Jun 16, 2011 | Community, Events
This week, as the Maui Film Festival begins, movies will pay tribute to people who take effective action for a better world. It’s what the Film Festival Founder and Co- Director Barry Rivers said has been always been the focus of the annual event that entertains and enlightens Maui audiences. “The intent is to address issues that include the environment and the interpersonal relations of the people in the islands,” he said. “At the end of the day, we want to share a window on the world that they may not have seen yet.”
The Festival runs June 15-19, with movies playing at the Celestial Cinema in Wailea and at the Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. More information is available at www.mauifilmfestival.com. Children 12 and younger are admitted free on opening night and the closing day of film showings. There are also special events featuring award presentations for outstanding artists, actors and moviemakers, a Taste of Chocolate experience and a panel discussion by filmmakers. This year’s movie lineup includes six films with a Hawaii connection. All the movies attempt to entertain while seeking truth and shedding light on stories and issues, which is the core of the mission of the Maui Film Festival. “It is this belief in the power of creativity that gives the Maui Film Festival its character, its energy and its soul.”
Rivers and his wife, Stella, who live in Haiku, have received accolades for their event, now making its 12th run on Maui. The Celestial Cinema setting in Wailea is a deliberate part of the festival’s vision of showcasing movies in the natural beauty of the island. “Visitors and residents alike tell me that this is the most unbelievable movie-going experience,” Rivers explains, adding that many plan their vacation schedule or entertainment budget around the festival. Rivers credits sheer willpower and the passion and energy of some 300 people, many of whom are volunteers, for the success of the festival.
Jun 9, 2011 | Community
Continuing our series on newly appointed County Department Directors, reflecting the role of government in responding to community values and needs.
“As an avid photographer, I truly appreciate the breathtaking landscapes of Maui. Protecting them, preserving view planes, and making common sense decisions to limit human impacts on our environment are close to my heart,” says Will Spence, the new County Director of Planning. Among Spence’s priorities are streamlining the permitting process and reviewing procedures to simplify the application and approval process. “Regulation needs to serve a purpose,” observes Spence. “Without appreciable environmental protections or community benefits, putting our residents through a costly, lengthy, or complicated process for its own sake makes little sense.”
Spence’s philosophy is to provide opportunities and incentives for encouraging “smart” development—for example, in existing urban areas and locations identified in the Maui County Plan. Spence points out that the basis of Maui County’s zoning code was established in the 1960s, when most development was focused on large projects – resorts, hotels, and condominiums, and major infrastructure. The permitting process has always reflected this history so that it has not been as nimble or as customized as citizens would like, and it has left out the little guy, says Spence. “The planning process needs to be user-friendly and adaptable, and reflect community priorities like supporting a diverse and sustainable economy, preserving the environment, recognizing cultural sensitivities, and simply reflecting human needs. It should also reflect the era of the internet and modern technology.”
With a planning degree, Spence has worked on Maui in the field for almost 20 years, both as a planner for the County and in the private sector as a consultant. “One of the things I particularly appreciate about my role now is that the County Department Directors work very collaboratively – we talk to each other all the time, and that really helps get things done.”
Jun 2, 2011 | Education
Fund recipients have been working hard on various STEM-related programs. Here’s a look at their progress.
On March 7-13, Maui Waena Media Club members competed in a national competition in Florida where they created a news show based on the word “obsession.” It was their first year competing and they had only 16 hours to plan, shoot and edit the entire show. View their video on School Tube.
Fun, 2, 3 Preschool in Kula are excitedly counting down the days until the eggs in their new incubator start hatching. The teachers and students are delighted with their new learning tools – books, incubator and printer – which have enhanced their school’s curriculum.
Students at Pomaikai Elementary School continue to grow their “Green Dream” project. The Green Dream outdoor classroom is a garden area at their school which not only helps students propagate plants for Waihe`e, but it is also teaching our budding youth about sustainability through hands-on experiences. Visit the Pomaikai Elementary School website to learn more.
