Author Archives: Fiona White

Molokai Hunters Association Update

Tuesday, February 20th, 2007

The Molokai Hunters Association (MHA) met on Tuesday February 13, with over fifty people packing into the conference room at the Mitchell Paole Center. In a meeting which saw both membership numbers and attendance figures double, a new Leadership council was elected and several official positions decided upon.

MHA’s first priority after reformation was to elect a Leadership Council and, as votes were quickly counted, Ron Rapanot was re-elected as President. Shannon Kaulili was elected Vice President and Walter Ritte became Secretary while Mel Chung was re-elected to the position of Treasurer and Rex Kamakama became The Sergeant At Arms.

The sharp increase in membership and attendance figures shows growing support for MHA as a representative body for the hunting community. MHA officially re-formed on January 23 in a reaction against outside hunters being given contracts from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to work on Molokai.

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Together we stand:

Thursday, February 15th, 2007

Molokai Hunters Association Unite against Pro-Hunt.

In a reaction against recent private meetings between TNC and selected local hunters, Molokai Hunters Association (MHA) has officially re-formed to protect their future rights and lifestyle. Since the meeting of February 5, 2007, MHA now has eighteen official members. All unanimously voted in favor of the motion “MHA is against Pro-Hunt and outside hunters coming to the island of Molokai to hunt,” as proposed by Walter Ritte.

On Tuesday, January 23 the Nature Conservancy (TNC) caused uproar with their suggestion of several projects in which a New Zealand group, Pro-Hunt, would be contracted to perform animal monitoring and hunting. The hunters immediately called two meeting dates of the Molokai Hunters Association in order to focus their thoughts on the matter. Many hunters at the first meeting on Monday, February 5, perceived the projects as a direct threat to their lifestyle and to the future of their children in hunting.

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Home-grown talent hits YouTube with Molokai Flair!

Tuesday, February 13th, 2007

The talents of laid-back musician Sashamon and Director Matt Yamashita hit YouTube last week, projecting Molokai life and spirit across the world with music video “Necta” (Butterfly Song.)

The project has stayed true to the natural, pure sound of Sashamon’s music. This is a reggae-inspired song to listen to whilst chilling on the beach, cooking, laying in bed surrounded by beams of sunlight. Sashamon has taken a Sunday morning, summer feeling of peace and put it into musical form. It is light, airy and captures an ephemeral feeling of love without loss.

The video celebrates the singer’s newly forming infatuation with a beautiful paddler. From their first meeting during a surf session to the singer’s travels along backcountry roads, the young woman; who is Sasha’s real-life girlfriend; flits in and out of the singer’s dreams.

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Planning which puts community first

Friday, February 9th, 2007

After a slow start, much of the community has been left confused as to the role and aims of the Molokai General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). “There’s no county precedent,” explains local planning director, Nancy McPherson. With the potential to revolutionize island planning, GPAC is aimed at strengthening the island’s existing community plan.

Similar to GPAC, the Molokai Community Plan provides a specific set of policies and objectives to guide community development and protect important resources for Molokai. Molokai’s current plan was adopted in 2001 but community plans have existed since the 1980s.

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Meet Nancy McPherson

Friday, February 9th, 2007

Amongst the cast of usual suspects scattered through Molokai planning meetings there is new face which you may have seen. Her name Nancy McPherson and she’s a workaholic.

In October 2006, she became Molokai’s first full time, on-island Molokai Planner. McPherson is the go-to person for help with planning permits and changes in zoning. Working closely with Maui County over the internet and with the local planning commission, she handles a myriad of tasks pertaining to state land use designation, zoning, SMA boundaries, and a myriad of other issues within the field of planning. Though her list of responsibilities may sound complex, the intent behind McPherson’s job is quite simple: she’s here to help.

Posted in Announcements

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Molokai Hunting Working Group Meeting Boils Over

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

Announcement of Kiwi Hunting Contract on Island Sparks Outrage

As for public relations, TNC has reported that understanding of the ProHunt projects within the Hunting Working Group can be achieved with a high level of dialogue, which they unfortunately see as unreachable in a large group situation.

TNC’S Strategic Communications Manager Evelyn Wight claimed that the first small group, which met on January 29, did indeed exit the meeting with a better understanding and appreciation of the proposed projects.

Posted in Sports

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Checking in with the PALS gang

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

As the Play And Learn Sessions (PALS) came to an end last Tuesday, January 10, leader Luana Alcon and her team bade their students, aged between 5 and 12, a fond farewell at the Mitchell Paole Center.
The PALS program addresses students’ physical, social, cultural, and educational needs during summer and intersession breaks when school is out.
Until asked what their favorite activity was, the children seemed remarkably calm and well behaved. Then they burst into life, shouting at once “kickball,” “movies,” “crafts,” in an almost unrecognizable jumble of words.
“We try to make it enjoyable for the kids as it’s the safest place for them to be,” Luana said. She then lowered her voice and shared “they actually learned while they thought they were playing!”
Don’t tell the kids.
PALS is run as part of the year round school program in association with the Parks and Recreation Department. Although the history of year-round schooling in America dates back to the Seventeenth century, it began in Hawaii in 1988 with Waihe‘e Elementary School on Maui. Since then, it has been implemented in all four elementary schools on Molokai.
Grateful appreciation goes out to all the staff members of PALS. Their next session begins in the spring, running from March 19th – 30th. Call 553-3204 for more information.

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DLNR Backs Molokai Fisherman

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

“This is for us to make right,” said Auntie Judy Caparida on Tuesday, Jan 9, setting a tone of support for Molokai’s subsistence fishermen and their families. Molokai, along with the rest of the state, faces a total ban on gill net fishing.
But the news was good for the more than 40 people who crowded the room at the last Governors Council meeting. Officials from the Board of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the body responsible for establishing the proposed ban, said they were submitting a special rule change that would allow gill net fishing to continue on Molokai.
When it was first introduced over a year ago the proposed ban faced anger and frustration amongst Molokai’s fishing community who argued that the potential laws would impede subsistence practices. But community members held a series of self-organized meetings throughout 2006 that provided a detailed compromise which requested more lenient fishing restrictions from DLNR than an all out ban.

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