TNZ 230814- Maui Neutral Zone- POST 8-8-23 Disaster in LAHAINA – Jason Schwartz & Capri:Peter Capriotti. Guest Artist, Jeweler, Rancher, Active Citizen- Capri shares about Queen Liluokalani sculpture installed in Hana; LAHAINA Fire & Tragedy discussed as well as Days of Old since 1970’s. DreamMaui.Org. Where are you in the matrix? – Global Exampleplace and Economy based on integrated to our “At the website, find decades of archives on Maui and people whose contributions are part of this DreamMakers Matrix we call DREAM MAUI. Thirty+ years in the making… and Still Co-Operating More Than Ever. MAMA & PAPA DreamMakers MATRIX
Summary & Full Timestamped Transcript Below
Introduction, Context, and Community Response to Lahaina Fires
The program opens with an acknowledgment of the tragic fires in Lahaina and UpCountry Maui, emphasizing the deep community grief and resilience in the face of loss. The emergency operations center is fully activated, with collaboration across federal, state, county, and business partners. The host, Jason Schwartz, introduces the focus on rebuilding Maui through community effort and visionary projects. He highlights the website dreammaui.org, which outlines a 30-year vision for sustainable rebuilding, including innovative programs like Regina Maui LLC’s initiative to convert waste into biofuel and superfood, fostering self-sustainability. The show invites community participation and emphasizes alignment in positive action to transform tragedy into opportunity. A call-in number (808-873-3435) is provided for listener engagement.
Summary: Musical Interlude and Introduction of Guest Capri
The host plays a song “Unlock the Hope” by Lono, symbolizing the call to action and hope amidst tragedy. Lono, a local artist from Molokai, is described as a long-standing cultural contributor, known for music in both English and Hawaiian, and teaching ukulele. Following the musical break, Jason introduces his guest, Capri (Peter Capriati), a longtime Maui resident and community activist, who will share personal stories about Maui’s cultural and social history. The mood is one of hope, reflection, and community solidarity.
Summary: Capri’s Arrival and Early Maui Experiences
Capri recounts his early years on Maui, starting as a goldsmith on Front Street in Lahaina and engaging in community activities like soccer leagues that connected diverse parts of Maui (Lahaina, Upcountry, Kahului, Kihei). He describes the geography and cultural significance of places like Baldwin Park and Makawao, recalling the devastating 1980 storm that damaged infrastructure and isolated Lahaina and Hana. Capri had advocated for underground electricity to protect against such natural disasters, highlighting the disparity in infrastructure investments compared to tourist areas like Wailea. He recalls interactions with political figures such as Linda Lingle and his own green party mayoral run in the early 1990s, emphasizing persistent challenges in local governance and infrastructure modernization.
Summary: Community Leadership, Cultural Legacy, and Call to Action
Capri reflects on his long-term community involvement, including leadership roles in the Haiku Community Association and Hawaiian Trail Association (HEDA), formed after a personal incident involving a drunk driver. He honors local heroes, military veterans, and community figures like Tom Morrow and Chubby, who contributed land and resources for public amenities such as equestrian arenas and sports fields. Jason highlights the importance of teamwork and aloha spirit in rebuilding efforts, stressing the need for decentralized, sustainable community development. The call-in line remains open for public participation, and the discussion stresses unity and shared responsibility in Maui’s recovery.
Summary: Community Media and Music Support
The broadcast features promotional spots for listener-supported programs and public service announcements, reinforcing community engagement through music and media. Jason reintroduces Lono’s music, highlighting another song for weddings, underscoring the importance of cultural expression and celebration. The segment reflects the role of art and music as pillars of community identity and healing.
Summary: Capri’s Art and Sculpture Work, The Hana Highway Millennium Trail Project
Capri shares his artistic journey, returning to his passion for sculpture after decades in sign-making and design. He describes his collaboration on the Millennium Trail project (2000), which involved carving stones from 22 distinct Maui communities along the Hana Highway, creating a culturally meaningful trail marker system with local community engagement and traditional blessings. He discusses a major sculpture project—a statue of Queen Lili‘uokalani in Hana—created in collaboration with Thai sculptors over three years. The statue is eight feet tall on a four-foot platform and involved complex permitting processes. The dedication ceremony was emotionally significant, involving the sculptor’s family and local community. The statue and the land it stands on were secured for the community, honoring the Queen’s legacy of cultural and political reform.
Summary: Cultural Preservation and Community Challenges
The discussion turns to the loss of cultural artifacts and heritage sites, particularly the Malu ‘Ulu ‘Olele Cultural Center in Lahaina, which suffered damage and restricted access post-fires. Capri stresses the importance of preserving local character amid pressures like eminent domain and gentrification. He advocates for balancing infrastructure improvements with respect for indigenous and local community identity. The segment underscores the need for political will and community engagement to protect Maui’s cultural heritage while rebuilding.
Summary: Socioeconomic Issues and Vision for Regenerative Community Development
Capri reflects on Maui’s evolving cultural landscape since his arrival in 1993, emphasizing the acceptance of newcomers who contribute positively to the community. He shares personal experiences of local aloha spirit and inclusion, despite historical tensions. The conversation addresses ongoing socio-economic challenges, including housing shortages, the marginalization of locals in the tourism-driven economy, and the threat of gentrification displacing indigenous people. Capri advocates for decentralized living, integrated education, and sustainable development. He calls on wealthy newcomers and residents to contribute meaningfully to the community’s welfare. The vision includes long-term efforts beyond emergency aid, focusing on rebuilding a self-sustaining, culturally rich, and economically just Maui.
