It seems there’s been some drama at the County Building. This time, it stems from the 250th Celebration of Queen Ka‘ahumanu, the recipient of a $100,000 grant from the County of Maui managed by Brian Bardellini, an executive assistant to Councilmember Alika Atay. The situation starts off messy: The funds for this event were proposed […]
Made in Maui earns national award
The annual Made in Maui County Festival has received an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The national awards honor innovative and effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. The annual MIMCF was established by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and Maui Chamber of Commerce […]
New Maui County tourism plan calls for more visitors, infrastructure, international flights and reef protection
So the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) just released their new Maui County Tourism Industry Strategic Plan (TISP) for 2017-2026. It’s a 10-year plan that, at least on paper, is supposed to guide the visitor in the county. “This strategic plan addresses the pillars of a healthy tourism economy that must be of benefit […]
Did the County of Maui learn anything from TEACH’s failure?
The organization formerly known as TEACH (Technology, Education, Agriculture, Community, Health) disappeared so quickly this week that the door couldn’t even hit its butt on the way out. In much the same way as it arrived last year, TEACH vanished in a haze of hubris and new age babble. Frontmen Mark Chasan and Jason Hobson […]
Community Flunks TEACH: North Shore residents speak out against plans for Old Maui High
How to put this nicely? TEACH executives Mark Chasan and Jason Hobson had their asses handed to them by an angry, raucous crowd at the Paia Community Center Monday night ,who told them to take their idea to turn the 23.5 acre Old Maui High School campus into a for-profit “regenerative” Eden and go back […]
An investment group wants to lease Old Maui High for $1/year. Northshore residents aren’t so sure
On a clear, calm evening in early November, a group of about 70 mostly North Shore residents gathered in front of the Old Maui High School in Hamakuapoko to hear how a group of investors planned to transform the abandoned, eerily beautiful 23.5-acre property, the island of Maui, and the world. The for-profit organization TEACH […]
$5 Million In Grants Released By Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development
The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development issued more than $5.07 million in grant monies to various local organizations during the first half of the 2016 calendar year. The 48 grants ranged from $3,000 to more than $1 million. High-dollar grantees included University of Hawaii, Maui Economic Development Board, and Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Other grantees […]
County of Maui finally hires new Energy Commissioner
It’s been well over a year since Doug McLeod resigned as Maui County Energy Commissioner and formed his own consulting firm (DKK Energy Services LLC), after holding down the post for four years. The county didn’t exactly rush to replace McLeod–in fact, they only announced their new energy commissioner–Frederick Redell–on April Fools’ Day of this year. “Frederick Redell […]
Maui Mayor’s Small Business Awards Announced
Nominees and winners of the 2016 Mayor’s Small Business Awards were honored by The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Mar. 1 at the King Kamehameha Golf Club. Awards were presented in six categories by Mayor Alan Arakawa, Pamela Tumpap, President of the Maui Chamber of Commerce and Teena […]
County of Maui secures special ferry package for this month’s 5th Friday Town Party on Lanai
The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development has teamed up with Expeditions Maui-Lanai Ferry and the Lanai Chamber of Commerce to urge Maui residents and visitors to support Lanai businesses. The group has set up round-trip ferry and ground transportation between Maui and Lanai—including a special late-night ferry that leaves Manele Harbor at 9:30pm–as an […]
County of Maui commissions broadband study on our crappy Internet speeds
Acknowledging that Maui County residents are dealing with substandard internet browsing speeds, the County of Maui has hired Joel Ogren of the U.S. Navy-sponsored Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Hawaii to “evaluate, develop and recommend a preliminary telecommunications strategy for Maui County,” according to a Feb. 2 county news release. “We see broadband access […]
Made In Maui County Festival Increases Vendor Participation
The inaugural Made in Maui County Festival will feature 130 vendors, making it the largest product vendor show in the county. Originally limited to 102 vendors, the Festival—which runs Nov. 7-8–increased the total amount of booth spaces in an effort to accommodate the high demand. Vendor space is now completely sold out and there’s a […]
New “Made In Maui County” Festival Coming to the MACC
A new festival showcasing made-in-Maui County products has been set for Nov. 7-8 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The inaugural “Made in Maui County” Festival is expected to draw thousands of attendees, according to the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. Residents and visitors attending the event will peruse a wide variety of made-in-Maui […]
Maui Business Workshops Now Videoconferenced For Molokai
We know, we know–stories this glamorous and exciting usually come from the pages of Esquire and Rolling Stone. Ooh! People on Molokai and Maui can watch each others small business workshops on television! Except, even in this seeming banal story, which comes to us courtesy of an Oct. 2 press release from the County of […]
County of Maui Wins Best Booth Award At South Korean Flower Festival
It’s always nice to read that news in South Korea isn’t completely dominated by the threat of nuclear war. Sometimes, news there concerns nothing more than delicate flowers. As part of its effort to attract evermore visitors to our islands, the county and the Maui Visitors Bureau set up a booth at this year’s International […]