By The Molokai Dispatch Staff
Kalaupapa’s once a year barge arrived at the peninsula on Saturday, Sept. 11 bringing nonperishable food, gas, equipment, building supplies, vehicles and other essentials to the remote settlement. Rose Hartman captured this photo of the barge’s approach to Kalaupapa along the cliffs on her flight from Honolulu to Molokai via Kalaupapa. …
Community Contributed
A Day to Remember
By Father Pat Killilia, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa
Sept. 11 dawned bright and breezy. At 7 a.m. there was no sign of the “expected coming” except for the tug boat moored in anticipation in the inner harbor. By 8 a.m., there was still no sight on the water of the long awaited one. I thought to myself, what if it has been hijacked and we have another remake of the Mutiny on the Bounty. Finally, at about 9 a.m., Glauco, the Aquaman, motioned to the horizon, far to the right. There it sat like a huge snail on the ocean surface.…
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Nearly 50 bikes were given away free to Molokai keiki and more than 200 bikes were repaired during an event brought to Molokai by Krank Cycles Maui last Saturday. The giveaway opened at 9 a.m., and within half an hour, all the bikes donated by the Maui community had been given away, said Krank owner Aaron “Moose” Riechert. Kids arrived at the Molokai Youth Center on foot and left on a bike, while hundreds more bikes were dropped off in a drive-through repair line to become functional once more.
“It’s a little hectic,” said Riechert with tools in hand, fixing a brake line as about half a dozen other mechanics worked their way through long lines of broken bikes.…
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
On Sept. 19, a resident found and reported a young female seal dead on the south shore of Molokai. The death of the seal, known as L11, marks the sixth seal death on Molokai since the beginning of the year – “an unprecedented number of deaths over a 9-month time period,” according to officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). An investigation is underway.
L11 was born last year in Kalaupapa. Hawaii Marine Animal Response Molokai Outreach Coordinator Todd Yamashita said she had been known to haul out on lawns and sandy parking lots on the east side of Molokai, describing her as curious and healthy.…
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Last week, Molokai had 20 new COVID cases between Friday, Sept. 17 and Friday, Sept. 24, peaking last Tuesday with six positive cases. As of Sunday, there were 49 active cases on island in the last two weeks.
There were no new cases reported at Molokai schools last week.
The Dept. of Health has authorized Pfizer booster doses for those over the age of 65 and individuals age 50-64 with underlying medical conditions, in line with CDC recommendations. First priority remains ensuring access for those who are unvaccinated.
“As the science and the virus evolves, DOH will continue to make evidence-based decisions to ensure those at highest risk for severe illness have access to vaccines,” said Director of Health Dr.…
Bayer News Release
Applications are now being accepted for the Bayer Hawaii Science Education Fund. This Bayer Fund grant program is open to public schools serving students at the intermediate, high school and college grade levels on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Molokai.
Established in 2005, the Bayer Hawaii Science Education Fund helps provide Hawaii public schools with programs, tools, supplies and equipment to enhance science education in the schools, and encourages today’s students to consider a future career in the sciences. To date, nearly $320,000 has been awarded to schools in Hawaii.
The next grant application deadline is Friday, Oct. 15. To download an application, visit hawaii.bayer.us/education/…
Community Contributed
By Mele Kaneali’i
New school year, new discussions! The Molokai High School Community Council held its first meeting on Aug. 25, on Google Meets and covered topics like the budget, latest safety precautions, new staff and school celebrations to kick off the first meeting of the year. The meeting was attended by the five stakeholders of the school community: two students, two parents, two community members, four teachers, two classified staff, and the principal, Dr. Katina Soares.
The council welcomed new teachers, Jason Elder, Building and Construction teacher, and Geneva Castro-Lichtenstein, counselor, and the new student representatives, Mele Kanealiʻi and Quedin Bumatay.…
Community Contributed
Opinion by Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa
I threw on my Savers dark dustcoat, stepped out into the rain, and headed for my Paddy Wagon. I must have looked like Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday on the way to the O.K. Corral that morning, but I was not heading to a corral, not even the mule corral. By this date the topside Molokai mules had been “on furlough” since the bridge on the Kalaupapa trail had collapsed at Christmas due to a landslide. This was before the pandemic and I was actually on my way to our Kalaupapa “International” Airport to meet Bishop Larry and his 26 pilgrims.…
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Those in need on Molokai received more than 2,000 pounds of food in a distribution at the Maui Economic Opportunity office last Thursday. Every third Thursday monthly, MEO runs distribution of the federal surplus food, which is a part of SNAP. The Maui Food Bank ships food over to the island, along with fresh produce grown by farmers on Molokai and Maui.
Pictured here, Nani Maikui helped with the drive-thru distribution of more than 1,100 pounds of nonperishable food items and about 1,000 pounds of fresh items, which included fruit, veggies and cheese. Additionally, more than 50 boxes of food were given to kupuna. …
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Get ready to get riding! Krank Cycles Maui, a bike sales and repair business in Makawao, is coming to Molokai this Saturday to repair and give away dozens of bicycles for free. It’s part of their Maui Bike Mission, an idea Krank owner Aaron “Moose” Riechert had to use his business to help folks during the pandemic. His team has traveled to communities around Maui, as well as Lanai, to repair and donate bikes and now they’re headed to Molokai on Sept. 25.
“We’re going to be repairing and giving away as many bikes as we can,” said Riechert.…
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