Author Archives: Catherine Cluett

Higher Education

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

MEC gets funds for land acquisition.

A depiction of Phase 1 and 2 of the MEC campus shows the current buildings to the left of the dashed diagonal line in the picture’s left half. The portion to the right of the line shows Phase 2 on the three acres of land to be acquired.

By Catherine Cluett

Molokai boasts many successful college graduates, and now, thanks to $500,000 recently allocated by the state legislature to expand the Molokai Education Center (MEC), students will have more opportunities to complete their education right here on Molokai.

The three-acre land acquisition project was at the top of Senator Kalani English and Representative Mele Carroll’s legislative priority lists this year, according to Donna Haytko-Paoa, MEC’s Coordinator and Professor. She said the development project is phase two of the campus’ original plan, expanding the current two-acre campus to five acres.

“I’m just thrilled that it came through,” said Haytko-Paoa.

A Bigger Spread
The land earmarked for acquisition extends to the border of the adjacent Duke Maliu Park. It is currently owned by Molokai Ranch and leased by Monsanto. Phase one, which is the current 10,000 square-foot building, opened its doors in 1999.

Haytko-Paoa said the phase two facilities could include a science classroom and lab, more offices, another computer classroom and a large lecture hall. She added she also hopes plans will include a theatre or auditorium which could serve as the center of performing arts and culture on Molokai. But classroom space is currently spread thin, and Haytko-Paoa said additional classrooms will be the priority of the project.

“What makes it all worth while is the students and the results,” said Haytko-Paoa.

Growing Student Body
Haytko-Paoa said the Molokai campus’ average enrollment is 225-250 community college students per semester, not including the 25-30 students in Bachelor and Masters programs. She said enrollment is already way ahead of what it was this time last year.

“When the economy is bad, people go to school. When it’s good, people go to work,” said Haytko-Paoa.

The value of the land is not yet established. MEC, the Maui Community College’s Molokai campus, is a branch of the University of Hawaii (UH) and Haytko-Paoa said UH will assess and negotiate the property’s fair market value with Molokai Ranch. She said leftover funds from the $500,000 allocated for the acquisition will go back to the legislature.

There is currently no time frame set for construction. But once phase two is built, Haytko-Paoa said she expects enrollment to increase immediately by 50 percent. The more you can offer, she explained, the more you can get. Haytko-Paoa said the college’s current limited resources restrict the opportunities it can afford its students.

A History of Hard Work
In 2007, money for the land acquisition was on the wish list of both Senator English and Representative Carroll, but went no further, according to Haytko-Paoa. Finally, the funding went through legislature at the end of last month, and Haytko-Paoa credits Molokai’s “dire straits” as well as support showed by the University of Hawaii system.

The 1992 Molokai Community Plan set aside 15 acres for Maui Community College Molokai campus, and Haytko-Paoa has not lost sight of the big picture.

“We’re still holding out for 15 acres,” she said. “If you don’t have dreams, what do you have?”

Haytko-Paoa said the college’s long term vision is for a full-service campus that includes marine research, visual arts, culinary arts, and nursing training facilities, as well as a cafeteria and students’ gathering place.

“Just because we’re from Molokai, doesn’t mean we don’t have the faculty and students to excel,” she said.

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Filmmaker to Feature Molokai High School

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

will blow people’s minds.”

Bryan was back on Molokai two weeks ago for Molokai High School’s 43rd reunion. The 75th anniversary of the school is not until 2014, but the commemorative DVD will be released before then, and Bryan has already begun doing interviews with MHS alumni.

Bryan is enthusiastic when he talks about creating a documentary about Molokai’s high school and how it affected the lives of its graduates. Molokai may be small, but for Bryan, that’s the beauty of it.

“There is no small project or big project for me,” Bryan says. “It’s not about the money.”

If you are an alumni, past administrator or staff of Molokai High School and would like to contribute your memories to Bryan’s film, please call Allen Ashitomi at 553-5448 to reserve an interview session.

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Don’t Miss the Poetry

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Kaunakakai students showcase their talents

Payton, grade 2, shows off one of her pieces of art and poetry.

