If you want to see what community pride looks like, look no further than the renovation of the Lahaina Public Library, spearhead by the Maui Friends of the Library and the Rotary Club of Lahaina.
The $300,000 project was finished with the help of $155,000 in donated goods and services from 21 contractors. And, oh yeah, some 60 volunteers did the bulk of the job, including stripping walls, packing, storing and then returning books to the shelves when the project was completed.
Rotarian and publicist Norm Bezane shared some of the details with us. Thanks to some 3,500 hours of donated work by volunteers, the project was completed without any expense to the public.
Sarah Foley, who is both a member of Lahaina Rotary and on the board of the Friends of the Library, acted as the project coordinator. She told the Maui News, "The community was incredible here. . . . You ask people to help and they do. It's very aloha."
Foley and her helpers received commendations from State Librarian Richard Burns, who called the project "amazing and unprecedented."
The Grand Reopening Celebration and Blessing will be held this Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the library at 680 Wharf St.
Congratulations, and a community's thanks, to the volunteers listed below (list courtesy of Norm Bezane):
SUPERHEROES: Rotarian Sara Foley, project coordinator; Rick Cowan, interior design: John Tryggestad, Maui Friends of the Library coordinator of volunteers, Jack of All Trades; Norm Bezane, publicity.
CHAMPION CONTRACTORS/ SERVICE PROVIDERS: Archipelago Maui, Scott Brothers Pacific Painters, Castaway Construction and Restoration Co., RVS Construction Co., Steamer's Painting Inc., JD Hawaii.
FACELIFT COMMITTEE: Rotarians: Roz Baker, Sara Foley Bezane, Norm Bezane, Madeleine Buchanan, Rick Cowan, George Lavenson, Mac Lowson, Liz May, Dick Starkweather, Liz May, Shawn McLaughlin, Eric van Ketel; Maui Friends of the Library: Dorothy Tolliver, John Tryggestad.
FURNITURE/BOOKBOX MOVERS: John Treggett, Don Lehman, Liz May, Harold Hyman, John Tryggestad, Don Lehman, Joe Pluta, Harold Hyman, George Lavenson, Norm Bezane.
BOOK PACKERS: Anna Barbeau, Rossana Samaestano, Beverly Johnson, Kim Camache, Roz Baker, Greg Nelson, Libby Pannwitt, Jim Fahnestock, Barbara Potts, Cheryl Howard, Lynn Tenney, Steve Tenney, Marti Wakelic, Renee Edwards, Terry Edwards, Skeeter Stebbins, Robin Ridley, Diane Longobardi.
OTHER SERVICES: Unitek Hawaii, 5A Rent-A-Space, Maui Communicators, Ceramic Tile Plus, Uwe Schulz & Associates, West Side Electric Co., Lahaina Plumbing Co., Aloha Mixed Plate, Saltwater Sign Co., Royal Lahaina Resort, Cool Cat Cafe, Captain Jack's, Insurance Hawaii, Lahaina Carpet and Interiors, Honolulu Cookie Co., Meadow Gold Ice Cream, LahainaTown Action Committee, Lahaina News.
GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTING SUPERSTARS: North Beach West Maui Fund (front door security system pre-facelift), Rotary Club of Lahaina, Maui Friends of the Library, Atherton Foundation.
CONTRIBUTING ANGELS: Bob and Carol Coe, Ka'ananapi Beach Hotel, Peter and Debra Martin Foundation, Hoilio House Bed & Breakfast, Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ameritone Hawaii, Rosanna Samartano, Mike Atkinson, John Lewis, Rose Ariemma, Evonne Fitch, Sharon Brooks, Michaela Stoups, Vivian Hyman, Ben Bland, Ron Stebbins, Edwin Heilscher.
BOOKCASE ASSEMBLERS: Rick Cowan, Stormy, Don Lehman, Susan Imming, Dan Imming, Don Russell.
BOOK RESHELVERS: Diane Longobardi, Anna Barbeau, Nancy Montoya, Susan Anderson, Sharon Woodall, Donna Lee, Mona Stevenson, Elle Bloom, Sharon Atkinson, Debra Caswell.
COMMUNICATIONS (publicity, website, photography): Norm Bezane.
ROTARY SAVOR SUNSET BENEFIT CHAIR and CURRENT PRESIDENT: Liz May.
ROTARY PAST PRESIDENTS: Carmen Karady, Eric van Ketel.
LIBRARY STAFF: Madeleine Buchanan, branch manager; Cindy Taufa; Cindy Waddo; Mike Steward.
HAWAII STATE LIASONS: Keith Fujio, David Victor, William McConnell, Curtis Motoyama.
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.
