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Molokai’s Abbey Mayer Appointed State Director of Planning

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

Linda Lingle has appointed Abbey Mayer, a community-based planner on Molokai, to serve as director of the state Office of Planning. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

“Abbey has a strong background in strategic, long-range, community-based planning and he understands the importance of balancing economic growth and development with protecting our natural and cultural resources,” said Gov. Lingle.

Both Lingle and Mayer support Molokai Properties Limited’s (MPL) controversial plan to develop La`au Point. The millionaire’s subdivision recently took a big step backward when the Land Use Commission showed signs of not accepting the MPL’s Environmental Impact Statement.

If confirmed, Mayer will oversee the Office of Planning which represents the state in hearings before the Land Use Commission.

“I am extremely excited about working with Gov. Lingle,” said Mayer. “I am honored to be entrusted with such great responsibility and I thank the governor for her confidence in my abilities in these matters.”

Mayer is currently the executive director for Ke Aupuni Lokahi, the Molokai Enterprise Community. According to the EC, Ke Aupuni Lokahi is the planned recipient of 1,100 developable acres as well as payouts of up to $10 million dollars from MPL should the La`au development go through.

Prior to joining the MEC in 2006, Mayer was executive director and plant manager for the Molokai Livestock Cooperative. In this capacity, he managed and oversaw the financial and operational responsibilities for the cooperative, including developing a comprehensive business plan for the revitalization of the cattle industry on Molokai.

Mayer previously was the resident manager and contractor for the Eddy Foundation, Black Kettle Farm, a private land trust in Essex, New York. He also served as foreman and brokerage manager for Dutch Wharf Boat Yard and Marina in Branford, Conn.

A graduate of Yale University, Mayer recently completed the Executive Accounting Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Mayer replaces Laura H. Thielen, who was confirmed as director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. He starts his new position on Feb. 20.

 

Excerpts of this story are from a press release via Russell Pang, the Chief of Media Relations for the Office of the Governor.

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Births

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Ayzalie Kawainlohaihiwahiwa 
The world would like to welcome Ayzalie Kawainlohaihiwahiwa Aalona-Dudoit.  Her proud parents are Lyvette May and Scott and grandparents Larry and Gloria Aalona as well as Robin and Lisa Dudoit. Ayzalie was born January 2, 2008 at 5:33 pm weighing in at 8 lbs 5.4 oz and was 20 inches long.   

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Obituaries

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

CHELSY KAWAILANI STONE-LAWELAWE (female) 16 years old of Honouliwai, Molokai.

Chelsy was born on May 18, 1991 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She passed away on January 3, 2007 in Kaunakakai, Molokai.

Chelsy is survived by her loving parents Vonda Stone and Frank Lawelawe of Kaunakakai, Molokai, her companion Brandon Lima of Honouliwai, Molokai and her brothers Stanton Lawelawe of Kaunakakai, Waika Lawelawe of Kaunakakai, Brandon Lawelawe of Kaunakakai, Waikolu Stone-Sardinha of Kaunakakai. Chelsy is also survived by her sisters, Courtney Lawelawe of Honolulu, Hawaii, Desiree Stone-Lawelawe of Kaunakakai, and Summer Stone-Sardinha of Kaunakakai.

Friends may call on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at the Waialua Congregational Church in Waialua, Molokai.

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Water Problems Adding Up for MPL

Friday, January 11th, 2008

Ranch permit dead in the water

By Jennifer Smith

Water continues to be an unresolved issue for Molokai Properties Limited (MPL).

A Dec. 26 ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court struck down the MPL-owned Kukui Molokai Inc.’s (KMI) application for a water use permit.  

The court’s decision multiplies the Singapore-based company’s water woes as they are now denied access to water and the ability to transfer it.

“The bottom line is that (MPL) cannot go around assuring people that it has permission to use 1.018 million gallons per day from the Kualapu`u aquifer now with this decision,” Alan Murakami, a Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation Attorney representing two of the plaintiffs in the case said.

