High Street Journal the an Official Publication of the County of Maui High Street Journal an Official Publication of the County of Maui MARCH 2018
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The High Street Journal The An Official Publication of the County of Maui high STreeT Journal An Official Publication of the County of Maui MARCH 2018 MAYOR ARAKAWA PRESENTS PROPOSED FY 2019 BUDGET TO COUNTY COUNCIL UPCOUNTRY SKATE PARK CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY MAYOR ARAKAWA SIGNS SEA LEVEL RISE PROCLAMATION, PROPOSES NEW page SHORELINE SETBACK REGULATIONS 1 The High Street Journal An Official Publication of the County of Maui CONTENTS Message from the Mayor.................................................................................... 3 The M.D. Minute............................................................................................................. 4 High Street Happenings at the County ............................................................................... 5 Journal Upcountry Skate Park construction underway ....................................... 7 Piiholo tree removal, road closure to start March 26............................. 7 Mayor Arakawa proposes “most aggressive budget to date” to Maui County Council members .................................................................... 8 PUBLISHER / EDITOR Lynn Araki-Regan Maui County undergoes active shooter exercise ................................... 10 EDITORIAL COORDINATORS Kehau Deutsche County’s Homeless Division works with departments to Tiffany Iida 10 Rod Antone implement Compassionate Action Plan to address homeless concerns................................................................................................................. PHOTO COORDINATOR Ryan Piros Mayor Arakawa signs sea level rise proclamation, proposes new CONTRIBUTORS shoreline setback regulations......................................................................... 11 Dana Acosta Workday to replace current information, payroll systems .................. 12 Karen Arakawa Mayor Alan Arakawa Presentation on State Climate Commission’s Sea Level Rise and Karen Arakawa Adaptation Report on March 27 .................................................................. 12 SeaRay Beltran Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez Puni Burrows Na Hale O Maui places 35th family in a truly affordable home ....... 13 Tamara Farnsworth Jason Lopez Public Works Baseyard Safety ........................................................................ 14 Virginia McKee Michele Mclean Parks Central Permit Office to change on Wednesdays ..................... 14 Mark Middleton Linn Nishikawa Foodland expands family of Blue Zones Project approved stores .. 15 Geri Onaga Karin Phaneuf Kulia i ka nu`u ........................................................................................................ 16 Keith Regan Carol Reimann Praha 1, Prague Friendship City Day .......................................................... 19 Michele Sakuma Award-winning film “Kuleana” opens in theaters statewide March 30 ............................................................................................................................ 20 Workshop fuels understanding of the patent process ...................... 21 Planning Department announces additional fees for repeat building permit review ..................................................................................... 22 Winners of 2018 Mayor’s Small Business Awards announced........ 23 Kupaianaha ............................................................................................................ 25 Q & A with our RSVP Volunteers ................................................................... 26 Cover Photo: Ryan Piros page Explore life at 55 .................................................................................................. 28 2 Photo Gallery ......................................................................................................... 29 The High Street Journal An Official Publication of the County of Maui MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Aloha everyone, Budget season is before us. We’ve proposed implementing a different tax rate structure, new infrastructure and the start of a major plan to begin to house our homeless. We covered some of these projects in the State of the County address last month as well in my latest Maui News column regarding the Wailuku Civic Hub. The hub is a great example of planning and investing in our future. The property where our municipal parking lot sits in Wailuku is well used. Try looking for a parking space; you’ll see what I’m talking about. But what if it was more than just a parking lot? What if it were a parking structure that had several levels so that more people could find a parking space? And what if this parking structure also had office space for county departments? What if it also had performance areas and stalls for food trucks for Wailuku First Friday events? All of a sudden this parking lot becomes much more than just somewhere to leave your car. It becomes a community gathering place. It allows Wailuku businesses to accommodate more clients and customers because there’s more places to park. Wailuku was once a very busy place with a movie theater and a hotel, markets, stores, butcher shops and more. Like Oahu cleaned up and renovated Downtown Honolulu, this Civic Hub will bring the life back to Wailuku. All it takes is planning and investment. You can’t expect results if you don’t have both. You need to plan in order to make the most out of your investment and you need to invest otherwise a plan sits there on the drawing board and nothing happens. All over Maui County we have been planning and investing in our community based upon the needs of the people. In Wailuku we need parking. We need public gathering spaces. We need quality commercial property for small businesses. The Wailuku Civic Hub is all of those things rolled into one and much more. This project will also totally reconstruct Vineyard Street from High to Market street by providing sidewalks, storm drainage even putting the powerlines underground. Mahalo to planners Erin Wade and David Yamashita, our councilmembers, especially Budget Chair Riki Hokama; Maui Redevelopment Agency Chair Carol Ball and our Wailuku merchants. I look forward to talking about more projects and plans during budget deliberations so stay tuned. Alan Arakawa Mayor Alan Arakawa page 3 The High Street Journal An Official Publication of the County of Maui M.D. Minute A Message from Managing Director Keith Regan “Do not be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller The orchid plant with a little too much dust. A drawing from your 5 year old – who’s now 25. Your high school jersey from that really big game. Clutter can be found in every office, vehicle and home. From the dawn of time, it’s been a necessary and integral part of humanity to hunt and gather, collecting items that help our habitats. While some material items are necessary for function, others are meaningful due to sentimental value. Determining clutter is an individual preference. Only each person can decide what items should stay and what should go. This spring, I encourage you to choose what brings joy. Internationally acclaimed Japanese organizer Marie Kondo, recognized for “Spark Joy,” among books, teaches people how to declutter and better organize living areas. Instead of going through things and trashing them, or waiting until your spouse isn’t home to “hide” his or her high school jersey that’s been collecting mold in the closet, I encourage you to check out Kondo’s book, or watch some of her free YouTube videos, on how to simplify your office, home, vehicle or other living spaces. With more than 8 million copies sold worldwide in over 40 countries, Kondo’s method has been proven successful. And with the official start of spring on March 20, many people will be thinking about spring cleaning. Something unique about Kondo is her approach. Joy. Gratitude. Thanking items before passing them along to their next important use. These are all ways to cultivate positivity in an area that can be difficult for some individuals. It is important, after all, to acknowledge that you’ve had some great times with that soiled basketball jersey, the one you wore when you scored a ton of points during homecoming. It reminds you of friends. Family. Your childhood. Values like hard work. Optimism. Persistence. But, is it ready to move on to another season, perhaps in a storage part of the house? Or possibly with another person via donation? Holding on to many things prevents our lives, and our hearts, from creating space for new opportunities. Think of nature’s seasons, or planting and harvesting. The times of pruning, along with winter’s barren, seemingly lifeless fields, are significant to create fodder and a healthy foundation for new life. A study published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology found that employees who are in control of their working areas are 40 percent happier and 32 percent more productive. Also, gratitude for the things we have, even spending a few minutes daily for meditation or journaling about what brings joy, improves self-worth, diminishes negative feelings, reduces social comparisons, boosts resilience and builds social bonds, according to psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky. Kondo encourages people to start small. This should not turn into an intervention or an episode of “Hoarders.” Take a quick scan around your home or office space. Can you designate 15 minutes to move things into a box that you’ll go through later? Are there files on your desktop that can be moved into a folder? Where is the non- emotional and easiest access point? Start