News Releases

Releases that pertain to the Molokai and Hawaiian communities.

Apply for Made in Maui County Festival

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Maui Chamber of Commerce News Release 

The Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival, a highly anticipated celebration of local craftsmanship and community pride, reminds local manufacturers and potential vendors to seize the opportunity and apply now for participation in its monumental 10th annual event. With limited space available, this two-day festival offers a platform like no other to showcase products, connect with wholesale buyers, engage with customers, and experience the unwavering support of the Maui County community.

Past attendees of the Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival have consistently praised the significant impact this event has had on their business.…

Free Summer Concert

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

Free Summer Concert

Honolulu Youth Symphony News Release 

The Honolulu Youth Symphony (HYO) and the Pacific Music Institute (PMI) Teaching Fellows will be performing at the St. Damien’s Church on Friday, July 14 at 6 p.m. Earlier in the day, a private performance will also be provided to the kupuna residents of Home Pumehana.  

Two musicians, Yani Quemado and Daniel Guevara, will be visiting Hawaii Youth Symphony’s Pacific Music Institute from July 7 to 16, which is being held in Honolulu for students in middle and high school. Yani and Daniel attended the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland this summer, and were selected to join PMI as teaching fellows.…

Sustainability Speaker Series

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Maui County News Release 

The County of Maui Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division will host the second installment of its speaker series “Sustainability Together: Community-led Regenerative Action” on July 10 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Molokai Community Health Center. The event will be streamed live on Akaku Maui Community Media Channel 54.

Panelists at the July 10 event include Molokai Homestead representatives, community organizer and solar energy technician Todd Yamashita, Leilani Chow of Sustʻainable Molokai, Keaʻa Davis of Shake Energy Collaborative and Harumi McClure of Haru Energy.

In the second of the four-part speaker series, participants will gain insights into the household-level impacts of energy insecurity and how different communities have successfully mobilized to build resilience through the use of renewable solar energy.…

County Seeks Feedback on Wetlands Map

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Maui County News Release

Molokai residents are being asked to weigh in on the creation of a Maui County wetlands map during a public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center conference room in Kaunakakai.

Facilitated by the county’s Planning Department, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program and consultant H. T. Harvey and Associates, the meeting will gather ideas from the community to help prepare the first draft of the overlay map.

As part of a new county law to restore and protect wetlands, titled Ordinance 5421, planning officials are working on a comprehensive wetlands overlay map that will identify existing and future wetland areas.…

Molokai Land Trust Awarded Funding

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

HTA News Release

Molokai Land Trust has been awarded funding as part of $2.7 million statewide from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). The funding furthers HTA’s longstanding commitment to protecting Hawaii’s natural resources and perpetuating Hawaiian culture and will support 53 community-based programs as part of its Aloha ‘Aina ($1.35 million) and Kukulu Ola ($1.35 million) programs for fiscal year 2023-2024. 

The Molokai Land Trust was awarded $75,000 for their project entitled “integrating volunteerism to support critical habitat improvements at Anapuka.” 

“HTA’s Aloha ‘Aina and Kukulu Ola programs provide direct avenues for protecting our islands’ fragile ecosystems and strengthening our culture,” said Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, HTA’s chief brand officer.…

Free County Movie Nights This Month

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Maui County News Release 

To celebrate national Parks and Recreation Month in July, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation will be offering free, family-friendly events on Maui, Molokai and Lanai that include outdoor movies and activities.

Movie nights will be held Fridays. For details on each showing, including movie titles, visit the County of Maui homepage, mauicounty.gov. For Molokai, movies start at 7 p.m. and will be held at the following community centers: Kualapuʻu on July 7; Mitchell Pauole on July 14; Maunaloa on July 21; and Kilohana on July 28.

National Parks and Recreation Month is an initiative of the National Recreation and Parks Association that promotes building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through parks and recreation.…

Ho’ahu Awarded Energy Grant

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Ho’ahu Energy Cooperation Molokai (HECM) was one of four organizations nation-wide to receive funding under the Energy Storage for Social Equity (ES4SE) Initiative. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) funding will assist Ho’ahu deploying residential islanded solar and battery storage nano-grids to 15 households in the Molokai community. ES4SE will support a BESS, inverter and controls, remote monitoring equipment, and look at ways to partner with HECM’s workforce development program.

ES4SE is designed to empower disadvantaged communities to consider energy storage technologies as a viable path toward achieving their energy goals.

“These organizations are fully engaged with ES4SE to find energy storage solutions in their communities,” said Gene Rodrigues, assistant secretary for electricity.…

Molokai Subsistence Survey

Wednesday, June 28th, 2023

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release 

The Molokai Subsistence Survey from 1993 shows important informated about how residents get their food. Now, Sust’ainable Molokai is conducting an update to that survey. Please consider taking between five and 30 minutes to complete the 2023 Molokai Subsistence Study Update. All English-speaking Molokai residents over the age of 18 are eligible to complete the survey. The survey can be found online at sustainablemolokai.org/subsistence or can be completed in person at community events or at the Sustʻainable Molokai office. 

In 1993, the governor commissioned the Molokai Subsistence Task Force to study subsistence on Molokai. The study found that the average Molokai family got 28 percent of their food from subsistence activities like hunting, fishing, gathering from the ocean, and raising animals.…

Molokai Holokai Brings Community Races

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023

Molokai Holokai Brings Community Races

Youth in Motion News Release

The Molokai Holokai Ho’olaule’a is to be held on Molokai, July 14-15 and is a combination of some fun ocean paddling and land events.  

The event kicks off on July 14 with the Maui to Molokai Challenge, 27 miles from DT Fleming Beach Park, Maui, at 9 a.m. and the Gorilla Ogo and Mangrove Seed contest kicks off on the Molokai side at Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai, with Sustainable Molokai. Finally, a late afternoon evening Skate Jam session will be held at the Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC) with local boy Alex Mawae.

Day two is full of action on Molokai, with the Ho’olaule’a bringing out the community and visiting paddlers to enjoy a day of festivities as we celebrate our youth.…

Kupu Seeks Conservation Leaders

Wednesday, June 21st, 2023

Kupu News Release 

Applications are open for the Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP) through Kupu, Hawaii’s leading conservation and environmental education nonprofit.  The organization also announced monthly living stipend will be raised to $2,560 for Hawaii residents and $2,320 for US Pacific residents for the 11-month term. Conservation programs on Molokai are among the host sites. 

Recent high school graduates, college graduates and young professionals looking to establish a career in conservation are strongly encouraged to apply. The application deadline is June 30.

The raise in living stipend, in addition to health insurance and education and career benefits, means CLDP participants will earn a compensation package valued up to $36,000 while addressing urgent conservation needs and jump-starting a career path.…