DECEMBER ISSUE 20212
Ed. Note: Eh Brahs are submitted by readers. We love it when they catch someone doing good. But sometimes people need a space to vent—and sometimes folks need to be called out for their badSendbehavior.yoursuggestions for future Eh Brahs to jacob@mauitimes.org
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eally enjoyed Viola Gaskell’s story about the use of sustainable, local building materials. To me this is one of, if not the biggest issue facing Maui: A total lack of self-sufficiency.Whathappens when the cargo ships stop coming?
—K. Hall, Lahaina
loha MauiTimes! I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to hunker down in my bed, early morning, with a cup of tea and a good newspaper. It’s been a long time. I love what you did with this re-edition. The stories are great, I love the research behind them, and the writing and presentation is first-rate. I read each of the advertisements as well, as I wanted to know who’s supporting you. I also appreciate that you mailed the issue to my PO box, as I live in a rural area without postal service. Kudos to all of you and mahalo nui loa. I look forward to the next issue.
—Paige Alisen, Moloka’i
Shoutouts & Callouts
any of us missed MauiTime. So, welcome back!
Ed. Note: Big thanks! Once we are fully established as a monthly we will look to publish more frequently.
We hope you’ll skip the jeers, the insults, the cringeworthy mockery, the virulent criticism where a light touch would do it, if any critical touch is in your opinion necessary. So how about helping us build back better. The tear-downs are no way pono.
E komo mai, MauiTimes. Even Eh Brah can be pono.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 3
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—J. Eagle, Wailuku
NEWS AND EVENTS Send your feedback to jacob@mauitimes.org or mail to: MauiTimes, 1955 Main St. #200, Wailuku, HI 96793
By readers like you
I ’m so glad to see that you have risen from the ashes. My hope is you will soon be back to the weekly format.
Yes, we are a small island with limited ability to grow and produce everything we need. But maybe it’s time to think outside the import box (and that includes all the tourists we import, too!).
—Margo C., Waiehu
F
Anyway, great to see MauiTimes back, and keep up the good work.
valleyislewindowsanddoors.comCALLTODAY808.796.5984 No Money Down & Interest Free Financing Options Lifetime Warranty & Professional Installation Available 11/21
—Bob Kinsey, Kihei
I scoured the ads looking for places to patronize and say “I saw your ad in the MauiTimes.”
Regarding Eh Brah: Most of us missed the cheers. Not so much the jeers. The good is pono. The bad and ugly are not Maui pono.
ollowing a poignant article in your Sept. issue issue about affordable local housing ("The Price of Paradise," Oct.-Nov. 2021), in last month’s issue we get to hear about Jeff Bezos’ new Maui property while Mayor Victorno pats himself on the back for responsibly clearing the mentally unwell from Alama place? Maybe you should try looking at our ‘aina and people from the ground level, Victarino. Then you could have had that funkymutha Bezos build Maui a much-needed hospital or low income housing complex instead of letting him into the community for a measly $1.25 million in donations. Stop the corruption and teach new arrivals what aloha actually is.
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Wailea Wine Maui’s Original Fine Wine and Gourmet Market Carefully chosen wines Fine spirits and unique beers Premium cigars Family owned business 30+ years WaileaWine.com • Hours mon-sat 10:00am - 5:00 pm Closed on Sunday • 161 Wailea Ike Pl • 808-879-0555 HOLIDAY REGULARCOLLETSPECIALCHAMPAGNENVBRUTPRICE:$49.95ONSALEFOR$29.00 REGULAR PRICE: $49.95 Ivy Lou Hibbitt, FNP-C We a ept MS O MS uest M ha ps an nsuran es NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS S he ule nline at aui a ily e r all 7 7-19 Open 7 Days a Week - 169 Ma’a Street - Kahului Primary Care Services Sick AnnualVisitsPhysical Exams Prescription Refills SpecialistTesting Referrals We Care About Your Family’s Health Maui's Best Lunch PUPUS • SOUPSSANDWICHESSALADS • BURGERS NOW HIRING M-F • 10am - 3pm | S • 11am - 3pm IN THE HEART OF WAILUKU 808 244 1111 • 808onmain.com Wholesale to the Public Open Daily 2am-4pm ‘Big Bags’ 42# - Just $5! 20# - $3 7# - $1 300 Ohukai Rd. 808.874.0101B228
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DECEMBER ISSUE 20214
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DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 5 Anonymous thanks, confessions or accusations? 200 words or less (which we reserve the right to edit), changing or deleting the names of the guilty and innocent, to “Eh Brah!” Send submissions to jacob@mauitimes.org or mail to: MauiTimes, 1955 Main St. #200, Wailuku, HI 96793 E h Conehead...are you for real? Shame on you, you gotta throw a tantrum inside the store just ‘cause there’s a cone out front of the country store/gas station so the aunties can see what goes on at the gasoline pumps without trucks blocking their view. If anyone should use the spot just outside the front door it should be the elderly and physically compromised patrons, NOT A BIG, YOUNG, BULLRIDING, FANCY TRUCK DRIVING STUD LIKE YOU. Seriously? Eh now…try step outside yer self brah. The world is a heavy place right now. Quit harassing yer neighborhood store keepers that are there for us, wearing masks all day and just doing their job, minding their own business, doing their part to keep things safe. You know better than that. Get a grip! Illustration by Ron Pitts • ronpittsartist.com CIGARSSPIRITSBEERSWINE 230 IMI KALA STREET WAILUKU Huge Selection of 199 DAIRY ROAD KAHULUI 91 EAST LIPOA STREET KIHEI 226 KUPUOHI STREET LAHAINA Featuring Fresh Hawaiian Caught Ahi POKE Aw d-winning A 4th generation family-owned company A fourth-generation family-owned company SEEKING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: • ASSISTANT MANAGER - LIQUOR •MEAT & FISH CUTTERS • SEAFOOD, GROCERY & POKE DEPARTMENTS APPLY WWW.TAMURAS-HI.COM/CAREERSONLINE: WAILUKU • KAHULUI • KIHEI • LAHAINA
Teri Gorman, Maui County’s communication advisor, said that though there had been no wide-
DECEMBER ISSUE 20216
Two dozen activists lined up along South Kihei Road, armed with recall Victorino signs, American and Hawaiian flags, and clipboards on Oct. 27, a week after the petition
- Kahului airport employee into a phone after an unidentified individual sprinted past the COVID-19 screening checkpoint at OGG on Oct. 24. Airport officials did not respond to requests for comment on how commonly this occurs or if the individual was apprehended.-J.SamWeiss
At an Oct. 16 rally on Ka‘ahumanu Ave, Paul Romero, owner of Crossfit Makena, was speaking to police about permits when MauiTimes asked if he was one of the organizers of the event. “No, I’m a patriot,” he replied. Initially concerned with the imposition the mandates put on small businesses, Romero said that, “looking out for our keiki” had become his biggest concern. “As we just heard from some world experts that are here, vaccinating kids is categorically completely wrong, illegal, and unjust, and it should have no business in our society or in our community,” he said.
spread polling to assess public support of the mandates themselves, (the county does not do political polling) the mayor’s office had received “a large number of emails and the phone calls from people in the community who are saying, ‘we support you Mayor, you've tried to do the right thing.’”
NEWS AND EVENTS
said, “We will push back without violence, but it will get to the point where people will be very angrily pushing right to that level, to where he won't be able to sleep in his home, he won't be able to walk in public. We will push back on him so hard that he will have no choice but to listen to the people.”
In rhetoric reminiscent of Trump supporters’ call to criminally charge Hillary Clinton, demonstrator Aaron Cannon, the self-proclaimed “president of Maui for Trump”, said he believed that Mayor Victorino “needs to be recalled, if not criminally charged,” for the COVID-19 restrictions he imposed.
On the Scene at Mandate-Free Maui & Recall Victorino Rallies
Anti-vaccine mandate protestors have been holding rallies islandwide and launched a recall effort against Mayor Victorino.
If Walker were to acquire the signatures needed within 30 days, by Nov. 20, Mayor Victorino would have five days to resign or a recall election (requiring participation from 50 percent of the county’s registered voters) would be held.
Mayor Victorino said that outside of the political and medical sphere, he had consulted community groups and small business owners, as well as the Maui Restaurant Hui and Maui Chamber of Commerce before asking the governor to approve rule changes.
Viola
was launched by organizer Sheila Walker. Walker said she was confident that her initiative would garner the 21,586 in-person signatures (representing 20 percent of voters registered in Maui County) required to recall the mayor.
COCONUT WIRELESS
A group of men in “Make America Great Again” hats waved American flags as they chanted “Brain Dead Biden!” and “Let’s go Brandon!” a viral dog whistle that is code for “Fuck Joe Biden.” Members of the New Age camp held signs touting less offensive slogans, including “Fear is the disease, love is the cure” and “I tested positive for freedom flu.”
“But it doesn't matter, this just buys us more time—because next November they're gonna be [voted] out anyway,” she said. Walker further said that the recall effort was “not about vaccines at all. It's about government overreach.”
Gaskell
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate marches on Maui are an unusual amalgamation of Trump supporters and New Age liberals who say that vaccine mandates infringe on medical freedom of choice. The marches and rallies have become increasingly frequent, and now a group of residents are campaigning to recall Maui County Mayor Mike Victorino.
In an email to Maui Times, Baz said he would stay Victorino’s course “because regardless of who serves as mayor, that person really has very little control. Nearly all mandates and public health rules are implemented under the authority of the CDC and the Office of the Governor. Not much can be changed at the County level.”
A band of Maui Police Department officers forced rally organizer Bruce Dougles to remove his vehicle, which had been made into a makeshift stage carrying Hawai‘i band Sons of Yeshua, from the premises. Sergeant James Terry said that Douglas had applied for a permit for the event two days prior and that his request for a stage had been denied.
“We have another runner.”
Gorman added that the mayor’s office has prioritized “staying in touch with medical experts in the hospital and trying to find that good balance between physical, mental and economic health” in the community. “There's no book on how to do this,” she said. - Viola Gaskell
Officer Terry told MauiTimes that other than the illegal impromptu stage, “a lot of the protesters are just fine. But then you’ve got the Proud Boys and the Trumpers and some of them are inciting violence, and that is illegal,” he said.
Maui County’s managing director, Sandy Baz, would then stand in as mayor until November 2022—the next general election. Though Baz has supported Mayor Victorino’s implementation of vaccine mandates, Walker said she expects Baz would “be a little more neutral.”
Despite an uptick in vocalized opposition to mandates, Hawaii residents are predominantly pro-vaccination. Nearly 60 percent of Hawaii residents are fully vaccinated and 78 percent of adults had received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the time of the Kihei recall rally. Maui County has the lowest vaccination rate in the state, with 64 percent of adults having received an initial dose.
Another woman at the recall rally, who had paraded a speaker on wheels blaring the newly mega-popular rap song “Let’s go Brandon” at the Oct. 16 anti-mandate march, yelled “Victorino has to go, he is as woke as Joe Biden!” to passing cars on South Kihei Road.
Stopping just short of inciting violence, (but perhaps crossing over into terroristic threatening against a public servant—a crime punishable under section 707-716 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes), Cannon
Sean M Hower
The “official” start of humpback whale season on Maui.
3,01412/15/202110/5/2021miles201189(12) Sources: Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute NEWS AND EVENTS
Distance between Alaska, where the whales feed in the spring and summer, and Maui, where they come to mate and birth their young.
Government Funds Available for Maui County Farmers
On Oct. 27, Democrat Brian Schatz, the senior senator from Hawai’i, helped reintroduce legislation to expand social security benefits na tionwide and, according to the bill’s sponsors, make the program sol ventThelong-term.legislation, dubbed “Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust,” would phase out the payroll tax cap, increase investment taxes, and up Social Security payouts by an average of $115-plus per month, among other provisions.
MarkusDemocratsSpiske
Participating22-24.schools include Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Butler, Houston, Oregon, Chaminade, St. Mary’s, and Notre Dame.Mainland schools playing in Nevada make this, once again, the Maui Invitational in name only. - Jacob Shafer
By the Numbers
Number of turtles harmed by fishing equipment (from other sources.)
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In 2020, the tournament was staged in North Carolina. This year, it will take place in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino from Nov.
Date on which the first humpback of 2021 was spotted in Maui waters, an earlier-than-usual arrival.
Number of sick, injured or dead sea turtles observed on Maui so far this year.
Sen. Schatz Introduces Social Security Legislation
“In Hawai‘i, more than 280,000 people depend on Social Security,” Sen. Schatz said. “My bill will expand [the program] and put more money in the hands of seniors who rely on it, strengthen the program for the next generation of retirees, and make sure everyone pays into the system Accordingequally.”totheSocial Security Administration, the fund could be depleted to the point where a 20 percent cut in benefits would be nec essary in 2034 under current conditions.
Maui Invitational? Try Las Vegas
Even if it clears the House, the Democrats don’t hold the necessary 60-vote majority in the Senate to send the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk without some bi-partisan support. - Jacob Shafer
To qualify, a farm must be fewer than 12 aggregate acres and produce local livestock and/or produce. The maximum award is $25,000 per farm from a pool of $1.5 million.
High priority will be given to socially disadvantaged farmers, women and Native Hawaiian farmers, and farms on Moloka’i and Lana’i, ac cording to MEO. Applications are due by Dec. 12 and are available at meoinc.org. - Jacob Shafer
Courtesy / Flickr Senate
Select farmers in Maui Nui can get an infusion of cash courtesy of Maui Economic Opportunity’s county-funded Agriculture Micro Grant Program.
The Maui Invitational, a marquee early-season NCAA men’s basketball tournament, will be held off-island for a second consecutive year due to Hawai’i’s COVID-19 restrictions, according to tournament organizers.
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“Teri is allowed to have her opinion and points of view,” de Beer said. “But somewhere she forgot she was sitting at a desk in the mayor’s office speaking to a member of the public.”
Illustration by Darris Hurst
By Jacob Shafer
Headlines, generally, were varia-
“I wish him a speedy and complete
n Thursday, Oct. 14, Mayor Mike Victorino met with three Maui residents on the ninth floor of the county building to discuss their concerns about vaccine mandates and other issues related to COVID-19.
tions on a theme: “Maui Mayor Exposed to COVID By Pandemic Safety Rules Foe,” announced the Chronicle. “Maui Mayor Says He Learned of COVID-19 Exposure From Social Media,” said the Star-Advertiser.
The mayor, the COVID-19 meeting, the phone call, and the fallout
The release was immediately scooped up and repeated virtually verbatim by Maui and Oahu media outlets—including the Maui News, Maui Now!, Hawaii Public Radio, KHON, KITV, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser—as well as the Associated Press and multiple Mainland publications including US News & World Report and the San Francisco Chronicle
Over the course of the conversation, Gorman told de Beer, “karma’s a bitch” and said his complaints about errors in the press release were “horeseshit.” She added that his mother should have raised him “with better morals.”
Maui in the Media
mayor’s office should correct the press release to indicate that only one person tested positive and that he and his fellow attendees all had negative tests prior to meeting with the mayor.
De Beer provided a recording of his call with Gorman to MauiTimes, which was initially reported on and posted by Deborah Rybak (“Facts, Lies & Audiotape,” politicsonmaui.com)
recovery from his illness.”
Maui resident Bennett de Beer (left) tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after meeting in person with Mayor Mike
“You called the wrong person at the wrong time. I’m very, very angry,” Gorman said in the call. “You don’t
The following day, one of the citizens, Bennett de Beer, 52, said he began feeling ill. He took a COVID-19 test on Friday, which came back positive the next day, Saturday, Oct. 16.
On Tuesday, Oct. 19, de Beer called the mayor’s office to complain that their press release was misleading. His call was forwarded to communications advisor Terilynne Gorman
De Beer, who tape-recorded his conversation, stated he “had a negative test result when I walked into that office.” He also said that he felt the
Both sides confirm that everyone in attendance was masked and socially distanced. No one on the ninth floor has tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of the meeting.
O
Gorman told MauiTimes she regrets losing her temper with de Beer.
