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Community

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

OHA Awards $1.77M in COVID Response Grants

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

OHA News Release

Programs helping to mitigate learning struggles endured by young learners during the pandemic, provide psychiatric services to Native Hawaiians and provide food to vulnerable Native Hawaiian communities are among the grant awardees announced today by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

A total of 15 Hawaii nonprofit organizations on five islands will receive a total of $1.77 million in grant awards through OHA’s COVID-19 Impact and Response Grants. The grant program is being offered for the first time to help the community address the multiple impacts of the global pandemic.

On Molokai, KUPU was awarded $55,042 for its “Conservation Leadership Development Program” to provide employment opportunities for early and developing professionals (17 years or older) who want to commit to a career in conservation.…

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Variant Spreads, Restrictions Lifted

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

After the first case of a COVID-19 variant known as the Delta variant was reported in Hawaii two weeks ago, cases of the variant have now been found in all counties, with a total of 13 cases as of last Friday.

“The rapid spread of the Delta variant is troubling, but not surprising,” said State Laboratories Division Administrator Dr. Edward Desmond. “Cases of this particular strain of COVID-19 have doubled every two weeks in other jurisdictions so we expected it to move quickly after it was first detected on Oahu earlier this month.”

The Delta variant is more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 and preliminary research shows that it results in a higher rate of severe illness than other SARS-CoV-2 variants, according to the Dept.…

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Wildland Fire Training This Week

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

MFD News Release

From Wednesday, June 30 through Friday, July 2, the Maui Fire Department will be conducting a series of live fire wildland training exercises on Molokai. The training will be taking place on a parcel of DHHL land southeast of the intersection of Maunaloa Highway and Pu’upe’elua Avenue in Ho’olehua. The training will occur daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during this time.

During the training, Molokai residents can expect to possibly see smoke and flames in the immediate area.

These training evolutions give Maui Fire Dept. fire fighters on Molokai an opportunity to train in realistic conditions to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season, while at the same time eliminate some of the wildfire fuel loads.…

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Chattanooga Choo Choo

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Opinion by Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa

“When you hear the whistle blowing eight to the bar, Then you know that Tennessee is not very far. Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep rolling, Woo, Woo, Chattanooga, there you are.”

When you hear the whistle of a train, your thoughts may turn back in time to the voices of the Andrew Sisters or the strains of the Glen Millar Band bringing back memories of the Chattanooga Choo Choo train. If the Chattanooga Choo Choo were to blow its whistle today, it might well toot its salute to a baby just born to Julia Aleszczyk and her husband, Ryan Poland, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.…

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Molokai Teachers Renew National Board Certification

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Molokai Teachers Renew National Board Certification

NBCT News Release

Molokai High School Librarian Diane Mokuau and Student Services Coordinator Laura Peterson are two of thousands of teachers across the United States to renew their certification as a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT).

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is excited to celebrate these teachers along with the more than 20,000 teachers currently pursuing Board certification – seen as the profession’s mark of accomplished teaching.

“The pandemic truly tested the mettle of anybody working in a school setting — including teachers and their students,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, President and CEO of The National Board. “Those teachers who renewed their Board certification this year voluntarily chose to challenge themselves, reflect on their practice and confirm that they are teaching to the highest standards.…

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Patricia “Tisa” Sanchez-Pagay

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Patricia “Tisa” Sanchez-Pagay

Patricia “Tisa” Sanchez-Pagay, 77 years old, passed peacefully on April 23, 2021, at Queens hospital on Oahu, after a long battle with illness. Patricia was born in Kohala on Nov. 27, 1943 on Hawaii Island to Minnie and Patricio Sanchez, Sr. She moved to Molokai in her early childhood and graduated from Molokai High in 1961.

Patricia worked in the late 60s for Dole company in Maunaloa, where she met her late husband Joseph Pagay, who preceded her in death in 2006. She also worked many years for Molokai Ranch and spoke fondly of the old Maunaloa community in which she was raised.…

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Water Main Break Causes Closures

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Water Main Break Causes Closures

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Some Kaunakakai businesses and a portion of the highway was temporarily closed last Friday when a County water main broke along Kamehameha V Highway in town shortly before 2 p.m. Water shooting high in the air could be seen all the way from Ranch Camp.

Water in Kaunakakai had to be shut down for several hours while the Dept. of Water Supply completed repairs. Traffic was rerouted around the break between Mohala Street and Ailoa Street. A resident of Manila Camp reported water service was restored to that area around 6:30 p.m.…

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January Is Now Kalaupapa Month

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

January Is Now Kalaupapa Month

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Last Wednesday, Gov. Ige signed into law a bill that designates January as Kalaupapa Month in Hawaii. It will “serve as an annual reminder of the importance of Kalaupapa and the significant sacrifices and contributions of its residents throughout the history of Hawaii,” the bill reads.

Kalaupapa resident John Arruda, who was sent to the peninsula in 1945 and is now 97 years old, stood next to Gov. Ige as he signed the bill. Ige presented Arruda with the pen he used.

“Freedom was taken away from us and it means a lot that the State — the Legislature and the Governor — want to honor our people in this way,” said Arruda.…

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Interisland Travel Now Unrestricted

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

For the first time in months, there are no Safe Travels screeners greeting arrivals to the Molokai Airport. Travelers may come and go interisland freely without going through a litany of testing, quarantine procedures, forms, QR codes and other protocols, as of June 15. Airport car rides offer convenience, comfort, and a stress-free way to travel to and from the airport, ensuring a smooth and timely trip. The ending of regulations for travel within Hawaii marks one of several to the Emergency Revised Rules the governor made last week.

Individuals who have been fully vaccinated in the state of Hawaii are also no longer required to do a pre-travel test when traveling from the U.S.…

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Indigo Dye Class

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Indigo Dye Class

MAC News Release

On Saturday, June 5, an indigo dye class hosted by the Molokai Arts Center (MAC) was held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at an off-site venue at the Holomua Junction. The class was an introductory class and no previous experience was required of the participants.

Indigo is a natural and ancient dye, known for its deep and rich blue color. It was used by many civilizations such as in Mayan, Egyptian, Japanese and Indian cultures. Natural indigo is obtained from a variety of plants, the most widely used one being indigofera tinctoria. But, did you know that we actually have an indigo plant species called Indigofera suffruticosa that grows in the wild here all over the island?…

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