Shopping Friday

Whole Foods in Kahului is hiring (See www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers.)  Be aware that the CEO has been working to derail healthcare reform and the operation is known to be a union-busting corporation.  For those local producers looking to sell there, be warned about the Whole Foods practice of putting their lower-cost Chinese-grown produce next to yours.  You'll get the account but you'll make few sales.

Support our local stores and local growers.  Shop at places like Foodland, Pukalani Superette, Ah Fooks, etc.

Roadwork on: Lahainaluna Road, Honoapiilani Highway, and Hana Highway.

Tiger Woods was injured in a single car accident.  Conflicting reports say he was "seiously injured" and that he was "treated and released".  Alcohol was not involved.

Businesses and churches hosted Thanksgiving meals for the needy.  Four Seasons gave TG dinners to the Wailea and Kihei fire fighters.

Mike Molina introduced a bill which prohibits aquarium fish harvesters from harming or killing the fish, whether they intend to or not.  This cut down on the estimated 5-10 million aquarium fish harvested in Hawai'i waters every year - a harvest that experts say plays a roll in the decline of our eating fish and reefs.  Only one million fish are reported to be taken per year but this number doesn't include the illegal operations. The bill give animal control officers a tool to at least insure that the fish aren't harvested and left to die in unaerated buckets by defining them as "pets".

The bill would  prohibit  withholding food for more than 12 hours; deflating the swim bladder; trimming the spine or fins; exposure to air or to temperature changes of more than 2 degrees, define causing the death of fish as being an inhumane treatment of aquatic life, require documentation of mortality rates and disposal methods of dead fish, and make violations a misdemeanor with a fine between $500 and $2,000 and up to a year in jail.

The bill was created by Robert Wintner (Snorkel Bob) who has been trying unsuccessfully to get the Administration and the Legislature to regulate ornamental fish harvesting.  See www.forthefishes.org.  Wintner said he would help finance 24 hour monitoring of reef collectors so that this would not cost the county any additional funds.

Ron Dahlquist took a photo of Archie Kalepa riding Jaws.

 Judge August jailed Richard Goettsch for breaking the conditions of his lease after being convicted of breaking into a Kula store to steal booze.  Goettsch was found drunk and passed out in the store.  Apparently another casualty of the recession, Goettsch lost his work as a real estate appraiser and turned to alcohol. He'll be on probation for 5 years.  Funny that Judge August is so tough on drunks who do property damage and just gives a slap on the wrist to violent criminals.

Editorial lauds the Read Aloud Program.  Sad when we have to have a program to encourage parents to read to their children.

Ben Little, General Manager of Hale Hui Kai Condominium, is all bent out of shape that they got called on their illegal naupaka hedge and irrigation system which they were using to encroach on the State beach and block off the public from the right of way that exists along all Maui shores.

Jill Engledow says goodbye to Maui News' Roy Tanaka.

Kelley Andrade mourns the layoffs of the women in her office but never states what office she's talking about.  Possibly this was edited out?

Uma Silbey is "furious" that Hanzawa's store wants to expand.  She appears to be a former California resident who has an internet jewelry business.

Richard Pechner supports Hanzawa's store expansion because he doesn't want to see the store close.

Jack Fisher supports Hanawa's expansion fearing that without it, it will go the way of Kawaharada Store, Kitada's, Horiuchi Market, Suda Store and the other mom and pop stores of Maui.

 BS McEwen says that Hawai'i is in the same situation vis a vis the U.S. as Tibet is with China.

Helena Valery says Obama is doing a good job and the Europeans love him.