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Ruby in the Rough

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Ruby in the Rough

On Dec. 19, 2009, Ruby Villa-Nueva made a critical call that would reunite 10 family members to fulfill one purpose: to give back to the island of Molokai.

“It was a spiritual mission,” Villa-Nueva said of recently-opened Aunty Ruby’s Café on Ala Malama Avenue. “We all have a common interest in serving people. We wanted to use our different skills and bring back what was good.”

Eight of the 10 Villa brothers and sisters moved back to Molokai to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, five of which moved back from Maui and Oahu within the last three months.

“I wasn’t going to [open a restaurant] if all 10 weren’t in,” added Villa-Nueva, co-owner of Aunty Ruby’s.

has definitely brought back the good food and feeling of the Mid Nite Inn,” Umi said. “It was family-run, too. I think people appreciate that.”

Even into the late evening hours, laughter beckons from the café doors, luring in passersby who long to join in on the celebration and consumption of delectable treats made by Royce Villa. His skills have landed him gigs all over the globe – especially for his wedding cake designs, which can be ordered through the café.

“I learned everything I know from my mom,” said Royce Villa, whose baking experience spans 15 years. “I also went to culinary school and traveled to many places where I’ve picked up on different techniques. I love making exquisite desserts with a bite.”

Within two months, the café plans to expand with a surprise addition – one that will utilize Royce’s baking talents.

Family Affair
The family connection with Ala Malama Avenue began long before Villa-Nueva became inspired to open a restaurant.

It was in 1975 that her grandparents, Julien and Louisa Torres, opened the Torres Thread Shop, occupying the same building as the café, but closed about five years later. Soon thereafter, Hop Inn, a classic Molokai eatery specializing in Chinese food, took over the building and gained local popularity throughout the heyday of pineapples. It closed some 20 years ago.

As fate would have it, the vacant rundown building, leased to the Villa `ohana by Union Leasing Corp, would become home to Aunty Ruby’s Café.

“The opportunity just opened up,” Villa-Nueva said. “It’s amazing, the timing, how it all came together.”

The Villas also have family ties with the Store House, a shop nestled alongside the café that offers wholesale goods, whose `ohana runs the establishment.

At Aunty Ruby’s, Umi said he hopes to blend all generations, leaving a Villa legacy.

“We have the first-generation mentors, but we have the second generation bringing in new, unique styles,” he said. “We want them to take their ideas and run with it.”

As for the recession that has seen the entire state littered with dead restaurants and vacant buildings? Umi said he hopes to see Aunty Ruby’s defy gravity by not only managing to survive the economic downturn, but by thriving.

“There is a recession all over but we choose not to be apart of it,” he added. “We want to bring healing to the community.”

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Olympic Hurdles

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Olympic Hurdles

Molokai’s Special Olympic athletes have been bringing home the gold. After an impressive showing at qualifying rounds in Maui last month, the athletes are gearing up to take on the state’s top competition at the annual Summer Games this weekend in Honolulu. But even though they’re racking in the medals, the program is hurting for dollars and cents.

“They are improving each year and today they’re getting all gold medals,” said Donna Kapu, a member of the `Ohana Task Force, a volunteer league that helps coordinate events and fundraising.

Molokai swimmers took top honors in the breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle individual events and the team freestyle relay at the Maui qualifiers April 17-18.

Track and field athlete Ernest Kapu, Jr. came in first in the 200 meter race and shot put competition and said he was excited to be going to Honolulu.

“I’m gonna try to do my best,” he explained.

Over 20 athletes -- softball players, swimmers, weight lifters and track and field athletes -- will leave for the Games Friday morning, along with coaches, volunteers and partner athletes. Partner athletes are those without special needs that play alongside Special Olympics athletes in team sports, according to Rita Kalahiki, Special Olympics Molokai Area Director. The Molokai athletes range in age from elementary school to late thirties and compete in divisions based on abilities, age and gender.

The Summer Games are a highlight for many involved.

“Just to see them smile and interact and feel like any other normal person -- it’s wonderful,” said Donna Kapu.

