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Business

Residents Protest Passenger Yacht

Monday, October 31st, 2011

As American Safari Cruises’ (ASC) yacht docked on its first trip to Molokai last Sunday morning, protesters greeted it with requests to leave local waters.

Over two dozen kupuna, teachers, fishermen, cultural practitioners and others chanted “No cruise ship” and “Go home!” toward the 145-foot boat, named the Safari Explorer.

As two vans carrying the boat’s passengers departed the docking area, protesters marched across the road holding signs reading “boycott this ship,” “you’re not welcomed” and “Hawaiian way or no way.”

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Testifiers Tell MECO ‘No’

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Molokai cannot afford a 6.7 percent electricity rate increase requested by Maui Electric Company (MECO), residents testified during a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) public hearing at Mitchell Pauole Center last week.

MECO filed the request with the PUC in July in order to “cover the cost of improvements to integrate additional renewable energy and improve the reliability of service to its Maui, Lanai and Molokai customers,” according to a press release.

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New Coffees Espresso Bar Management

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

New Coffees Espresso Bar Management

Without a day’s break in service, the espresso bar at Coffees of Hawaii planation in Kualapu`u will continue to operate under new management. Kalaupapa Rare Adventures, formerly Molokai Mule Ride, is taking on the task, under the leadership of Roy Horner and his staff.

“We’re so excited we can’t contain ourselves,” said Marlene Sproat, new food service manager.

“When I learned about the cutback in hours [several months ago] I had concerns” because those who take the mule rides like to come to Coffees around 3 p.m. after the trek to Kalaupapa, Horner said.

Now, new, extended hours will allow the mule riders and others a chance to grab a drink or snack later in the afternoon. Coffees Espresso Bar will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Na Ohana Ho Aloha will continue to share music on the deck from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Horner and his staff plan to continue the current menu, with new offerings coming in the future. Sproat said some of the first additions will be Mexican specialties and Hawaiian favorites. Horner added that they plan to promote healthy eating, with fresh local ingredients and natural, real fruit smoothies.
“We want this place to be known as a healthy place,” Horner said.

About a dozen members of the Sproat and Horner families will staff the Espresso Bar operation.

Horner plans to open up the space to community workshops and events in the future – and Sproat said she’s already received calls to book the venue for Christmas parties.

Horner would like to thank Coffees of Hawaii owners Mike Atherton and Albert Boyce, as well as operations manager Maria Holmes for “having trust and confidence in us” to manage the espresso bar. Coffees will continue to operate their Kualapu`u plantation and airport espresso bar location.

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Community Health Center Moves to New Location

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

MCHC News Release

Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC) made the big move into their newly renovated Oceanside facility Sept. 16.  Staff and patients alike are excited to have the expanded space to better serve our community. 
 
The renovation of the former Pau Hana Inn property, however, is far from complete.  Two more phases to the project remain, including the renovation of the smaller buildings, pool rehabilitation, landscaping, and parking lot expansion.

“We’re in and that’s huge, but we still have some work ahead of us,” said Desiree Puhi, MCHC executive director.
 
Board President Rosie Davis stated, “It was so exciting to see everything come together as planned. The campus came to life right before my eyes.” 

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DHS Molokai Office Increases Staff

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Returning from the brink of survival last year after proposed Department of Human Services (DHS) cuts were vetoed, the DHS eligibility office on Molokai is now expanding its staff to handle a hefty case load. A recent visit by Rep. John Mizuno and DHS Deputy Director Panjit Bhanot bolstered the confidence of DHS Molokai employees, who say a new administration has made the difference between night and day. 

“We were drowning, but we see the light now…” said Molokai eligibility worker Krisha Sahagun.

Bridget Mowat, Molokai supervisor, said she and each of her three employees currently handle up to 600 case loads each, due to lack of staffing and taking on Lanai’s cases after their DHS worker left in June.

“Luckily I have a really good team,” Mowat said.

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A Mighty Good Fellow

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

A Mighty Good Fellow

Robert Stephenson, president of the Molokai Chamber of Commerce, recently became the second Molokai resident accepted to the Pacific Century Fellows Program, founded by politician Mufi Hannemann in 1996 to develop Hawaii’s young leaders.

opportunities on Molokai or if they have an interest in Molokai, Rob is going to be in a unique position to bring those kinds of key stakeholders to Molokai.

“The other aspect that Rob has going for him is that he’s a heck of a musician,” he added, laughing. “He’s going to be a catalyst to get a Pacific Century Fellows music group going.”