Summary: Community Engagement, Art, Music, and Fundraising for Rebuilding
The hosts emphasize the urgency of active community involvement—voting, volunteering, donating, and supporting local artists and musicians. Jason highlights the potential of leveraging art and culture to raise significant funds (targeting billions) to rebuild Maui’s economy and environment sustainably. Capri shares his international experience in Thailand and commitment to Maui as his home, underscoring the deep personal and cultural ties that fuel his dedication. The conversation reiterates the power of grassroots efforts, shared vision, and cultural preservation as foundations for recovery.
Summary: Closing Remarks and Call to Action
The program concludes with a call to stay strong, move forward, and rebuild Maui better than before. The hosts reaffirm that while the tragedy is profound, the community’s collective love, commitment, and vision will transform the future. Information is provided on how to engage with the ongoing efforts through websites such as mauinutralzone.com, mauiartsandmusic.org, and dreammaui.org. The message is one of hope, resilience, and collective responsibility to honor those lost and rebuild for generations to come.
Key Insights and Themes
- Community Resilience and Unity: Maui’s response to the Lahaina fires is grounded in collective grief, aloha spirit, and a shared commitment to rebuild and improve.
- Cultural Preservation: Protecting local heritage, including historical sites, cultural centers, and indigenous identity, is essential amid redevelopment.
- Infrastructure Challenges: Long-standing infrastructure issues, such as the lack of underground utilities, have exacerbated disaster impacts; calls for modernization persist.
- Sustainable Rebuilding Vision: Initiatives like ReGenerate Maui LLC’s waste-to-biofuel program and decentralized community planning aim at long-term sustainability.
- Art and Music as Healing and Economic Engines: Supporting local artists and musicians is seen as a way to drive cultural revival and economic recovery.
- Political and Social Advocacy: Engagement with local government, accountability from wealthy newcomers, and community participation are critical for equitable recovery.
- Historical Continuity: The legacy of community leaders, military veterans, and cultural icons is honored as part of the foundation for future rebuilding.
Timeline of Key Events and Projects
| Date/Period | Event/Project | Details/Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Devastating storm hits Baldwin Avenue and Lahaina | Infrastructure damage; highlighted need for underground utilities |
| Early 1990s | Jason runs for mayor (Green Party) | Advocacy for infrastructure improvements and community issues |
| 2000 | Millennium Trail project | Carved stones from 22 communities along Hana Highway; cultural unity |
| Recent 3 years prior | Sculpture of Queen Lili‘uokalani created | 8-foot statue symbolizing Hawaiian cultural heritage; complex permitting |
| August 2023 | Lahaina and UpCountry fires | Community tragedy prompting calls for rebuilding and renewal |
| Ongoing | ReGenerate Maui LLC & Dream Maui initiatives | Sustainability programs, biofuel, and self-sufficiency projects |
Full Transcript
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check Super Service work from Red Bull’s Paradigm lost who’s job Apple’s make or break series and film projects like his latest broken molds the origin story of windsurfing 5 30 to 7 30 p.m register at akaku.org tragedy that hits one of us is felt by all of us these past few days the resolve of our families businesses and visitors have been tested like never before in our lifetime with lives lost and properties decimated we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time we are truly grateful for our First
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Responders and emergency personnel whose own families and friends have been affected by the Lahaina and UpCountry fires our Emergency Operations Center has been fully activated and we are fortunate to be able to work together with our federal state county and business partners as we make our way through this crisis even though we are hurting we are still able to move forward especially when we do it together in the days ahead we will be stronger as a kaya ULU or community as we rebuild exactly 15 seconds we’ll
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be on the air Kaku 88.5 FM here we go kahul the voice of Maui hello everyone sorry mayor Bisson our techno people gave us a bit of a change we honor you and the county of Maui Maui strong Lahaina strong um this is different show I’m Jason Schwartz I’m your host here at the neutral zone Maui neutralzone.com dream maui.org dream Maui where are we on this Matrix of what we’re going to do to rebuild better now if you go up to the website that we have you’re going to see that um we’ve been
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sitting and trying to put a program together here for 30 years and you’ll see it laid out and a little bit rough well that’s why we need all of us to come together and make it better and that’s what you’ll see dreammawi.org Maui Arts and Music Association mama and people aligned in positive action Papa who would think that a catastrophe like this would have us considering that Regenerate Maui LLC created for regenitech and regenerating a program here in Maui to take our waste and turn it into
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biofuel and a superfood to grow plants and create self-sustainability and more and network through the world that all kinds of good things so let us feel like we are number one blessed and number one we are the ones to make that difference all the Visions we’ve had come together all the people that know me and know what’s going on here let’s align in positive action and make this a blessing for the world you know I could read a list of people I want to speak to like Oprah and Jeff Bezos with a couple of people I got
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a vision where I don’t want to talk about it here but let us say it isn’t a blessing to be alive I honor all the people that are going through the pain never mind that the people that have given their ultimate physical sacrifice horrible situation that none of us can deny you know and no matter what its source by the way our guest whose name is Capri he’s coming in I guess he knows that today is a different day we’re going to have him on another day and talk about in more depth this subject we’re a call in we’re
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calling radio on TV simulcast Okay so 808-873-3435 is the number to call at 808-873-3435 you’ll see it in the low right on screen and um we’re going to do that after 10 30 which means we got a little bit of time and we’re gonna spend a little time talking about Lahaina please take the time to go to dreammaui.org which will go to mauiarts on music.org and I’ll be talking about it again in fact you’ll look at some of the shows the people that are on my shows are the people that are the parts of the Matrix
