Newspaper’s staffer deserves state-wide honor

Matthew Thayer is a terrific photographer and an excellent writer for The Maui News.

The picture of the Lahaina Banyan Tree and the article that accompanied it Feb. 18 was the best photo that I have seen in The Maui News.

The Banyan Tree conveys so much warm feelings and meaning, and carries with it the promise of a bright future for Lahaina.

As someone who was born and raised in a plantation camp in Lahaina, I learned at an early age how to climb coconut trees, mango trees, avocado trees and papaya trees to pick the fresh and delicious fruits from them.

Consequently, it was only natural for some of us at the end of the school day before the Christmas holiday, Easter holiday and the beginning of summer to race to the Banyan Tree and swing on its vines and pretend like we were Tarzan, King of the Apes.

There was no better living jungle gym for the plantation kids than the Banyan Tree.

When I saw the photo and read the article that Mr. Thayer put together for The Maui News, I had tears in my eyes. They brought back fond happy memories of the good old days for this 83-year-old kupuna.

Mahalo, Mr. Thayer. Keep up your excellent work for The Maui News.

William T. Kinaka

Wailuku

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