Community

General news which affects the Molokai community in one way or another.

Congratulations, Hiros

Wednesday, July 27th, 2022

Congratulations to Hiro’s Ohana Grill for your family’s five years of serving delicious kaukau for our community and visitors that are coming to enjoy the beauty of our Molokai happy, rich, simple lifestyle. We want to keep it that way. I enjoyed the wonderful music and sweet sound of all the musicians at the anniversary event. Great to see Makaha Sons again, beautiful memories. Food, broke da mouth. Staff and all the workers did a very fantastic job to welcome everybody, serve with a beautiful smile of aloha. What a great way to celebrate our own five years having fun at Hiro’s.…

Kalaupapa Seal Gets Life-Saving Surgery

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Kalaupapa Seal Gets Life-Saving Surgery

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A young Hawaiian monk seal from Kalaupapa got critical surgery to remove a hook lodged in his throat and has been returned safely to the  shores of the remote settlement. 

The juvenile male seal, known as RP92, was spotted by National Park Service employees at Kalaupapa during a routine survey with fishing gear trailing from his mouth, according to NOAA Fisheries report. 

“We consulted with response partners from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, The Marine Mammal Center, and NPS and determined that the seal was most likely suffering from an ingested hook,” stated the NOAA release.…

DOH Says School Masking Now Optional

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

State Dept. of Health officials announced last week that masks will not be mandatory in indoor settings at public schools this year. COVID-19 vaccines will also not be required for students. 

At a news conference last Tuesday, State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said wearing masks will be up to individual teachers and students, but the DOH “will strongly encourage indoor mask use when COVID levels are high or medium.”

According to CDC criteria, COVID-19 community level for Maui County is currently listed as high, as of July 14. The CDC uses a combination of three metrics such as new COVID cases in the past seven days, and hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, to determine a community’s level as low, medium or high. …

Making Reading Fun

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Making Reading Fun

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

Youth had a blast reading books and enjoying the entertainment of special guest Mr. Kneel at the library earlier this month. The presentation was part of a book sale fundraiser for the Friends of Molokai Public Library, and keiki took home prizes, books and good memories. For more, click here.…

Hawaii Youth Symphony Concert

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Hawaii Youth Symphony News Release

The public is invited to a free evening of music featuring the talents of cellist Daniel Scoggins and violinist Jordan Watt in a concert on Molokai presented by Hawaii Youth Symphony and its Pacific Music Institute (PMI). Through Hawaii Youth Symphony’s partnership with the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, both Scoggins and Watt have travelled to Hawaii as Teaching Fellows for this year’s PMI, an annual summer music camp connecting students with acclaimed soloists, players from major symphony orchestras, and educators from leading music institutions.

Free one-hour public concert on Thursday, July 21 at Saint Damien Catholic Church starts at 6 p.m. 

A recent graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Cello Performance, Daniel Scoggins is Teaching Artist at Bronx Arts Ensemble. Jordan Watt is finishing…

Artists in Residence

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Artists in Residence

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center’s Artist in Residence program welcomes two artists this month. Both storytellers, one is a musician and the other a screenwriter.

Rafael Lamas is an orchestra conductor, concert pianist, creative writer, and Professor of Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies at Fordham University at Lincoln Center of New York. He has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. He is the current music director and principal conductor of the Academic Orchestra of Granada. Author of “Musics of New York” (Músicas de Nueva York, 2019), “Listening and Interpreting” (Escuchar e Interpretar, 2014), “Music and Identity” (Música e Identidad, 2008), he has also written several articles that appeared in peer-reviewed journals.…

MEO Hosts Town Hall on Suicide and Prevention

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

MEO News Release 

A Molokai Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day on Wednesday, July 27, culminates in a town hall gathering at Kalaiakamanu Hou Church Hall in Kaunakakai from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) Youth Services in partnership with the County of Maui and E Ola Hou Prevent Suicide Maui County Task Force is staging the “Let’s Talk Story About Hope, Help, and Healing” town hall and other events that day.

The town hall will host open discussions on the needs of the community and ways to help support and connect individuals at-risk of suicide to local, state and national resources. The goal is to provide a safety net for the community of Molokai.…

College Admissions and Voter Open House

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

UHMCM News Release

The UH Maui College Molokai Education Center invites you to participate in our Admissions and Voter Registration Open House on Thursday, July 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event aims to share the variety of educational opportunities we are offering this fall and to encourage civic engagement by learning about the candidates running for office. All candidates for Maui Mayor, State Senate District 7, State House District 13 and County Council (Molokai) are being invited to attend. We will be offering fall admissions and voter registration assistance as well. We hope to see you there!…

Book Sale Fun

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Community Contributed

By Christine Kage

On Thursday, July 7, the Friends of Molokai Public Library held a used book sale fundraiser under the carport behind the library. Special guest Mr. Kneel put on a super fun “hip hop for families” presentation as part of a Maui County library tour sponsored by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

Participants of Summer PALS, along with their leaders, and book shoppers of all ages, enjoyed the music and energetic reading and comedy of Mr. Kneel. 

Plenty of smiling keiki went home with stuffed animals, books and painted arms. Mahalo to Molokai’s wonderful caring library staff, PALS program, arm painters, Mr.…

Happy First Birthday

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Happy First Birthday

Here’s a birthday shout out to one year old Oiwimainaainaaloha, son of Kaoli and Keani Kahokuloa of Molokai and Ewa Beach respectively and baby brother to sister Hilina’i. 

Honoring him in the ancient Hawaiian cultural way of living through the first year, a birthday luau crowned the affair held on Saturday, July 2 at the Robins Homestead in Kamiloloa. Oiwi is also the grandson of Elea and Pulani Kahokuloa of Molokai and Danny and Manu Rivera of Oahu, respectively. Honored also to be his great grandparents are Molokai’s own Cookie Robins-Kaopuiki and the late “Bla” David Robins.

The birthday luau was a true reflection of Hawaiian tradition, filled with love, family, and joy as they marked this special milestone in his life.…