“I make no excuse for my angry words,” she said. “They came from my heart, person-to-person, and were not meant to be taken as a representative of the County of Maui, the mayor, my ‘ohana, or anyone else.”
However, Gorman added, “The tragedy of COVID-19 goes far beyond our 94 Maui County neighbors who died. Some of my co-workers lost loved ones to COVID-19 this year after believing anti-vaxx rhetoric spread by those who seem to be disconnected from the effects of their words and actions. I don't understand why a noisy minority feels so compelled to promote a fringe political ideology when it causes so much pain.”
Victorino.Viola Gaskell NEWS AND EVENTS RAIN CLEANINGGUTTER MAINTENANCE & REPAIR Send photos rainawaymaui@gmail.comto:575-2000(808)
In the end, Gorman stated, “I stand by my mana ‘ o (thoughts and opinions).”
De Beer said he was shocked by this response from a public representative, and by Gorman’s unwillingness to apologize for the errors in the initial press release.
De Beer said he contacted the two friends who accompanied him to the mayor’s office and posted a video announcing his positive test on social media that day. But he waited until Monday to contact the mayor’s office.
In the meantime, de Beer’s social media post was forwarded to the mayor’s office, which issued a press release on Monday, Oct. 18 titled, “Mayor Victorino Exposed to COVID-19 During Meetings With Opponents of Public Health Emergency Rules.” The release did not name de Beer or either of the other two citizen attendees, but it incorrectly stated that two of them, rather than just de Beer, were COVID-19 positive.
“Ironically, the infected individual is a shining example that masks do work to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Mayor Victonio said in an amended release posted Oct. 19.
know anything about the people who work in this office. You don’t know that there’s some people in here that have children that have compromised immune systems. There’s parents that have not been able to come into work or can’t eat with people, and that wear their masks constantly to protect their kids at home. You don’t give a shit about that, all you care about is promoting a political agenda.”
ocated about half a mile from the ocean, the La haina injection wells inject treated wastewater about 200 feet underground into an aqui fer where it mixes with groundwa ter and flows horizontally and ver tically towards the ocean. Tracer dye studies tracked the output to the waters off Kahekili Beach Park, where researchers and advocates claimed it had damaged the reef ecosystem. In 2012, the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, the Sierra Club’s Maui chapter, the Surfrider Foun dation, and the West Maui Preser vation Association—represented by Earthjustice—sued Maui County for what they considered water qual ity violations and the consequent threat that contaminated waters posed to oceangoers’ health.
The Supreme Court rejected the county's case, then a Hawaii fedral court did—twice
By Jack Truesdale
mer superintendent of the county’s Wastewater Reclamation Division, said. Citizens grew worried about what they considered environmental degradation from the Lahaina wells, and researchers published studies that supported their concerns, he explained. While the injection wells in Lahaina became the talk of the island, Maui’s other wells receded into the unscrutinized background. “It’s not just Lahaina,” Council Member Kelly King said. “It’s Ma‘alaea. It’s Kihei.”
The case returned to Hawai‘i’s district court, where Judge Susan Oki Mollway ruled this July that, “The discharge from the County’s injections wells into the groundwa ter and ultimately into the ocean is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge” and requires a National
The Environmental Protection Agency designated Ma‘alaea Beach an “impaired” body of water in a 2020 report. King, who represents South Maui, said that the nearly two dozen injection wells serving the condominiums at Ma‘alaea have taken their toll. “It’s really pollut ed and it’s not acceptable and no one’s talking about it,” she said. The Ma‘alaea injections wells are privately owned and operated by the condos, according to the county. The
For much of the past decade, the legal battle over the Lahaina injection wells consumed the island’s atten tion as the county appealed it at each step up to the U.S. Supreme Court. The county claimed that its four injection wells in West Maui would not need Clean Water Act permits because the wells’ pollution reached the ocean indirectly via groundwater. The high court rejected the argu ment, with Justice Stephen Breyer calling it “an absolute road map for people who want to avoid the pointsource regulation. All we do is we just cut off the pipes or whatever, five feet from the ocean.” Altogether, the county spent $4.3 million on legal fees and claimed that, “Staying the course with the U.S. Supreme Court protects our county, our taxpayers and allows the County to continue to manage its recycled water disposal in the most environmentally respon sible way available and feasible.”
The End of the Lahaina Injection Wells Lawsuit?
L
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
But the case continued on.
The county council stopped funding private lawyers in this case, so Maui County was left with the sole legal representation of its Corporation Counsel, which requested that the judge reconsider in August.
Assigning the cause of local ized ocean pollution to specific injection wells is tricky—perhaps sufficiently so that the Supreme Court had to weigh in on it. The EPA has deemed other Maui bodies of water “impaired,” even when a wastewater treatment plant is nowhere nearby. Honomanu Bay on the Hana Highway, for example, is designated “impaired” because of enterococcus, although only the Ko‘olau Forest Reserve sits mauka of it. While various spots on Kihei’s coast are marked “impaired” for other reasons like nitrate, nitrite, nitrogen, phosphorus, and turbid ity, the Cove, makai of the Kihei wastewater treatment plant, had its own high bacteria advisory is sued as recently as September due to Butenterococcus.whatcaused the recent high bacteria advisory was officially un clear. “The last high count at Cove Park was unfortunately not linked to anything obviously altered in the water quality parameters (for example: low salinity, very high turbidity, high wave activity, etc.),” Meghan Dailer, an Environmental Health Specialist with the Clean Water Branch of the state Depart ment of Health, wrote in an email. “For example, when we have big swell events, we can get elevated counts in places where the ocean connects with the coastal vege tation and anything that is in the vegetation.” The bacteria count, she wrote, was less than a tenth of what “often” results from “a sew age spill situation.”
NessAutumnresidentKiheibyPhoto
DECEMBER ISSUE 202110 NEWS AND EVENTS
Among other arguments, the Corporation Counsel wrote that the ruling “exposes customers for reclaimed wastewater use to potential NPDES permit liability.” The judge then reaffirmed the court’s decision in October. The county could appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, restarting the the“Becausetheretheinjection••••••••••••••••••••••••••••cycle.ButwhyallthelitigationoverfourwellsinLahainawhencountyoperates14othersandareplentymoreprivateones?thesqueakywheelgetsgrease,”SteveParabicoli,afor-
EPA report falls short of assigning a cause, claiming “no probable sourc es of impairment identified for this waterbody.” The “impairments” listed were nitrate, nitrite, murky water, and enterococcus—an indicator of fecal material in the water. Entero coccus can also indicate bacteria, viruses, and protozoa that may cause disease, sickness, and infections of the eyes, ears, respiratory tract, and skin, according to the EPA.
In early September, the state Department of Health warned of “high bacteria levels” at the Cove in Kihei.
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The problem, according to Par abicoli, is that the county has seen wastewater “as a water disposal nuisance rather than a water resource opportunity.”
and Kahului,” she wrote. But in an October email, Dailer clarified, “The injected wastewater from the
Kihei WWRF is treated with UV and should therefore not have any live bacteria or viruses in it,” and
“If enterococci was in the waste water it would likely not survive that long of a travel time, so it is very unlikely that the Kihei WWRF was the source for the recent high enterococci count at Cove Park,” sheTherewrote.are potential solutions. A common refrain from those outraged about the pollution is that all that injected water could be put to better use. As is, Maui County claims to recycle 22 per cent of wastewater, reusing it to irrigate agricultural land and golf courses and to fight fires. “More wastewater could be reused if there were additional pipeline in frastructure available,” the coun ty’s website states.
NEWS AND EVENTS
A model of a Kihei injection well’s plume expanding towards Kalama Park. “Injected effluent rises buoyantly, spreads out near the top of the aquifer, and flows to the coast; it also mixes with surrounding ground water, resulting in the gradation in effluent concentration shown,” Charles D. Hunt, Jr., explained in his 2007 U.S. Geological Survey paper “Ground-Water Nutrient Flux to Coastal Waters and Numerical Simulation of Wastewater Injection at Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.”
As climate change exacerbates drought on Maui, wastewater re use could mitigate some of those effects. “People flush the toilet everyday,” Parabicoli said. “It’s drought-proof.”Inthemeantime, a wastewa ter reclamation facility is being planned for Central Maui to ac commodate Waikapu and parts of Wailuku, according to council member King. “It’s planned for ’23 or ’24 to get started. You know how things go; it’ll probably be ’25,” King said. “But they’re not in cluding Ma‘alaea. So we need to do something for Ma‘alaea.”
It remains to be seen how the permitting of the Lahaina wells will be resolved and implement ed. “The county has been saying for several administrations that fixing the problem would be so expensive that they want proof of the problem,” De Naie said. “I think the buck has to stop with the mayor.” (Mayor Michael Victorino’s spokesperson, Brian Perry, did not respond to a call requesting comment.)
"A common refrain from those outraged about the pollution is that all that injected water could be put to better use.
Ridge to Reefs, a nonprofit, and Sunshine Vetiver Solutions began three “nature-based” projects in Kihei to purify waste water this summer, the Maui News reported. The groups are planting vetiver grass, using a “denitrifying bioreactor,” and constructing a vegetation-lined basin on a small scale first to de termine costs at scale.
It was a curious email to receive, since Dailer was the same re searcher who identified wastewa ter effluent in the ocean near injec tion wells in a 2010 paper. Macroal gal blooms in Maui’s coastal waters “only occur in areas of substantial anthropogenic nutrient input, sources of which include waste water effluent via injection wells, leaking cesspools and agricultural fertilizer,” Dailer, then a researcher in the University of Hawai‘i’s De partment of Botany, wrote. “Efflu ent was detected in areas proximal to the Wastewater Reclamation Facilities (WWRF) operating Class V injection wells in Lahaina, Kihei
As is, Maui County claims to recycle 22 percent of wastewater, reusing it to irrigate agricultural land and golf courses and to fight fires. "
that “we do not know how long it takes the wastewater to reach the coast in this area.” The tracer
dye study for the Lahaina injection wells showed that wastewater took 9 to 10 months to reach the coast.
The Parks Department did not provide copies of the bids or budget details, whereas other counties obliged. Hawaii Island provided MauiTimes with copies of all 15 playground project bids that have been contracted in the past decade.
Other counties have also managed to keep their costs significantly lower than Maui. Kauai’s newest playgrounds, completed in 2018, only cost $79,219 and $122,780. Hawai‘i Island’s most expensive playground project to date was the $440,677 replacement of Kailua Park playground in 2014. Honolulu County did not fulfill any of the three relevant public records requests submitted by MauiTimes (and in one
n 2020, Maui County set a new record when it spent $755,128 on the Kula Park playground. Then in April of this year, the county spent over $1 million on Kihei’s playgrounds, replacing the equipment and fall surfacing at Ka lama Park and installing a shade at Kalama and South Maui Community Park. These mounting budgets do not include the assessments, planning, and bureaucratic slowdowns that precede the projects themselves.
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In total, the South Maui upgrades cost the county $1,114,228. Central Construction Incorporated, the con tractor awarded the job, said that labor on the combined projects cost $290,228, while the surfacing and shade structure at Kalama Park cost $350,000 and the shade structure at South Maui Community Park cost $150,000. Central Construction told Maui Times that $162,000 was spent on playground resurfacing at South Maui Community Park, but the Parks Department (twice) stated by email that the project did not include a fall surfacing. When the budget dis crepancy was directly referenced by Maui Times, parks director Karla Pe ters said that the project had includ ed some “fall protection patch work” at South Maui Community Park.
All four of the playgrounds in stalled by the County of Maui since 2018 have cost over half a million dol lars. The County Council’s 2022 ad opted budget allocates $2.75 million over four years for improvements to playgrounds. The $600,000 allocated
Aside from labor, county playgrounds are more expensive than private ones because they usually include more infrastructure: sidewalks, irrigation for water fountains, parking lots, and other site work required to comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility standards.
Viola Gaskell
Dave Hamil, owner of Pacific Recreation, the company that installed the fall surfacing and playground equipment at Kalama Park, said that labor costs on county projects tend to be two times higher than on private projects because County projects require that workers be paid “prevailing wages.”
Hamil says that playgrounds are also simply becoming more expen sive because “raw material costs have skyrocketed and literally every
for 2022 is being used to replace ex isting playground equipment and fall surfacing and install a shade struc ture at Honokowai Park Playground.
The prevailing wages for an asphalt concrete material transfer in Hawai‘i as of Sept. 2021 is $82.49 per hour. A “driller” is set to earn $63.84 per hour, and a “painter” $68.99. Thus, the labor costs of installing a shade structure at a midsize playground on Maui now run taxpayers over $120,000.
Unlike the Kula Park playground, which Hamil said required substan tial site work including grading to make the land level, the addition of a playground at Eddie Tam would be relatively low maintenance if it could be built where the park’s old playground sat. “I remember it from when I was a kid,” Feinberg said, “it’s a great site, there is a road lead ing right up to it, there are bathrooms right there, and there’s this big beau tiful tree that gives natural shade.”
However, he conceded, “if some body wants to just put in a relatively small neighborhood playground and
By Viola Gaskell
The county spent over $ 1 million on playground improvements in South Maui in 2021 and the trend is continuing
NEWS AND EVENTS
thing has to be shipped into Hawaii.” Steel, plastics, resins, and dyes have increased in price while lead times have stretched and freight costs ballooned, sometimes leading to 200 percent increases in product prices according to Hamil. “When you take all of those things into account, along with the bureaucratic nature of hav ing to get consultants and architects and go to public bid—that probably takes 10 to 20 percent of the overall project cost right there.”
Why Are Maui’s Playgrounds Getting so Expensive?
“It is kind of astounding how much they cost, you could build an entire home with that.”
I
The replacement of the Kalama Park playground and shade structure installation cost the county $756,317 in 2021.
Feinberg emailed the Parks Depart ment in May to ask that any of the $600,000 allocated for 2022 not spent on the Honokowai project be put to wards the planning of a toddler play ground at Eddie Tam. Ten years ago, when playgrounds often hovered in the $200,000 range, a request like this would have been reasonable even for the county, but Hamil says expenses have at least doubled since then.
instance asked for $470 to produce the information requested).
Last year, upon realizing that there are no public playgrounds in Makawao and no toddler play grounds closer than Kahului, up country mom Arianna Feinberg ini tiated a push for a new playground at Eddie Tam. Despite support from Councilmember Mike Molina, tes timony from other moms from the neighborhood, and 165 signatures on her petition, a Makawao playground did not make it into the Parks De partment’s plans for 2022 or 2023.
it doesn’t need all the bells and whis tles that are often in county projects, that would definitely lower the cost.”
The Roots School playground in Haiku was built by Pacific Recreation for $100,000 in 2017. The playground includes a fall surface and capacity for 45 kids ages 5-12. Hamil said the playground should have cost $150,000 but he had agreed to work with the school to utilize a donation from a non-profit. Private jobs like the Roots School playground are usually done by a single contractor, whereas for county projects, a gen eral contractor’s bid is accepted and subcontractors are hired from there, which, again, adds cost.
Send resume & cover letter to jsam@mauitimes.org or the website.
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in 2023, and if that went well, the project could be slated for 2024.
NEWS AND EVENTS
Compensation
• If you’re a gifted communicator, both in writing and in person.
The county spent $357,910 on the installation of a shade structure and fall surface patch work at South Maui Community Park in 2021.
