Three new electric-vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations are now open to the public at the Queen Kaahumanu Center in Central Maui, Pi’ilani Village Shopping Center in South Maui and Lahaina Aquatic Center in West Maui. Owned and operated by Hawaiian Electric, the publicly accessible fast chargers offer a lower rate during daytime hours to encourage charging when solar energy is typically abundant.
Hawaiian Electric previously brought another fast-charging station online in August at the Pukalani Terrace Center in Upcountry Maui. These four completed sites were selected to cover a broad geographic driving range around the island. They previously accommodated charging infrastructure for the members-only EVohana program that was retired in July 2020.
“Thank you to our four partnering site owners and the EV drivers on the island for their continued support of our efforts to expand the public-charging options on Maui,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities. “Electrification of transportation is a major part of our goals to help reduce our state’s overall fuel consumption.”
The new fast-chargers can provide about 43 miles of additional range for a typical EV in 15 minutes. The fast-charger supports CHAdeMO, used by EVs like the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla with their proprietary adaptor, and CCS, used by American and European EVs like the BMW i3 and used as an option on the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Charging sessions can be initiated in several ways, including smartphone apps to credit cards.
Property owners who offer their sites for publicly accessible EV charging play a critical role in helping to increase the adoption of electric vehicles and use of renewable energy on the island. “My administration is committed to furthering our community’s clean energy and clean transportation transformation,” said County of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino. “We will help meet our community’s need for dependable EV charging and encourage EV adoption.”
Ed Krampitz, Queen Kaahumanu Center management added, “We are excited to partner with Hawaiian Electric to add these new EV chargers. Shoppers can now receive a fast and reliable charge, while enjoying a variety of stores and restaurants at the Center.”
The EV Maui charging rate is $0.28 per kilowatt-hour between 9 am and 5 pm, $0.40 per kWh between 5 pm and 10 pm, and $0.38 per kWh between 10 pm and 9 am.
Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities
The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (MNHCoC) presented a virtual talk-story session about Hālau Perseverance. MNHCoC’s mission is to promote and sustain Hawaiian culture, nurture a strong community of Hawaiian values, and enhance opportunities for success in business and education.
Hālau hula (hula instruction) was discussed by speakers Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel and Kauʻi Kanaka’ole. They talked story about cultural nurturing and endurance from a traditional hālau perspective. Reichel, a world-class performer, best-selling recording artist, and multiple award-winning kumu hula, has been at the forefront of the revival of Hawai’ian culture. Kanaka‘ole is a kumu hula trained in the renowned Hālau o Kekuhi with more than 20 years of experience in cultural advocacy. She has 14 years of teaching experience, including 11 years at Hana School.
“Kanaka’ole and Reichel are not only talented and experienced kumu hula, but also successful business and cultural entrepreneurs,” observed Frank De Rego Jr., President of the MNHCoC. “They remind us that adaptability in times of tremendous stress and volatility must be rooted in the foundational vision and values of a business, focusing especially on the welfare of others and not oneself alone.”
Reichel noted, “In the wake of the inconceivable, such as a global pandemic like Covid-19, cultural education, language, dances and storytelling have long thrived in the hālau hula. The hālau has survived multiple disruptions throughout Hawai’i’s history including the deadly epidemics of 1848, being forced underground during the missionary era, World War II, and the advent of industrial tourism. Businesses can learn from the hālau’s traditional values, ethics and cultural passion to emerge whole after this pandemic, through life lessons, character building and responsibility.”
Kanaka’ole added, “The hālau’s mission encourages a deep appreciation of Hawaiian cultural arts, leadership and teamwork skills, and the preservation of our āina. From generation to generation we must encompass many aspects of the cultural lifestyle in a learning environment where creativity thrives with a particular focus on music and hula. Students in the hālau range from keiki to kupuna. They are taught all aspects of traditional Hawaiian values that motivate and inspire them and can be applied in any circumstance.”
Covid-19 gave us time for reflection to appreciate and be grateful for all that we have. Hālau perseverance helps us adapt and still retain what is important.
Kealiʻi Reichel, Award-winning Kumu Hula and Recording Artist
Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani School of Maui, surrounded by the beauty of ‘Īao Valley, is a rare treasure in the community. The independent, nonprofit Hawaiian language school, founded in 2016, is located on the Hawai’i Nature Center campus. Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani is the only school in the state to offer a curriculum of Hawaiian language, culture, and a common core grading system created entirely by the kumu (teacher).
“Our goal is to ensure our students can be successful in anything they choose to be in the future because of the solid and well-rounded Hawaiian culture and language foundation that connects them to each other and to these lands,” said Kahu Kekai Robinson, Po’o Kula (Head of School). “Wailuku has historically been a hub for literacy and education , and we are doing our small part to honor and continue that here in the heart of ‘Īao Valley.”
