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Author Archives: Catherine Cluett Pactol

Lanai Being Sold – UPDATE

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

Lanai Being Sold – UPDATE

Updated June 24, 2012

The island of Lanai, owned mostly by Castle & Cooke, is being sold to Lawrence Ellison, co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world’s leading enterprise software companies. Castle & Cooke (C&C), headed by billionaire David Murdock, owns about 97 percent of the island’s 141 square miles. The transaction is subject to final government approval.

The 89-year-old Murdock has owned the island since 1985, and his company loses up to $40 million a year, according to Forbes.  Ellison is the third richest American, with an estimated worth of $36.5 billion.

“Exploring the possibility of new ownership of my Lanai holdings was not a new or an impulsive decision,” said Murdock in a statement.…

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Catching Venus

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Catching Venus

Around the world on June 5, especially in the Pacific region, viewers watched entranced through telescopes as one of the rarest planetary alignments took place– the transit of Venus across the Sun. On Molokai, retired astronomer Pat Jones set up his telescope in front of Kalele Bookstore in Kaunakakai while community members took turns catching glimpses of the historic sight. This image was captured by Kalele owner Teri Waros.

“It was great to see people of all ages and walks of life participating in this once in a lifetime event,” said Waros.

If you didn’t catch the event, you’re out of luck.…

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Molokai’s Bright Energy Future

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Community Contributed

By Peggy Lucas Bond

“Solar is the strongest renewable energy resource for Molokai,” concludes the just-released Life of the Land report, “Wayfinding: Navigating Hawaii’s Energy Future,” by Henry Curtis. “Today Molokai has all of the resources it needs to become energy self-sufficient and to stop exporting cash for transportation fuel and electricity.” Solar water heaters for every residence should be the first step, the report states, followed by concentrated solar power and photovoltaic panels supplemented with micro-wind and hydroelectric.

The Molokai chapter of the report has been posted on the I Aloha Molokai (IAM) website, IAlohaMolokai.com. It suggests that Molokai could sever its relationship with MECO by creating a Molokai Energy Cooperative, or by following the Kauai model and becoming its own county and establishing a municipally-owned utility (MOU).…

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Bracing for Summer Fire Season

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Bracing for Summer Fire Season

Officials are predicting a potentially dangerous fire season on Molokai this summer. With little rain last winter and ongoing drought conditions, the island has been called a hotspot in the county. Firefighters have responded to four fires in the past week, all of which are considered suspicious, according to Fire Inspector Rick Schonely.

“The conditions for fire are extreme with drought and fuel load but if we don’t have anyone setting fires, we can make it through the summer without a big fire,” said Schonely. “If anyone is setting these, they have to realize how dangerous it is, not only to themselves, but to… the whole community.”…

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Beefing Up Local Business

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Beefing Up Local Business

Molokai Livestock Cooperative processes grass-fed meat for the islands.

Molokai Livestock Cooperative (MLC), the island’s only slaughterhouse, is fostering a shift in the way people think about the meat on their plates. Whereas mainstream meat products come from notoriously cruel feedlots that bolster their cattle with grains and growth hormones, MLC only processes grass-fed, hormone-free animals — making them part of a national trend driven mainly by consumer awareness.

While the average meat-packing plant on the mainland will process between 3,000 to 5,000 heads per day, MLC averages about seven per week. Operating at a smaller scale allows MLC to provide the island and a few off-island vendors with high-quality meats.…

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Farming for the New Age

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

Farming for the New Age

Waialua PermaFarm’s unique approach to agriculture

Tucked away inland among the forests in Waialua Valley exists a farm that claims no fields, no pests, no weeds and yet still produces over 50 varieties of produce on only one acre of land. While many would call this place a myth, Waialua PermaFarm owners Dano and Robin Gorsich simply call it home.

Permaculture Theory

A permafarm is an embodiment of permaculture, a growing movement that pursues the development of sustainable ecological design. In recent years, permaculture as a movement has been gaining increased attention due to the need to produce more with less, according to Dano.…

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No Shrimp of a Business

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

No Shrimp of a Business

If you buy shrimp in the grocery store, there is a good chance it was grown in Southeast Asia. But that shrimp may be a descendant of a shrimp raised by Steve Chaikin, owner of Molokai Sea Farms. His business is among the lead suppliers of shrimp breeding stock in Hawaii for the booming overseas shrimp industry.

Chaikin remembers selling shrimp out of the back of his truck in Kaunakakai every Friday back in the early 90s. He also stocked wholesale markets all over the state. That is, until his shrimp sales “came to an abrupt stop” in the mid-90s, when Southeast Asia emerged as the shrimp farming capital of the world.…

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OHA Trustees to Hold Two Meetings on Molokai

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

OHA News Release

Native Hawaiians on Molokai will get an opportunity to provide feedback to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) at a community forum as well as a regular Board of Trustees meeting. The forum is designed for OHA officials to listen to concerns from the community as well as highlight efforts to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians. Both meetings are open to the public. Here are the specifics:

Community Meeting
Wednesday, June 20, 6:30 p.m.
Kulana `Oiwi Halau, Kalama`ula

OHA Board of Trustees Meeting
Thursday, June 21, 9 a.m.
Kulana `Oiwi Halau, Kalama`ula…

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Repairs for Kalaupapa

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

The Kalaupapa National Park Service (NPS) has been busy with restoration projects both in the settlement and on topside Molokai. For those hoping to get a taste of Kalaupapa without the arduous hike, newly replaced informational exhibits are now displayed at the overlook at Pala`au State Park in Kala`e.

Crews worked last week to repair the rock wall and improve the overall appearance of the overlook area, said Steve Prokop, Kalaupapa NPS superintendent. Improvements included replacing the weather-worn plaques that tell the story of the settlement’s history, which had become difficult to read since their original installation about 20 years ago, said Prokop.…

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Walter Ritte Running for OHA

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Walter Ritte Running for OHA

Walter Ritte News Release

Longtime community leader and former Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Trustee Walter Ritte has announced his candidacy for the At Large seat for OHA. A Kamehameha Schools graduate, Ritte is a prominent Hawaiian activist and longtime advocate for Hawaiian rights. He is also a member of the original “Kaho`olawe Nine,” the group of activists who landed on Kaho`olawe in 1976 in opposition to military bombings, which they were successful in halting.

Ritte was also a member of the 1978 Constitutional Convention and supported the formation of OHA. He helped author Article XII Sec. 7 of the Hawaii State Constitution, which codified Native Hawaiian cultural and gathering rights.…

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