Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 3, 1 March 2012 — OHA's new Maui Office opens its doors [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA's new Maui Office opens its doors

By Harold Nedd OHA's new office on Maui officially opened to the voices of two musicians from a Hawaiian contemporary band and an estimated crowd of 50 people. Trustee Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey hosted the office celebration Wednesday, Feb. 15, on the fourth lloor of the Kahului Building at 33 Lono Ave., where beneficiaries are being promised better access to services offered by OHA. She also identified the two musicians - Kawika Regidor and Damien Paiva - as being part of Kahulu's Band, of whieh she is a member. The office moved from the Kahului industrial area, where it was located for the past two years in an environment considered less than ideal for the more than 30 inquiries fielded by staff on a typical day. The move was praised as providing OHA beneficiaries on Maui with a more central location for a wide range of services such as loans and scholarship information for Native Hawaiians. The office is open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ■

OHA Maui Trustee Carmen "Hulu" Lindsey with the island's Community Outreach Coordinators īhelma Shimaoka and Roy Newton at the agency's new Kahului office on Lono Avenue. - Courtesy photo: Wilmont Kamaunu Kahaialii