By Catherine Cluett

Still clad in his baseball uniform, Kaunakakai School fourth grader Erik ran into the cafeteria after practice. It was the second annual Poetry Explosion, an event that showcases student works of art and poetry. A few minutes later, Erik strode to the microphone to read one of his poems, entitled “Ode to Baseball.”

He was one of many elementary students to take the mic and share their talents last Friday afternoon. Cafeteria walls and tables were covered in a vibrant display of student work.

One of the pieces made by budding poet and artist, second grade student Payton, is a colorful depiction of butterflies, accompanied by a poem that describes the life of a butterfly: “Butterflies fly in the grassy green meadows and search for sweet nectar.”

“The best part was the painting,” she said. “I did the painting before the poem.”

Third and fourth grade teacher Heidi Jenkins said the art and writing processes are very similar, and the development of a piece varies with each student. She encourages students to let their work sit and come back later to add the finishing touches.

Kanani, grade 4, explained her process of writing poetry. “I just think really hard and write it down, then I think about formatting it.”

One wall of the Kaunakakai School cafeteria was covered with glowing drawings of ukuleles with accompanying “Ode to Ukulele” poems. Teacher Alestra Menendez said this year, third graders made their own ukuleles, and the art, writing, and woodworking all tied together.

“I told them odes are an exaggeration of how you adore something,” she said.

The results are often breathtaking.

“Ukulele, ‘ukulele / Oh, your body looks like a hula dancer / dancing the night away,” wrote one student, Kyra, about her instrument.

Family, faculty and students of Kaunakakai School also enjoyed live music from the Anahaki Blend band and a chance to view student-produced award-winning Public Service Announcements that were also shown at this year’s Earth Day celebration.

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Keeping Water on Tap

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

New law ensures continued water utilities

By Catherine Cluett

Many Molokai residents and lawmakers have wondered in the past year what would happen if Molokai Ranch terminated its water utility services. House Bill 1061, signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle last week, helps to banish some of the nightmare scenarios. By authorizing the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to appoint a temporary entity to take over operation of water utilities in an emergency situation, the bill ensures uninterrupted service for the utility’s customers.

“We wanted to ensure that if consumer’s welfare was in jeopardy, we would be able to act in haste,” said Catherine Awakuni, Director of the Division of Consumer Advocacy, who submitted testimony in favor of the bill. “We don’t want people to be without water service.”

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Remembering the Heroes

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Molokai Veterans of Foreign Wars observe Memorial Day

By Catherine Cluett

Joining hands and voices to sing “Hawaii Aloha”, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3870 and their families and friends gathered to remember those who gave their lives in service to the country at a Memorial Day service last Saturday.

VFW Quartermaster David Nanod read a list of those Molokai Veterans of Foreign Wars who died in service, and Adjutant Albert Pu rang a bell after each name.

One of those names was Capt. Robert Caliboso. Nanod told the group it was never known how these men died, but not long ago, he found Caliboso’s story. He was killed on March 5, 1966 in Vietnam, shot down while piloting a helicopter that had delivered ammunition. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and inducted into the U.S. Army Museum’s Gallery of Heroes last month.

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Barn Party

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Among the honors and recognitions given out that night were the 2009 winners of the Albert and Evan Inaba Scholarships. Receiving the $2000 Academic Scholarships were graduating seniors Colton Manley, Jerome Clemente, and Estrella Madani. Justes Davis and Leya-Justina Luafalemana were awarded the $500 Albert and Evan Inaba Vocational Scholarship.
MHS Principal Linda Puleloa and Vice Principal Earl Nakamura, both retiring on June 30 of this year, were among the staff and faculty honored.
The Reunion committee would like to thank following people and organizations for their contributions to the reunion meal: Patrick and Denise Kawano, Kevin Misaki of Misaki’s, Jeff Egusa of Friendly Market Center, Sonya Yuen of Kualapu`u Market and Blossom Poepoe of Kanemitsu Bakery.

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Lawful Visitation

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Kalaupapa discusses enforcement of visitor regulations.

By Catherine Cluett

Whether it’s for the sheer beauty of the landscape, the feeling of walking in Father Damien’s footsteps, visiting the unmarked graves of ohana or the thrill of hiking the highest sea cliffs in the world, Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai’s north shore is quickly becoming a popular destination for Molokai residents and tourists alike.

