THE HIGH STREET JOURNAL The Official Newsletter of the County of Maui September 2012 Maui County selected as one of PBN’s Healthiest Employers By Rod Antone, Communications Director Pacific Business News has an- nounced that it has selected the County of Maui as one of the finalists for the 2012 Healthiest Employers con- test. According to an email from PBN, the organization is rec- ognizing companies in three categories who are “leading the way in creating the best wellness work programs.” Finalists will be recognized at a Health and Wellness breakfast seminar followed by an awards luncheon at noon at the Sheraton Waikiki, Kauai Ballroom on Septem- ber 20th. Since arriving in office Mayor Alan Arakawa and Managing Director Keith Regan have initiated such health programs as “Walking On Wednesdays”, promot- ing healthy meals at county events and participating in a county-wide weight loss competition. “The health and wellness of our Maui County employees Managing Director Keith Regan invites county employees and the general public to his weekly is a priority of Mayor Ara- “Walking on Wednesday” events. Every Wednesday, each participant receives a ticket for entry into a kawa and myself,” said Regan. quarterly drawing. To set up a walk near your workplace, call Tiffany Iida at 270-7211. “It is an honor to be recog- nized and we will continue to implement programs that improve the lives of our employees.” Message from the Mayor Aloha everyone, In our County Wide County Pride recognition section of this newsletter, we recognize a Maui police officer who saved 12 people whose stove caught on fire overnight. I commend those officers for their quick reaction and am very pleased that we have such men and women on our police force. But I’d also like to point out that there is another member of the police de- partment who deserves some recognition for doing his duty last month. Officer Stuart Kunioka had been investigating a traffic collision at the intersection of Hana Highway and Baldwin Avenue in Paia on August 25 when that vehicle took off suddenly, dragging Officer Kunioka along for about 20 feet. Thankfully Officer Kunioka is recovering and we wish him the best. We don’t really think about it until something like this or that house fire happens. Our police, fire and ocean safety personnel put themselves in harms way on a daily basis, in one form or another. They run into burning buildings, they swim out to rescue swimmers, they stop vehicles during traffic stops and are totally exposed to danger, just like Officer Kunioka. For all that you do, I’d like to simply say, thank you. Thank you for your service. On another note, we just had another earthquake in South America. There was no tsunami threat to Hawaii BUT . it’s a timely reminder to get your emergency kits ready to go. Because you don’t want to be scrambling around DURING a hurricane. Here’s a link to the FEMA list for a basic disaster supplies kit, it’s a good starting place: http://www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit My office staff tried it out and gathered most of the supplies going office to office. There’s no reason why you can’t start one now. Make it a family scavenger hunt to get the kids involved. The best way to stay safe is to be prepared. So get started. Aloha and God bless, ha and God bless, Mayor Alan Arakawa 2 M.D. Minute I recently attended a meeting where an employee made a comment about our work culture here at the County as compared to places such as Google. I’m paraphrasing but the comment was essentially that County employees don’t want a collaborative work environment. They just want to do their job and go home because we do not offer the same rate of pay and benefits as these Silicon Valley firms. I appreciated hearing the employee’s perspective but something inside of me kept asking “why not?” and “how can we get there”? I know we do not have the financial resources that a company such as Google does have but why not try to improve our work environment? Here’s some quick background. I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Google campus in Mountain View, CA this past spring. It was an amazing experience. They had open spaces, low dividers between desks, stand up desks, snack and drink areas, gathering areas, a fitness center with showers, child care and a food court. They did everything possible to ensure they built the most collaborative work environment possible so that they could get the best results out of their employees. Sure, Google has way more resources than the County but it wasn’t like the facilities were made out of marble or that the lavatories had gold plated fixtures. It was simple, open, inviting, and very conducive to a team work oriented environment. Everywhere I went, people were