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Author Archives: Catherine Cluett Pactol

Schonely Awarded for Sports Reporting

Monday, June 4th, 2018

Schonely Awarded for Sports Reporting

 

The Molokai Dispatch’s sports reporter Rick Schonely was awarded by Molokai High School for his collaboration efforts with the school and highlighting student athlete accomplishments. Schonely was among a handful of community members and organizations honored with the school’s No Ka Heke award at a luncheon last week.

“Molokai High School acknowledges the contributions and collaboration efforts of our community partners in conveying the school’s vision and mission,” reads the award. “This award is given to our community partners who exemplify ‘No Ka Heke’ spirit of being ‘Molokai Mo Better.'”

Schonely writes weekly sports stories in The Molokai Dispatch, films Sports Report videos on social media, and sometimes even accompanies teams to off-island sporting events.…

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Celebrating the Class of 2018

Wednesday, May 30th, 2018

Celebrating the Class of 2018

 

Nearly half of this year’s Class of 2018 graduated from Molokai High School with college credits under their belt. This and many other achievements were celebrated last Friday evening by the 85 graduating seniors along with their families, friends, teachers, community members and dignitaries.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard joined the celebration, offering words of wisdom in her opening address.

“The details of every step along your future path are actually less important than answering the one very important question, which is, ‘What is your ‘why?’ What is your purpose? What is your motivation?’ she told the seniors. “Understanding your own personal answer to that is critical.”…

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Sports Year Wraps Up with Banquet

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

Sports Year Wraps Up with Banquet

 

The accomplishments of this year’s Molokai High School student athletes were honored by the Athletic Department at their annual Athletic Recognition Banquet last Wednesday night at the MHS Cafeteria. After a nice roast pork dinner, served by Mikes Catering, all our student athletes and coaches were recognized by Athletic Director Lee DeRouin and his staff. The evening started off with the Parade of Athletes, in which all classes were recognized and athletes were introduced.

In a separate event earlier last week on Maui, eight Molokai student athletes were honored among this year’s Sports Spotlight Student Athletes, a program sponsored by Alexander and Baldwin.…

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Tsunami Fears ‘Unfounded’

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

 

With the continuing volcano and earthquake activity on Hawaii Island, many Molokai residents have their bags packed, ready to run for higher ground in case a tsunami is triggered. But Cindi Preller, duty scientist and geologist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said that scenario is highly unlikely.

“The tsunami fears being propagated are unfounded,” she said. “The likelihood of a collapse from Kilauea is super low. The scary scenario that people are referring to is Mauna Loa [which is not currently erupting]. Kilauea has a buttress of sediment on the ocean floor… even if it does slide, it wouldn’t slide very far.”…

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Landfill Expansion Planned

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

 

Molokai’s landfill is looming larger each year, and the existing facility is slated to reach capacity by mid-2020. Maui County’s Dept. of Environmental Management is now proposing a $6.5 million plan to add two new disposal cells to the Molokai Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility in Na`iwa that would bury the island’s waste disposal needs until 2038.

The two-phase expansion of disposal cells would increase the size of the existing 11.6 acre landfill to 18.4 acres. Phase 5 is projected for development in 2019 and Phase 6 would be completed in 2024. The project also includes relocating the existing green waste facility to another location at the landfill, as it currently exists where Phase 6 is planned.…

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Community Plan Nears Finalization

Wednesday, May 16th, 2018

 

The plan that will guide Molokai’s next 20 years is nearing completion after a lengthy update process — and residents had a lot to say last week. The Molokai Island Community Plan Update is slated for finalization and adoption by the Maui County Council at the end of June.

The Council’s Planning Committee has made revisions to the draft plan, and Planning Committee Chair Kelly King visited Molokai last Monday to talk to the community about the plan’s updates — the latest in a series of meetings she and Molokai Councilmember Stacy Crivello have held over the last months.

King said several themes struck her when reading the plan, like the importance of maintaining Molokai’s rural character.…

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Discuss Molokai Plan Final Draft on Monday

Sunday, May 6th, 2018

 

Maui County News Release

Maui County Councilmember Kelly King, chair of the Council’s Planning Committee, will present the proposed final draft of the Molokai Community Plan on Molokai from 5-7 p.m., Monday May 7 at the Mitchell Pauole Center. This is the latest in a series of informal meetings to gather with community members who will directly be impacted by the update to the existing 2001 Molokai Community Plan. The date extension passed by the Council late last year states June 30 as the deadline for final passage of the Plan. Throughout the process, community input was a driving force.

Along with Councilmember Stacy Crivello, King invites the community to come talk story and share any concerns about the few major changes made after more than a year of committee meetings, community input and additional workshops and visits to speak directly with the community.…

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Keiki Fest with a Cause

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018

Keiki Fest with a Cause

 

Molokai’s first Keiki Fest brought a crowd to Mitchell Pauole Center last Saturday for games, food, educational booths and services. It also raised awareness for a special cause. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and organizers of the first annual event — who wore blue in honor of the nationally recognized month — said the festival’s goal is to both celebrate keiki and raise awareness of the cause.

“We’re trying to take away the negative [connotations of prevention] and bring the positive,” said Tylor Tanaka, one of 12 members of the Community Action Team that organized Keiki Fest.

Tanaka said the event drew even more attendance than expected and its success will help them plan for an even bigger event next year.…

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Drawing the Line on Sea Level Rise

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018

Drawing the Line on Sea Level Rise

By Audrey Newman, Community Reporter

A team of committed students, teachers and community members participated in the statewide Blue Line Project to “draw the line on climate change” and raise community awareness of sea level rise projections for Molokai last Saturday.   Sust`aina ble Molokai helped volunteers create a temporary blue line of ocean images and climate change messages along Kamehameha V Highway in front of Duke Maliu Regional Park to show the area vulnerable to permanent flooding in the next 40 years.  

“We chalked in a blue line to show where the new shoreline will be if we don’t take drastic measures [to address] climate change, sea level rise, and carbon emissions,” explained Vicki Newberry, team leader for Aka`ula School. …

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Kamehameha Schools Funds Aka`ula Scholarships

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018

Kamehameha Schools Funds Aka`ula Scholarships

 

A new agreement between Kamehameha Schools (KS) and Molokai’s Aka`ula School will allow more children to attend Aka`ula through financial assistance provided by KS. The agreement was signed last week and the scholarship, called Ho`okahi Ka `Ilau (“wield the paddles together”), will offer tuition assistance and other support for Molokai students demonstrating financial need to attend the small, independent school for students in grades five through 12.

“Today is going to be a game changer for our school,” said Dara Lukonen, Aka`ula School principal, in a KS press release last week. “This partnership with Kamehameha Schools is going to allow us to offer opportunities to students we have not been able to reach yet.”…

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