Author Archives: Bianca Moragne

In Good Hands

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

It’s not always easy to care for the elderly. It can be a demanding, stressful and sometimes overwhelming task. But now, with an adult day care center opening at Home Pumehana in August, caretakers on Molokai can breathe a sigh of relief.

Ten years after the idea was first hatched, the Na Pu`uwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System, in partnership with Acradia Elder Care Services, will be opening The Senior Enrichment Center – a potential lifeline for many Molokai families.

“There has been a great need in the community [for an adult day care center] for so long,” said Judy Mikami, Na Pu`uwai’s long-term care director.

The adult day care center, which recently received its license from the state on June 15, is intended to allow seniors the opportunity to engage in stimulating activity, make new friends and still be independent.

From 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, the center will provide its kupuna with an array of activities designed to maintain cognitive and motor skills that sometimes decline with advanced aging. Mikami said there will be hands-on crafts, hula and ukulele classes, a modified Zumba class, karaoke machine, TV and Wii game console.

William Akutagawa, executive director of Na Pu`uwai, said their staff is certified in water safety and will not only take their clients swimming, but also on field trips twice a month.

“They’ll get to go off-site, get fresh air, and visit different places on Molokai,” Akutagawa said.

The center, situated in an 800 sq. ft. room near the back of Home Pumehana, will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as reclining chairs for clients to rest in. Three staff members will be onsite – two certified nurses and an activities director.

“It will be socially therapeutic for our kupuna,” said Activities Director Jossette Mawae-Mollena. “On Molokai, a lot of families take care of their own, but they need to get out, so it will be good for caretakers, too.”

Worth the Wait
Good things take time. Such was the case for Mikami and Akutagawa, who applied to get licensed back in September 2009.

“It went back and forth with Maui County and the state for awhile,” Mikami explained. “We would receive recommendations and then have to go back and make changes to comply with the requirements.”

After a grueling nine-month process, the license was secured. But that wasn’t their only dilemma. Finding the right site posed another setback. After spending time weighing their options, the directors settled on senior living complex Home Pumehana, which had to be inspected twice by the Department of Human Services, as a suitable host facility.

Mikami said they chose Home Pumehana because of its centralized location and existing affiliation with senior citizens.

While other entities on Molokai have failed in establishing an adult day care within the last 10 years, Mikami attributes Na Pu`uwai’s success to its long-standing relationship with Acradia Elder Care Services.

Arcadia, a senior living program in Honolulu, helped train the Na Pu`uwai staff in long-term care services, who also received hands-on practice.

“They gave us the support we needed,” Mikami said.

The 411
The Senior Enrichment Center is currently accepting applications for interested kupuna, but it does have criteria. The program requires that clients be 62 years of age or older, be able to use the bathroom without assistance, feed themselves, and administer their own medications among other things. They are currently accepting up to 12 clients.

Prices will vary based on a sliding scale, with flat rate fees starting at $66 dollars a day, according to Mawae-Mollena.

While the program may start off small, Mikami hopes to see it grow in a big way.

“Our ultimate goal is to establish long-term care,” Mikami said. “But we’re taking it one step at a time.”

For more information or to apply, call the Senior Enrichment Center at 553-5099.

Posted in Community, Health

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Making Waves

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Big waves don’t scare Molokai’s Taoa Pou. Neither, apparently, does big competition.

The envy of many young surfers, 13-year-old Taoa was granted wildcard entry into last week’s Sponsor Me Hawaii pro surf competition at Ala Moana Bowls on Oahu.

Competing alongside some of the state’s top surfers, Taoa held nothing back, even attempting the coveted reverse air-360. “There was no pressure on me -- I had nothing to lose,” he said. “There was more pressure on the professionals ‘cause they didn’t want to lose to a 13-year-old kid.”

