Feb 29, 2012 | Community
Bob and Barbara Spaulding
Husband and wife Bob and Barbara Spaulding deliver hot meals every Sunday, nine months out of the year, to South Maui’s homebound, frail, elderly and disabled. The Spauldings are amongst 28 volunteers who regularly transport cooked meals-to-go from Hale Kau Kau, a soup kitchen aimed at curbing hunger on the island. On each trip, the Spauldings deliver food to as many as 15 homes, taking the time to visit with grateful recipients who are unable for various reasons to shop or cook their own meals. “It’s extremely rewarding to know we feed not only their basic needs, but the soul as well,” Bob Spaulding said. “I realize sometimes it’s the only human contact they have that day,” added Barbara, Spaulding’s wife of 55 years.
The Spauldings say in the 10 years they’ve delivered meals, they’ve experienced great support for the work they do. “Whenever we’ve needed to make a left turn on South Kihei Road, someone gives way. It’s the Maui way, others make allowances so you can do what you need to do,” Mr. Spaulding said. Since the fiscal year opened on July 1, Hale Kau Kau has prepared more than 34,000 meals, a 13 percent increase over the same time period the year before. About three-quarters of the last six month’s meals are served out of a kitchen at St. Theresa Church in Kihei; the rest were delivered to the homebound. The meal program for the homebound has been in existence for about 12 of the 20 years Hale Kau Kau has operated.
Hale Kau Kau’s major fundraiser of the year takes place Saturday at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. The event features live and silent auctions, a buffet dinner with no host bar, and entertainment by local performers Louise Alborano and Tarvin Makia opening for headliner Makana, Hawaii’s youngest slack key guitar master. To attend the fundraiser or make a donation, call 875-8754 or e-mail: hkkmaui@yahoo.com or hkkmariet@gmail.com
Feb 22, 2012 | Innovation
National Engineering Week is well on its way here on Maui where more than 75 students are immersed in a variety of opportunities to explore the field of engineering. This is the 11th year in which Maui Economic Development Board’s Women in Technology program has taken the lead in coordinating the weeklong event that runs through this Saturday. Partners include the Air Force Research Laboratory, Hawaii Society of Professional Engineers Maui Chapter, the County of Maui and local engineering firms. With fewer than 5 percent of Hawaii’s engineers being women, National Engineering Week is important as it exposes young girls to engineering as a career.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day has more than 250 middle school students participating from Maui County. An engineering expo event will feature 40 students in hands-on activities that expose them to various engineering fields. Other activities include Maui Electric Co. hosting 12 girls on a tour of their central plant, a career shadowing with MECO engineers and an activity that shows them how to build their own circuit boards. In the County’s Wastewater Reclamation Division, 10 girls are poised to learn about civil engineering and the important role of a wastewater treatment plant. Iao Intermediate School student Christine says it all: “Going to an engineer’s worksite and seeing what a big role they have in our community inspired me to pursue engineering as a career.”
Engineering In the Middle competitions are also in the mix including Popsicle Bridge Building and Marshmallow Launcher contests. There are five participating schools — Lokelani Intermediate, Maui Waena Intermediate, Iao School, Kalama Intermediate and Molokai Middle School. Winners will go on to compete at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Jr. Engineering Expo in March. For information about the Women in Technology program, please visit www.womenintech.com or contact Mapu Quitazol at 875-2343 or at mapu@medb.org.
Feb 15, 2012 | Environment
Maui filmmakers Joe Imhoff and Sara Tekula set out to plant native trees in every state, and now they want to document the project. The husband-and-wife team founded the nonprofit “Plant a Wish” and embarked on a tour of all 50 states on Memorial Day 2010, planting native trees in each state and culminating Nov. 5, 2011, in Hawaii. A caretaker for each tree in each state was identified, and overall Imhoff and Tekula put in more than 1,000 native trees at dozens of community planting events across the country.
From Washington to Wyoming, Texas to Tennessee, the duo learned all things native and shared with others the story of Maui’s battle with alien species and loss of indigenous plants and animals. They also explained efforts to repair and restore the effects of trees on human health and the community’s overall environment. “Along the tour, it all began to make so much sense that every living thing has a purpose and those purposes are all connected. That was really meaningful for me,” Tekula said. Imhoff added: “I learned that the power of belief is very effective when doing good things for the world.” Their project was funded by donors who contributed varying amounts from $1 to $2,500. So far, they’ve raised approximately $20,000 for the project.