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Molokai Middle School Students of the 2nd Quarter

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

Congratulations to the following Molokai Middle School students, who were recognized as "Students of the Quarter"! Students and parents were treated with pizza from Molokai Pizza Cafe on Dec 12 and 13.  

7th Grade
Abigail Adachi, Kahea Akina, Maka Alameida, Hauoli Falealii, Keola Kahalewai, Charles Kamelamela, Shaelan Kaneakua, Kay-Dee Kawano, Kaiulani Laemoa, Esther Lopez and Alisha Mollena Na O.


8th Grade
Kyle Klemp, Kaipoi Kondo, Nolan Nartatez, Sammilyn Pule-Kaahanui, Ehukai Rawlins, Emily Spires and Brianna Tangonan.

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Growing Green

Saturday, December 15th, 2007

Milo: Molokai’s High End Sustainable Resource

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing green will feature another Hawaiian tree this month.  Unlike Kukui which has a number of medicinal and soft wood uses this tree has a valuable hard wood.  Milo (Thespesia populnea) is a classic coastal and low land tree throughout the Pacific.  In Hawaii we see it in parks, school grounds, other community areas, and naturalized along the ocean. 

Milo is one of the many plants which came with the native Hawaiians to these islands.  Being indigenous to the pacific it is adapted to the common coastal stresses such as wind, full sun exposure, and sea spray.  The Hawaiians planted this tree extensively for its wood and stature which creates an inviting space at the beach. 

Written by an early missionary of Milo: “It was planted about the houses of the al'i, as is well remembered around that of Kamehameha the Great at Waikiki."  Then, as well as now Milo has created 'umeke or wooden calabashes of the highest quality.   Many of these calabashes were so cared for they were named and passed down for generations.  It was also used in making dye and a simple cordage.  Interestingly it was kukui nut oil that was used to oil these calabashes.

Milo is a medium sized tree in the Hibiscus family (Malvaceae) 10-50 feet tall with a wide range of growing characteristics.  Milo can be seen as a large sprawling shrub with its main stem nearly prostrate on the ground or as a stately specimen planting.  This style of growth is one of Milo's strengths as well as what can make it hard to control. 

Few trees allow the grower the ability to utilize multiple main stems or branches the way Milo does.  For example Norfolk Island Pine has one main stem, if you cut this top it will produce a multiple number of tops which will be structurally compromised as they become larger and larger which will need to be removed or will more than likely fail.  Milo on the other hand can have a number of main stems from the ground level all taking different angles of growth.  This becomes useful in the case of a windbreak tree under 30 feet or when you want to harvest a portion of the tree without cutting the whole tree down.

The second style of growth mentioned is the single trunk with a bell shaped canopy.  This is what is commonly found in the parks and around the house as it allows a shaded area below the tree to enjoy.  Milo is a fast growing tree, often attaining the height of 10-15 feet in 3-4 years.  The flower is yellow in the morning fading through the day to a light red.  They are one day hibiscus like flowers.  The seed pods that arise from the pollinated flowers are abundant even on a young tree which makes propagation usually easy.

I like to propagate Milo the same way as Kukui.  I take the mature seed pods which are dark brown not green and smash the pod up with my hands leaving the seeds exposed.  Then I use standard bagged potting soil and a seed flat.   Put about an inch of potting soil in the flat, lay the seeds down on the soil, and cover the seeds with another inch of potting soil.  Keep the soil moist and within 1-3 months you will have small Milo trees. 

Using the right tree in the right place is important.  Due to its fast growth and medium size, Milo might overwhelm a small space.  Also the leaf litter and constant rain of seed pods might be too much for some people in tight areas like patios and decks.  Understanding these characteristics ahead of time will help you decide if Milo is right for that space. 

Milo is one of my favorite trees.  Due to its ability to be pruned extensively I have found many uses for this tree at my nursery.  It also has a slightly poisonous nature which makes it resistant to a wide range of pests and pathogens.  This is a nice trait in horticulture, but it is also something to be aware of.  The properties of the wood are for another article, but it is of the highest quality.  I feel Milo wood could be one of Molokai's high end sustainable resources which could be exported as "Made in Molokai".

