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OHA Election – Legal Yes, Fair No

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

By Steve Morgan / Hui Ho’opakele ‘Aina

As demonstrated in two consecutive elections, the residents of Molokai have clearly stated that they do not support the leadership abilities of Collette Machado.

The recent general election demonstrated widespread community support for OHA Trustee Candidate- Waipa Purdy. Running against Collette Machado, Purdy received 917 Molokai votes while Machado received 441 local votes. Despite these numbers it was Collette Machado who claimed the victory.

The problem lies in the process itself- Although OHA Trustees are selected to independently represent each of the major islands, constitutional law requires that each elected OHA official represent the same number of people. So how is this accomplished for a less populated island like Molokai? So far the legislative solution in appeasing this legal requirement has been accomplished by holding a uniform statewide election in which all of the OHA candidates are included.

The problems however become obvious. In no way does a statewide ballot assure that the real constituency is represented. Those voting off island may have little or no knowledge of specific Molokai issues yet are granted the ability to vote for the OHA Trustee representing Molokai.

Also, further complicating the vote is the involvement of special interest groups which regularly participate in statewide elections and who often have the ability to deliver large numbers of votes. Ranging from trade unions to corporate interests, it is common for these types of special interest groups to pledge support for certain candidates, depending on how they feel the candidate will support or benefit their own intentions. This type of lobbying may be common in state and national elections but is not appropriate within the realm of selecting an OHA trustee.

Waipa Purdy won the Molokai vote by more than a two to one margin and despite this landslide victory, he has been determined the looser. The fact remains that the clear voice of Molokai has been ignored!

Posted in Culture & Art, Letters, Political

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State Board of Education Community Meeting

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

When: Monday, 5 to 7 p.m
Where: Kaunakakai Elementary School Cafeteria

The meeting will address the recent consolidation discussion involving Mauanaloa Elementary and public input is encouraged.
Board of Education members Mary Cochran, Herbert Watanabe and Maggie Cox will be in attendance.

Posted in Education

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Hope for all of Us

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

Like all of my colleagues in the State Senate, as well as the Governor and the President of the Unites States, every four years I am faced with the prospect of assessing the quality of my representation of our district whether I can attract a majority of votes cast by voters. In other words, I need to get re-elected, which means everyone gets to decide whether I should be allowed to speak for you. Whatever we may think about the job we’re doing for our constituents, no elected official with any sense assumes that re-election is in the bag.

The voters—on Maui, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i, as well as across our state and our nation—have had their say. I am humbled to return to the Hawaiian Senate as your voice in the legislature. My thanks to you for your votes of confidence; we have a decisive victory and clear mandate for the next four years. Through our partnership we have created a solid momentum to turn our economy around, protect our lifestyle and become more food & energy self-reliant.

And because I realize that some of you did not vote for me, I will recommit myself to listening to everyone who takes the time to express themselves. I represent our district, not just the people who vote for me, so please feel free to bring me your concerns or comments.

We prepare fearlessly for the change that confronts us, personally, locally and nationally. We draw strength for the days ahead from our renewed national wellspring of hope.

Our country is jubilant as Barack Obama prepares to assume the role of America’s 44^th President, and it seems that most of the world shares our sense of renewal. Yet, we must keep our focus on the days ahead. Nationally and internationally, one of our greatest challenges will be healing the divisions that have hung between us the past few years. Some days it feels as if our nation’s economy will crumble around our ears. Our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters continue to fight and die in the Middle East. Our greatest hope may lie in the fact that we now have a new, unifying figure to join us together in doing what we must as a nation.

Here at home, we face similar challenges as our economy slows, threatening jobs and our primary economic engine, tourism. Having enjoyed so many years of economic prosperity, we must now take on the challenge of guiding our state through rocky times.

I stand ready to lead our beloved district on our journey into the future. We have already organized the Senate, and I will assume the Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Transportation, Intergovernmental and International Affairs, as well as the Vice Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Energy & the Environment. Additionally, I will sit as a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee.

With my heartfelt thanks for your continued confidence, and my commitment to do what is best for the people of our state and our district, I invite all of you to play a part in helping to build the future we want for ourselves and our next generation. And even as we look toward our new president as a figure of hope, we should remind ourselves that the real source of hope is right here. We are the hope, together.

Posted in Letters, Political

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Honeymoon Yields Job

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Humane Society gets new vet.

By Sean Aronson

There is a new veterinarian in town, and this time she may be here for good.

Dr. Tina Rodgers has joined the staff at the Molokai Humane Society. She recently moved to Molokai with her husband and is hoping to make the change permanent.

