MOLOKAI FIRE BURNS 7,800 ACRES; 70 FIREFIGHTERS ON SCENE

UPDATED @ 4:00 P.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 More than 70 state and county firefighters are on the scene of a three day old fire on Molokai that has now burned an estimated 7,800 acres.  Crews are being assisted by 5 helicopters, 7 bulldozers, and 5 water tankers. Bulldozer activity remains heavy as equipment operators [...]

MOLOKAI FIRE NOW IN ITS 3RD DAY BURNS AN ESTIMATED 7,200 ACRES

UPDATED @ 12:30 P.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 County and state fire crews continue their third day of battling a brush fire on Molokai that has increased in size to 7,200 acres since it was first reported Saturday afternoon. On the ground, 40-plus County firefighters are joined by 28 wildland firefighters from the State’s Division [...]

FIREFIGHTERS FACE CHANGING WINDS AND PRE-EXISTING DRY CONDITIONS; 4 SCHOOLS CLOSED

UPDATE:  6:45 A.M. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 FIRE FORCES SCHOOL CLOSURES:  The department of Education closed four schools on Molokai today because of the ongoing fire above Kaunakakai. Closures today include Molokai High, Molokai Middle, Kaunakakai Elementary and Kualapuu Elementary Public Charter School. DROUGHT CONDITIONS ON MOLOKAI:  The island of Molokai has been having especially [...]

RESIDENTS OF KALAMAULA MAUKA EVACUATED, FIRE GROWS TO 6,000 ACRES

UPDATE TO KAUNAKAKAI FIRE SUNDAY 8/30/09 4:15 p.m. RESIDENTS OF KALAMAULA MAUKA ON MOLOKAI EVACUATED A change in wind conditions has caused the brush fire on Molokai to switch from a mauka direction to makai. In response, Maui Police ordered residents in the Kalamaula Mauka area to evacuate at around 4:15 this (Sunday, August 30, [...]

UPDATE: MOLOKAI BRUSH FIRE BURNS 2,500 ACRES

A brush fire burned an estimated 2,500 acres since it was first reported shortly after noon, Saturday, August 29, 2009.  The fire was located above the town of Kaunakakai and continued to burn in the mauka direction at nightfall. Three helicopters assisted crews from the Molokai’s Kaunakakai, Hoolehua and Pukoo fire stations. Air operations included [...]

MAUI CREWS ASSIST MOLOKAI FIRE FIGHTERS AT KAUNAKAKAI BRUSH FIRE

A brush fire above Kaunakakai on Molokai burned 60 acres by 3:30 Saturday afternoon, August 29, 2009. The fire was first reported at 12:05 p.m. in a town located above Kaunakakai. County officials say the fire was burning in the mauka direction. Three helicopters were dispatched to the scene for water drops as well as [...]

LINGLE CALLS HGEA OFFER UNACCEPTABLE; NON-UNION LAYOFFS MOVED FORWARD TO SEPT. 16

Governor Linda Lingle will hold an emergency meeting with her cabinet directors over the weekend to identify additional spending reductions needed to close the growing budget shortfall.  Today, Lingle said reductions will likely include additional layoffs in order to realize labor savings. The meeting comes on the heels of a reduced revenue forecast that is [...]

REPEAT DROUGHT CONDITIONS UPCOUNTRY LEAD LAWMAKERS TO HAMAKUAPOKO WELLS

The county’s Water Resources Committee will consider a bill to permit use of water from the Hamakuapoko wells during times of drought. Under the bill, customers in on the Upcountry water system would be permitted to utilize the resource during dry conditions that warrant a drought declaration. Committee Chair, Mike Victorino, who scheduled the bill [...]

MAYORS JOIN SPECIAL CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE HAWAII TOURISM

Hawaii’s four county mayors will join state and county tourism officials next week for a special marketing campaign in Los Angeles to promote Hawaii as a visitor destination. The special promotional campaign is entitled “Hawaii: A Thousand Reasons to Smile,” and was organized in part by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and is set [...]

WEST MAUI LAWMAKER FIGHTS PROPOSAL TO CLOSE LAHAINA LIBRARY

West Maui Lawmaker, Angus McKelvey testified Wednesday before the Board of Education to reject a proposal by the State Librarian that seeks the closure the Lahaina Library. McKelvey says the library serves the entire area of West Maui, which on any given day has a population of about 20,000 people.  State Librarian Richard P. Burns [...]

