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Aloha ‘āina efforts and honoring our aliʻi wahine
by Shane SinenciAugust 14, 2023
Aloha ‘āina efforts and honoring our aliʻi wahine
By Shane M. Sinenci
Our community has been shaken from the devastating fires over these past few days. My colleagues and I are profoundly saddened to see the loss of life and displacement of our residents, who were forced to flee their homes, businesses, and land. The loss of lives, homes, belongings, family pets, businesses and the Lāhaina Harbor itself is heartbreaking. We will grieve for a long time. Historic Front Street will not be the same, and the Kula community will also experience lasting impacts.
We must learn from this and use it to improve our disaster preparation and response measures. Climate change is upon us, and its impacts require new responses and solutions. Just this year, the Disaster, Resilience, International Affairs and Planning Committee was established under West Maui Councilmember Tamara Paltin. As my committee focuses on social services, I am preparing to inform residents about available resources and recovery plans.
In our last election, we had started looking forward to prepare ourselves for the changing future. Efforts to responsibly manage local water resources and secure permanent access to water, resulted in a water authority charter amendment that was overwhelmingly approved by voters. Last month, member appointments were made to the East Maui Regional Community Board—the first board of its kind in Hawaiʻi.
https://www.mauicounty.us/councils-3-minutes/aloha-aina-efforts-and-honoring-our-ali%ca%bbi-wahine/