LHS Boarder is

a true lifesaver

It’s not every day that you encounter a situation that makes an impact on your life, and the life of someone else.

Nate Beard is a sophomore Boarder at Lahainaluna High School. He comes from Haiku, plays on the Lunas’ varsity football team (offense/defense line), and is a pretty big guy. He is shy, quiet, humble and respectful. On Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, he added lifesaver to that list.

While on Sunday pass, Nate was cruising along Front Street when he witnessed a visitor in distress. His initial reaction was fear and uncertainty, and then he jumped into action. He quickly called 911 and stayed with the lady until the first-responders arrived.

I saw Nate shortly after that, unaware of what had happened. He had a big smile on his face, so I honked my horn at him and waved. He waved back, his head held high. About 30 minutes later, I received a text from Nate’s mom telling me that earlier in the day, shy, quiet, humble Nate helped a woman that was having a stroke.

I immediately drove up to Lahainaluna High School to talk with Nate and tell him how proud I was of him. We talked about how what he did will cause a ripple effect and turn into something greater. He recalled a meeting I had with the Boarders two days ago, and how I explained that when someone is in need, we should be there to help. It makes me happy to know that these young men are listening and taking my words and putting them into action.

My goal is to uphold the tradition of what being a Boarder is all about, and these guys are quickly showing me that they are proud to be a Boarder. His parents must be very proud of him. He makes his fellow Boarders proud as well.

BOBBY CHANG JR., David Malo Dorm Attendant, Lahainaluna High School

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Consider the facts on the Lahaina Bypass

This is regarding the recent Lahaina Bypass “shortcut” letter. It must be really gratifying when you are sarcastic and cynical, especially when you have no facts, have done no homework, have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about and didn’t bother to ask anyone who knows the facts.

The Lahaina Bypass is scheduled to go from Olowalu to Honokowai. Major highways in this country are constructed using 80 percent federal funds and 20 percent state funds (no county funds were spent on the Lahaina Bypass). Since Hawaii is one of the smallest states, we get a very small allocation of federal highway funds. And those funds have to be spread out among all the islands with, of course, Oahu getting the lion’s share.

So, getting any major road projects built on Maui is a very long and herculean task, and that is why these roads are built in “phases.” When you have the funds, you can build, and if you don’t have the funds, you can’t. And when federal funds are allocated to Hawaii, the state needs to spend them within a specified time or those funds are lost. Lost forever. So when the federal dollars became available for construction of the first two phases of the bypass, the state jumped on it and did indeed get those phases built. The Lahaina Bypass had been on the drawing board for over 40 years.

It’s a start. The bypass definitely does benefit Lahainaluna the most, right now, but the road also does, indeed, “bypass” five streets in Lahaina Town and five traffic lights… the next two phases are on the Department of Transportation STIP list due, at this writing, for construction in 2020. Maybe. This is not hard science. It all depends on the availability of federal dollars, the state’s assessment of the importance of completing the bypass weighed against other competing projects in the state and, with the gridlock on transportation bills in Congress, it’s impossible to predict anything.

It should also be noted that the state Department of Transportation conducted five years of public meetings on Maui from 2006-11, before construction began, where concerned citizens could voice their opinions and suggestions.

In addition to those public meetings, in January of 2007, Lahaina Bypass Now conducted a three-day (all day) transportation event, attended by hundreds of citizens, to get as much community involvement as possible focusing on the Lahaina Bypass and future West Maui transportation needs and options. Many of the suggestions coming out of that meeting were adopted by the DOT. It was three days of good dialogue and exchange of ideas.

So, those are the facts. Maybe the writer would have preferred if the state left the money on the table and did nothing. If the funds were re-allocated to California, I suspect they would have had a few projects to spend that money on.

So, when the bypass is completed and you can go from Olowalu to Honokowai, it will be a lot more than a “shortcut.”

BOB PURE, Former President, Lahaina Bypass Now

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Benefits of the bypass

In regard to the Lahaina Bypass and possibly renaming it the “Scenic Three-Mile Drive,” charging five bucks for the privilege to drive it may work (more state revenue)!

The bypass has benefitted people. The contractor working on 10 percent profit made plenty. The landowner that sold that land must have made some money. The value of the land below the bypass went up, since it is prime development land with access from two sides – landowner benefit!

Lots of people had jobs for a few years! You can use more of the low-priced gas to drive the bypass. The list goes on!

And just think that they are thinking now to extend it to Launiupoko! That will solve even more problems – and at only a cost of $700 million for another two miles!

RICK SODEN, West Maui

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Return stewardship of honu to Hawaii

Cultural revival of the Hawaiian people over the past half century is one of the many joys I’ve witnessed since making Hawaii home in 1965. Caring for the land and sea, speaking Hawaiian, ocean voyaging, self-determination, and the quest for justice all come to mind.

