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Letters to the Editor

Letter: More study warranted people with storied history

I read with dismay the recent challenge by a non-Hawaiian to the system of reparations established to redress the theft of Hawaiian lands by the Sugar Barons in the 19th century. After the “Great Mahele,” the Hawaiians had their land, gifted to them by King Kamehameha III, stolen from them through deceit and outright robbery. Prince Jonah Kuhio Kahanianiole, Hawaii’s territorial congressional representative, convinced Congress this wrong needed to be corrected and Congress agreed, establishing Hawaiian Homelands. This is not discrimination. It is payment for the larceny ...

Letter: Speed limit never enforced despite Makawao danger

It’s common for all kinds of vehicles, from motorcycles to large trucks hauling heavy equipment, to go two to three times the speed limit of 20 mph on narrow Makawao Avenue. It’s routine and happens dozens of times each day. But what I recently witnessed was outrageous even for this street. A motorcycle zoomed by going at least 100 mph. This dangerous (and noisy) lawbreaking will continue indefinitely, because the speed limit is never enforced. In all the years I’ve lived here, and the dozens of times I've complained about the problem to the police, to my knowledge, Maui ...

Letter: Police need to deal with blasting sound systems

When I moved to Maui in the 70s, you could get a ticket if your muffler was too loud. What’s the deal with these blasting sound systems? I can feel a vehicle approaching from over a block away. My house starts shaking, the windows rattle and I feel the vibration in my body. At 2:00 a.m., my mattress buzzes. Why is this not disturbing the peace, noise pollution and interfering with the quality of life for the community? C’mon Maui Police Department, do something. T. EricaWailuku

Letter: Hospital saves passenger from grounded flight

This is a belated thank you to all the wonderful, caring, and skilled people we met at Maui Memorial. My husband had an emergency requiring hospitalization and treatment March 20-24. His dedicated nurses and doctors saved his life and we’ll be forever grateful. We call this divine intervention, because we were on a flight to Honolulu on our way to our mainland home when the Kona storms grounded all Honolulu air traffic and we were redirected to Maui. While on the ground there, he became seriously ill. Had we made our flight to the mainland, it’s doubtful that he would have ...

Letters: Hale Mahina asks support for proposed beach access

Hale Mahina AOAO Board of Directors asks public support for its proposed resolution with Maui County to provide free public access to the beach at Hale Mahina in exchange for resolving the Notice of Violation. Public beach access has not been provided for over 50 years. In 2021, we opened a public pathway to the ocean on the north side of the property as a first-step solution. However, the pathway lacks a stairway that could provide safe beach access because of the steep elevation to the ocean. In 2023, the AOAO hired an engineering firm to design a stairway from the pathway to the ...

Letter: It takes a village to support our youth

Although this acknowledgment is long overdue, I want to share some incredible news about our Lahaina Intermediate School Media Club and send a huge mahalo to two local organizations that helped get us there. This past school year, our students were able to fly to Oahu for the 3rd Annual Shoots competition, an opportunity made possible by the support of the Lahaina Complex Education Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui. While a trip like this requires a lot of moving parts, these organizations help offset some of the costs. LCEF stepped in to cover our competition ...