By The Molokai Dispatch Staff
Last Tuesday, the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines arrived at Molokai General Hospital via Kamaka Air. The first vaccine was administered shortly afterward, with the first recipient being Jeanette Oshiro, Manager of the Paul G. Stevens MD Outpatient Clinic, administered by Nicolette Montizor, RN. The hospital says it vaccinated more staff last week. Only healthcare workers will receive the COVID-19 vaccines at this time.…
Opinion by Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa
“O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.” -John Hopkins Jr. in 1857
I am not exactly known as a star gazer but I do recall times in my high school years when, during class time, I caught myself looking out the window, either because I was desperately looking for inspiration or was just plain bored in class that day. Still I have looked toward the heavens on a few occasions in my time, be that to forecast the weather or to check out a twinkling star or an approaching unidentified flying object.…
By Rick Schonely, Sports Reporter
Molokai High alumnus Makani Kaneaiakala will continue and finish his college football career at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM. He began playing at Eastern Arizona College as a freshman in 2017, before enrolling at Tabor College in Kansas two years later. Since then, he has had some bumps in the road but is now back to the game.
“After being in the NCAA Transfer Portal for some time I can finally say I’ll be returning to action at Western New Mexico University,” said Kaneaiakala. “I’m beyond thankful and blessed for another opportunity after all the struggles I’ve gone through this year; it was such a tough stretch with COVID-19, school, work, training, a potential career-ending injury which healed, eligibility paperwork that required navigating specifics like New Mexico sports betting regulations to ensure compliance, and I made some very tough sacrifices along the way to embrace this fresh start in a state rich with unique athletic and cultural landscapes.”…
Ka Hale Hoaka News Release
Ka Hale Hoaka, an online Hawaiian learning school, is pleased to announce its Keiki Program.
The 16-module program is targeted to students ages 5-11 and teaches Hawaiian language, music, chant, hula, arts, and crafts. The Keiki Program is designed to be implemented into the existing distance learning curriculum of elementary schools statewide.
The Keiki Program is taught by co-founder Maile “Kumu Maile” Naehu, a Kumu, Native Hawaiian educator, performer, artist, and community organizer from the island of Molokai. Naehu has taught Hawaiian immersion for Kamehameha Schools and is a resource teacher for the DOE.
“We founded Ka Hale Hoaka as a creative way to connect keiki to the rich, timeless teachings of Hawaii, especially as schools transitioned to online curriculum,” said Naehu.…
By Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa
Just a few minutes ago, I walked across the street to check my mail box, just in case I had received a million dollars to benefit St. Francis Church. The sign on the window as well as on the door read, “Closed 12/7; Open 12/8.” Today is 12/8 and this was my third trip today to the USPS of Kalaupapa. I will probably stop there again later. After all, this is Kalaupapa and it’s never too late here.
It has been three weeks plus since I last used our landline to make a call.…
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
The annual Kalaupapa Lion’s Club Christmas celebration is normally the settlement’s “event of the year,” with a big party at McVeigh Hall that includes a feast, decorations, lucky number prizes, gift exchanges, friends and live music. But this year, as with so many things, the festivities looked a little different. Instead of a party, the Lion’s Club hosted a drive thru candy cane lane for community members, with a candy cane decorating contest, Christmas light decorating contest, raffles and gifts bags for everyone.
“There have been no events at all since March when the settlement closed to visitors and the Christmas Lion’s Club party is the event of the year for the Kalaupapa community,” said Ka’ohulani McGuire of the National Park Service.…
Shake Energy Collaborative News Release
On Saturday, Dec. 19, from 9 to 10:30 a,m., we will host a virtual public meeting to further our progress on designing renewable energy on Molokai to be locally owned and operated by a newly forming Molokai Renewable Energy Cooperative.
This will be our last meeting of the year as a group and it will be a fun one! We will review our progress to date including physical project design, partner company selection and coop formalization and naming.
We will also join in a couple of fun design activities! If you want to receive a design kit, please contact us as soon as possible.…
KNHP News Release
The National Park Service (NPS) is requesting input and manaʻo on options to rehabilitate the existing electrical system at Kalaupapa National Historical Park and the Kalaupapa Settlement. At this time, the park is initiating a 45-day public scoping period in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
The current electrical system at the park was installed in 1969 and is owned by State of Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) and the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. An overhead power line, owned by the Maui Electrical Company (MECO), follows the Kalaupapa trail and terminates at the 300kVA MECO-owned substation on the Kalaupapa peninsula; the existing overhead system is tied in and managed by the NPS.…
Hawaiian Electric News Release
Hawaiian Electric’s walk-in payment centers in Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo, Kona and Molokai, closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will permanently shut their doors due to declining use and customers adapting to other payment options.
The company is encouraging customers to enroll for online services through its Online Customer Service Center or mobile app. Online, customers may start, stop or move service requests, request payment arrangements through an authenticated channel, report payment, submit billing inquiries, schedule one-time or automatic bill payment, as well as report and check status on outages.
The payment centers were closed in mid-March to keep customers and employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have remained closed.…
By Dayanti Karunaratne, Community Reporter
It is an exciting time for renewable energy on Molokai as the community awaits details of what will be the island’s biggest ever solar energy project. Unlike past solar projects that involve in-stalling rooftop panels on private property, this project will involve the building of a large solar plant to generate energy — and reduce electricity bills.
Projects under the Community-Based Renewable Energy Program (CBRE) platform, set up by Hawaiian Electric (HE) and approved by the Public Utilities Commission, will be selected through a bidding process called a Request for Proposals (RFP). The CBRE model involves a “community solar” installation that allows customers who cannot put solar panels on their roof to still reap the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy.…
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