The schools current program, a COVID-19 hybrid 20 percent online, 80 percent on-campus schedule with a shortened school day, supports 20 keiki in grades kindergarten through grade four, with the hope to accommodate twice that number of students in the coming years. Beginning next year, the school will add a fifth grade to accommodate the graduating fourth graders. “We strive to inspire a lifelong love of learning by cultivating an enriching environment in which diverse students grow to be united, confident, and globally competitive servant-leaders who think critically and creatively to contribute to the betterment of Maui, Hawai’i, and the world,” said Robinson.
Kumu Kehani Guerrero, Po’okumu Lead Teacher & Curriculum Director, explained, “Our curriculum is supplemented by Hawaiian practitioners in the classroom to leverage community resources and provide real-life cultural experiences. Alongside the Hawaiian cultural enrichment classes, we are able to contextualize the hands-on work into lessons in math, science, reading, writing, and art. Ka Piko Kaiao (family classes) are also designed to integrate with the school curriculum to enable family members to learn alongside the students and extend their education into the home. We hope to offer our Hawaiian language and cultural courses to the community in the 2020-21 school year.”
We get to use what we learn from being outdoors in this beautiful valley and connect it to all our studies. Plus, we learn Hawaiian culture, language, history, and values. We love this school!
Maui TechOhana meetings are back! Presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui, the first virtual Zoom meeting provided an informal networking opportunity open to anyone interested in Maui County’s business and technology industries. Invited guest Doug Nelson, Founder, President and CEO of Kinection, spoke on the topic ‘We’re All Startups Again’.
“Whether you call it the “Post-Covid landscape,” the “big reset,” or the “new normal,” it is clear that we need to adapt our businesses in order to survive and thrive,” said Nelson “Our markets, our channels, and even our customers have changed, and will likely continue to for the foreseeable future.”
Discussing the questions startups face daily, Nelson explained how to adapt products and services so that customers are met where they are; how to continue to provide value; how to find new customers to serve; and how to take advantage of new opportunities that did not exist last year. The participants considered some practical techniques from the startup world that helped professionals and businesses to (re)connect with customers, (re)imagine themselves, and (re)discover product-market fit. Attendees also looked at some local examples and considered how to apply the techniques to their personal situation.
“The fundamental activity of a startup is to turn ideas into products, measure how customers respond, and then learn whether to pivot or persevere,” Nelson said “Using the Lean Startup Methodology, whose core is the build-measure-learn cycle, startups better understand their customers and develop products that the customers are looking for. Part of this methodology is Customer Discovery and Experimentation. This principled approach teaches you how to drive a startup, how to steer, when to turn, and when to persevere, to grow a business with maximum acceleration. Companies can create order, not chaos, by continuously providing tools to test a vision. By the time the product is ready to be distributed widely, it could already have established customers.” The participants agreed, “When markets, channels, customers and products are in flux, we are truly all startups again. Sharing personal experiences was a valuable takeaway for the community. Thank you, MEDB!”
MEDB’s Maui TechOhana presentation was a relevant topic in today’s pandemic-ravaged industry, offering an opportunity for participants to talk to others with similar professional interests.
Doug Nelson, Founder, President and CEO of Kinection
George Kahumoku, Jr., known as Uncle George, is a multi-Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning Hawaiian slack key guitar master, songwriter, touring performer, teacher, artist, storyteller, author, and entrepreneur. The Maui slack key legend is currently also a farmer with his wife Nancy at the Cliffs of Kahakuloa. “We are a small, sustainable farm in the West Maui mountains,” said Uncle George. “We have mini-horses, chickens, ducks, goats and sheep, and we raise all manner of fruits and vegetables, you name it! We also feed our animals our own high-protein grains.”
Uncle George has won several statewide and national awards for farming. In 1993 he graduated from the Hawaiˊi State Agricultural Leadership Program. He is a community leader who taught a special motivation program at Lahainaluna High School for 20 years, and has worked with children in native language studies, farming, and other programs.
Beginning his day at 3am every morning, Uncle George uses natural indigenous Native Hawaiian planting methods. Influenced by the Hawaiian moon calendar, he incorporates lots of composting, manure and mulch. He also mentors students, feeds the homeless, and shares his seeds and manaˊo with over 200 farms in Hawai’i and across the globe. The plants, herbs, animals, and food that he grows, sells, and shares are all grown with Aloha.
“My goal has always been to feed people and be sustainable,” Uncle George reflected. “I was raised by my great grandfather Willy Kahumoku in the traditional Hawaiian method of mala or dry-land style of farming; using animals and fowl in an integrated sustainable system. I made a film documentary titled Seeds of Aloha and authored and did the artwork for volume one and two of the book A Hawaiian Life”.
