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What’s Up Maunaloa

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

What’s Up Maunaloa

Column by Aunty Kehau Pule

In this article your roving reporter would like to pay a special tribute to someone I didn't know. The purpose of my article is to give back some dignity to a man that was found dead in a little shack across the swimming pool and had to be buried that very day he was found. No family member could be contacted. He probably was a father, a husband, a grandpa, an uncle or a brother who chose our beautiful island of Molokai to call his home and his last resting place. So let me begin by sharing what I may have known about this slim "haole" man who carried a guitar on his back and who walked Kaunakakai town periodically. He may have been a homeless person but he used to hang around by the Molokai Pizza Café. One of my daughters who worked there shared with me that this could be that man that she called a friend and used to buy him food once in a while when he was hungry. My daughter also remembers that he loved to play his guitar and enjoyed singing. He even shared with her that he had family down Kalaupapa, may that be true or not. For now I will call this person Uncle Mike. Uncle Mike now you lay rest at Kapaakea Cemetary. It might have been quick in the process but I pray that you're home with the Lord! Mahalo nui loa for choosing Molokai as your home and for all the great things that probably transpired in your life which I believe was awesome, great and filled with joy and love. Thank you for making your home here on our island and for those days that we did see you passing by in Kaunakakai town or sitting in front of the post office singing away on your guitar. Until we meet again one day, a hui hou and aloha oe Uncle Mike. This is your roving reporter Aunty Kehau closing with this thought of the day, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to ALL people." Galatians 6:9-10. Take kea and malama one another. A belated get well wish to Pamela Cheney.

A Successful Summer

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

A Successful Summer

Community contributed by Keni Reyes, Biological Technician

The summer of 2011 was a very successful one for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Plant Material Center (PMC) on Molokai because of three Earth-Team/Americorps members who volunteered from June to July 31.  They were Jon Brito,



PMC staff would like to send out a big mahalo to Jon, Puna and Misty.  Thank you and good luck in your future endeavors.

The USDA NRCS Plant Material Center in Ho`olehua is a plant testing facility for the development and proper use of plants in controlling soil erosion and related conservation practices.

What’s Up Maunaloa

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

What’s Up Maunaloa

Column by Aunty Kehau

Wow! The new Resident Manager of Nani Maunaloa is placing a lot of families into the homes. It's great to see these houses filled and not being emptied for such a long period of time. Another benefit that comes with this is the increase in enrollment at our school. Keep up the good work Aunty Nicky, but please try to get some sleep! Maunaloa School has voted in the 2011-12 new officers for the Maunaloa School Community Organization, or MSCO. President is Kahana Dekneef, vice president is Omi Seumalo, secretary is Jessica Valdez and treasurer is Toni Yamamoto. They meet every second Wednesday of the month at the school office at 2:30 p.m.

Did you hear that there is a Choking Game on Molokai? Well your roving reporter got an email that was circulated to various churches regarding this horrible game among our keiki. I went to the website and saw a few videos on it and it is terrible. This is a website you can go and do more research on at chokinggame.net/chokinggameeducationalmaterial.html. Please take heed to this information and if you have keiki, please take the time to sit down and discuss this with them. Let us come together to save our keikis on Molokai from this deadly game before it's too late. Mahalo for caring.

I thank the good Lord for sending my grandson Joshua back home safely after he fractured his right knee. With a cast on his leg, he needed to come home on the air ambulance from Oahu to Molokai. I can't seem to understand why. Island Air cannot have at least one seat that has accessibility for those passengers wearing a leg cast? I understand that there are federal regulations that need to be followed but can you imagine if my grandson didn't have medical coverage for this? Wow, a big bill, hotel expenses if there is no ohana on Oahu, expense, expense and more expense! So this roving reporter is doing a big shout out to all my representatives from the state and federal level. You gotta do something about this, this is not fair. This is the second time my grandson needed to be medi-vaced back home and I don't want to see anyone else go through what my grandson had to go through. So who is going to step up to the plate and do something about it? Hey, you'll get my vote.

A belated happy 15th birthday to Isaiah Espaniola and happy 49th anniversary to Ron and Mary Neale. This is your roving reporter Aunty Kehau closing with this thought of the day. Friends are of utmost importance. We love, trust, get hurt, sometimes get mad, but we love and trust anyhow because that's the best way to let our friendship grow. Until my next article, take care, love one another and appreciate each day to the fullest with life and joy. A hui hou and malama pono.

