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Railroad Bridge Found In Kaunakakai

Friday, January 5th, 2007

That’s the story of the American Sugar Company plantation and most of the evidence of its operation on Molokai is long gone. Some of the railroad track was used by the Molokai Ranch in cattle-guards, a few of the bridges are still to be seen in Palaau, and coal that was imported for the mill is sometimes found near the wharf in Kaunakakai.

The old railroad bridge foundation next to “Third River” (Kaunakakai Stream) was covered by dirt through the years and completely forgotten. Forgotten, that is, until it was accidentally rediscovered this month and that chapter of Molokai history again told.

A Meaningful Christmas At Kualapu`u School

Friday, January 5th, 2007

Kualapu`u School students have been anxiously engaged in supporting a fellow student since the later part of October. “Help Tom to Help His Mom Project” is aimed at helping student Tom Walter Lee-Palu and his mother, Karen, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer.

A fourth grader in Mr. Henry Pali’s class, Tom is an only child and has previously suffered the loss of his father. Aid to Tom includes a group of people at the school who provide a positive way for him to work through his feelings.

Through the school’s intervention program it was suggested that a recycling program be used to provide Tom with positive leadership skills as well as a chance to raise money to assist his family. Joran Dudoit and Dani Dela Cruz have assisted Tom in organizing and carrying out the recycling campaign while Vicki Boswell, School Counselor has worked directly with the family to see that Tom’s academic and social needs are being meet while Karen is away for treatments.

FMC Stolen Mat

Friday, January 5th, 2007

“It was really good for our legs because we’re standing so long – now we’re standing on cardboard,” said checkout person, Kahiau Lima.

Two out of the four mats were taken last Saturday on Dec 2. A police report was made and replacements were sought immediately. Unfortunately the mat type was very specific and the original supplier could not be located.

“We just want them back – we’re asking the community to kokua us on this one,” said Crustal Egusa, an owner at the store.

“Those mats make a big difference. It’s just more comfortable. It kind of hurts without them. We just want them back… please,” Said Lima.

Response Letter to Walter Ritte, Hui Ho`opakele Aina

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

This is in response to the letter of  December 21, 2006 you published from Walter Ritte which contained erroneous personal attacks on me as a KAL (The Molokai EC) Board member.  To Walter I say that I normally would respect one’s opinions on the issues at hand, but when you chose to make untrue personal attacks, your integrity becomes questionable.

The headline to your letter was “USDA asked to investigate Ke Aupuni Lokahi.”  I encourage and welcome any type of investigation that involves government funds.  Molokai is the recipient of millions of dollars of government monies. As president of KAL, I am confident that we have been diligent in our efforts to disburse the funds our EC has received for worthy projects.  As a board, we also consider the efforts of projects to sustain themselves after receiving grant monies.  Molokai’s EC designation also provides opportunities for projects to leverage federal monies that would not be otherwise  available for projects/programs.

Walter Ritte, please note that since the EC’s inception, you served as a KAL Board member for seven years until your recent severance this past fall.  Since 1999, your Fishpond Project received $137,000.00 of EC funds.  In addition to these funds, your projects received over $1,861,252.00 of federal, state and private funds that I am aware of and undoubtedly much more over the years.  Do the math – almost two million dollars!  Is this questionable?  Has the investment of taxpayers’ monies created and sustained employment or any productive sustainable use of our island’s fishponds? 

Walter, in your letter you mention questionable actions taken by me as KAL board chairperson.  I can in good conscience say, my actions in no way have been compensated by my personal gain. You need to be reminded that not all people who involve themselves in community efforts have personal agendas.

I put this question to you.  Over the years, from your personal involvements, what agreements or potential agreements have you made, including with private developers, cruise ship corporations, and public and private funds, to financially benefit yourself, close family members and organizations you head?

The KAL board is made up of responsible community volunteers and your insults of individuals and our efforts are not accurate or appreciated.  Allow me to set the record straight on my role as an EC/KAL board member:

