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1 CommentsMolokai Halau Victorious
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Community Contributed
By Kim Markham
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With over 26 halau presenting hulas in various divisions, it was a very long day for Molokai’s senior citizens who were scheduled for the last performance of the evening. In fact, the audience and judges seemed a little sleepy by the time Molokai was finally called to stage. Once again Raymond and the band pitched a fast and jazzy version of Hilo E. Not surprised this time, Na Kupuna o Moana came out strong, whirling and twirling their ti leaf skirts and executing precise moves. The audience woke up quickly and many in the audience jumped to their feet clapping in time with the music. With huge smiles, our Molokai dancers thrilled over 1,000 spectators who gave a standing ovation before the dance was even finished.
After five judges tallied their scores based on the dancers’ movements, appearances, costumes, flowers, and expressions, the decisions were announced. Molokai’s Men took third place for their performance of Kaulana Molokai. Molokai’s Men and Women Combined won first place for Hilo E. Na Kupuna o Moana wish to thank everyone who made the exciting trip to Kona possible by purchasing pizza tickets, candy, plants, baked goods, soup and lucky number tickets from halau members throughout the past year of fundraising. Na Kupuna also wish to thank their beloved kumu Aunty Moana and Aunty Raquel who spend so many hours teaching beautiful hula to keep their students young and smiling, no matter how old they are!
Are You Ready for Some Football?
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Anticipation is building for Molokai High School’s (MHS) newly minted football team as the players gear up for their first scrimmage on Oct. 2 against Seabury Hall and St. Anthony high schools on Maui.
“This is huge,” said Hanohano Naehu, assistant coach. “We keep telling the boys there’s been no team since 50 years ago.”
For the past six weeks, the team of about 20 guys has been practicing drills, plays and fundamentals – without full padding or helmets. Head Coach Mike Kahale said the team will be receiving more equipment this week, but will have to borrow St. Anthony’s helmets for this weekend’s games.
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Naehu, who works with the team’s defensive end, sees big things in MHS’ football future.
“I would put our kids up against anyone, anytime, anywhere,” he added.
After this weekend’s scrimmage, the team is tentatively scheduled to head back to Maui to play the same two teams on Oct. 23. Kahale said the goal is to host a scrimmage on island this year, but will be determined based on funding.
MHS Seniors Kill It
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With a gym full of animated spectators donning green shirts and faces, the Molokai High School (MHS) girls’ volleyball team brought Seabury Hall to its knees in two consecutive wins last weekend.
The undefeated Lady Farmers celebrated senior night at The Barn on Friday by shutting out the Spartans in a 25-16, 25-19, 25-16 victory.
“[Seabury Hall] was better competition,” Coach Matt Helm said. “Seabury did a great job defending. They kept us on our toes, which is what we need.”
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But playing off-island will not slow down the momentum the Farmers have displayed on Molokai’s court.
“We’re going to expect anything,” Ritte-Camara said. “We’ll be prepared.”
Mateo Re-election Challenge Dismissed
A Second Circuit Court judge threw out the challenge to Maui County Council Chairman Danny Mateo’s candidacy last week, saying he didn’t have authority to rule on the case.
At a hearing Sept. 16, Judge Joel August said the case was in the jurisdiction of the Hawaii Supreme Court. Attorney Lance Collins said in an interview he plans to file a new challenge with the Supreme Court this week.
His client, Nellie Laird-Woods of Lahaina, had filed the petition seeking to disqualify Mateo, who represents Molokai on the county council, from November’s ballot, arguing another full term and he would exceed the five-term limit.
Kalaupapa Celebrates Aloha
The small, isolated community of Kalaupapa didn’t let their size stop them from throwing a grand party on Sept. 1 for the settlement’s third annual Night of Aloha. Patients, staff and topside folk celebrated with festive music, hula and stomachs full of ono food.
“It went absolutely beautiful,” said Ziana Kaulia, a Department of Health employee who organized the event. Kaulia said she started the event in 2008 after hearing some of Kalaupapa’s patients talk about the Aloha Weeks they used to have decades ago.
“They were never able to participate in the court,” Kaulia said. “That’s why I wanted to start something like this, so the patients could participate and be in the court.”
Maunaloa School Stays Open
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Maunaloa Elementary School turned 73 this year, and – after some trepidation about its future – will make it to 74.
The Department of Education (DOE) was looking to close the school under an economical proposal that would have sent its 71 students to Kaunakakai Elementary School roughly 18 miles away.
But the Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously last Thursday to keep the west end school open with its full staff intact on the recommendations of Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi and a board committee.
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“I just feel ecstatic,” said Lana Freeman, a fourth-grade teacher at Maunaloa. “It’s a relief that it’s finally all said and done.”
The vote followed a nearly two-year study and public scoping period that drew a large and vocal crowd of Maunaloa supporters. In the final weeks leading to the decision, both Complex Area Superintendant Lindsay Ball and Matayoshi changed their original recommendations.