Jun 2, 2011 | Education
For the third consecutive year, the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, will be a Tutor Sponsor for the MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund benefit dinner and auction.
“Any investment in our keiki will pay dividends for generations to come,” said Matt Bailey, Grand Wailea’s managing director. “In this regard, MEDB leads the charge and works tirelessly to help Maui educators provide our keiki with the skills they will need to lead our community into the future. Grand Wailea is proud to play a small part in this effort.”
Matt Bailey
In addition to serving as venue for the August 27 event, Grand Wailea is also generously offering a special rate for this year’s attendees.
- $169 per night (plus portage, housekeeping + applicable taxes)
- Daily resort charge waived
- Overnight valet parking waived (if used)
- Room rate available between August 24-31, 2011
Call Grand Wailea at 808-875-1234 to make your room reservations. Mention the MEDB event rate and reference “MEDB” when booking your room. Limited number of rooms available. For more information on this year’s MEDB Ke Alahele Education Fund benefit dinner and auction, click here.
Jun 2, 2011 | Innovation
As announced by Hawaiian Electric Co. and reported in The Maui News (May 19, 2011), Maui has been selected as the site for a “smart grid” renewable energy demonstration project, with an investment of approximately $37 million from the Japan-based New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Japanese and American energy partners will collaborate on the multimillion dollar project, which is aimed at improving integration of variable renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind power, and preparing the electric system for widespread use of electric vehicles.
The organizations partnering on the project include: the U.S. Department of Energy; the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT); the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii; Hawaiian Electric Company; Maui Electric Company; and NEDO, an entity under the government of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The six Japanese companies that will work with U.S. project partners to develop and install smart-grid technologies on Maui include Hitachi Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd., Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd., Sharp Corp., JFE Engineering Corp. and Cyber Defense Institute Inc.
Installation of the smart-grid technology is expected to begin in late 2012, with the project becoming operational in 2013. The project is scheduled to run from 2013 to 2015.
“With its high levels of variable renewable energy, Maui is a perfect location to test these smart-grid technologies,” said Richard Rocheleau, director of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii. “Through this Japanese-U.S. partnership, we can demonstrate how these technologies can help solve Maui’s energy challenges and be used in other parts of the world, especially on other island systems such as ours.”
“Like Hawaii, Japan is looking for ways to better use clean energy on smaller electric systems that serve individual islands. By pooling our resources and our expertise, we can develop solutions that will help significantly increase our use of clean energy sources,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president.
Hawaiian Electric officials said that the project will include installation of smart controls in Kihei, South Maui, at the regional and neighborhood levels to improve integration of variable renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic systems and controls to manage electric vehicle charging stations and battery storage systems. This NEDO project will also collaborate with an existing U.S. Department of Energy-funded project by installing the same smart control systems within the project site in the Wailea area of Maui.
The project is aimed at being a solution to one of the biggest challenges in integrating an existing power grid with renewable energy, which fluctuates depending on whether it’s windy or the sun is shining. Electric grids need a consistent, reliable source of power, which so far has been provided primarily through turbines driven by diesel or other fossil fuels.
“A smarter electric grid is a promising solution to one of the biggest challenges in deploying more renewable energy in Hawaii,” said Estrella Seese, acting energy program administrator for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Energy Office. “Technical innovations such as smart-grid applications will increase the island grid’s capability to minimize the system reliability impact of interconnected renewable energy resources and can make Hawaii a model for other areas around the world that face similar conditions,” she said.
In addition, to help prepare the Maui electric grid for widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the project will use an advanced charging management system to connect Maui Electric Company system controls with charging stations island-wide, allowing Maui Electric to actively manage electric vehicle charging to balance generation and load. With this advanced system, Maui Electric can make better use of the wind and solar power on the island.
The project is part of the Hawaii-Okinawa Partnership on Clean and Efficient Energy Development and Deployment, which was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy; the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan; the state of Hawaii; and the prefecture of Okinawa in June 2010.
