Frank Szczepanski - Maui Real Estate

11/21/2024

The reality of the housing market as noted in the Maui News.

06/29/2024

Summertime fun with construction projects.

GCA member HPM Building Supply lends their expertise on products that set the stage for summer fun while also resisting damage. Read about it in June's Building Industry Hawaii article "Standing Up To Summer":
https://buildingindustryhawaii.com/2024/06/standing-up-to-summer/
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Trade Media Hui

06/25/2024

Supreme Court decision on water rights.

BREAKING NEWS (6/24/24)
Hawai‘i’s High Court Issues Another Historic Ruling in Maui “Four Waters” Case Victory — State Water Commission failed to restore stream flows after closure of last sugar plantation. (Article published on Earthjustice, linked below.)

Last Thursday, the Hawai‘i Supreme Court issued
a landmark decision in the long-running water case over Nā Wai ‘Ehā, “The Four Waters” of Waihe‘e, Waiehu, Wailuku, and Waikapū in central Maui. In a 134-page unanimous opinion authored by Justice Sabrina McKenna, the court ruled in favor of Maui community groups Hui o Nā Wai ʻEhā and Maui Tomorrow Foundation, who were represented by Earthjustice, and joined by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The ruling overturned the 2021 state Commission on Water Resource Management (commission) decision that failed to return more stream flows to Nā Wai ‘Ehā after the closure of the former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (HC&S) plantation in 2016. The court sent the case back to the commission to properly restore Nā Wai ‘Ehā stream flows to the extent practicable as mandated by law.

“We are grateful that the supreme court continues to understand that the health and well-being of our community is directly linked to the health and well-being of our ʻāina, wai, and kai,” said
Hōkūao Pellegrino, President of Hui o Nā Wai ʻEhā. “This ruling once again makes clear that the protection of our streams and kuleana kalo farmers’ rights is of utmost importance. It further speaks to the resiliency of the Nā Wai ʻEhā community and our commitment to mālama our water resources, increase kalo production, and revive mauka-to-makai native ecosystems.”

The court agreed with the community groups and OHA that the commission failed to meet its legal duties to restore stream flows following the end of HC&S’s water-intensive sugar operations. In
its 2021 decision, the commission essentially retained the existing flow levels that were set while HC&S was still in full operation. The court observed, “Rather than proactively addressing the historic opportunity to restore stream flows,” the commission’s decision “appears to be the result of a passive failure to take the initiative to protect the public trust in the light of HC&S’s closure.”

The court also ruled that the commission did not meet its constitutional duty to protect Native Hawaiian rights dependent on stream flows, such as growing kalo, gathering, and fishing. The court concluded, “While thorough in many respects, the Commission’s final decision still does not evince the ‘level of openness, diligence, and foresight’ that is required where vital public trust resources like water are at stake.”

“When we began this fight two decades ago, Nā Wai ‘Ehā were drained dry for private profit, but this latest ruling by the supreme court further turns the flow of history toward justice,” said
Earthjustice attorney Isaac Moriwake. “This win is a testament to the Nā Wai ‘Ehā community, including many kupuna who join us in memory and spirit, who continue to make history by standing for a more pono water future.”

Read the full article at Earthjustice website here:

06/09/2024

Surf’s up. Time to catch a wave. 😎🌊

06/06/2024

Wells being dug in Olawalu for testing….an important step in determining the extent of contaminants in runoff water into the ocean.

Two temporary groundwater monitoring wells will be installed at the Temporary Debris Storage site (TDS) in Olowalu, as part of the commitment by the County of Maui and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect public health and the environment during the wildfire cleanup.

Crews will be installing one well uphill (upgradient) and one downhill (downgradient) of the TDS to be drilled down to the uppermost source of groundwater.

Although impacts to groundwater are not expected, the wells will be installed to further monitor TDS site operations. Samples are expected to be collected shortly after the wells are installed and have had time to stabilize. The temporary groundwater monitoring wells will continue to be sampled every three months, which is typical for waste management facilities.

Groundwater in this area is not currently being utilized for drinking or irrigation, and the nearest drinking water well is approximately 1 mile away.

Data from the sampling will be shared along with other environmental data (air, leachate, etc.) at https://mauirecovers.org/debris-containment.

Bill 120, which authorized an intergovernmental agreement between the County of Maui and State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources for right-of-entry for the TDS site, requires that best efforts must be used to protect against the runoff of debris or leachate from the TDS site to the ocean, including run-on and run-off control, groundwater-detection monitoring, air quality monitoring, stormwater-pollution prevention, maintenance of adequate documentation, record keeping and transparent public reporting on these efforts.

05/10/2024

Maui is a great place to consider. 😎🌴🎶🌈❤️

According to NAR's Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, baby boomers are selling to move closer to friends and family or because their homes are too large. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2JPU8p4

05/09/2024

Heavy rain forecasted this weekend. Aloha! 😎

04/16/2024

Meet the sculptor this Friday, April 19 at Hui No’eau art center. 😎🌴🎶🌈❤️

On Friday, April 19 Maui Public Art Corps, in partnership with the County of Maui and Maui Historical Society, will host an Artist Meet & Greet event at Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao at 5:30 PM where the public can meet and talk story with sculptor Matthias Neumann. From April 17-20, Neumann will create an 8x8x11-foot sculpture at the Makawao Public Library’s front lawn amidst the site’s striking jacaranda trees. Inspired by the story of Kim Thayer of Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership and Scott Fisher, Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawai'i Land Trust, the sculpture’s intricately woven plywood pattern was designed as an expression of the interconnectedness exhibited in the relationship between Thayer and Fisher that unfolded throughout the 80-minute Hui Mo‘olelo recording. Learn more about this project at https://www.mauipublicart.org/makawao.html. Interested attendees are encouraged to RSVP at https://forms.gle/xRv3ggBBCVyqiz2p8.

04/13/2024

‘Sup’ is a local Upcountry favorite. Love the fresh veggies and pies.
😎🌴🎶🌈❤️

An ode to the neighborhood grocery store...

Pukalani Superette came into being in a time when there were only neighborhood grocery stores. We were called Tanizaki Store back then. Most of the stores were named after the families that ran them - Fong, Fukushima, Seki, Ching, Morihara, Hanzawa, Suda, Ooka, Noda, Ah F**k, Takamiya. Hasegawa, Inokuma, Nagasako, Azeka.

We've poured one out a few too many times for those that have closed. Most of them bittersweet. We're an endangered species. It's a little lonely, but we are grateful to be here and proudly stand our ground in the currents that larger chain stores create (it probably helps that we're slightly unhinged and love a challenge).

In our adventures to places outside of these four walls, we have collected so many stories about childhood corner stores/bodegas. They’re some of the first places that, as a kid, you were allowed to roam safely – smaller store, you couldn’t get lost, the employees were like family anyway. Some even got the opportunity to run errands for Mom all on their own. You probably learned basic social interactions in the aisles and at the checkout.

They’re also places that have influenced the food culture in their communities. We provide meals that remind you of home. Also hot dogs... Maui specifically has a hot dog culture...

We have worked hard to earn your trust. We know that you have high expectations of accountability and honesty from us. We're very far from perfect, but we strive to make you proud to call us your store each and every day.

Our goals? To be open. To have employees that like working here. To see our local vendors make it big. To see your children and your children's children walk through our aisles.

We are currently facing the same challenges that everyone is facing – we need more workers and it would be great if we stumbled upon a treasure chest full of gold.

But we’re here. We’ve been here for almost 100 years. We’ll be here for 100 more because of your support.