Community

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

Featured Farmer

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Community Contributed
UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Cooperative Extension Team

Christina Aki, a homesteader on Molokai, has cultivated an inspiring food forest and garden
since taking CTAHR programs. Her small-scale, subsistence-focused operation has grown
through innovation and dedication, and with the help of her son, Anthony, who manages much of the implementation. Together, they are restoring their ‘aina while reclaiming a sense of purpose and self-sufficiency.

Before she began gardening, Christina was an active Zumba instructor. When COVID-19
disrupted her lifestyle, her grandson built her planter boxes, sparking a new passion for growing
food. She started with pak choi, basil, and mamaki, eventually supplying 70 pak choi monthly to
the local market.…

Ho’aka Mana Partners with The Spirit Horse Ranch to Foster Healing

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Ho’aka Mana News Release

Ho’aka Mana, a Native Hawaiian organization and nonprofit, is collaborating with The Spirit Horse Ranch to support healing, mental wellness, and resilience through evidence-based, equine-assisted interventions and trauma support.
Scheduled for every first Tuesday of the month until July 1, with additional dates on Aug. 19 and Sept. 21, Ho’aka Mana is inviting the Molokai community to join them at Wichman Ranch in Ho’olehua.
This program is open to the entire community—time slots will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We welcome all ages and encourage those interested in fostering healthy relationships to participate.
To participate, register through the link at HoakaMana.org…

Free Guitar Concert

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

St. Damien Parish News Release

The St. Damien Parish and Remember the River invites the community to enjoy a free concert
presented by guitarist, composer and storyteller Susan McDonald at St. Damien Church on
Tuesday, March 25 at 5 p.m. The program will include Latin American music and will
feature pieces inspired by sea creatures, as well as music McDonald composed during her travels in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

When her friends Chip Scarlett, a marine photographer, and his wife Susan, a writer, invited
McDonald to join them at their home in Molokai, she embraced the opportunity to not only
experience the humpback whales in their spring migration but also to get to know a tight knit
community that holds such a deep respect for nature.…

Up to $10K in Student Scholarships

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

AlohaCare News Release

AlohaCare’s Giving Program provides annual scholarships to AlohaCare members and their immediate family pursuing post-secondary education programs related to healthcare or social services. This year, the maximum annual award has been increased to $10,000 to help pay for tuition, books, supplies, certification, testing and course fees.

Our portal opened on March 3 and will close on June 2. More information about the application process and requirements can be found at foundation.alohacare.org/scholarships.

We’d like to encourage Molokai students of any age, including adults, to apply. Last year, AlohaCare awarded $50,000 in academic scholarships to 11 students on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island who are pursuing an education in healthcare and social services.…

Large-scale Land Restoration on Molokai is Possible

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release

John Liu’s documentary film, “Hope in a Changing Climate,” will be shown at the Molokai Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday March 26 as part of the Global Citizenship Speaker Series.
Two hundred years ago, Molokai had a population of approximately 30,000 and exported food to other islands. Today with one quarter of that population, we import 90 percent of our food. Traditional food systems have largely disappeared, and large parts of Molokai have experienced soil erosion and loss of native vegetation, with climate change accelerating degradation of the land.
There is hope that this can be reversed.…

Celebrating Prince Kuhio

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Celebrating Prince Kuhio

Ho’olehua Homesteaders Association News Release

The Ho ‘olehua Homesteaders Association (HHA) will celebrate its champion Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole’s legacy by honoring pioneer Ho’olehua-Pala’au Homesteaders on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kualapu’u Community Center.

Prince Kuhio played a pivotal role in the passage of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act in 1921, which set aside land for Native Hawaiians to homestead, including areas on Molokai. In 1924, lots were awarded for the Ho’olehua-Pala’au homesteads on Molokai. This would be the third area in the territory after Kalama’ula and Keaukaha. The area was officially established in 1925 with additional lots being awarded through 1926.…

Molokai Channel World Championships Open 2025 Registration

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Molokai Channel World Championships Open 2025 Registration

OHCRA News Release

Following a spectacular return in 2024, the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA) is proud to announce the dates for the 2025 Molokai Channel World Championships: Na Wahine O Ke Kai and Molokai Hoe, held in benefit of the Friends of Molokai. Registration is now open to all eligible paddling divisions ranging from Junior level to 65 years and over.

Two weeks of inter-island paddling commences with Na Wahine O Ke Kai Championship race, featuring the world’s top female paddlers as they take on the iconic Ka‘iwi Channel on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. Two weeks later, the coveted Molokai Hoe will take place on Sunday, Oct.…

Camara Named New Kualapu’u School Principal

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Camara Named New Kualapu’u School Principal

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

For the first time in 28 years, Kualapu’u School will have a new principal. Ka’ala Fay Camara will take the helm on July 1, as longtime principal Lydia Trinidad will be retiring at the end of this school year.

“I am grateful to the Board Principal Search Committee for their hard work, time and perseverance to select Ka’ala as the next principal of Kualapuʻu Public Charter School,” said Hoʻokakoʻo Board Chair Jon Ching. Ho’okako’o is the governing board for several Hawaiian-focused charter schools including Kualapu’u School.

As a pre-kindergarten through sixth grade school, Kualapu’u School serves approximately 310 Molokai students of whom 90 percent are Native Hawaiian.…

Crime Wave Brings Pleas to Address Drug Abuse

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

In the beginning of March, Molokai saw a substantial increase in thefts and break-ins on island. Molokai High School, Ironwood Hills Golf Course, the Seventh Day Adventist Church and a local motorcycle shop all reported burglaries between March 1 and 4, according to Molokai Police Captain Jamie Winfrey. Damages for the thefts are estimated at over $4,500.

According to Winfrey, “crime on the island usually occurs in waves. So, during this particular period, statistically there was an increase.”

The police department is investigating this latest crime surge and working to link cases that can be attributed to a particular person or group.…

Girls Flag Football Team to Make Debut

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Girls Flag Football Team to Make Debut

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

The Molokai High School (MHS) Farmers have a new team on the field this season: girls flag football. Molokai will join eight other Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) schools in the inaugural flag football season.

Coached by Kimo Orlando, 21 MHS girls will make up the roster. Flag football will have slightly different rules to tackle football: the field is 80 yards long, with first downs occurring every 20 yards, and with only seven players on each side of the ball. Added as a sport by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association this past August, flag football will also be appearing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.…