Growing green is written by Fred Richardson/ Botanist, Owner of Molokai Nei Organics a Nursery and Landscaping company, 558-8215.

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Banana Bunchy Top Virus Is Back

Saturday, December 15th, 2007

Banana Bunchy Top Virus, BBTV, has once again has made its appearance in central Moloka’i. 

BBTV was first discovered on Molokai in 2005.  Infected banana plants were killed and removed.  Subsequent disease survey indicated that Molokai was free of the BBTV.  However laboratory test conducted in November and December on suspected samples resulted in positive finding of the disease.

Banana is one of the most consumed fruit in the world.  No doubt Moloka’i has contributed to that statistic as many families are growing their own plants in their back yard.  Our geographic isolation has made it difficult for dreadful banana diseases to make it to our island.  Banana disease such as Panama Wilt has existed on Oahu for many years and has limited the banana varieties they can grow to Williams and the Brazilian.  Molokai has been fortunate to be free of the P. Wilt and able to produce other varieties such as Chinese and Bluefield.

Unlike Panama Wilt, BBTV is nondiscriminatory and will infect and destroy all banana varieties.  There is no plant resistance for this viral disease.  Banana Bunchy Top Virus is a disease that survives and moves in the vessels of the banana plants.  The disease is moved from infected plants and transmitted to other banana plants by aphids.  There is no anti virus solution that will cure the plant of the disease.  The infected banana plants will serve as a reservoir of the virus that can be moved to other plants by aphids.  While there is no regulation that requires anyone to destroy their infected plants, it is best for Molokai that infected plants be destroyed to keep the disease from spreading.  Experts recommend that infected plants either be completely destroyed mechanically or chemically.  Destroying plants mechanically means physical removal of the complete infected plant mat.  Chemical removal requires injecting each plant in the infected mat with herbicide Round Up Ultra.  The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources website http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/bbtd/ provides detail information.

It is hard to imagine our Molokai neighbors, friends and farms without health banana plants and plumb yellow fruits.  It is hard to imagine neighbors and friends not sharing banana desserts at potlucks.  It is hard to imagine that we might need to look for something else for our kalua pig imu.  It is hard to imagine that after more than 1400 years that we will need to find 25 lbs of some other fruits we can consume every year.

Steps we can take to manage the spread of Banana Bunchy Top Virus on Molokai.

1.         Do not move banana plants from one part of Molokai to another.

2.         Inspect your plants for aphids and treat infested plants with insecticidal soap or dish washing soap, like Dawn.  Aphids usually hang around in the whorl of the young leaves or in the sheath of the leaves.  It is recommended the even with plants that are heath and without BBTV visual symptoms should be treated if aphids are present.  The sucking feeding habits of aphids can healthy weaken plants and make them more susceptible of diseases.

3.         If your plants are infected with BBTV, treat plants for aphids first, then destroy the plants.  If you have adjacent plants, you should consider destroying them too.  Although plants may be infected, they can grow without showing any visual symptoms up to 125 days.

4.         Look around neighboring plants around your area to see if any banana plants might be infected.  Notify your neighbors if you see other infected plants.

5.         Allow BBTV inspection or surveillance team to look at your banana plants.

6.         Molokai Contacts, for reporting and information:

UH/CTAHR/Cooperative Extension Service, Alton Arakaki @ 567-6934; Glenn Teves @ 567-6932; Rogerene “Kali” Arce @ 567-6935

Nature Conservancy/Molokai Invasive Species Committee, Lori Buchanan @ 553-5235 ext. 204

