In 1968, a Mainland reporter hired by the Honolulu Advertiser was intrigued by the sound of a distinctly local way of talking. Worth learning, he thought. He sought out an island-born colleague, Jerry Burris."I'd like to learn pidgin," the newcomer said.Burris replied, "Which one?" He went on ...
When I was growing up there was a hilarious cartoon involving a roadrunner and a coyote. The coyote was always trying to catch the roadrunner, presumably to make it that evening's dinner, but never succeeded.More often than not, the coyote would find the bird resting near the edge of a ...
Tita's Travel Adventures, Part 2:I made it to Michigan without major incident, albeit several hours late. Mahalo to the several readers who emailed or Facebook-posted their sympathy and travel tips. My favorite was the former Michigander who advised me to not get stuck in the Midwest: "They ...
A lot of folks are planning to laugh off Halloween this year.That's the word from Paul Chamberlain as he mounts the first-ever Maui Comedy Festival for seven Lahaina venues along Front Street. It takes place Halloween weekend - not Halloween Friday itself, but Oct. 30 through Nov. 2.The stages ...
Q: I am wheelchair-bound and utilize the Maui Bus Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit system. Unfortunately, someone stole our street sign, which makes it difficult for first-time bus drivers to find my house. My question is, how do I report a missing street sign and request a ...
During a recent public forum organized by the Maui Disability Alliance, several Maui County Council members stood up and left.They weren't being disrespectful. They didn't want to leave.But they were concerned about being accused of violating the state Sunshine Law whenthey saw several of their ...
Avery Chumbley still remembers the phone call that saved the Maui Fair.The Maui County Fair and Racing Association had recently learned that landowner Alexander & Baldwin was going to cancel its lease on the old fairgrounds off of Puunene Avenue in Kahului to develop the property. The ...
Judging from the stories and editorials in The Maui News, civic pride had a lot to do with establishing a tradition stretching from 1916 to 2014. The tradition has resulted in the Maui Fair, the largest party on the island.With a population for less than 38,000, civic leaders raised some ...
Recently, the online site WalletHub published a 50-state study called "2014's Most & Least Fair State Tax Systems." Local media and the Huffington Post wrote about the study, which ranked Hawaii's tax system 49th out of 50 in the order of fairness. Some candidates for political office ...
Be careful what you wish for! All my life I've heard that saying but never took it seriously. Until today.It began a year ago, when an old friend and I resumed communication after a 30-year lapse. After he emailed photos of his Connecticut home, I mentioned that I had never seen the leaves ...
It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Halloween.The season has changed, I noticed, as I passed a bunch of vehicles along the shoulders of Kula Highway on Saturday morning. Kula Country Farms has already put on its costume, masquerading as a pumpkin patch.Cars parked on shoulders and in ...
Q: Are there any plans for expansion of bike trails (not bike lanes) on Maui? One need exists between the airport bike trail and the Baldwin Beach bike trail, on the side of Hana Highway. Another great location would be adjacent to Honoapiilani Highway on the west side between the train yard ...
The Maui County Council will consider a fast-track affordable-housing application on Friday at 9 a.m., while a council committee continues to work on overall housing strategy. The council also will begin to consider whether the unregulated, online market in vacation rentals is hurting legal ...
The other day I was driving from Lahaina back to my office in Wailuku and was on the highway going through Waikapu town. Just before hitting the intersection of the highway and Waiko Road I noticed an odd sight.In the blazing sunshine right on the side of the road was a neat row of chairs. No ...
Overshadowed by the mess in the Mideast and global climate change, the United Nations held a two-day conference on the world's indigenous peoples and the struggle to maintain language and cultures. Indigenous people include Hawaiians.According to a United Nations website, the conference ...
Let's take another look at how poor timing can lead to tremendously bad results in Hawaii's tax system.This week's illustration of how timing is important involves the Hawaii Renewable Energy Technologies credit, which often applies when people install solar electric - also known as ...
"I like making personal statements. It is all I can do to make art meaningful. We all have our own story, we all tell it in different ways."- Excerpt from Sidney Yee's artist statement in the group exhibit "Vintage: Maui Artists with a Presence," 2008, Maui Arts & Cultural CenterWhen I ...
Swimming with sea life is a great way to see life.For a long time now I've been finding excuses not to join the hearty band that shows up most Sunday mornings to swim off the beach in front of Makena Resort. Excuses like, the lawnmower got in the way. Or, an alarm clock? On Sunday morning? ...
Q: Can you please explain the outdoor lighting rules and advise residents what can be done if a neighbor is subjected to regular and annoying glare from another neighbor's spotlights or floodlights?A: Certainly. Outdoor lighting regulations are covered under Maui County Code, Chapter 20.35, ...
The state Department of Health has proposed an amendment to the Hawaii Administrative Rules that would prohibit new cesspools and gradually phase out existing ones through a mandatory upgrade to a septic system upon sale of property, as recently reported ("State department proposes cesspool ...