Jan 13, 2011 | Community, Sustainability
For many of Maui’s residents, it’s hard now to remember what life was like before the current public bus system got off the ground in 2004. That was shortly after the initial Focus Maui Nui civic engagement process had identified addressing infrastructure challenges as a top priority in our community. Latest ridership figures show that in 2010, an average of more than 6,000 trips are taken each day by bus. Clearly, the system is addressing the needs of a significant number of residents.
The bus system is operated by the County of Maui in part through Federal support. “The uncertainty regarding Federal “earmark” funding represents a major challenge in the coming months to maintaining our successful public bus system,” says Jo Anne Johnson, the incoming Director of the County’s Department of Transportation. Service is provided by Roberts Hawaii and is available in and between communities in Central, South, West and Upcountry Maui. 
The bus system operates seven days a week, including holidays, and costs $1 per boarding, with daily and monthly passes also available. The system also features a commuter service (costing $2) designed for early morning and evening travelers to/from Wailea and Kapalua. All route and fare information as well as schedules are posted on the County website at www.mauicounty.gov/bus
One further windfall from the increase in public transit use is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and savings in imported fossil fuel as a result of passengers switching from using cars. “The higher gas prices have risen, the more passengers are choosing to ride the bus,” says Jo Anne Johnson. The system represents a promising step towards greater island sustainability.
Do you use the Public Bus system? How often?
Dec 29, 2010 | Community
The Chinese astrological symbol of the coming new year is appropriate for Maui County, Hawaii and the nation: 2011 will be the Year of the Rabbit, to be celebrated on the new moon on February 3rd. Chinese tradition holds the rabbit as a symbol of hope, an amiable, sensitive, modest and merciful pet of the moon goddess Chang’e.
For hope in our community, we need look no further than our children, who inspire us by their achievements, their adaptability, and their willingness to learn. In school, on the sports field, and in the community, we see them leading by example and setting the bar higher than ever. On environmental issues in particular, our youth are leading the way for sustainable solutions.
All of us can learn from the optimism of our children, and their tireless quest to understand the world around them. In the moments of their discoveries, we can celebrate with them, and experience the time-honored adage that “hope springs eternal”.
Dec 22, 2010 | Community
Meeting human needs is a core Focus Maui Nui community value, and providing our less fortunate keiki with presents at Christmas time certainly meets this priority. We can take pride that our community has already proved more generous than ever this year.
One of the toy drives is coordinated by the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Maui, through an impressive partnership of businesses, organizations, and individuals. This year, more than 1,500 abused and neglected children or those currently in the
judicial system represented by 25 Maui agencies will benefit from the community’s generosity and receive a toy or gift this Christmas.
The toy drive programs are not just about gifts; they demonstrate the compassion of our community and express the underlying message to our keiki that they are not alone, and that there are many who care and want the best for them. “It’s a very positive
message that’s not lost on our children,” observes Randy Echito, Executive Director of the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center. “It’s especially appropriate at Christmas time, when the message is love for others.”
Among the agencies supported by the Friends’ gift giving program are Child Welfare Services (Department of Human Services), Child and Family Service, Maui Family Support Services, Maui’s homeless shelters, and Women Helping Women.
Other toy drives on Maui include the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, which is administered on Maui by the Salvation Army, which distributed over 7,000 toys in Maui County during the Christmas season in 2009. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui, A Keiki’s Dream, the Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union are among other organizations that also fill a very special need for thousands of our keiki at this special time of year.
Dec 8, 2010 | Community
Pūlama Collier with her son Kia‘i Collier, a Kula Kaiapuni senior at King Kekaulike High School.
“Our public schools have been a mainstay for maintaining the consciousness of Hawaiian traditions without the community knowing it,” reflects Pūlama Collier, State Resource Teacher with the Department of Education for Hawaiian Language Immersion Program at King Kekaulike High School.
The immersion program on Maui, Kula Kaiapuni, has been an integral part of preserving Hawaiian culture on the island since 1989, when its first Kindergarten class began at Paia School. Today, there are about 220 students participating in Hawaiian language immersion classes at 4 public schools on Maui: Two at the elementary level (Paia School and Princess Nahienaena Elementary in Lahaina); Kalama Intermediate (Makawao); and King Kekaulike High School (Pukalani).
Statewide, there are 26 language immersion sites, with each island and community offering different models. In some cases, on Oahu and the Big Island, whole schools offer Hawaiian language immersion. On Maui, Kula Kaiapuni is “a school within a school”, as Pūlama observes, with certain classes offering instruction in all subjects in the medium of the Hawaiian language. Within the program, English language arts as a subject is introduced at the 5th grade level to ensure bilingual skills. Kula Kaiapuni, mandated by the State Constitution, is offered by the Department of Education to all families that choose it for their children.