The re-launched MauiTimes seeks a fourth highly organized and motivated sales executive to assist island businesses and non-profits to communicate about their offerings to our devoted print and digital readers.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 13
Viola Gaskell
Councilwoman Kelly King got her start in county politics when she spearheaded efforts to build “the first super playground on the island” in Kihei in 1989. King negotiated a public-private partnership and raised half the funds, which the county matched. “The whole thing cost us close to $100,000,” King said. “They recently put a playground in the Kula Park that cost close to a million— which seems outrageous,” she said. King said she suspects more lax code specificity and insurance regulations helped keep costs low in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, when she was the driving force behind three new Maui playgrounds. When Feinberg implored the Parks Department to add a Makawao toddler playground to the 2022 agenda, parks director Peters said the department would plan to do its “due diligence”
According to Peters, “due diligence involves confirming this project fits with [the department’s] long-term plans for Eddie Tam and for the andsiteweit’sbig,centsaidentiremuchothermayciallygroundsKingbutfivetionlikevocatefallandaroundparentssonmeansforHaikulogical/culturalmitting,needCommunityMakawao/Pukalani/KulaPlanArea.Wewillalsotoreviewtheprojectforper-accessibility,andarcheo-issues,”shesaid. TheKula,KeoKea,Pukalani,andplaygroundsarealldesignedchildrenages5-12,whichtoddlerslikeFeinberg’sneedtobewatchedcloselybyfor“olderkidszoomingandknockingthemover,”hoveredoversothattheydon’tfromheights.Feinberg,anadofindependentplay,wouldtoseeanenclosedtoddlersecthatwouldallowkidsundertoplayautonomously. “Notjustaboutphysicalplay,it’saboutsocialization,”Kellysaidoftheimportanceforplay-forkidsofallages,espe-duringapandemicwhentheyormaynotbeinteractingwithchildrenatschool. “Itiskindofastoundinghowtheycost,youcouldbuildanhomewiththat,”Feinbergoftheplaygroundbudgetsinreyears.“I’mnotaskingforsomecrazyplayground.AndIknowmoreexpensivenow,butcan’tbuildamodestplaygroundatathatdoesn’tneedalotofworknotspend$700,000todoit?”
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Asia and the U.S. but we didn’t have many Europeans. Then Euro pean windsurfers started coming in for breakfast before going off to Ho‘okipa and we thought ʻnow we can say we’re world-famous!’”
Tasty Crust has always been known for its pancakes, but it wasn’t until the late 80’s, when windsurfers from Europe flocked to Maui, that Takaoka added “world” to the “famous pancakes” sign. “We had a lot of customers from
Curtis Takaoka, the 68-year-old owner of the well-loved local food restaurant, is a slight, soft-spoken man with a warm smile and a bris
"This place never changes."
Story and Photos by Viola Gaskell
tly mustache. He wears a thin gold chain around his neck bearing a diminutive Buddhist symbol that hangs beneath his collar. Takaoka has been meaning to retire, but just like his mom and dad, who came in every day until they were 69 and 72, he ends up finding his way back to the familiar smells of fresh coffee, pancakes, and greasy spam sizzling on the flattop.
the flavor is good, that’s all you gotta worry about.”
More than a thrifty local diner, Tasty Crust is a third-generation Wailuku institution. The Tasty Crust family: Tammy Reloos, her brother Brandon Takaoka Carvalho, father Curtis Takaoka, and son Jayden Idemoto
Many diners have inquired and theorized about the “secret in gredient” in the pancakes—7Up is a favorite guess— but Takaoka says the recipe is a standard mix of flour, milk, butter, eggs, and salt. “It isnʻt about secret ingredi ents,” he insists, “it’s about who is making it—it’s all in the hand.” He admits the restaurant has used the same brands “forever” and that when cooks “tried to switch it up, they always went back to the tried and true. It makes a difference.” As far as recipes go, his philosophy is to “keep it simple and make sure
DECEMBER ISSUE 202114
bought the restaurant, customers who hadn’t been by in years would come in and say, ʻWow! this place neverTakaokachanges.’”recognized that the comfort regulars felt at his fami ly’s restaurant went beyond the “comfort food” itself. Their comfort hinged on the invariability of the world within Tasty Crust’s pale
F
TASTY CRUST, HOME OF MAUI’S ‘WORLD FAMOUS HOT CAKES!’
or nearly 7 decades, Tasty Crust has been a home away from home for Wailu ku residents. A no-frills diner on a semi-industrial street a few minutes walk from the Main and Market Street town center, Tasty Crust is a haven of familiari ty. While much of Maui has moved with the times, threatening to burst at the seams as millions of tourists rove the island, hardly a thing has changed at the home of Maui’s “world famous pancakes!”
In 1957, when he was three, Takaoka’s parents moved from Oahu to Maui to take over the restaurant, which the second own ers were selling. Takaoka says the restaurant first opened in the early 1940s, but he wasnʻt sure when exactly. His parents changed very little when they took over. “In the late 50s, a few years after my dad
blue walls: the wood laminate countertops, deep booths, steelblue stools fixed in a perfect row, and the collection of firetruck-red sticker machines at the door.
passed away. “For 40 years, all the time I was putting in was in prepa ration for us to retire and spend time together. Now that she's gone, that purpose is gone too,” he said.
and 75 percent of checks are paid by card now, adding transaction fees.
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We're not gonna make anything fan cy, but you know we're gonna get some thing to fill you up and get you on your way,” he remarked. “We sell a heck of a lot of Spam and Vienna Sausage!”
"We sell a heck of a lot of Spam and Vienna Sausage!
Just $5 for a Stack
The Tasty Crust sign was changed from "Famous Pancakes" to "World Famous Pancakes" in the late '80s when windsurfers rom Europe started stopping in for breakfast before rushing off to Hoʻokipa.
and her son, who is in college, is working front-of-house part-time with Tammy for now. It is decided ly a family Recently,affair.Takaoka sat Tammy and Brandon down and told them it was time for them to learn the ropes, and fast, because his drive has been waning since Naomi
Tammy, the oldest of four, says she too hopes to keep the business in the family. “Obviously we have a legacy,” she said. I know many mom and pop businesses donʻt sur vive, but hopefully my brother and I can make it work and keep it a mom and pop business while incor porating some modern day technol ogy. When Brandon wanted to get a POS system for the restaurant, Takaoka was against it. “My dad is very old-school,” Tammy said. “In his way of thinking—a pen and pa per works just as well.”
“The comfort regulars felt.... hinged on the invariability of the world within Tasty Crust’s pale blue walls.”
In the ‘60s, the basic breakfast at Tasty Crust was 35 cents. Now, it is $7.50. “The community has sup ported me all these years, so I have a deep sense of obligation towards the community, and I think one of the best ways to try to return what the support is by keeping my prices as low as I can,” Takaoka said.
The most important measure of dependability, of course, has been the menu. “Every time I even think about redoing the menu, I get nothing but complaints,” Takao ka said. Tasty Crust regulars are so regular that “changes kinda throw them off, it’s like losing a friend or something!” he laughed And so, the menu today deviates very little from the menu devised by his mother and the “aunties” who were cooking at Tasty Crust in 1957.To be a “local restaurant” Takaoka says, “you gotta have hamburger steak and roast pork, and you have to have saimin and barbecue or teriyaki. Those dishes have been here forever because it’s what people have been eating for ever” in Hawaiʻi.”
Takaoka’s grandfather and great uncle were Japanese migrants who worked in the sugar plantations. He remembers stories from his grandfather about the lunas (white overseers) who tried to sow dis cord between the different migrant groups to disempower workers. He says the lunas’ efforts were in vain once, “intermarriages started happening and everybody mixed. We’re a mix—and I think local food is just that.”
(Continued on Page 16)
In keeping with Hawaiʻi’s culture of once-rebellious intermarriage, Takaoka married the granddaugh ter of Portuguese migrant workers. His wife, Naomi, passed away in August of 2020, and she is deeply missed in the restaurant where they worked together for what Takaoka says was the better half of his life. “She was the one who kept everybody in line, and I really need to thank her for that,” he said. “And she worked hard, she worked everyday with me.”
The diners at Tasty Crust repre sent the neighborhood it is a part of: working class families taking a night off from cooking at home, con struction workers guzzling down an icy coke during their lunch break, seniors on a budget (some of whom come in three to four times a week). Prices align with them, not with tourists and newcomers with money to spend on a $14 acai bowl when ever they please. Now and then tourists do stop by.
The menu, however, will not receive a 21st-century upgrade, Tammy says. “There arenʻt a lot of places on Maui where you can come in and have breakfast, lunch and dinner served to you anytime of the day. It’s tried and true. Peo ple come in for luncheon meat— nowhere else on Maui serves luncheon meat for breakfast, or fresh corned beef, or even liver and bacon—they are fan-favorites.” The only concession will be, perhaps, the addition of the three things customers ask for most often: avo cado, spinach, and Dr Pepper.
While standard breakfasts at hip cafes in Paia and Kihei inch towards $20 a plate, Takaoka prior itizes keeping his prices as low as he can so that, “anyone can come in—and bring their family in—and have a meal, and it’s affordable.”
Tasty Crust’s prices haven’t gone up in two years, but Takaoka says that soon, they’ll have to. Wages and the cost of ingredients have gone up, takeout containers (used increasingly during the pandemic) add expense,
Their daughter Tammy, 47, sets a steaming bowl of saimin on the ta ble in front of her father; “Naomi,” is tattooed down her forearm in buoyant cursive. Tammy’s brother, Brandon, 39, works in the kitchen,
Tammy Reloos, Takaokaʻs eldest daughter, serves a loco moco, pancakes, barbeque pork, saimin, and coke.
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(Continued from Page 15)
Despite having loyal regulars and
being “world famous,” Takaoka says that COVID has taken a toll at Tasty Crust. The majority of the staff have worked there for 12-14 years. Some of them were able to depend on unemployment during the major downturns, others stayed on full time, and a handful of staff worked part-time on top of unemployment.
At first the mandates presented another complication, but Tammy said that with them, many elderly regulars who hadn’t been by in months started trickling in again.
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A few years ago, the late culinary icon Anthony Bourdain stopped in while filming an episode of his critically acclaimed food show “Parts Unknown” in Hawaiʻi. “He just popped in, sat right there,” Takaoka said, pointing to a blue stool by the condiment racks. “We got some recognition after that, some tourists came in and asked where he sat, what he Decadesordered.”ago,the cook who supposedly invented the loco moco at Cafe 100 in 1949 came in and ordered Tasty Crust’s iteration of his signature dish. “He said ours was good!” Takaoka recalled, a touch of pride in his voice.
Takaoka eats at Tasty Crust every day. His go-to is a bowl of saimin with a hamburger on the side, a pairing that pulls from the Chinese, Japanese, and American elements of Hawaiʻi fare. Other migrant groups from the mid-twentieth century who shaped local food are represented on the menu in items like Korean ribs and Portuguese sausage.
“It was wonderful, my older customers were coming in, my local people who we couldn’t survive without. For a while nobody was coming in, and I said, ‘thank god for you guys!’”
“The pandemic turned everything upside-down,” Takaoka said. “We have been trying to adapt on almost a weekly basis.” From supply chain issues to changing mandates on masks, operating capacity, and now vaccinations, the humble Wailuku restaurant has weathered the hardest parts of the pandemic thus far.
Now more than ever, in a time of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty, Maui locals need their comfort food.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 17 SO S O O SO 7 e ate 61 in a re its M nthly Sa in s n ir n entally rien ly Maui’s ele tri ills aren’t ettin any heaper nstallin a s lar ater heatin r s lar ele tri syste sa es ney ri ht a ay OW is the ti e t O SO Menti n Maui i es r a Dis unt Hawaii Lic#ContractorParticipatingEnergyC27155 MauiS lar Maui a i i S lar yah Maui’s re ier ner y pany 808.357.7843 OD O O O S O Limited time offer from HEEP until 6/30/22* - Consult your tax professional ** WENDYHUDSONLAW@ GMAIL.COM PH. 808.242.1999 FAX WENDYCRIMINALWENDYHUDSONLAW.COM808.244.5698DEFENSE&TROsHUDSONATTORNEYATLAW Hosting an exciting event, concert, show, seminar, audition, workshop open to the public? Want to share what’s going on with everyone in Maui County? Send Us Your Listings Please submit your listing to shan@mauitimes.org
DECEMBER ISSUE 202118
In third grade, Johnson felt the inspirational pull of the comic world. He immediately started crafting a story and production plan. “I remember drawing the comic and telling my friend, Dustin, ‘You ink it.’ He did and it looked so bad. After that, I was like no one touches my work and I’ve been working solo since that day at Makawao School,” Johnson recounted over Zoom from his Brooklyn apartment.
passed local artist Eddie Flotte painting plein air on the streets of Makawao. He witnessed Flotte in the process of capturing the spirit and charm of his surroundings in real-time. To this day, Flotte continues to paint moments of smalltown life.
At 40 years old, the Brooklyn resident is still drawing comics as a professional illustrator, and the artwork Johnson saw on Maui imbues his work. He has written and illustrated three graphic novels inspired by Hawai‘i. “Growing up on Maui, the only art I ever saw was in comic books and all the landscape paintings,” Johnson said. “To this day, my work is still focused on those two things—comics with a lot of Johnson’slandscapes.” third graphic novel, “No One Else,” is available this No-
InspirationDrawing
(Continued on Page 20)
Courtesy R. Kikuo Johnson
A
On his walks home from elementary school, Johnson often
Johnson’s newest graphic novel “No One Else” is a humorous family drama set on Maui.
t eight years old, R. Kikuo Johnson read his first comic book from Compleat Comics, a bygone of old Wailuku. After completing his first book, Johnson can’t recall a time he wasn’t consuming comics, other than when he was illustrating his own.
cane field surrounding, it was real people with real problems.”
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Although Johnson now lives and works from his home in Brooklyn, much of his work is still inspired by his childhood on Maui.
Local artist grows from Maui roots to nationally acclaimed, New Yorker-approved artistic accolades
Using the cane fields as the backdrop, Johnson intertwines complex family dynamics with a boy’s quest to find his cat named Batman. He infuses the family drama with humor and pokes fun at the idiosyncrasies known to those raised on Maui. Imagine explaining to an auntie that an artistic pursuit can be a real job—likely she’d respond that your uncle has a good open position on his construction crew. It is comical and representative of many experiences on ReadersMaui.canorient themselves on the island based on the West Maui Mountains, surf at Ho‘okipa, and old smokestacks. There are also minute features such as a rice cooker on
By Grace Maeda
vember. The short novella follows the October release of the hardcover edition of his debut book “Night Fisher.” Like his first novel, the panels of “No One Else” are filled with subtle yet exquisitely crafted details that distinguish Maui as a singularOriginallysetting. setin Cape Cod, the sugarcane fields sparked Johnson to create a story closer to home. In 2015, a year before the last sugarcane harvest on Maui, Johnson was engrossed by a cane field engulfed in flames. “For the first time in my life, I thought, ‘Woah this is insane— we just burn these fields.’ I started doing drawings of the sugarcane and the cane fire,” he said. “Then suddenly, I thought about my story, changed the characters to be more like people I knew in Hawai‘i and in a home I knew in Hawai‘i. With the
Drawn and written with impres sive simplicity and consideration, every mark and word has a pur pose. With just one line, Johnson reveals a character’s awe, exuber ance, or even the slightest bit of annoyance. “The characters don’t say what they feel most of the time. The actual conflict is just under neath the surface—not on the page but the subtext. I found the best way to communicate that is with an extremely simple style,” he said. “‘No One Else’ is also that way with the words. It’s my personal style with the book, where every wordTherecounts.” aremore panels without dialogue than with, making it a visually narrated story for readers to unravel. “The magic in any comic: the words say one thing, the pictures say a different thing, and when they come together, there’s this third thing that’s more powerful than either of the words or pictures alone,” explained Johnson.
To have that with 17 kids for a month is a dream,” saidAndJohnson.beingamong nineteen and twenty-year-olds is a door to not only pop culture but also what issues are pertinent to specific generations. “To stay in touch with people from a different culture—I’m so grateful. I love seeing the world through their eyes,” he explained. “I see the way they speak to each other and the words they
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
For the past 12 years, Johnson has been a professor at his Rhode Island alma mater. When he was first asked to teach a winter session on comics, Johnson admitted he felt unseasoned with his own career.
Unsurprisingly, the scenery is undoubtedly Maui. The Kahakuloa Head stands tall in the title panel. “A lot of artists have one theme and return to it over and over again,” Johnson said. “I have a Google map of Maui embedded in my head. I could draw Maui for the rest of my life and I’d be happy.”