Cooking Catches On

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

It looks like the Molokai Culinary Center (MCC) has hit a nerve. Whether it's the high cost of dining out, sentimental memories of family recipes, or simply an inspiration ready to be acted upon, the idea of cooking lessons is taking off. Don Hill, the chef and principal instructor at MCC reports that during July, August and September, nearly 20 people attended six lessons/workshops and practiced a total of 21 different recipes. A few brave souls have attended as many as three sessions each. The most productive session was on Friday, Sept. 16, when four participants created 224 servings of pastry for the St. Damien Country Fair in only three hours!

Reclaiming Hawaiian Lands

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Submitted by Duke Kalipi on behalf of the Lawful Hawaiian Government

In July, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 1520 into law, becoming Act 195. This act is the prelude to the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act, also known as the Akaka Bill. We believe its true intent is to have the Hawaiian people agree to give up their rightful claim to their national lands, identified by the U.S. government as ceded lands. These are the lands of the former Hawaiian Kingdom – government, crown and public acreage.

“Although the Statehood Act retroceded these lands to the State of Hawaii, nearly 400,000 acres of what was originally Hawaiian government lands are still owned by the U.S. government,” according to a report from Sen. Dan Inouye in Dateline Washington from 1972.

The Truth about Canine Parvovirus

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

What is Canine Parvovirus?
Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is a highly contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the gastrointestinal tract of puppies and dogs.  It was first identified in 1978 and is seen worldwide.

What are some signs of parvovirus infection?
Dogs infected with CPV-2 that are ill are often said to have “parvo.” CPV-2 infection causes lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting and severe, often bloody diarrhea. Vomiting and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration, and most deaths from parvovirus occur within 48 to 72 hours following the onset of clinical signs. If your puppy or dog shows any of these signs, you should contact the Molokai Humane Society (MoHS) immediately.

Robotics Talks Health

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Community contributed by Molokai Oompa Loompas

Berries are Blue

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Berries are Blue

Community Contributed by Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent

When it comes to antioxidant content, blueberries are close to the top on the list. As a consequence, everyone is trying to grow them, and Hawaii is no exception.  Blueberry is a potential high value niche-market crop for Hawaii but little has been known about the adaptability of this crop to our sub-tropical conditions until recently. Trials on the Big Island conducted jointly by USDA researchers from Oregon and Hawaii and University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources researchers indicate that a handful of varieties show promise, but there are challenges.

There are many species of Vaccinium or blueberry, with two cousins native to Hawaii called Ohelo, Vaccinium reticulatum from Hawaii and Vaccinium calycinum from Maui. The focus in Hawaii has been to field test crosses of southern hibush types which are a cross between northern highbush from temperate climates and warm species such as Vaccinium darrowii. These types are more tolerant to warm weather and have low chill requirements that allow them to flower in parts of Hawaii.

At least six varieties have been tested on the Big Island since 2004 in three locations. Early results from Waimea indicate that Sharpblue, Misty, Emerald and Jewel performed well, with Sharpblue having the sweetest fruit and Misty having the largest fruits. Fruit size can be manipulated by having good vegetative growth and a robust plant prior flowering. The bigger the flower set, the smaller the fruits. Diseases such as rust and phytophthora can be a challenge. Good drainage can help avoid some root diseases, and dry conditions can help to avoid leaf diseases. Misty and Sharpblue even grew well in Hilo at 250 feet elevation.

The American Society of Horticulture Science Annual Convention held in Kona last week brought key researchers from around the world to present their research, and some of the giants of blueberry research were there. Among them was Dr. Paul Lyrene of University of Florida, a leader in the development of low chill blueberries. He developed four of the six varieties tested in Hawaii, including Misty, Sapphire, Emerald, and Jewel.

Aside from receiving a national award at the meeting for his work, he also presented his latest research on low chill blueberries. His challenge when developing crosses between northern and southern varieties is that you don’t know what parent it will take after. He showed a slide with many confused plants, not knowing if they should grow or flower. Having a lot of vegetation before flowering will allow the plant to carry a larger fruit load.
I was able to talk story with Dr. Lyrene, and he felt that blueberries could be grown successfully in Hawaii. The key was to have a strong harvesting season when the other parts of the world are not in peak production, and in this way you could get top dollar for your product. He also cautioned about a disease called rust that was prevalent in rainy areas that could be a problem in Hawaii.

