Author Archives: Devin Hogan

Molokai museum will celebrate paniolo

Sunday, October 22nd, 2006

There were more distinguished guests than shovels at the groundbreaking of the Paniolo Heritage Museum. “The grant only paid for nine shovels, so we’re going to have to take turns,” MC Zhantell Dudoit told the group of cowboys from across the islands.

Governor Linda Lingle, Molokai Ranch Community Affairs Manager John Sabas representing Ranch CEO Peter Nicholas, Irene Ka`ahanui representing OHA trustee Collette Machado, Billy Bergin, founder of the Paniolo Preservation Society and other big name paniolo figures turned the dirt and posed for photos. Other paniolo legends stepped in afterwards, including one of the last from-scratch saddle makers in Hawaii.

The museum will be built behind the rodeo stands at the Molokai Cowboy Connection, just outside of Maunaloa on the Molokai Ranch. The Ranch donated the land and a pending $100,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) will fund the building.

“It will not only house pictures and other memorabilia of the lifestyle, but also contain the spirit of the paniolo,” said Sabas at the ceremony. “Respect, grace, dignity, and more – aloha.” The museum is the first of its kind in Hawaii.

“We need to a place to record the 175 years of paniolo,” said Bergin, the founder of the Paniolo Preservation Society. “Many will have to look at Molokai for the example.”

“For those who remember when there were more horses than people, the museum will serve as a place to remember and reminisce.”

The Hawaiian paniolo predates the American cowboy of the “Wild West.” Cattle and horses came to the islands around the turn of the 19th century, and Kamehameha III invited Spanish vaqueros to teach riding and roping to Hawaiians in 1832. The American counterpart only appeared in the 1870s.

Ikua Purdy introduced the paniolo to the world. The rancher from Waimea looked out of place at 1908 Frontier Days World Championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but when he roped a steer in 56 seconds and cinched the world title, people took notice. Ninety years later Molokai boys Brother Kayama and Hano Naehu broke the team roping world record.

“Paniolo heritage has been alive and well on Molokai for a long time. It’s just a well kept secret,” said Dudoit, the MC. “I come from seven generations on Molokai and seven generations of paniolo.”

Two longtime paniolos were also inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame – local legend Jimmy Duvachelle and Eddie Taniguchi, who came from Kauai to be recognized. Governor Lingle has fond memories of Uncle Jimmy. “I remember he was such a handsome cowboy,” she said. “If you’re going to make a poster of a cowboy it would be of Jimmy Duvachelle.”

Flash flood hits east end

Saturday, September 30th, 2006

A flash flood sent debris and muck into East End homes last Tuesday, Sep. 26. Rains filled a river around the 13 mile marker above the bridge and into the street and surrounding houses. A neighbor called Betty Kalipi at 5:40 a.m. to warn her of the flood. “I told my husband ‘Get up and get your car out of the yard. It’s filling up!’” she said. Water also flooded the Wavecrest driveway.

Kalipi said it will take a month to clean up the damage. “Yeck what a mess,” she said. “I’ve lived here 37 years and this has never happened. I’m just gonna take it day by day, that’s all.”

Aloha to Aloha Week

Friday, September 29th, 2006

The new face of MOC

Sunday, September 17th, 2006

Grant Sullivan came to Molokai to start a new chapter in his life. He wants the Molokai Occupational Center (MOC) to start a new chapter too.

A jovial ex-Southerner in Aloha wear, Sullivan previously served 18 years as a pastor and missionary for the United Methodist Church. He began serving as director of the MOC in the beginning of September. Now the MOC is ready to serve you the community, Sullivan said, and he wants to get the word out.

 The MOC is a non-profit rehabilitation center, the only of its kind on the island. It employs persons who are mentally, physically and/or economically challenged. The community then hires the MOC clients as contractors for services like laundry and yard work. Molokai Shores, for example, uses the MOC for its laundry service, and all island parks are maintained by MOC clients.

 Getting the word out will help build these existing programs, Sullivan said. “Our services are available not just for commercial but also private customers. If somebody had a few condos or even a B&B, we could get their laundry done.”

 Lesser-known existing programs include a carwash and vacuum service for $10 for most cars, a food bank open to the community, a thrift store “good for treasure hunting” and a nursery of native Hawaiian plants for sale. All of these are at the MOC building, up the hill under the hospital in Kaunakakai.

 The first program Sullivan wants to expand is for elderly care. Through the State of Hawaii Medicaid Waiver Personal Assistant program, a person can hire MOC clients to assist an elderly relative in daily tasks or socialization.  He is also setting up an online consignment shop to be run by MOC members. “Someone could sell online what otherwise would be just given or thrown away,” Sullivan said.

 Volunteer help is still needed with some programs, especially the carwash, Sullivan said. “Sometimes our volunteers become our best hired employees.” The board of directors also is welcoming new members.

 Sullivan’s path to Molokai was a deliberate, but he found the MOC on accident. After visiting Molokai a year and a half ago, he knew this would be the place he would relocate and start that new chapter of his life. He moved in this July without a specific idea for where he would work. “Rather than come here with a notion, my plan was to come and see where I was needed.”

 He had a vague idea of possibly creating a self-sufficient non-profit that would employ those in need with services the community required. He was exited to learn the MOC already existed with that mission. When he found out the director position was open he knew it was a match, applied for the job, and began work soon after.

I t couldn’t have worked out better, said Sullivan. “I really feel that this is what I was called here for.”