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to make this a self-sustainable beautiful model there’s more to come as you can see I have a now I see you soon now I know which mic is which I love that um I have a guest with me I am going to take a little bit of a musical break a song by I’m happy to say my friend for 30 years Lono who wrote a great song wrote that song in 1998 when Jack Lewin was running for governor and he asked me to sing it and it was a great song it was a great song it’s time for now called unlocked the hope
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[Music] the time has come to make a change the time has come to unlock a hope that lives in each and every one of us and we must do our part we hold the Visions God dreams of our hands can heal the ones we love let’s gather around and let us make a stand for you and me unlock the hope and there’s a better life unlock the hope there’ll be no turning back but nothing changes on unless we unlock the home [Music] the time has come to make a change [Music] in each and every one of us and we must do our part
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we hold the Visions your dreams our hands can heal the ones we love let’s gather round and let us [Music] [Music] but nothing changes [Music] ocean but nothing changes unless we unlock let’s dream [Music] unless we unlock the Lord oh unless we unlock the Lord [Music] unless we unlock the hope [Music] why I love that let’s unlock the Hope from Lono Lono has been doing albums for years he’s on Molokai and he actually I believe teaching people ukulele and his wonderful man and does in Hawaiian and
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does music and I think about those days from way back when and you know Lenny who plays Bass with Mick Fleetwood there and Lenny and Paul and creation of Maui Arts and Music Association at the time when you know it got referred by John Woodhouse and all the way back when when Lahaina was I thought knew but I have a guest today who was here before me and many of you know him as Capri but I didn’t I was really bad because I thought I knew him I knew what and then I when I that’s any Peter Pete Capriotti
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Capri so he’s been working on and he’ll tell us in a minute Welcome to our show what an honor to have you here with us you know I feel like um I want you to jump in if you wait for me to stop you’re in trouble well thank you Jason and I’ve admire you for a long time for your commitment to community um very dedicated to uh our Ohana are Aina and malama and Mahalo to you yes I have many stories to tell when I first came Lahaina was the only place that you could get a job and uh you know
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then I was very much involved I worked as a Goldsmith at 505 we were making a jewelry and that was a good start for me I had painted a mural the first week I came here of a local scene and I’m not sure what I was going to do but once I started working on Front Street um I found it uh very uh you know magical to be on Maui particularly in Lahaina but our one of the ladies at work does Charlotte said Capri come play soccer with us and I said I’m working seven days a week she said I get you off for
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half a day so then we went over to Baldwin and then there was no soccer league we had a team from Lahaina from up country uh Kahului and Kihei and Hana and it was a small League to start with but our games were all over on Baldwin because Baldwin Park of country was the first time I went up country when I went up country Baldwin Park everyone here that’s listing right if you’re from around the world you think up country means up country it means when you go to the airport you go left first you hit
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Baldwin Park is the entrance to Paia which is like going back to the 60s and 70s for most towns and then from there you have up to Haiku and then you go to the right and you go toward makawao which also had fire you know we we haven’t had a fire like losing 30 homes in Kula and Olinda uh horrible and but you don’t hear about that as much you’re hearing about behind us when I um when I came up country after the game I looked up and I saw a giggle Hill the rainbows I said if I could only live up
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there I would be the happiest person in the world and I’ve been there for uh 40 something years now so I feel that I’m very lucky but of course living in makawa is connected with Lahaina because there were really no jobs half of makawal empire were boarded up now we had a storm in 1980 and it was a devastating storm it wasn’t a hurricane but it blew and rain and rain and blue and I was right on Baldwin Avenue in Makawao and it turned into a river and it was so intense that many people had
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to leave including me so I packed up knew I was going to come back but uh the infrastructure was lacking and all the polls on telephone on uh Baldwin Avenue the ground was so soft and it blew so hard that all the poles were leaning Okay so strong winds we’re used to that but we should have learned and I think it was during the um lender legal Administration that I brought up the point that we should have underground electricity no that’s interesting that kind of year I happened to Linda lingle only because she was on
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Council and then she ran for mayor when I ran for mayor as a green party guy in Council see the early 90s so you were already here and you live with these problems and we see these problems but things around here haven’t been capitalized the way they need to yes and because of that here we are in a situation like we see in West Maui well we’ve known that one laying in is ridiculously ridiculous why is there no police there no one making a left that sort of been sailing out of line the storm really uh closed Lahaina it uh the
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road was washed out Lahaina was uh isolated uh Hana was isolated Olinda all the trees came down then in 1980 yeah 1980 the storm so the thing is uh I think I brought it up to Linda lingle why do we don’t we have Underground uh electricity uh and she said well uh those people in my light up paid for it I said we didn’t give get a choice the people deserve better well it costs three times as much to put it underground I said but look at what was saved we have high winds here how could they do something that is if
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they can afford it in Wailea why can’t we uh eventually little by little start putting it underground because they have it in white Leia and we don’t so this is like the tourists are elevated among the uh from the people well the people really are what she considered I’m only breaking in because of the fact that you are such a multi-guy I’m staring at this statue I know I want to make sure not to miss it but we have time you know the way I met you was you were the Haiku Community Association meetings yes yes
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and you saw him watching me and making my statements and doing things I was always sort of too radical for people because uh I guess you’d say just like you said we’ve been talking about underground utility for as long as we’re on Maui yes and we’re on Maui for 30 40 years yes that’s gonna change right now right mayor Bisson we just cut you off at the beginning of the show we wanted to get to see you maybe we’ll let you have a tape if we can of this show and uh you’re welcome to sit right here with us
