Our hearts go out to our Maui ‘ohana

Today, I find myself reaching for the words to express my overwhelming sorrow over the destruction caused by wildfires on Maui — especially the tragic loss of Lahaina, a city that so many of us in Hawaii and around the world hold dear.

I love every corner of our state, but Maui has always been special to those of us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. When we’re not on Oahu, we often find ourselves on Maui, where we have numerous friends and supporters. We work closely with county and other government officials on Maui, and we often hold events there.

Maui — and Lahaina specifically — are also dear to the Grassroot Institute staff because of our personal associations with them. In fact, I first met Joe Kent in Lahaina while he was a music teacher at King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was burned to the ground. Eventually, I hired Joe to be part of our team, and now he serves as the institute’s executive vice president.

It is difficult to comprehend how much has been lost to the wildfires. So many beautiful, historic and irreplaceable places are now gone.

Above all, though, there is the loss of life. The governor has warned that the death toll is likely to rise, and I know firsthand the anxiety and fear that we have all experienced while checking in with loved ones on Maui.

For the time being, rescuers and first responders are rightly focused on saving lives and helping those displaced by the fires. While there has been shock and despair at the images we have seen of Lahaina, there has also been an amazing outpouring of concern, volunteerism and giving. The community is coming together at all levels to help our Maui ohana.

I have already encouraged members of the Grassroot staff and board to support the relief efforts however they see fit. This is the time to give of ourselves, as individuals and as a family.

If you are also looking for ways to help, Honolulu Civil Beat has compiled a list of organizations that are aiding victims of the Maui fires.

Let us not forget that there is always room for hope amid tragedy. The resilience already being demonstrated by the people of Maui is inspiring, showing us that Lahaina and the affected areas of Maui can and will be rebuilt.

It will take a while to quantify the damage to Lahaina or what it will take to rebuild. Moreover, we cannot ignore the impact this will have on Maui County and on our state as a whole.

The blow to Maui’s economy and cost to the county and state will be significant. Maui is the second most popular island for visitors, generating more than $3.4 billion in visitor spending so far this year. That translates to millions of dollars in state and county tax revenues.

There will come a time to examine the “how” and “why” of what occurred, to plan for Maui’s recovery and to help rebuild. I promise that the Grassroot Institute will be part of that discussion. But for now, our sole focus is helping our friends and family on Maui.

We have a big challenge ahead of us — one we never saw coming. But this is our opportunity to demonstrate the strength, compassion and, most important, the aloha we in Hawaii are known for.

E hana kakou — let’s work together — to help our friends and family on Maui.

DR. KELI’I AKINA, President & CEO, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

Suggestions for Maui relief efforts

Here are my eight suggestions to aid Maui and the Hawaiian people moving forward into the future. (I sent this to President Biden as well.)

1) The immediate development of TEN HARBOR LANDING sites for delivering and unloading much-needed water, food, relief, construction and rebuilding supplies to the Hawaiian people of Maui and Lahaina. These sites could be located on both the western side and eastern sides of the island to support logistical needs. These sites will undoubtedly be needed for at least the next five years. The current water-based transportation infrastructure is much too small and limited to be effective for this gargantuan task.

2) The immediate rebuilding/retrofit of the electrical transmission tower and pole inventory supporting all of Maui and Lahaina. These new, high-strength, reinforced, STEEL ELECTRICAL TOWERS, both large and small, high- voltage and low-voltage, must be able to support and withstand sustained wind gusts of over 150 MPH without failure. This will be key to keeping the people of Maui safe from future windstorms and hurricanes.

3) Citywide electrical service infrastructure improvements and upgrades, both commercial and residential, must be made UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL POWER SERVICE wherever possible, to limit and avoid all future sparking events that may have led to this tragedy of the Maui wildfire windstorms. By eliminating this one cause of fire, we can further ensure the safety of the Hawaiian people on Maui.

4) NEW BUILDING CODES need to be enabled and fast-tracked that support, encourage and demand that ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION be FIREPROOF, WINDPROOF, AND HURRICANE, TSUNAMI and EARTHQUAKE safe. Require the use of rock, concrete, steel and fireproof laminates/composites for exterior roofs and walls. Maui must rebuild both bigger, stronger and safer than ever before. Indoor sprinklers systems as well as roof sprinklers and water canons must be added to all residential and commercial structures. Those near the shore could use seawater-based systems.

5) The creation of five new WIDE LANE HIGHWAYS connecting Maui residents from Lahaina to Kihei to Kahului to Wailea-Makena to Hana. These will aid future evacuations and add as a firebreak as well. Hana must have two paved highways out of town, not only one as is currently available. Roads circumventing the island North Shore and the current road to Hana must also be enlarged substantially for safety reasons. All road systems on Maui need to be reevaluated, enlarged and improved for basic safety reasons in the event of a natural disaster.

6) Provisions MUST be made to keep NATIVE HAWAIIAN people on Maui. Special financial compensation and housing allotments must be made to ensure that native peoples be allowed to maintain historical residence on the island of Maui or in Lahaina. We must preserve the demographic of having Native Hawaiians on the island AT ALL COSTS. Failure to do so will erode the nature of cultural aspects and historic importance of Native Hawaiians being able to remain on the island. Maui would not be Maui without their continued presence on the island. Efforts should also be made to repatriate former Maui residents of Hawaiian descent should they choose to return to Maui. This is critical to the cultural heritage and the future history of the island of Maui.

7) SIRENS: The island’s siren and warning system must have its own hardened, dedicated power and communication system that is failsafe and mission critical to any future disaster. The current system is clearly inadequate and must be improved and enhanced greatly in order to better serve the people of Maui. The number of sirens and towers must be enhanced exponentially to meet all future needs.

8) CELL TOWERS: Maui’s cell tower service must also be hardened and enhanced to avoid future failures. The number of towers must be increased substantially, and these towers must be able to withstand high winds, fire and earthquake as well as tsunami forces.

MIKE A. ALVARADO, San Jose, California

Malama Maui Nui focused on Maui relief efforts

I know we are all devastated by the tragedy that has unfolded in Lahaina, as well as other areas around our island home. Our hearts are heavy for all who have been impacted by the fires, and we hope you and your families are safe.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Malama Maui Nui is temporarily shifting its work focus to relief efforts within our Maui community. Since its establishment, our organization has been committed to serving our community and offering support within the sustainable waste management sector. We remain committed to our mission and will mobilize debris removal plans when we receive clearance from the appropriate authorities.

We are also in communication with county officials and are supporting where we can. We understand that the scope of devastation has not been fully evaluated yet, so we will continue to be flexible and adjust our efforts as different needs arise.

The road to recovery and restoration is going to be a long one, but we are strong and resilient. We will get through this together and do whatever we can to malama and uplift our community. If any of our partners or volunteers need assistance with resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We can help to point you in the right direction.

Stay safe, and we will keep you all updated as this process progresses.

MALAMA MAUI NUI