“What surprised me the most was how many doors of opportunity opened up for us as our mission evolved,” Imhoff said. He and Tekula got access to expert conservationists, educators and authors interested in tree planting and preservation and how they contribute to a healthy environment. “The biggest surprise I think I experienced was the unfortunate amount of sheer devastation we saw happening at the hands of our fellow human beings,” Tekula said. In some places, Tekula said they saw environmental devastation to mountaintops and toxic waste dumps. They found communities where people didn’t know which plants were native to their area. At the end, the couple collected reams of video and photos that recorded the story of their journey. They would like to share the information in a documentary and need public support to do just that. Go to: http://www.plantawish.org/donate.
Photo by Sean Michael Hower
Feb 8, 2012 | Community
Fire Chief Jeff Murray
Continuing our series on newly appointed County Department Directors, reflecting the role of government in responding to community values and needs.
The son of a retired corrections officer and preschool teacher, Maui County Fire Chief Jeff Murray is living a lifelong dream to serve his community in a very special way. “I love my job,” Murray said. In his position, Murray leads a staff of 300 uniformed firefighters and 12 civilians and oversees a budget of $29 million. A 1983 graduate of Maui High School, Murray began his career as a firefighter when he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1984 and served in places like Texas, Illinois, South Korea and Honolulu. He returned home in 1989 and has since worked in practically every fire station on Maui. Murray is married, has four children and enjoys surfing, diving, fishing and baseball.
He brings to work a number of values instilled in him while growing up on Maui. These include integrity, compassion, professionalism and a sense of community. Murray said he prefers to seek input from staff before making decisions. “I like to look at things from all aspects. For the most part, I like to have as much participation as possible.” But as a leader when he’s pressed, he’s not afraid to trust his experience and instincts and make timely decisions on his own.
Murray says the best thing that residents can do to assist firefighters and other emergency responders is to post visible signage on their homes and provide clear and specific directions to their addresses. He said he’s not aware of a situation when a delayed response caused major damage or any loss of life. “We shouldn’t have to wait for a situation like that. We always want to be proactive.”
The Maui County Fire Department responds to a range of calls from fires to ocean and mountain rescues to the safe containment of hazardous materials. Firefighters are also dedicated to educating the community about fire safety. They conduct regular safety briefings with private companies and they reach thousands of school-aged children every year with fire station visits and Fire Prevention Week activities.
Feb 1, 2012 | Community, Environment
The Maui Humane Society’s mission to forge lifelong bonds between people and animals through education, community outreach and the prevention of cruelty, resonated recently with members of the Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance. Lahainaluna High School freshman Kaile Stockham was so impressed on a recent visit that she plans to enroll as an adult volunteer at the animal shelter when she turns 18. “I think it’s incredible the work that the Maui Humane Society does. They’re doing a good job to care for the animals.” With Kaile’s urging, the Youth Alliance toured the Maui Humane Society in January to learn about its mission and work for animals. “I learned a lot that I didn’t know about animals and how they’re treated,” Kaile said.
For their part, members of the Youth Alliance learned they could join the Junior Animal Advocate Group of Maui, a program of volunteers in grades 6 to 12 at the Maui Humane Society. They also got details on the Humane Society’s open admissions policy and commitment to finding homes for stray and abandoned animals. “They always want to get as many adoptions as possible,” Kaile said.
A four-year Youth Alliance member, Kelsie Chong, visited the Maui Humane Society with a new appreciation. “I thought it was a really fun place and very educational,” Kelsie said. Her family adopted a mixed breed dog about eight years ago from Maui Humane Society. The dog is part of a host of animals in the Chong residence. Kelsie also has four cats, a fish and 10 canaries. “I love them all. They’re innocent, they’re cute. They just make me happy.” Both Kaile and Kelsie said they were glad to see that the Maui Humane Society strives to seek all options for animals including shipping them off to less crowded shelters on Oahu. “I think it’s pretty sad the animals don’t have a home to go to, but the Maui Humane Society is doing its best to change that.”