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we’ll do a zoom but um yeah you know I 1993 the head of the Maui visitors bureau was Roger Dubin a lot of people love Roger and then Marsha well Roger Dubin was going to be the head of my organization and then he said I got a job offer I gotta take it Maui visitors bureau so he sent four pages and wrote a letter in the board meeting they said don’t back Schwartz now it was right then at the cultural center opening I had booked the opening with pundy and that Marcia The Fabulous Marcia Kelly May bless us all up and
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cooler fighting these Flames Marcia Kelly and the holds booking this is there’s such a long story to this the Maui Electric president sitting at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center we’re talking about what can be so when you talk about underground utility this is bigger than a bread box and so political is for another day today’s a day for honoring and blessing God that we’re alive and have incredible gratitude and incredible prayers for people that have lost loved ones and the people that have lost their lives
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themselves it’s something beyond my understanding you know you know the the people of Maui are incredible the locals here have so much aloha I was unloading my truck at the dump and here a couple takes the time and comes over doesn’t say anything helps me unload my truck I am just said this is Maui this is Aloha this is the Aina this is kakua working together this is community I have been involved in makawal vice president there was president of haiku Community I got in with Tom Morrow after my horse got run over by a drunk
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driver and we formed Heda a Hawaiian Trail Association and that’s how I got to know Tom who was a great Roper a guy from New York that was a Horseman a wonderful guy and we we still miss him and remember him and that’s why we created a Tom Morrow equestrian Arena and uh very much the one down there in Maliko Gulch no that’s the one in uh on giggle Hill uh the first Marine first Marine fourth Marine part yeah the people of the memories of Maui Maui is a great place you in the world we love and
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support you you love and support us by being part of what we do here well maui.org I’m going to say it again right in the middle of the show go there and start reading you’ll get a mission statement and see that by adding you into this equation all kinds of people are going to find it this is a world-changing event that’s happening I want to I want to uh thank and I want to remember uh remember the Marines the fourth Marine Division who had probably 50 casualties that made Maui their home
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and I was honored to be on the committee at the park when they turned it over to us and it was a joint venture between uh well we had chubby with sense of uh A and B and we had the Marines uh wanting to were all passing away wanted to give it to the community so it was between the community the business and the county that we got what we got and chubby was great he said you know what we’re arguing who was going to have what and the soccer fields the uh baseball fields and we needed three extra acres
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and chubby stepped up and gave us the three extra Acres that now Tom Morrow arena is on I see and so this was a joint venture between the community business that we could work together now I’m gonna for a moment you could probably tell me of example but now I’m going to switch to our current day Bravo we can work together we’ve done it before we are a team team Aloha at icloud.com that’s the way to easily email if you’ve got anything to say right now if you want to call in you see the number on
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the screen below 808-873-3435 and channel 55 on TV akakum Maui Community media I’m here with Capri and we are talking on the 14th of August 2023 a few days from now on the 25th Jesus’s birthday from the Urantia book if you read that book that’s a Maui experience my old friend and my roommate Jim Kimmel Reverend Jim Kimmel bless his heart Willie Nelson would like to talk to you Oprah I’d like to talk to you Larry Ellison please give a call dreamowie.org team Aloha at iCloud you know this is not only now this is the
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world we’re going to take a break here in a minute but I really thank all of you for listening about what we’re talking about sharing this show sharing these ideas they’ve been 30 years in the making some of you know I ran for Council this last time the lady that won Tasha comma and I are friends I came in seventh out of seven and the people that voted for me like Why didn’t a lot of people know now and we’ll know more I don’t need to run I just need to be part of this Matrix and play my part
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like we all do we can decentralize you hear about they want to uh eminent domain well the streets are going to get eminent domain over there no matter what so they’re going to play on a grid and that grid a smart grid if we use it wisely will serve us God bless the Hawaiians who are I hope are in the mix and all this I’m just a tail wagging the dog I’m a pipsqueak here but I’ve been talking to 30 years and I’m not alone there are a lot of people that tell me I watch I know I’m part of well all of you this is
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the time to stand up whether you’re from here or from wherever whether you’re a musician from here or an artist from here or from wherever the network of what we’re going to do and what we already are doing but with your help dreammawi.org Mama and Papa where people aligned in positive action John scarcino who designed all kinds of lettering and album covers Ruby Major John Roby Mazer who had a gallery gonna open in a couple of days in line around like the mixed fleetwoods place this is Earth changing
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you know we’re not talking about the lives but the loss because that is so personal and we’re talking about the hope for the future and we’re going to be doing tributes with musicians from here and musicians from all over the world who want to be able to contribute their performances and the monies that come through all this thing is going to be rebuilding the art and music community of Maui and the world in a way that artists and musicians got paid like never before and a third of the money
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goes to the environment a third of the musicians and the third to run it mama and papa people aligned in positive actions an idea plus action that’s dream making and together we are the ones we’ve been waiting for you know all these expressions Now’s the Time if you’re from Maui you know it when you look to the West Maui mountains you see beautiful Maui mountains I was standing at the dunes Country Club Yesterday planning a show which I have there shows with music and art and I thought my goodness