Initially, both had suggested to keep the school open but without a full-time principal. Ball and Matayoshi recently adjusted their recommendations to leave the campus and its full staff untouched.
With about a dozen Molokai residents watching the meeting, held at Maui High School, through live streaming Thursday night in Maunaloa’s cafeteria, the board voted without debate.
“The voices of Molokai were heard,” said John Penebacker, the chairman of the Committee on Administrative Services. Penebacker’s committee submitted the report stating that Maunaloa School should not be consolidated with Kaunakakai.
The essence of the consolidation proposal boiled down to money. State officials estimated the DOE could save at least $270,000 annually if Maunaloa was shut down. But pure economic benefit was not enough to bring the school to its knees.
“Students’ needs are more critical than annual savings,” said retired educator Rose Yamada, who also chaired the island’s consolidation task force.
Happy Faces
When Maunaloa’s only school was first identified as a viable candidate for closure, community members drew their battle swords to stave off DOE’s intentions.
“We have to fight for our kids because they’re all we have,” said Judy Caparida, a Ho`olehua resident. “What affects west end affects everybody on the island.”
The school sits at the heart of a rural, geographically distant community, whose pride runs deep, and perseverance stands firm. But for a town that has endured multiple challenges including job losses and business closures, the prospect of their neighborhood school closing brought no small measure of pain.
“We shouldn’t be shot in the knees,” said Dart Bicoy at a BOE meeting last month. “We’re already on our knees.”
Parents flooded public hearings held on the matter, stating their children thrived in small classrooms with individualized attention. Still, the threat of closure came despite Maunaloa students improving dramatically on state tests, having complied with all targets on the Adequately Yearly Progress for the No Child Left Behind policy.
After months of fighting and pleading for its school, the community proved to be instrumental in its survival. Last week, glum faces transformed into ones expressing joy and relief.
“This means that we have hope,” said Wendy Espaniola, a sixth-grade teacher at Maunaloa. “Hope for the future.
“My husband went to this school and my children, so it means a lot to us.”
Elly Abafo’s family has seen four generations attend Maunaloa School. A former student herself, Abafo’s mother and son also attended, and now her grandson, Royden.
“Before my mother passed away, she said this is a school we need to keep forever,” Abafo said, as her eyes began to swell with tears.
While some parents and teachers smiled with ease, kids squealed with excitement.
“I’m so happy I don’t have to move and get to see my best friends everyday!” exclaimed sixth-grader Kaimana Escobar.
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Mango Season Not Pau
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Community Contributed
By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
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Mango is not without its problems. Of the tens of thousands of flowers it bears, less than a fraction of 1 percent will actually make it to harvest. With the challenges of four to five months of growing from flower to mature fruit, they face serious diseases and other maladies along the way. Powdery mildew, a whitish fungus, favors dry cool weather and can destroy all the flowers. Anthracnose, a blackish fungus that favors wet weather, can destroy both flowers and even mature fruits. The mango weevil will bore into the fruit and seed through the stem or pedicel of the mango, ruining a good mango. Fruit flies, especially the Oriental Fruit Fly, will inject its eggs into a half-ripe or mature fruit and rot it. Another common problem is jelly seed, where the flesh around the seed gets translucent and will ferment, imparting a bad taste to a good mango. After all is said and done, it’s amazing we can still find edible mangoes on our trees.
Mango varieties recommended for Hawaii face rigorous testing at UH Research Stations throughout the state. Unfortunately, we have no research stations on Molokai. Some of the recommended varieties for Hawaii include Fairchild, Gouviea, Harders, Keitt, Manzanillo, Momi K, Pope, Rapoza, and Molokai’s own Ah Ping. These are considered regular bearers, and will bear a good crop each year. Others, such as Haden, have an alternate bearing habit and will bear heavy one year, with a light crop the next. Still, a great Haden is hard to beat. Some varieties, such as Exel, Mapulehu, and Pirie require ideal mango weather only found in Molokai’s mango belt to grow well. In wetter areas, only a few varieties will perform well, including Fairchild and Rapoza since they appear to have some tolerance to anthracnose. New varieties are brought in from Florida and southeast Asia, and some do very well in Hawaii, but until they’re tested over a long period of time, you really cannot determine if they will match up to what we already grow.
There are also many excellent unnamed varieties on Molokai, and part of this is due to the presence of the old Hawaii Sugar Planters Experimental Station at Mapulehu where there are about 40 acres of mango, including many rare Indian varieties, such as Mulgoba, Sandersha, Alphonso, Bombay Green, and others. Many residents have planted seedlings, and now have a new variety. Common mango is still a local favorite because it’s a heavy bearer, will bear off season, can be eaten ripe or picked green and made into pickled mango, a local treat.
A friend, Henry Pali Jr. mentioned to me that he believes mango was the fruit in the Garden of Eden because it made man go. Enjoy it while it lasts, because when there’s no mango, you’ll be craving for just one more.
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