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?
Jan 6, 2011 | Small Business
The New Year is a time of renewed optimism, and for all of us, including business, to look ahead. Small businesses are key players in economic sustainability, as the Focus Maui Nui process has verified. Bill and Maureen Marrs believe being in business means respecting and taking care of people—starting with the people closest to them, their children.
Those personal values are the key reasons their Marmac Ace Hardware Store will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2011 after being named the 2010 SBA Family-Owned Business of the Year for Maui County. The 4th generation of the Marrs-McCurdy family is working at the store, alongside several dozen other employees who might as well be family.
Running a successful small business takes a personal commitment to customers, but also to employees. It also takes flexibility to adapt to changing economic conditions while understanding what the customer needs – even if the customer doesn’t know. The key is having staff that knows.
“Among my employees, we have 150 diplomas in trades. Everybody is certified in my plumbing and electrical sections. All the employees in the departments not only have know how to sell it, they have to know how to replace it,” Marrs says. It means providing training for the staff, providing compensation and benefits that keep them onboard and respecting their opinions, he says.
“I think we have it right with the campaigns to buy locally and to support home-grown businesses. You want to keep the money here on Maui, where the dollars are spent again right here on the island,” says Marrs. “I believe in leadership. I believe if somebody else has a better idea, we’ll go with that idea. I believe you respect and reward your employees.”
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 17, 2010 | Education
We need your help with securing a major grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Island Innovation Fund. The process is now in the “Collaboration” phase and we need feedback to strengthen our proposal before the final submission.
Please review our proposal at the Island Innovation Fund website and give us your candid feedback by leaving a comment on their site—positive and negative—by noon, Monday December 20.
The Island Innovation Fund is a groundbreaking approach to advancing extraordinary innovations for our community. It is looking for projects that are innovative, ripe, scalable, leveraged, and achievable. It is expected that no more than 8 grants will be awarded.
In our proposed concept, MEDB builds on the Focus Maui Nui community engagement program to create a Civic Engagement System™. This “high tech, high touch” system is centered on the internet and mobile devices, with a phone app that will expand and transform the penetration of Focus Maui Nui.
The Civic Engagement System™ will strengthen and enliven community engagement on issues identified as priorities by the community and will mobilize greater numbers of constituents in policy and decision-making processes. The system extends informed discourse by continuing the Focus Maui Nui practice of making it as convenient as possible for residents to participate.
We look forward to hearing from you by Monday December 20th. If you prefer to call with comments, please contact John Harrisson at 808 270-6806.
Dec 15, 2010 | Small Business
Focus Maui Nui participants have consistently cited the value of small businesses in our community as an important economic asset. One small business that has survived successfully in a changing marketplace is Hamai Appliance, in large part because it has adapted to the change. But a business also survives by doing what it does best. Doing both is Hamai Appliance’s not-so-well-kept secret to success.
“We’re fortunate that we’re still around, but I think one of the reasons is we continue to provide servicing for what we sell,” says President Clyde Hamai. “That’s what makes us different from our larger competitors; we do our own servicing.”
The last independent appliance/electronics businesses on Maui, Hamai recalled when all the appliance stores were locally owned businesses. Maui’s growth brought more customers, and it also brought the warehouse retailers.
Since his parents, Lester and Clara Hamai, founded the appliance business in September 1969, the business has adjusted its product line. It relies on mainstays Panasonic and GE, but there are new lines such as top-end brands like Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Thermador – and new merchandise such as Simmons mattresses.
Hamai joined a national buying group to counter the purchasing strength of the “big box” warehouse stores and set up its own website, www.hamai.appliance.com. “The customers have changed too,” observes Hamai. But Hamai Appliance customers know what they are getting: quality products, service and a staff of 18 people who know their products. “When you’re small, everybody has to do everything,” he says.
“Sure, the larger stores may sometimes undercut us on pricing, but we have a track record for servicing. At most of our competitors, if something breaks, the customer has to find someone else to fix it, and there are some brands for which there is no local servicing available. We even keep records of our customer’s major purchases in our system so they won’t have to worry about warranty information. Our customers recognize that.”
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.
Dec 1, 2010 | Education
Iokepa Nae`ole proudly traces his family’s ancestry back to the time of King Kamehameha’s infancy, on the Big Island. Teaching comes naturally to Nae`ole and the vocation has always run in his family. Many know Nae`ole as a canoe paddling coach; he has been an integral part of the statewide success of the Kahului-based Hawaiian Canoe Club and helped guide King Kekaulike High School to a State paddling championship in 2004. He is also an active environmentalist, cultural advocate, and mentor.
