The 2014 state legislative session began Wednesday, with me and several of my Maui County Council colleagues in attendance, and is scheduled to adjourn May 1.Our state representatives and senators have started introducing and reviewing hundreds of new bills. In last year's regular session, ...
Part of growing up in Hawaii is learning about invasive species. My elementary school classes always had a lesson about the dangers associated with releasing goldfish into local streams and ponds. We learned about the mongoose and how it wreaked havoc on birds here.But the latest invasive ...
Heading home on a favorite road. It's a night ride. The pace is brisk, jamming uphill around curves, relying on the lights of oncoming traffic to make sure the motorcycle is well within its lane.Pulehu Road, once the most direct way from Central Maui to Kula, is a back road. It runs through ...
It's my mother's fault that I am such a sentimental fool. I learned from the best.Readers of this column often ask me how I'm able to remember specific dates and details of growing up on Maui so many years ago. After I reply that it wasn't THAT many years ago, I confess that I am a ...
Q: I bought some hapuu logs for my orchids a couple months ago, but I heard that some of the logs might have been infested with ants. How should I check for the ants, and what do I do if I find any?A: If you bought the hapuu within the past 12 months, the state Department of Agriculture is ...
The County Council's Economic Development, Energy, Agriculture and Recreation Committee will consider a proposed resolution Tuesday authorizing the acceptance of a donation of a weather-protection tent cover for the Lahaina Aquatic Center. The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m.The donation, valued at ...
Ask Dawn Hall for one of her favorite animal adoption stories, and she responds with a long silence - there are just too many.The Haiku resident has been the executive director of the Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, or HARF, since 2011, when she co-founded the organization with President ...
Today dawned clear and cold. A short mist brought much-needed moisture to lower Kula. Low-lying light and the mist created a full anuenue. From this angle, the rainbow arced over a neighbor's house."You always start your column with a weather report," said Harry Eagar, a colleague and ...
A year and a half ago, after watching an online video of my late father, I used this space to express my gratitude for YouTube and old friends. The seven-minute "tribute to Dr. Nelson Yogi and weightlifting Maui style" was uploaded by one friend in 2006, but until another friend told me about ...
Q: Why doesn't Maui have synchronized traffic lights? I have traveled off-island to the Mainland many times and have noticed synchronized traffic lights on main roads. Kaahumanu Avenue is a perfect example. We all know it's virtually impossible to drive from Maui Mall into Wailuku with all ...
The County Council's Land Use Committee has scheduled a site inspection for Wednesday at 10 a.m. on Front Street next to Lahaina Cannery Mall to view the proposed Kahoma Village affordable housing project.Following the site inspection, the committee will deliberate the matter in the Council ...
What image comes to mind when you picture a tourist? Sunburned Mainlanders driving too slowly in bright-colored convertibles? Maybe visitors from Asia snapping photos? It's no accident that these are the first things that come to mind.The first concerted efforts to attract tourists started just ...
Another year. Another day on a speck of land sailing a 2-inch-a-year northwest course away from its geological birthplace in the Pacific. The weather has been fair. The heavy stuff of late has skirted around Maui. Blue morning skies and cloudy afternoons could represent past and present. Who ...
Happy New Year! If Santa came up short last week and didn't bring what you asked for, I hope that 2014 delivers. And if you're one of the lucky ones who got everything they wanted, I'm happy for you and wish you continued blessings.That's what I love about New Year's Day. Regardless of my state ...
I never can fully relate to traditional celebrations of New Year's Eve - the noise, the various intoxications, the loud celebration of . . . what? Chasing away the demons, I suppose.I prefer to invoke the angels. Time passing, something new dawning. It's a profound time, replete with ...
Q: Can you direct me to the right person/office to answer this question: Are any of the county pools in Wailuku and Kahului heated, and, if so, which ones? I swim laps three days a week, and I'm looking to make a change. I am 58 years old and am partially disabled with leg and shoulder injuries ...
As we reach the midway point of the 2013-2015 term, now is an appropriate time to review the County Council's activities over the last year and preview some of what's ahead.On Dec. 20, the council unanimously authorized the purchase of 186 acres at Launiupoko in West Maui. Public testimony ...
It goes without saying that Christmas is "celebrated" by people of all faiths these days. Sure, it is a Christian holiday, but the day off, televised parades, movies like "A Christmas Story," the gifts and the bombardment of holiday songs on the radio can be enjoyed (or endured) by all. Hawaii ...
For many island families, holiday is synonymous with flying. In the old days, that meant driving down to the airport, getting a ticket at the counter and walking out to the airplane. For the uninitiated, it's a little more complicated today. OK. Fire up the computer. Search for the airline ...
As another legislative session looms large on the horizon, there are those who are searching for ways to stimulate the economy as it appears that both the state and national economies continue to stumble along.Although Hawaii has had a good year insofar as its main economic engine, tourism, ...