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Voices of Maui

By Staff | Jul 5, 2012

Sir Wilfred’s at 707 Front St. last week launched its new Espresso Bar, serving espresso, coffee, pastries, and different hot and cold drinks. The store is offering a grand opening special through July 11 to Hawaii residents: buy one cappuccino and get one free (limit one offer per customer). For information, call 661-0202 or visit www.sirwilfreds.com.

We hyped the “Savor the Sunset” benefit for the library as “the party of the year.” It was that and more. Said one observer, “It was like a wedding. Everybody was happy.”

The JD on the Rocks Band was awesome, opening eyes and ears of some who had never seen it perform. Just ask State Sen. Roz Baker and Rep. Angus McKelvey. They both danced up a storm, though Angus was a reluctant starter.

The opening of a treasure chest with a mystery key – only one key of 200 sold would open it – lost all its suspense when the sixth person to step up opened the box. Longhi’s seven-year veteran Bartender Sue Burch’s key won her $300 in cash and other goodies.

Carol Coe, who has orchestrated the treasure chest gambit four other times on the Mainland, said it was the first occasion the chest was opened so early.

Jim Kingwell’s original painting of the library donated to the Rotary Club of Lahaina and the Maui Friends of the Library sold for a good price, and so did a giant framed print from Aldo Luongo.

Liz May and her efficient AAAAA Rent-A-Space crew did yeoman’s work processing most ticket sales and auction credit card purchases, missing much of the music. The event raised a record amount, still being tallied.

Library renovation Chair Sara Foley and Chief Designer Rick Cowan have made great progress dealing with the many complications of permitting. Looks like a mid-July start for the facelift.

ZEKE TO THE RESCUE – Leave it to Zeke Kalua, the mayor’s executive assistant for West Maui and former executive director of the West Maui Taxpayers Association, for coming through big time in expediting county permissions for the library facelift. When West Maui needs something, Zeke knows how to deliver. Too bad he does not represent us on the County Council.

BOOK BEAT – Jo Ann Carroll, who runs the used bookstore on the third floor of The Wharf Cinema Center for the Maui Friends of the Library, apparently believes in full service. She keeps a stock of reading glasses on a counter, so people who forget their glasses will be able to find the books they want. (“Buy two,” she says, “they are mostly only a dollar each.”) Also, Maui Friends of the Library is planning to open its third used bookstore in Queen Ka’ahumanu Center in Kahului. You heard about it here first.

FRONT STREETING – By the time you read this, Fourth of July will be pau. Great effort by Maui Chamber of Commerce West Side Committee members. New committee member Dickie Moon of TS Restaurants has been instrumental in pushing donor totals to nearly 100 merchants. The chamber is committed to doing this year after year.

Jill Holley, new sales and catering manager for Mick Fleetwood’s restaurant opening in August, reported that it will have two stages, a large retail wine operation and a recording studio. Holley sealed her employment before being profiled in the last column.

FROM A LEGENDARY COLUMNIST – Witty Bob Krauss, who wrote an incredible 8,000 columns for the old Honolulu Advertiser over 50 years, tells a local tale about surfing great Duke Kahanamoku, who in his last years visited Lahaina. Seems the three-time Olympic swimming champ was asked to comment on the next day’s Lahaina to Honolulu yacht race. In a 1969 book, “High Rise Hawaii,” picked up from the Friends’ bookstore ($10), Krause described the Duke as “naked except for a pair of ragged shorts, his skin leather brown and his hair snow white.”

Asked whether there would be wind the next day, “for a long time, he stared at the clouds. Then he turned and stared some more. A full minute went by.

“Plenty of wind coming,” Duke said at last. The next day, the wind came roaring out of the mountains.

Tough act to follow. Only 7,875 columns to go.