Nae`ole’s latest project is the Hawaii Outdoor Experience, a pilot educational initiative funded by the State Office of Youth Services and administered through Neighborhood Place of Wailuku. The program provides up to 80 teenagers with after-school and weekend activities, and “campovers”; parents are invited to go through the program too. Ropes courses offer team building, personal development, trust and leadership skills. Canoe paddling provides a healthy outlet and a metaphor for community life. To function successfully, a canoe crew needs to move in the same direction, contribute to the team while focusing on their specific task, and place trust in the steersman. Long-distance runs and canoe excursions are planned for some weekends.
“We need to educate our young people about traditional values, stewardship, and community life,” says Nae`ole. “The cultural element of the HOE curriculum is about connectedness, developing kinship with the land and ocean. My philosophy revolves around the 3 “E”’s: Experience, exposing youth to real world situations and to the natural world, away from electronics, the mall, and other superficial, material things; Education, especially on environmental and cultural issues; and Empowerment – letting young people know they can to something about their world, whether it’s taking personal action, writing to a County or State official, or attending an event.
“Prevention is an important aspect of the program,” adds Nae`ole. “The young people get so involved and feel so good about their activities, maintaining a positive outlook, they don’t waste their time or have opportunities to get into trouble.”
Nov 24, 2010 | Education
When a state-of-the-art photovoltaic (PV) system was installed on the roof of the Ke Alahele building in the Maui Research and Technology Park, a unique opportunity presented itself for two Maui students to show what they could
contribute. The PV system is linked to a sophisticated energy storage system, demonstrating the technical potential of cutting-edge technologies as Maui County moves to increase renewable energy sources and reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuel.
It took Kurt Rasos and Nick Mahoney, working as interns with the Maui Economic Development Board in Spring 2010, to explain the system details clearly and concisely in terms a nontechnical audience can understand – an important
teaching tool. The final display makes it readily apparent that the technology demonstrated here can be scaled up to make larger renewable energy generation with battery storage installations a reality. The PV system not only powers parts of the Ke Alahele building, but the batteries serve as a buffer to the MECO system and turn the training room into an emergency preparedness facility with back-up power.
Nick, a senior at King Kekaulike High School, and Kurt, a recent graduate of Maui High School who currently attends the Art Institute of Portland, are both Project EAST students. They joined forces to create a series of explanatory
displays on the PV energy system and an informative brochure for people to take with them. Nick, the engineering half of the team, explains the process: “We took what we learned about PV panels and put it together so we could explain it to people who don’t have any background in electricity or technology.” Kurt, the graphic designer, comments: “It was really fun. I learned a lot about the technology and I enjoyed working on the explanations.” Both interns say they have been inspired by what they learned. “It’s all part of the learning stream,” says Nick.
Nov 17, 2010 | Innovation
Earlier this month, 27 robotics teams competed in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) 2010 Maui District Tournament. It was a fun, challenging, and exciting event for more than 300 students as well as teachers, advisers, and parents at the Maui High School Gymnasium.
It was just five years ago that MEDB’s Women in Technology program made grants to two Central Maui 4-H robotics teams—the Bunnies and the Ladybugs—to battle it out in the first Maui FLL qualifier in a pilot project funded by the USDA. The Bunnies became the Maui Girls and the 4-H club, with the same leaders, are still going strong, winning the Robot Performance award this month and qualifying for the State FLL Championships next month.
Since those early days, MEDB has leveraged further funding and resources from USDA, the Department of Education, the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), and established the Ke Alahele Education Fund to support robotics programs across the County, both by direct funding and provision of equipment and computers. The Ke Alahele Fund is supported, in turn, by many businesses, non-profits, and individuals seeking to develop the STEM skill base of Maui’s students.
In 2010, MEDB estimates it has already directed approximately $150,000 to robotics programs, events, and training, in support of FIRST Lego League, VEX robotics, Botball, and FIRST robotics.
“The rapid growth in robotics participation and student proficiency is highly gratifying,” observes Leslie Wilkins, Program Director for Women in Technology. “It validates and confirms the importance of our community investment and commitment over the last few years. It bodes very well for our future.”
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
