Announcements

Feeling the Squeeze of a Tighter County Budget

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Molokai commissioners may only meet once a month.

By Catherine Cluett

Schedule Changes
Perhaps desperate times call for desperate measures, but anyone who has sat through a Planning Commission meeting knows that the possibility of adding even an hour to the already interminable sessions is not something to take lightly. The Molokai Planning Commission is no exception.

During last Wednesday’s meeting, Clayton Yoshida of the Maui County Current Planning Division announced a proposal by the county to reduce the Molokai Planning Commission meetings from twice monthly to once a month. In light of a tightening Maui County budget, this cut would reduce air fare costs for Maui County officials like Yoshida to attend Molokai meetings.

“Our meetings are already five hours long,” said Commissioner Teri Waros. “If we only met once a month, would the meetings be 10 hours long?” She suggested the possibility of video conferencing as an alternative to Yoshida’s physical presence.

Kupuna Volunteer 15,000 Hours

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

By Marie Nowell

After all the long hours and hard work throughout the year, RSVP Volunteers were able to sit back and relax. The volunteers were treated to great entertainment and ono food at the annual Kaunoa’s RSVP Molokai Recognition Luncheon.

Volunteers enjoyed a relaxing morning with opening music by Wahine U’I O Molokai and entertainment by famous local performer Melveen Leed.

The luncheon, held this year at Hotel Molokai, is an annual event for all senior volunteers. It is a time for those to be recognized for all their services and dedication.

The RSVP, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Maui County are made up of seniors 50 years of age or older who devote their time in helping the community.

Individuals are open to choose the agencies and activities of interest they would like to take part in. Two key volunteers from the program work together with the agency and volunteer to make good matches for work.

Seniors volunteer at a long list of local agencies including, schools, the Molokai Museum, Molokai Habitat for Humanity, MEO, Natural Conservancy, Credit Union, Planning Commission, Molokai Public Library, Molokai General Hospital and the Lions Club, according to Dana Acosta, Director of RSVP, Kaunoa Senior Services.

The agencies are responsible for recording hours on time sheets and turning them into the Molokai Senior Services. Acosta says “the hours are then reported to the Federal Government, where the program receives support from the Corporation for National and Community Service.”

In the year 2007, 76 Molokai RSVP volunteers logged 15, 221 hours. All the volunteers were recognized at the luncheon on Friday, October 24, 2008.

Please contact Molokai Senior Services at (808) 270-7998 or (808) 270-7986.

Storyteller and Author Cathy Spagnoli Visits Molokai

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

 While most kids enjoy bedtime stories, a group of children got to hear a great story from a true storyteller last week. Children gathered on the carpet as the lights at Molokai Public Library were turned down for storytelling. An audience, ranging in ages from six years old to adults, drew close to hear stories by storyteller and author Cathy Spagnoli.

Spagnoli opened with a Trickster Tale about a character named Lazy Dragon. The story was told of a thief who stole from the rich to give to the poor, while having the ability to trick people very well. It was turned over to the audience to solve how Lazy Dragon was able to steal gold from a rich couple.

Other tellings included traditional and modern folktales from China and Japan.

Several stories came from Kamishibai, a form of storytelling that originated in Japan. Kamishibai, or “paper-theater” is part of a long tradition of picture storytelling using illustrated scrolls combined with narration to convey stories.

Most stories are retellings, while some originate from Spagnoli’s own imagination and personal collectables from traveling to Japan and India. “Wonderful support and grants have given me the opportunity to travel to such great places,” says Spagnoli.

As an author she writes to reach children, teenagers and teachers. According to Spagnoli, she has been telling since 1986 and published her first book in 1989. Since then, she has written sixteen books with the seventeenth premiering soon.

Extending the experience, people gathered to play with Japanese folk toys and get a closer look at books and story cloths after the program.

Jeff Gere, a master storyteller and the director of the Talk Story Festival in Honolulu booked storytelling programs for Spagnoli to present in Maui, Honolulu, Molokai, and Kawai.

Spagnoli would like to thank “everyone who made this even possible and for all those who came to listen.”

The Friends of the Library of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii Outreach College’s Statewide Cultural Extension Program sponsored the program.

Library Announcements

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

TE VAKA:

In collaboration with ‘O Hina I ka Malama Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, TE VAKA, (the canoe), an award-winning New Zealand rock group, will perform Polynesian and World Beat music and dance on Wednesday, October 22 from 4:00-6:30 pm on the Molokai Public Library front lawn.

This FREE concert is sponsored by the Maui Arts & Cultural Center with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, State Foundation on Culture & the Arts, County of Maui, Air Pacific, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Cole Family Foundation and the Molokai Public Library.

FREE Movie @ your library:

Molokai Public Library is licensed to show movies produced by popular Hollywood studios. The first will be shown on Wednesday, October 29 at 6:00 pm at Molokai Public Library.

Library Announcements

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

This FREE concert is sponsored by the Maui Arts & Cultural Center with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, State Foundation on Culture & the Arts, County of Maui, Air Pacific, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Cole Family Foundation and the Molokai Public Library.

FREE Movie @ your library

Molokai Public Library is licensed to show movies produced by popular Hollywood studios. The first will be shown on Wednesday, October 29 at 6:00 pm at Molokai Public Library.

