Maui Democrats Nominate Three for HD10 Vacancy
Green: We will only build 800 Affordable Units Next Year--but we will Pretend to Rebuild Mayor Wright (again)
Message to Tourists: ”The blood is on your hands”
LAT: … Pa’ele Kiakona, an organizer of the grassroots activist group Lahaina Strong, warned that tourists who flock to the golden sand beaches and hotels with swim-up grotto bars and spas offering $200 massages could face backlash from locals who fear they will be priced out of their hometown.
“We made our plea. You decided not to listen,” Kiakona said. “The blood is on your hands.”…
(CLUE: Future tense, not past tense.)
Still, some residents who lost their homes are welcoming tourists.
Beberlyn Aveno, a 56-year-old Filipino immigrant, was back selling puka shell necklaces at her kiosk at the Whalers Village shopping mall in Kaanapali recently. She wished more tourists were back; some days she made only $20.
But Aveno said it wasn’t just the money that kept her working; she would go crazy, she said, if she stayed in her cramped, temporary hotel room.
“It’s good to get out and have people to talk to,” she said. “I accept everyone. It’s healing.”
Grace Tadena, a 55-year-old Filipino immigrant and front desk agent at the Ritz Carlton 10 miles north of Lahaina, said she was glad the resort had reopened for tourism.
“It is the bread and butter. We can’t survive without our business.”…
read … Many on Maui are rethinking aloha spirit after fire
Local parents express vaccine support amidst recent Hawaii kindergartner exemption increases
KITV: … Oahu parent and veterinarian Dr. Jill Yoshicedo told KITV4, "We trust in the scientific process, we trust our healthcare professionals when they're making recommendations on vaccinations or medications to prevent or treat diseases, we believe the vaccinations help protect not only us from getting the disease, but protect the people around us - especially vulnerable people that might not be able to get vaccinated." …
Regarding Hawaii experiencing the biggest jump when it comes to exemptions (for childhood vaccines), Jill said, "I do believe the vast majority of people in this state, in the country and in the world still trust their doctors, their healthcare professionals that they work with and believe that science is real and that it's working to make the world make sense and better."
Jill's husband Tony also believes strongly in vaccine benefits stating, "There are of lot of really terrible diseases out there that can effect children, I think with vaccines we can vaccinate our kids, they can be safe from that, we don't have to worry about that, we don't have to worry about other kids getting those diseases." …
read … Local parents express vaccine support amidst recent Hawaii kindergartner exemption increases
Following council vote, Maui’s former emergency head may have to pay his own legal fees
HNN: … Nearly four months after the Maui wildfires, anger over the handling of the emergency — and the dislocation of fire evacuees — continues to boil over at the Maui County Council.
At its meeting Friday, council members expressed their frustration by denying a legal defense to a former emergency official. Herman Andaya left his job as director of the Emergency Management Agency after being off-island during the fires and deciding not to use emergency sirens to encourage evacuation.
On Friday, West Maui Council member Tamara Paltin revealed a recent email in which Andaya invited Mayor Richard Bissen to a fundraising for the civil air patrol.
“We would like to offer Mayor Bissen a VIP ticket valued at $100 to this event,” Paltin read. “Unethical.”
“And then we have this on our agenda. Super unethical,” she continued.
Friday’s agenda included a measure that would provide a local attorney and defense for Andaya — usually an automatic process for government workers who are sued….
The council rejected the Andaya resolution by a narrow 5-to-4 vote.
“it just isn’t palatable to be paying lawyer’s fees,” Paltin said. “Until the investigations have totally cleared this individual from any wrongdoing.”
But Councilmember Tasha Kama objected: “When I was younger, really younger, I learned that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”…
(CLUE: With his personally-hired attorney, Andaya will be more likely to point out information exposing Maui Count7y’s culpability. The more Maui Co is culpable, the less HEI is.)
read … Following council vote, Maui’s former emergency head may have to pay his own legal fees
Restaurants Go Cashless as Thieves hit multiple Moanalua Shopping Center businesses
KHON: … Businesses are fed up with thieves. Koa Pancake House and Yummy’s said, they’re going cashless to deter criminals. For Yummy’s, that paid off during the overnight burglary. The thieves left empty handed, because there was no cash in store….
That’s just one reason why Koa Pancake House converted to cashless.
“The more they break in, it hurts more and then we come to decide cashless and credit card only,” said Samsson Chung, Koa Pancake House owner.
Timmy T’s said, it’s not the first time they’ve been hit either. Just six months ago, they were burglarized for the first time and had made changes since.
“We had put air tags in the registers and it looks based on what’s on my phone, it looks like they ditched them somewhere, but hopefully that will help a little bit,” said Singlehurse.
According to HPD’s data dashboard, burglaries have steadily increased since July, with 191 incidents in November….
KITV: “Not accepting cash can be agitating for some customers”
read … Thieves hit multiple Moanalua Shopping Center businesses in overnight burglary | KHON2
Joseph News -- Feds Bust Another: Man allegedly bought 100 pounds of drugs from undercover agents
SA: …Bryson Makaio Couch, 39, is accused of buying the drugs from two undercover Homeland Security Investigations agents.
He is charged with a single count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted….
BREG: Couch and Gary Joseph previously co-owned business together
read … Man allegedly bought 100 pounds of drugs from undercover agents
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