Community

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

Review the County Budget

Friday, March 30th, 2018

County of Maui News Release

The Maui County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee will hold evening meetings throughout the county, starting at the end of this month, to receive community input on the fiscal year 2019 budget, announced Councilmember Riki Hokama, who chairs the committee.

Molokai’s meeting is scheduled on Monday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mitchel Pauole Center.

Site inspections are scheduled for April 16, at 1 p.m. on Molokai. Agendas detailing site inspection information and locations can be found at MauiCounty.us/agendas.

The budget is the financial plan for the county for the upcoming fiscal year, from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.…

Crowning Mrs. Molokai

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

Crowning Mrs. Molokai

 

Miss America may be a well-known title but on the Friendly Isle, the first Mrs. Molokai in recent years has been crowned. Desirae Mendija will soon be taking the pageant stage as Mrs. Molokai competing for the title of Mrs. Hawaii America.

“It’s always been a dream to be Miss Hawaii,” said Mendija. She had run for the title several times but didn’t make it past the district level, so she decided to give up pageantry and get married. But when she heard about the Mrs. Hawaii competition, she was all in.

“The pageant features married women recognized as beautiful, talented, business minded, empowering women who are career and family-oriented as well as important contributors to their community,” she said.…

Mokulele Selected to Serve Kalaupapa

Thursday, March 29th, 2018

Mokulele Airlines has been selected to fly into Kalaupapa under the federal Essential Air Service program without subsidized funding, despite concerns from the community. The airline has not yet finalized its flight schedule or pricing for its service to the isolated settlement, which will begin June 1.

The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) announced their decision on March 16, and Mokulele representatives met with Kalaupapa residents the following week to discuss their needs.

“I would say there’s a guarded optimism that Mokulele will serve the community and meet our needs, but there’re still concerns,” said Department of Health Kalaupapa Adminstrator Kenneth Seamon.…

Library to Get More Space

Sunday, March 25th, 2018

Library to Get More Space

A growing collection of books and programs at the Molokai Public Library is causing its historic building to burst at the seams. If a proposed expansion is approved, the library would get some much-needed additional space. The proposal includes a new, stand-alone 1,875 square foot building behind the existing facility that would cost over $3 million, funded by the state Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS).

The new building will be connect to the back of the existing staff room by a breezeway. The facility will provide a meeting room, workroom for staff, and two restrooms additional space for books, as well as.…

Setting Sights on the Stars

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

Setting Sights on the Stars

“Shoot for the stars” is advice often given to youth, but three Molokai High School students have earned the chance to take the phrase literally. They were awarded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe the stars through the one world’s best telescopes atop Maunakea.

Sunni Chow, Taye Mowat and Skylar Kuahuia are Molokai’s first Maunakea Scholars, a program run by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) that allows students observatory time based on research proposals they submitted. The ever-expanding program, started a few years ago, currently includes 10 Hawaii high schools.

“The program you’re in has never been done before and it’s unique worldwide… because we have the telescopes on Maunakea and no other kids in the world have that in their backyard,” said Doug Simons, CFHT executive director.…

National Wrestling Champ Cendall Manley

Friday, March 16th, 2018

National Wrestling Champ Cendall Manley

 

Molokai High School Wrestling alumnus Cendall Manley won the National Collegiate Wrestling Association 170 pound National Championship last weekend in Allen, Texas. Manley, the number two seed this year, wrestles as a sophomore at Liberty University.  She defended her title, pinning top-seeded Saydie Kala of Southwestern Oregon in 4 minutes, 50 seconds in the final.

“I was very blessed to represent my school, my state, and my island, and God this weekend!” said Manley. “Wrestling has been such an amazing part of my life and I’m so thankful for my Molokai family who was cheering me on and praying for me the whole time!…

Laps for Love

Friday, March 16th, 2018

Laps for Love

In its second year, the Molokai Cancer Fund’s Walk for Ohana drew hundreds of community members to raise money for island cancer patients last Friday night. With a country paniolo theme, 21 teams honored family and friends affected by cancer: survivors, those currently fighting the disease, and those who lost the battle. All money raised stays on Molokai to assist local cancer patients with travel and other expenses related to treatment.

Starting the evening with a lap dedicated to survivors, community members of all ages walked a track at the Kaunakakai Ball park, participated in line dancing, warmed up from the night’s chill with hot food and drinks and lit lanterns in honor of loved ones passed.…

Choosing Molokai’s Energy Future

Friday, March 16th, 2018

Choosing Molokai’s Energy Future

Maui Electric has identified a four-way fork in the road to Molokai’s energy future. Last week, the utility presented several options to reach the goal of 100 percent renewable energy for the island in a series of island-wide community meetings.

A large-scale solar project with battery storage, proposed by Molokai New Energy Partners, a division of Half Moon Ventures (HMV), figures largely into those options. The project includes 37 acres of solar panels to be located next to Maui Electric’s Pala`au Power Plant. An agreement between HMV and Maui Electric was recently reached, and Maui Electric submitted the proposal to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for review last week.…

Students Spend 3 Days at Pearl Harbor

Wednesday, March 14th, 2018

Students Spend 3 Days at Pearl Harbor

Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor News Release

For many students from the remote island of Molokai, traveling to Oahu for a three day field trip was something new and exciting. But imagine spending two nights at a “sleep over” on a battleship or climbing into a cockpit of a fighter jet. The action packed itinerary included hands-on aviation-related STEM activities and visits to historic World War II sites including Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, USS Bowfin, USS Missouri, and USS Arizona Memorial.

Pacific Aviation Museum recently hosted 22 fifth and sixth graders from Maunaloa and Kilohana elementary schools, and five accompanying teachers and chaperones.…

How to Reach Renewable Energy Goals

Monday, March 5th, 2018

Maui Electric News Release

Maui Electric Company will host community meetings to share possible options based on feedback collected from the Molokai community on how to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for the island. The meetings will start at 5 p.m. with light refreshments, followed by updates from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Tuesday, March 6: Kilohana Community Center Wednesday, March 7: Maunaloa Community Center Thursday, March 8: Mitchell Pau`ole Center

“We’re working toward accelerating clean energy plans for Molokai, and this includes continuous dialogue with all of you – the island’s residents and businesses throughout this process,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui Electric.…