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Speed Dating Gets Love But Not Kyle Yamashita


Letters_to_the_editor_M

September 12, 2012 | 11:40 AM
NO LOVE FOR KYLE YAMASHITA
Kyle Yamashita wins elections because he stands at the side of Haleakala Hwy smiling and pointing at commuters (Candidate! Sept. 6, 2012). He is very charismatic in that regard, however if you have ever met him in person you may notice that he seems unable or unwilling to converse. Have you ever tried talking to him? I am gratified to learn that he is opposed to raising property taxes. Does he realize that it is the Maui County Council that controls our property taxes, not the State Legislature? Nice smile anyway. That's all it takes to get elected.

-"Kahului gal," via MauiTime.com

*****

YNEZ TONGSON GETS SOME LOVE
Just wanted to tell you I really loved your article on Speed-Dating in MauiTime ("Speed Dating With The Beautiful People At Moana Cafe," Aug. 30, 2012). Great writing and it made me laugh. If you ever wrote a book, I'd definitely read it. And I also still hate dating even though I'm almost 39... ugh! It probably didn't help I got stood up on my last date and worse, I was the one who bought the tickets to the event. Felt like a total loser... but at least it gave me a newfound appreciation for being single. Here's to picking the peas out! Thanks for the great article!

-Tamara Davidson, via email

*****

MVB LETTER
Here's a copy of a letter I just sent to the Maui [Visitors Bureau] ("Here's why the Maui County Council should refuse Terryl Vencl's request for $3.5 million for the Maui Visitors Bureau," May 16, 2012):

Dear Sir/Madam,

My wife and I recently visited Maui after a 24 year absence. Back then, there were Mom & Pop grocery stores and no Walmarts. There were views unobstructed by massive condo complexes. [Makena] Beach had a small church nearby with chickens running around. I could run from Lahaina to Kaanapali along a two-lane highway with very little traffic present. There was a smell of freshness in the air that gave one the impression of actually being in a relatively unspoiled place.

Fast forward to November of last year. A tangled mess of malls, Safeways, Radio Shacks, fast food joints, traffic of unimaginable proportions, obese tourists from the Mainland getting in each other's way as they ruck through the t-shirt shops in Lahaina, humorless and in a hurry to go nowhere.

I never thought back in 1988 that your beautiful island would become, in essence, Los Angeles with trade winds. Everyone on the island who let this happen ought to be, at least, ashamed; at most praying to the God, Akua for forgiveness. The all-mighty dollar has turned paradise into a freak show of human and environmental degradation. Progress is not the name of this massive transformation over 24 years.

When we got home, my younger brother expressed interest in moving to Maui after his retirement. I showed him some of the pictures we had taken in November. He's now thinking of moving to Death Valley to be in a more hospitable environment.

-Jan Sershen, via MauiTime.com

*****

EDITOR'S NOTE
We forgot to mention in our Sept. 6, 2012 Taste of Maui Guide to Kamaaina Specials that it's very important to call establishments before visits to make sure they still offer the deals mentioned in our story, which are subject to change without notification.

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    Maui No Ka Oi
    September 15, 2012 | 02:53 PM

    I'm sorry that Jan Sershen believes Maui has changed so much in the past 24 years that Death Valley would be a better place to visit ("MVB Letter", Sept. 13, 2012). I've visited Maui eight times in the past 18 years and have seen many changes during that time, some for the better, some not so good. Despite some negative changes, I'll keep coming back to The Valley Isle for its natural beauty and for the Aloha Spirit I feel while visiting. Sershen can have Death Valley...as for me, I try to avoid vacationing in locations with "Death" in the name.

    C. Allingham
    San Jose, CA
  2. print email
    September 19, 2012 | 10:24 PM

    Jan is like everyone else that believes they found Maui first. I am sure there was someone complaining about the two-lane highway between Lahaina and Kaanapali that he used to run and enjoy. How it was evil and never should they pave a portion of an ancient Hawaiian kingdom. People will always complain. At least those without the perspective needed to see the larger picture.

    Tourism is the driving force behind the economy on Maui. Working long days in the pineapple fields or in hospitality...an easy call to make. I work in an industry where I see the impact a visit to Maui can have. The joy and love that most tourists take from their stay here. My grandparent's visited Maui many years ago. They worked long, hard lives to take a vacation and have the experience of visting such a beautiful paradise. To think that someone like Jan would walk behind them as they were looking for a t-shirt and see them in a negative light is offensive. Granted, there are problems with development, but there are much bigger problems with separating the "us and them". One love. I am hardly for much of the development here, but the energy Jan brought in that note is not the energy that builds a better place. Always easier to do nothing, then blame and complain after-the-fact. That is where the shame lies.

    Patrick
    Lahaina
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