While he was still in art school, Johnson began creating a semi-au tobiographical coming-of-age drama, “Night Fisher” that was published in 2005. He addresses what it’s like to define one’s own masculinity during the methamphetamine epidemic on Maui. Johnson’s second graphic novel “Shark King” followed in 2012. Inspired by Hawaiian legends, it is an exciting and nuanced tale.
DECEMBER ISSUE 202120
After graduating high school, Johnson attended Rhode Island School of Design. “Just the general ethos of art school I took away—the heart of any piece of work is the idea and all the aesthetic decisions come out of that concept, not the reverse.”
“I was 27 and I didn’t think I was ready, I had total imposter syndrome but I said yes and I’ve been doing that ever since.”
Like his novels, John son draws engaging and thought-provoking car toons for publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic. He has also illustrated eight covers for The New Yorker. In 2018, he earned
While the illustrator grew up on an island that inspires countless artists, he opened a unique door into the fantastical comic realm. “I grew up going to the comic book store that used to be in Wailuku. I look back and realized that it was not a foregone conclusion that there would be a comic book store on Maui,” Johnson said. “His name was Perry Margolin who used to run that shop. It was my museum, my cultural center. He provided me with this window into a creative world that I’ve been chasing since then.”
Courtesy R. Kikuo Johnson
“Johnson’s illustrations blend the decades spent with his head in comic books and the influence of eminent artists on the island.”
use. Their cultural values are so different from the ones I had when I was their age. It just gives me so much empathy—especially during this time.”
Johnson marries the principle he learned in art school with the values he learns from his students, constructing narratives around a central concept that matters to multiple generations. He then creates relatable charac ters and circumstances. Anyone from Maui can envision themselves in a family with characters from “No One Else.”
It was a last-minute addition to the novel but one of Johnson’s favor ite scenes is when Uncle Robbie pur chases a bottle of mildew remover and his car is vandalized. There are no words on the page. “I just think it’s a deadpan comedy scene and it works particularly well in comics. There’s silence and stillness.”
Originally published in 2005, “Night Fisher” was Johnson’s first graphic novel, a coming-of-age tale. In October, a new hardcover edition was released.
a gold medal from the Society of Il lustrators for The New Yorker cover “Safe Travels.” His illustrations cap ture the cultural mood and sometimes provoke a level of discomfort. In all of his work, he is able to compress a complicated story into a single image, with little to no words.
“Everyone has a different ap proach to the cover but my beat as a New Yorker cover artist is telling a figurative, semi-intricate narra tive. Usually, people look at each other and the viewer has to piece together what they’re seeing,” Johnson explained. “I guess I’m trying to focus on something that speaks to the current moment— speaks to the zeitgeist.”
(Continued on Page 23)
Courtesy R. Kikuo Johnson
Spending his summer breaks from art school on Maui, Johnson worked at Ben Franklin and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. “When I wasn’t at those jobs, which were really valuable, I was drawing,” Johnson said. “I just love drawing—it’s play to me. I spent a whole summer with a box easel paint ing the old pineapple fields and aban doned pineapple trucks in Hali‘imaile.”
With a distinguished body of work as a graphic novelist and illustrator, Johnson is certainly not an impersonating artist. Pairing his impressive experience and enthusiasm for the art of comics, he leads artistic exploration and discussions. “Many of them are just super brilliant. My favorite conversation is why this creative choice?
the kitchen counter, a “Live Aloha” bumper sticker, and the family ties that make it a local story.
Johnson approaches a serious sub ject matter with relatable humor.
This July, he illustrated a four-page comic published in The New Yorker, titled “Uncharted.” It can also be read online by searching “Uncharted Maui Kikuo.” Created after the lift on travel restrictions on Maui, Johnson shares his experience witnessing the influx of crowds on the island he calls home. In his signature aesthetic,
"Safe Travels" © R. Kikuo Johnson & the New Yorker. First published as the cover of the Aug. 20, 2018 issue. Used by permission.
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Courtesy R. Kikuo Johnson
Johnson’s humor and humanistic style, reading his stories, you can’t help but smile.
“I was always on Baldwin Ave nue painting something up there. When school would let out, pockets
of kids would come up and stop,” Flotte recollected. “I remember a specific kid that would always ask a millionYearsquestions.” later,Flotte recalls a teenager approaching him at a high school art show. The student told Fotte that it was inspiring to see a professional painter on the streets. Flotte realized Johnson was the
“Now I get to see his work on The New Yorker covers and his graphic novels and I love it,” Flotte said. “He manages to get those covers and I get such a kick out of seeing him.”
curious kid from Makawao Elementary. “Somebody telling me that I made a difference in their life— greatest reward of all. I ran home and told my wife.”
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 23 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Johnson’s illustrations blend the decades spent with his head in comic books and the influence of eminent artists on the island. While he depicts Maui with warmth and sincerity in “No One Else” and “Night Fisher,” he also touches on less picturesque subjects. He encapsulates the beautiful and complicated culture on the island. But with
The illustrator admitted that Flotte changed his life. Seeing a successful artist made him believe it was achievable.
Drawn in Johnson’s signature style, “No One Else” is infused with humor and details that make it a local story. TRICIA MORRIS, CDFA ® Certified tricia@triciamorris.808.283.7811Mediatorcom WWW.TRANSFORMCONFICTS.COM FAMILY MEDIATIONS DRAING SLOWING? WE KEEP YOU FLOWING! Limited time only, Now offeringintroductory Hydrojet/Camera Inspection Special for $425.00 (Mention Code ”MauiTimes”) - Now serving all of Maui - Locally owned & family operated - Quality work at fair rates - 5 star rated on Yelp & Google www.hidrain.com (808) 896-8378
MFF debuts its new open-air theater, festivities continue via streaming until December
In pre-covid times, the Maui Film Festival showcased its outdoor film premieres to huge audiences at the Wailea Golf Course. After a virtual festival in 2020, the MFF returns with in-person events at the MACC and extends its festivities with a virtual movie portal.
By Grace Maeda
Maui Film Festival Returns In-Person
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT (Continued on Page 26)
The virtual cinema is far from a replica of Netflix. It’s an online portal of films that continue to meet Rivers’ high standards for inspiring content. From more than 15 countries, films share stories about drawing energy from the ocean, high school camaraderie, wildlife, and the connectivity of music. “The 5th Man” is a story of an exceptional Long Island track team. The origins of an international company are traced to Aboriginal brothers
“[I’m] so stoked that after pulling the hair out of my head last year trying to make something special happen, we’re able to do it this year,” Rivers said. “I love the face-to-face stuff. I’m committed to that.”
After shifting dates and making constant adaptations, Rivers kept the details for the festival under wraps, leaving everyone on Maui curious if the event would happen. “My friends have been saying, ‘what the hell is with your emails. We don’t even know where it is,’” the director said in late October. “Certainly would have liked to announce it Followingsooner.”avirtual festival in 2020, about a dozen films finally make their Maui premiere at the event’s new Stardust Open Air Theater at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center from Nov. 17-21. As in previous years, movies are viewed under the stars. Rivers planned preshow surprises that comply with COVID-19 safety protocols. The festival also boasts a new 30-foot by 20-foot seamless video screen.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 25
ore than two decades ago, Barry Rivers was determined to bring undiscovered and compelling movies to Maui. Since then, the Maui Film Festival has grown into an illustrious celebration that attracts prominent actresses, actors, andRemainingfilmmakers.atthe core of the world-known event are the lesser-known films that inspire and illuminate our shared humanity.
“From the beginning, it’s been about bringing the light, which is so needed in this world,” said Rivers, the founder and director of the festival. “It’s so desperately needed rightEverynow.”year, the festival introduces extraordinary movies to Maui, many of which may have missed main-
lineup includes stories of a sexual assault survivor’s astonishing healing, innovative perspectives on addressing climate change, the movement that sparked windsurfing, and finding bliss in a troubling world with the Dhali Lama.
From social critiques to athletic feats and environmental documentaries, the films cover a large breadth of topics, unveiling previously untold stories. This year’s
spark optimism and joy. “We’re a place where you can come to laugh your behind off,” Rivers said.
Planning an event that draws up to 20,000 attendees was nearly impossible this year. “Every time you thought you knew where it was going, it was going some where else,” said Rivers. “Every time you thought you could select a date or time-frame of dates—for get about it.”
Some of those topics are heavy, but the festival is also intended to
M
stream audiences. These hidden gems meet Rivers’ criteria of being exploratory, passionately made, and ultimately life-affirming. Films that stay with audiences long after the credits roll. “We’re stuff, not fluff. We’re in the world and we cover a lot of important things,” said Rivers.
Although the festival’s outdoor theater has been scaled down from the sprawling Wailea lawn, the event remains far-reaching, growing in size virtually. With the second annual Speed-of-Light Virtual Cinema, the online festivities are extended to 22 days. An eclectic mix of nearly 80 feature and short films can be streamed from Nov. 17-Dec. 8.
ENTERTAINMENT“Our
ARTS &
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The festival’s acclaimed short film program will also be online. Different series investigate self-ex ploration, gender identity, and cul ture in Hawai‘i. “Nude to Me” is a charming documentary on finding love at a nudist colony. The ani mated short “All Those Sensations In My Belly” navigates queer ro mance. “Our Makawao” looks back on life in the small town and its lively past. This year’s features and shorts embody the core themes of positivity and introspection.
Our
Courtesy Makawao
For more information on virtual passes and how to stream, visit mauifilmfestival.com.
Makawao” looks back on life in the small town and its lively past.
in “Firestarter.” Following a Swiss filmmaker, “Bear Like” attempts to understand the nature of grizzlies. Woven through these global films is human connection, tying these films together for Maui audiences.
Rivers already anticipates a hy brid festival in upcoming years because more inspiring films can make their way to the island. “Ninety films,” he said.That’s pret ty good for a little festival in the vast Pacific.”
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Rodney Kahalawainui Kekahuna Sr., a retired Master Chief of the US Navy, passed peacefully in his home in Baton Rouge, LA on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at the age of 66. Rodney was born on August 26, 1955 in Wailuku, Maui, HI to Edwin Lei Kekahuna Sr. and Mary Magdeline (Nakoa) Kekahuna. Rodney grew up in Pa ‘ ia, Maui, Hi, attended Maui High School, and enlisted in the US Navy after he graduated in 1973. During his 20 year Naval career, he served as a Corpsman and a Master Diver. Rodney retired in 1993.
Rodney is survived by his three children: Dezri He Punahele Kohler of Baton Rouge, LA, Shannon Mary Kekahuna of Kahakuloa, Maui, HI, and Rodney Kahalawainui Kekahuna Jr. of Wailuku, Maui, Hi; his sister: Audrey Kulumanu Kekahuna of Wailuku, Maui, HI; four grandchildren: Savannah Leigh He Punahele Mansur, Kathrynn Leata Weatherspoon, Xavier Shane Kekahuna Ledbetter, and Ian MacAllister Kawika Bump; as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, and the many friends whose lives he touched. He is preceded in death by his brothers Edwin Lei Kekahuna Jr. and Nathan Lonohiwa Kekahuna Sr.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 27 WILDHIKESFOOD See Maui Through a Unique Lens SCHEDULE NOW www.SunnySavage.com Ho’opuka e ka la ma ka hikina Me ka huaka`i hele no Kumukahi Ha’a mai na ‘iwa me Hi’iaka Me Kapo-Laka i ka uluwehiwehi Ne’e mai na ‘iwa ma ku’u alo Me ke alo kapu o ka aiwaiwa Ho’i no e ke kapu me na ali’i E ola makou apau loa la Ea la, ea la, ea la, ea He inoa no Hi’iaka I Ka Poli ‘O Pele Rodney Kahalawainui Kekahuna Sr. August 26, 1955 - October 10, 2021
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Bentos and fancy pastries are on the menu in Central Maui
DECEMBER ISSUE 202128
By Jen Russo
Koshihikari rice to start, house made pickles and vegetable sides, and well-thought-out pro teins and sauces.”
Patisserie has always been a passion for Ikeda; the interplay between science and creativity. “I
“I’ve been a professional chef for 15 years and worked ex clusively for Japanese concept restaurants,” said Ikeda. “I have always taken on the dessert sec tion of the menu. I used the lost year to throw myself into my pas sion for baking. I decided to focus on my favorite style of patisserie: French-Japanese. To me, this means a focus on well-executed traditional French and Japanese techniques, lightness in flavor and sweetness, and making each dish multifaceted and unique.”
love the challenge of accomplish ing the precise chemistry required to make choux dough rise perfect ly, make chiffon cakes light and fluffy, or stabilize whipped cream and custards. Equally satisfying is the challenge of combining new flavors and local ingredients, bal ancing sweetness, and accomplish ing subtlety with strong ingredi ents like lavender and rose.”
Chef Sean Ikeda and his team at one of Wailuku's newest eateries.
Shikeda
Sean M. Hower
hikeda Bento Patisserie is one of Wailuku’s newest eateries, located in the Main Street Promenade.
So where did the idea to pair elaborate pastries with the humble bento come from?
“Last year I fully threw myself into baking. Though times were difficult and the world uncertain, I feel truly grateful that I was able to have the time to develop the skills required to bring our pas tries to Maui.”
Sean M. Hower
Shikeda | $ 2050 Main Street FC4, Wailuku 11M,808-500-2556T,Th,F,Sa a.m.-3:30p.m. or until they sell out.
His desserts are works of art. Little yellow chiffon sponges rolled with a light banana whip cream and a delicate dried pineapple gar nish make Shikeda’s version of the Tokyo Banana. Their Azuki Choux au Craquelin is one of the most popular pastries, a cookie topped cream puff with vanilla whipped cream and azuki beans. The Chan tilly Petite Roulade is another favorite: chocolate chiffon with cream and caramelized macadamia nut praline crumble.
Shikeda combines two of my favorite things to eat when I lived in Tokyo: bentos and fancy pas tries. Ikeda’s bentos are anything but basic. “Our concept for bento is simple: a better bento,” the chef explained. “We’ve taken our fine dining experience and ap plied it to the humble multi-com partmented take-out box. We use a higher quality short grain
“I moved to Maui four years ago and met my business partner, Shin Kim from Oahu, when I hired him as my sous-chef at Vana Pa‘ia,” Ikeda said. “He and I decided it was time to open something of our own. Originally, we intended to open another izakaya-style restau rant. However, the pandemic completely changed the culinary landscape. We decided to come up with a take-out concept that we could be excited about.”
According to chef and co-owner Sean Ikeda, the grab-and-go menu consisting of bentos, onigiri, and French and Japanese-inspired pastries was the culmination of soul-searching during Covid.
A better bento with a fine dining experience.
S
While their salmon is perfectly cooked and seasoned with furi kake, their most popular bento is the Mochiko chicken, a local Japanese-style fried chicken, with house-made Korean daikon pickles and Japanese dill sauce.
They are open from 11am-3:30pm or until they sell out.
DINING
“I’ve always had a sweet tooth but feel strongly that the calories have to be worth it when indulg ing. For me, patisserie accomplish es this beautifully,” Ikeda said.
gram cross-promote with one another.”
“This saves the restaurant money by preventing the use of disposable containers and helps to keep waste out of our landfill. It’s also great for the restaurants because a program like this is far less of a commitment than buying 3,000 of your own tins from a manu facturer,” Watkins said. “The benefit is also that the restaurants in the pro
DECEMBER ISSUE 202130
ability division, they are trying to keep plastic out of landfills, oceans, and streets by offering stainless steel tins.
Kau Kau Now
C
ANSWER KEY (from pages 43 and 44)
you go to pick up your to-go food and exchange your container for another one, it’s at zero cost—it’s that simple.”
founder of Maui Sustain able Solutions, and Caskey, owner of Moku Roots, created Hui Zero, Maui’s first zero-waste to-go container initia tive. By partnering with the Depart ment of Health and the County Sustain
“It’s super cool for people who are visiting restaurants in areas of the island they don’t necessarily live near to be zero waste and an easy way for tourists to get takeout without creating any trash,” Watkins said. Eventually, Watkins and Caskey plan to expand their program state-wide and also offer a cupCurrentexchange.participating restaurants are
The "zero" in Hui Zero stands for zero waste.
