The Japanese proverb, Ichi-go Ichi-e (literally, “one time, one meeting”), invites us totreasure the unrepeatable nature of a moment. That was the recent experience of Deidre Tegarden, Executive Director of Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (NVMC), who shared tea with the 101-year-old, fifteenth-generation Grand Master of Tea, Dr. Genshitsu Sen. He performed a special tea ceremony at the Wailuku Hongwanji to honor all who were lost during the August 2023 wildfires. It was both solemn and reflective as Dr. Sen presented tea to the altar. After the ceremony, attendees were invited to take tea and sweets in the community hall, hosted by Chado Urasenke Tenkokai Maui Association.
“Prior to the ceremony, Dr. Sen greeted members of the audience, shaking hands and sharing conversation,” said Tegarden. “We had planned to gift Dr. Sen a box of 3-D architectural hand-drawn blueprints of Urasenke Tea rooms from across Japan. These drawings had been gifted to the NVMC by the estate of the late artist Emi Fukuzawa, and we thought perhaps they belonged back in Japan with the Grand Master, Dr. Sen.”
When Dr. Sen saw the drawings, he became quite enthusiastic, pointing out names of his ancestors including one who helped to bring the tea ceremony to the greater community and make it accessible to those besides the nobility. The drawings date back 400 years and are considered National Treasures.
“Dr. Sen insisted that the NVMC keep these historical documents in our archive for posterity,” Tegarden noted. “It is our privilege to be the caretakers of these precious items.”
Chado, or “the way of tea,” is more than an artistic ceremony; it is a way of life with ethical and religious significance. The ideals underlying the way of tea are wa (harmony), kei (respect), sei (purity), and jaku (tranquility).
“The spirit of the way of tea has been imparted to people worldwide,” Tegarden added. “The expression, ‘peacefulness through a bowl of tea’ is the phrase that is used to express this goal. It is hoped that this knowledge will reach far and wide around the globe.”
How wonderful if the ideals of the way of tea might further contribute to the attainment of genuine world peace and happiness, the mutual goal of all humanity.
Deidre Tegarden,
Executive Director, Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
The Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset recently featured Jenny Worth, Maui Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross, as their guest speaker to share information about the efforts of the Maui Red Cross since the 2023 wildfires. In her role, Worth educates families on emergency preparedness ahead of a crisis and responds to local disasters by providing comfort and emergency resources to people affected. She is also a resident of the West Maui community.
The Red Cross offered Immediate Assistance funds shortly after the wildfires to help with urgent needs like buying groceries, clothing, and other essentials. They have also delivered additional support through their Bridge Financial Assistance Program to many of the hardest-hit residents—those whose homes suffered major damage or were destroyed—as they seek to overcome significant recovery roadblocks and get back on their feet. As of February 8, 2024, the Red Cross has provided financial assistance totaling approximately $24.8 million, reaching thousands of people still reeling from the devastating fires.
“It’s our privilege and responsibility to give something back,” Worth said. “My work gives me incredible purpose, which was never more apparent than on August 8. Vivid memories surface when I remember the night of the wildfires—how my husband, a Red Cross volunteer, opened a shelter, and then as the fire burned closer, woke a local principal so they could move the shelter to a safer location at the school. We helped shelter hundreds of Lahaina residents, some of whom were brought in soaking wet after fleeing into the ocean to escape the flames.”
As the shelter filled up with a mix of locals and visitors, Worth saw her community turn out in force. Thousands of new volunteers signed up in the first two days to help their friends and neighbors. The Red Cross disaster teams and partners remain committed to ensuring families have a safe place to stay and receive compassionate and equitable care.
Reflecting on the outpouring of support, Worth explained, “It’s the concept of ‘kuleana,’ a Hawaiian word that translates as responsibility, but means so much more. It moves everyone to help.” She also shared a reminder: “The need for volunteers is always great.” For more information about how to get involved, visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html.
You won’t find another community that shows up like ours.
Jenny Worth
American Red Cross
Maui Disaster Program Manager
On the anniversary of the tragic 2023 wildfires, Maui Economic Development Board joins the Lahaina and Upcountry communities in expressing our grief and honoring the memory of the family members, neighbors, and friends we lost on August 8. MEDB remains committed to healing, community-led economic recovery, and long-term resilience as Maui Nui moves forward together.
