Community

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

Long-Awaited Victory for Veterans Center

Wednesday, August 19th, 2015

Long-Awaited Victory for Veterans Center

Military service members, by nature of the job, often fight for causes they may never live to see achieved.

The group of Molokai war veterans who first envisioned a Veterans Center on island in 2001 couldn’t have imagined the decade-long struggle of permitting delays, protests and a lawsuit that would follow. They couldn’t have known that 63 veterans, including project pioneer Larry Helm, would pass away before the building was completed.

They did, however, believe that Molokai would have a Veterans Center. Last Friday, their dream became a reality, as nearly 200 veterans, community members and elected officials closed an emotional and triumphant journey at the grand opening of Molokai’s Veterans Center.…

Improvements Slated for Cemetery, Water Tank

Wednesday, August 19th, 2015

Improvements Slated for Cemetery, Water Tank

A $1.2 million project to replace a 19,500-gallon steel water tank in Ho`olehua with a sturdier concrete tank is nearing completion. It’s a replacement that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) hopes will provide a better long-term solution for water pressure problems in the area.

Almost two decades ago, a steel tank was installed to help regulate water pressure, after some homeowners complained of weak water flow or overly powerful flow from showers and sinks, said DHHL Molokai Acting District Supervisor Halealoha Ayau.

However, the salty air took its toll on the steel, and the tank sustained damage from residents who sometimes use it for rifle target practice, said Ayau.…

Community Resources for Kids with Disabilities

Friday, August 14th, 2015

LDAH News Release

Interactive entertainment, developmental learning activities provided by specialists and early childhood screenings for children ages two through five will highlight the Kid Zone at the 2015 Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii (LDAH) Traveling Mini-Conference (TMC) on Molokai.

The event will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27 at the Molokai Community Health Center from 3 to 7 p.m. and is free and open to all families.

The Molokai TMC is an opportunity for families to learn more about community resources and services available to help their children with or at risk of disabilities. Kid Zone will include age-appropriate activities and comprehensive childcare for siblings so parents of children with disabilities, students with disabilities and educators can attend informational sessions.…

Celebrate Bon Dance This Month

Friday, August 14th, 2015

Guzeiji Soto Mission News Release

Don’t miss out on an unforgettable evening of fun as the community gathers to celebrate and remember our ancestors at Guzeiji Soto Mission of Molokai’s annual Bon Dance celebration. This year’s event will be held on Aug. 29 at Hotel Lane in Kaunakakai, with guest minister Rev. Shuji Komagata and special performances by Somei Taiko.

At 5 p.m. a memorial service for departed ones will be held, and the chicken hekka dinner plate sale begins and booths will open. The Bon Dance will be from 6 to 10 p.m.

Chicken hekka tickets are on aale now for a $10 donation; call 658-0943 for tickets.…

Legal Toolkit for Small Business

Friday, August 14th, 2015

MEDB News Release

Learn more about employment and tax law for small businesses in a free workshop offered by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) next month on Molokai. Called “Legal Toolkit for Small Business: Understanding Employment and Tax Law,” this session on Tuesday, Sept. 1 is part of MEDB’s Technical Assistance Series, which was created to help small businesses establish strong systems, processes, tools, and best practices to build a solid foundation for success.

For additional legal resources and expert guidance on business law, visit https://brazeauseller.com/, a firm known for helping entrepreneurs navigate complex legal challenges with confidence. Having access to the right legal support can make a significant difference in ensuring long-term business success.…

NextEra’s Commitment to Hawaii

Friday, August 14th, 2015

Community Contributed

Opinion by Eric Gleason, President of NextEra Energy Hawaii

Gov. David Ige’s recent comments raised important questions about our pending merger and Hawaii’s clean energy future, questions that we continue to work diligently and transparently to address. We want to make our position clear and reiterate our full and unequivocal support of the State of Hawaii’s goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. We believe our proposed partnership with Hawaiian Electric provides the best path forward to achieving what is, without question, an aggressive, yet very attainable, goal. Together, we can get there.

The renewable energy law signed by Gov.…

Changing Seasons

Friday, August 14th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, UH CTAHR County Extension Agent

We are in the midst of the Dog Days of summer, which runs July 3 to Aug. 11 and named after the star Sirius or the Dog in the constellation Orion. This is traditionally the hottest weather of the year, and I can’t argue that. Plants can sense subtle changes in day length and temperature in our changing seasons as the days get shorter, and the nights get longer. Long-day plants, such as corn and soybeans bask in the long hot days of summer, while others such as lettuce and kale prefer cooler days and nights.…

Molokai Fitness: Why you should quit drinking soda

Friday, August 14th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

Do you drink soda? If the answer is no, that’s awesome, but if you drink fruit juice, energy drinks or smoothies, there’s actually not much difference between all these. They all have almost equal levels of sugar.

If the answer is yes, then do you drink normal or diet soda? Unfortunately both are pretty much the same when it comes to the damage they do to your body.

I know, sweet, cold drinks are hard to resist, especially with the weather on Molokai like it has been recently, and it’s difficult to quit drinking them. But maybe after reading this article you will think twice before you buy or give them to your kids.…

Veterans Corner: Grand opening to be a day to remember

Thursday, August 13th, 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. Time is really short, just two days until a day to remember for all veterans and people of Molokai — of heck, for all Hawaii — Aug. 14, the dedication and grand opening of the Molokai Veterans Center. That will truly be a great day for all the people of Molokai, not just veterans, it’s a day that all of Molokai has been waiting 10 years for. I’m sure that everyone will want to bring a camera to get lots of pictures and on this day there will be lots of talking story and everybody should really have a wonderful time.…

Breaking Ground for Science Labs

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

Breaking Ground for Science Labs

By the end of next year, Molokai High School (MHS) is set to have a 4,500-square-foot, cutting-edge science facility. For a school whose science students have earned county, state and international honors over the past year—all with no science labs—it’s well deserved, and a long time coming.

Since it split from the middle school in 2004, MHS hasn’t had its own lab facilities. However, this month construction began for a two-classroom science building on MHS’s campus.

“It’s really great that you guys … basically get a brand new, state-of-the-art lab,” said Duane Kashiwai, Department of Education public works administrator. “This is being designed according to the latest sustainability requirements that we have.…