DINING
Imagining a world minus plastic takeout containers
By Jen Russo
an you picture a world with out disposable plastic food containers? Kevin Watkins and Alexa Caskey are tak ing the first steps to make it possible forWatkins,Maui.
Moku Roots, Choice Health Bar, Kihei Caffe, Wailea Kitchen, Makena Cafe, Wailuku Coffee Company, Farmacy, Sa tori, and 808 Deli. There are even more places that distribute the Hui Zero tin but are unable to exchange it. To see all the participants check out Hui Zero’s website. Restaurants interested in par ticipating, email info@huizero.com.
Courtesy of Hui Zero
Last year, Watkins studied the practicalities of a reusable container program with the sustainability divi sion’s grant program. Working with the Department of Health, he made sure the initiative is Covid-safe and in com pliance with restaurant requirements.
The initiative launched in October and provides an option for diners to place to-go orders in a reusable contain er at participating restaurants. Each tin requires a $10 deposit, which will either be refunded or transferred to in-store credit when returning the tin at any participating restaurant. Exchanging a container creates zero waste and is at zero cost. Watkins explained, “When
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 31 Indoor & Outdoor Seating with Spectacular Sunsets! LIVE Sports Action! 470 Lipoa Pkwy | Kihei | 96753 808-868-0988 S D K SOM 1 M- M D D S D Restaurant & Sports Bar at the Maui Nui Golf Club. Camille was born and raised on Maui. She is a hardwork ing student in her senior year at Kihei Charter School. She has worked as a hostess at Lava Rock Since 2019 and is a powerful force in the restaurant and uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage the crew. In her free time, Camille enjoys hanging out with friends and family. 808 727 2521 | www.lavarockhawaii.com 1945 S Kihei Rd (in the Triangle - Upstairs) Vaccinated or unvaccinated - we don’t discriminate! Open patio seating availailable. Seahawks fan?? Get your #12 Okole over here! Showing ALL NFL Games $2 Mimosas till 2 pm with Food Purchase $3 Nachos Every Sunday Signature Drinks • Lava Mary to die for - Made with Aloha (Bacon & Shrimp!) • Pog Painkiller with our house made toasted coconut rim HAPPY HOUR 3PM-6PM $5 drafts • wells • margaritas • mai tais • 1/2 off appetizers LAVA ROCK SHOWCASE
DECEMBER ISSUE 202132
RECALL mayor
82A Ala Malama Ave., Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i. Monday-Friday 10am - 3 pm, Saturday 9am- 2pm. 808-658-1726
If you haven’t wandered into the underbelly of the Pu‘uone Plaza on Lower Main Street in Wailuku, no one would blame you. It’s an unassuming basement to the condos and private businesses above, but it’s worth seeking out for M Sushi. For a small restaurant, M Sushi has great seafood, seasonal options, and omakase. You can order take-out, or sit down and BYOB. Their sushi menu includes simple yet classic rolls like spicy ahi and California for about $6-10 dollars as well as specials around $20.
Maui Pizza Truck
Pu‘uone Plaza, 1063 Lower Main St #C110, Wailuku, Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-9pm, 808-243-5333
24 Kiopaa St., Wednesday-Sunday 11am-7:30pm or until sold out. Mauipizzatruck.com
Jen Russo
M Sushi
By Jen Russo
Jen Russo
Situated in the busiest corner of Kaunakakai on Moloka‘i, this food truck makes two delicious meals that come in a bowl: poke and acai. Poke and acai lovers need to make the trip to Moloka‘i to taste these fresh bowls and the exceptional toppings. Their three types of poke are served over rice or on a bed of salad. Must-try sides include scoops of creamy purple sweet potato, seaweed salad, avocado, and tender crab. The food truck is just as well-known for its acai bowls with inventive toppings like lilikoi butter syrup, ube ice cream, poi, and adzuki beans. Poke bowls and acai bowls both start at $11.50.
With a pizza-inspired tattoo, I am always searching for great pizza. At Maui Pizza Truck located at the Upcountry Longs, I was reminded of the spectacular pizza I ate years ago along the coasts in Europe. For a small operation, the Maui Pizza Truck makes impressive Napoli-style pizza in their kiawe wood-fired oven. They have about eight pies on the menu with the option of a gluten-free crust. White spinach, truffle mushroom, Maui onion BBQ, and Maui pineapple and kalua pork are a few of the tempting choices. For culinary creatives and picky eaters,
Taste of Moloka‘i
JenRusso
DINING
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 33
Broke Da Mout
pizzas can also be customized. The mid-size pizzas range from $8-15.
shows to go along with the LSD-inspired music that was coming of age at the time, opening up a window into the world of psychedelia.
The influence of Jerry Garcia is identifiable in his new album and live performances. Rospond has attended enough Grateful Dead shows that he declines to even make an estimate of how many. But his musical roots go deeper than a DeadRospondtour. was born in a Toronto suburb in the early ‘60s. His aunt worked in a record store, bringing him Beatles releases before anybody had their hands on them. His parents were also music lovers. Rospond was enrolled in a creative school program where he learned how hippies were using watercolors and oil to create trippy light
A
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bar patron in a long, flowery dress whisps past the stage, twirling to the music with a smile. This type of energy inspires Randall Rospond to keepAfterperforming. almostthree decades with the Haiku Hillbillys, Rospond, 60, typically appears solo. Anchoring the corner of a bar or restaurant, he samples rhythm guitar and plays lead over it. At first, the sound is a bit contrived but after a moment, the cleverness of his ethereal solo grabs yourRospond’sattention.goal is to create a musical tapestry that is unique to every show. He is inspired by movie soundtracks that invoke a mood and the beat poets of the early ‘60s. But
’
“I was kinda like that, too,” Rospond admitted. “The people who I loved, like David Lindley, the New Riders, Leon Russell, Tom Waits,
After high school, Rospond’s parents encouraged him to focus on a career in business. Rospond registered for marketing and advertising classes at a college in Florida. “But it was psychedelics that really turned me on,” he said, which he credits as inspiration for his musical pursuits. As in life, the musical path he took was the unbeaten one. Quoting the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, he said, “Early on we knew that we weren’t going to be a top 40 band.”
Randall Rospond keeps weaving his musical tapestry
By Dan Collins Dan Collins
there is a myriad of sounds and experiences that lead Rospond’s latest album, “Storyland… The New While.”
Maui s Psychedelic Bard
ing of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Yokouchi Pavilion and became
like-minded kids and formed a punk band called The Dead Flowers. “A sort of punk rock Rolling Stones with a lot more makeup,” Rospond described.
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 35
mainstream people didn’t get them.”
a popular opening act.
“I’ll do the opener for some rock star at the MACC one night, and the next night I’m playing in a restaurant and nobody cares who I am,” Rospond said with a smile. “A lot of times people aren’t paying any attention. Sometimes you are background music, so it can
“Storyland—The New While,” comes as Vrang
tar over acoustic. It’s easier on his arthritic fingers. He also loves to experiment with a looper pedal his wife gave him a few years ago.
in. “It was so magical. She told me who I was and just nailed it.” ally hard at being a rock star, but it’s harsher than you really track, but you’re playing stuff that’s beating people over the
pany executives, Rospond found himself at a palm reader’s shop. that he only had about five bucks to his name but she invited him are. You’re a little more sensitive than that. You’re on the right
At the end of the day, it is still the appreciation of a live audience that keeps him going. “When I can tell somebody’s really listening, or they ask ‘Who’s song is that?’ I tell them it’s my song and they just made my night.”
Alfred
In 2017, Woody Harrelson made his directorial debut with “Lost in London.” Not everyone remembers this film because it was in theaters for one night as a Fathom Events attraction. Streaming the film into theaters as he shot it live, Harrel son gave audiences the never-be fore-seen spectacle of witnessing a movie that was happening in real-time. Itwasfilmed with one camera, in one continuous take, and features Harrelson and a large ensemble cast moving to various locations. It was a giant risk.
The Original Streaming Film
Although the cinematography isn’t pretty, the camera efficient ly follows Harrelson through the night, making a 100-minute movie. Had an actor blown a line, missed a cue, failed to make it to the right location in time, or if the footage simply didn’t reach theaters as planned, it could have been a disaster.
Harrelson digs into the thoughtless decisions and public embarrassments that rocked his family. You’d call this character assassination if the story was written by someone else. But
Further Streaming
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
I don’t know how much of “Lost in London” is true and I don’t
By Barry Wurst II
After you enjoy the Maui Film Fest’s offerings, here are some more streaming options to keep you entertained
“Lost in London”
really care—Harrelson is willing to turn a painful memory into a wild farce. Playing himself, he recreated a personal low point of being arrested and spending the night in a London prison in 2002. A fight with a taxi driver over a broken ashtray was the apparent cause, but in Harrelson’s view, it was one of many signs in the night that his life was spiraling out of Harrelsoncontrol. conveys an impres sive range of emotions. The pre sumably exhausting performance is among his best. In one scene, he describes his state of mind as “glum,” giving his performance the kind of somber thoughtfulness and comic agility you’d expect from Bill Murray’s more serious works. As a screenwriter, Har relson doesn’t let himself, or this slightly caricatured version of himself, off the hook.
"Lost in London," the original streaming movie.
DECEMBER ISSUE 202136
"The Kid," the silent era clasic.
Playing Little Tramp, Chaplin rescues an abandoned baby and raises him as his son. The two become a father-son duo of con artists. Chaplin teams up with the seven-year-old Jackie Coogan, who grew up to be Uncle Fester on “The Addams Family,” in a timeless comedic pairing. “The Kid” set the template for family comedies that followed and has some tremendously moving se quences. While silent and with subtitles, Chaplin’s beautiful score gives it a rich, emotional
"Ghost World," a forgotten comic book movie.
over their poor acting choices. There’s also a nutty scene where U2’s Bono becomes Harrelson’s lifeline to avoid incarceration.
• If you believe in the importance of locally-controlled, fair and insightful community journalism.
Terry Zwigoff’s “Ghost World” is never mentioned as an all-time great adaptation of a comic book, but it absolutely is. It is a faithful visual replica of Daniel Clowes’ source material and a smart com edy about teen detachment. As a pair of troublemakers, Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson give terrific performances, and a nev er-better Steve Buscemi plays the man who gets in between them. Zwigoff shapes a bitter, mean ingful portrait of angry youth that was among the best films of 2001. (Amazon Prime)
first, it’s a great comedy and not a vanity project. Some of the biggest laughs have a slight bitterness. The sequence where Harrelson encounters Owen Wil son, who is also playing himself, is the film’s most celebrated. It’s movie gold to see these accom plished actors allow their broth erly love to degrade into a fight
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The re-launched MauiTimes seeks a fourth highly organized and motivated sales executive to assist island businesses and non-profits to communicate about their offerings to our devoted print and digital readers.
$4000/ Base per month + Significant upside commission potential. Plus health, dental, and flexible PTO
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 37
because this is about becoming a better father and husband, it plays like a firm kick in the ass forOnaccountability.topofbeinga cinematic
A Forgotten Comic Book Movie
“The Kid”
The Silent Era Classic
Charlie Chaplin’s first fulllength motion picture was the heartwarming comedy, “The Kid.”
“Ghost World”
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Compensation
center. This is one of the legend ary film star’s greatest achieve ments. (Amazon Prime)
Our monthly magazine is delivered to every home & business (56,000 in total) plus we circulate an additional 22,000 copies at 300+ locations frequented by visitors.
A few line exchanges suggest the actors would have wanted a second take. The final scene is sentimental in unnecessary ways. These are all minor quibbles. Harrelson pulled off an amaz ing directorial debut. For those who saw it in the theater, it was a nervy and ambitious expansion of cinema’s possibilities. If you missed it in theaters, which is very likely, it’s now on Amazon Prime.
You should apply.
NEW YEAR'S EVE DINNER - Dine on a firstclass meal with Chef Alvin Savella's pre-fixed holiday menu. Pick-up only. Mala Tavern (1307 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-667-9394; Malatavern.com
HUI HOLIDAYS - Until Dec 24. Hui’s highly anticipated holiday shop returns with a winter wonderland of local and handmade items for everyone on your list! Hui gift shop includes even more one-of-a-kind handmade gifts by local artists! Tue-Sat. 9am-4pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 20
DECEMBER 1
ONLINE DRAMA CLUB - Ms. Kristi and Mr. Francis are cooking up fun theater activities. Find new videos posted on YouTube channel. Make videos of yourself doing these games and post to their Facebook page or email videos to Kristi at Dramaqueen.maui@gmail.com Theatre Theatre Maui, Ttmwestmaui.org
HOLIDAY SCREENPRINTING - Learn to screen print and create your own holiday cards! Great opportunity to try printmaking. No artistic or printmaking experience required. Members: $92; Non-Members: $109. 8:30am-12pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
HOLIDAY FUN FOR THE WHOLE ‘OHANA SERIES - Throughout month of December, everyone is invited to Historic Lāhainā Town to see the magic of the nightly Banyan Tree ighting. Every evening, thousands of colorful lights illuminate the tree. 5:45pm. Lāhainā Town, Lahainarestoration.org
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31
NEW YEARS FAMILY CLASS - Start the New Year with art! Ring in 2022 with a paint brush in your hand and create a masterpiece that will bring joy all year long! 8+. Contact for booking time. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
ERIC MCFADDEN & KATE VARGAS -Six string virtuoso, Eric will have you partying like a rock star. Accompanied by Kate and her poetic lyricism. Stay tuned for details. 8-11pm. Da Playground Maui, (300 Ma‘alaea Rd., Wailuku); 808-727-2571; Daplaygroundmaui.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
HĀNAU: BIRTH OF A HULA NATIONNā Lei Hulu’s virtual 2021 show features newly choreographed pieces that run from kahiko to ʻauana to hula mua. Filmed in San Francisco and Hawaiʻi, this new produc tion includes special appearances! Show premieres online at 8pm. Sign up at Bit.ly/ NLH_2021 and you’ll receive a link to view the show via email.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12
GYPSY PACIFIC - Enjoy gypsy jazz Maui style. Stay tuned for details. 8-11pm. Da Play ground Maui, (300 Ma‘alaea Rd., Wailuku); 808-727-2571; Daplaygroundmaui.com
HOLIDAY/CHRISTMAS WREATH WORK SHOP - Create a holiday wreath with beau tiful native plants and flowers. Materials are supplied for this special seasonal project. $75 (members); $88 (non-members). 2-5PM. Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
KAULUHIWAOLELE 2021 MAUI FIBER ARTS CONFERENCE - Until Dec 4. Intense instruction in weaving crafts by 20 kumu throughout Hawaiʻi. Ceremonies are held to learn protocols for gathering and utilizing weaving materials. Local food favorites served at ending celebration. Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel (2525 Ka‘anapali Pkwy.); Kauluhiwaolele.com
WHITE ELEPHANT PARTY - Paint poin settia while enjoying holiday music, drink specials, and leave with a gift as well as a holiday painting masterpiece! 16+. Bring a gift exchange and entry is $25. Contact for booking time. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED DRAMA - Ongoing Thu. Class for pre-teens and teens with acting experience. Focuses on advanced skill-building for young performers with challenging scene work, games, and more! Final project will be filmed for the TTM YouTube channel for families to enjoy! 4-5pm. Theatre Theatre Maui (505 Front St., Lāhainā); 661-1168; Ttmwestmaui.org
ORNAMENT PAINTING CLASS - Design your own custom ornaments to put on your tree. $10. Contact for booking time. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
Da Kine Calendar
MALA CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY DINNERAnd Dec 25. Make Christmas dinner easy with Chef Alvin Savella's holiday menu. Pick-up only. Mala Tavern (1307 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-667-9394; Malatavern.com
UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS PARTYIt's that holly jolly time of year, which means the 7th annual Ugly Sweater Party! Bring friends and ʻohana, just make sure to wear your ugliest sweater. Dixon & The Fixinʻs entertain with live music starting at 8pm.