“I really like Hawaii and would love to make a go of it here,” said Rodgers.

She first came to Molokai on her honeymoon a few months ago and even pitched in a few days at the clinic. It was such a wonderful experience she decided to come back.

Rodgers received her veterinary degree from Ross University in the Caribbean and has been practicing for the last three years in New York.

Rodgers urges all residents to get their dogs and cats spayed and neutered - the most common operations she does. She also performs surgeries on animals injured by cars and even some attacked by wild boars.

Lately, the humane society has treated a lot of dogs accidently run over by their owners. They urge people to keep leashed or chained dogs away from driveways.

The clinic charges $30 per office visit.

Spay and neutering is $10 for cats and $20 for dogs.

The Human Society also encourages those who would like to adopt an animal to contact them.

The Humane Society can be reached by phone at 558-0000. They are located on Kamehameha V Highway before the airport - just look for the trailer with the animals painted on the outside.

Posted in Announcements

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Maunaloa Could Lose Its School

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

State says the elementary school is safe for now.

Maunaloa students Kekoa and Taylor wait for their parents after school last week. Like teachers and parents, the children hope their school is not on a consolidation list come December. That would mean long bus rides and another major loss to this already hard hit community.

By Sean Aronson

On the heels of Molokai Ranch closing its operations, the community of Maunaloa is preparing for what could be yet another hardship. If the Hawaii state Board of Education (BOE) approves plans making it easier to consolidate small schools in Hawaii, it could lead to the closure of Maunaloa Elementary School.

The potential change comes as the state faces a projected $1.1 billion deficit by the end of 2011. Lawmakers are turning to the BOE to cut as much as $69 million from its 2009 budget. The Hawaii public school system is already $24 million short this fiscal year.

But community members say they will not go down without a fight.

“We’re just not gonna stand by,” said long time resident and parent John Yates. “We’ll do anything we can to fight this.”

Parents and concerned community members planned a sign-waiving event this past Tuesday to drum up awareness and support.

Maunaloa Elementary School surfaced in an Associated Press article last week as one of a handful of schools the state is considering consolidating to save money.

The state Department of Education (DOE) insists that no such consolidation ‘list’ exists, and that the plan merely gives the state superintendent more control over the decision making process.

The new law would erase some of the bureaucratic obstacles in the consolidation process. Specifically, it would eliminate the mandate of selecting and overseeing a task force to determine the feasibility of closing or consolidating a school in a particular community.

No school in Hawaii has been closed in more than 20 years, in part because of this cumbersome process, according to the Department of Education.

But with large budget shortfalls expected, officials are desperate to find new ways to cut costs, according to DOE spokesperson Sandy Goya.

The prospect of consolidation comes despite Maunaloa students improving dramatically on state tests, having now complied with all targets on the Adequately Yearly Progress for the No Child Left Behind report.

“This is not rewarding the kids for achievement,” said Maunaloa Principal Joe Yamamoto.

Yamamoto took over the once failing elementary school 10 years ago and credits the staff and community for the improvements.

“The personnel should be proud,” he said.

Upon hearing of the possible consolidation, Yamamoto called a staff meeting to inform them of the news. He will be creating a task force to address the issue. Topics to discuss include where the Maunaloa kids would be transferred to and what would happen to his staff.

The next closest school is Kualapu’u Elementary School, but it is a public conversion charter school and does not fall under the state system. Yamamoto said the children would have to be bused 16 miles to Kaunakakai Elementary School.

That would most likely mean less parental involvement and higher transportation costs to teachers and staff, according to Yamamoto.

He said the lack of control is what bothers him most. They have to prepare a budget by December and have doubts about the money actually being allocated.

“It’s frustrating,” said Yamamoto. “It takes away from our priorities, which is the kids.”

According to the measure, which will be voted on December 4 by the BOE, the amendment would streamline the consolidation process while still allowing for public opposition.

It states, “The opportunity for the public to provide input is preserved by the requirement that the Board direct the superintendent to … conduct a public hearing in the affected school community and to provide the Board a summary of the testimony offered at the public hearing.”

Manualoa residents have heard those promises before and are not easily convinced.

In the meantime, teachers and parents are left to ponder the possibilities.

“It worries me a lot,” said Kalani Garces, a 21 year resident of Maunaloa with two kids at the elementary school, “I just got a new house.”

Community members are urged to sign petitions of support for the Maunaloa School at local businesses.

Posted in Education

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Bombs Away

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Army Corps of Engineers continues Molokai military ordnance cleanup.

