Money Beat Good Intentions

I went back to my hometown this past weekend. Being back in Lahaina is always a bitter sweet experience. To celebrate my mother's birthday, we walked out on the seawall by the Lahaina Harbor to say hello to our kupuna whose ashes are scattered out in the ocean outside of Lahaina. It was difficult for any private thoughts with the scores of students having surf lessons right in the waves right next to the sea wall. The ocean is still beautiful but like everything on Maui, crowded with people, malihinis galore.

In the 1960s, my cousin Humio Okimoto tried to work toward planned expansion of Lahaina through the Lahaina Historic Society. But in walking from Pioneer Inn along Front Street up to Lahainaluna Road and along Waine'e Street, I am sorry to say that his efforts were not successful. Tourist shops selling trinkets up to art galleries selling high priced painted filled most of the shops along our walk.

It is indeed sad to see that the local people have evaporated from the town. The things that made Lahaina charming are no more. Even the junky beaches are filled with cars as people try to swim between the shallow reefs. Planned growth could not win over the all mighty dollar. What a shame!!