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nobody here knows it’s like a isolated thing but we’re blessing Maui with every bit of our heart every bit of our heart and uh I know you want to do that I’m going to take a break here in a second and set up commercials why don’t you talk while I set up we’re talking about things so my business Creative Design science has been here for 40 uh almost 50 years now and I’m going to write the book of 50 years of signs on Maui but I made over a thousand wooden Redwood signs we’ve been through ten thousand
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tons of Redwood and a lot of those signs were in Lahaina because it was always required to have a three-dimensional sign so this is how I made my living and you know I’ve got signs all over the island and uh when aniki hit we went to Kauai and we volunteered signs we still have some signs at the airport there and uh the mokijana and all the themes there but I feel I was obligated to make the best signs possible because signs were like a bad a bad thing we don’t want signs but to me it’s art and so you’ve been doing
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Redwood signs and then you graduated to to signs of all kinds and stuff some of them are monuments all these major jobs around this life or in Maui over these years and now you’ve done a statue after our break we’re going to get specifically into the statue yeah well okay one of the signs that one the Pentacles won uh an award an international award way back when for Monument science I’m not sure that the in the 2000s but we were we were the only ones uh in Hawaii we were the only ones in Hawaii that got recognized as uh
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one of the top signs in the world well now we’re going to have an opportunity Capri to show your art on this if you look people who look at the site know that art music culture you’ll see spots there for musicians and artists they’ll be putting in stuff we’ll be putting it up pictures and it’ll blurb and that this is the beginning of for everyone to recognize this is my God it’s something that’s fair and honest and open my goodness there’s no politics here it’s we all care and work together we
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generate our leaders from the leaders that we are we are Mankind and we move with deliberate action and we integrate Hawaiian and local ice of all kinds of things I hope kayamoku kapu is going to come and join me and other Hawaiian leaders Amy Gilliam I got lists you know I was going to stand here before a new Capri was coming I was going to read lists of people that are that all I want to talk to and want to but that’s how we don’t have time for now Capri hang on a second we’re gonna get
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to the break and then we’ll come back I promise okay uh all new callers after the break we’re gonna have five minutes with Capri and then the call is 808-873-3435 is our call in line 808 874-5900 is me here we go hi I’m Chuck sauce host of biscuits and gravy kku is a listener supported station this means that all the great programs you hear like mine are supported by you as well as our Underwriters if you would like to help keep the voice of Maui talking loud and clear go to k-a-k-u-fm dot org slash donate today
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and give don’t miss the biscuits and gravy show Wednesdays at 11 A.M 88.5 kku this is how we do every day if you love them enough to turn off your music and pretend like their music is your music ah this is Mommy’s Jam that surely you’ll check nhtsa.gov the right seat to make sure they’re in the right car seat Let’s Play It Again check today at nhtsa.gov the right seat brought to you by the national highway traffic safety administration in the ACT Council need help supporting internet at
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Home Affordable connectivity program can help if you qualify for snap SSI Medicaid Federal housing assistance or have KTM free and redo sponge programs then you may be eligible to receive a discount on your monthly internet bill with the portable internet you can video chat with your Ohana visit your doctor without going into the office or help your cakey with learning from home learn more about the affordable connectivity program visit broadband.hawaii.gov ACP the 50s the 60s the 70s hi this is Steve
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Summers welcoming you aboard the oldies time machine right here on Kaku enjoy special features like the diner tune the Motown memory the do Whopper and the Elvis moment come on spend an hour inside the oldies time machine Sunday mornings at 1 and 10 a.m right here on the voice of Maui k-a-k-u hi I’m Jason Schwartz host of the neutral zone ka-k-u is a listener supported station this means that all the great programs you hear like mine are sponsored by you as well as our Underwriters if you would
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like to help keep the voice of Maui talking loud and clear go to kakufm.org donate today and give and don’t miss the neutral zone Mondays at 11 A.M on 88.5 FM the voice of Maui hey there we’re going to play a song another song from Lono called then I do two minutes 13 seconds if you’re having a wedding I hope you hear this foreign [Music] there is no other one what I feel here for you holding you in my arms cradle you with my love you’re all dressed in wine looking in your eyes tell all the world tonight
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I’ll be falling you’re my shining storm from this day on I’ll be your friend I’ll be by your side blessed are we this night shower us with his love will you be mine tonight giving you all my love and when we look back at our wedding day this fandom gold that we will share never-ending love for all my life then I do [Music] Lona wrote that that beautiful love song you’re gonna have a wedding that’s the song to do he asked me to sing that one unlock the hope and another song he has
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but Lono himself is a fantastic performer and songwriter worked not only in English that I remember but all the Hawaiian that he’s done he’s a beautiful brother we talked about being ambassadors to the world this is our time along with many others here you know we all work together there’s so much love at the end of the show I’m going to play a song bum from Louise Lambert called peace in our hearts which won an award in Toronto as Festival but boy it’s a beautiful song and it’s
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perfect for now again fantastic song sung by Louise um we got time let me just make sure I’m right I’m here with Capri Capri Peter Capriati has been on Maui a long long time you’ve really when I looked at this little piece here in front of me I see my goodness it’s heavy tell me about this and talk to our audience please and share the whole process when you talk about 505 Front Street and Malu ULU olele cultural center and we’re right across the place that these guys were building
