After nearly 20 years, Molokai is getting a movie theater again. The Mango Theater in Kaunakakai, located in the RWH Chen Building next to Fish and Dive, is expected to open next month. It will feature 45 comfortable seats, a full concession of food and snacks, evening showings of current theater movies, and a reservations app, according to owner Brad Ellis. For the full story, check next week’s issue of The Molokai Dispatch. …
Earlier this month, Molokai residents came together to organize a lei drive in honor of Kamaka Air pilots Hiram deFries-Saronitman and Preston Kaluhiwa. Both young pilots were killed in a plane crash on Oahu on Dec. 17 while performing a training flight. Kamaka has been flying cargo to Molokai for over 25 years, and many Molokai community members have close ties to the cargo airline and its employees.
“We’re doing this to show our support and aloha for Kamaka,” explained U’i Lima, one of the organizers of the lei drive.
As essential workers, Kamaka Air employees only had one day off to mourn their colleagues, explained Lima.…
When news of Mokulele’s shutdown spread on Wednesday, Jan. 15 Molokai residents were alarmed, but somewhat prepared. After years of inconsistent flight service, suffuse with frustrating delays and surprise cancellations, residents have become unfortunately familiar with this sort of transportation crisis. Mokulele went through a similar shutdown period just this past August when issues found in routine maintenance inspection led to a company enforced grounding for several days.
Following Wednesday’s shutdown, the need to travel for critical medical appointments, work, student sports and more sent Molokai residents scrambling. Like a well-oiled machine, residents took to Facebook to organize transportation via boat.…
UH CTAHR Molokai News Release
The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (UH CTAHR) Molokai Cooperative Extension Service Team is excited to announce our 12 week “Seed to Harvest” gardening series. Apply by contacting UH CTAHR at (808) 567-6929. Applications are due no later than Jan. 24.
The “Seed to Harvest” gardening series is a part of the “Rooted in Resilience: Building Healthy Communities Through Gardening” program for 2025. This program is funded by the County of Maui Department of Agriculture and is a partnership between UH CTAHR, Molokai Cooperative Extension Service and the County of Maui Department of Agriculture.…
MEDB News Release
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is seeking applications from educators and students for its Ke Alahele Education Grant. All Maui County public school educators and students are invited to apply. Projects must also be endorsed by the applicant’s school principal to be eligible.
Thanks to the generosity of over 300 Ke Alahele supporters at MEDB’s October fundraising dinner and auction, MEDB expects to award 15 to 20 grants of $3,000 in the spring 2025 semester, depending on the number of applications received.
The Ke Alahele Grant funds can be used to support a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and professional development activities at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.…
Community Contributed
By David Kley
Molokai has long been called “The Friendly Isle,” and it’s easy to see why: friendly shakas are waved and neighbors greet each other like old friends. The island’s strong sense of community is everywhere, from gatherings to everyday errands. But nowhere is this shared trust more evident than at the many fruit stands lining Molokai’s scenic coast.
Yesterday, my girlfriend, Genevieve Kikukawa, and I set out on Molokai’s coastal road. The crashing waves, salty breeze, and lush greenery filled our senses.
Our first stop was at Kanani Farms, where we discovered a quaint fruit stand. A handwritten sign reminded us to pay for what we took using a small cash box – an “honor box.”…
Born June 24, 1932, Wilfred Takahashi, known as Willie, passed away on Dec. 19, 2024. He is survived by his wife Teresita, daughter Maricel and grandsons Benjamin Jr. and Treve.
Before moving to Molokai, Willie served his country in the Korean War, and worked in construction. He also worked at Wailea Golf Course, where he met his darling wife, Tessie. Willie was the last of his veteran friends to survive their daily breakfast club at either Kanemitsu Bakery or at Mrs. K’s. For years, Willie was our famous bell ringer for weekend masses at St. Damien.
Willie’s services will be held Jan.…
Molokai Arts Center News Release
The Molokai Arts Center welcomes Artist in Residence Connie Lee Lynch from Jan. 13-31. Connie is a mixed media and fiber artist currently living in Pearl City, Hawaii. She has had crochet designs and articles featured in both crochet and spinning magazine publications. Most recently, her work was included in the Fiber Hawaii 2024 Exhibit at the Downtown Art Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Through her art, Connie invites both makers and viewers alike to become seekers of beauty and joy, exploring texture and line and color, taking pause to notice the simple pleasures of life in the everyday world all around us.…
Maui County Dept. of Environmental Management News Release
The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management has launched a new Tow and Scrap program for Molokai residents to recycle their unwanted qualified vehicles at no cost. The County is partnering with A&S Services LLC and Molokai Metals Facility to facilitate the program.
Residents must be the last registered owner of the vehicle being recycled. Residents will need the vehicle title with their name on the title and a government-issued photo identification.
To make an appointment, residents may call A&S Services LLC at (808) 336-0747. An A&S employee will go to residents’ homes, check their documents and give them two forms to fill out.…
MEO News Release
Molokai residents interested in applying for the Agricultural Micro Grant Program can do so in-person at MEO’s Molokai Office, 380 Kolapa Place, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748. For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center by phone at (808) 553-3270 or by email at lily.napoleon@meoinc.org. The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 25, 2025. Further application details are available at meoinc.org/programs and were printed in the Jan. 8 issue of The Molokai Dispatch.…
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