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Author Archives: Melissa Kelsey

Burger Boom

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Burger Boom

Opening of Molokai Burger creates 26 jobs.
By Melissa Kelsey

Molokai might seem like a difficult place to find a job, but the family-run Molokai Burger is doing its part to change that image. After lengthy bureaucratic hold-ups, they recently introduced Molokai’s first drive-through fast food option, and lowered the island’s unemployment statistics as well.

When Molokai Burger opened for its first day of business in Kaunakakai last month, the sparkling clean fast food restaurant introduced 26 jobs to Molokai’s economic scene, according to owner Rod Felt.

The brightly tiled eatery has been a project in process for the last two years by Mr. Felt and his wife Kerrie Felt, who wanted to create a place where Molokai’s young people can find jobs.

“This is a place for our local young people to come and work,” said Mr. Felt, a Latter Day Saints bishop who taught seminary for four years to youth at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kalamaula.

“I hear their ambitions and hopes,” said Mr. Felt, speaking of youth who attend his church who want to stay on Molokai, but are worried about finding jobs. “They want to know, ‘Can I live on Molokai?’”

Molokai Burger offers a straightforward menu of burgers, French fries, milkshakes and ice cream. A vegetarian burger option and a keiki meal are also on the menu, which is displayed digitally on large screen monitors over the counter.

“We just wanted a simple business plan that we could run easily,” said Mr. Felt.

Burgers at Molokai Burger are made from grain-fed Iowa beef because Mr. Felt says he prefers the flavor over locally grown grass-fed beef. French fries are served with French fry sauce made from a recipe from Utah, where Mr. and Mrs. Felt are originally from and where French fry sauce is a big deal, according to Mr. Felt. But it’s the fries themselves that seem to meet a critical eye on Molokai. At first, some did not like the fresh potato French fries served at Molokai Burger, so they decided to change to frozen Stealth French fries, according to Mr. Felt.

Mr. and Mrs. Felt want Molokai Burger to be a space where employees are safe and can plan for their future, said Mr. Felt.

“This is a friendly, family-oriented environment,” said night manager Maile Auwae on her work experience at Molokai Burger.

Mr. and Mrs. Felt moved to Molokai from Utah in 2003 where Mr. Felt had been an architect-builder. It took them one year to obtain zoning approval for the business and one year to obtain a permit to remodel the building, according to Mr. Felt. This is their first experience operating a restaurant.

“I have invested every fiber of my being in this,” said Mrs. Felt. “I love our employees.”

 


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Dousing the Flames

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Firefighters on Molokai are bracing for another arduous wildfire season, but residents can look forward to a safer year thanks to some new gadgets.

“It is logistically difficult to put out wildfires on Molokai,” said Molokai Fire Captain Travis Tancayo.

When wildfires erupt on Molokai during wildfire season from May to November, a large portion of wildfire fighting equipment has to be sent to Molokai from Maui, according to Tancayo. While wildfire-fighting necessities such as tools and fuel are on their way from Maui, fires on Molokai continue to spread, damaging property and natural resources.

Local Action

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Rainy Day Fund

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Event raises money for Hawaiian immersion preschool.
By Melissa Kelsey

With rainwater running over the roof and pouring out of the gutters, Ho`omau 2009 participants feasted on fried ice cream, shave ice, and ono plate lunches under Lanikeha’s awning last Saturday. Inside the building, attendees of the fundraiser for the Hawaiian immersion preschool Punana Leo O Molokai browsed student artwork, purchased hand-printed Punana Leo t-shirts, enjoyed hula and Hawaiian music performances by local artists, and bid on silent auction items.

Saturday’s weather forced event organizers to move the festivities inside Ho`olehua’s Lanikeha Center. A strong community foundation and a worthy cause kept spirits high despite less than favorable conditions.

“This event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the school,” said Lauren Teriong, a parent of one of the preschool’s students.

There were more obstacles than just the weather, according to Rosie Davis of Kamalei by the Sea, a vendor at the event selling jewelry made from shells. As a result of the faltering economy, Punana Leo O Molokai waived entrance fees for venders this year and made all school contributions by vendors voluntary instead of mandatory, according to Davis.

“It was a nice approach for all of us, not having to pay that fee,” said Davis. “If we were going to do this, it had to be a voluntary donation. Times are hard right now.”

Punana Leo O Molokai is a preschool in Ho`olehua committed to re-establishing Hawaiian as a first language spoken at home. Other island Hawaiian language programs from preschool through high school also participated in the event.




