Q: When are the coconut trees going to be trimmed at Kalama and Kamaole I beach parks? A: Mahalo for your question. My staff checked in with the Department of Parks and Recreation and was told that Imua Landscaping currently holds the palm tree pruning contract for the south, central and ...
On Aug. 7, the County Council’s Affordable Housing Committee heard a presentation from the Department of Housing and Human Concerns outlining the mayor’s “Strategic Plan for Housing.” The plan provided helpful background on the affordable housing issue impacting our community, such as ...
Go to any place where there are a lot of working people and you’ll see them. Take the open space at the intersection of Bishop Street and South King Street in Honolulu at lunchtime. You will most certainly find varied examples of them as you scan the bank executives, lawyers, real estate ...
The County of Maui is appealing the 9th Circuit ruling in Hawaii Wildlife Fund, et al. v. County of Maui to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit found the county in violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) because it does not have a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) ...
Q: What can I use instead of methamphetamine to stay awake to work my three jobs? Dr. Stephanie Yan, general, trauma and critical care surgeon, Island Family Surgical Care Center: Believe it or not, I have been posed this question in my surgical practice. I’ve had to delay or postpone ...
In 1966, with the debut of the original “Star Trek” television series, the crew of the USS Enterprise drove an unintended but unmistakable wedge between my cousin and me. Mark and I are a year apart in age, and we spent much of our early childhood together, often recreating our favorite TV ...
Q: Recently, I have been seeing various unmarked vehicles utilizing radar guns and pulling cars over with police lights. A video was posted to Facebook of an unmarked vehicle with a car pulled over and a plainclothes man questioning the driver. What are the laws surrounding unmarked vehicles ...
"Why do you run?” It’s a simple question that often elicits a not-so-simple answer. Runners lace up their shoes and pound out the miles for myriad reasons. To feel empowered. To stay fit. To manage anxiety or depression. To break free from the daily grind. Or just for the sheer joy of ...
Across the nation, nongovernmental organizations have pushed to expand the federal Clean Water Act. In 2012, this national fight was brought to our shores. Earthjustice sued Maui County, contending that in addition to state and federal Safe Drinking Water Act permits, the county needs a ...
Q: I have to get an MRI scan and I’m nervous. What are some tips for getting through the procedure? Dennis McKeon, director of diagnostic imaging, Maui Memorial Medical Center: An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a way of using magnetism and radio waves to take a high-resolution, 3D ...
This week, as Makawao prepares for its final Third Friday town party, I am pondering the many meanings of aloha, in terms of my favorite Upcountry town. The shortcut definition of aloha, as every tourist can tell you, is hello, goodbye and love. A deeper, wider interpretation is found in the ...
Q: There appears to be nonfunctioning utility poles along the side of Maui Veterans (Mokulele) Highway with its wires on the ground. Do you know what the wires are for and what happened to the poles? A: My staff forwarded your question to the state Department of Transportation and was told ...
In recent weeks, over 14,000 acres of valuable agricultural land have been scorched by wild fires fueled by high winds and arid conditions. A vast stretch of fallow fields previously blanketed by sugar cane is left susceptible to increasingly hot and dry weather, mechanical mishaps and ...
Seventy years ago, dockworkers and stevedores in the islands wanted a raise. Shipping is the key to Hawaii’s economy. Cargo is loaded onto boats at industrial ports like Los Angeles or Oakland and travels across the Pacific to Honolulu or Hilo, where it’s unloaded. It was tiresome and ...
Higher temperatures are a reality. One answer to help reduce the heat is planting more trees. The movement to plant more trees on this planet is happening worldwide. Organizations such as the Nature Conservancy’s “Planting 1 billion tree” campaign across the world to “re-green” our ...
Q: What are fibroids? Dr. Christy Takemoto, OB-GYN, Maui Lani Physicians & Surgeons: Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that form in and around a woman’s uterus. It’s estimated that around 35 percent of women have experienced fibroids by age 35, and as many as 80 percent by age 50. ...
Let’s take a trip on memory’s ship, back to the bygone days. Sail to the old village schoolhouse, Anchor outside the school door; Look in and see, there’s you and there’s me, A couple of kids once more. — Will Cobb & Gus Edwards, 1907 You may not recognize those ...
It’s been really tough reading news report after news report of drunk drivers killing people on Maui’s roadways. We are facing a drunk-driving epidemic. These deadly drivers roaming the asphalt are so indiscriminate that even they do not know who the next victim will be. Ironically, this ...
Q: Can you please tell me if we have any laws or ordinances here on Maui concerning excessive engine noise from motor vehicles? Seems like many people have been allowed to alter their mufflers (especially, but not exclusively, two-wheeled vehicles). A: Maui County Codes define a muffler as a ...
“Neighbors” by Sarah Ruppenthal is unavailable today and is expected to return in its next regular slot in two weeks. “Neighbors” rotates weekly on Fridays with “The State of Aloha” by Ben Lowenthal, which will appear next Friday.