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Common Ground

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Government agencies and homeowners create conservation partnerships.   
By Melissa Kelsey

Rare and endangered species on Molokai are not only located inside designated land preserves –  they may also be right in your backyard. Environmental professionals are becoming aware of the importance of involving private landowners in the conservation process, and both state and federal agencies are reaching out to Molokai residents.                 

A Landowner Assistance Workshop presented by government officials at the Mitchell Pauole Center last Friday covered a plethora of topics and information, ranging from wetlands conservation to controlling invasive species. Officials from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service, and the Molokai Invasive Species Committee contributed to the workshop.    
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Lifestyle Price

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Lifestyle Price

Federal tax for cigarettes goes up to fund child health initiative.

By Melissa Kelsey

Smoking is a tough habit to break, but those who want to quit now have an added financial incentive. Last Wednesday, federal taxes on tobacco rose by 62 cents per pack, increasing the total federal tax for one pack of cigarettes from 39 cents to $1.01. The tax hike came after President Obama signed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program bill last February to raise the tax and use revenue to fund healthcare coverage for an estimated 4 million uninsured American children.

Indirectly, the bill may improve adult health as well.

“A lot of people have told me they are going to quit,” said Judy Egusa, a store manager at Friendly Market. “However, others are rolling their own cigarettes because it is cheaper.”

As an additional blow to local smokers, a bill to raise the Hawaii state tobacco tax from $2.00 per pack to $2.40 per pack was kept alive by Hawaii state lawmakers last week. If the bill goes into effect, the total tax for one pack of cigarettes in Hawaii will be $3.41 per pack, federal and state taxes combined.

“An average pack of cigarettes at our store used to cost anywhere from $4.00-$6.00, but just last week the average cost went up to $6.00-$8.00,” said Egusa. “If you really want to, better start quitting,” she said.

Smoking is responsible for one in five deaths in the United States, and is the country’s leading cause of preventable death, according to the American Lung Association.

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Barge Bailout

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

Young Brothers proposes schedule and rate changes.  

By Melissa Kelsey

Even transportation giants like Young Brothers are feeling the economy’s crunch, and Molokai could potentially see the brunt of the company’s money-saving strategies. Since December, Young Brothers, Limited, a barge company that has become an island life-line, has submitted two proposals to the State of Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that have gotten Molokai residents’ attention. One proposal, if approved, would increase shipment costs, while the other would change Molokai’s barge schedule.

Young Brothers ships goods to ports throughout the Hawaiian archipelago on a regular weekly schedule. Because Young Brothers is the only company of its kind, resulting in no inter-industry regulation through price and route competition, Young Brothers is regulated by the government through the PUC. This means that the transportation giant cannot make changes to its sailing schedule or shipment prices without the state commission’s approval.

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Furry Business

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Humane society seeks a stronger financial foundation.

By Melissa Kelsey

It is not only the Molokai Humane Society’s services that are improving; the island’s only veterinary service is taking steps toward financial sustainability as well.

Housed in a converted sea container near Ho`olehua, the animal care facility recently started taking animals by appointment instead of only on a walk-in basis to help the entire operation run more smoothly. In case pet owners do have to wait, they can check email and work online using the facility’s new onsite wireless internet.

With better service, a growing clientele and a busy schedule, the motley crew of animal lovers who coordinate the veterinary services want to make sure they are taking initiative to be financially solid.

“We want to show the county that we are fiscally responsible,” said Chairman of the Board, Koki Foster.

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Faithful Service

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Faithful Service

It was the last Molokai Planning Commission meeting for three commissioners, Sherman Napoleon, Jr., Lynn Decoite, and Bill Feeter. They received many thank you’s from fellow commissioners and community members. They will be replaced by Napua Leong and John Sprinzel, starting in April. The Molokai Planning Commission is still accepting applications to fill one open place for a third incoming commissioner.

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Legal Hospitality

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Planning Commission recommends a second legal TVR for Molokai.

By Melissa Kelsey

Molokai is an easy place to start a Transient Vacation Rental (TVR), but not while following the law. The bureaucratic process to legally operate a TVR on Molokai is lengthy and arduous, and requires two separate permits.

One Molokai TVR owner determined to operate her business legally is resident Francis Feeter. After an application process that has lasted years, she is finally beginning to see the fruits of her labor. Last Wednesday, the Molokai Planning Commission (MoPC) unanimously passed a motion to recommend to Maui County that she be given both necessary permits to operate her TVR for a period of three years.