This FREE concert film captures 14-year old singing sensation performing at several venues on her 2007 54-city tour. She performs as her alter ego popular television character.

Walk-In Absentee Voting for the General Election

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

The Office of the County Clerk, County of Maui, will conduct Walk-In Absentee Voting for the General Election at the following location beginning on Tuesday, October 21, 2008.

MITCHELL PAUOLE CENTER

CONFERENCE ROOM

90 AINOA STREET

KAUNAKAKAI, MOLOKAI

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 to Friday, October 31, 2008

Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.*

Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Closed on Sunday

* NOTE: On October 31, 2008, Walk-In Absentee Voting will end at 3:00 p.m.

Molokai Hoe Record Broken Again

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Over 1000 paddlers from around the world gathered at Hale O Lono Sunday morning for the start of the 57th annual Molokai Hoe men’s championship outrigger canoe race.

One hundred and six crews hailed from countries such as Hungary, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Japan, Tahiti, Australia, Canada, as well as the US mainland and Hawaii to make the 41-mile paddle across the Ka'iwi Channel to the Hilton Hotel on Oahu. The day’s conditions brought swells that were welcomed by some teams and dreaded by others.

“At home, we are used to flat water,” says Jakus Tamas, a member of the Hungarian team. “Big waves are not good for us.” But their team boasts two members that are former Olympic paddling champions, he says.

Ali`i Napoleon of the Lanikai Canoe Club says he and his teammates welcome the swells. He adds that the Lanikai crew is “the strongest we’ve ever been as a team.” “Competing with teams from around the world pushes us to paddle harder,” he says.

Pure Light Racing team made history this year as the first adaptive team to paddle in Molokai Hoe. The crew, made up of 11 physically challenged athletes, was given a head start in the race, and was escorted by medical boat.

Shell Va'a team from Tahiti won the race for the third year in a row, beating their previous record with a time 4 hours, 38 minutes, 35 seconds. Lanikai Canoe Club’s first crew finished third in 4:51:50, the first team from Hawai'i to finish this year’s race. Kukui O Moloka'i placed 27th, with a time of 5:37:2.

Caption: Molokai’s crew, Kukui O Molokai, held their own last weekend against the world’s finest paddlers in the 57th annual Molokai Hoe race, crossing the Ka'iwi Channel in 27th  place with a time of 5 hours 37 minutes 2 seconds.

Fiber Optic Marine Cable to be Laid This Week

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Expect a big ship to be hanging out on Molokai’s southern shore this week. It’ll be laying fiber optic cable connecting Molokai with Maui and Oahu.

By Catherine Cluett

On Tuesday, Sandwich Isles Communications (SIC) is scheduled to lay undersea cables that will connect all of the land-based fiber optic networks in place on five major Hawaiian islands. The Molokai site of connection is at Ali`i Fishpond; two cables will run over the ocean floor connecting Molokai to Sandy Beach, Oahu, and Wahikuli, Maui.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) began constructing the cable infrastructure on each island in 2004. By the end of October, all of the undersea cables should be laid, and a goal has been set for the end of the year to have all cables connected for inter-island connectivity, says SIC consultant Dawn Chang.

Preparations for the Molokai undersea cable are already in place. A conduit was drilled using “horizontal directional boring” technology, Chang says, which travels under the reef system to a distance of about three quarters of a mile offshore, where the cable will surface to the ocean floor.

On Tuesday, the vessel S.S. Intrepid will be located, un-anchored, off the Molokai shore to lay the marine cable. SIC will send down a diver, who will run the cable through the submarine conduit, connecting Ali`i Fishpond site.

Chang says the undersea portion of the fiber optic cable project was financed by commercial funds, amounting to approximately $126 million.

Molokai residents are serviced by either Hawaiian Telcom or Sandwich Isles. Residents using Sandwich Isles won’t see much change in their service, says Chang, unless they live in recently-built homes.

SIC worked with such organizations as the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers during the approval process for the marine cable project. They also cooperated closely with NOAA to complete the cable-laying before whale season begins, says Chang.

Molokai Film Festival Preview

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

By Marie Nowell

Come join family and friends at the 5th annual Festival for Molokai in celebration of music, arts, culture and film perpetuating our Hawaiian culture.

The Molokai Film Festival will be taking place Saturday, October 18th at Duke Maliu Ball Park. Gates open at 3:30 p.m.

Bring your lawn chairs & blankets to enjoy an evening of entertainment. Live music with Uncle Boy Kanae, Ukulele falsetto Virtuoso Kamaka Kehau, Multi Na Hoku Hanohano winner Brother Noland, “The Master of Hawaiian Street Guitar” Henry Allen, Lono, and Hula. Please leave your coolers at home.

Be apart of the World Premiere on a Molokai made film, “Molokai Ka Hula Piko.” Also on the roster, is another new Hawaii made film, “Chief”, which premiered at the Sundance film fest. Films start at sunset under the Molokai stars.

Aside from the films, check out the arts and crafts booths and grab some delicious food from several different food stands.

The film festival also will be promoting Molokai’s fight against cancer.

Admission is free. For More Information Contact Ken Burgmaier, phone: (808) 573.5530