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Community Contributed By Ric Ornellas
While planning for Ka Molokai Aha Kane 2011, organizer Kaeo Kawaa answered questions about the upcoming men’s conference, held on Friday, March 25 at Kulana `Oiwi Halau from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Community Contributed By Viola Wichman
Yes, Molokai your very own 4-H Clover Lopers have been invited by a former resident of Molokai, the Demmers, to the “horse capital of the world” – Kentucky. If you haven’t noticed lately, the Lopers have been having several fundraisers in an effort to help pay for our transportation costs. Mahalo to our wonderful community who continue to be supportive of our club. There will be several more opportunities for you to help us reach our goal. Monsanto has graciously chosen the 4-H Clover Lopers as a recipient of one of their community grant programs by donating 400 sweet corn to the Lopers – a complete profit making endeavor for us. Mahalo Monsanto. We will pre-sell tickets in town on March 19 and Prince Kuhio Day (March 26) for pick-up in town on around April 15. Let’s help gallop the Lopers to Kentucky!
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Without Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana`ole’s bravery, Hawaii be a little different. He changed the future of the islands by pushing the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act through congress in 1921. To honor him, his birthday, March 26, 1871 is celebrated as a Hawaii state holiday and recognized as Prince Kuhio Day.
Prince Kuhio’s life had a royal beginning. Kuhio’s mother, Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike, died shortly after giving birth to the future prince on Kauai. He was adopted shortly after by his mother’s sister Kapli`olani and her husband Kalakaua, who became the Kingdom of Hawaii’s ruler.
Defending His Aina
As a prince, he was given many opportunities not usually afforded Hawaiian youth. He studied in California for college and attended the Royal Agriculture College in England. He then returned to his homeland and joined in efforts to overthrow the Republic of Hawaii in 1894, to restore the Hawaiian monarchy.
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He did return to Hawaii in 1902, however, after it had become a territory of the United States. The former prince joined US politics. He became the first Native Hawaiian to serve in congress, and was a delegate from 1903 until his death in 1922.
He is most known for his help in appropriating 200,000 acres of land for Hawaiian people with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921.
The act stands today as one of the most important ways to establish connections between Hawaiian people and their culture, ancestors and most importantly, the `aina.
Celebrating a Hero
Kuhio Day will be celebrated at Kiowea Park (Coconut Grove) on March 26, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Food, music, booths with produce and local products, and a rummage sale will entertain attendees. Homesteaders will also be able to register for Aha Kiole.
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Coaches from the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) have voted: Molokai’s own Lester Delos Reyes and Doug Furlong were chosen as the 2011 Division II Coach of the Year, for boys’ and girls’ basketball, respectively. The annual award is compiled by the Maui News
“I was pretty surprised. I’m trying to figure out how I got that,” Delos Reyes joked.
Delos Reyes finished his first season as the boys’ basketball coach this past February, leading the team with a 4-2 record and a second place finish at the MIL D-II tournament.
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Only about 20 percent of former Hansen’s disease patients who died in Kalaupapa have been given a proper grave, but with a commemorative memorial on the way, the remaining 80 percent will finally be recognized.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed memorial has entered its final phase. If successful, construction will begin for a memorial to honor the 8,000 Hansen’s disease patients who have died on the peninsula.
The project is being carried out by Ka `Ohana O Kalaupapa, an organization dedicated to protecting distinct Kalaupapa values and history. Their secretary, Valerie Monson, said she is hopeful about the EA process.
As soon as the EA is completed, a design competition for the memorial will begin, which will be open to the public. To be built on the site of the Old Baldwin Home, across the street from St. Philomena Church in Kalawao, the memorial will contain the names of all of those patients who were exiled to the peninsula and died there.
The memorial will be paid for completely by fundraising, according to Monson. Some organizations have already begun their own efforts to contribute to the effort. The elementary students at Kamehameha School-Kapalama held a bake sale last week and earned over $900 for the future memorial.
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The Molokai boys and girls basketball team have both garnered attention throughout the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) conference by claiming the female basketball Player of the Year, as well as four all-star players between both teams for Division II.
The Maui News tallied votes from coaches throughout the conference and gave out the awards last week.
Adolpho Earns Player of the Year
Girls’ basketball player of the year, Kalei Adolpho, led her team to the D-II MIL championships this year, and qualified for the state tournament. She also received Player of the Year in 2010.
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His father, Scottie Rapanot started teaching his sons how to play sports early in life.
“The boys won’t stop (practicing). I told them that’s the only way to get better. And I won’t stop them as long as they are doing something positive,” Scottie said.
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Molokai Art Center (MAC) made it one step closer to the renovation of their new building this past weekend. They hosted nearly 250 people at a sold-out event at Coffees of Hawaii in an effort to fundraise for the first-ever art center on Molokai.
Last Saturday’s “Soup ‘R Bowl” party treated guests to handmade ceramic soup bowls, eight homemade soups, and the music of local musicians.
“I think [the center is] an important part of the community. We need a place for [artists] to do what they do,” said Darlene Hall, a community resident.
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The arts center was founded in 2010 with local artists Emillia Noordhoek, Dan Bennett, Kim Markham, April Torres and Betty West. The board members have been throwing fundraisers ever since in order to renovate one of the buildings on the Coffees’ property.
MAC is nearing the finalization of a five year lease for a 763 square foot structure behind the coffee processing plant. President Emillia Noordhoek said that she plans on signing the lease within the next couple of weeks.
The group had abandoned the idea of renovating a different building on Coffee’s property, because it would have been too costly to make the structure useable and safe, according to Bennett.
The Art Center will feature a kiln, eight wheels, and a raku kiln. Raku is a Japanase-style of firing, which uses a low-heat process.
“I thought it was great. I had a great audience and I’d gladly do it again,” said one of the night’s musicians, Norman DeCosta.
After the signing of the lease, the committee can finalize its building plans and begin construction.
“We hope to start having classes by this summer,” Noordhoek said.
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The Lady Farmers softball team went up against the Lanai Pine Lasses this past weekend on home turf, and started the season 2-0. Molokai came out full-force on Friday afternoon at Duke Regional Park – by the third inning, Molokai was on top 11-2 and by the end, the Lady Farmers bested Lanai 17-2.
The mercy-rule came into play after three innings.
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Hawaii’s Sen. Dan Inouye has had enough of Kalaupapa’s outrageous airfares and is taking action to help relieve the peninsula’s residents and workers.
He has invited Ray LaHood, the secretary of the Department of Transportation, and Kalaupapa patients to the Hawaii State Capitol for a March 25 discussion about ongoing airfare issues between Pacific Wings and Kalaupapa residents and workers.
Pacific Wings raised their prices dramatically for round-trip flights to Kalaupapa in 2009. Workers and patients pay up to $550 for round-trip tickets to Honolulu or topside Molokai.
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With the help of generous funds from the government, farmers can take advantage of benefits that pay for conservation.
There are several conservation programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Molokai farmers. To be eligible, farmers must earn $1,000 a year and be producing some kind of crop or livestock. The programs specialize in water erosion prevention, wind erosion, soil management, waterway protection, manure management and more.
Ho`olehua farmer Rick Tamanaha has been participating in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) since 2005 by using windbreaks.
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