HONOLULU — Residents from fire-stricken Lahaina on Tuesday delivered a petition asking Hawaii Gov. Josh Green to delay plans to reopen a portion of West Maui to tourism starting this weekend, saying the grieving community is not ready to welcome back visitors.
Tamara Paltin, who represents Lahaina on the Maui County Council, said two months may seem like a long time, but she noted Lahaina residents didn’t have reliable cell phone service or internet for the first month after the fire and have been coping with uncertain housing. She said many people, including herself, can’t sleep through the night.
Maui, which is famous around the world for its beaches and waterfalls, is among the most tourism-dependent islands in Hawaii. The first phase to be reopened under the mayor’s plan — from Kapalua to the Kahana Villa — is 7 to 10 miles and a 15- to 20-minute drive north of the area that burned. Bissen said second and third phases, both covering zones closer to the burned parts of Lahaina, would reopen after officials assess earlier phases.Restaurant bartender Kiakona said he's among those not ready to go back to work.
Charles Nahale, a musician who lost all his gigs singing and playing the ukulele and guitar for tourists, recounted recently seeing tourists at a restaurant a few miles from the burn zone. They appeared oblivious and unsympathetic to those around them, he said. The 61-year-old amputee said she was not helped by Carnival crew while trying to disembark the ship, the complaint alleges.