For The Maui News Every now and then, while Joyce Afalla is out running errands, someone will tap her on the shoulder, throw their arms around her and say “thank you.” These encounters are not out of the ordinary, but even so, Afalla is often surprised. “Sometimes it’s a person I ...

The holiday season ushers in a time of giving, hope and joyousness. It is a time to reflect on the bounty we have and on those less fortunate whom we want to share in the joy of the season. Amid the turbulence and conflict across the country and around the world, the mantra “Peace on Earth” ...

The “People Who Made A Difference” is a favorite of mine during this most wonderful time of year. Having had a hand in this annual holiday season feature since its inception 22 years ago, the stories of Maui County residents’ acts of selflessness and contributions that mean so much to ...

They say good things come in threes. That’s certainly the case with Sara Foley, Dorothy Tolliver and Susan Werner, who joined forces five years ago to purchase a gift for the Hawaii State Public Library System: The Holoholo Bookmobile. “We decided that if we were going to give a ...

When he was the chief executive officer of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui Region, Wesley Lo found a way to turn a bad day around: He’d observe an open-heart surgery. “It kept me connected to what was happening at the hospital,” he said. “It was also a reminder of why I did my ...

Seven years ago, Don McLeish was on a mission to photograph some sea horses. “Underwater photography is a hobby,” he said. “I’ve taken thousands of photos of sea critters.” Sea horses are hard to find in Hawaiian waters, but a friend tipped him off: A sea horse had been spotted at ...