Senator Inouye enjoys a moment of relaxation on a Molokai Formerly Used Defense Site field trip with the furry mascot of the Molokai Land Trust.

By Catherine Cluett

Senator Inouye received a special tour on his visit to Molokai two weeks ago – an off-road field trip to see some of Molokai’s Formerly Used Defense Sites, or FUDS. He and members of the Army and Army Corps of Engineers packed into four-wheel drive trucks for a bumpy ride towards Ilio Point Bombing Range on Molokai’s west end. They were accompanied by members of the Nature Conservancy and the Molokai Land Trust; both organizations manage land adjacent to the site.

The Army Corps of Engineers is involved in a continuing effort to clean up unexploded military ordnances that still exist in many areas of Molokai and around Hawaii. The first step of the process is a study of the area, including a surface sweep and sub-surface sweep with a metal detector, says Gary Shirakata of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Once any ordnance is found, the ammunition is moved to a safer location for explosion, if possible. If such transfer is not safely feasible, the ammunition is disposed of onsite, explains Shirakata.

Ordnance is also being researched on the Mokio Parcel, an area next to Ilio Point, currently owned by Molokai Ranch.

Molokai Land Trust representatives say they have already found and removed 11 pieces of ordinance from land they manage on the West End.

The last military activity in the area was in 1946. In 1986, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act was passed, a legislation that gives authority for certain cleanup activities at FUDS in the United States.

Many Molokai residents recall watching bombs explode on the island, and finding ordnance in their backyards. But the search continues. In 2007, Molokai Landfill was closed temporary after unexploded ordnance was found while removing scrap metal from the site.

Papohaku Ranchland is another known FUD site that has already undergone cleanup.

If you suspect you have found unexploded military ordnance material, do not touch or move it but call the police immediately.

Posted in Political

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Finding Our Way

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Documentary on Micronesian navigator Mau visits Molokai.

From left to right: Penny Martin, Hokule`a crew member, Chadd Paishon, Hokule`a captain, crew members Kekama Helm, Mel Paoa, Kanani Kahalehoe, and filmmaker Alan Rosen.

By Catherine Cluett

Last Wednesday evening, Molokai was introduced to a documentary on Mau Piailug, modern day master in the ancient art of navigation without the aid of instruments. He came to Hawaii because he felt people weren’t ready for the cultural knowledge he had to offer in his homeland of Micronesia.

Piailug and the crew he trained, members of the Hawaii-based Polynesian Voyaging Society, successfully navigated the double-hulled wa`a Hokule`a from Hawaii to Tahiti in 1976. Mau is credited with the rebirth of ancient wayfinding in Hawaii and he was also the trainer and mentor of Hawaiian navigator Nainoa Thompson, who went on to become a master navigator in his own right.

The film, entitled “Mau Voyager” is a three-hour documentary of Mau’s later life. Filmmaker Alan Rosen says he’s taking his film on a Hawaiian tour before it’s released to PBS. “I wanted to take it to the communities first,” he explains. He also emphasized that Mau himself actually okayed the film before it was completed. Chadd Paishon, captain of the Hokule`a, also shared his mana`o on the film and voyage.

Posted in Culture & Art

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Joining Hands and Hearts

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Elderly care association blesses new office.

By Catherine Cluett

We all respect and revere our kupuna, but when age and time take over, who is there to care for them? We are! The Molokai Community Rural Health Association (MCRHA) celebrated the opening of its new office last week, a space that will be used primarily as a training place for long-term care-takers in the community.

“The focus of this effort is to develop the workforce needed to provide long term care services for our kupuna and others in need of these services,” said Judy Mikami, Hawaii State Rural Health Association President.

The new office, located in the Moore Center in Kaunakakai, will also serve as a business and meeting center for the organization. Kahu Anna Lou Arakaki offered a blessing of the office with friends and supporters gathered outside. Nanette Lehua Napoleon Grambusch, President of the MCRHA, untied the maile lei across the door and everyone filed inside to enjoy the newly-official office.

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Towards A Greener Future

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Molokai High students celebrate Arbor Day.

By Catherine Cluett

While some might say that high school students aren’t motivated, MEPO students are busy proving them wrong. Over a dozen members of Molokai Environmental Preservation Organization (MEPO), a student group at Molokai High School, gathered last Thursday to plant a variety of native species at the Kalaupapa trail head.

With busy shovels and beaming faces, students planted a whopping hundred plants in under half an hour. Hala pepe, a small tree with long leaves, and a wikiwiki, a climbing legume, are just a couple of the native species students helped propagate.