PAULA FUGA WITH FULL BAND - Stay tuned for details. 7-10pm. Da Playground Maui, (300 Ma‘alaea Rd., Wailuku); 808727-2571; Daplaygroundmaui.com
INTRO TO BREAKDANCE - Fun class focuses on foundational movements of dance, building a solo, and short combina tions/routines. Class encourages students to explore rhythm and musical concepts as well as develop their confidence. 5-6pm. Theatre Theatre Maui (505 Front St., Lāhainā); 661-1168; Ttmwestmaui.org
HERB OHTA JR. & JON YAMASATO CHRISTMAS SHOW - Ring in the holiday cheer with ‘ukulele master Herb and slack key guitarist Jon. $35-$60. Doors: 6pm: Show: 6:30pm. The Napili Kai Beach Resort Aloha Pavilion (5900 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Rd., Napili); 808-669-3858; Slackkeyshow.com
Maui After Dark Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Da Playground Maui 300 Ma‘alaea Rd. Down the Hatch 658 Front St., Lāhainā Haui’s Life’s A Beach 1913 S. Kīhei Rd. Heritage Hall 401 Baldwin Ave., Pa‘ia Lahaina Sports Bar 843 Waine‘e St., Lāhainā Wai Bar 45 N. Market St., Wailuku Trivia Night 8-10pm, (Weekly) Karaoke 8-10pm, (Weekly) Artist Showcase 5-10pm, (Dec. 10) Karaoke 7-11:30pm, (Weekly) Karaoke 7-11:30pm, (Weekly) Karaoke 7-11:30pm, (Weekly) Karaoke 7-11:30pm, (Weekly) Karaoke 7-11:30pm, (Weekly) Latin Nights 8-11pm, (Weekly) NIGHTNO THISEVENTS AT The National Parks 8pm, (Dec 4) Brant Quick 8-10pm, (Weekly) Tripp Wilson 8-10pm, (Weekly) TIME NO INFOLATE AT PRESS TIME CONTACT VENUE
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23
CANE & CANOE NEW YEAR'S EVE HOLI DAY MENU – Chef de cuisine, Ryan Fergu son and his culinary team create a special end-of-year menu. Offering a 5-course prix fixe dinner and optional wine pairing. Reservations required by phone. $225. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6681; Montagehotels.com
JOHN CRUZ ISLAND STYLE - Dec 1, 15, 22, & 29. The Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hano hano Hawaiian legend shares lyrical stories. $50. 7:30pm. ProArts Playhouse (1280 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-463-6550; Proartsmaui.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22
FIT FOR BROADWAY - Ongoing Thu. Broadway nerds unite! Ms Felicia combines famous Broadway steps and showtunes with fun and challenging cardio exercises. 5-6pm. Theatre Theatre Maui (505 Front St., Lāhainā); 661-1168; Ttmwestmaui.org
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7
CANE & CANOE CHRISTMAS EVE HOLIDAY DINING - Enjoy yummy holiday selections in cluding lobster, beef Wellington, and Buche de Noel. Reservations required by phone. 5-9pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6681; Montagehotels.com
SUMINAGASHI PAPER MARBLING HOLIDAY WORKSHOP - Discover the meditative art of Suminagashi.Japanese art of paper marbling can be used to wrap presents and other stationery gift ideas. Ages 6-10. $40 (members); $47 (non-members). 10am12pm. Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS
ORNAMENT PAINTING CLASS - Join in the fun and paint holiday ornaments on a 16x20 canvas. 8+. Contact for booking time. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
BIG WEDNESDAY,GIGS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE - All are invited to join in holiday activities for the whole ‘ohana. Old Lahaina Courthouse (648 Wharf St., Lāhainā); Lahainarestoration.org
WEDNESDAY,ONSTAGE DECEMBER 1
HUI HOLIDAY PRIVATE BUBBLE PARTY: SHOP 'TIL YOU POP! - Until Dec 22. Shop 'til you pop at a private Bubble Party! Bring up to 15 people, shop in style, and enjoy pupus, beverages, and music. Available to book Mon, Wed, & Fri. 5-8pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
SNOWMAN PAINTING PARTY - Paint orig inal 'Stranded Snowman' on wood. There’ll be fun holiday beverages, music, and leave with a masterpiece that makes a great gift. 8+. 7pm. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
DECEMBER ISSUE 202138
GLOW IN THE DARK CELEBRATION - Fun New Year’s Eve activity for children ages 5-12. Young guests enjoy the Ho‘olokahi Sunset Ceremony event with a paintbox leader. 48-hour advance reservation is required via phone. 5-9pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-66828; Montagehotels.com
2-10pm. Down the Hatch (658 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-661-4900; DTHmaui.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
MAUI WEDNESDAY,FOODIEDECEMBER 1
THE LAHAINA ARTS SOCIETY ART FESTIVAL - Ongoing Sat & Sun. Shop local and talk story with Maui fine artist members of the LAS. 9am-4pm. Lahaina Cannery Mall (1221 HI-30, Lāhainā); Lahainaarts.com
SUNDAY BRUNCH - Ongoing Sun. Enjoy a crafted brunch menu by Executive Chef Roger Stettler. Kevin Brown entertains with a live slack key guitar performance, which is accompanied by a beautiful hula dance. 11am-1pm. Taverna Restaurant (200 Village Rd., Kapalua); 808-667-2426; Tavernamaui.com
A KAMA - Attendees enjoy a gourmet bento lunch, chocolate tasting, and mo‘olelo and hula by Kumu Hula Hōkūlani Holt and Kahulu Maluo-Pearson and their hālau. Accompanied music by Kaleo Phillips. $100. 1-3pm.
THE NATIONAL PARKS Since emerging in 2013, the quartet from Utah has grown into an independent folk music phenomenon. With roots embedded in blissful pop, cinematic electronics, organic orchestration, and rock energy, catch their unique music at Da Playground. 21+. Tickets are $25 or $30 at the door. Doors: 7pm; Show: 8pm. Da Playground Maui, (300 Ma‘alaea Rd., Wailuku); 808727-2571; Daplaygroundmaui.com Image courtesy: Facebook.com/Bampproject Email details in fewer than 100 words to Shan Kekahuna atGotshan@mauitimes.organeventopentothepublic?
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10
Ongoing every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. 4-7pm. Wailea Village (100 Wailea Ike Dr, Kīhei); Waileavillage.com
Image courtesy: Facebook.com/waileavillage
MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
SUNSET MARKET
ART OF TRASH 2022: SUBMISSIONS
TAIJI TERASAKI: RESET/RESHAPE EXHIBIT - Until Dec. 18. Terasaki is a Japanese American artist making Schaefer Gallery debut. Exhibition captures the emotions of 2020 while also inspiring hope for the future. Free admission. Wed-Sat, 10am-4pm. Maui Arts and Cultural Center (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 808-242-SHOW; Mauiarts.org
NOW OPEN! - Mālama Maui Nui is accepting submissions to the Art of Trash and Trashion Show expected to open in April 2022. Pieces must be made from recycled and/or reused material. Jurors are looking for transformation of material, craftsmanship, and creativity. Go online for details. MMNui.org/ArtOfTrash
WEDNESDAY,SCENEDECEMBER 1
MALA ‘TIL MIDNIGHT - Ongoing, Fri & Sat. Indulge in the Kitchen Assassin Chef Alvin Savella’s raw fish & Wagyu menu plus select cocktails! 10pm-12am. Mala Tavern (1307 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-667-9394; Malatavern.com/late-night-menu
Go down the hatch with the Friday featured artist Eliza German! Step into her world of colorful paintings. The artists contribute to the Children of the Rainbow Pre-School in Lāhainā, to assist with art activities and buy art supplies for our local keiki students.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15
While the sun is setting, walk through this southside market to find Maui-grown vegetables and fruits, locally-made skincare products, baked goods, and more culinary treats.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
MATINEE PAʻINA, CELEBRATING MAUI
VOLUNTEER AT OLOWALU CULTURAL RESERVE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
Ongoing Wed and Thu. Sign up online. Kipuka Olowalu, ImageKipukaolowalu.comcourtesy:Kipukaolowalu.com
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 39
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
Top Picks
Maui Kūʻia Estate Chocolate (78 Ulupono St., Lāhainā); Mauichocolate.com
EXHIBIT - Until Dec 3. Chosen annually, the Lāhainā Poster is the official poster for the town of Lāhainā. Exhibit will showcase the best entries in the 34th contest. 5-8pm. Village Gallery (120 Dickenson St., Lāhainā); 808-661-4402; Lahainarestoration.org/2022-poster-contest
REQUEST - Send your best photo showcasing Hawai‘i to be included in the 2022 Hawai‘i calendar! Submission details online. Indie Treasure, join-our-state-calendar-projectIndietreasure.com/pages/
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
BRENTON KEITH’S MAGIC SHOW - Ongoing Thu. Be amused and amazed by Brenton Keith and his Bag O’ Tricks. From two to 102, his high-energy comedy and magic is entertaining for the entire family. Kids: $5; Adults: $10. 5-8pm. Mulligans on the Blue (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea): 808-874-1131; Mulligansontheblue.com
POWER UP COMEDY PRESENTS REX NAVARRETTE - Stay tuned for details. 8-11pm. Da Playground Maui, (300 Ma‘alaea Rd., Wailuku); 808-727-2571; Daplaygroundmaui.com
LED KAAPANA, GEORGE & THE SLACK KEY SHOW OHANA - Led Kaapana’s extraordinary baritone and falsetto voices make him a musical legend. Accompanying him is George Kahumoku Jr., Peter deAquino, and Sterling Seaton. $35-$60. Doors: 6pm: Show: 6:30pm. The Napili Kai Beach Resort Aloha Pavilion (5900 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Rd., Napili); 808-669-3858; Slackkeyshow.com
2ND FRIDAY LOCAL ARTIST SHOWCASE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
LAUHALA WORKSHOP - Until Dec 29. Learn and practice the art of lauhala weaving. Kumu Pueo Pata shares a mo‘olelo (story) and guides participants in making a beautiful lauhala creation. Offered online
SUNSET PAʻINA, CELEBRATING MAUI
MAUI GIFT AND CRAFT FAIR - Ongoing Sun. With over 50 vendors, find a variety of offerings from local artists and vendors, like photography, jewelry, fine art, crafts, gifts, and more. 9am-2pm. Lahaina Gateway Center (305 Keawe St, Lāhainā); Mauigiftandcraftfair.com
Malama ‘āina and learn about the culture of Native Hawaiian land and environmental practices. Help to preserve the biodiversity of Olowalu ecosystems, spanning from the mountains to the beautiful reef at this cultural reserve.
A KAMA - Guest enjoy a gourmet dinner bento, chocolate tasting, and mo‘olelo and hula accompanied by music. $150. 5-7pm.
and anytime. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
Maui Kūʻia Estate Chocolate (78 Ulupono St., Lāhainā); Mauichocolate.com
5-10pm. Down the Hatch (658 Front St., Lāhainā); 808661-4900; DTHmaui.com
ART
EXOTIC FRUIT ADVENTURE - Ongoing Fri & Mon. Explore the farm aboard Kawasaki 4-WD "Mules." Stop and sample variety of exotic fruit right from the tree. At the end of the tour, pack a large box of fruit to take. Reservation required. $375. Ono Organic Farms (149 Hāna Hwy.); 808-268-1784; Onofarms.com
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
2022 LĀHAINĀ POSTER CONTEST
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8
GEORGE KAHUMOKU JR. & THE SLACK KEY SHOW ‘OHANA - Also Dec 29. Enjoy a performance with the slack key ‘ohana. Show features the musical talents of George Kahumoku Jr., Shem Kahawaii, Peter deAquino, and more. $35-$60. Doors: 6pm: Show: 6:30pm. The Napili Kai Beach Resort Aloha Pavilion (5900 Lower Honoapi‘ilani Rd., Lāhainā); 808-669-3858; Slackkeyshow.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3
2022 STATE CALENDAR SUBMISSION
ART NIGHT - Ongoing Fri. Walk through Lāhainā's Historic District and visit local galleries with live music and art demonstrations. Find all participating 20+ galleries online. 5-8pm. Lahaina Town, ration.org/friday-night-is-art-nightLahainaresto-
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
Image courtesy: Eliza German
WILD FOODS HIKE - Offered daily. Wild food forager Sunny Savage shares observations of the natural world and storied solutions on personal hikes. Contact to schedule your hike. 808-206-8882; Sunnysavage.comSupport@sunnysavage.com;
FARMERS MARKET - Ongoing every 2nd & 4th Thursday. Shop for local handmade items, vintage and more at this sale. 4-7pm. Lahaina Jodo Mission (12 Ala Moana St., Lāhainā).
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16
Making hooped earrings can be so much fun! In this beginner class, make earrings using brass round wire. Learn to texturize and decorate the wire as well as how to solder the hoops.
VOLUNTEER AT WAIHEʻE COASTAL DUNES & WETLAND REFUGE
JEWELRY HAMMEREDBASICS:HOOP EARRINGS
THE BEACH CLUB LUAU - Enjoy delicacies from the mountain and sea, as well as Hawaiian and Tahitian entertainment. Bar available. Advance reservations required. Montage Kapalua Bay, (1 Bay Dr. Lāhaina); 808-662-6600; Montagehotels.com
WEDNESDAY FARMERS MARKETOngoing Wed. This is a one-of-a-kind market supporting Maui’s organic farmers! 8am-1pm. Po‘okela Church (200 Olinda Rd., Makawao); 808-419-1570
Ongoing! Contact for schedule
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
MĀLAMA HAWAIʻI VOLUNTOURISM PROGRAM - Ongoing Thu & Tue. Learn about Maui’s rich history by helping process historic artifacts and documents from all eras of Lāhainā’s vibrant past. 9:30am-12pm. Lahaina Restoration Foundation (120 Dickenson St., Lāhainā); Lahainarestoration.org
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
Image courtesy: Themauifarm.org
TE AU MOANA LU‘AU - The ocean tide (Te Au Moana) is the inspiration for this lu‘au experience, connecting the dots between Oceania. Includes show, imu ceremony, hula lessons, and open bar. Night ends with fire knife dancing finale. Marriott Wailea (3700 Wailea Alanui Dr.); Mauiluau.com/marriott-luau
DECEMBER ISSUE 202140 MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
SUMINAGASHI PAPER MARBLING
Discover the fun and meditative art process of Suminagashi. Ancient art of paper marbling from Japan translates to “ink floating on water.” Decorative papers can be used for wrapping presents and other handmade stationery gift ideas!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
Image courtesy: Hilt.org
MAUI NUI LU‘AU AT BLACK ROCKMon and Wed. Watch a torch lighting and cliff diving ceremony at Pu‘u Keka‘a (Black Rock). Show includes open bar, table service, imu ceremony, hula lessons, and fire knife dancing finale. Sheraton Maui Resort (2605 Kā‘anapali Pkwy.); Mauiluau.com/sheraton-luau
THE FEAST AT MOKAPU - Greeted with lei, enjoy cultural activities, and indulge in Hawaiian dishes and handcrafted cocktails. Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort (3550 Wailea Alanui Dr.); Mauiluau.com/wailea-luaus
MA‘ALAEA SUNSET DINNER CRUISECruise in style aboard the Ocean Odyssey for a fun-filled night on the water and deli cious appetizers. With otherworldly sunset views, this is the perfect way to watch a sunset on one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Activityauthority.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
Connect with nature and huli ka lima i lalo (turn the hands down). Volunteers will help with restoration and conservation projects while learning the cultural significance of the area.