Funding Trials
As they head into the Games hoping for victory, Special Olympics Molokai is grappling with one major defeat: Last month, the program was denied a Maui County grant it had received the last six years, according to Kalahiki.

In the past, the grant, which awards $56,000 over two years, was used to cover travel and administrative costs. Kalahiki said the organization must raise that money elsewhere to keep the program intact.

With three major competitions per year, plus qualifying rounds and smaller events, “an athlete can travel up to six times a year,” Kalahiki said. Roundtrip airfare costs up to $200 per athlete depending on the season. Last year, the program spent over $28,000 on travel expenses.

Without the county grant, Kalahiki said she will either have to limit the number of athletes that travel to competitions or focus more on fundraising. Donations are hard to come by in such a small community already hurt by the slow economy, she added.

Last month, six Molokai athletes went to Maui to participate in Cops on Top, a fundraiser that took place statewide. Officers from the Maui Police Department spent three days atop the Lahaina Safeway and solicited donations from customers. They came in just short of their goal of $5,000, which will go to Molokai Special Olympics.

“It’s hard,” explained Kalahiki. “You’re asking tourists and it gets to the point that you’re begging for their dollar. It’s humbling.”

Molokai Special Olympics welcomes volunteers to join as coaches and partner athletes; call Rita Kalahiki at 567-9029 to register.

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Dive In

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Maui County News Release

The early bird catches the worm – or, in this case, the world record.

Maui County is joining organizers around the world in an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for largest swimming lesson.

On Thursday, June 3, simultaneous lessons will take place at over 175 sites worldwide -- including Cooke Memorial Pool on Molokai. Participants must be registered, in position and ready to begin the lesson prior to 4:00 a.m., the official start time. Registration begins at 3 a.m. All ages are welcome and there is no cost to participate. The lesson will last 45 minutes.

Sites joining the attempt stretch from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and across North America.

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Studying the Options

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

County of Maui News Release

Mitchell Pauole Center is one of 12 Maui County facilities to be included in an energy study. The study will recommend building retrofits, identify energy saving measures, and propose sizing of renewable energy generation systems.

Through the U.S. Department of Energy, funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), also known as stimulus funds, will be used for a 90-day contract to conduct an investment-grade energy audit on County facilities. The $50,000 contract was awarded to Honolulu-based Energy Industries, LLC. 

Other facilities to be audited include the Wailuku, Paia, Lahaina, Makawao, Kihei, Kahului, Napili, Kula and Wailea fire stations, and Kaunoa and West Maui senior centers. 

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Congratu-lei-tions

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Congratu-lei-tions

The stuffy Barn hummed with excited chatter as the anticipation grew. Stragglers combed the stands for empty seats while mothers armed with digital cameras lined the aisles for the perfect vantage point. Then, with the opening bars of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the graduates began to enter -- greeted by blasting air horns and excited applause.

Saturday’s gradation ceremony brought out about 800 people to watch the Molokai High School class of 2010 graduate.

“Just look around and soak in everything because this is the end of an awesome beginning and the start of another,” Jesse Lite told his fellow graduates in his valedictorian address.

A sense of accomplishment filled the day, along with an appreciation for what the students had been through together as a class and where they are headed.

“It’s not about what you create for yourself, it’s about what you leave behind that truly defines your success,” senior class president Chenoa Na`ilikea Ahuna-Kaai said in her speech.

This year’s graduates also got a special commencement address from Miss Hawaii 2009 Raeceen Woolford.

The students’ earnest performance of Michael Jackson’s “We Are the World,” proved the highlight of the ceremony. Swaying and snapping in true gospel choir fashion, the song seemed to embody the knowledge that these students from the tiny island of Molokai will go on to make a difference in the world.

Finally it was time for the diploma presentations. The boys danced, strutted and fist-pumped their way to the podium, all trying to out-do the last, while the girls, enjoying their moment in the spotlight, walked as gracefully as their high heels would allow. Again the gym filled with air horns, cheers and camera flashes for pictures that will undoubtedly follow the graduates for years to come.

