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Community

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

Join Mo`omomi Beach Cleanup

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii News Release

For the second year in a row, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii (SCH) is hosting the Mo`omomi Beach Cleanup and Community Service Project on Molokai on Saturday, Aug. 1. Sponsored by Matson, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Parley for the Oceans, this cleanup removes harmful marine debris from one of the most remote beaches on Molokai. Mo`omomi Beach, a mix of rocky and sandy coastline on the island’s north shore, is the first stopping point in the main Hawaiian Islands for marine debris coming from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

“Each Hawaiian Island has issues with marine debris but Molokai gets hit extra hard due to its open geography towards the north,” says Kahi Pacarro, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii’s co-founder and executive director.…

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Molokai Paddle Race Brings Fun and Competition

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

Molokai Paddle Race Brings Fun and Competition

Community Contributed

By Clare Seeger Mawae

Molokai is prominent in the paddling circles whether it is OC1, OC6, Ski or SUP as Molokai is hailed as the official center of the World Championship long distance paddle races. Molokai 4 Molokai was conceived after watching one too many events finish on Molokai and competitors leaving soon after. The 8.5 mile race course continued on from where the former Molokai Holokai race left off and prior to that the Molokai Challenge.

This year there were two courses, long and short, and four categories with 12 divisions. The event was blessed with the presence of Keith Reagan, Herman Andaya and Sharon Zalsos from the County of Maui at the start of the race.…

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NFL to Honor Molokai, von Oelhoffen

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

 

Between 1961 and 2010, Molokai High School didn’t have a football team. That didn’t stop 1989 graduate Kimo von Oelhoffen from becoming a pro lineman and winning a Super Bowl.

Thanks to von Oelhoffen, who started at defensive end in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2006 Super Bowl XL victory, Molokai is among 11 Hawaii high schools set to receive special recognition from the National Football League (NFL). In preparation for its 50th Super Bowl, the league plans to present golden footballs to the high schools of all coaches and players who have appeared in the NFL’s premier title game.

“When you look at the list, you have perennial state powerhouse football programs like St.…

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50 Years of ‘Helping People, Changing Lives’

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

50 Years of ‘Helping People, Changing Lives’

 

Across Molokai, the reach of Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) is visible in many forms. There’s the rumbling pink and white bus that transports passengers from town to town. There are the storefronts whose owners have learned to be business savvy through MEO. There are pre-kindergarten keiki who have toddled through MEO’s Head Start program.

“This is probably the most diverse organization you’ve got,” said State Representative Lynn DeCoite. “… I feel this community, if anything, without MEO would be drastically hurt.”

Last Wednesday, the Molokai community celebrated 50 years of MEO’s service within Maui County. Residents came together to enjoy lunch, hula and musical performances, and a look back at MEO’s community programs.…

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Free Meals for Schools

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

Free Meals for Schools

As part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program, free breakfasts and lunches will be available to students at all Molokai public schools starting this year. Those schools are among seven statewide that were selected by the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) to pilot the program this year.

While many Molokai students already qualified for free or reduced price meals, educators say the new program will be a relief for many families who didn’t previously qualify and will streamline the dining process.

The federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which debuted in Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky in 2011, gives free meals to schools in which at least 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunches.…

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Burn Damage on Club Canoes

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

Burn Damage on Club Canoes

 

Several canoes by Kaunakakai harbor were damaged last weekend, including a Wa`akapaemua Canoe Club boat with a pair of burned patches left on the outside of the hull. Wa`akapaemua board member Camie Kimball said following a large party at the nearby Yacht Club venue Friday night, club members came to practice Monday to a shocking sight. The club’s new carbon fiber Unlimited canoe, purchased for $20,000 last year, had been burned through its thick canvas cover. The burns did not go fully through the hull, but caused significant damage.

“Someone must have sat there with a match,” she said, describing the time and purpose that seemed to be involved in causing the destruction.…

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Join in Planning Molokai’s Future

Monday, July 27th, 2015

By Molokai Dispatch Staff

An important process is taking place: a community plan for the next 20 years of Molokai’s future is being developed and your input is requested. Each community within Maui County has a blueprint plan that guides decision-making and that plan is updated periodically. Right now, the County of Maui Planning division is facilitating the development of Molokai’s Community Plan over a period of six months.

The Community Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) is comprised of 13 Molokai residents and is currently reviewing and offering recommendations to the plan. The next meeting is Tuesday, and the public is invited to each meeting.…

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Mapping a Marine Menace

Thursday, July 23rd, 2015

Mapping a Marine Menace

 

Armed with GPS units, yardsticks and clipboards, Molokai volunteers and Oahu scientists spent three days last week peering into the island’s shallow south shore waters, looking for an invasive alien algae known as gorilla ogo.

The migrating algae, subject to wind and tides, has settled into Molokai waters and is threatening reef life.

“It can just take over an entire area and become the dominant species,” said Brian Neilson, aquatic invasive species biologist for the state’s Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR).  “It overcrowds native limu, and it can grow over coral colonies and smother and kill coral.”

Before any removal efforts can begin, however, residents needed to identify the areas of the shoreline most under siege.…

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A Stand-Up Weekend

Thursday, July 23rd, 2015

A Stand-Up Weekend

It was a weekend of paddling races on Molokai, with Saturday bringing more than 100 athletes to the island for the Maui2Molokai stand up paddle (SUP) race.

“This is not just a testing area, this is one of the best courses in the world,” said race founder Rodney Kilborn, of Maui. People from all over the world come here to race, he said, and this year’s crossing featured 104 athletes. That’s a big increase from the 18 paddlers that signed up six years ago, according to Kilborn.

The 27-mile course from Honolua Bay to Kaunakakai Wharf across the Pailolo Channel has gained acclaim as not only good preparation for the acclaimed Molokai to Oahu race that takes place next week but a world class event in its own right.…

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Arts Center Poetry Workshop

Friday, July 17th, 2015

MAC News Release

The Molokai Arts Center (MAC) is excited to present “An Introduction to Poetry,” a two-day creative writing workshop taught by award-winning poet Ariana Nadia Nash.  The two-part course will take place on consecutive Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at a private residence in Kawela Plantation.  The cost will be $55 for the general public and $44 for MAC members.  The workshop enrollment fee includes catered lunches both days by Roshani Nash.

The course is intended to be a fun, no-pressure introduction to the basics of modern poetry. In the first class, students will learn fundamentals of craft, both as readers and writers, and in the second class, students will try their hands at writing poetry.…

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