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canoes forever you know I’m sure we’re going to hear chemo KO come and and share and tell us about please okay well you really should have a weight with me uh because it’s gonna be tough okay so so uh my uh you know very much committed to our our association we helped Inspire the flower Fest uh with Celeste King and uh then and in 2000 we had the Millennium trail that was designated from every state had a a a a a road that connected the communities so Hana Highway was selected and uh we had a
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beautiful logo 2000 Millennium Trail and I was in Haiku and I met Francis and Nancy and Francis is my capuna and we said let’s do something special let’s just not put a little sign up let’s make it something special Kappa Kalua Hana Highway so we got together and and we said we got 20 22 uh places 22 uh villages uh towns between uh paella and Canal and you know Francis says we cannot use just any rock you have to have a rock from that community so I said bring me the rock we’ll carve the name of that
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community in the Rock make sure it’s spelled correctly which it did and so together we were able to pull this off and sign is still up now yes yes it’s made of stone we’re gonna get pictures for those of you who have television go what what we’re going to get this with titles and things and pictures so we had we had uh it was a big Pro it was a big celebration yeah uh Patsy mink was there everybody that was an important Sam I did the blessing right you know and uh was was a beautiful blessing and so that
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was our relationship and they had just restored the Nancy said just restored the Hayao and Hana cedence is Another Hawaiian family from Hana yes so here here we go 22 years later later 20 years later I’m talking to Francis I hadn’t seen him in a while and they said well we’re looking for a statue and I had just come back from Thailand working with these sculptors and for the last five years because I had after 40 something years in the sign business I wanted to get back to what I really love
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to do which is Art and sculpture so I was studying over there and the Pete and pisanti the family welcomed me and they this was an honor to let me work and learn the the process okay and they do many many uh wonderful sculptures mostly a lot of monks and they can take a photograph and do all the detail this is full scale no this is a miniature a miniature of the the statue in Hana how big is the Statue stand it’s eight foot tall and on a four foot platform and it took three years and partly because
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um uh they left it to us to do all the uh to get all the permits we we thought that they were going to help us but we didn’t we didn’t have much help so we you know my guys went out there and we had to go through the parks the uh Shoreline management and so forth at all and that took a year and a half so we we winged that we got it done and the ceremony was chicken skin the Halal came over from the Big Island you got any pictures of that yeah we we have that but you’re gonna see a couple
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here yeah so um so anyway it was uh it was very touching and Pete and his seven members of his family came from Thailand from Chiang Mai and uh to come over for the dedication which was like I said chicken skin uh the honor was that uh the the guy unveiled the statue was not there when uh Victor sinensi who built the base so my son was KOA got up there and unveiled it and was able to put the lays on the Queen’s arm and that was that was a an honor for me because it was unexpected but uh I was glad that we we got to
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contribute and uh not only did they get the statue but they got the land where the statue was on which was never owned by them it was different entities that owned that so not only they got the statue but they got the property and this is so fitting because she was born in a cave there during a time of War they were in hiding and they uh she elevated herself to be the greatest queen that Hawaii’s ever known and uh so um her name is can you spell it Lily lilio oh cool on it what she has a story right the Queen’s story is the
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book yes she changed the kapoo and did many things that were um no one else was able to do before that men were not allowed that’s another great person here I really like yeah he’s very outstanding you know we’re talking about this show and now I can’t help but think line a line of West Side um we’ve lost many beautiful people but some of the people that are left at that site there they’re Malu Lily Cultural Center was taken and used in different ways and changed the name and keimoku
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and his wife been there and that’s a story well there was a big loss that we lost the culture there there was and in fact it was Sam I was over there I went to see him and it was closed that you couldn’t see there were many artifacts in there that were lost and um that was the main depository of so much of the Lahaina culture I understand but that’s why I’m talking as we’re going you know we talk people talked about we don’t want to see eminent domain come and take our place we want
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to keep individual character so I hope that the smart part the eminent domain happens with building up streets and utilities and and that the the will of the community along with wisdom Prevail and that we create a maybe another Monument in well my uh Lahaina was such a tight community and makawa everybody knew everybody speaking of statues and got people that did little ones after the big one Kihei Well Done by Elan and David David Crocker helped him now people don’t know all these things that are of history or
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whoever heard of Tom deserne president of Maui Electric when the cultural center opened that’s 30 years ago we’ve been talking and knocking on the doors in politics but things move slow here well something happened this time that the whole world is now focused on Maui and we want to do Maui right regener Maui and do more be for self-sustainable we’re going to have more people on this show and other shows there’s about a thousand shows that are networked through mauynutralzone.com you’re going
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to be able to see and we’ll bring in other people that have videotaped a very rich Community I know there’s plenty of video about Lahaina and about our past all about Hawaiian the people need to get involved with his website I’ve been holding this vision and holding the door open there is no more door look look at these beautiful people who’ve been here for years giving creating the Aloha honoring our our local culture you know we weren’t here in 1893 and we weren’t here for all
