The Outsider
Maui’s Police Department has a public trust problem. It’s been plagued with attrition, rocked by internal disputes, and faulted for its lack of transparency. New Maui Police Chief John Pelletier says he will fight to bring change.
Reckoning with a rising cost of living in the most expensive U.S. state
How much does it really cost to live in Hawaiʻi, why, and is there anything we can do about it?
The Mana of a Market
How the Hāna Farmers Market became the piko of the town, reinvigorating self-reliance and kokua in East Maui as food security waned throughout the county
Maui’s fight to stave off evictions
Nearly $17 million of the county’s $36 million dollar emergency rental assistance fund has been spent. Is it keeping Maui residents housed? Since the statewide eviction moratorium ended in August, 42 eviction lawsuits have been filed against tenants in Maui County...
Tasty Crust, Home of Maui’s ‘World Famous Pancakes!’
Tasty Crust, Home of Maui’s ‘World Famous Pancakes!’ More than a thrifty local diner, Tasty Crust is a third-generation Wailuku institution For nearly 65 years, Tasty Crust has been a home away from home for Wailuku residents. A no-frills diner on a semi-industrial...
On the Scene at Mandate-free Maui & Recall Victorino Rallies
Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate marches on Maui are an unusual amalgamation of Trump supporters and New Age liberals who say that vaccine mandates infringe on medical freedom of choice. The marches and rallies have become increasingly frequent, and now a group of...
Why Are Maui’s Playgrounds Getting so Expensive?
The county spent over $1 million on playground improvements in South Maui in 2021 and the trend is continuing. “It is kind of astounding how much they cost, you could build an entire home with that.”
Building Maui
Is Maui destined to rely on imports to build its homes or do local materials stand a chance?
Up a steep driveway in Kīpahulu, past fruit trees and dense jungle, outcroppings of bamboo begin to appear, stitched into the mountainside. Dusky black stalks and tea-green shoots adorn the landscape at Whispering Winds, a 230-acre farm cooperative where Rich von Wellsheim has been growing bamboo for nearly two decades.
The Divergent Lives of Lei
Maui lei makers preserve the authenticity of lei made from their surroundings while hotels import purple orchids by the thousands.