West Maui needs a hospital

In writing this, I am filled with a myriad of emotions. Sadness, disappointment, anxiety, frustration… and yet I want to believe there is still hope that one day West Maui will have a hospital, albeit pared down, to meet the needs of our growing community.

With the recent death of my husband Larry, I am often moved to tears every time I hear the ambulance sirens blaring along the highway. I wonder who is being transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center, and will they make it in time to get the care they need? Larry’s Alzheimer’s came with the additional burden of seizure disorder, and his mobility was limited.

During one of his seizure episodes, even the EMTs in the ambulance could not help him until he reached the hospital. He was seizing for more than an hour. How many times has this happened to others? How can our community continue to suffer life-threatening transport to a facility that is at best 40 minutes away. When the highway closes, it is even more stressful to think of the dangers we face. We deserve better than this.

I serve on the board of the nonprofit foundation that is pursuing a critical access rural community hospital that would serve West Maui. Due to a number of issues, we have been unsuccessful in moving forward with building the project but are poised to begin construction once we can secure funds. While we have tried to secure loans and other financing, the biggest obstacle has been lack of local “buy in.” Lenders want to know that our state and county are firmly behind this project and need them to put their money where their mouth is.

Earlier this year, I approached county representatives to see if Covid-related funds were available to help, since our facility could serve as an additional resource for testing and treatment. Since our residents were unable to get the level of care or testing that was available in Central Maui, I asked for five million dollars, so we would be able to move forward. No feedback or even a call to let me know if this was available. Not acceptable when lives are at risk.

In the midst of the budget hearings, my dear husband suddenly died, and I was unable to pursue the funds needed as a part of that process. When I read that the council had passed a budget that was in excess of a billion dollars, I lost it. I cannot rest until this project is completed and our community has an option other than the ambulance ride to Central Maui when they are fighting for their lives.

Please don’t misunderstand — this is not about me and my loss. It is about plans that must be implemented in order to have a viable community and a quality of life that all of our citizens deserve. West Maui residents feel forgotten, neglected and irrelevant in the discussions at both the state and county level, and the hospital is just one more thing that seems out of reach.

When I was on the council things were different, but we did manage to move some aspects of the hospital project forward. We never believed that we would need to ask the state or county for construction funds. However, the fiscal picture changed, and now we must ask for financial help in order to obtain building construction funding we need to actually build the West Maui Hospital. We now have the land, infrastructure, Certificate of Need and all required entitlements to construct the West Maui Hospital as part of the 14.9-acre West Maui Hospital and Medical complex that is now valued at more than 30 million dollars — all privately raised.

I can only hope and pray that anyone running for office truly represents the interests of the people they serve and understands what is critical to their lives. At this writing, I have two brave souls who have pledged their support for this critical infrastructure project: Mike Molina and Elle Cochran. God Bless them for caring.

JO ANNE JOHNSON WINER, Former West Maui County Councilmember, Retired Maui Director of Transportation and Board Member of West Maui Healthcare Foundation, Inc.

Clean up the mess in Napili

Work continues on Greg Brown’s monstrous “single-family” hotel in Napili. Or is it a cluster of vacation rentals? Either way, it is contrary to much of the zoning in that area, and the community is getting increasingly angry and frustrated, as evidenced by the rash of signs in opposition to it.

Brown claims he has a permit to build, but we should question the legality of a permit obtained by misrepresenting the building as a single-family dwelling and by “mistakes made by the Planning Department.” Those are Planning Director Michelle McLean’s own words.

The County Council is also outraged by this state of affairs, but their hands are tied by Mayor Victorino’s Administration’s refusal to issue a stop work order or to revoke the permit. Are they afraid of a lawsuit? Probably. A lawsuit would expose both corruption and incompetence. Mr Brown seems to be preparing for one by listing the building on Zillow as a $12.5 million vacation rental complex, but I would argue that the value of a vacation rental that can’t legally be rented is zero.

I would ask Mayor Victorino how he proposes to make this pono? If the permit is legal, ethical and above board, as Mr Brown claims, then perhaps you should revoke this tainted permit and have him apply for a new one.

This mess was created by your administration, Mr Mayor. Do you have the guts to clean it up? We are waiting for an answer.

JEREMY LEVIEN, Kahana

Consider raising vegan keiki

There’s a quote by Clarence Kelland about fatherhood that I refer to often: “He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it.”

As the father of three, two in elementary school, I am always thinking about their safety and wellbeing. More than anything, I want to know they are protected and cared for, so they can focus on schoolwork and on being kids. This is never more evident than right now.

While I hope they are safe in school and their minds are well-nourished, I’m also responsible for making sure their bodies are nourished, which is why we have chosen to raise them on a plant-based diet.

A whole foods, plant-based diet is optimum for all stages of human development. Meat, dairy and eggs are feeding heart disease and cancer in children as young as ten. With an array of plant-based food options now available, it’s easier than ever to raise vegan kids.

As parents, we have a responsibility to tend to our children throughout their entire lives and to live by example. In light of Father’s Day, choose compassion for our shared future.

LESTER NAITO, Lahaina

The instrument of our nation’s independence

Now, we’ll continue with our COUNTRY’S first instrument to make the whole world see and observe our independence.

The second part of the Declaration: “When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”

Enjoy this section. The next portion will be of our Declaration that the Founders, from the various states, expressed their respect for independence.

BONNIE DeROSE, Lahaina

Bad news is bad news

Recently, I saw my favorite TV news reporter doing a stretch of morning anchor duty. But all the luster of her intelligence wore off as she rambled through the scripted, regurgitated “news” presented the previous evening.

The TV anchor script is always bad news, in part because it is chained-down by endless reports of senseless criminal events happening in the big city.

Actual good news is rarely reported. And by good news I don’t mean graduation days, sports team victories, first responders doing their job, or the fluffy, positive, human-interest pieces always thrown in at the end of the national TV news half hour.

By good news, I mean reporting about systemic ways our society can actually crawl out of the endless cycle of bad news we are addicted to today.

Some news organizations have adopted the approach of promoting acts of kindness as the solution.

That is never a bad idea, but it is a long way away from a competent solution to society’s ills.

Crime keeps increasing even as random and organized acts of kindness increase.

Even politicians, church leaders and CEOs seem unable to lead us out of the swamp. Their plans are either irresponsible, unattainable or selfish. Maybe the people need to get involved and get the job done.

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY, Woods Cross, Utah