“You have the authority to say how many years the permits would be good for. If there are any problems with the rental, you have the right to not renew,” said Feeter to MoPC Commissioners, referencing the limited time condition of the permits.

Conflicting Views

Some community members expressed relief that Feeter has been rewarded for her efforts to follow the law, believing that the best way to manage TVRs is to prove that it is possible to go through the proper legal channels.

“We have got to allow somebody to be legal,” said community member Rich Young. “I think properly managed, this can work out. This is a balance for our community, and it definitely is not a good thing if it is done illegally,” he said.

Not everyone agreed with the MoPC’s decision to support the permits, a decision that left some community members concerned about the MoPC’s consistency in following laws and granting exceptions.

“The business district is where these vacation rentals are supposed to be allowed,” said community member Linda Place, expressing her views that even existing accommodations on the island are not being filled to capacity.

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Shark Gathering

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Shark Gathering

Kalele Bookstore hosts first film screening.

By Melissa Kelsey

Shark attacks are rare on Molokai, but their mysterious nature may have been one thing that allured residents to Kaunakakai last Tuesday to watch a film about great white shark facts and myths. As popcorn was passed around in a plastic bucket to seated viewers, Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions was packed full with guests attending its first film screening. The 24-minute film, entitled “White Shark Café,” was created by The Molokai Dispatch Staff Writer Sean Aronson during his time as a graduate student studying film at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in California.

The film challenged the traditional image the media has portrayed of great white sharks as mindless, ferocious killers. Contary to common depiction of shark attacks, sharks usually just bite humans once, mistaking them for seals, and can test the fat content of their prey from that one bite, according to Aronson. The movie’s title, “White Shark Café,” describes a region of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California that is a seasonal gathering place for great white sharks.

“All I have to say is, respect the ocean,” said community film viewer Mervin Dudoit. “If we get more things like this, we will understand the situation better.”

The event was attended by more than 30 viewers, and included pupus and a discussion after the film. Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions plans to host more films and presentations in the future to bring people in the community together in the store’s space, according to store owner Teri Waros.

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Mount Opala

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Mount Opala

New cell under construction at Naiwa landfill

By Melissa Kelsey

Slowing Accumulation
There are currently no plans by Maui County to ship Molokai opala off the island, according to Martin. However, Maui County occasionally hires private vendors to ship certain items off-island. A $1 million contract between Maui County and SOS Metals allowed trashed vehicles and appliances to be sent off Molokai last year, according to Martin.

Maui County also hires private vendors to take recycled materials, according to Martin. As a result, Molokai residents can help keep trash from piling up in the landfill by carefully sorting household waste and bringing recyclables to the recycling facility located on the same property as the landfill. Items stamped with “5¢ HI” can be redeemed for five cents each.

Plans to convert trash management on Molokai to the Herhof Stabilat system where trash is converted to electricity are not currently making progress, according to Kamehameha Environmental LLC board member Billy Buchanan. To create energy through this system, solid waste is put through a heat exchange unit after its moisture has been removed.

“It seems to be stuck in bureaucracy and no one is making decisions. Everything is about being green and saving energy and fossil fuels, but when we have a proven technique and technology and very little happens, that is a problem. This project is pretty much at a standstill,” said Buchanan.

In the meantime, Molokai residents should do everything they can to reduce the island’s waste accumulation.

“The community needs to know that Maui County is not only expanding the dump, they are also recycling and working with the community to prevent things from going into the landfill,” said McPherson.

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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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Ranch on the Bidding Block

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Molokai Properties says land is up for sale if price is right.
By Sean Aronson

It’s been almost a year since Molokai Ranch closed its doors, but its importance to this island continues to keep it in the headlines.  The most recent chapter in the Ranch saga occurred at a hearing on last weeks’ House resolution requesting a fair appraisal of Molokai Properties Limited (MPL) land.

Dan Orodenker, General Manager for MPL, said in a live hearing Friday that the Ranch land is for sale if the right offer was on the table.  Rumors about MPL’s willingness to sell have been flying around Molokai for months, but this was the first public statement from MPL addressing the issue.

HCR 95, introduced last week by Ken Ito, Chair of the Water, Land and Ocean Resources Committee (WLO), requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to conduct a fair and accurate appraisal of MPL’s lands.  The resolution cites MPL’s failure to allow access for subsistence hunting and farming as well as its lack of commitment to provide water and sewer services to West end residents among the reasons for State intervention.
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