of our annual cetacean visitors breaching in nearshore waters.
At the termination, man-made objects that help provide our island's electricity highlight the panorama. While the windmills atop the West Maui Mountains may not be picturesque, panning to the right, the view is blotched by the huge steel polls carrying the electrical lines (which may be coming to your neighborhood in Kihei) leading to the butt ugly, diesel-fueled generating plant with the three towers belching the smelly, stinky soot-carrying smoke, spewing out over the refuge.
So, whatever location is selected for the next phase of this clean energy source, let's quickly have the windmills built as one more step in reducing importation of more petroleum to foul the air, send us into deeper debt and fuel military unrest taking lives daily.
Mike Moran
Kihei
*****
Maui needs place to experience world of aloha
Out Christmas shopping this year I wanted to get a piece of Hawaiian jewelry or art for a very special present. Searching, searching, searching and the main things I found were trinkets produced by corporate imitators. I haven't given up, but it really struck me how unavailable the real ethnic skills are not available to share aloha.
One of the proposals along this line I had when running for mayor in the last election was to help arrange for a unified group of Hawaiians to lease the large lot behind the canoe club and across the street from the old Kahului mall for $1 per year.
On this lot, the Hana High School building students, coupled with our elders, would build an actual village where they would live and work, probably on a rotating basis, circulating members of the community through this living experience.
People coming to Maui on the cruise ships would have an actual local place to go and shop and immediately integrate themselves into the world of aloha, rather than simply walking into another drug store or supermarket.
The last part of this idea was to have buckboards or carriages leave from this area and ride up to Wailuku, which is already being transformed to have more of a plantation look. This project would provide jobs, an actual exchange of culture, and, selfishly, I guess, a place for me to purchase a real neat present.
Bill Stroud
Haiku
*****
Food vendors need documentation
This is in response to the Dec. 13 letter concerning food vendors at the Maui Swap Meet.
At the old location on Puunene Avenue, food items such as tamales and burritos that were mentioned were actually not allowed. At that time, the swap meet operated its own concession stand and most types of readily edible items were restricted.
When the swap meet moved to the Maui Community College campus, it was decided that we would discontinue our concessions and allow certain vendors to sell their items. Existing vendors already selling certain types of food were allowed to expand their menus, while other vendors started to participate.
However, all food vendors needed the required documentation and authorization prior to starting. This included a current health permit, certified kitchen license and liability insurance - all of which are required by the state Department of Health.
As far as the number of food vendors, the swap meet decided to limit the amount of food sellers for several reasons. One of which is that food vendors, in general, generate more trash and debris that we would need to clean after each weekly event.
As for as the tamale vendor being shut down, that particular vendor was selling items which she stated were made in her personal kitchen. She did not have prior approval for selling these items nor did she have any of the required documentation.
The swap meet was enforcing policies that were established to uphold laws put in place by the state.
Harley Mason
Haiku
*****
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