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by Kate Bradshaw

December 18, 2008

Speak your mind

Friday (Dec. 19), 2pm, Council Chambers, Wailuku

On the surface the question of whether or not Dowling should expand Makena Resort and turn the area mauka of Big Beach into a luxury second-home community seems like a rock-and-a-hard-place kind of issue. Many people believe that the project will create desperately needed jobs in the face of an economy that gets suckier and suckier by the day. For opponents of the project, a combination of short term and long term factors come into play, including potential loss of vital archaeological and cultural sites, environmental impacts of any development of how “green” a project is, limited affordable and the possibility that infrastructure in the area would not be adequate to handle an influx of people. The project is before the full council, and will be hearing public testimony Friday. We’ve given the issue an ocean of ink and justifiably so since it’s crucial that, regardless of your stance on the issue, you know that there’s another chance to speak your mind. Show up early to sign up for testimony.

All ages? On Maui?

Friday (Dec. 19), 7:30pm, Café Marc Aurel, Wailuku

I have quite a few memories of being under 21 and thus denied at the door at many an awesome show. “I can fight and die for my country,” my friend Jim said as we walked away from one such juncture when we were both a mere few months shy of the magic age, “but I can’t watch a band play or have a beer.”  The arbitrariness of a legal drinking age, especially the one that our law currently dictates, is one thing. But denying people who adore music the right to partake in something inspiring is something that bureaucrats might not have the capacity to question. Of course, all ages venues, which don’t really have much of a presence on Maui, would serve as an antidote to this. Punk band Order of the White Rose has been making an effort to see to it that anyone who wants to see them play should be able to, well, see them play. This is why they’re playing two shows at Café Marc Aurel Saturday night. Those unfortunate enough to be underage can check them out from 7:3-9pm, but the Liquor Commission requires that anyone who is underage buy food if they do come out. After 9pm it will be 21 and up. Free.

All the Che

Saturday (Dec. 19), 2pm, Castle Theater, MACC

There are pretty much three words that sum up a flick in which Benicio Del Toro is cast as Argentine revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara: Oh, hell yes. While the 2004 flick The Motorcycle Diaries chronicles his travels throughout South America and the epiphanies experienced therein, Che, coming to Maui as part of the Maui Film Festival’s annual FirstLight screening series, focuses on the activist side of this fascinating human being. It starts with Che and Fidel Castro’s eventually successful efforts against the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Due to its epic length (well over four hours!) the film will be screened in two parts. Part one is at 2pm; part two is at 5pm. It’s in Spanish with English subtitles. $12.

Global vibe

Sunday (Dec. 20), 10pm, Mulligan’s on the Blue, Wailea

This Sunday evening, as you scramble to get to your car after shakin’ it at Little Beach, your mind may be awash with a number of pressing questions. The first will likely revolve around the location of the clothing you had so zealously shed in the throes of the South Maui heat. The second may address the whereabouts of your vehicle, your friend’s vehicle or the vehicle of someone else who would be willing to give you a ride. The third will presumably explore the possibilities of the near future, namely for that evening. Fortunately, a solution to the third quandary is at hand. It involves a performance by reggae/world music performer Jamallad, whose sound, along with some yummy local beers, may be just the thing you need. Jamallad, an Ivory Coast native, has quite a story: after moving to Maui he suffered a debilitating injury that nearly permanently barred him from performing. He says his recovery was near miraculous and that he could not have done it without an outpouring of help and support from the Maui community. So if you haven’t gotten your dancin’ fill come Sunday, and you have located your clothing (or can at least fake it with a sarong or towel), attending this show would be a worthwhile endeavor.MTW