Sponsor Me is meant to give lesser-known surfers access to international ratings and valuable media exposure. Still, many of the competitors were established names with decades of experience surfing over Taoa, who was given one of only two wildcard entries for amateurs, sponsored by the Association for Surfing Professionals (ASP).

ASP also set up Taoa to receive coaching throughout the day from pros Sunny Garcia, Myles Padaca, Makuakai Rothman and Pancho Sullivan, though he had some trouble concentrating on their instructions. “I was more in awe of them,” he said.

Taoa finished fourth in his second round heat – an impressive showing for the event’s youngest competitor – but as his own biggest critic, he said he’s not completely satisfied. “I could have done better -- I could have beaten some of those guys.”

Still, Taoa said the experience will motivate him to enter more competitions and take his surfing to the next level.

The Right Attitude
Taoa was recruited for Sponsor Me by Jodi Wilmott, a publicist with ASP who helped organize the event, after she saw him last month at the state championships, where Taoa competed in the 12-13 year-old division.

Impressed with his “vibe,” Wilmott invited Taoa to Sponsor Me to “get a good taste of what pro surfing is about,” she said.

With the average age of competitors between 23 and 24, Taoa was by far the youngest, but Wilmott said he handled the pressure like a veteran.

“I’ve been working in the professional surfing world for 20 years and I was so impressed,” Wilmott said, calling Taoa “a very mature 13.”

Taoa is already sponsored by Tango Surf Boards and the Tahitian clothing company Imvad. Taoa’s dad Teva Pou said after last week’s exposure, more sponsorships could be in the works.

“He definitely has the talent to make a career out of it,” Pou said. But for now, he added, Taoa is simply enjoying the moment. “His goal, regardless of winning or loosing, is to keep his heart humble.”

A Head Start
Taoa’s love of surfing started at a young age. “When he was little, he would watch surf videos with me more than cartoons,” Pou said.

At age three, Taoa began surfing beginners’ break at Waialua and a few years later had moved onto to the waves at Rock Point on the east end.

Earlier this month, the Pou family moved from Kalamaula on Molokai to the North Shore of Oahu. Even after surfing big waves there, Rock Point remains one of Taoa’s favorite surf spot.

“I feel really comfortable there,” he said. “I miss it already.”

Posted in Island Youth, Sports

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E-school Students Progress

Monday, June 21st, 2010

All is well that ends well, especially in the case of Molokai High students enrolled in online classes. Although poor first semester grades in Molokai High School’s (MHS) online courses prompted school officials to further examine the e-school program, second semester grades revealed significant improvement among students.

“The students saw the failing grades [from semester one] and got more in gear,” said Mahina Hou, MHS Hawaiian Immersion program instructor. “They got more of an understanding and better support.”

Posted in Education

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Paddlers to Re-open Wednesday

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Starting Wednesday, June, 23, Paddlers Inn Restaurant and Bar will be open seven days a week for three meals a day, though the bar’s liquor license application is being processed, according to new owner Louis Santiago.

“Getting a liquor license in Maui County is like having all your teeth pulled,” said Santiago. He also owns restaurants and bars in Honolulu, Hilo and on Kauai and lives in Hilo.

Santiago bought Paddlers on May 28. The restaurant has been closed since then.

Santiago said the former owner left a lot of unpaid bills, which made setting up new deals with suppliers complicated – in many cases, he said, he was forced to put down larger-than-usual deposits. “Because he’s delinquent… it makes it difficult for us,” Santiago said.

As it reopens, Paddlers is largely unchanged – the biggest differences customers will notice are on the menu, which has been trimmed of items that were not big sellers. Management has also added lunch plates and will begin offering a daily special. Kitchen Manager Kamuela Purdy said he hopes to introduce a dessert menu sometime down the road.

“Right now we mostly want people to know we’re open,” said Michael Helm, bar manager. He added that more changes will be announced once the liquor license is secured.

For now, Helm said, “the food’s going to be good and the service impeccable – I’ll make sure of that!”

