Community

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

Maui Realtors Send Gifts for Molokai Schools

Friday, November 6th, 2015

Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation News Release

Students of five Molokai schools are sitting pretty and cool after a cooperative effort spearheaded by the Realtors Wishing Well program. Last month a shipping container full of resort furniture, supplies and new fans arrived at Kaunakakai Harbor thanks to the Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation and kokua from other Maui residents.

According to Foundation’s founder and director, Sarah Sorenson, the Molokai initiative began in March when she was contacted by Randall Nelson, general contractor and site supervisor for Elements of Hospitality who was overseeing the renovation of the WorldMark Wyndham Resort in Kihei.…

Filming Nonprofit Holds Logo Contest

Friday, November 6th, 2015

Ke Ala Pono News Release

Ke Ala Pono (The Righteous Path) is a local nonprofit that is that provides film and editing experiences for community members that are interested. We would like announce a contest for the creation of our logo. The contest is open to all ages and will run through the month of November.

Ke Ala Pono is looking for a design that can be displayed on our mobile trailer, films and paperwork. All submitted logos will become the property of our organization. Our mission is “to preserve the culture, heritage and natural resources of the island of Molokai and the State of Hawaii through advocacy, outreach and education by providing programs that benefit all sectors of the community.”…

Biochar for Molokai

Friday, November 6th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, UH CTAHR County Extension Agent

Josiah Hunt of Pacific Biochar is the mover and shaker in the use of biochar in Hawaii and other areas of the world, and will be presenting a workshop on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. at UH Maui College-Molokai Farm located in the Molokai Agricultural Park.

Although the word “biochar” may be new, the idea of using charcoal for food production is not new. In the Amazon Basin, unearthed areas have been found to contain layers of biochar that enriched the poor soils of these high rainfall regions. High rainfall in the tropics can leach or wash away key nutrients, especially bases such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, key elements for optimal plant growth, and these conditions are found in high rainfall areas of Molokai.…

November Events for Veterans

Thursday, November 5th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Longie Dudoit, MVCV Vice Commander

Our Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans (MVCV) have a lot of activities for our veterans and community for the month of November.  On Thursday, Nov. 5, our state VA Counselor, John Condello, will be at our center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointments only by calling (808) 433-0420.

On Friday, Nov. 6, at our center will be holding our general membership meeting from 10 a.m. to noon for election of board officers and directors for the next two years.  Our nomination committee chairperson, Jeanette Kahalehoe, is currently accepting interested veterans for all positions. …

Homesteaders Remember their Roots

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

Homesteaders Remember their Roots

When homesteaders first took up residence on Molokai lands, they had to start from the ground up. Families worked hard together to put in roads and set up large wooden tanks to catch the rainwater for drinking and farming. They combined labor and resources to sow crops and purchase farming equipment.

Ninety years later, Ho`olehua’s fertile lands are inhabited by their thriving descendants, who own homes, grow crops and use the infrastructure put in place by their ancestors.

Last week, the Ho`olehua Homestead Association remembered its history at the homestead’s 90th anniversary celebration. For three days at the Lanikeha Community Center, hundreds of homesteaders gathered to share generations of stories and snapshots of the first families who got the chance to restore both the land and their people.…

Curbing Molokai’s Cat Population

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

Curbing Molokai’s Cat Population

In Molokai’s backyards, business stoops and street corners, hundreds of cats roam wild. Last week, in an effort to keep the island’s feral feline population in check, the Molokai Humane Society (MoHS) hosted a free, week-long spay and neuter clinic.

Staff and volunteers caught feral cats by night, performed spay and neuter surgeries by day and released 248 sterile cats.

“Whether we want them to be or not, the cats are part of our environment,” said MoHS Executive Director Hoala Davis. “It’s a matter of trying to control the population that’s here.”

MoHS partnered with Animal Balance, a nonprofit organization of veterinarians and volunteers that bring animal sterilization programs to islands around the world.…

Community Planning Continues This Month

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

After seven months of many six-hour-long meetings and much debate and community testimony, the first phase of the Molokai Community Plan Update process has come to a close. The volunteer board of Community Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) members wrapped up their duties of review last month, though the updated plan is still a year and a half away from being completed and the opportunities for public feedback are far from over.

County Senior Planner Jennifer Maydan said the Molokai Planning Commission (MoPC) will begin its review of the draft plan on Nov. 12 during the group’s regular meeting.

“At the meeting they will decide if they will continue to review the draft plan during their regular meetings or in a separate track,” said Maydan, via email.…

Veterans Corner: Sen. Hirono talks with vets

Friday, October 23rd, 2015

Community Contributed

By Jesse Church

Aloha all my fellow veterans and residents of Molokai, old Jesse here with all the veterans news and upcoming events. U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono conducted a town hall meeting at our Veterans Center on Tuesday, Oct. 13. She was well-received by more than 60 veterans and family members in attendance. The biggest issue was timely health care for veterans on Molokai. There was a 30-minute informal discussion on the veterans Choice Card program by Dr. Sarah Kistler, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and Karl Kiyokawa of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. They explained the choice card program and answered questions.…

Wellhead Protection Project

Friday, October 23rd, 2015

County Dept. of Water Supply News Release

The Maui County Department of Water (DOW) Supply initiated the “Wellhead Protection Project” in order to protect the quality of our community’s drinking water wells. The land areas that could contribute water and pollutants to our drinking water sources have been mapped as “Wellhead Protection Areas.” If pollutants are spilled or discharged in these land areas, they could filter through the soil to the groundwater and be drawn into a drinking water well. The DOW, in collaboration with the community, developed a protection strategy and drafted a Wellhead Protection Overlay District Ordinance.

The DOW will hold an informational meeting on this project and the proposed ordinance on Tuesday, Nov.…

‘Kumu Hina’ Film Looks at Tradition in Modern Hawaii

Thursday, October 22nd, 2015

Alu Like Native Hawaiian Library Molokai News Release

It’s been a long-time coming, but two films that bring Hawaiian culture to life in powerful new ways are finally going to screen on Molokai.

“Kumu Hina” is a film produced by Pacific Islanders in Communications about the struggle to maintain traditional culture and values within the Westernized society of modern Hawaii.  The film’s entertaining stories are told through the perspective of Hina Wong-Kalu, a remarkable native Hawaiian mahu, or transgender, teacher who inspires a young girl to claim her place as leader of the school’s all-boy hula troupe as she searches for love and a fulfilling romantic relationship in her own life, so she can enjoy intimacy with her partner sometimes learning from sex toy blogs for this purpose.…