Local News

Giving thanks Maui style

First photo: Salvation Army Maui County Coordinator Capt. Steven Howard (counter-clockwise from top right) chats with Margie and Don Booth, Virginia Suddath, Jane Sakakihara and Monika Jost during Wednesday's dine-in community Thanksgiving meal in the University of Hawaii Maui College's Pa'ina Building. "The food is great, the people are wonderful and the atmosphere is warm and friendly," Don Booth said. Howard said the event served about 500 meals and was presented by Salvation Army and the college. "It's been a wonderful day," Howard said. "We had a wonderful turnout. We put the word out there and everybody was welcome. It's for the whole community." Chef Instructor Craig Omori who is also the program coordinator for UHMC's Culinary Arts Program, said a week of food prep went into creating the savory and sweet meals with nearly all of the Culinary Arts Program's 80 students and seven faculty taking part. "It has always been the campus' mission to serve the community," Omori said. "To be able to have the students participate in this is dream come true for us as instructors."

Second photo: With smoke rising behind them, Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society members Ari Zainuddin (right) and Emily Chan add another turkey to 100 or more waiting to be cooked in the organization's imu Wednesday in Kealia. HOCVS Executive Director Anela Gutierrez said there is no beating a turkey cooked overnight in an underground nest of red hot rocks and banana stalks. "You'll never have a dry turkey again," she said. "It's moist and has the best flavor." The event was a fundraiser for the society's youth programs. She said the turkeys would start going on the rocks at 9 p.m. Wednesday and would be unearthed at 7 a.m. today.

Third photo: Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society Executive Director Anela Gutierrez identifies a turkey for a donor before it goes into the imu Wednesday.