Radical ideas deserve airing
A federal law requires cable television companies to allocate channels and 3 percent of their revenues to PEG operations — public, education and government. On Maui, the operation is Akaku: Maui Community Television.
The Pukui-Elbert “Hawaiian Dictionary” defines akaku as “vision, trance; reflection, as in a mirror; hallucination; to see a vision.” Depending on the perspective, all of the definitions fit Maui’s community-access television station.
The operation has been notably successful in spawning active citizen participation and controversy. Roughly a third of the cable money goes to Maui Community College and the Department of Education. Akaku also allocates a channel to county meetings with the county paying the station’s production costs, leading to some council members posing for the cameras.
Just how much audience the county meetings have is questionable. For the most part, the meetings are tedious, although it’s a sure bet council members
Never too late to pander
You would think with John McCain having the GOP nomination wrapped up and Hillary Clinton’s campaign on the verge of extinction, they might have something a little more substantive to say about energy policy than suggesting a gas tax holiday.
Mother’s Day a time for gratitude
Today is Mother’s Day, the one day of the year set aside to honor mothers and grandmothers. It should be an everyday event.
The very word summons up a sense of peace and comfort that is sorely lacking in the world. During black nights, it
Maui played role in WWII
Fading memories of Maui’s role in World War II were revived this week by an Army Corps of Engineers report that private contractors had found evidence of unexploded ordinance left over from training exercises held more than 60 years ago.
Looking good wastes water
The Hawaiian word for freshwater is wai. The Hawaiian word for wealthy is waiwai. They knew — and we should have learned — a good life is wealth and it depends on rain.
In East Maui, rain is collected by a system of ditches leading to Ce
Work of many successful
The men and women of Kalaupapa — both those living there now and those who were forced to live there — have finally received their due, but it took the work of a volunteer organization, the people on Kalaupapa themselves and Maui’s senators.
Water Demand 05-12-08
Airport Fire Investigated 05-1
My Gallery
Sweet Deal 05-10
Wailuku El Library 05-09
West Maui Recycling 05-09
Hawaii Superferry Double 05-10
Beach Business 05-10