Ask the Mayor: Plans to Put A/C in War Memorial Gym?

The mayor answers questions from the public in this series.

By Mayor Alan Arakawa

War Memorial Gym. File photo by Wendy Osher.

Q: I heard the county has an Immigrant Services office- is that the same thing as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services? Where are they located?

A: No, the county office provides distinctly separate functions from the federal program. There are four locations of the county’s Immigrant Services Division: One Main Plaza, Suite 547 (2200 Main Street, Wailuku); Moore Center on Moloka‘i (2 Kamoi Street, Kaunakakai); Lana‘i Community Center (Eighth Street, Lana‘i City) and a satellite office that opens every Thursday in Lahaina (West Maui Senior Center, 778 Pauoa Place, Lahaina). While the county’s Immigrant Services Division does not provide legal representation or adjudicate citizenship cases, staff members provide free assistance to immigrants, non-immigrants, migrants and citizens in three main areas: citizenship, employment eligibility and family-based petitions. Referrals to translators and interpreters may be provided, and if an immigrant is a victim of domestic violence or other crime, they may be able to receive help. Staff also can assist with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which is a program started by President Obama to assist undocumented young people who arrived in the United States as children. To see a full listing of office days/hours and services, visit www.mauicounty.gov/ImmigrantServices and click on “Summary of Services.” The Wailuku office can be reached at ph. 270-7791.

Q: I took my mother, who is in her 80s, to the Senior Fair this year at War Memorial Gym. We both enjoyed the event, but noticed that it was sweltering inside the gym. Are there any plans to install air conditioning in the gym?

A: Depending on the time of year, it can get rather steamy in the gym when it is crowded during a special event such as the Senior Fair. However, on most days when it is being used for basketball and other gymnasium activities, the louvers’ natural ventilation does the trick. Those louvers, which are old and do not close tightly, also make it costly to adequately seal the windows for air conditioning. However, we have just begun to discuss master planning for a new sports and/or aquatics civic center for Central Maui, and air conditioning the new gym will definitely be considered.

Q: My aunty works for the county, and she told me about the newsletter that is published for county employees. Is there a way that the public can read the newsletter too? My niece was featured in one of the articles and I’d like to get a copy.

A: Yes, the newsletter, called the “High Street Journal,” is available for digital reading online at www.mauicounty.gov/newsletter. To access a printable version, click on the link on the webpage to the PDF. The December issue will be coming out soon.

Want to Ask the Mayor?

Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email: AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, phone: 270-7855 or mail: 200 S. High Street, 9th Floor, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.