Source: Maui Time, Maui News, Best of Maui, Maui Activities

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by Kate Bradshaw

April 16, 2009

Achieving an election

Thurs. (Apr. 16), 7pm, MCC Ka Lama 103

It’s hard to retain faith in something so flawed that it stifles the good it was initially intended to foster. Many entities fall into such harmful obsolescence, including most media, the recording industry, and, I often think, society as we know it. The elections process is among these crippled institutions. Election Day now seems more a ritual than civic duty. The Electoral College and the oversimplified politics of a two-party system make for dismal prospects for effective governance. Tonight, activist Lori Grace will talk about creating fair elections in Hawaii. Grace worked on the 2004 recount campaign and helped ensure ballot integrity in 2008, and she’ll offer anecdotes from her experience as well as some vital yet underreported information on how elections work in the United States—and what’s at stake. Free.

On the record

Sat. (Apr. 18), 10am-6pm, Request Music, 10 N. Market St., Wailuku

There is something so rewarding about acquiring new music from a record store. Downloading just can’t replicate the experience of tracking down an album, conversing with the clerk about music, and experiencing the momentum of an entire recording. Independent record stores create a sense of community among music lovers. Request Music, which is pretty much Maui’s only independent music store, has served this purpose at its Wailuku location for almost fourteen years. Saturday, which is National Record Store Day, is a most opportune moment to show one’s appreciation for this institution. Musical acts slated to perform include Kanoa of Gomega, Order of the White Rose, Erin Smith, DJ Jay P and many others. Plus there’ll be discounts on music, record players and other items. Free.

Earth Day festivities I

Sat. (Apr. 18), Honokowai/Kahului

Celebrating Earth Day doesn’t exactly make up for, say, the Industrial Revolution, Hiroshima or the current unsustainable lifestyle in which we continue to blissfully engage, but it does have potential for influencing people’s everyday choices. Oh, and it makes for an excuse to throw one hell of a shindig. This weekend, Maui offers residents and visitors a whole slew of events of this ilk. West Mauians can dig a farmer’s market Earth Day deal, what they’re calling a “Conscious Community” Celebration. It takes place Saturday from 10am-3pm and involves live music, a massage booth, kombucha and kava bars, tarot readings, taro burgers and loads of other fun stuff. Did I mention the massage booth? On Saturday Maui Nui Botanical Gardens is throwing a dynamite celebration of the ‘aina that’ll feature the sounds of George Kahukomu Jr. as well as a hula performance by Hula Halau Na Hanona Kulike ‘O Pi‘ilani. Other features of this year’s festival include a Hawaiian plant sale, Hawaiian cultural activities, a silent auction and ono food. This free event will be an opportunity to learn about Maui’s environment as well as kanaka maoli culture. (10 am-3pm).

Double play

Sat. (Apr. 18), 7:30pm, McCoy Studio Theater, MACC

Sun. (Apr. 19), 2 & 7pm, McCoy Studio Theater, MACC

Paralleling the astonishing physical beauty of the Hawaiian Isles is the tapestry of narratives that combine to tell Hawaii’s human story. The lives of many of the individuals who shaped Hawaii’s history were ridden with peril and consumed in passion. The two one-man productions, titled Two Hawaiian Destinies, that will be performed back-to-back this weekend at the MACC chronicle the lives of men who, on the surface, appear to be polar opposites. The first is that of the obscure yet legendary ali‘i Kaulula‘au, written by Keali‘iwahine Hokoana. Actor Moses Goods III (pictured), who has performed this monologue more than 70 times, brilliantly portrays a mischievous young prince, borne by a resurrected mother, who gets condemned to haunted Lanai. In the second play, penned by Aldyth Morris, Vinnie Linares portrays Father Damien de Veuster, who sacrificed everything in order to bring aid and comfort to Hansen’s disease (leprosy) sufferers forcibly quarantined on Molokai’s rugged Kalaupapa Peninsula. Partial proceeds benefit Maui Food Bank. $25.

Earth Day festivities II

Sun. (Apr. 19), 10am-sunset, Baldwin Beach Park, Paia

This is the big, fat Earth Day celebration everyone talks about. This year organizers aim to draw attention to bills currently in the U.S. and Hawaii legislatures that will protect the north shore of Maui from Kanaha to Ho‘okipa from development and other environmental threats. The shoreline may seem like it’s immune, Maui County Democratic Party Chair Lance Holter says, but “the whole area…is all on a year-to-year lease.” Maui Tomorrow will be encouraging attendees to sign a gigantic banner in support of said bills, which it will present to the state legislature. Politics aside, there’ll be loads of entertainment. Two stages will showcase premier Maui musical acts, including Jamallad, Zuni Migoze, Fantuzzi, The Easy, Poni Brendan and others. Event planners expect over 50 vendor booths from Maui’s greenest businesses, including purveyors of food, natural medicine, locally crafted goods, green energy and more. Plus, a movie theater, a keiki care center and an eco village will be on site to make for a truly swell event.