NAPILI FARMERS MARKET - Ongoing Wed & Sat. Fresh Maui-grown produce, locally made products, handmade jewelry, and more. Also enjoy live Hawaiian music. 8am-12pm. Napili Farmers Market (4900 Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Napili); 808-633-5060; Napilifarmersmarket.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14
MAUI'S FRESH PRODUCE FARMERS MARKET - Ongoing Fri, Tue & Wed. Fresh produce, baked goods, plants, flowers, gour met foods, and more. Enjoy rotating food booths and discover the flavor of the day. 8am-4pm. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Shopping Center (275 W. Ka‘ahumanu Ave., Kahului); Qeenkaahumanucenter.com
ULTIMATE OPEN JUM P - Daily. Jump your heart out during open jump. $22-$40. Kama‘aina: $17-$35. Socks require or purchase for $2. Sun-Thu: 12-6pm; FriSat: 12-8pm. Ultimate Air Trampoline Park (21 La‘a St., Wailuku); 808-214-JUMP; Ultimateairmaui.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
Image courtesy: Huinoeau.com
MĀKENA SUNSET DINNER SAILMĀKENA SUNSET DINNER SAIL - Live mu sic, sparkling rosé toasts, marvelous sunset views, and a direct beach departure with this dinner cruise. Enjoy an island-inspired menu and locally-sourced spirits for a relaxing night on the Pacific Ocean. Activityauthority.com
Meet friendly animals, learn how food grows, and be inspired to start your own garden. Take a tour around The Maui Farm to see how natural farming promotes biodiversity and nurtures the environment.
Email details in fewer than 100 words to Shan Kekahuna atGotshan@mauitimes.organeventopentothepublic?
THE MYTHS OF MAUI LU‘AU - Go on a voyage through Polynesia with an all-youcan-eat buffet of Hawai‘i’s finest cuisines and complimentary cocktails. Royal Lahaina Resort (2780 Keka‘a Dr., Lāhainā); 800-222-5642; Royallahaina.com/luau LĀHAINĀ DINNER CRUISE - Embark on a westside dinner cruise with a spectacular 4-course dinner, cocktails, island-style music, and scenic views of Maui’s shoreline. Activityauthority.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1
Top Picks
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
MAUI SUNDAY MARKET - Ongoing Sun. Popular event for live entertainment, ‘ono food trucks, island vendors, and activities for the entire family. Free. 4-8pm. Kahului Shopping Center (65 W. Ka‘ahumanu Avenue, Kahului); Mauisundaymarket.com
FARMERS MARKET
UPCOUNTRY FARMERS MARKET - Ongo ing Sat. Shop organic produce, fresh caught fish, Maui-grown coffee, vegan goods, tropical flowers, and plants. New offerings weekly. 7-11am. Kulamalu Town Center (55 Kiopaa St., Pukalani); Upcountryfarmersmarket.com808-572-8122;
SUNSET MARKET - . Find locally-made clothes and skincare products, Maui-grown produce and flora, as well as baked goods, beverages, and many more culinary treats. Free Parking. 4-7pm. Wailea Village (100 Wailea Ike Dr, Kīhei); Waileavillage.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9
Members: $65; Non-Members: $77. 1-4pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
MAUI SWAP MEET - Ongoing Sat. Find bargains on flowers, fresh produce, jewelry, unique apparel, and a variety of other items. There’s food trucks and other vendors. 7am1pm. Maui Swap Meet at UHMC (310 W. Ka‘ahumanu Ave., Kahului); Mauihawaii.org/maui-shopping/swap-meet808-244-2133;
Every 2nd Saturday of the month. Reservation required. 9-11am. The Maui Farm (100 Ike Dr., Makawao); 808-579-8271; Themauifarm.org
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5
WEDNESDAY,COMMUNITYDECEMBER 1
Ages 6-10. $40 (members); $47 (non-members). 10am-12pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
Image courtesy: Huinoeau.com
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12
HOLIDAY WORKSHOP
Every 3rd Saturday of the month. 8-11am. Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes Base Yard (Halewaiu Rd., Wailuku); 808-744-AINA; Hilt.org
LATIN NIGHTS - Ongoing Fri. Swing your hips with Maui's Tropical Latin Dance Band, "Dr. Nat and Rio Ritmo." Intro level salsa lessons from 8-8:30pm are included in the cover. All ages welcome. BYOB. $20 At-TheDoor. 8-11pm. Heritage Hall (401 Baldwin Ave., Pa‘ia); 808-243-0065; Heritagehall.com
‘AHA‘AINA LU‘AU - Watch the rich history of Maui come to life. Eenjoy spectacular dining with private table overlooking Wailea Beach. Experience luxury service and a three-course menu. Grand Wailea Resort (27 Halekuai St.); Mauiluau.com/wailea-luaus
FARM TOURS
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31
SAMBA DANCE CLASS - Ongoing Thu. Samba is a fun carnival street dance and a great workout. Maui Yoga & Dance Shala (381 Baldwin Ave., Pa‘ia); 808-283-4123; Maui-yoga.com
Image courtesy: Huinoeau.com
ULTIMATE TODDLER TIME - Ongoing Sat, Mon & Fri. Bring your keiki to burn off that energy while having tons of fun. $22$40. Kama‘aina: $17-$35. Socks require or purchase for $2. 10am-12pm. Ultimate Air Trampoline Park (21 La‘a St., Wailuku); 808-214-JUMP; Ultimateairmaui.com
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20
LAUHALA WORKSHOP - Until Dec 29. Learn and practice art of lauhala weaving with Kumu Pueo Pata in a pre-recorded online video. Offered online and anytime. Call or go online for booking details. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
Immediate openings for Little Sisters in Lāhainā and Upcountry. Interested in enrolling a child or becoming a volunteer, call or email. Big Brothers Big Sister of Maui, 808-674-7209; Ctomas@bbbshawaii.org; Bbbshawaii.org Image courtesy: Bbbshawaii.org
MAUI YOGA RETREAT - Until Dec 3. Yoga retreat at the Wailea Inn. Yoga studio is equipped with all necessary props, as well as a swimming pool, hot tub, and neighboring beaches. Price ranges from $1400-$1600 per person. Yoga Studio Ganesha, 707-824-1198; Yogastudioganesha.com
LEI PO‘O MAKING - Ongoing Wed & Mon. Weave basic Ti leaf lei using flowers and ferns that can be worn on the head or around the neck. Lei making is open to both keiki and adults. Mon: 2:30-3:30pm; Wed: 1:30-2:30pm. The Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Dr.); 808-891-6770; Theshopsatwailea.com
GLASSBLOWING WITH RYAN STAUB
- Ongoing Tue, Thu & Sat. Learn ancient art of glassblowing and make the perfect Maui trinket. Instructor carefully tailors glass lessons to you. Book online. $200+. Moana Glass (140 Hobron Ave., Ste M-1, Kahului); 808-763-6338; Moanaglass.comInfo@moanaglass.com;
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Members: $99; Non-Members: $104. 9am-1pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
50 SHADES OF BLUE: GODDESS RETREAT - Until Jan 23. Learn the latest and most effective psychological and spiritual tools to harmonize relationships with yourself and loved ones. Napili Kai Beach Resort (5900 Lower Honoapiʻilani Rd., Lāhainā); 949-5148065; Goddessevent.com Ongoing! Contact for schedule
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 41 MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
$40 table for two. 6pm. Maui Coffee Attic (59 Kanoa St., Wailuku); 808-250-9555; ImageMauicoffeeattic.comcourtesy:Mauicoffeeattic.com
Until Dec 31. Register your youth (6-16) or be matched as a volunteer in a meaningful one-to-one-friendship and create special memories for Maui’s youth.
SUNDAY SUNSET RESTORATIVE YOGA+ SOUND BOWLS - Ongoing Sun. Slow gentle movement designed to restore body and calm nervous system. Receive healing powers of the sound bowls reconnecting body and mind to its harmonic vibration. $20. 5pm. Wailea Healing Center (120 Kaukahi St., Kīhei); Eventbrite.com
LEI MAKING - Ongoing Wed. Learn history of lei, a symbol of Aloha. Guide will identify ferns and plants for creating lei and teach the braiding method known as haku. 10am & 1pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6681; Montagehotels.com
It’s that holly jolly time of year, which means the return of the 7th annual Ugly Sweater Party! Bring friends and the entire ‘ohana, just make sure to wear your ugliest sweater.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1
FUNCTIONAL BARRE - Functional fitness class great for injury prevention and overall strength and sculpting! Body in Balance at Emerald Plaza (118 Kupuohi St., Lāhainā); 808-661-1116; Bodybalancemaui.com
Kapa and cultural practitioner of Molokaʻi and Maui, Kekai Kahokukaalani shares passion and knowledge of traditional Hawaiian dye making. Students create dyes derived from both Hawaiian plants and invasive species on Maui.
BROOKS MAGUIRE & SPECIAL GUEST MADDIE
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
GO GREEN RECYCLING - Important service for residents of West Maui allows residents to responsibly dispose of bulkyitems like air conditioners, batteries, washers and dryers, microwaves, refrigerators, tires, scrap metal, and electronics. Appointment-required. 9am-12pm. Behind Lāhainā District Court (1870 Honoapi‘ilani Hwy.); MalamaMauiNui.org/GoGreen
ART CLASSES - Ongoing Wed-Sun. Let your inner artist come out! A different theme is offered each day. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com
Singer-songwriter and Nashville recording artist Brooks Maguire and his daughter share the stage. Having performed around the world and are well-known on Front Street, Brooks and Maddie play a mix of classics and intermingle jolly holiday music.
OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF MAUI
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18
UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS PARTY
VIRTUAL STROKE SUPPORT GROUPOngoing every 3rd Wednesday of month. Provides education, encouragement, and helpful resources to individuals recovering from stroke or their caregivers. Request link to meeting by emailing Mariah.Mossman@ kp.org. 4-5pm. Maui Health (221 Mahalani St., Wailuku); 808-244-9056; Mauihealth.org
CREATIVE GENIUSES ART CLASS - Ongoing Wed. Keiki use their imagination to create unique artwork. Class is held via Zoom. Sign up online. Class Times: 2:30-3:15pm (grades 1-3); 3:30-4:15pm (grades 3-5). Maui Hui Malama, 808-244-5911; Mauihui.org
Top Picks
TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN DYE MAKING
FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY - Flexibility comes with this sensory and internally focused class. Leave class with the entire musculoskeletal system working in better harmony. Body in Balance at Emerald Plaza (118 Kupuohi St., Lāhainā); 808-661-1116; Bodybalancemaui.com
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Dixon & The Fixin’s entertain with live music starting at 8pm. 2-10pm. Down the Hatch (658 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-661-4900; DTHmaui.com Image courtesy: Pixabay.com
BARRE SCULPTING & TONING - Here is a great way to tighten, tone, and strengthen your muscles. This barre class uses weights and other resistance props for an intense total body workout at the barre! Body in Balance at Emerald Plaza (118 Kupuohi St., Lāhainā); 808-661-1116; Bodybalancemaui.com
AERIAL YOGA HAMMOCK - Take your yoga practice to new heights! Aerial yoga uses silk swing to support the body to attain optimal alignment in yoga asana. All levels are welcome. Body in Balance at Emerald Plaza (118 Kupuohi St., Lāhainā); 808-661-1116; Bodybalancemaui.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24
WINTER CAMP KALUANUI – The camp’s curriculum includes creative exercises to develop self-expression while staying physically active. Campers paint, sculpt, draw, and play through fun activities each day. (Ages 6-10). Monday-Thursday: Dec 20-30, 9am-2pm. Tuition: Members: $196; Non-Members: $245. Supply Fee: $30. Hui No‘eau Visual Art, (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7
COCONUT HUSKING - Ongoing Tue. See demonstrations of traditional and modern methods in coconut husking. 2:30-3:30pm. The Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Dr.); 808-891-6770; Theshopsatwailea.com
WEDNESDAY,OUTDOORSDECEMBER 1
COCONUT FROND WEAVING - Ongoing Mon. Kumu Thompson shares history and his contemporary approach to frond weaving using coconut leaves. Advance reservation via phone. 11am-12pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6600. Montagehotels.com
VOLUNTEER AT WAIHEʻE COASTAL DUNES & WETLAND REFUGE - Ongoing Fri. Connect with nature with the oppor tunity to huli ka lima i lalo (turn the hands down), and work the soil. Volunteers help with restoration and conservation projects. 8am-12pm. Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes Base Yard (Halewaiu Rd., Wailuku); 808-744-AINA; Hilt.org
HULA LESSONS - Ongoing Thu. For centuries Hula has been used to show respect and share stories of Hawaiian deities. Learn history as well as basic hip, foot, and hand movements that accom pany the meaningful words. 10am & 1pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6681; Montagehotels.com
COCONUT FROND WEAVING - Ongoing Thu. Make your own keepsake from Maui. Class is perfect for both adults and chil dren. 4:30-5:30pm. The Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Dr.); 808-891-6770; Theshopsatwailea.com
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2
NEW YEARS FAMILY CLASS
ʻUKULELE HAUʻOLI - Ongoing Fri & Tue. Learn the history of ʻukulele. Advance reservation via phone. 10am & 1pm. Mon tage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 833-779-7951; Montagehotels.com
PAPA HULA - Ongoing Fri. Discover the art of Hawaiian hula. Lessons include an overview of the music, instruments, the costume, and meaning of dance move ments. Fun for all ages. 4-5pm. The Shops at Wailea (3750 Wailea Alanui Dr.); 808891-6770; Theshopsatwailea.com
COCONUT HUSKING - Ongoing Mon. Learn history and benefits of the coconut while tasting its fresh milk and grated meat. Advance reservation via phone. 10-11am. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 833-779-7951; Montagehotels.com
Ongoing! Contact for schedule
KEL TOUR - Hop aboard for a Deluxe Snorkeling Tour of Molokini Crater and South Maui’s Turtle Town. Activityau thority.com
HALEAKALĀ BIKE TOUR - These self-guided Haleakala Bike tours allow the freedom to stop any time for photos or to grab a bite to eat at a deli, restaurant, or snack stop. Activityauthority.com
SUGAR MUSEUM TOUR - Ongoing MonWed. Explore sugar and plantation history. Exhibits depict 168 years of “King Sugar,” a chapter in Maui’s history that impacted island’s landscape and multiculturalism. 10am-2pm. Alexander & Baldwin Sug ar Museum (3957 Hansen Rd., Kahului); Sugarmuseum.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6
WEST MAUI SURF LESSONS - Maui Surfer Girls provides one of the top be ginner surfing experiences on the island. Everything you need for a day full of surf and sun is included with surfboards, rash guards, and booties. Activityauthority.com
Until Jan 9. Kicking off one of the most exceptional fields in golf, this will be Maui’s 24th year hosting the championship event. The event only features PGA Tour winners.Go online for ticket and event information.
Image courtesy: Sentrytournamentofchampions.com
Start the New Year with art! Ring in 2022 with a paintbrush in your hand and create a masterpiece that will bring joy all year long!
Captivating artists from around the world will be in attendance at the 20th annual event at the Lahaina Galleries located in the Shops at Wailea. Meet the artists over refreshments and light pupus.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua (200 Plantation Club Dr., Lāhainā); Sentrytournamentofchampions.com
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS EVENTS!
HANA KAPA - Kapa & Cultural practitioner of Molokaʻi & Maui, Kekai Kahokukaal ani shares knowledge of kapa making. Participants learn various uses of kapa and leave with their own kapa. Members: $88; Non-Members: $101. 9am-1pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
MOLOKINI FAMILY-FRIENDLY SNOR
HALEAKALĀ NATIONAL PARK HIKE + SUMMIT - Ascend 10,023 feet to the sum mit of the mountain, take in the views, and then hike down into the crater. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and water are provided. Activityauthority.com
KīHEI SURF LESSONS - ALearn how to surf from the enthusiastic and fun Maui surfers in Kihei. Choose from a private lesson, or group lesson, and let an experi enced instructor share their skills and love of the ocean. Activityauthority.com
MAUIʻS 20TH ANNUAL ART OF ALOHA
Email details in fewer than 100 words to Shan Kekahuna atGotshan@mauitimes.organeventopentothepublic?
hoops. Members: $65; Non-Members: $77. 1-4pm. Hui No‘eau Visual Art (2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao); 808-572-6560; Huinoeau.com
ImageMauitimes.news/maui-times-new-years-eventsMauitimes.news/maui-times-christmas-events;Events!courtesy:Pixabay.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
KAHUMOKU FARM TOUR - Ongoing Sat. Join Hawai‘i’s Renaissance Man, George Kahumoku, Jr. Participants learn cultural and nutritional benefits of farming and be come familiar with Polynesian canoe plants. For lunch, pick vegetables right from the garden and enjoy George’s Grammy winning songs. Go online to schedule. $250. 8am. Cliffs at Kahakuloa Slackekeyshow.com
MAUI SCUBA DIVING - Whether you’re an experienced PADI certified diver, look ing to get certified, or just want to scuba dive for the day, there are many options in Lahaina and Ka‘anapali with these dive masters. Activityauthority.com
Maui really knows how to celebrate the holi days with warmth and Aloha. So brighten the holiday season at one or more of these merry events. And we made it easy and found a bunch of things you can do to end the year off with a BANG!
