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State of Hawaii News Release Governor Linda Lingle announced last month that the State has advanced nearly $1.5 billion in capital improvement projects (CIP) statewide since her Administration launched a plan last December to accelerate public infrastructure construction as part of a comprehensive effort to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
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Community Contributed
By Lucy Lamkin
Molokai ukulele maker Dan Ryerson and Ukes for Kids’ 13-year-old student Ace Villanueva participated in the eighth Annual Ukulele Guild of Hawaii Exhibition & Conference last month. On Nov. 21-22, the pair traveled to Oahu for the conference held at the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki.
The event featured 48 instruments by 32 master builders. Builders from all over the world, including Hawaii, the mainland, New Zealand and Japan, gathered for two days to learn more about their craft. Ryerson put on his exhibit for the seventh year in a row. The event included instrument and craftsmanship displays, a program of workshops in instrument construction and playing techniques.
Dan Ryerson’s Manae label has created custom ukuleles and guitars for clients in Hawaii, the mainland and Japan. Ryerson initiated the Ukes For Kids program on Molokai that has supplied over 385 ukuleles to students like Villanueva across the island.
Molokai’s Ukes for Kids Program has received significant support from the The Ukulele Guild of Hawaii which is devoted to perpetuating Hawai‘i’s culture and heritage. Large contributions have come from as far away as Santa Cruz, California where guild member and instrument maker Dave Tachera produced a concert benefitting the Molokai program. Local band Na Ohana Hoaloha has also consistently raised funds in support of the Ukes for Kids Program on Molokai.
A closer view of the Exhibition is available at: http://www.ukuleleguild.org/
Molokai junior Kevin Dudoit locks down his opponent from Mililani High School during the Maui Invitational Tournament at War Memorial Gym last Friday. Dudoit avenged a loss last year by winning the match and taking third place in the 135-pound weight class at the tournament. Koa Coupuz and Kailen Inouye also tooked home fourth-place awards in the 152 and 125-pound divisions and Kayla Pico was the Farmer’s top finisher with a 3rd place in the 98-pound divison. Twenty-one schools from all over the state competed in the annual tournament.
Tough green Astroturf, thousands of fans, a slew of opposing defenders and one league record were all left in the dust as Molokai running back Noah Caparida sped down the sideline at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium last Sunday. Caparida weaved and juked his way to a 95-yard touchdown run – the longest in Island Youth Football League history – as the Farmers ran away with a convincing 32-6 win in their end-of-the-year bowl game.
“We ran a sweep to the outside and I just juked all of them out,” Caparida said. “It’s a good feeling [to set a record], it’s exciting.”
It seems that no state department is immune from the wave of furloughs sweeping through Hawaii this year. Last week the public libraries announced that they, too, would be closing their doors in order to save money. Molokai’s public library has scheduled 15 furlough days between now and the end of May. The library will closed of the following dates:
Community Contributed
Community Contributed
What started off as a senior project for Kumu Spencer-Misaki, soon became something much bigger and much more meaningful to him and to Molokai’s community.
Kumu’s project was to address how to control the population of the peacock grouper fish, better known here in Hawai’i as roi. It is an invasive species that was introduced to Hawaii in 1956 from French Polynesia as a food source.
However, it soon became apparent that the majority of the roi contained ciguatera a toxin that when consumed, can cause extreme sickness. The roi also began eating a lot of Hawai’i’s reef fish. A roi can consume 150 fish annually and its lifespan is approximately 13 years. So in essence, one roi can consume 1950 fish in its lifetime.
After the prizes were awarded, Kumu presented Camie Kimball, Molokai High School Athletic Director, with a check for $1500. Kumu also donated an additional $122 that he made by raffling a spear that was made by Eddie Castro.
Kumu decided to donate the money to the high school despite not playing any sports. He also has been working hard to raise funds for a school trip to Washington D.C. in March, but did not keep any of his hard-earned roi money for that trip.
It was not just an individual who made all this happen, it was a community. In these hard times, Molokai continues to do what we do best, support each other. This was evident by the amount divers that came out in force that day, the businesses and individuals who so generously donated prizes, and the families that gave of their time and support. Without all of them, this could not have been possible.
The waterfalls, lo`i and lush, green vegetation that cloak the Kawaikapu watershed on Molokai’s east end are here to stay. The Molokai Land Trust (MLT) purchased a 196.4 acre section of the sacred grounds last week.
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