Visitors are welcome to Kalaupapa, but out of respect to the patient community, protocol must be followed, according to Acting Administrator Tim Richmond at a settlement meeting last week. There are only two ways both topside residents and off-island visitors may make the trip: sponsorship by a patient or employee, or through Damien tours. As requested by the patients, visitors must display their visitor pass during their stay on the peninsula.

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Interconnection of Molokai’s Water Systems Proposed

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

By Catherine Cluett
If there is one problem all Molokai residents agree on, it is water. Once an island of many streams and clear wells, Molokai has become a place where large-scale agriculture competes with Hawaiian homesteaders, one water utility lobbies against the other, and every year, another well seems to go brackish. But Maui County has gathered its experts and rallied Molokai residents to look for solutions by drafting a new Water Use and Development Plan for the island.
Carl Freedman, a consultant for the County Department of Water Supply (DWS), has proposed the connecting of all Molokai’s water systems. He said interconnection was first proposed back in the 80’s and that the idea is being put back on the table in the process of examining options for meeting Molokai’s water demand.
Interconnection is just one of many strategies being looked at in meeting water supply objectives for DHHL, agriculture, domestic, cultural and commercial needs. Planning includes restoring and maintaining healthy streams, protecting watershed areas and aquifers, providing economical water supplies, and promoting efficient and sustainable water use. Developing new water sources and improving on existing systems through better maintenance are just two of the other options toward achieving these goals.
The System
Molokai’s potable water supply is run by several different systems and entities. Those are the County DWS systems, the DHHL potable system, and private systems of Kawela Plantation, Molokai Ranch’s Molokai Public Utilities and Wai`ola, and small, privately owned systems. The state-run Molokai Irrigation System (MIS) operates the agricultural water system. Freedman’s interconnection strategy would leave only the MIS system and an interconnected potable water system inexistence.
Freedman points out that many of the well systems are being over-pumped, contributing to an increase in chlorides (salt) found in systems like DHHL’s .
Most systems also show high amounts of unaccounted-for water loss. The losses, explained Freedman, can mean anything from old, unmetered hookups to leaks in the pipelines. A recent audit and analysis of the DWS’s Kalae system proved very successful. Within one week, 40 percent of system losses were identified including a broken valve and leaks in the tank. The plan explains reduction of losses is promising for Molokai’s water systems.
Possible Shortcomings
One potential flaw of the proposed interconnecting system is its reliance on surface water. Surface water, explains Freedman, is water that has not yet percolated into the ground – or simply put: diverted streams. Surface water needs to be treated through filtration, while ground water only needs to be disinfected, according to Freedman. He says economically, the water treatment is less expensive than pumping it from ground sources. But, he adds, increased use of surface water is “at odds with the stream restoration concept.”
The Ranch Equation
As Molokai resident DeGray Vanderbilt pointed out, it is hard to think about interconnecting water systems when one of the biggest players in the equation “is not at the table.”
But Freedman has an even bigger concern. Molokai Ranch, which operates Molokai Public Utilities and Wai`ola systems, has indicated its desire to find another entity to run its water utilities. But, according to Freedman, the Ranch has not said whether its surface water system in Molokai’s Kamakou mountain range would be included in the deal. If the Ranch plans to retain the mountain system, Molokai could lose the half a million gallons per day that currently come from that source.
Connecting the Dots
The plan suggests management of the system could happen in one of three ways – the system could operate through a coordination agreement of existing utilities, a transfer of some systems to the County, or by establishing a municipal water district. But any way you look at it, Freedman said one of the proposal’s biggest hurdles is interconnecting the institutions along with the physical pipes.
Another potential downfall of the plan, he said, is its treatment of MIS non-potable surface water for potable uses. A statute governing the MIS system requires 2/3 availability to DHHL users. Freedman said right now, any homesteader can get a meter and use as much water as they want. But 2007-2008 records show that 83 percent of the system’s 3.2 million gallon per day production went to non-homestead agricultural use.
According to Freedman, non-homestead agriculture on the island, such as Monsanto, could be “on the margin” in the future if either MIS water was treated for potable uses or homestead usage increased significantly.
Local Input
“There is already no extra water in the MIS system,” said Molokai resident and Planning Commission member Lori Buchanan.
“Interconnection might not be such a bad idea if we can work out the kinks,” said Molokai Planner Nancy McPherson. She cited decentralization and better water distribution as positive elements. “Long term, it’s the best solution,” she added, “but I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Ellen Kraftsow of the Department of Water Supply said she would like to see a cost analysis before considering the option of interconnection further.
“How would those costs translate back to consumers?” asked Vanderbilt.
Right now, many questions remain unanswered. But Freedman said he will continue to explore the idea of interconnection to include in the draft, though it many not be part of the DWS’s final recommendations.
“If nothing else, interconnection raises important policy questions that lawmakers should be aware of,” he said.