Blueberry prefers very acid soil in the pH range of 4.0 to 5.2. Sprays of iron help to correct foliar deficiencies, and ground applications of sulfur help to acidify the soil. At the Volcano Research Station blueberries are growing well as a potted plant and will produce handfuls of fruit. One source of disease-free plants is North American Plants.

Veteran’s Corner

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Veteran’s Corner

Hello veterans, old Jesse here with all the veteran’s news and upcoming events. On Aug. 17, 1942, members of the elite 2nd Marine Raider Battalion conducted one of the first American offensives in the Pacific during World War II.  The Raiders, established in two battalions during the war, are considered the first U.S. Special Operations Force to form and see combat in World War II, according to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.  The men of 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, known as “Carlson’s Raiders,” were led by the legendary Lt. Col. Evans Carlson.  Col. Carlson used the term “gung-ho” (loosely translated, work together) to instill in his men the desire to accomplish their assigned missions.  In mid-August, Carlson’s Raiders were tasked with landing at Makin Atoll, part of the Gilbert Islands, to disrupt Japanese forces, and wreak havoc on the base established there, according to a Navy account.  The mission was also to distract Japanese forces from the Solomon Islands, where American troops were engaged in battles for Guadalcanal and Tulagi. The Raiders arrived at the island chain on two submarines, the Nautilus and the Argonaut.  Fighting broke out soon after Raiders arrived on land Aug. 17 at Butaritari, the chain’s largest island, according to the Navy account titled “Submarine Commandos, Carlson’s Raiders at Makin Atoll.”  Japanese snipers engaged the American’s from the tops of many of the coconut palm trees.  Carlson called for gunfire support from the submarines lying offshore, and Nautilus put her six-inch guns to good use, according to the account.  When the Marines ashore spotted a small transport and a patrol boat, Nautilus shifted fire to them and managed to sink both.  The Marines returned to Pearl Harbor and the mission was considered a morale boost back home.  It was later discovered that nine Marines had been left on Butaritari and were captured by the Japanese. They were beheaded under orders of a Japanese Vice-Admiral, according to the historical account.

Losing night-vision goggles can kill a career.  Troops keep their equipment close at hand in combat or in the field by “dummy cording” the gear.  Here’s why it called that, dummy cording means what it says, said Jefferson Reed, curator at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Ga.  If you are not smart enough to keep up with your compass, we are going to tie it to you, he said. The method consists of tying looser items with a lanyard to harder-to-lose equipment, for example, attaching a compass to a belt or goggles to a helmet.  The practice dates back to the mounted cavalry in the late 1800s, Reed said. Today some troops tie down nearly all their equipment. In some cases, zip ties have replaced cord.

I’d like to remind all VFW members that the regular monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 12:30 p.m. at Commander George Harada’s home, if you have any questions call the commander at 553-5730.  Also, I want to remind everyone that John Candello will be on island on Thursdays Oct. 6 and 13 at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment.  Call 553-3611 to make an appointment. I hope that everyone is working on their essay for our contest during the month of October, “What does being an American mean to you?” Send entries post marked no later than Nov. 1 to PO Box 482219, Kaunakakai, 96748, or email editor@themolokaidispatch.com, and good luck to all.  Please let’s not forget our military personnel stationed around the world, and especially those in harms-way.  We send them a big mahalo, and to our veterans at home for all they have done, and the people of Molokai you all are very special, I love you all.  If you have any news or coming events, please give old Jesse a call at 553-3323.



Football on Fire

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Keola DeMello scored four touchdowns and Noah Caparida added three as the Molokai High School (MHS) club football team rolled to a 54-22 victory over host St. Anthony last weekend.

Head Coach Mike Kahale said players were excited to play their first game refereed by Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) officials on a regulation size field, and were motivated to make up for a loss to the Trojans last season. They channeled their excitement into a 40-0 halftime lead en route to the victory, which included additional touchdowns from Shauden Pedro, Braddah Ka`ai and Kaloko Akina, who scored on a 75-yard punt return.