When KCA was founded more the fifty years ago, the plan called for area inclusion from Maalaea down to south of Makena, but over half a century of growth and change, many of these areas developed their own community associations and other organizations, such as the Maalaea Community Association (MCA). While we partner and cooperate with MCA and others, we continue to focus on all these areas contained within the Kihei Makena Community Plan area, in cooperation with the other organizations.

This week we spent an early evening (6/25/14) at the Maui Ocean Center (MOC) for a very informative presentation by Dr. Mark Deakos on Manta Rays. MOC offers to the community free “Sea Talks” in the early evening by various individuals of expertise in a specific field about one a month. Next moth will concern tagging sharks.

Mark is a highly educated well spoken gentleman who works diligently in support of Maui’s marine environment, so his informative presentation concerning these sea creatures that are frequently off our island’s west shore in the area of Olowalu reef ,went beyond his specialty of rays to reef health and its importance.

While Maalaea Reef has been decimated almost to extinction, Olowalu is relatively healthy, but “endangered” by land based pollution.