Check out MauiTimes’ calendar for Christmas and New Years
LAUHALA WEAVING - Ongoing Sat. Create a beautiful keepsake bracelet using the lau (leaf) from a Hala tree. (Ages 12 and over). Advance reservation via phone. 10am & 1pm. Montage Kapalua Bay (1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6600. Montagehotels.com
2022 SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3
JEWELRY BASICS: HAMMERED HOOP EARRINGS - Making your own hooped earrings can be so much fun! In beginner class, students make earrings using brass round wire. Texturize, decorate, and solder
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4
Top Picks
DECEMBER ISSUE 202142 MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
8+. Contact for booking time. Island Art Party (1279 S Kīhei Rd.); 808-419-6020; Islandartparty.com Image courtesy: Facebook.com/islandartparty
12-3pm. Lahaina Galleries, (3750 Wailea Alanui, Kīhei); 808-874-8583; Lahainagalleries.com Image courtesy: Lahainagalleries.com
- Experience five utterly thrilling ziplines that send you across canyons over 45mph, above 90ft drops, and through gorgeous landscapes on the slopes of Ha leakalā. 808-878-8400; Skylinehawaii.com
HALEAKALĀ CLASSIC SUNRISE TOUR
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN - Sun-Mon: Live Music 12-2pm. (10 Wailea Gateway Pl.); 808-891-2322; Monkeypodkitchen.com
MAUI BREWING CO. - Daily: Live Music 6:30-8:30pm. 605 Lipoa Pkwy., Kīhei); 808-201-2337; Mauibrewingco.com
HUIHUI RESTAURANT - Daily: Live Music 2-5pm; 5:30-8:30pm & 6:30-7:30pm. 2525 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Lāhainā); 808-667-0124; Huihuirestaurant.com
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN - Daily: Live Music 1pm, 4pm & 7pm. (2435 Ka‘ana pali Pkwy., Lāhainā); 808-878-6763; Monkeypodkitchen.com
CROSSWORD PUZZLE | Answers Page 46
MALA TAVERN - Sun: Peter D. 2-4pm; Mon: Ashley Toth 2-4pm; Tue: Jason Tepora 2-4pm; Wed: Shawn McLaughlin & Friends 2-4pm; Thu: Alex Calma 2-4pm; Fri: Guest Artist 2-4pm; Sat: Tripp Wilson 2-4pm. (1307 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-667-9394; Malatavern.com
CANE & CANOE - Daily: Live Music 6-9pm. (Montage Kapalua Bay, 1 Bay Dr. Lāhainā); 808-662-6681; Montagehotels.com
WHAT ALES YOU - Wed: Gracie Welton 6-8pm; Fri: Pete Sebastian & Jeff Horn beck 6:30-9pm. (Kīhei Kalama Village, 1913 S. Kīhei Rd.); 808-214-6581; Wha talesyoukihei.com
NALUʻS SOUTH SHORE GRILL - Sun: An thony Pfluke 6:30pm; Mon: Ron Kuala‘au 7:30pm; Tue: Kenny Roberts 7:30pm; Wed: Kenny Roberts & Kawika Ortiz 7:30pm; Thu: Ah Tim & Joey 6:30pm; Fri: Anthony Pfluke 6:30pm; Sat: Eric Gilliom 7:30pm. (1280 S. Kīhei Rd.); 808-891-8650; Naluskihei.com
HULA GRILL - Daily: Live Music 2:304pm & 6:30-8pm. (2435 Ka‘anapali Pkwy., Lāhainā); 808-667-6636; Hulagrillkaanapali.com
HALEAKALĀ SUNRISE & ZIP TOURExperience a Maui sunrise from the top of the world. Continue the upcountry adventure with a five-zipline tour, includ ing a heart-stopping Indiana Jones-esque swinging bridge on the slopes of Haleak alā. 808-878-8400; Skylinehawaii.com
MAUI COFFEE ATTIC - 12/18: Brooks Maguire & Maddie 6pm. (59 Kanoa St., Wailuku); 808-250-9555; Mauicoffeeattic.com
DUKES BEACH HOUSE - Sun: Damien Awai 5:30-8pm; Mon: Kahala Greig 5:308pm; Tue: Damien Awai 5:30-8pm; Wed: Keali‘i Lum 5:30-8pm; Thu: Koa Lopes 5:30-8pm; Fri: Ben DeLeon 5:30-8pm; Sat: Akoni Clubb 5:30-8pm.(130 Kai Malina Pkwy, Lāhainā); 808-662-2900; Dukesmaui.com
HALEAKALĀ 5-LINE ADVENTURE TOUR
THE WHARF CINEM A - Mon-Thu: Ua Alo ha Magi 5-7pm. (658 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-661-8748; Thewharfshops.com
ALOHA ‘AINA BBQ - Thu: Randall Rospond, 5:30-7:30pm. (Pe‘ahi Farm stand, 2250 Hāna Hwy.); 808-437-7754; Alohaainabbq.com
ISLAND FRESH CAFE - Sun: Anthony Pfluke 12:30-2:30pm; Wed: Pat Simmons Jr. 11:30am-1:30pm; Sat: Naia Litman 12:30-2:30pm. (381 Baldwin Ave., Pa‘ia); 808-446-0298; Islandfreshmaui.com
MULLIGANS ON THE BLUE - Fri: Karrie O’neill 6-8pm; Sat: Tempa & Naor Duo 6-8pm; Sun: Murray Thorne 6-8pm. (100 Kaukahi St., Wailea): Mulligansontheblue.com808-874-1131;
INU POOL BAR - Mon, Tue, Wed & Sun: Live Music 3:30-5:30pm. (The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, 45 Kai Malina Pkwy., Ka‘anapali); Westinvacationclub.com808-662-6300;
KA‘ANAPALI 8-LINE ADVENTURE - Zip at thrilling speeds up to 150ft above the ground and marvel at the wide open ocean and rugged West Maui Mountains. 808878-8400; Skylinehawaii.com
DOWN THE HATCH - Mon: Jimi Lee 8-10am; Brant Quick 3-5pm; Tue: Damien Awai 8-10am, Brant Quick 3-5pm & 8-10pm; Wed: Alex Calma 8-10am, Jason Tepora 3-5pm, Tripp Wilson 8-10pm; Thu: Gracie Welton 8-10am, Tripp Wilson 3-5pm; Fri: Brant Quick 8-10am, Natalie Nicole Robles 3-5pm; Sat: Damien Awai 8-10am, Sunny Kalama & Evan Hernandez 3-5pm. (658 Front St., Lāhainā); 808-661-4900; DTHmaui.com
PITA PARADISE - Sun: Benoit Jazzworks 6-8:30pm. (34 Wailea Gateway Pl.); 808-879-7177; Pitaparadisehawaii.com
MAUI COUNTY EVENTS
SOUTH SHORE TIKI LOUNGE - Sun: Aaron Boothe 4-6pm; Mon: Randall Ro spond 4-6pm; Tue: Natalie Nicole 4-6pm; Wed: Jamie Gallo 4-6pm; Thu: Jeff Bowen 4-6pm; Fri: Tyler Lewis 4-6pm; Sat: Tom Conway 4-6pm. (Kīhei Kalama Village, 1913 S. Kīhei Rd.); 808-874-6444; Southshoretiki.com
SOUTH
UPCOUNTRY
WATERFALL HIKE & ZIP TOUR - Hike Maui will lead you through lush land scapes to two waterfalls off the Hana Highway. After a hearty lunch, test your mettle on a stunning and thrilling 5-line Haleakalā Zipline Tour. 808-878-8400; Skylinehawaii.com
LIVE CENTRALMUSIC
PA‘IA BAY COFFEE BAR - Tue-Sat: Live Music 5-7pm; Wed: 12/1 & 12/22 Randal Rospond 5-7pm. (115 Hāna Hwy., Pa‘ia); 808-578-3111; Paiabaycoffee.com
- Be there when Haleakalā National Park awakens with the rising sun near the sum mit of Haleakalā. 808-878-8400; Skylinehawaii.com
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 43
WEST
Complete the grid so that every row, coloumn, diagonal and 3x2 box contain the numbers 1 to 6.
DIAGONAL SUDOKUMINI-DIAGONALSUDOKUX
PUZZLES
KenKen, a logic puzzle, is named after the Japanese word for clevgrid with digits so as not to repeat a number in any row or within each heavily outlined box, called a cage, will produce the target number using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as indicated by the operation in the upper lefthand corner. The order placement is flexible, so long as numbers in each cage can use the indicated operation to reach the target number. with are write the number in the left hand corner in the each to 6.
4. Grids
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just one square
box. T5. he easier 4x4 grid uses the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 once in
column and row. The harder 6x6 grid uses the numbers 1
DECEMBER ISSUE 202144
3.
HARDER
EASIER
Complete the grid so that every row, coloumn, diagonal and 3x3 box contain the numbers 1 to 9.
freebees. Just
WHITE WINS A PAWN HINT: Just take it! Solution in answer key. GOT MOVES? Try Chance ‘Em PUZZLES ANSWERS See page 30 ONLINE SCHEDULING MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD 169 MA‘A STREET $120$130757-9480KAHULUINEWCARDRENEWALCARDCertiCann.com(808) Wholesale to the Public Open Daily 2am-4pm ‘Big Bags’ 42# - Just $5! 20# - $3 7# - $1 300 Ohukai Rd. 808.874.0101B228
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DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 45 7 Pools Lounge HOSTESSESBEAUTIFULKARAOKEFOODSPORTS 331 HOOKAHI ST. WAILUKU • 808-242-5920 HAPPY HOUR 3PM-6PMFOODSPORTSBEAUTIFULHOSTESSES W S O K OM S O W S S D M S S OO K S DOO D S OW K SD S M S FACEBOOK: @ (808)214-6581WHATALESYOUKIHEI•1913SKIHEIRD
“I miss having all the kids come in, telling them about the library, helping them find things. We used to have more than 150 student visits a week before the pandemic. Now it’s 10 at a time – I don’t say ‘quiet, please’ very much anymore. I miss them.”
Pavao plans to retire at the end of March next year. She says she will miss the library and its patrons.
Visitors must be at least 12 years and older, with a valid photo ID and current COVID-19 vaccination card or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the library visit.
OVID-19 is a hovering cloud over our freedoms –to travel, to gather, to hug without fear, to attend big weddings, to mourn at funerals without worrying we might precipitate our own.
said she and her students “love the li brary. We get videos for our classroom, students can complete assignments by checking out books, and I show mov ies like “Because of Winn Dixie” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
DECEMBER ISSUE 202146
“We are also creating a whole bunch of new online services” Aldrich said. “KANOPY will provide three free movies a month per card holder through your library card. There are also wonderful educational videos for kids, and access to award-winning local films.
“If we didn’t have the library I don’t know what I would do. It’s cool and quiet, they have floor mats so we can lay down and read, a bathroom, and computers I can use for research. If I read a book for a very long time it takes me to a whole new world.”
Devon and Sivan Andrada with Hana librarian Irene Pavao.
With an assistant still out on medical leave this fall, everything to do with running the Hana library falls to Pavao.
stocking books. She is responsible for cleaning every book returned to the library and filling requests with the state system if her library doesn’t have the book.
That edict was my “get out of jail free” card to return to the Hana Public & School Library. Within a week I’d checked out literary goodies equivalent to a sugar junkie’s dozen iced donuts. I was back in the stacks, home again. As a toddler my mother took me to my Missouri farm town’s excellent library, where I was allowed to sit on the floor in the children’s sec tion and oh so carefully hold books.
Hawaii State Librarian Stacy Aldrich, in Honolulu, is quick to acknowledge “there’s more work behind the scenes now than normally
But one great joy was restored on Sept. 13 when Gov. David Ige issued an executive order reopening Hawai’i’s 55 state libraries, including six on Maui.
“Irene (Pavao) is an amazing li brarian,” said Pua, who has lived in Hana for decades. “It’s always im maculate, but especially now when we have to be extremely careful of the virus. I know she does extra work. That’s especially important to so many Hana folks who live off the grid and can’t use computers. We all rely on her to get anything weInwant.”Hana, that even includes check ing out ukuleles as well as books, videos, and audio books.
By Tad Bartimus
One of them is Wai’oli Park, 12, who visits “about once a week.” He’s working his way through a young adult series on Greek and Roman mythology.
Furthermore...
Thus my life was transformed by libraries, books, and eyeglasses. I became a writer and author with a lifelong dependence on public libraries. Fortunately, everyone on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai has access to eight public libraries that are open, free, and welcoming, full of wondrous knowledge, adventure, and inspiration for dreams.
She said Hawaii State library card applications are available online.
C
A member of a local Hana book group, Senner said Pavao gets ex tra copies of chosen titles in time forDotdiscussion.Pua,89,is an avid reader who has considered the Hana library her “lifeline” for decades. She averages three library books a week. Favorite authors include John Steinbeck and mystery writer Sue Grafton. She keeps an updated, running list of books she wants to read.
because people are requesting more“We’vematerials.”become mini warehouses to keep up,” Aldrich continued.
Given the library’s popularity, Pavao probably is the best-known resident of Hana. But her days are quieter now than they once were, when teachers on the same school-li brary campus brought their classes in to do research, watch educational videos, and pick out their own books.
But by second grade I’d become a conundrum to my teachers, always with my nose in a book but not doing well in school. When I flunked a free eye test, my parents took me to an optometrist in Kansas City. A lasting memory is looking out the window and seeing, through my new glasses, leaves on trees.
Hana librarian Irene Pavao currently is the only employee working in the Hana Public & School Library. She is not only charged with caring for thousands of volumes, but also the library’s cleanliness, security, and maintenance of its computers, eBooks, audio books, use of databases, and or dering patrons’ requests through the big Hawaii State Library system.
Fourth grade teacher Beth Senner
Aldrich said if book lovers down load the LIBBY app on the website, then enter their library card and pin numbers they can download books to their mobile phone, iPad, computer, andPavaoKindle.has been doing her job for months in first full personal protective gear, and now in masks, but she still greets everyone who enters the library with a noticeable smile and a personal greeting.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
"If kids have trouble in their lives books can take them where they want to go..."
Get Caught Reading: Local libraries navigate life in the COVID-19 pandemic
Her normal job got a lot harder when COVID hit. In early 2020 all state libraries were closed to the pub lic. Then card holders were allowed to place orders for curbside pickup. As the months passed, ordered books were put on a table that moved closer to the door as restrictions eased. Now 10 patrons are allowed inside the Hana library at one time.
“If kids have trouble in their lives books can take them where they want to go in their imagination, to see the characters and what they do,” the sixth grader said.
“One benefit is that you can go to the website (www.librarieshawaii. org) or app to identify and request what you want, then order it on your phone or computer or tablet, then stop by or make an appointment to pick it up at your library.”
As one who has relied on her ex pertise, good humor, and ability to order any book I’ve ever requested, I believe all of us will miss her, too.
The pandemic brought an end to Pavao’s student helpers’ work re-
“We are providing more eBooks to our OVERDRIVE program, which went over 1 million checkouts of eBooks, audio books, and magazines.”
DECEMBER ISSUE 2021 47