meeting, brainstorming, debating, discussing, and obviously working hard. I’ve regularly walked around and visit various departments and operations. There’s no doubt that our em- ployees are working hard. The one thing though that is apparent, especially here at the County Building, is that most of the spaces we’ve created over the years are like little caves. Employees go in, do their work and go home just like what was said in the meeting. At this point, I do not have a solution but I do have a vision. Let’s create more collaborative workspaces as we move forward. Let’s consciously consider promoting collaboration by reconfiguring our current work- spaces. We may not have the unlimited resources of a company such as Google but there’s no reason why we cannot implement little changes in order to make work a better place. If you have suggestions on how to make your work environment more conducive to team work and collaboration, please email me directly at [email protected]. ~ Keith A. Regan Managing Director NEWSLETTER STAFF Editor: Lynn Araki-Regan Dana Acosta Tiffany Iida Dianne Shimizu Rod Antone Sue Kiang Ron Steben Charnan Carroll Tanya Lopes Jacky Takakura Anna Foust Michelle Makii Jo-Anne Tanaka Robynne Fukunaga Doug McLeod Erin Wade Kyle Ginoza Geri Onaga Jamie Wakamatsu Nadine Gomes Karin Phaneuf Lois Whitney Ruth Griffith Ryan Piros David Yamashita Guy Hironaka Keith Regan Kit Zulueta Wayne Ibarra Sarah Shim Submissions for our monthly publication would be appreciated! Please email [email protected] for more info. 3 Disability Alliance Forum to be held Sept. 13 The 17th Annual Maui Disability Alliance Issues Forum will State and County level. People with disabilities and their be held on Thursday, September 13, at the Maui Waena families will be able to share their experiences. Requests Intermediate School Cafeteria, 795 Onehee Avenue, Kahu- for access accommodations received after September 4th lui from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. may not assure that accommodations will be met. Maui and Hawai`i government officials and candidates at Agencies that are supporting this years forum include the State and County levels are invited to participate. So Maui Developmental Disabilities Committee, Commission far, Mayor Arakawa, Council members Gladys Baisa, on Persons with Disabilities, DHS, Division of Vocational Elle Cochran, Michael Victorino, Senators Shan Tsutsui, Rehabilitation, Hawai`i Families as Allies, Easter Seals Roz Baker, Kalani English, State Representatives Joe Hawai`i, Workforce Development, Best Buddies, Maui Souki and Angus McKelvey have confirmed their atten- Family Guidance Center, Bayada Health Care, ARC of Maui, dance. Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Imua Family Services, Ka Lima O Maui, Maui County Aging and Disability Resource Center, The public is also invited to this free event. There will be Lokelani Ohana and the Community Children’s Council of light refreshments, a panel discussion on employment, Maui. transportation, education, early childhood, medical, and housing issues in addition to taking questions from the For more information, call James Mariano at the Aging audience. and Disability Resource Center 270-7349 or Mary Matsu- kawa at the State Council on Developmental Disabilities Attendees will be able to meet their representatives at the 984-8218. 90th Maui Fair names Honorary Fair Director Mayor Arakawa to serve The Maui Fair is pleased to announce that Mayor Alan Arakawa will serve as Honor- ary Fair Director this year. The 2012 Fair will open with the traditional parade on Thurs- day, September 27, and will continue with rides, food, first-rate entertainment and more through the evening of Sunday, September 30 at the fairgrounds in Wailuku. “The Maui Fair has been a fam- ily tradition for generations,” said Arakawa. “It is an honor to be selected as fair director and I encourage everyone to go to our Maui Fair. There is no better place to support local non-profits, spend time with the family and see friends and neighbors. Aloha, and see you at the fair!” The Fair Director is an annual Mayor Alan Arakawa at last year’s Maui Fair with friends visiting from the Mainland. position, bringing fresh ideas and personalities to Maui’s most longstanding tradition and working closely with For more information about the Maui Fair, visit longtime volunteer, Managing Director Sherri Grimes, www.mauifair.com, twitter.com/mauifair or on Facebook. who continues to handle the management side of the Fair. 4 SPOTLIGHT - Councilmember Mike White A Commitment to Service, Family, and Fun By Lois Whitney, Executive Assistant to Councilmember Michael White From his name alone, Councilmember Mike White sounds like a flown- here, not grown-here kind of guy.