Recalling Maui’s near and distant past, compiled from Honolulu Star-Advertiser archives:
30 years ago …
Maui police previewed a film about homosexuality in a Kahului theater, recommending that it be limited to persons 18 and older. Assistant Police Chief Ken DeLima said police received a number of complaints about the film “Men in Love,” which was scheduled for one showing at the Holiday Theater. The movie was filmed partially on Maui and is about a homosexual man who loses his lover to AIDS.
The theater was rented for the showing, and the movie was not intended for general distribution, DeLima said. Thus there was no rating. He said the film had strong suggestions of homosexual contact but no explicit sex or nudity. There was nothing in the film that would warrant a ban on its showing, he said, “but I didn’t particularly like it.”
30 years ago …
Former Mayor Elmer Cravalho declared he will run for mayor next year, drawing a standing ovation from more than 2,000 people attending his “homecoming celebration” at the Wailuku Community Center.
Cravalho, 63, referred to his previous 10 years in office, saying “the decade of the ’70s was the golden years of Maui County.”
Underlying the announcement was apparent concern among Cravalho’s supporters over the challenge of Republican Councilwoman Linda Lingle, who is expected to run for the seat.
50 years ago …
The shipping strike is beginning to cause some inconvenience on Maui, but so far there is no indication it has resulted in critical shortages of necessities, except rice.
Jimmy Mizoguchi, manage of Ah Fook’s supermarket, said a large shipment of rice is due to arrive in Honolulu by Seatrain and would be transshipped to Maui by Young Bros. barge. “No worry, no need hoard rice. More is coming,” he said.
100 years ago …
Consternation descended upon the hundreds of illicit booze makers and dealers of Maui, who for a year and a half have been operating in all but open defiance of the law.
Uncle Sam has finally begun to act. As a result, 30 barrels of wine from the Kaupakalua district, sold for $100 per barrel, are now held by the revenue officers in Kahului to later be destroyed. Half a dozen distilleries have been raided and hundreds of gallons of mash destroyed.
Three or four tinsmiths in Wailuku and Paia, who ever since the Sheppard Act went into force have made hundreds of stills for sale to okolehao makers, find themselves facing heavy fines and a tax of $20 for every still manufactured. One of these tinsmiths is said to have admitted making 15 stills in the past 60 days.
All of this excitement started with the arrival of J.S. Gawne, field deputy of the internal revenue office in Honolulu.