Breakfast will be served 7-11 a.m., lunch 11-2:30 p.m. and dinner 5:30-9 p.m. The restaurant will be closed between meals.

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Construction Zone

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Molokai was awarded over $17 million to fund 21 capital improvement projects this year. The wide-ranging list includes repairs to schools, roadways and the island’s water system.

The projects vary in progress – some are still accepting bids from contractors while others are underway or completed.

The most expensive project on the list is the construction of a new bridge over Kawela Stream on Kamehameha V Highway. The current bridge has long been blamed for compounding seasonal flooding along the stream. Its replacement is estimated to cost $7.4 million.

“The existing bridge doesn’t meet current design standards,” said Vincent Llorin, design project manager with the state’s Department of Transportation.

Posted in Business, Government

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Great Expectations

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Here on Molokai, the word tourism spurs images of sprawling resorts and brash tourists that crowd the beaches of Maui and Oahu. With the goal of attracting the right kind of visitor – those who think of themselves as guests, not just tourist – Molokai Visitors Association (MVA) has produced a video in partnership with local filmmaker Matt Yamashita.

"A Visitor’s Guide to Molokai: Hawaiian by Nature" is part marketing tool, part educational film, said MVA Director Julie Bicoy. She called the video, which came out last month, a “crash-course” in life on Molokai.

“The basic concept of it was to spend a day on Molokai and move with the sun,” she said. Featured stops include Halawa Valley, Pu`u O Hoku Ranch, fishponds on the east end, Kalaupapa and the west end beaches.

Along the way, Yamashita recounts ancient Molokai history, interviews local business owners and highlights annual events like Ka Hula Piko and the channel races from Hale O Lono to Oahu. The video’s sweeping landscapes – from the North Shore cliffs to the Kamakou Preserve -- will woo visitors and impress locals alike.

Local musician Lono provides most of the soundtrack and the DVD includes four music features with original songs about Molokai. Lono said he has worked with Yamashita before and was excited to help on this project. “I love Molokai -- that’s where I’m from!”

Yamashita, who wore three hats as writer, director and producer, said the video tries to market the island responsibly and protects what makes Molokai special – the environment, culture and small population.

“We loose any one of those things and the fabric of what makes Molokai Molokai falls apart,” he said.

Yamashita owns the production company Quazifilms and typically makes cultural and education films. “This is the first time I’ve really stepped over to the commercial side,” he said.

MVA approached him last year about making the video. Bicoy said MVA was looking for ways to target “the right market” of visitors. The video is now being distributed to travel agents to show clients what Molokai has to offer.

“It’s not a typical tourist destination -- it’s not a party place or somewhere to come and be pampered,” Yamashita said.

After previewing the video back in March, Yamashita heard from some that it was too “touristy.” In response, he dialed down the sales pitch and made it more of an education in Molokai.

“It was a real challenge because we had to walk that fine line,” he said.

To see a preview or purchase a copy of A Visitor’s Guide to Molokai, go to www.islandlifevideos.com. DVDs are also on sale at local stores including Molokai Drugs, Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions and Coffees of Hawaii.

Posted in Business, Hawaiian Culture

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Paddlers Prepares for Re-opening

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Paddlers Inn Restaurant and Bar’s new owner was on island last week to get to know his latest acquisition and start planning for its future.

Louis Santiago bought Paddlers on May 28. Santiago owns restaurants and bars in Honolulu, Hilo and on Kauai. He arrived on Molokai last Wednesday morning and stayed for a few days to meet with staff and orient himself with the business.

Because of the change in ownership, Paddlers’ staff had to reapply for their jobs. Santiago said he hopes to hire them all back.

The restaurant will open as soon as insurance is “squared away” and the Department of Health inspects the kitchen, Santiago said. He added last Wednesday that he hopes to have it open this week.