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Molokai’s Second Drive-In

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Big Wind Kite Factory’s wall smashed by motorist.
By Melissa Kelsey

Molokai is full of surprises, but no one was expecting the creation of a drive-in on the island’s west end – least of all Jonathan and Daphne Socher, owners of Big Wind Kite Factory in Maunaloa. But they joke that’s exactly what happened last Thursday, when a car moving at high speed jumped over the curb and the sidewalk, tearing through the hedge before it crashed through the Kite Factory storefront.

“You got Molokai Drive-Inn already in Kaunakakai, and now we have a new drive-in service in Maunaloa,” said Mr. Socher.

According to Mr. Socher, the car pushed the storefront wall inward two feet, shattering glass and barely missing two workers. The impact knocked over a heavy antique dresser, which started a domino effect to topple over other items of value.

Firefighters, police, and an ambulance arrived at the scene to respond to the accident. No injuries were reported.

The driver of the car was reportedly a Maunaloa resident and long-time customer of Big Wind Kite Factory.

“She was on her way to buy one of my quilts, and as she pulled up to the store her foot slipped off the brake,” explained Mr. Socher.

The accident caused approximately $1000 worth of damage to merchandise alone, according to Mr. Socher’s estimates. Cost of damage to the building itself has not yet been assessed. Mrs. Socher added that no parties involved had insurance coverage for this type of damage, so the Sochers along with the building landlord will have to shoulder losses and building repair expenses.

“No one can prepare for this type of event,” said Mrs. Socher.

To prevent further building collapse, the firefighters stayed at the accident scene over half an hour to help lift and push the storefront wall of the 80-year-old building back slightly to its original position, according to Mrs. Socher. The store did not miss a day of business.

“Everyone made the best of what could have been a really bad situation,” said Mrs. Socher.

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Education Celebration

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

By Melissa Kelsey

Tahitian dance students from Kaunakakai School danced their way onto stage as the community came out in record numbers to Ho’olaule’a 2009, the bustling event hosted by Maui Community College, Molokai last Friday. In an effort to promote higher education on Molokai, event organizers Kelley Dudoit and Tanya Davis pulled off a festive occasion that included an elevated model runway to perform local talent and tables with representatives from the University of Hawaii system, as well as local vendors.

Event-goers enjoyed ono food, music and hula performances and entertainment for the entire ohana. Activities ranged from trivia raffle prizes to paintball target shooting. One of the longest lines held people eagerly waiting to have their nails, hair, and make-up done by cosmetology students at the Honolulu Community College Cosmetology Department booth.

“I hope they do this every year,” said event participant Edwina Greenleaf, as her hair was being styled. “If more people on Molokai can go to college and come back, the services on the island will improve.”


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Sweet Rewards

Monday, March 9th, 2009

By Melissa Kelsey

Dressed in matching red t-shirts under the sprinkling rain, Aka’ula School students eagerly served platters of cake as a sweet finale for attendees of the school’s fundraiser at Hotel Molokai last Saturday evening.

The lavish event, attended by over one hundred guests, featured dinner, a silent auction, and a live auction. Luxury auction items up for bid included a skydiving trip and a resort vacation to Aruba or Mexico.

According to Aka’ula School teacher Dara Lukonen, the purpose of the fundraiser was to raise money for student scholarships.

“We want any child who wants to go to our school to be able to do so,” said Lukonen.

Aka’ula School is an independent school in Kualapu’u for grades five to eight.


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Sign of the Times

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Sign of the Times

Students get a glimpse of new radiology machine at Molokai General Hospital.

Bobbi-Li Morris, Tirzah Pactol, Mahailia Rapanot-McGuire, and Mariah Rapanot-McGuire from the Health Occupations Class at Molokai High School get an introduction to the new machine at Molokai General Hospital’s Radiology Department.

By Melissa Kelsey

Molokai General Hospital isn’t the only thing getting advances in technology – so are the island’s students. Four Molokai High School students walked the halls of the hospital’s Radiology Department last Friday with Head Radiology Technician Carl Langley to learn about what it takes to be a radiology professional.

Enrolled in the Health Occupations Class at Molokai High School, all four students are pursuing healthcare careers. They regularly visit the hospital to learn about healthcare procedures.

The students were some of the first to see a new machine the Radiology Department obtained last December. A source of pride for the hospital, the machine scans bones to measure bone density so doctors can help prevent and treat bone diseases such as osteoporosis. According to Langley, only seventeen other hospitals in the United States carry the machine, which offers the safest and most reliable technology for the test.

“Postmenopausal women should routinely take the test every two years, and patients diagnosed with osteoporosis should take the test annually,” Langley explained to the students. He says the test is also valuable for men to check their overall bone health and learn how diet relates to test results.








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