Mahalo to the readers who reached out after the most recent Sharing Mana’o: friends/fans of the late Gail Ainsworth, Maui history enthusiasts, and self-proclaimed “old hippies.” A few folks fit into all three categories, and more than a few asked me to hurry with the promised follow-up on OBSCENITY.

If you missed that previous column, let me explain:

The Index to The Maui News, painstakingly compiled by uber librarian Gail into three volumes spanning nearly 75 years, has been a valuable, frequently used resource in my writing. Each entry is a mini-capsule description of an article or advertisement; some raise more questions than answers, such as “girl with message wears burlap, sleeps outdoors–7/28/1965,” one of the earliest entries under the heading HIPPIES in Volume 3 (1951 – 1973). The actual articles are, I fear, long lost. But these snippets at least allow me to confirm dates and details that I only partially remember.

After listing the most amusing and/or intriguing headlines, I noted that the HIPPIES section ended with “See also OBSCENITY, VAGRANCY, HEALTH AND DISEASE, DRUGS AND DRUG ABUSE.”

Thus, today’s column dives down another rabbit hole …

Volume 1 of the Maui News Index (1900 – 1932) contained only one entry under the heading OBSCENITY. (Text in parentheses are my additions.)

• K Yokogawa of Maui Shinbun (a local Japanese language newspaper) arr(ested) for pub(lishing) filthy pics in paper – 7/24/1909

The heading was surprisingly absent from Volume 2 (1933 – 1950). I find it hard to believe that, in 17 years, absolutely no incidents of alleged obscenity, indecency, or pornography (yes, I checked for those headings and more) occurred. It is even less likely that Gail committed an error or oversight, so I can only surmise that The Maui News chose not to report on such prurient matters.

In Volume 3, dozens of entries appeared under the heading, beginning with

• Church and lay leaders launch fight against obscenity – 10/1/1952

I guess I’ll never know what, specifically, spurred the community leaders into action, though the next entry, two years later, described a parochial school’s efforts to combat “indecent literature.” The next two lines read:

• Stripper arrested at Hale Lava – 11/21/1956

• Hale Lava fined $40 – 12/1/1956

The wages of perceived sin more than doubled over the next 13 years, after the influx of the aforementioned hippies.

• Men arrested for nudity at Makena Beach – 3/15/1969

• Nude sunbathers fined $100, 1st conviction since 1902 – 5/3/1969

• Nude sunbathers case appealed to Supreme Court – 5/10/1969

• Raid on nudists at Makena nets 5 – 8/27/1969

• State of Hawaii Supreme Court rules nude sunbathers guilty of indecent exposure – 10/24/1970

• Nude sunbathers get jail sentences – 1/9/1971

• Nudity now officially banned in state parks – 1/8/1972

Beyond OBSCENITY; actually, just a page below, OLINDA HONOR CAMP (OLINDA PRISON CAMP) caught my eye. As a Makawao Elementary School alumna, I’m old enough to remember the facility before it became the home of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. Many kama’aina recall, perhaps even possess, the beautiful woodworking projects produced by Olinda inmates.

The prison opened in 1926 and, although I found no mention of it in Volume 1, it made the news numerous times after 1942.

• Govr Stainback criticizes condition of buildings – 11/11/1942

• Camp conditions cause 7 to escape, surrender, want to be sent to O’ahu Prison – 1/22/1944

• Warden denies unfair treatment, guard suspended – 1/26/1944

• Govr Stainback favors abolishing – 5/8/1948

I don’t know what caused it, but the Index shows a clear change in direction by the 1950s.

• Gymnasium formally opens – 5/13/1953

• Multi-winged structure completed – 8/24/1957

• Rehabilitation record rated outstanding – 9/14/1960

• Olinda Prison Camp changes name to Olinda Honor Camp – 7/18/1967

• Controversy surrounds camp phase-out plan – 7/3/1973

• Closes after 47 years as correctional facility – 7/31/1973

An online exhibit by the Makawao History Museum contains much more information, along with photos. I’m pretty sure Gail contributed to, or possibly curated, this project. Find it at makawaomuseum.org/digexhibits/the-olinda-prison.

And to view or download The Maui News Index, the permanent link on the University of Hawaii repository website is https://hdl.handle.net/10790/4574

Happy diving!

* Kathy Collins is a radio personality (The Buzz 107.5 FM and KEWE 97.9 FM/1240 AM), storyteller, actress, emcee and freelance writer whose “Sharing Mana’o” column appears every other Wednesday. Her email address is kcmaui913@gmail.com.