The bar, however, will remain closed until a new liquor license is secured, which can be a lengthy process. Until then, Santiago said he hopes to get clearance from his insurance company for customers to bring their own alcohol.

Santiago said he wants to give the place a stronger sports bar feel and bring in more games. His company, Game Master, already supplies the pool tables and gaming machines to Paddlers.

Santiago said he also wants to fix up the patio, extend the overhang and “maximize the space.”

But all these changes will take time. “I’m not going to change anything right away,” Santiago explained.

One thing has already changed – the menu. Santiago said the new menu scales back on meal offerings and reinforces the sports bar feel. “My other restaurants don’t have that many meals on the menu.”

Posted in Business

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A Class of Her Own

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Like most things at Ho`omana Hou High School, Friday’s graduation was a bit untraditional. Far from the pomp and circumstance of Molokai High’s ceremony, family, friends and teachers gathered to celebrate the achievement of the school’s sole graduate, Makana Puailihau Gomes.

The scene at Kalaniana`ole Hall -- the same hall in which Gomes’ great-great grandmother’s funeral was held in 1992 -- felt more like a birthday party than a graduation ceremony. One by one, Gomes’ mother, father, grandmother and grandfather took the stage and held back tears as they described how proud they were of Makana.

“She’s had a lot of trials and tribulations but praise God she’s overcame them,” grandmother Healani Gomes said, adding she saw a change in Makana when she transferred to Ho`omana Hou last fall -- the smaller classes and hands-on approach to learning helped her overcome her shyness.

Makana, who plans to enroll at MCC in the fall, credits the school and its teachers for helping her graduate. “There’s so much aloha here,” she explains.

A Different Kind of Classroom

Ho'omana Hou, a private high school started in 2004 and run by the Molokai Community Service Council (MCSC), focuses on culture-based education. Most of its students go to Ho'omana Hou because they have had trouble in a traditional classroom setting.

“The high school is too rough,” freshman Danielle Mersberg said. “It’s hands-on here, so you learn more by having fun.”

This year Ho'omana Hou’s enrollment was just six students, though in previous years it has had as many as 19 students, according to Karen Holt, the school’s principal and MCSC executive director. Last year’s graduation had nine seniors.

“It’s really a community school for kids that need a different kind of learning environment,” Holt said.

“These aren’t your normal students,” added Walter Ritte, the school’s primary teacher since March. Introducing a new learning style can have a major impact on student performance.

“The proof is in the pudding,” he said.

Holt agrees. “We have seen child after child blossom because finally someone is explaining things in a language they can understand.”

Walk the Talk

The school’s philosophy is to move the classroom outdoors and let the island do the teaching. Ancient fish ponds and mangroves provide a setting to teach history, biology, ecology – all in ways that engages the students more than any textbook could.

“For Molokai kids, the wealth of resources is so amazing,” Holt said. “You can build a curriculum around those things.”

In the last decade, she added, schools like Ho'omana Hou that use culture-based education models have been growing in popularity and legitimacy.

A study last summer from Kamehameha Schools found that culture-based education significantly improves students’ Hawaiian language skills, their internalization of Hawaiian values and participation in cultural activities by bridging the gap between their home and school life.

Back at Kalaniana`ole Hall on Friday, Gomes’ classmates said after the ceremony they were looking forward to their own graduations. Sophomore Che Gonzales added that Ho`omana Hou is teaching them what they need to get there.

“If we stay at this school, we can make it,” he said.

Registration for the Ho`omana Hou 2010-2011 school year is now open to all students 14 years or older. Classes begin August 2. Tuition waivers and scholarships available. Ho'omana Hou is licensed by the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools. Contact the Molokai Community Service Council (25 Kamehameha V Hwy across from the phone company) at 553-3244 or mcsc@molokai.org for more information.

Posted in Education, Island Youth

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Jockeying for Jobs

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Young people looking for jobs and ways to build their resumes this summer will have help from the state government. The Summer Youth Employment Program, which Lt. Governor James “Duke” Aiona announced last week, will fund public service jobs for young people from low-income families across the state, including here on Molokai.

