Community

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

Census Followup

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

My name is Napua Burke and I served as minister to the Hawaiian Congregational churches (Topside Molokai UCC Churches) from 2013 to 2016. At the end of 2016, I returned to Hilo to care for my mother and I continue to be grateful for the kind words and messages I received at the time of her passing.

My husband and I have continued to maintain a home in Molokai because we love this island and its people. We have not visited Molokai since the beginning of the pandemic for obvious reasons. Recently though, I began working for the Census and I have volunteered to come over to Molokai in December to conduct what are called Post Enumeration Surveys, which is basically a method of verifying that accuracy of the information received during the census.…

Uechi Promoted to Leadership at Maui News

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Former Molokai Dispatch reporter Colleen Uechi has been named to the top editorial leadership role at The Maui News. Uechi began her journalism career as an intern with The Molokai Dispatch in 2014, and worked on staff until the end of 2015, when she joined The Maui News team as a reporter. She was promoted to assistant city editor last year. She now replaces Lee Imada as managing editor, who worked at the publication for 40 years.

Originally from Oahu, Uechi is originally from Oahu and graduated from Hawaiian Mission Academy in Honolulu. She studied intercultural communications and Spanish at Pacific Union College in California and after her 2013 graduation, taught English in Kazakhstan for five months.…

Buy Local, Support a Family

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

Buy Local, Support a Family

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sales may be past, but every day is Small Business Saturday on Molokai! Finish your Christmas gift shopping list on Molokai by sup-porting local businesses. Whether it’s products brought in for sale from Molokai Drugs, Take’s, Molokai Wines and Spirits or Imports Gifts, or buying directly from a local entrepreneur, local gifting keeps the resources on Molokai and helps local families at the same time. Along with other holiday sales, a handful of locally, mom-owned businesses at a Holiday Popup event at Paddlers Restaurant on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m.…

$1.8M for Molokai Conservation Efforts

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai is anticipated to have clearer oceans and reefs, less erosion and flooding, and protection from wildfires thanks to $1.8 million in federal funds that were just awarded to the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

The funding, through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), will pay for measures to protect Molokai’s forest ecosystems, like fencing for protection from hooved animals and creating firebreaks. The State of Hawaii is also matching the funds as part of a larger Watershed Initiative, directing an additional $2 million of state Capital Improvement Project (CIP) and operating funds to protect Molokai’s forests and provide jobs for Molokai residents, according to the DLNR.…

Support the Arts

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

MAC News Release

Molokai Arts Center (MAC) started 2020 celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Plans to expand classes and activities, helping to intensify MAC’s commitment to the Molokai community, was waylaid by COVID-19 and frequently changing safety protocols.

The mission of the only non-profit arts education organization on Molokai is to provide art classes, youth and kupuna programs, as well as studio and gallery space for adults, children, residents and visitors to this rural island. We believe that everyone in the Molokai community, from the professional artist to the novice, deserves the opportunity to develop their creative gifts.

Today, this means servicing less people in light of social distancing requirements and canceling all activities which normally gathered more than ten people.…

Virtual Floating Lantern Ceremony

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Since 2013, Hospice Molokai (now known as Navian Hawaii), along with the Molokai Guzeiji Soto Mission, has hosted the Annual Floating Lantern Ceremony. The event provides our Molokai Community the opportunity to come together in a safe and familiar space reminding us that we are not alone and to honor our loved ones that have died.

Due to COVID-19 we were unable to hold the seventh annual live event on Nov. 14, so a Virtual Video Event was created for you — “Holding Space to Honor Our Loved Ones.” It can be viewed at any time on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=57asQuS4yQk “Molokai Floating Lantern.”…

La Ku’oko’a Celebration

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Uncle Rudy’s brother, Richard, welcomes residents to celebrate La Ku’oko’a (Hawaiian Independence Day) at Homelani Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 28. Come hear your kupuna’s, the gardener (the ali’i, the one you can see walking around).

Aloha,
Richard Cabanting…

Hawaiian Electric Proposes Shared Solar for Molokai

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Hawaiian Electric’s proposal to launch shared solar or Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE) programs and projects on Molokai and Lanai featuring solar photovoltaic (PV) paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be the topic at separate community meetings. In consideration of the pandemic safety precautions, both meetings will be held virtually, Dec. 2 and 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., on webex.com.

For the Molokai meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 2, callers can dial 1-844-992-4726 (Toll-Free) and enter WebEx meeting number: 146 449 2132, Password: 2qqQjCYmr52

The live format will include a presentation by company officials followed by audience questions.…

Electric Outage Map Now on Mobile App

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Maui County customers can now retrieve outage information, receive outage alerts and see outages mapped on Maui, Molokai and Lanai from the Hawaiian Electric mobile app.

Available in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, the Hawaiian Electric mobile app is free and can be downloaded on a phone or tablet.

From the app, customers can view a Google map of Maui County and zoom in for details on reported outages in specific areas. Users with the geolocation feature activated on their mobile device can also see information on outages near their location.

The app also enables users to view and pay their electric bill, receive notifications, look for electric vehicle charging stations and move or stop service.…

The Angels Are Coming

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

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

First came the virus and we found ourselves wearing masks, keeping the social distance from our fellow citizens, shutting down our businesses and places of worship and going into quarantine. Then came the devastating fires on the west coast, with subsequent widespread destruction and loss of life. Next came storm after storm decimating parts of the nation and taking lives in their paths. It seemed like the end of the world might be imminent. Finally came the fever of election campaigns where the truth often went out the window, to be replaced by blatant lies.…