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East Molokai Solar Limits Reached

Monday, August 15th, 2011

East Molokai Solar Limits Reached

Molokai residents east of Kaunakakai who want to reap the benefits of installing small, renewable energy systems for their homes or businesses may be out of luck. Based on limits set by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Maui Electric Company (MECO) has announced effective closure of the east half of Molokai to new renewable energy systems in order to ensure stability and reliability of electric service, according to MECO.

Each island has its own energy grid, and every grid is broken into circuits that serve different regions of the island. Molokai has five circuits, while Oahu has 465. As of last week, the circuit running from Kaunakakai to Halawa has reached the 15 percent threshold of renewable energy that the PUC has set on electric circuits statewide.

Because most renewable energy is a variable energy source – solar panels, for example, are only effective during the day – fluctuations in the electric grid caused by the use of renewable energy can result in instabilities and possible interruptions in service. In order to maintain the reliability of electric service to customers, residents and business owners wishing to install additional renewable energy systems to an already filled circuit may be required to pay for a study that would “determine that more distributed generation systems like PV [photovoltaic solar] can be safely added to the circuit, or determine what steps are needed to reliably accommodate more on the circuit,” according to MECO spokeswoman Kau`i Awai-Dickson, via email.

,” said Mangelsdorf, also a member of the working group.

In addition, Awai-Dickson said MECO is working on a team led by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to “develop and install automated controls and energy storage technologies at the neighborhood level of the electric system to enable better use of distributed renewable generation.”

“The work is just beginning and we hope that by working together, we can help develop a process to support the management of more clean energy solutions on our grids,” said Awai-Dickson.

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Past, Present, Price and Practicality

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Past, Present, Price and Practicality

Walk into the Molokai General Store on Ala Malama Street, which reopened last week after a 15-year hiatus, and you’re stepping into a piece of history dating back to the 1940s. The building has seen many uses since it originally opened as Molokai Drugs.

Modernized through months of renovation, it’s easy to forget the building boasts a storied past. Product fixtures are newly painted, the ceiling and floors are repaired and replaced, and a dizzying array of modern products line its nearly 4,000 square feet. From fishing tackle and home goods to office supplies and toys, the store offers something for everyone.

The goal of the business, said General Manager Kim Svetin, is to carry products that Molokai residents really need at prices they can afford.

“I’d be surprised if [our customer-base is] even 5 percent tourists,” Svetin said. “It’s a local store.”

.”

The staff maintains a “Customer Want” book behind the counter, keeping track of product requests.

Open six days a week (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), the 28-person staff rotates among Molokai Drugs, the General Store and the Mikamis’ third business, Kamo`i Snack-N-Go. In addition to the building renovations, Svetin added another change that certainly wasn’t at the old store: free Wi-Fi for all customers.

 “We’re really trying to fill a need for our local market,” she said. “We’re trying to see how we can better service our residents here.”

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Kalaupapa Post Office on the Chopping Block

Monday, August 1st, 2011

Kalaupapa Post Office on the Chopping Block

The tiny Kalaupapa post office serves as the lifeline to its residents. However, United States Postal Service (USPS) budget deficits and decreased use of “snail mail” around the county have put that lifeline in jeopardy. The Kalaupapa post office is one of four small offices around the state being considered for closure.

“What’s driving it is that mail volumes and revenues are down tremendously,” said USPS Honolulu spokesperson Duke Gonzales.

For former Hansen’s disease patients living in Kalaupapa, mail is essential. Patient resident Gloria Marks said banking services used to visit the settlement periodically, but stopped when airfares to Kalaupapa skyrocketed. Now, her only access to the bank is through the mail.

“It shocked everybody – we all really need that,” she said. Without the post office, she added, “we have nothing else to go to.”

,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a USPS press release. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

Kalaupapa was named for possible closure on a list announced by the postal service on July 26. On the list of about 3,700 offices nation-wide being examined, the other Hawaii offices included include two on Oahu and one on Kauai.

The Kalaupapa post mistress, as well as topside USPS employees, were not permitted to comment.

To submit your input on the possible Kalaupapa post office closure, send mail to:
District Manager US Post Office, 3600 Aolele St. Honoulu HI 96820.

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Cut Down Energy with Hui Up

Friday, July 29th, 2011

For the past two weeks, a brigade in blue swept the island, armed with energy meters and power strips. Their mission: reduce energy consumption and educate the community on appliance efficiency.

SustAINAble Molokai interns and student volunteers teamed up with Blue Planet Foundation’s Hui Up program to help residents save substantial energy and money each year. Through Hui Up, Molokai residents have the opportunity to trade in old refrigerators in exchange for new Energy Star models. The first shipment of energy efficient ice boxes arrived this week, and applications are still available for the swap on a first-come-first-serve basis.

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