Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

Toxic fire waste would be left to leak wherever it lands

Regarding the toxic waste pollution from the Lahaina disaster reminded me of something I read recently. Looking at the Central Maui landfill reinforces the same thought. There is no place to throw away. Throwing things away might remove them from under your sink, yard and so on, but I have watched that pile in Puunene grow into two huge piles now. I’m old enough to remember the popular song about the Makawao dump which is now a subdivision. Bottles and cans, old pots and pans. Rummaging around the dumps seems to have been outlawed when they were consolidated in ...

The power of community

In this season of Thanksgiving, we give thanks to the countless organizations and individuals who have stepped up to help the hungry in Maui County. In the face of adversity, the true character of a community emerges, and nowhere is this more evident than here on Maui in the wake of the devastating wildfires. The outpouring of support and generosity has brought to light the incredible impact that collective gratitude can have on a community in need. Before the fires, the statistics painted a stark reality: one in 10 people were food insecure in Maui County, with an alarming one in four ...

Disputes now settled with weapons, not fists

When I was growing up many years ago, if you had dispute with someone, it was settled outside. The famous saying was you like go outside. Today, the saying you like beef or you like throw is not the same. If the guy is twice the size of you and threatening you, I can understand the use of weapons. Many disputes today are settled with knives and guns, not settled with fists. Years ago, I was on a job site and two guys had a dispute and they ended up settling the dispute outside. People on the job site stopped working and everybody watched the beef. The supervisor was not ...

Noise abatement benefits residents, visitors alike

A few simple, affordable laws would immensely benefit Maui residents and visitors alike. They all involve noise abatement. There is no reason anyone should be frequently exposed to loud noises that cause anxiety, hypertension, hearing loss and other health problems.  First, enforce muffler laws and motorcycle noise limits. And enforce speed limits. For example, along all of Makawao Avenue, the limit is 20 mph, but cars, trucks, and motorcycles routinely speed two to three times that. Instead of a quiet neighborhood, we live next to a virtual freeway. Anyone living within 100 yards ...

Democrats hypocrites when pointing fingers at GOP

Democrats love to comment on how Republicans seem to be unable to accept defeat during elections. Hillary Clinton has whined for years about her loss to Trump and tries to blame everyone for her defeat. She still does this when interviewed, yet Democrats are deaf and blind to it all, while pointing fingers at Republicans. Between the actions of those who lied regarding the Russia hoax, the Hunter laptop, and who dined and got their hair done during Covid lockdowns, any finger pointing done by a Democrat is simply ridiculous.  Kapena Hill Wailuku

Life on a planet may be withdrawn from it

 Does the decomposing moon suggest to human beings the possibility that life on a planet may be withdrawn from it, due to circumstances beyond human control, or due to the failed policies — or bad behavior — of the previous inhabitants? Apparently not. The barbarians are not at the gate. Among us, they are the sly, selfish, corruptible gatekeepers, who are truly ignorant of science, medicine, psychology, probability, warning and threat. In truth, we are all nerve endings on the crust of the planet, but the nerves of our leaders are numbed by luxury and entombed within the maya ...