Last week, Kula Kaiapuni students from all four Maui school sites participated in Na Mele O Maui, the annual Hawaiian Song and Art competition, held at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. They distinguished themselves by winning either first or second place in the music categories.
Nov 11, 2010 | Community
Elections represent the will of citizens and election year 2010 was no different.
Congratulations are due to candidates who will be sworn in to offices in Maui County, the Hawaii State Legislature, the 5th floor of the State Capitol and in Congress, but also to the candidates who offered voters a choice in ideas, philosophy and records.
The results will mean change in the Maui County Council and Hawaii State Legislature, in the Maui mayor’s seat and in the governor’s office. The results also mean change in many state and county departments as new appointees take over as directors and managers.
But if campaign slogans mean anything, there will be no change to perpetuation of core community values espoused by the constituency of Focus Maui Nui.
With the incoming leaders of the State of Hawaii, voters can be assured of attention to quality education as selection of members of the Board of Education is turned over to the new governor under the constitutional amendment approved by voters. Even as they differed on how to achieve the goals, returning incumbents and successful challengers all voiced support for values articulated by the participants of the Focus Maui Nui process: fostering quality education, preserving the Islands’ environmental and cultural resources, promoting targeted economic development and meeting the social and infrastructural needs of the community.
Those values are essential components of a healthy future for Maui Nui. The Focus Maui Nui process will continue to pursue consensus on strategies that provide quality opportunities for the residents of Maui County.
We look forward to the work ahead.
Nov 4, 2010 | Community
Meeting human needs and preserving local culture are twin core values espoused by our community through the Focus Maui Nui process. Sharon Balidoy, a social worker at Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center (QLCC) in Wailuku, is a prime example of a practitioner active on both fronts, making profound contributions to the community.
QLCC is one of ten units statewide founded by the Queen Lili`uokalani Trust; the trust was founded over a century ago. “The work of the Children’s Center is to offer support and counseling services for Hawaiian orphans and their `ohana,” says Balidoy. “Family strengthening services are also provided to children living apart from their biological parents.”
Central to the mission of QLCC is perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and spirituality, and at the Wailuku Center, this means activities such as crafts, music, dance, and site visits to instill a sense of place. Balidoy estimates that QLCC reaches over a thousand children on Maui. “Our staff consists mostly of social workers working in specific communities, and an important aspect of our work is functioning as an effective team”, says Balidoy.
Balidoy is an expert on teamwork – she is a highly-respected competitive outrigger canoe paddler and helped establish Lae`ula O Kai canoe club almost 20 years ago, based at Kanaha Beach Park in Kahului. “Club members have put a lot of work into Park improvements, observes Balidoy. “Participating in community work days and keeping cultural traditions in mind are cornerstones of the club’s activities.”
Over the years, Balidoy has also been intimately involved in hula – she founded the Hālau Hula Alapa`i I Maluuluolele – “another one of my families,” she chuckles. “I studied under my mother, and for my sister and I, hula was a way of life. Now we both teach. The chants and hula are not about competition or seeking perfection. We practice out of respect for our ancestors and to understand their ways and the places they knew and memorialized.” Balidoy leads classes in Lahaina and Paukukalo.
Oct 30, 2010 | Community
Just a reminder to everyone to cast your vote, either at your polling place or by absentee.
Voting is an essential part of our democratic process, by which you choose the representatives in your government who make decisions that affect you, your family and your community.
For more information, visit the State of Hawai`i Office of Elections website.
Oct 8, 2010 | Community
The conversation was polite, if occasionally pointed, as Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona and former U.S. Congressman Neil Abercrombie made clear they agreed on defining issues even as they differed on how state government can respond.
The Republican and Democratic nominees for governor appeared Wednesday, October 6 in “Focus 2010: A Gubernatorial Conversation,” a forum broadcast statewide by Hawaii Public Radio and the state’s community television stations. The forum was sponsored by Maui Economic Development Board and Hawaii Public Radio with support from the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Akaku: Maui Commuity Television and UH Maui College.
“Focus 2010 was a tremendous success in providing an opportunity for the community on Maui to question the candidates for governor on concerns relevant to the Neighbor Islands,” said MEDB President Jeanne Unemori Skog. “Through the Focus Maui Nui initiative, MEDB is fostering community participation in decisions of land use, water use, education and economic growth. We appreciate the cooperation of these candidates in informing the community of their views.”
For all the contentiousness in campaign advertising in the gubernatorial race, the two partisan candidates demonstrated they could agree on key points. Both said they support the counties’ allocation of the state’s hotel room tax, with Abercrombie adding the historical note that he was in the Legislature when the tax was created to have visitors pay a share of the costs of services that they use. Both spoke on the need to deal with the high costs of interisland transportation but neither offered concrete solutions to make traveling between island less costly. Both cited the cost of fuel as a factor in the costs.