Maui artist Joanne Hopper was recently juried into the American Watercolor Society’s 157th International Exhibition in New York City for her painting, Lahaina Banyan Light. Hopper’s work was her heartfelt response to the fires on Maui.
“I painted this watercolor of the iconic Lahaina Banyan Tree in response to the wildfires of August 8, 2023, which utterly destroyed Lahaina town and ravaged other areas of Maui as well,” Hopper said. “The beloved tree was planted near Lahaina Harbor more than 150 years ago and now covers an entire city block, the largest banyan in the United States. It was severely damaged during the fires. All of its foliage, many of its aerial roots, and several of its trunks on the town side seemed gone or damaged beyond recovery.”
Arborists have been brought in to treat the tree with irrigation, soil aeration, fertilization, and compost. Amazingly, the roots were deep enough and the tree was strong enough that new leaves and shoots are beginning to return from the many trunks of this singular tree.
Hopper added, “I and many others see this tree as a metaphor for the strength, resilience, healing, and hope for Lahaina. The light on one of its beautiful trunks in this painting symbolizes for me the hope, future, and continued healing of the tree and people of Lahaina and Maui, a reminder of our indomitable spirits.”
Hopper’s work can be seen at the Viewpoints Art Gallery in historic Makawao town. The gallery’s new show, Lucky Live Hawaiʻi: A Positive Outlook on Living in Our Cherished Islands, runs from July 7 to September 16. It features over forty Hawaiʻi artists and a wide variety of artistic mediums.
“It’s a wonderful show,” Hopper noted. “The show name comes from the popular saying, Lucky We Live Hawaiʻi, a phrase that islanders use to show their gratitude for being able to experience things you could only know if you live in Hawaiʻi. It is not only a well-known hashtag, it also represents local pride and thanks for Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty. The numerous talented artists represented in the Viewpoints show exhibit their breathtaking visions of the Hawaiian Islands. Come and see!”
I am honored to bring Banyan Light to NYC and to be included in Viewpoints’ Lucky Live Hawaiʻi show.
David Sellers, co-founder, president, and principal architect of Hawaiʻi Off Grid: Architecture & Engineering (HIOG), one of the state’s premier multidisciplinary green energy firms, recently gave a presentation as part of the resilient housing and energy panel at the 2024 Hawaiʻi Energy Conference presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB). Sellers discussed HIOG’s residential and commercial architectural, civil, and structural engineering projects, permitting expertise, and in-depth sustainability consulting and design services.
The building and construction industry creates roughly 37% of global carbon emissions globally according to a 2023 UN report. Given HIOG’s unique skill set, Sellers and his team are in a position to help reduce those emissions. The firm’s protocols mandate that all buildings operate at net zero, meaning that once built, they will not be responsible for any net carbon emissions. All needed energy will be produced on-site, offering the owner control by relieving grid dependency.
HIOG’s designs always begin with the site. “We study the topography, the path of the sun, the prominent direction and behavior of the wind, and the annual rainfall at each site,” Sellers shared. “We believe that architecture must respond to the climate and location that it is in. It must work with the site, not against it.”
The American Institute of Architects recently announced that Sellers is the new President Elect of the AIA Maui Chapter, and earlier this year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) named HIOG as a Top Small Business in Maui County in 2023. Sellers’ current project, Kupono Hale, aims to mitigate carbon emissions and support the community by sourcing local materials and labor. In addition, HIOG’s Ohana Hope Village focuses on off-grid energy systems powering the temporary housing project for displaced Lahaina residents.
Sellers concluded, “Knowing the youth are our future, we donate to the Construction Industry of Maui Scholarship Fund, and we host MEDB STEMworks™ interns. Through a new DOE program, we’re also working to make our public schools a safer and more beautiful environment for our keiki.”
Keeping your energy off grid using a combination of Hawaiʻi’s renewable energy sources and green technology will save money and carbon. We believe it is the right thing for the community and Hawaiʻi’s future.
David Sellers
President and Principal Architect
Hawaiʻi Off Grid
