Naʻe fakahā ʻe he Pule Kolo ko Richard Bissen ʻe ʻikai ke fakakaukauʻi ʻa Olowalu ko ha feituʻu fakaʻosi ʻo e fakaʻaongaʻí ʻi haʻane lea ʻi he ʻaho ni, ʻaho 4 ʻo Sānuali, 2024, lolotonga ha fakataha mālōlō ʻa e Kōmiti Fakatamaki, Fakafepaki, Ngaahi Meʻa Fakavahaʻapuleʻanga mo e Palani ʻa e Fakataha Alēlea ʻo e Vahefonua Maui.

“ʻOku ʻi ai ʻeku palōmesi ʻe ʻikai ke fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e feituʻu ʻo ʻOlowalu ko ha feituʻu tuʻumaʻu pea ʻe toʻo ʻa e ngaahi veve mei he feituʻu fakataimi ko ʻení ʻi he taimi pē ʻe ʻiloʻi mo langa ai ʻa e feituʻu tuʻumaʻú,” ko e lea ia ʻa Pule Kolo ko Bissen.

Naʻá ne fakamālō foki ki ha kakai tokolahi mei he funga ʻo e fonuá ʻa ia naʻa nau ʻomi ha fakamoʻoni ʻi ha houa ʻe fitu lolotonga e fakataha ʻa e fakataha alēleá ʻi he Tūsité ʻi he feituʻu fakataimi ʻo e tukuʻanga koloa ʻo ʻOlovaluú. ‘Oku lolotonga fakakaukau’i ‘e he Fakataha Tokoni ‘a e Lao Fakaangaanga 120, ‘a ia kapau ‘e fakangofua, ‘e ‘oatu ai ha ngofua totonu ki he Potungaue Pule’i Fakavavevave ‘a e Pule’anga Fakatahataha, Kau ‘Enisinia ‘a e Kau Tau ‘a ‘Amelika mo e kau konituleki ke nau hoko atu ki honau feitu’u fakataimi.

Naʻe hokohoko atu ʻa e fakaʻaiʻai ʻe he Pule Kolo ko Bissen ʻa e komiunitií, fakataha alēleá mo e niʻihi kehé ke nau poupouʻi ʻa e feituʻu fakataimi ʻo Olowalu koeʻuhí ke lava ʻa e kau hao moʻuí ʻo foki ki honau ngaahi koloá ʻo toe langa ʻenau moʻuí.

“ʻI he taimi ní, ʻoku ʻi ai ʻemau kakai ʻe toko 12,000 tupu kuo liliu taʻengata ʻenau moʻuí ʻe he ngaahi vela vao ko ʻeni ʻi Lahaina pea ofi ki he toko 7,000 kuo nau nofo ʻi ha ngaahi hōtele ʻi ha meimei māhina ʻe ono,” ko ʻene leá ia. “Kuó u sio fakatāutaha ki he fakaʻauhá, ʻa e fonuá, kuó u sio ki ai ʻi honau matá, kuó u sio ki he mamahi ʻi honau loʻimatá. ‘I he ‘aho kotoa pe ‘i he ‘alu atu ‘a e ngaahi pole, ‘oku mavahe ‘a e kakai ‘o Lahaina -- ko homau kakai tonu -- mei he motu ni.”

“Pea ko ia ko e meʻa fakamamahi ko ʻení kuo pau ke tau kumi kotoa ʻa e manavaʻofá pea kuo pau ke tau uouangataha ʻo takatakai ʻi he fakavavevave ʻoku vahevahe ʻo hono fakafoki ʻetau kau hao moʻuí ki honau ngaahi konga kelekelé lolotonga ia ʻoku tauhi ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē ke malu pea fakaʻatā ke nau kamata ʻa e hala lōloa ʻo hono toe langa ʻenau moʻuí,” ko e tānaki atu ia ʻa e Pule Kolo ko Bissen. “Ko ʻeni pea ʻe kei hoko pē ko ʻeku tefitoʻi tokanga ʻi heʻeku ʻunu ki muʻá kae ʻoua kuo maʻu ʻe he tokotaha kotoa pē ʻoku hao moʻuí honau hala ki ʻapí.”

Pea naʻe fakaʻilongaʻi foki ʻe he Pule Kolo ko Bissen lolotonga ʻa e fakatahá ʻa e pole lahi ʻo hono toʻo ʻo e veve, ʻa ia kuo pau ke ʻave mei Lahaina ʻa e ʻiate kiupiki ʻe 400,000 ʻo e veve -- meimei malaʻe ʻakapulu ʻe nima ʻoku fonu ʻi he fute ʻe 50 hono māʻolungá, pe fungavaka ʻe nima hono māʻolungá. ‘Oku fakafuofua ‘e fiema‘u ha uta semi-loli ‘e 133 faka‘aho ‘i he ‘aho ‘e 300 tupu.

‘E fili ‘a e Fakataha Tokoni ‘i he lau hono ua mo faka’osi ‘i he ‘aho 12 ‘o Sanuali, 2024.