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Community

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

County Budget First Reading Now May 26

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Maui County Council News Release

To allow for the inclusion of additional funding from the state and federal government, first reading of Maui County’s fiscal year 2021 budget has been moved to May 26, Council Chair Alice L. Lee announced.

The budget was initially set to be heard on May 22, Lee said. The delay will allow the council to consider appropriating more than $66 million from Coronavirus Relief Fund, approved by Congress in the CARES Act, and additional money in transient accommodations tax revenue, she said.

“With the help of our partners at the state Legislature, we will be able to receive and appropriate tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue,” Lee said.…

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Nurse of the Year

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Nurse of the Year

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

In a surprise announcement at Molokai General Hospital last Thursday morning, Jeanette Oshiro, BSN, RN, OCN, was named Queen’s Molokai Nurse of the Year.

The award is given annually from Queen’s Health Systems and Molokai General Hospital.

In her nomination, Oshiro was called an “outstanding leader, professional, mentor to staff, and colleague, [and]… an outstanding nurse.”

“Patients, families and the healthcare team consistently benefit from Jeanette’s wisdom, caring and creativity,” her nominator wrote. “Jeanette inspires everyone at Molokai General Hospital to strive to provide innovative, evidence-based care, and to pursue excellence every day. She is a strong patient advocate and has a strong desire to continuously improve systems with simplification in mind….…

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One Educator’s Experience with Virtual Teaching

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

One Educator’s Experience with Virtual Teaching

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Teachers, along with parents and students, have had to work through a lot more challenges than anyone bargained for this year. School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have meant learning has had to take place virtually — and for Molokai Middle School immersion teacher ‘Iolani Kuoha, it’s been an experience that’s required her to “get creative.”

She converted her garage into a virtual classroom and for several hours each day, she uses the video chat program Zoom to engage her students — and their families. She shares language and cultural lessons, guest speakers, lei making, ukulele lessons, cooking classes, career readiness, learning contests, and even physical education.…

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Reopening Continues, Social Distancing Still Required

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Last week brought some significant changes to permitted activities, as well as reopening dates for several industries.

Beaches are now open for passive activities like sunbathing, reading or watching the sunset, as long as social distancing is observed. These activities will be permitted in Maui County on a trial basis between May 16 and May 30. Additional county parks on Molokai opened (see the news release in this issue for details), as well as the county tennis court in Kaunakakai. The public pool, community centers and gyms remain closed.

Drive-in religious services can begin May 22, hair salons can reopen May 25 and dine-in restaurants can begin serving June 5.…

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MHS Alum Named BYU-HI President

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

MHS Alum Named BYU-HI President

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

“I learned that people are what matter,” said Dr. John “Keoni” Kauwe of his time at Molokai High School, where he graduated in 1996. Kauwe, an internationally recognized researcher specializing in Alzheimer’s disease, was just named the new president of Brigham Young University–Hawaii.

Kauwe has deep roots in Hawaii and spent several years of his childhood on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. He currently lives in Utah with his wife and five kids, where he joined the biology department, in the College of Life Sciences at Brigham Young University in 2009 and later served as chair of the biology department.…

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Flyover Salute

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Flyover Salute

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Employees at Molokai General Hospital stood outside and cheered last Thursday as a military KC-135 aircraft flew overhead in a salute to healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel.

The event was an effort from the Hawaii National Guard and the 15th Wing Active Duty Airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to fly over the state’s main hospitals and major metropolitan areas to honor COVID-19 frontline workers. They completed the flyover as part of routine training exercises, at no additional cost to taxpayers.

The statewide flyover included C-17, KC-135 and F-22 aircraft. The KC-135 that flew over Molokai was operated by Hawaii’s Air National Guard Air Refueling Squadron.…

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AlohaCare Donates to Molokai Organizations

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

AlohaCare News Release

AlohaCare today announced that it is donating $150,000 to local nonprofit organizations that are helping at-risk families and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation includes monetary contributions to food banks across the state; 28,800 KN95 masks for health care workers at community health centers; and a grant for a new online platform to help identify areas of need in Hawaii.

“The needs in our community are so pressing right now. We want to help non-profits that are directly supporting families and individuals on all Hawaii Islands who are struggling with food insecurity, domestic violence and access to health care,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, AlohaCare interim CEO.…

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Friday Night Lights

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

Friday Night Lights

By Rick Schonely

The Molokai High Athletic Department has been honoring the seniors of the Class of 2020 by lighting up The Barn each Friday night.

Per the Hawaii State Department of Education, “Public high schools will fire up their stadium lights in honor of the Class of 2020 on Friday nights, starting tonight Apr. 24 and through May 29. Lights will go on at 8:20 p.m., which is 2020 hours on the 24-hour clock, for 20 minutes and 20 seconds to honor our seniors as part of the #bealight movement.”

Imua Farmer Nation and congratulations seniors!…

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Impacts of COVID-19 Among Native Hawaiians

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

By Dr. Landon Opunui, ND

The United Nations has warned indigenous populations that they may be at a disproportionately high risk of being impacted by COVID-19 because of preexisting health inequalities.

Across the nation, there is strong evidence showing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI), defined as people having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Guam or other Pacific Islands, are at greater risk of being infected and of having severe symptoms compared to other United States racial populations including African American, Asian, Latino and Caucasian.

This should raise alarms for the island of Molokai as it has the highest number of Native Hawaiians per capita of all the Hawaiian Islands, excluding Niʻihau.…

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MHS Alternative Graduation

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

MHS Alternative Graduation

MHS News Release

The Molokai High School Class of 2020 will be honored through an alternative graduation on Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m. The alternative graduation ceremony will be a hybrid of virtual (live streamed/recorded) and drive-through commencement. Unfortunately, the proceedings will only be open to graduates and their families. The community will be invited to join our virtual commencement online on Akaku Molokaiʻs Facebook Page.

Molokai High campus will continue to be closed to the general public during graduation. Please help us have a smooth ceremony for our graduates by keeping the roads and area surrounding Molokai High School clear from 1 to 4 p.m.…

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