Membership in the student organization is voluntary, but it now attracts over two dozen students a year, says Dan Bennett, the first advisor to the club in its infancy in 1992. “Kids love to feel accomplished, and there’s no better way to get that feeling than doing hands-on activities,” he says.

There is no volunteer requirement at Molokai High, but it’s a great thing for students to put on their resumes, says current MEPO advisor Robert Bento, a ceramics teacher at the school.

“There are three climate zones along the Kalaupapa trail,” explains Bill Garnett, an employee of University of Hawaii who oversees the planting of rare and endangered plants in Kalawao County as well as along the steep pali trail. He says he works closely with such organizations as the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service in his effort. Because Garnett uses plants grown from nurseries near sea level in Kalaupapa as well as topside Molokai, the plants are already acclimated to their specific climate zone.

“We plant during the rainy season,” he explains, “and cross our fingers it rains soon.” If it doesn’t rain a minimum of one inch per week, Garnett waters each plant 16 ounces per week until nature takes over or the plants are well enough established to survive on their own.

In addition to supervising the growing of the plants, Garnett is the volunteer coordinator for the project. Volunteers meet the last weekend of every month to do what they can to promote native species around Molokai.

For the MEPO students involved in the project, it’s a great way to get outside and do their part for the environment. It’s also an opportunity for them to experience places of historic, cultural, and environmental value they might not otherwise get to see. The group also plans a yearly volunteer trip off-island.

“We get to see places like Kalaupapa and Ko`olawe!” explains one excited MEPO student. For these kids, getting their hands dirty and their shoes caked with mule mud is more than just another day’s work.

Posted in Education

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Molokai Masters Are Ready for Blast-Off

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Molokai Canoe Club prepares for a historic race full of good times.

By Catherine Cluett

Six men make their way home over rose-tinted waters, paddles splashing in unison, with the sunset at their backs. They pull their wa`a beside the darkening palms, and each grab a beer. “Practice is just starting,” they laugh.

These men are the two-year defending champions of the Master Blasters, a dual-sport event featuring paddling and drinking. They have prepared long and hard for both, and are ready to take the prize again on Saturday, Nov. 22.

“Molokai is the team to beat,” says supporter Luana Kaaihue. Twenty four teams from around the state registered for the race last year, and Molokai team members expect a similar turn-out this year.

“It’s a fun serious race,” laughs team member Ed Misaki. But there seem to be enough regulations to put Olympic rule-makers to shame.

First, there are age limits. Every paddler in the boat has to be at least 40 years old for men, and 35 for women. But you can’t stack your boat with all 40-year olds – the minimum sum age of all team members must be 290 years for men and 250 years for women.

Proper attire can’t be forgotten, either. Each crew dresses in team costume; last year, Molokai’s own became chefs for the day. There is a separate prize for the best-dressed team.

Next, is the drinking. At the start of the course, the wa`a wait unrigged. The men must chug a beer before racing other teams to put their boat together. You think that’s tough? The race hasn’t even begun.

There are four official stops along the six mile course. Each team has their own bar-maid and race official. “The barmaid is to make sure the beers are there, and the official is to make sure you drink them,” says Walter Rawlins, team steersman and captain. At every stop, each crew member must get out of the canoe, run to shore, drink a beer, and run back. Teams who fail to complete the task will be faced with disqualification. Rules vary for the women’s race, which starts 20 minutes after the men’s.

The course, which begins at Kawela Rice Patch and ends at Malama Park, is designed to stay in shallow water for the safety of the paddlers. Three escort boats follow closely should assistance be needed. The Fire Department and paramedics also stand at the ready – with hoses to spray paddlers as they’re nearing the end of the race.

Liko Wallace, President of the Molokai Canoe Club, says this event is the club’s main fundraiser. Each boat pays a $150 entry fee, and the team sells t-shirts and other items.

Afterwards, an all-out party ensues at the finish line with live music, prizes, and of course, drinking. First prize is one gallon of dried squid. “The men catch them, the women dry them, and the winner gets a prize valued at $300 to $400 dollars,” says Misaki.

The trick of the trade for this race, according to Rawlins? “Win; and if you don’t win, drink like you did.”

Posted in Sports

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OHA Election – Legal Yes, Fair No

State Board of Education Community Meeting

Hope for all of Us

Honeymoon Yields Job

Maunaloa Could Lose Its School

Bombs Away

Finding Our Way

Joining Hands and Hearts

Towards A Greener Future

Molokai Masters Are Ready for Blast-Off

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