Hawaiian slack key guitarist Keola Beamer reflected, “My mom, Aunty Nona Beamer, gave Uncle George the title of Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man because of his bountiful gifts. I am constantly amazed at his unstoppable energy. His ability to channel that special mana of creativity and storytelling into his art, farming, music and everything he does, has always impressed me. That sure feels like renaissance to me!”
My great grandmother told me if I have a dream, and can smell it, taste it, and feel it, that vision is mine. I have been blessed with the opportunity to draw on my visions.
Uncle George Kahumoku, Jr., Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man
Beginning a new year often involves core values worthy of preservation. During her talk for the Nisei Veterans Ta-Ke Leadership Series, Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities, shared some of the values she grew up with. “My father, a Nisei Veteran, was a member of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Regiment known for their loyalty and perseverance during WWII,” said Suzuki. “The Nisei values taught to me by my parents influence my life even today. The first of these, Gamon, means to endure. Endurance is a virtue that continues to help me through trying times, and is especially important now for all of us challenged with the Covid-19 pandemic.”
While living and studying in Japan, Suzuki learned that she must be flexible, a Ta-Ke value meaning ‘bends with the wind, strong and grounded, like bamboo’. “I fell in love with Japan,” Suzuki reflected. “With a degree in Japanese studies, I decided to teach Japanese and learned the importance of flexibility while living abroad. During this time, I decided to also earn a business degree, which opened many opportunities for me.”
Another value her parents instilled is Kanzen-sei, integrity. “Learning how to turn a negative into a positive is especially important in this value; to take the high road and do the right thing,” Suzuki noted. “This centers around the Japanese value of Giri, duty and obligation. Kodomo no tame ni, sacrifice for the sake of the children, for the future, is also a key value. At Hawaiian Electric, that means pursuit of renewable energy, new programs and community solar projects. If we can continue to work together we can help grow the economy with clean reliable sources for our future generation.”
Concluding, Suzuki said, “The values from our parents are relevant today. I used Japanese terminology but other cultures share similar values, like the Hawaiian value of Ohana. Values are retained by becoming part of our everyday lives. Their real meaning and significance are not merely a time of obligations fulfilled, but also an occasion for rejoicing and celebrating intrinsic and time-honored meanings that are worth preserving.”
My Dad always encouraged and supported me. His advice, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ helped me to make major changes in my life when needed.
Sharon Suzuki, President, Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities
With the advent of the Julian calendar in 46BC, the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year, honoring the month’s namesake, Janus – Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. With the New Year upon us, it is time to look back and reflect and, after an extraordinary year, most will be looking forward to 2021 – looking forward to resolution with a different slant to the typical new year’s resolution.
“Happy New Year” is commonly expressed throughout the world, literally wishing someone happiness for the year ahead. This is translated to “Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou;” in Hawaiian, “makahiki” means “year.” The Makahiki season (around October through February) was celebrated in Hawaii for centuries as a peaceful time to enjoy harvest, feasts, religious ceremonies, and relaxation. The Mahahiki season also defined the transitional time between harvest and new planting —the new (agricultural) year.
The traditional greeting for Filipinos is “Manigong Bagong Taon,” meaning “Have a prosperous new year.” The Japanese have a different greeting based on the date – until December 31 they will say “Yoi Otoshi o” which conveys “good year end and greet the new year”. From January 1 the common expression is “Akemashite Omedetô (Gozaimasu)” conveying “congratulations for the New Year which is beginning.”
Other ways to greet in the new year around the world include: “Xin nian kuai le” pronounced shin nee-an kwai le (Mandarin, meaning “New Year happiness”); “Bonne Année” (French); Frohes Neues Jahr (German); “Feliz Año Nuevo” (Spanish); and Feliz Ano Novo (Portuguese.)
However you wish to express yourself as you venture into 2021, Maui Economic Development Board Ohana would like to be among the first to wish you “Hau’oli Makahiki Hou” and the very best for 2021 – Happy New Year!
Maui Economic Development Board Ohana would like to be among the first to wish you “Hau‘oli Makahiki Hou.” Happy New Year!
Street Bikers United Maui Chapter (SBU MC) helps collect and distribute Christmas toys in support of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. SBU, Maui County’s largest toy collector, accepts unwrapped toys and monetary donations for the nonprofit, and this year they did not let the pandemic slow them down. “Toys for Tots began in 1947,” said Jackie Foster, SBU MC secretary. “Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The 1947 campaign was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots and expanded it nationwide wherever a Marine Reserve Center was located. The initial objective remains the hallmark of the program today: bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children.”
Street Bikers United Hawaii (SBUH), a non-profit corporation, is on all islands. They are the state’s motorcyclists’ rights organization. Their agenda includes improving motorcycle safety through education, and motorist awareness. Today, SBUH continues to express motorcyclists’ interest and is the eyes, ears, and voice for the Hawaii motorcycle community.”
