Trio of park restrooms to reopen

Restrooms at Kalama, Pukalani and Lower Paia parks will reopen from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily starting Wednesday, with cleaning four times per day. However, the parks remain closed.

“Opening these facilities will provide additional restrooms for our homeless community,” Mayor Michael Victorino said in a news release. “The public is reminded not to congregate in or around restroom facilities and we ask for the community’s assistance in preventing vandalism.”

The open Kalama Park restroom is near the playground.

Hui optimistic about art camps

While art classes at the historic Kaluanui Estate in Makawao have been postponed at least through April 30 due to COVID-19 precautions, Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center is hoping to provide its summer youth programs and has opened online registration at huinoeau.com.

>> Camp Kaluanui (ages 6 to 10) will run weekdays from June 1 through Aug. 7. Tuition is $275 per week ($337 for nonmembers).

>> Art Academy (ages 11 to 15) will run weekdays, every other week, from June 8 through July 31. Tuition is $290 per week ($352 for nonmembers).

Scholarships are available.

Salvation Army requests help for food efforts

Facing “staggering increases” in requests for food as more residents face unemployment, the Salvation Army has issued an urgent plea for personal protection equipment and monetary donations to support its emergency food basket distribution and meals-to-go locations.

>> In Central Maui, food bag distribution is taking place Wednesdays at the Kahului Corps, 45 W. Kamehameha St. Call 871-6270 for an appointment.

>> The Lahaina Lighthouse Corps, 131 Shaw St., offers meals to go Monday through Friday, with breakfast available 8 to 10 a.m., lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. and dinner from 7 to 9 p.m. Food boxes are distributed 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Call 661-5335 for an appointment.

No major impacts foreseen from jail project

A final environmental assessment of planned construction and operation of a medium-security housing unit at Maui Community Correctional Center on Waiale Road in Wailuku found there would be no significant impacts from the project. The report was released Wednesday by the state Office of Environmental Quality Control.

The Department of Public Safety is proposing the new unit to alleviate the crowded conditions at the Maui jail. It is intended to accommodate up to 80 inmates who are already housed at MCCC, and would not increase the jail population, the report said.

“The housing unit would help achieve a safe, secure and humane environment for the care and custody of adult male and female offenders originating from Maui County,” the assessment said.

Funds have been appropriated to construct only a portion of the total 80 beds, with the balance to be undertaken as additional construction funds are appropriated by the Legislature.

More changes to bus routes

Due to a substantial drop in passengers, the Maui Bus is suspending four fixed bus routes effective Monday.

The four routes are the Wailuku Reverse Loop Route No. 2, Kahului Reverse Loop Route No. 6, Kaanapali Islander Route No. 25 and Kihei Villager Route No. 15. In the last case, riders connecting to and from Kihei and Lahaina will need to transfer at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Kahului instead of Maalaea, the county Department of Transportation said.

Riders are being encouraged to limit trips to essential travel only and practice social distancing.

Find updated bus schedules at mauicounty.gov/605/Bus-Service-Information, call 270-7511 or email public.transit@mauicounty.gov.

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