Both spoke positively of the benefits of astronomy in Hawaii in spurring creation of science and technology jobs, citing plans for a 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea. The Hawaii site was selected by TMT Observatory Corp. for what would be the Earth’s largest optical telescope. Both also recognized the observatories on Mauna Kea and Haleakala raise cultural and environmental concerns. Abercrombie took a positive approach, saying the early Polynesians who first populated Hawaii were students of astronomy, and observatories on Mauna Kea are an extension of that traditional knowledge.
“They arrived here because of their knowledge of the skies and because of their faith in their capacity to understand their world. They could be seen as the first Polynesian astronomers,” he said. While saying he supports space research, Aiona was more cautious, noting that economic developments have impacts on Native Hawaiian culture that need to be aired before a project is initiated.
“When it comes to every project, everyone needs to be at the table,” he said. Both support development of alternative energy resources to reduce Hawaii’s dependence on oil. Aiona cited progress by the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative to support renewable energy research and development, set up by Gov. Linda Lingle. “We have set a goal of reducing our use of oil by 50 percent by 2018. With the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, I think we can do it,” he said.
Abercrombie cited the potential for tapping wind, solar, wave and geothermal energy resources in Hawaii, and cited the success of Pacific Biodiesel in converting waste cooking oil into a transportation fuel. But when Abercrombie referred to his plan for an Energy Authority that would support alternative energy development, Aiona rebutted that it would only create another bureaucracy standing in the way of energy development.
There was convergence and contention in their positions on education as well. Aiona spoke of the Lingle-Aiona administration’s support for STEM education programs in Hawaii’s schools, noting that the state’s efforts to promote Robotics competitions has blossomed. Abercrombie in turn spoke in favor of decentralizing school decision-making to allow individual schools to manage their allocations.
But when Aiona cited the Department of Education’s success in winning a federal Race to the Top award, a $75 million competitive grant to school districts to support plans for increasing student achievement, Abercrombie pointed out it was a federal grant, the kind of government spending that Aiona has been criticizing.
When Aiona said he would order an audit of the Department of Education “so we will know how the money is being spent,” Abercrombie said, “The last thing we need is an audit, the last thing we need is another study.”
The 90-minute forum is being rebroadcast by Akaku on cable Channels 53 and 54 through Oct. 11. A schedule of the broadcasts can be found at www.medb.org/video.
Hawaii Public Radio will broadcast another gubernatorial forum on Oct. 18, with HPR Hawaii correspondent Sherry Bracken as moderator. HPR News Director Kayla Rosenfeld was moderator for Focus 2010.
What are your thoughts on the debate? Please leave a comment below or let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
Sep 6, 2010 | Community
Hawaii voters increasingly are taking advantage of early voting by mail or at absentee voting sites. In the 2008 General Election, 35 percent of all Maui voters were early voters—18,229 absentees to 33,810 at the polls. Statewide, 38.5 percent of voters turned in absentee ballots.
Beginning this year, there’s an option for Hawaii voters to receive a mail-in ballot for all elections as long as they maintain their current voting address. Applications for a Permanent Absentee Voter Ballot can be picked up at the Elections Office of the Maui County Clerk, 7th floor, Kalana O Maui, 200 S. High St., or downloaded from the State Elections Office website: http://hawaii.gov/elections/voters
Information and applications for regular mail-in voting also are on the site: http://hawaii.gov/elections/voters/voteabsentee.htm
Applications for mail-in ballots are being accepted through Sept. 11. Mail-in ballots must be delivered to the Maui County Clerk’s office by 6 p.m. on Primary Election Day. County Clerk Jeff Kuwada urged early voters to be that: Get your ballots in early.
Voters who already have decided on their choices can begin walk-in voting on Friday, Sept. 3, through Sept. 11. Walk-in voting will be held:
- Maui County Elections Office, 7th floor/Kalana O Maui, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- On Molokai, Mitchell Pauole Center.
For many of Maui’s residents, it’s hard now to remember what life was like before the current public bus system got off the ground in 2004. That was shortly after the initial Focus Maui Nui civic engagement process had identified addressing infrastructure challenges as a top priority in our community. Latest ridership figures show that in 2010, an average of more than 6,000 trips are taken each day by bus. Clearly, the system is addressing the needs of a significant number of residents.
The bus system operates seven days a week, including holidays, and costs $1 per boarding, with daily and monthly passes also available. The system also features a commuter service (costing $2) designed for early morning and evening travelers to/from Wailea and Kapalua. All route and fare information as well as schedules are posted on the County website at www.mauicounty.gov/bus