• July 2002:  The non profit contracted to administer the EC had conflicts with the board and chose to no longer staff KAL in violation of its contract.  KAL started the process to terminate our contract with that entity.  Although we had no paid staff, KAL fulfilled its obligations to manage the EC and to meet USDA requirements.  This was accomplished solely by volunteers, including myself.
• June 2003:  KAL received IRS designation as a 501©3 non profit corporation.  We were unable to obtain financial and other important records from the previously contracted non-profit and were forced to move forward without these documents from the prior years as an EC.
• January 2003 to August 2004:  KAL operated on volunteer basis with myself as volunteer chairperson (elected by the KAL board) and volunteer Executive Director.  Loke Gandeza served as a temporary office clerk.
• August 2003:  The search for an Executive Director for KAL was publicized and conducted through the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, which the KAL board had selected to handle employment and human resource matters.
• January 2004:  KAL hired an Executive Director.
• February 2004:  KAL hired an Administrative Assistant.
• March 2004:  The Executive Director left the employ of KAL.
• March 2004 to August 2004:  While serving as board chair, I served as an unpaid interim Executive Director to assist staff in the day-to-day operations of the office.
• August 2004:  KAL interviewed for the Executive Director’s position (Walter, you were part of the interview panel).  No candidates were able to meet KAL’s requirements.  I continued as unpaid interim Executive Director.
• November 2004:  As an unpaid interim Executive Director, I requested a financial and management audit of the EC by a reputable CPA firm.  One of the audit recommendations was to hire a paid Executive Director.  The KAL board requested that I apply for the position.  This meant that I would need to step down as a board member.  I agreed to a paid temporary position on the basis that I would retain my role as a KAL board member once a permanent Executive Director was hired.  As you are well aware, the board supported these terms.
• March 2005 to August 2005:  I served five months as a paid temporary Executive Director and my pay was the lowest compensation of any of KAL’s paid staff.  The normal recruitment salary ranged from $45,000 to $60,000 per year and I received less than twenty per cent of that amount.
• August 2005:  The EC staff continued to operate with a Project Administrator, Project Coordinator and an Administrative Assistant.
• September 2005:  I return as agreed to my role as a KAL board member and reelected to board chairperson.  I continued to serve as unpaid interim Executive Director.
• April 2006:  KAL hired a permanent Executive Director.

KAL continues to support our EC projects with the annual USDA funds of approximately $169,000.00.  As an EC Board member, you were informed that the original level of funds was reduced by previous Congressional approvals.

We may not agree on the issues, but you can surely agree that the process KAL facilitated included an enormous effort to reach out to all segments of the community. The Community-Based Land Use Plan that KAL concluded to support, institutes a plan developed by Molokai’s people. The EC facilitated the planning process; the EC has no power to implement the plan; the government regulators have that power.

Stacy Helm Crivello

Molokai EC/KAL Board President

Meet The Other Keli`i Mawae “Hawaiian Renaissance Man”

Friday, December 15th, 2006

KELI’I’S MOLOKAI
A Biography by

I was sure I knew Keli’i, until I was given this book to review. I picked up the book and looked at its cover. Keli’i Mawae’s penetrating eyes stare back at me. It is a strong Hawaiian face, burnished, brown, kindly, contemplative. The gray hair and beard attest to his age. There are deep creases across his forehead.

This is Keli’i’s personal story, his story of Molokai, as told to the authors and written by them as oral history. They said Keli’i had asked them to write it “before grass would be growing on top of him”.

Most residents of the island know that Keli’i is an expert fisherman, a farmer, a hunter and a musician, a multi-talented man who is also the honorary mayor of Molokai. But if some may yet see him as none other than a guitar playing, genial Hawaiian with a twinkle in his eyes and a hearty handshake, then this book will change that image. You will meet the other Keli’i; the off-stage one. It will help you to understand what he feels about Molokai as a Hawaiian.

Keli’i is proud of his heritage. A full-blooded Hawaiian, born and raised on a Molokai homestead by his grandmother, he is deeply concerned that the Hawaiian culture, and traditions which identify Hawaiians and on which he was nurtured are eroding and being replaced by the encroachment of another culture. He fears for the loss of the Hawaiian way of living. Passionate about preserving the past, and disturbed by some of the changes that have taken place on Molokai, he says, “The loss of our Hawaiian way makes me sad.” “…We need to know our past…. it is our heritage….our identity…we must teach our children our history.”

Keli’i covers a wide range of topics in this book. He describes Molokai’s various landscapes, talks about his aumakua, the mano(shark), the stones, and the sacred places. He explains the respect Hawaiian’s have for all of God’s creation—land, sea, animals, and of fishing and hunting in the honorable Hawaiian way. He also expresses his deep love for his family.

In the introduction to this book U. S. senator, Daniel Inouye, states, “Keli’i Mawae embodies the Hawaiian Renaissance – he lives it with quiet dignity and a passionate conviction of his cultural teachings.”

This is “book-club” material. It is certain to stir strong opinions and a lively discussion. I would agree with the author that “…this is a powerful book because it comes from one of the people.” It is unlike any other book about Molokai, and deserves a space on the bookshelf of anyone interested in oral history, in Molokai, in Hawaiians, or in simply knowing Keli’i.

It is available at the Molokai Fine Arts Gallery.