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OLD-TIMERS STILL CALL IT "CLUB RODEO"

It's a funny thing how certain buildings come to mind when you think about a town. If you've been on Maui for a while (say, 30 years or so) when you think of Makawao, you'll probably picture the old Club Rodeo building, located at the corner of Makawao and Baldwin Avenues. Of course, it hasn't been "Club Rodeo" for a long time now. It's gone through a number of incarnations since the building changed hands in 1976, but the long, low building with its Western-style false front and long veranda has always been a gathering place of one sort or another.

These days Casanova's "breakfast club", a fairly regular group of early-morning people-watchers, sit on stools provided on the porch and talk story over coffee before starting their day. The lunch crowd keeps the Deli crew hopping, and when the restaurant opens in the evening, there is always a bevy of diners looking forward to the good Italian cooking and conviviality. The jollity continues through the night when there's live music. Tourist guidebooks have called Casanova "East Maui's hottest music spot."

The Tams were Chinese immigrants who built "Tam Chow Store" on the corner in the 1930's. Residents living on the surrounding farms and ranches all came to Makawao to shop.

By the time America entered World War II, the store had closed. Ethel Baldwin started the "Crossroads USO" in the empty building to provide recreation for the off-duty servicemen who swarmed the island. Thousands of servicemen spent part of the war on Maui, training for the battles ahead of them. The Crossroads USO was a place for the soldiers to relax.

Mrs. Baldwin decorated the place in a ranch motif: all "practical browns," barrels as desks and seats, ashtrays made from tin cans with horseshoes attached, and wagon wheel chandeliers. She stocked the place with a pool table, a ping-pong table, desks and card tables, comfortable chairs, books, and even a piano for the boys. They did enjoy and appreciate all of that. What they liked best, though, were all the girls that hung around the place.

After the war ended, the place was empty for a while. Then, in 1951, Salvador "Sub" Molina and his wife Mary bought the place. They ran a small liquor store down the road and were looking to expand their business.

The following year they opened as "Club Rodeo," a combination liquor store-bar-nightclub, featuring the popular Molina Brothers Orchestra. It was a favored watering hole for the upcountry cowboys and the birthplace of the Maui Roping Club, organizers of the annual Makawao Fourth of July Rodeo. Legend has it that Sub was unflappable through all the antics of that wild and rowdy crew.

In 1963, the bar became a family restaurant, famous for the prime rib dinners and the Portuguese bean soup. The stories continued. They threw a parade for the grand opening of the restaurant, and the guests of honor included U. S. Senator Dan Inouye and Maui County Chairman Eddie Tam.

Then, there was the Fourth of July weekend when the restaurant was so busy Sub had to drive around town begging to borrow chairs so he could seat all of his customers. And there was the time when a lost, out-of-town cowboy rode right up the stairs into the restaurant, looking for the rodeo. Well...the sign did say "Club Rodeo," you know. (Sub asked him what his horse wanted to drink.)

Sub retired from the business in 1976. Since then there have been a number of permutations, always having to do with food and folks looking for a good time. As a historical landmark, the building continues its fine tradition.

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Standard English: Michael, you must have been out in the sun too long. That's a bad sunburn.
Braddah-Nics: Chee, Michael! You went catch some mean rays! Only papa'a you stay.

Standard English: I think we've got the system working properly now.
Braddah-Nics: All right! The buggah hanapa'a!

Standard English: You didn't have to be so discouraging, you know.
Braddah-Nics: Only kill fight, you!

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Turnip Kim Chee
Yield: 1 Servings

6 each Medium turnips
1 each Red Chile pepper
1 1/2 Tbs Salt
1 tsp Candied Ginger
1 1/2 cup Water

Wash, peel, and quarter turnips. Add salt and let stand 2 days.
Save salt water that forms on turnips. Remove turnips and slice 1/4"
thick. Put in a jar. Chop ginger and chili pepper. Add ginger, chili
pepper, 1/2 Tbsp salt, and reserved salt water from turnips plus any
extra to make 1 1/2 cups. Mix well and refrigerate 2 weeks.

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Launiupoko Park

Launiupoko is a popular surfing spot, but is also a great place for children. A man made enclosure which only lets water into one side provides a shallow, calm place for children to hang out in. Beyond this enclosure is where in the summer months surfers clammer to. In addition to the beach area, Launiupoko has a large grassy area with plenty of room for picnics and parties.

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