Maui

There’s new movement on plans to restore the Old Maui High School.

A company called TEACH Development has been tapped by Maui County officials to rebuild remaining structure. Teach stands for technology, education, agriculture, community and health.  In a meeting last week they pledged to work closely with the community to achieve plans to create an environmental education center within the historic architecture.  The limited liability corporation was formed for the project, and was chosen by Mayor Alan Arakawa’s administration through a request for proposal process.

The large surf hitting the Hawaiian Islands is a welcome sign for big wave surfers competing in the Peahi Challenge at “Jaws” in north Maui.

The competition was put on “Green Alert” by organizers, and first heats are expected to begin as early as 7 this morning if favorable conditions hold.   Forecasts call for light winds and surf around 30 feet, which is considered “medium” for the competition.

The competition is also hosting a women’s division for the first time in event history.  Peter Mel is the Commissioner the World Surf League’s Big Wave Division.

A date has been set for the transition of three state-run medical facilities on Maui. The Board of Directors of the Maui regional Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation voted that starting July 1, 2017, Kaiser will take over operations. 

Maui is getting a taste of Portuguese folk music this weekend with a performance by Fado singer Ramana Vieria.

Fado, which roughly translates to “Fate”, is a style best known for very delicate, melancholy, ballads about love and loss.  It’s often described as the Portuguese equivalent of “The Blues”… and went on to influence Bossa Nova and some Hawaiian music. with roots traced back  to the 1920’s.

Maui County is contributing money and resources for the eradication of coqui frogs.  $1.2 million has been allotted to the Maui Invasive Species Committee to increase efforts to stop the spread of coqui during over a five-year plan.

Officials say if nothing is done, the tiny frogs will multiply to population levels that were previously seen on the Big Island.  Maui Invasive Species Committee Manager Adam Radford says the 80 to 90 decibel screech is a threat to communities as well as tourism.

The State Department of Transportation has scrapped a plan to construct a seawall in West Maui following a week long protest.  The plan was to build a wall of boulders near mile marker 16 along the shoreline of Honoapi‘ilani highway to protect the road from erosion.  But environmentalists say the wall would threaten coral reefs and surf breaks by altering the natural flow of sand.  They added that it would ruin beach access, and not truly alleviate the road’s safety issues.  

Major flooding and heavy rain prompted an emergency proclamation Wednesday in Maui County. The wet weather knocked out a water line, flooded parks and homes, and caused several mudslides. HPR’s Molly Solomon says it’s just the latest in what’s been a wetter than normal couple of months.

One of key questions hanging over the state is what happens to the Alexander & Baldwin land on Maui after HC&S closes for good at the end of the year.  While the phrase diversified agriculture seems to be on everyone's lips, what that means could be anybody's guess. We'll take up that up with Alexander & Baldwin President & Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Benjamin, HC&S General Manager Rick Volner, & Scott Enright, Chair of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.

Experienced Teacher Turned Down by DOE; Learning Polynesian Wayfinding; The Future of A&B Land on Maui

Pay Raise for DOE Administrators; 2016 Greek Festival; From The Farm; Ho’olaule’a In Hana

Pay Raises for DOE Administrators: Corey Rosenlee

A standoff over control of three Maui hospitals appears to be over.

A settlement between the United Public Workers Union and the state was announced Friday.  The state run Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital will transfer to the supervision of Kaiser Permanente.  Employees represented by the union will work under Kaiser until their contracts expire next June.

Hawai‘i Republicans take Stock; Collegiate Theatre Festival; Tight Primary Races on Maui; Storytelling for Children on Maui

Hawaii Republicans Take Stock After RNC

Environmental Issues on Maui; Benny Rietveld and Alicyn Yaffee; Remodeling Maui Wrap Up; Bridge of Peace Festival

Environmental issues on Maui: Albert Perez

Outlook for Tourism on Maui; Combining Jazz and Reggae with Monty Alexander; Land Use on the Valley Isle; Magician-Storyteller Yasu Ishida

Maui’s Tourism Industry: Terryl Vencl

Remodeling Maui

Maui Job Market; Kaua‘i Voices Concert; Neal Conan; The Rat and The Octopus come to the MAAC

Maui’s Jobs Market: Linda Chu Takayama

Mayor or Manager for Maui?; Streetlight Cadence; Maui's Changing Demographics; An Original Play on Vivaldi

Maui Mayor or Maui Manager? Mike White

Scientists are getting a better idea of how sharks behave and why so many attacks have occurred off Maui. The study, commissioned by the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources monitored more than 40 tagged sharks in waters off Maui and Oahu. HPR’s Molly Solomon shares their findings.

Carl Meyer is used to getting up close and personal with one of Hawai‘i’s apex predators. He’s spent the past two years tagging tiger sharks in Hawai‘i to study their behavior. He cues up a video from a camera he attached to a shark off Maui in January, peak mating season for tiger sharks.

Hawai‘i as a Sinkhole State; Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids; Neal Conan; Common Ground Dance Festival

Hawaii Taxpayers Not Getting Truthful Financial Information: Sheila Weinberg

State Education Budget; Art from Trash; Hula Honeys

What’s in the Education Budget: Jim Shon

Gender Wage Gap; "Born to Be Wild" at La Pietra; All Girl Paddleout on Maui

Hawaii’s Gender Wage Gap: Rachel Lyons

Honolulu Zoo; "As Time Goes By..."; Maui Organic Farming Initiative; Hawaii Sketch Comedy Festival 

  Honolulu Zoo’s Loss of Accreditation: City Councilmember Trevor Ozawa

Federal money is on the way to employees at Hawai‘i’s last sugar plantation. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced that the 685 Maui workers who will lose their jobs at the end of this year will qualify for financial help. Benefits include up to $2,000 a month, free tuition and books and other job training support. Schatz says the federal money is in addition to already existing state benefits for unemployment.

Inter-Island Ferry, Musician Benny Rietveld, Displaced Sugar Workers, Haleakala Service Trip

Superferry Appropriations Feasibility Study: Michael Hansen

Officials of Maui County and Alexander and Baldwin are putting together a task force to assist workers displaced by the closing of the state’s last sugar mill.

Last week Alexander and Baldwin announced they would cease cane operations on Maui---affecting nearly seven-hundred workers. Beginning in March- half of the HC&S workers will be laid off, with the rest staying until the end of the 2016 harvest.

On Maui, a piece of history is scheduled to be destroyed….on purpose.

The Hana Pier was built in the early 1920’s.  It was fenced off in 2010 after falling into disrepair with exposed holes and rebar in the deck.  The Department of Transportation reviewed various options for rebuilding the pier but settled on its removal following public feedback.

Tim Sakahara is the spokesperson for the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation.

Maui is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. But it’s not only the streets or the beaches that are getting crowded, it’s also the jail.  Eileen Chao has more from The Maui News.

Overcrowding continues to plague Maui's only jail.  The warden of Maui Community Correctional Center gave media a tour of the facility last week. He said that the Kahului center is more than 150 inmates over capacity.  What's worse, there's no space to expand, and efforts to build another jail on Maui appear to have stalled.

A proposal for a 15-hundred home development on Maui has come to a screeching halt—at least for now.  The plan was for Olowalu town---and it faced opposition from many environmentalists on the island. Eileen Chao has more from the Maui News.

The intentions might have been good, but the plan is incomplete. That's what the state Land Use Commission told Maui developers Bill Frampton and David Ward last week.