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Community

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

Diane Mokuau Wins National Librarian Award

Thursday, April 1st, 2021

Diane Mokuau Wins National Librarian Award

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

“Never in my wildest dreams” did Molokai High School librarian Diane Mokuau believe she’d be the winner of the prestigious national School Librarian of the Year award.

“Just the fact that you say I qualify for this is enough — there’s no way I’m going to win this,” Mokuau said she told Molokai Public Library Branch Manager Cynthia Delanty, who nominated her.

But win it she did, along with a middle school librarian teacher from Louisiana.

“I am deeply humbled and greatly honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Mokuau. “This highlights the wonderful things that are happening in our schools and our communities and especially spotlights our tight-knit community on Molokai.…

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COVID Cases Increase on Molokai, in State

Thursday, April 1st, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai COVID-19 cases continued to increase early last week, with three new cases between March 19 and March 26, and six active cases in the previous 14 days as of last Sunday. The island has 34 total cases since the pandemic began.

Statewide, Hawaii hit a week-long string of triple digit daily cases, ranging from 102 to 119 cases each day since last Tuesday. It was the first time since early February daily counts reached more than 100.

The County of Maui continues to enforce face mask regulations requiring everyone, whether fully vaccinated or not, to wear masks in public areas.…

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Nominate a Volunteer Hero

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

County of Maui News Release

Do you know a volunteer hero on Molokai? Now is the time to recognize them! Nominations are being accepted for recognition of outstanding community volunteers, the County of Maui Department of Housing and Human Concerns’ Volunteer Center announced. The center will hold its annual Volunteer Heroes Celebration of Service in April.

The application deadline is at noon Thursday, April 1. To submit a nomination online, visit HandsOnMaui.com. The direct link to submit a nomination is handsonmaui.com/volunteer-hero-nomination-form/.

Individuals volunteering with a nonprofit, private or government volunteer program on Molokai, Maui and Lanai are eligible to be nominated; one application per organization will be accepted.…

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Farmworker Jobs Program

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

MEO News Release

Maui Economic Opportunity’s National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP), an educational, employment and training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, is accepting applications across Hawaii, including Molokai.

NFJP is 100 percent federally funded and serves farmworkers who meet federal poverty income guidelines and selection criteria. Those who receive federal assistance, such as SNAP, TANF or SSI, are categorically eligible.

Other eligibility criteria include being a paid farmworker for at least 30 consecutive days within the two years prior to the application date. Family members of the farmworker may be eligible for services as well. NFJP also can assist farm employees, who recently have been laid off due to the end of harvest season or are part of a separation package for laid off employees.…

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Molokaians Are Hurting

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

…and the local, state and federal governments ought to step in.

When inter-island travel has become prohibitively expensive, controlled by just one airline… the government ought to step in. It is incomprehensible and unacceptable when one person or a family has to travel to Maui or Oahu for a locally non-available medical or dental procedure and has to pay close to $200/person round trip every time they travel. We need subsidized travel by air/boat made available to all Molokai residents.

When one company controls the shipment of goods to Molokai and has raised their rates by 60 percent… the government ought to step in.…

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The Last Farewell

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

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

“There’s a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor, tomorrow for old England she sails
Far away from your land of sunshine to my land full of rainy skies and gales
And I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow, though my heart is full of tears at this farewell
For you are beautiful and I have loved you dearly, more dearly than the spoken word can tell.”
For those of you who were into the hit songs of the 70s, “The Last Farewell” is one of them, sung by the great Kenyan-Englishman, Roger Whittaker, in 1971.…

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Funding for Deer Management

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

County of Maui News Release

The County of Maui Department of Housing and Human Concerns has awarded six grants to assess and manage feral animal populations, including axis deer, throughout Maui County.

“Maui County’s axis deer population has become much more than a nuisance. This invasive species is a threat to the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers,” said Mayor Michael Victorino. “They also cause traffic accidents and damage yards and backyard gardens on Lanai, Molokai and Maui. Left unmanaged, axis deer will suffer and die from starvation and disease. These grants will help to assess the scope of the problem and employ humane ways to keep deer populations in check.”…

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A Legacy of Love’s

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

A Legacy of Love’s

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Love’s Bakery has held a special place in Hawaii’s history for nearly 170 years as the business closes at the end of this month. Love’s legacy on Molokai began in the mid-1900s and the bakery’s closure also brings the end of an era for its Molokai employees and customers.

Details are scarce on the early employees of Love’s on Molokai — Francis Yuen and Sadao Otsuka, who have both passed away — but most sources agree Love’s began distributing on Molokai in the 1950s. More recently, Dickie Linkee, George Kahinu and Mike Kahinu drove the Love’s trucks.…

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Two New Cases, Vaccine Clinic This Week

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

There were four active COVID-19 cases on Molokai as of Sunday, with the addition of two new cases logged by the Dept. of Health on March 16 and one on March 19, bringing the island’s total cases to 31.

Last week also brought a spike of cases on Maui, which raised concern among officials.

Mayor Michael Victorino expressed frustration on March 18 after receiving the DOH report of 41 new COVID cases in Maui County.

“After reviewing today’s cluster report, it appears the majority of cases are attributed to a new cluster of 24 in a place of worship, eight new cases in an educational setting, additional infections in a cleaning company cluster and two new clusters from bars and nightclubs,” said Victorino.…

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Tiny Home Community Proposal Terminated

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

A Seattle couple who recently bought property in Kawela Plantation caused an explosive social media stir among Molokai residents last week when their website, which appeared to promote plans for an “intentional community” of tiny homes that would be built on their property, became widely shared locally.

Their website, theblifemovement.com, has since been taken down, with an apology from the couple and a confirmation that the project is “dead.”

“Molokai has experienced a long history with people coming to our shores, falling in love with our island, and imposing their projects upon our community without first consulting with us, as stewards of our island home,” County Councilmember and Molokai resident Keani Rawlins-Fernandez told The Molokai Dispatch.…

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