Afterward the crowd flowed outside, turning the parking lot into a swarming sea of handmade signs, flower bouquets and piled-on lei. An occasional gust of breeze ran through the lot, tugging at balloons, sending lei flying and urging the crowd to leave, but they lingered still, enjoying this very last day of school. And a good time was had by all.

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Party With D.A.R.E.

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Party With D.A.R.E.

Molokai elementary school students celebrated the end of a 10-week D.A.R.E. program with a rally on Thursday, complete with entertainers, a skit by police and a helicopter landing.

The students -- third and fifth graders from Maunaloa School, Kilohana Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary and Kualapu`u School – were treated to performances by singer Jordan Segundo and hypnotist and juggler Greg Gabaylo. For the grand finale, Maui County police put on a skit while members of the Special Response Team repelled from a landing helicopter to demonstrate a marijuana eradication mission, according to Maui County Police Department (MCPD) spokesperson Kehau Dods, who emceed the event.

D.A.R.E. – Drug Abuse Resistance Education – is a global campaign to teach children about the dangers of drug use.

“Kids are so vulnerable and come under a lot of peer pressure,” said MCPD officer Keola Tom. “This might be the program that makes them think twice about drinking or doing drugs.”

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Kalaupapa Trail Makes Headway

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

For the isolated peninsula of Kalaupapa, the trail that zigzags along its overlooking cliffs is nothing short of a lifeline. That lifeline was cut after a mudslide destroyed a section of the trail last month. Now, restoration efforts are gaining ground as workers prepare to install an approximately 65-foot bridge prefabricated in the continental U.S.

The high-grade aluminum span will replace the temporary bridge constructed on switchback No. 2 of the pali trail. To ensure maximum stability, the new bridge will be held in place by two concrete end structures as well as other stabilization techniques along its full length. 

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Living Well with Diabetes

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Maui County Office on Aging News Release

Diabetes is one of Hawaii’s most common diseases, and to help residents better manage its effects, a workshop is coming to Molokai. Ke Ola Pono will offer the program “Living Well with Diabetes” at Home Pumehana beginning on May 20. The workshops will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and run for six consecutive weeks.

“Living Well with Diabetes” shows participants how to take care of themselves and do the things necessary to manage their diabetes and related symptoms. Classes are small, allowing classmates to get to know each other and work together to achieve their health goals.  

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Answering the Call to Conserve

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Maui County Department of Water Supply News Release

Molokai keiki grow up learning that water is gold, and that philosophy stood them in good stead in the Department of Water Supply’s First Annual Water Conservation Poster Contest. Four Molokai students were contest winners in the county-wide challenge, and a fifth received honorable mention.

The contest was open to all Maui County students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The goal was to educate Maui County’s keiki on the importance of water conservation and encourage them to take an active role in ensuring the sustainability of Maui’s water supply. Winning entries and honorable mentions will be featured in the 2011 Water Conservation Calendar.

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Local Authors Honored

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Local Authors Honored

Kalele Bookstore News Release

Local authors Rachelle Maikui (Anake Snookie) and Gaellen Quinn each had books honored by the Hawaii Publishers Association at the 2010 Ka Palapla Po`okela awards held April 30th at Bishop Museum.

“Ho`okupu: An Offering of Literature by Native Hawaiian Women” (edited by Miyoku Sugano and Jackie Pualani Johnson, Mutual Publishing) won Honorable Mention in both the “Excellence in Hawaiian Culture” and “Excellence in Literature” categories. The book is a fascinating collection of the writings of contemporary Native Hawaiian women in a variety of styles. Rachelle Maikui authored the selection included in the anthology entitled, “The Birth of Mo`omomi.”

“The Last Aloha,” by Gaellen Quinn (Lost Coast Press) won the award for “Excellence in ‘Aloha from Beyond Hawaii’” (for books about Hawaii published outside Hawaii). “The Last Aloha” is historical fiction set in 19th century Hawaii during the time of the overthrow of the monarchy by American missionary descendents.  It also recently won the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association “Best Book” award in historical fiction and is a finalist in ForeWord Review’s  national “Book of the Year” award. Winners will be announced this month at Book Expo in New York City.

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