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these things I was here in 93 you were also I guess yes and when I came here everyone was questioning because the local culture was a little bit different and they said hey bro what you do and I said well I I do art and sculpture and jewelry and and that was okay because you contributed something they you know they wanted people who came here that contributed to the community and I picked that up right away and I was totally committed to the community as as I have been I’ve had such a beautiful experience you know I’m afraid
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to talk and say all right a lot of Hawaiians that are friends we I don’t feel prejudiced here at all I’ve not some people experienced but I think it’s what you put out when you have Aloha and love and you think love you come from love and peace and you share in a way that is just honest and sincere there are no walls I’ve lived in many different places I was I’m from New Orleans originally and I lived in New York I was in Germany and went to high school in Wiesbaden proud to say I lived
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in California New York uh San Francisco Seattle I’ve been in many places but when I when I saw makawa I absolutely fell in love and one of the guys on the soccer team was playing Polo and I started riding horse and I’ve been devoted to that for many many years I’ve been in the parade and many parades and they called me the New Orleans Cowboy because I like to to be in the parade but also uh we used to go in the crater all the time and you know uh I was I was a crater rat because I just loved
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Haleakala so much now it’s it’s hard to get the cabinets but I’m very much committed to that and we’ve been uh and doing St Jude ride for the last uh 30 something years ever since I don’t I think I missed but one or two we raised twenty five thousand dollars last year for St Joe’s children hospital I’m very proud of that and uh the makawa parade I’ve been there for 30 years and uh it’s our community and uh you know uh I feel like I’ve contributed to something uh
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even though I’m uh you know not from here originally but I’ve been here almost 50 years so well what feels like now is we’re already seeing that Maui strong means we come together across the island a major portion of our place right in the middle Lahaina our home our Bedrock for our culture our home our Bedrock for this Island’s whole development Kaanapali then to the South the home Lahaina let’s dream Maui and put it together as we want and be part of it yeah you know um are these available can people get these
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or you haven’t yet got to that place um I haven’t gone to that place yet but they possibly will be so um this is an example of uh of the work that we do and uh maybe we can do fundraiser we’ll put you up on the website well we would like to do uh Patsy mink we would like to do with Daniel Illinois with the sculpture I work with is fantastic and he’s uh one of the best in the world and his family is like we may have things to do have taken me in and I I know all the people who work with him he went from maybe a
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half a dozen people to 30 employees now he’s very serious about moving forward doing large and small sculpture and because he is the type of person that connects the past the people who passed on to the family this is a very beautiful connection because he’s bringing back the life and the image of that person who is passed on of course to the family to the Ohana yeah you know I think that um you know when we’re gonna probably Branch out as we get people that will be involving themselves with us we’ll have
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money and be paying in the future we’re going to work out a whole program with trade the things that can happen through the horror that can happen this is unexpected and horrible but we can see beautiful because of the richness of and who well Katrina happened in New Orleans and uh you know it was very very tragic you know it it breaks my heart it’ll never be the same um and it’s it’s like the French Quarter burning down you know I think Mick Fleet would put that comparison this morning
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uh and you know culturally it’s the most important just a jewel of Maui and of course we’re going to rebuild it and we want to rebuild it better but the community that we had uh that’s that’s gone and we we need to rebuild that through the local people who are from there that to belong there and they’re indigenous and they should always have honor that yes we need to honor that and and uh we don’t want to see the gentrification of Lahaina we we don’t want to see the big boys come in and
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take everything from the locals that has been going on for way too long we have to change that culture the locals or at the bottom of the poll and they in the totem pole and they should be at the top we should think about the locals that live here the indigenous people well first I don’t think that we have explored the possibilities that I’ve been working with and on and no is here that talks about decentralized growing plants and homes and education and integrating in such a way there’s a picture done by
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Richard Fields yes I Know Rich is a friend of mine the work that he did in the Visionary Arc with John Scofield paint where we could be I got the rights to all that stuff so we may use some of that to share yeah we’d love to have Richard and brother Richard was uh we we brought him over to uh Thailand of Chiang Mai he had his teeth done and uh I I got to look at more of his his artwork there because he lives way up in Canal but uh I included him when I did a mural in his very place um 30 30 years ago when this place was
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one big restaurant called sugarfields and I did several murals there and I brought him in and uh several other artists uh and uh you know that’s the whole thing is is uh we need to keep our community we need to keep our communities strong and we need to communicate we need to talk about the issues and be involved uh we don’t need apathy we don’t need to say well it’s not my thing I’m not going to vote I’m not going to be involved it’s already figured out but no you have to be
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involved you have to stand up and well I think that this is the people who are built the billionaires who came here have to understand that they have to contribute they have to contribute to our community tell them directly yes they have to contribute folks I know you’re living an isolated world and you know that you’re up there and everybody’s down there but that you have to be involved and uh what’s also I think really important is this is not going away tomorrow so we’re making a rush and we local people also
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and getting resources there which we do in this acute situations that we get help from FEMA and whoever and again you can’t see it so it becomes out of but this is going to be an ongoing effort to support our our west side and any way that’s hurting there are a lot of people that aren’t from the west side that are hurting there are people that are old that are people that are homeless that can’t conform into the shelters we desperately need housing we best we could do things we can do so much
