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Author Archives: Jessica Ahles

Small Business Grant Awards Announced

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

County of Maui News Release

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and Lokahi Pacific recently announced that a total of $48,303 in Small Business Revitalization grants has been awarded to businesses in Hana, Molokai, and Lanai. These areas have been identified as the areas in Maui County hardest hit in their ability to recover from the economic downturn of the past few years.

The matching grant program requires the business owner to contribute 40 percent to the project, with the grant covering the remaining 60 percent. The grant awards are intended to provide assistance to businesses for projects they did not have funding for, such as purchasing new equipment, renovating, creating or enhancing websites, purchasing marketing materials and other purposes that will help the businesses grow, prosper and sustain jobs.…

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County Awards Molokai Solar Projects

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

County of Maui News Release

Several county facilities on Molokai will soon be outfitted with rooftop solar panels, announced the County of Maui last week. After releasing a Request For Proposals (RFP), the county selected a group of companies led by Hawaii Pacific Solar LLC of Lahaina, Hawaii to install photovoltaic (PV) panels on community facilities around Maui County. The RFP included 18 sites on Molokai and Maui, including fire and police stations, water treatment plants, aquatic centers, community centers and other county facilities.

“We will save taxpayer dollars because our starting price is lower than the MECO [Maui Electric Company] rate,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa.…

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Celebrating Kalo

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Celebrating Kalo

In the ancient days of Hawaii, each of the islands’ estimated 500,000 people would eat one seven- to nine-pound kalo plant per day, according to Alton Arakaki, a Molokai extension agent with the University of Hawaii College Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR.) Ancient Hawaiians carefully selected more than 300 kalo varieties to ensure food security and successful growth in many environments. Today, only about 70 of those varieties still exist — and without vigilant cultivation, that number may dwindle.

Last weekend, Molokai residents got the opportunity to select among more than 50 kalo varieties to grow in their own gardens, helping to carry on a tradition that can yield health, cultural understanding and economic benefits.…

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Schools Harvest for Health

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Schools Harvest for Health

A national program is planting seeds for growing healthier youth and nutritional cafeteria lunches on Molokai one school at a time.

FoodCorps, a nonprofit program newly introduced to the island last month, works to address childhood obesity in underserved areas. FoodCorps partners with the AmeriCorps service network and currently operates in 15 states, According to a Kohala Center press release, an academic institute for environmental science research and education as well as the and host site for Hawaii’s FoodCorps Program. Hawaii, California and New Jersey were added to their 2013-2014 service plan.

Out of 1,000 applicants from around the country, eight youths were selected to serve Hawaii’s public and charter schools, according to Nancy Redfeather, program director of the Hawaii Island School Garden Network (HISGN) and host site supervisor of FoodCorps Hawaii.…

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Island Air to Decrease Molokai Flights Again

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Air carrier Island Air is once again decreasing the number of flights the carrier offers to Molokai — this time to two per day, starting in November.

“The decision is pretty simple,” said Island Air CEO Paul Casey, who took the position two months ago. “We’re matching capacity with demand.”

In March, the company cancelled all its flights between Molokai and Maui, and in May, decreased flights between Molokai and Honolulu from five to three per day.

At that time, then-president Les Murashige told the Dispatch the Molokai schedule reduction was temporary.

“Our intent is to put additional flights back [between Molokai and Honolulu] in August or September,” said Murashige in March.…

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Aka`ula Art Show

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Aka`ula Art Show

Friends, family, community, students and staff of Aka`ula School gathered last Friday evening to celebrate art as the sun set over Kalae`s cool hills. The annual event, held for the past seven years at the home of Bronwyn and Rikki Cooke, featured a lively display of student work as well as pieces donated by Aka`ula staff and board members and local artists — all on sale to support the school.

Dara Lukonen, teacher and head of school, said the show represents the work of about two dozen of the school’s 35 students in grades five through 12. This year’s theme was sand art, guided by art teacher Paul Riel.…

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Molokai Youth Take a Stand on Suicide Prevention

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Molokai Youth Take a Stand on Suicide Prevention

HCCI and MCHC News Release

Hawaii’s Caring Communities Initiative (HCCI) is a statewide program focused on engaging youth leaders in suicide prevention awareness activities. HCCI is working with youth in six communities across the state of Hawaii and has also partnered with Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC) and Molokai General Hospital (MGH).

The goal of this project is to empower the youth with knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in their community. We are proud to say we have a substantial number of Molokai youth that has been recruited to become advocates for suicide prevention. They are Momi Afelin, Noah Archulcto, Xrystina Bicoy, Hanalei Dudoit-Enos, Ekolu Greenleaf, Pauole Kaulia-Delacruz, Cody Kawano, Conan Kawano, Jayden Liu, Giesha Nunez, Misty Parker, Paul Parker, Genesis Querubin, Lace Reyes, Alexandria Simon and Michaella Tancayo.…

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Yola Meyer Forbes: A Full Life

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Yola Meyer Forbes: A Full Life

Community Contributed

By Malia Forbes Greaney

Recently, Molokai lost a special daughter; distinctive because she was of a generation mostly gone by and distinguished by the incredible path she chose to tread.  Each road she took brought her home again.  This island daughter was kupuna Yola Meyer Forbes, who was raised, later resided and died on her Ho`olehua homestead on Sept. 9, 2013, two months short of her 80th birthday. Born in 1933 in Kalae in a small shack her father built, which still stands near the highway, they moved a few years later what would be their family home for more than 75 years.…

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Local Red Cross Training Series

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Red Cross Hawaii Chapter News Release

The American Red Cross is recruiting disaster services volunteers on Molokai. The first step for all new disaster volunteers is to take a series of basic disaster classes, which will be offered on Molokai. All Disaster Services training is provided free of charge.

New volunteer candidates must register for, and attend, the entire series. We are
offering the new volunteer training series of four courses in your community on Friday, Saturday and Sunday Oct. 11-13. All courses will be held at the Home Pumehana Senior Center meeting room.

“Disaster Services: An Overview” will be held on Friday, Oct.…

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Global Gardening for Good

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Community Contributed

By Joe Kennedy

Let’s play a little game. Picture our seven billion people on planet Earth, or even half that many, involved in growing food. Currently, a very small percentage is growing food. For just a minute, let’s forget the large-volume, mechanized producers and petroleum-based chemicals and conventional fertilizers. Could even a half of Earth’s people sustainably produce enough food without machines to feed all of us? I believe we could, if we really wanted to — and it can start in our own backyards on Molokai.

Land reform would have to happen first. I believe that, as human beings, we are all entitled to a small piece of land and enough water to grow our own food. …

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