The SBU MC assists in local charitable events and community services throughout the year, as well as motorcycle safety training and rider awareness programs. “This 2020 Christmas, children are in extra need,” Foster noted. “Many families in Maui County are having a difficult time making ends meet. A portion of the money that we raised through car washes and generous donations went to purchasing bicycles and helmets for keiki of various ages, Tools 4 School, and our Covid Thanksgiving drive-thru meal event. Every year, our team drops off Toys for Tots Christmas donation boxes in Azeka shopping center and at various local businesses. Then, the toys collected go to the Salvation Army for their annual toy drive. We consider ourselves lucky to be part of such a wonderful community as Maui County. We have been blessed with charitable donations which have allowed us to be at least a small help during the Covid-19 outbreak. As always, we focus on our keiki and getting them what they may need.”
SBU MC helps make a child’s Christmas a little bit happier.
The Sacred Garden, an upcountry Maui treasure, is an extraordinarily peaceful experience. Operated by the nonprofit Divine Nature Alliance and free to the public, the Garden serves as a place of rejuvenation, education, and inspiration for the community. Upon entering, visitors find a two-level greenhouse environment with exquisite Hawai’ian flora and fauna, water lily ponds, sitting and picnic areas, plus two labyrinths for walking meditations. The unique greenhouse and gift shop, stocked full of locally made artwork, jewelry, books, healing stones, and special Maui gifts, offer numerous ideas for holiday shoppers.
“The Sacred Garden is really a service of aloha, said Maui author Eve Hogan, Sacred Garden founder and executive director. “Whether you delight in our heartwarming displays, marvel over our myriad plants, or if your visit is of a more personal nature—to meditate, pray, grieve or walk the labyrinths—you will leave the Sacred Garden more balanced and restored than when you entered.”
Hogan continued, “One of our missions is to provide a serene place in the beauty of raw nature where guests can close their eyes in silence and feel safe and secure. We feel strongly that alone time in nature heals, inspires, and rebalances. The Garden is a place where you can let down your guard and go inward, creating a world in which peace, respect, and compassion are the norm.”
The Sacred Garden labyrinths are integral to the service that the garden provides. As a walking path of peace and contemplation, the labyrinths provide a place for introspection, prayer, gaining new perspectives and releasing stress. “When one understands that we walk the labyrinth to learn about ourselves, it becomes a rich field of self-discovery,” Hogan explained. “The language of the labyrinth is metaphor, and thus everything you experience or notice on the labyrinth can shine light on something you are invited to look at in your life off the labyrinth.”
Sacred Garden horticulturist Catherine Vangstad said, “When I think of the Sacred Garden I think of a safe place, a sanctuary for the community. It brings me great joy to be part of something so special.”
The Sacred Garden supports people in making the decision to care for themselves, each other, and the planet we live on.
Eve Hogan, The Sacred Garden, Founder and Executive Director
Throughout the pandemic, the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center offered a once-a-month Ta-Ke Leadership Series. They asked outstanding leaders in the community to share their insights on current issues and how we can get past today’s obstacles as we begin to resume our daily lives after months of social distancing.
Invited speaker David Lassner, the 15th president of the University of Hawaii (UH), gave a virtual talk on his current UH agenda. Lassner, who leads the UH 10-campus system and the flagship research university at Manoa, is focused on helping more Hawaii residents earn college credentials, on developing an innovation sector to strengthen the state’s economy, and on creating high-quality jobs. Also, he is advancing UH’s commitments to sustainability and to becoming a model indigenous-serving university.
“My aim is to help take the state to a better place post-pandemic,” said Lassner. “Recently, the salaries of UH employees were reduced as we continue to prepare for the significant budget shortfall caused by COVID-19. The salary reductions follow other cost-saving measures across the system as UH invests in diversification of our revenue sources to enhance opportunities and growth.”
UH provides a transformational environment that brings learning and discovery to life, allowing students to embrace the practical applications of their chosen fields. Lassner wants to further develop economic sectors for a resilient and sustainable economy that includes computer science, engineering, astronomy, climate change, energy, green jobs, sustainable tourism, creative media, agri/aquaculture, and much more. He praised Maui Economic Development Board for decades of innovative services supporting Maui County start-ups, jobs, investments, and STEM programs, as well as for their Kama’aina Come Home Program.
Lassner concluded, “COVID showed us a silver lining that remote work is now possible, which is an extra push towards a technology economy for the state. Like much of the country over the last seven months, UH also emphasized online distance learning. Now, we need to work as a community to diversify and strengthen our economy. Our future must be more sustainable and equitable than the economy shattered by the pandemic. We need to build it together.”
I truly believe that UH is the most important institution to shape a more positive, sustainable and thriving future for our state.