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there’s so much that we can do because it’s we it is we you know I’ve been holding this door open I I had a thing called hold the vision which I wrote and put in the paper 1993 a couple of papers but I put it in again Mark veeth who was then a reporter put it in he’s now the editor 30 years you see we with so much time is gone this is the time to use the best of who and what we are and work together and I put this non-profit together to be independent from the county independent so we can do what if we get
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five billion dollars through promoting art and music and culture and link up with people all over the world who love that art music and culture what could happen we could change the world and decentralize and do this thing and share and be what I’ve envisioned for 30 years a global example place the opening weekend of the cultural center I gave up to the non-drinking thing you know that thing first light and they didn’t include us they were just afraid and I’m that’s how I met pundy that’s how we
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created and shared this vision but politics and what’s going on and all that stuff and I’m a little guy I feel like David trying to take to not even take down Goliath have Goliath and all everyone work together and that’s what we I have seen that hope that from the 60s and 70s which I you know I’m old I’m 72. grown up grown up to a point where we can live it I’ve seen it here I’ve lived it here look at these beautiful people like Capri who’ve had such Rich Lives who have been involved your time
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to be involved my time to be involved this is not the time to not be involved and don’t let some judge someone judge you do what you know you do but contribute whether it’s money buy this go to a show whether it’s help of an artist through what we do whether it’s support money direct there are all kinds of places that will take you money we want to do shows and help and support the music and art of this island and rebuild and we rebuild we think of you in Kula we think of you wherever you’ve lost anywhere on
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the streets we think of you in Lahaina and the west side we honor the people that have lost their lives and the people that grieve so personally for their things but also for the people we honor that the future can be as great as we make it you know we talk about that but we mean that well as well in East Maui but it’s all one Island we’re all in this boat together and we have to think that way most of the contractors that live up country have jobs on the West Side uh you know in Hilo they would rather live in Hilo
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and work in Waikoloa and make that two-hour Drive every day that live on that side so this up country people and people who are it wasn’t about for you that don’t know that’s the big island you know what’s so funny the all these islands together are Hawaii that’s why we’re the Dream Makers foundation and we’ve been on Maui so the Dream Makers Foundation of Maui but mama and papa I thought well should we be something with the H for Hawaii we welcome little beacons all over to
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come together when we talk about some of the guests on our show we’re going to be making you Capri really happy and proud and be part of this I honor you for the work and life that you’ve had here and what you’re going to do to contribute now and to help bring others to this common Vision I know that Mick Fleetwood someone has to help me get to do that to talk to Mick Fleetwood to see Oprah to get the mayor to take me seriously when I want to talk about something because I’ve been at this a long time and there
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are others that can work with us the power comes from the people we’re a team team Aloha icloud.com I didn’t do that accidentally but that’s 30 years already it’s time for us to embrace who and what we are let’s not just talk about it let’s do it and you know to raise 5 billion to match whatever I don’t want to put a number but imagine how much good and what we do with our economy the art the music the everything and how we can do the best that we can be and be what God wants us
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to be however we perceive God we’re talking about love you know um I I spent a lot of time in Chiang Mai Thailand and people say well you love it so much why don’t you move that I said no Maui is my home and uh that my horse is here my animals are here my Farm is here and uh this this is where my uh this is where I live and I’m not going to retire I probably should but I’m not going to because it’s too much work to do and uh you know we’re we’re busy more busy than people say well you’re going
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to have a lot of signs I’m I’m really not looking forward to it but Capri we’re going to have you for another time we got two minutes and such I’m not looking forward to you doing anything that you don’t love but I know that anything that you do is going to be blessed and full of love for everyone we’re going to have another show you and I will see what we can explore you know all of the world knows that we’ve had we don’t want to call it hurricane this and fire that Lahaina and Maui strong dream
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maui.org dream Maui how are you part of this solution whether it’s art or music or culture or coming together let’s do it through here and what we are we only have a minute and 50 seconds anything you want to say and say goodbye to the people these beautiful people of Maui and the world some of them will see it live and some of them will see it taped Maui neutralzone.com stay strong let’s move forward we can’t look back we need to look forward we need to go upward and onward and uh you know that’s that’s our
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uh that’s our Mantra from from concept to completion and our concept is going to be that we will be better than we were before we’re going to take that hit as just like New Orleans took the hit and rebuild it’s not going to be the same but if we keep our community strong and communicate and be involved and engaged we’re we’re all going to be much better off for it well Capri thank you we’ll have you back your blessing to our Island and to our world and you out there I hope that you’ll be in touch
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with all these ways we’re trying to get you in touch and you know that this is uh something that we’ve wondered when but from here it is now we thank you for joining us today mauinutralzone.com mauiartsandmusic.org dreamowie.org this is how to be part of something that’s going to change the lives of the world and make it better and get inspired through this horrible tragedy blessings and gratitude Aloha Mahalo Jason for being out there