A hypothetical map of what Molokai’s water systems would look like if the option to connect existing systems is implemented. The MIS system would remain, and the other systems would be combined. Courtesy of Carl Freedman.

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Molokai’s Car Rental Industry in Flux

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

By Catherine Cluett

As Budget and Dollar Rent-a-Car companies announced the closure of their Molokai locations in March, Alamo announced its arrival on the island on June 1. Alamo is on track to open their new Molokai airport location at the beginning of next month, confirmed Paul Kopel, Alamo's vice president and general manager for Hawai’i, last week. At that time, the company will also begin construction on one of the two existing rental car properties, according to Kopel.

Alamo does not plan to bring anyone in from off-island to staff the Molokai location, said Kopel. Local employees of Budget and Dollar were offered jobs with Alamo, and Kopel said those positions will be announced this week.

One Molokai employee of Dollar estimated about 95 percent of the company’s local workers have sought jobs with Alamo.

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Giving Generously

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Molokai Cancer Fund reaches fundraising goals at 5K race and luncheon.
Oahu musicians Eric Lee and Sonny Kalua played at the Molokai Cancer Fund luncheon last Saturday at the Molokai Museum. Photo by DeGray Vanderbilt.
By Melissa Kelsey
After the Molokai Cancer Fund ran out of money to help patients last year, volunteers knew that the non-profit needed a new fundraising strategy. The result was a day packed full of festivities in Kualapu`u last Saturday in a successful effort to draw a crowd.
The Molokai Cancer Fund raised more than $15,000 throughout the day and met their goals for the fundraiser, according to Treasurer Cissy Ellertsen. Approximately 500 people attended.
Early risers started the day off with a 5K race at Coffees of Hawaii. Molokai High School teacher and runner Rodney Nelson finished first with a time of 45:30, followed by 66 other participants who ran or walked.
To raise money, race participants sought individuals to sponsor their effort. Those who raised $10 received a free raffle ticket and those who raised $20 received two free raffle tickets. Ambitious competitors who raised $100 or more were rewarded with a free month long membership to Na Pu`uwai gym. Event organizers hoped the race would not only benefit cancer patients, but also boost the community’s health by encouraging exercise, according to Kristin Hirsch, the Molokai Cancer Fund volunteer who orchestrated the race.
Later that day, plates of Chinese food were sold at the Molokai Museum for $20 per plate. The meal also featured a silent auction, raffle and live music by Melveen Leed, Eric Lee and Sonny Kalua. The food plates were so popular that they sold out, according to event attendee DeGray Vanderbilt.
“The day was an outpouring of support from the community,” said Hirsch. “People would ask what they could do to help.”
The Molokai Cancer Fund helps Molokai cancer patients pay for airfare to off-island doctor appointments. As a result of the race and luncheon, volunteers estimate that the fund will be able to provide at least two round-trip tickets for every patient who seeks help this year, according to Ellertsen.
“The money will stay in Molokai to be used for air transportation for people to visit their doctors,” said Ellertsen. “The money will be saved for Molokai people.”
The 5K race was coordinated by Hirsch, in cooperation with Na Pu`uwai native Hawaiian care system, Kukui Ahi, Coffees of Hawaii, the State of Hawaii Highways Division and the County of Maui Police Department. The luncheon was organized by a variety of volunteer committees.