HAWAII CARPENTERS SEEK FAIR PAY AT WALLGREENS CONSTRUCTION SITES

By Wendy Osher Members of the Hawaii Carpenters Union staged a small scale protest at two different sites on Maui today.  Banners were placed in front of the old Pizza Hut and future Wallgreens site in Kahului, a separate site in Lahaina and four Walgreens locations on Oahu. Hawaii Carpenters Union Assistant Business Rep. Lance [...]

COUNTY PROGRAM COULD MAKE HUD RECIPIENTS NEW HOMEOWNERS

A new county run program aims to increase home ownership for low-income families.  The Homeownership Option Program (HOP) will allow Section 8 HUD rental assistance participants to apply rental housing assistance payments toward mortgage payments instead.  The program is being launched by the County Department of Housing and Human Concerns. There are currently 1,360 participants [...]

STUDENTS TO SELECT GRAND MARSHALL FOR MAUI COUNTY FAIR

The Maui County Fair will host two new contests this year created exclusively for  students. The Parade Grand Marshall Contest will honor outstanding educators by inviting students (grades K-12) to nominate their favorite teacher as 2009 Maui County Fair Parade Grand Marshall. The winning educator in each category (Elementary I, grades K-2; Elementary II, 3 – 5; Intermediate, grades 6 [...]

$7.6 MILLION SET FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION INITIATIVES

Hawaii is set to receive more than $7.6 million for Native Hawaiian education initiatives including cultural programs, curriculum expansion, tutoring, and resource development.  In announcing the funds, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye said the money will come through a series of 14 grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The largest appropriation of $1,016,255 goes [...]

NEW HANAIALII ALBUM SHOWCASES FRIENDS & FAMILY

Three time Grammy® Nominee and multi Nā Hōkū Hanohano award winner Amy Hānaiali‘i released her latest project titled Amy Hānaiali‘i: Friends & Family of Hawai‘I today. The album features duets with 16 well known male vocalists and musicians of Hawai‘i—including Palani Vaughan, Keali’i Reichel, John Cruz, Kaumaka’iwa Kanaka’ole and FIJI.  Hānaiali’i remains the highest selling [...]

MAUI NUI BOTANICAL GARDENS HOSTS NATIVE PLANT SALE

The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens hosts a Native Hawaiian Plant Sale on Saturday, August 29, 2009.  Maui residents will have the opportunity to purchase Hawaiian plants to help support the ongoing conservation and educational programs at the Gardens. Come and learn about water conservation, plant care and plant maintenance from top experts. Participating vendors include: [...]

MAUI HOSTS INAUGURAL KO’I AWARDS / AHU DEDICATION

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce hosts its third annual Hui Holomua Business Fest this Friday at the Grand Wailea Resort.  The festivities also feature the inaugural Ko’i Award ceremony.  The day begins with the arrival of a fleet of canoes and ceremonial Hawaiian protocol at the beach fronting the hotel at dawn.  There [...]

HAWAIIAN WOMEN POETS GIVE VOICE TO THEIR VISION OF HAWAII

A handful of Hawaiian women will voice their vision of Hawaii’s future using poetry at a special Maui event.  “Remembering Roots & Envisioning Future” features five poets including, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, who is the winner of the international poetry slam competition and recited her poetry at the White House in May. (Video Courtesy: youtube.com & [...]

MEO EXPECTS $4 MILLION IN FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS

By Wendy Osher The Maui Economic Opportunity community action agency is currently operating seven stimulus fund initiatives and expects nearly $4 million in federal funding. Maui Economic Opportunity CEO, Sandy Baz was among the list of people who testified today (Monday, August 24, 2009) before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.  Today’s hearing was organized [...]

MAUI COUNCIL CHAIR MATEO NAMED OUTSTANDING FILIPINO

Maui Council Chair Danny Mateo is being honored as one of 20 Outstanding Filipinos Abroad in 2009 by the national Filipino Image Magazine.  Mateo is recognized as the first person of Filipino descent to be elected as chair of the Maui County Council. Mateo is the eighth born of nine children and was raised in [...]