Author Archives: Megan Stephenson

Standing Tall

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Standing Tall

Riggs Napoleon is just like any other local 12 year old – he loves his family, the water, and having fun. Except on this particular Sunday, fun means ironing the 32-mile Kaiwi channel for over seven hours straight.

"It's going to be fun - I'm excited,” said Riggs minutes before the start of the 14th annual Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championships. This year’s race, for the first time in its 14-year history, sold out the first week in July.

Riggs, from Oahu, rode a 13’6” Paddle Surf Hawaii board and set a new record as the youngest stand up paddler to cross the Molokai channel. The original record was set last year Maui’s Connor Baxter who was then 14. Baxter returned on Sunday hoping to set a different record.

one day,” said Riggs to Molokai’s youth.

Molokai’s youth, and grownups, will have their own shot at stardom in August as plans are being made for Molokai’s first local stand up race. Stay tuned to The Molokai Dispatch for more information.

Oh Deer

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Oh Deer

Community Contributed

By Captain Clay Ching

This deer carcass was found tossed in the water on the side of the Wharf, close to the area where the kid's swim on the raft. It was still soft, which indicates that it was killed not long before it was found. I was launching my boat when it was found at 6:30 in the morning. It was a big buck with the head removed, backstraps and hinds also removed. Not a very pono thing to do, who would even think to do such a dastardly deed? Really no class. Surely not any responsible hunter, go figgah? In the photo, Sonny Laemoa hauls away the deer’s remains.


Still Time for Free Bulbs

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Still Time for Free Bulbs

By Kimberly Svetin
   
The Go Green Carbon Clean initiative on Molokai ends on August 1st. There is still time to exchange incandescent light bulbs for energy efficient CFLs at Kamoi Snack-n-Go and other participating businesses around Molokai..

Approximately 29,000 CFLs have been distributed by students, schools, churches, community groups and businesses since the start of this program in the spring. There are still thousands of bulbs left for distribution on the island, donated by Blue Planet Foundation. A number of Molokai families have already saved $10-20 per month on their MECO bills after trading all the bulbs in their homes. Please call Kamoi Snack-n-Go at 553-3742 for more information.

Worthy Award

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

MOC News Release

New funds for the Molokai Occupational Center (MOC) will allow the continued employment of Molokai’s disabled and disadvantaged residents. MOC recently received a $50,000 award from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) to be used for their Work Activity Service Program.

This program provides work training, rehabilitation and employment opportunities as well as valuable community services in a variety of fields. These include yard maintenance and landscape, janitorial, garment cleaning, car cleaning, and thrift store services. However, these services don’t usually generate enough revenue to pay for their employees.

Molokai Paddlers Race in World Sprints

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Molokai Paddlers Race in World Sprints

Molokai paddlers proved themselves in the international arena this year. Penny Martin, Cami Kimball and Crystal Egusa brought home one silver and two bronze medals from the 14th World Va`a Sprint Championships in May, held in New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific.
 
Held every two years at different locations around the world, Molokai paddlers have been participating in the event since 2004. This year, Martin, Kimball and Egusa raced on a six-woman team with other women from Maui and the Big Island as the Island Masters. They came in 3rd place in both the V6 500 meter and 1000 meter events. Molokai paddlers also teamed up with Lanikai paddlers to come in second in the V12 event.

Even though they paddled with different crews, Martin said they all represented Team Hawaii. Hawaii came in 5th in point ranking out of 16 teams, with 54 paddlers representing the state at Sprints this year.



Molokai has already developed a track record at the World Sprints. They came home with three gold medals from the 2008 races in Sacramento. Martin added they’ve already been invited to participate in the 2012 World Sprint Championship, to be held in Canada. 

Roving the Moon

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Roving the Moon

By Alison Place

Last spring, a group of students from Molokai entered the MoonBots Robotics Challenge – and had only two weeks to submit their first project after signing up. MoonBots, a global educational contest, challenges students using LEGO bricks and MINDSTORMS components.

The two-part competition began with a three minute video essay on the topic. The group then created a digital design of their robot using a computer-aided design (CAD) software, Google SketchUp. Team member Michael Kikukawa said this was the most challenging part of the project for him.

“If we could have started earlier, we could have done better. By the end I really knew how to use SketchUp but I didn’t have enough time with it,” Michael explained.

Coached by Jennifer Whitted, the Molokai Moonbots Team “Molokai Mahina” was comprised of five students from three Molokai schools: Michael Kikukawa and Moriah Jenkins of Molokai High, Alex Gilliland from Aka`ula, and Awa Yerhot and Eric Svetin  from Kaunakakai School. The class was held at Kaunakakai School.

