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Author Archives: layout@themolokaidispatch.com

Young Brothers Granted 46% Rate Hike

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

In the latest in a saga of Young Brothers barge troubles, the company was granted a 46 percent rate increase, with conditions. The increase, approved last week by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC), will be effective Sept. 1. YB must fulfill several mandates as part of the rate hike, which has been granted on a emergency basis for 12 months.

“We understand that Young Brothers is the only carrier required to serve all islands and discontinuation of service would discontinue all service to Molokai and Lanai,” said Molokai Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez in an informal virtual community meeting she held to dis-cuss the rate increase last Thursday.…

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Mo’omomi CBSFA Gets Support in Public Hearing

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

Mo’omomi CBSFA Gets Support in Public Hearing

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Decades of resource management, data collection, traditional knowledge, legislation and public hearings culminated last week in one of the final steps of the process to designate Mo’omomi as a state-recognized Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA).

A virtual public hearing, held by the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources and lasting more than four hours last Wednesday, yielded a major of testimony in favor of the CBSFA, though written testimony that was submitted — during a period which closed Aug. 26 — was not available to the public online.

The proposed CBSFA, which would allow community co-management of resources, runs along Molokai’s northwest coastline from Ilio Point to Nihoa Flats, extending one mile out from the shoreline.…

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Kalaupapa’s Annual Barge

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

Kalaupapa’s Annual Barge

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Barge Day in the remote Kalaupapa settlement has always been filled with excitement — it only comes once a year, after all! Often referred to as “Christmas in July” for residents, there is just a narrow window of calm, summer weather that allows the barge to safety dock at the settlement’s small harbor to unload a year’s worth of essential and large items. This year’s shipment was a little delayed — and complicated by strict COVID-19 protocols to keep at-risk residents safe.

“Once a year a barge brings in all of our bulky items, like appliances, vehicles, fuel, materials to repair buildings, and items considered hazardous to fly in on an airplane, like certain batteries,” the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Facebook page reported.…

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New Molokai COVID Case

Tuesday, August 25th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

A new COVID-19 case was confirmed on island last Friday, according to officials. The resident contracted COVID while on Oahu before the interisland quarantine was reinstated on Aug. 11, said Molokai Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez in a social media announcement.

“The person’s name will not be released to the public. The person has given contact information for those who could have been exposed. Contact tracers are trying to get a hold of those people on Molokai now,” said Rawlins-Fernandez Friday.

The state Dept. of Health had yet to publicly acknowledge the case as of Sunday.

This is the third case for Molokai; the other two were in April, linked to a Friendly Market Center employee who traveled to Las Vegas.…

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My Support for Moʻomomi CBSFA

Sunday, August 23rd, 2020

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed below, though written by a part owner of The Molokai Dispatch, are his personally, and are not representative of The Molokai Dispatch as a newspaper.

Opinion by Todd Yamashita

Aloha friends, Iʻm reaching out to you right now not as a publisher but as a member of our community – one who cares about the future of our community as much as you surely do.

Sailing on Hokulea, removing thousands of pounds of plastic from the Pacific gyre, volunteering in the fishponds of Molokai, and cleaning our beaches daily with family and friends – my life in conservation comes from the hope my boys will inherit a Molokai like mine: rich in marine resources, and rich in culture.…

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Sister Ardis Says Goodbye to Molokai

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

Sister Ardis Says Goodbye to Molokai

By Paula Scott and Jim Krupka

Growing up on the Mississippi coast, the sea and adventure were always a part of Sister Ardis Kremers’ life. As the daughter of an engineer running a boat building business, being outdoors was natural. She loved to sail and experience life. With her love for God and spirit of adventure, she discovered the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America that we know as Maryknoll. She would have to wait a year before she could enter into religious life. She was invited to Maryknoll, New York to begin life as a Maryknoll Sister at the tender age of 19 years old.…

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Forming a Community-Owned Energy Cooperative

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

Shake Energy Collaborative News Release

On Saturday, Aug. 22, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we will host a virtual public meeting to share information and gather input on the formation of a cooperative to design and own renewable energy projects on Molokai. This meeting will be hosted by Shake Energy Collaborative, a public benefit corporation based in California, and follows in a series of community workshops hosted on Molokai about Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE). At these workshops, community residents expressed the desire for CBRE projects to be owned and managed locally by a cooperative entity. This meeting will launch the effort to formalize this energy cooperative.…

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Art Show Postponed

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

MAC News Release

In light of new COVID rules, the 2020 Molokai Arts Center Member Art (MAC) Show has been postponed until the fall. We will not collect art work between Aug. 14-28 as originally planned.

The new dates will be posted soon on our Facebook page and sent via our e-newsletter. Like our page and visit our website molokaiartscenter.org to be added to our mailing list.

Any questions or concerns may be directed to molokaiartscenter@gmail.com.…

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William “Bill” Guillermo Sahagun

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

William “Bill” Guillermo Sahagun

It is with great sadness that the family of William “Bill” Guillermo Sahagun of Honolulu, HI announces his passing on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020.

Bill was born in Kaunakakai, Molokai on June 4, 1965; son of the late Felipe and Eugenia (Bumanglag) Sahagun. He graduated from Molokai High School in 1983 and attended Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. He later returned to Hawaii and worked at the Pagoda Hotel as front desk manager for 18 years. Bill enjoyed being a Steelers fan, but more than anything, he enjoyed spending time with his children Waverly Hope and Tristan Ford Sahagun.

Bill will be lovingly missed and remembered by his siblings Filma C.…

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Why Hunt in Residential Areas?

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

Why? They say if you have to ask the question, you don’t know the answer. And so I ask this question because I am looking for enlightenment, education and answers. I don’t want excuses. Excuses are tiresome. I simply want to know why.

Why do some feel the need to hunt in residential areas, so close to houses, close to where children are playing, close to where people are enjoying the outdoors? Why do some feel the need to hunt so close to houses that they risk harming others?

Why did someone feel the need to shoot a majestic buck, behead him, and leave his en-tire body to rot in someones yard?…

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