Jobs are available at federal, state or county government agencies or private non-profits and will pay at least $8 an hour.

While jobs created under the program may not be glamorous – typical office work includes filing, copying and answering telephones – Aiona said any time spent in an office offers valuable communication, writing and trade skills.

“You would really get a work experience you wouldn’t get in a normal job,” he said in an interview Saturday.

The program is open to people 14-23 who meet at least one of the following criteria: attend a Title I school (which includes Molokai High School); receive free or reduced price lunches; live in a household receiving public cash assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamp) benefits or with a gross annual income at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for Hawaii.

Jobs will be created based on employee interest, though Aiona predicted most will be on Oahu, where there is a concentration of state and federal government offices. He encouraged people who are able to travel there for the summer to go.

Applications for workers and eligible agencies looking to hire under the program will be available at the Kaunakakai Civic Center from May 24 to September 30.

While the number of jobs will depend on participants and available funds, Aiona’s office expects nearly a thousand positions will be created statewide. The program is possible, Aiona said, because of “an infusion of funding” from the federal stimulus package. He does not anticipate it becoming an annual program.

“For now at least it’s a one time shot,” he said.

For more information visit the Workforce Development Division at Kaunakakai Civic Center (55 Makaena Pl.) or call 553-1755.

Posted in Business, Community, Education

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Heavy Lifting

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Amid grunts, cheers and dripping sweat, Molokai’s strongest men and women showed what they are made of last Saturday at Na Pu`uwai’s first Fitness Expo.

Around 200 people filled the Fitness Center’s parking lot and grounds to watch the competitions and learn about fitness, nutrition and health.

The main events of the day were the Strong Man and Strong Wahine contests, which challenged contestants to lift, drag, push and even flip weights and tires – some twice their body weight. These contests were previously held at Na Pu`uwai’s annual Health Fair in the winter.

After a day of bulging muscles and strained faces, Na Pu`uwai’s Peter Pale, the defending champion, won the heavyweight division. Shane Adolpho bested the lightweight division and Kelly Rawlins came out on top in the women’s.

The Expo kicked off early in the morning with a 10K run and walk. Kevin Dudoit finished first overall while the top women’s finisher was Sue Forbes-Kikukawa.

There were also weight lifting and bench press contests, luring members of the crowd to test their strengths, and even kids’ push-up contests. Inside, blasting music provided a jumpy soundtrack to the aerobics classes that ran throughout the day.

Not to be confused with the Health Fair, which will continue to be held in the winter, the Fitness Expo was organized to reach out to the community and “expose our attitude” – a combination of fitness, health and nutrition – said Pale, gym manager.

“Na Pu`uwai’s goal is to get more people thinking that way,” he said.

Pale said many of Na Pu`uwai services are underutilized and events like this let people know more about their facilities.

The Expo, six months in the making, hosted booths on physical therapy, personal training and nutrition, which offered samples of salads and smoothies with banana, cantaloupe, pineapple, radish and zucchini.

“If you don’t have it out, no one knows what it tastes like!” said Josette Dudoit, a dietician at Na Pu`uwai.

At another booth, workers did blood pressure tests. While so much of fitness focuses on the outside appearance, this may not reflect actual health, according to Susan Ka`ahanui, a community health worker at Na Pu`uwai.

“I’ve seen people who are really skinny and fit but have high blood pressure, so it’s good to have a check,” said Kaahanui.

Posted in Community, Sports

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Author Archives: Bianca Moragne

In Good Hands

Making Waves

E-school Students Progress

Paddlers to Re-open Wednesday

Construction Zone

Great Expectations

Paddlers Prepares for Re-opening

A Class of Her Own

Jockeying for Jobs

Heavy Lifting

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Author Archives: Bianca Moragne

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