… LAHAINATOWN ACTION COMMITTEE will hold its 22nd Annual Town Hall Meeting on Friday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the PIONEER INN Courtyard. The public is invited to attend. New board members for 2010 will be elected and a new president nominated. Refreshments will be served. The guest speaker will be announced in next week’s LAHAINA NEWS…

… and CHINESE NEW YEAR will be celebrated at The WHARF CINEMA CENTER on Feb. 16 at 11:30 a.m. LahainaTown Action Committee will sponsor the Lion Dance down Front Street on Friday, Feb. 19, with LAHAINA RESTORATION FOUNDATION sponsoring the action at WO HING TEMPLE the following day, Saturday, Feb. 20. More to come on these exciting events…

… and speaking of the Wharf Cinema Center, I was happy to read that they have saved most of the artifacts used at the Plantation Days event from going back into locals’ closets and boxes and will be displayed at a Plantation Days Museum at the center — good work THEO MORRISON and DONNA SOARES!…

… the SBS CHAMPIONSHIP at Kapalua was a big success, even without TIGER. Poor old Tiger — I almost feel sorry for him. Little did he realize where his peccadilloes would land him and cost him!…

… but back to Kapalua — some of the golf shots with the spectacular ocean in the background have to make the snowed in golfers on the Mainland and in Europe simply salivate!!…

… and golf will be front and center with the 23rd WENDY’S CHAMPIONS SKINS GAME this weekend at Kaanapali Golf Resort beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday…

… the Christmas Day terrorist attempt was another wake-up call, particularly when you realize all the “dots” — as they call them — that were ignored. Just the mere fact of paying for the fare in cash and no baggage to check-in for starters (or finishers)!…

… I did think the fighter escort of a Hawaiian Air flight back to the Mainland was a little overkill. What in the world could they do anyway if the plane blew up or someone jumped out? But passengers locking themselves in the lua is a little scary! Next thing you know, we’ll have two-way locks on all the lua doors…

… and then we have the full body x-rays waiting in the wings — well, if it will make flying safer, I say go for it! Warts and all…

… and this being an election year, the hats are already flying into the ring. We’ll just have to grin and bear it for the next nine months…

… and the furlough fight continues — there’s got to be a better way than taking it out on our keiki! Use the rainy day fund — that’s what it’s there for, and the day couldn’t be any wetter or rainier than it is today. What kind of rainy day are the powers-that-be waiting for? AUWE!!!…

Up Front Lahaina is a twice monthly feature. To protect his innocence, the writer chooses to remain anonymous. The views expressed in this column belong to the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Lahaina News staff and owners.