The "Can, and Will, Lahaina Recover During My Lifetime?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story that was published in my local newspaper a few days ago titled, "Residents ask for time to grieve, slower rebuild."  The story came from a small area in Hawaii known as Lahaina.  Native Hawaiians and others from a Maui community devastated by ferocious fire said they worry Hawaii's governor is moving too quickly to rebuild what was lost while the grief is still raw.  "The fire occurred only 10 days ago, and many people are still in shock and mourning," Tiare Lawrence, who grew up in Lahaina, said at an emotional news conference organized by community activists.  They called on Gov. Joah Green to give residents time to grieve, provide community leaders with recovery decision-making roles and comply with open-records laws amid distrust in government response to the disaster.  The governor and his wife were scheduled to provide a live-streamed address from Honolulu on Friday evening with updates on the response to the Maui wildfires that killed more than 100 people.  Since the flames consumed much of Lahina, locals have feared a rebuilt town could become even more oriented toward wealthy visitors.  Lahaina's future will be determined by its people, but didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the group's concerns.  "The Governor should not rush to rebuild the community without first giving people time to heal, especially without including the community itself in the planning.  Fast track development cannot come at the cost of community control."  More than a dozen of Lawrence's relatives fled the fast-moving fire a few weeks ago and went East to her Pukalani home.  There seems to be no word on whom would replace the Maui Emergency Management Agency administrator who abruptly resigned after defending a decision not to sound outdoor sirens  during the fire.  Herman Andaya had said a week ago that he had no regrets about not deploying the system because he feared it could have caused people to go "mauka", an Hawaiian term that can mean toward the mountains or inland.  If that was the case, than they would have gone into the fire," Andaya explained.  He stepped down a day later.  My wife and I, along with friends, have visited the State of Hawaii a few time in the past and have found that they are very laid-back and quiet.  I can see why some of the residents who have lived in Lahina all their lives could react the way they did when the wildfire began to consume their town.  But, perhaps they could have...and should have... reacted more quickly when they actually saw what was happening throughout the town.  When I saw the devastation on my TV, while the fire was consuming the entire town, I was saddened since Lahaina is, or should I say was, one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited.  Will they recover quickly?  They will need plenty of help from the rest of the United States to bring what at one time was a beautiful town/city back to what it was like when I visited it years ago.  I only hope they will allow others to help in the reconstruction of their town.  It will take an Army of helpers and a ton of money to make it the town that I remember from years ago.  I  hope I live long enough to see the town of Lahaina as it was when I visited it years ago.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.