Hawaii Department of Agriculture-Maui, Bob Yonehara, 873-3558

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Kupuna Gala Mahalos

Friday, December 14th, 2007

We, Peace Of Mind LLC and the Corpuz Ohana ( Randall Sr., Hoku, Oli, Randall Jr. and Sara), would like to extend a "Big Mahalo" to some Special People who helped us with the Kupuna Gala on Sunday December 9, 2007! Thank you so much to Barbara and the Molokai Chamber of Commerce Foundation for giving us this great opportunity to cater this wonderful event and allowing us a chance to give back to our beautiful community! Also, to our "CREW': Lynn and Russel DeCoite, Carrie, RJ, and Dillon, Rosie Davis, Gene, Erlinda and Luke Santiago, Suliana and Fred Aki, Mariah Rapanot-McGuire, Terza Pactol, Aunty Kanani and Uncle Richard Negrillo, Berta Delos Reyes and Ohana, Ipo and William Davis, "Thank You" for all of your endless help in making our night a big success!!!! To the Kupunas, it was a pleasure preparing your chinese dinner for you and mahalo for all your compliments!  We look forward to many more oppurtunities to serve our community! Have a Merry, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!!!

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Tutu and Me

Friday, December 14th, 2007

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Barbados Gooseberry

Friday, December 14th, 2007

It’s “what’s growing on” in Halawa Valley
By: Mapuana Hanapi
MoMISC Volunteer

Almost every person on Molokai has hiked the Halawa trail once. For those people who remember it when there were no signs of invasive pests, they can tell you how beautiful it was. Now there are many invasives threatening the environment along the trail and one in particular that can really hurt a person. It is called the Barbados Gooseberry and it has some really nasty thorns that can ruin any hikers day.

Gooseberry looks like a vine but is really a cactus that came from the West Indies. It starts as little woody lianas and grows into thorny vines that can climb up trees. Once reaching the top of the tree this plant can form a dense, spiny thicket smothering out other plants. The thorns are 1-2 inches long and form clusters along the vine.

Have you ever seen a wana (sea urchin) in the ocean? Well picture the older gooseberry covered in dozens of "wana" attached to the entire vine. Definitely not something that anyone wants to mess with. The younger plants have thorns but they aren’t as nasty as the older vines. Gooseberry has 2-4 inch long, eye-shaped leaves that are a dark glossy green.

On the mainland this plant is reported to have flowers that are white, yellowish or pinkish, but the plants in Halawa have never been seen with flowers or fruit. Gooseberry has ½ inch wide fruits that are round or oval and yellow, orange, or red in color. It can be spread through seeds or various plant parts (leaves, stems, etc.). A person can mistake the younger gooseberry for maile. The major difference between them is the thorns.

MoMISC has been controlling and trying to eradicate this thorny vine for many years. There are multiple populations that have been established near the river. All populations have been reduced and kept under control.

MoMISC first started controlling the big populations by cutting the bottom of the cactus and applying herbicide. This killed the roots but left some of the cactus growing in the tree tops above. The smaller younger cactus was sprayed with herbicide which was very effective in killing them.

To deal with the tree top cactus we tried to attach latex products filled with herbicide at the cut ends, hoping that the cactus would drink the herbicide thus killing the plants up above in the tree tops. This proved to be only somewhat effective in eliminating the cactus in the tree tops. In order to eradicate the gooseberry in the treetops we may have to take those trees down.

When we first dealt with the populations we enlisted the help of other organizations and volunteers. We would like to thank those organizations and volunteers for all their help, you know who you are. With a staff of only two field workers we can only do so much and having help from the Molokai community is greatly appreciated. Now the Gooseberry populations are being checked every six months for regrowth. We can say with confidence that all the known populations in Halawa will be eradicated in the future.

MoMISC is asking the Molokai community to report any sightings of Barbados Gooseberry by calling 553-5236 ext. 204. We will ask for your name, phone number, mailing address or e-mail, pest location, how many you saw, and if any action was taken. It would also be helpful if you could photograph and take samples of the plant. Please don’t grow gooseberry. Instead, try growing native plants. For more information about Barbados Gooseberry visit www.hear.org or the Ho`olehua Airport kiosk during the months of December and January.

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