Funded by the 21st Century grant, Molokai’s “3M’s: Me, My Mind, My Mana’o” students in this competition were challenged to create simulated lunar rovers. According to a MoonBots press release, judges of the competition were impressed with the results from all of the entries.

“Teams with little or no previous experience with robotics or with CAD software are engaging in the competition on equal terms with veteran teams,” noted Steven Canvin, Marketing Manager for LEGO MINDSTORMS.

“The students are learning to combine several challenging skills and to apply them in a new way. MoonBots requires them to get creative, and to find imaginative ways to express how they’ve used Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to reach solutions to a difficult problem,” he added.

While the Molokai Mahina group did not become one of the 20 finalists this time, they are not deterred. They are excited by what they have learned and what the next steps might be.

“The things that I learned, that I didn’t even know was possible, is that there is water, ice and helium-three on the moon,” said sixth grader Awa Yerhot. He also learned a lot about the history of the moon and the expeditions that traveled there.

The group also created a blog that detailed their work and progress, attached to the MoonBots challenge website, www.moonbots.org/home. It was important to the team that family, friends and community members followed their progress on the site, www.molokaimahina.blogspot.com.

“It made us feel like we were actually being supported. We know that our parents are behind us but it feels like the community is looking at us and it makes us feel better,” Michael said.

Dollars Blowing in the Wind

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

The undersea cable study to run wind energy from Molokai to Oahu is now underway.  If the state gets the go-ahead, what capacity of windmills will the cable handle?   It takes 12 acres to put one 400 ft. wind tower with a 45 ft. diameter and 10 ft. deep concrete to secure one wind tower.  How are these wind towers transported?
 

Eat for Free – Or Nearly

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Kualapu`u School News Release

Kualapu`u School announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the Office of Hawaii Child Nutrition Program.

Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown below are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Foster children can also be eligible for school meal benefits; those households should contact the school for more information.

What’s in Your Water?

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Maui Dept. of Water Supply News Release

The County of Maui Department of Water Supply (DWS) sent out its twelfth annual Water Quality Report earlier this month to customers on Maui and Molokai.  Following regulations established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Act, the DWS has been preparing the Report annually for customers since 1999.  The report includes information on water sources and the results of testing done over the past year.  The Report is mailed to all billing addresses and will be posted on the internet at www.mauiwater.org later this month.

Customers with questions about water quality may call the DWS Laboratory at 270-7550.

Deadly Nightshades

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Deadly Nightshades

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH College of Tropical Agriculture

The recent deaths of horses, mules and cattle on the island believed to be caused by consuming poisonous plants mixed in hay brings attention to the many poisonous plants we have on the island. The most obvious suspect is one of the deadly nightshades, Jimson Weed or Datura stramonium, seen throughout Ho`olehua. It is known by many names, including Stink Weed, Devil’s Apple, Thorn Apple, and Moonflower. This plant resembles the Apple of Peru, Nycandra physalodes, a common weed in Ho`olehua, and one in which animals eat without any negative effects. It has a similar flower and leaf shape, which could cause animals to eat Jimson Weed by mistake.

A member of the tomato family, or Solanaceae, the poisonous nightshades caused edible members of this family, especially tomatoes, to be viewed for generations with apprehension because people thought they were poisonous. Jimson weed or Jamestown Weed has a reputation that goes back centuries. Its scientific name, stramonium, means ‘mad nightshade’ due to its reputation for making people delirious or mad.

Its common name originated from Jamestown, Virginia where, in 1676, the British were sent to crush a rebellion, called the Bacon’s Rebellion. The British made a boiled salad from the Jimson Weed leaves, and were delirious for 11 days. When they came to their senses, they couldn’t remember a thing. Many people have died from consuming parts of this plant, because it contains at least three potent alkaloids known to cause confusion, delirium, hyperthermia, and dilated pupils. The antidote for this poisonous plant is physostigmine.

In the dog-days of summer, when food is in short supply due to drought, animals will be pressured to eat things they don’t normally consume. This is when they will experiment with poisonous plants. This is common with goats, which won’t eat Lantana until they have little choice. This plant causes hindered vision, making it even harder to find quality forage.

Some native Americans consider nightshade a sacred plant, including the Algonquin and Luiseno. Other common members of this family include popolo, or Solanum nodiflorum, used in Hawaiian medicine and also kikania, or Solanum aculeatissimum, whose orange balls are used in the making of lei. It is considered the unofficial lei of Kalaupapa since it grows there in abundance. Other edible members of the Solanaceae family include eggplant, bellpeppers, tree tomato, Irish potatoes, poha berries, and chili peppers.