“Who we are is tied to where we are and where we come from.” And so it is for the green sea turtle – the honu of Hawaii. The honu is bonded to the Hawaiian culture genetically, geographically and ecologically.

In the early 1970s, the honu’s survival was in serious jeopardy until sensible management was restored by the State of Hawaii banning all commercial harvest. Since then the turtle, like the Hawaiian culture itself, has flourished and expanded beyond all expectation.

The time has now come to return stewardship of the honu home to Hawaii where it rightfully belongs.

GEORGE H. BALAZS

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The issue of homelessness isn’t going away

Homelessness is a problem on Maui. As every doctor and auto mechanic knows, you cannot solve a problem until you know what the problem is. It is often unclear, and many quite different problems look the same, so we need differential diagnosis; one doesn’t treat a diabetic like a drunk. Sadly, when we come to homelessness, we throw all this out. We don’t even have a clear WHO is having the problem. True, the homeless person IS having the problem of homelessness, but these articles are about people who aren’t homeless. They live in nice houses and volunteer or are hired to “help” the homeless. They are doing this, YOU are doing this, to solve a problem YOU are having. We need a public discussion about the problem YOU are having, because it’s the only one YOU are likely to do anything about.

What is the problem with living outside? Since the middle ages, 20 percent of English speakers have had no permanent address. Most of you WORSHIP a homeless man. Muhammad was homeless much of his life. Siddhartha was a wanderer, as was Lao Tzu. The Son of Man “had nowhere to lay his head,” St. Paul said, “to this day we are homeless.” Even Ben Franklin got to Philadelphia homeless. You would have kept him that way. You wouldn’t have hired him or allowed him lodging.

When a homeless person applies for a job, he is rejected because he is homeless. When a homeless person tries to rent, she is rejected because she is homeless. If they rented to her, they would have a homeless tenant. There is a fear common among you of having a homeless person living next door to you, and you not even knowing it. How is this possible? If she is living in a house, in what sense is she homeless? If putting a homeless person in a house DOESN’T end their homelessness, what DO you mean by “homeless?” Whatever it is, it isn’t a job, or you would hire them. It isn’t a home, if they are still homeless living in a house. Where do you really want all those people to go? Where is that? St. Paul also said, “Stop lying!”

You know. We all know what the end game looks like. Why not just do it now? Want you want, what would solve YOUR problem, is for you to not see poor people. Jesus said, “the poor you will have with you always.” The only effective solution is internment camps. Huxley prophesied it, and Orwell told you how it looks. All the progressives from General Clarke to Reverend Raphael Cruz are all calling for it. The areas are already built. Homeland Security was created to manage them. They, in fact, ARE the only alternative to honest discussion. So get it over with, no? Then get real.

You have a moral obligation, you already know about, to care for your veterans, and you know they are being betrayed. You know about the orphans and widows. You know you’re supposed to care for the unwed moms. When YOU closed the state mental facilities, YOU promised to pick the people up at the local level. You currently HAVE laws against public drunkenness and drug dealing and theft and prostitution. You don’t enforce them. Why? Get real.

If you took care of the veterans, widows, orphans and unwed moms, and enforced the meth and alcohol laws ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, how many homeless people would be left? When we address the homeless problem, we must be careful to properly identify the problem, and WHOSE problem it is.

This really, really, really has all the earmarks of an impending catastrophe. This could be something you regret forever. People literally go to Hell for what some out there are thinking.

UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT, IT IS NOT GOING TO GET BETTER. IT’S NOT…

STAN GRANUIS , Maui

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Thanks for creating new play area at LIS

Lahaina Intermediate School would like to thank the following amazing community members who helped turn a dirt area into a lush green play area behind Building D for our students.

First, we would like to thank our own custodian, Clifford I’i, who worked after hours to complete the task of retrieving supplies and tilling the ground. Secondly, we would like to thank Sione Tuipulotu for transporting the tiller to and from our school, which was donated by Chico, and supplying the hydromulching. Also, Mike Arcangel for assisting Custodian I’i with the tough trencher duty. Third, the hardworking grounds department from the Royal Lahaina Resort for the labor of laying the piping and covering the trenches for our irrigation! Specifically Blaine Ikeda (regional director of engineering), Auston Marstellar, Michael Tactac, Domingulio Topinio, Marlon Dacuycuy, Vince Gusman and John Lagbas. Last, but not least, President Tom Bell for making it all happen!

It is amazing how the community of Lahaina comes together to complete a vision or need for our keiki. Mahalo!

STACY BOOKLAND, Principal, Lahaina Intermediate School