Community

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

Facing Climate Change, Part I

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Emillia Noordhoek

Editor’s Note: Emillia Noordhoek, executive director of Sust`ainable Molokai, traveled to Europe to attend the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year. This is the first in a three-part series about the Panel’s conclusions and how global climate change will affect Molokai and the world.

Climate change is real. Experts predict that oceans will acidify, killing the coral reef and everything that has a shell. This will create global hunger, and be especially devastating for Molokai, where we rely heavily on subsistence fishing. Climate departure will happen sooner in tropics than any place else — as soon as 2020 — manifesting as increased storms, tsunamis and hurricanes, also causing flooding, erosion and runoff.…

Health Ed Series on Molokai

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

County of Maui News Release

The County of Maui is pleased to offer the Better Choices, Better Health (BCBH) workshop series on Molokai for six consecutive Thursdays beginning June 19.

The workshop series will be held 9:30 a.m. to noon at Kulana `Oiwi.

Better Choices, Better Health is an evidence-based educational health aging program created by Stanford University and monitored by the University of Hawaii. BCBH is designed to help people manage their chronic conditions as well as their overall health.

Participants learn how to enhance their overall health through achievable action plans for improving nutrition, exercise, relaxation, communication skills, medication management and more.…

Small Changes for Better Electric Service

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Small Changes for Better Electric Service

At Molokai’s Maui Electric Pala`au Power Plant, there’s a room filled with panels of switches, dials and screens. There, an operator who works 24/7, keeping Molokai’s lights on. There’s a constant hum inside the control room from the plant’s 13 huge diesel generators.

“We’re attuned to this noise,” said electrician Brian Tachibana. “If it changes at all, these guys will pick it up.”

Slight changes in frequency could mean a drop or surge in power, which require minute adjustments in settings by the operator.

They also watch the clocks – not so they can tell when their eight-hour shift is up, but as a way to monitor the frequency being generated.…

Panel Speaks Against Pesticides

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Agriculture in the United States uses millions of pounds of pesticides and herbicides per year. About 80,000,000 pounds of atrazine, a widely used herbicide found in many U.S. water sources, is sprayed on crops annually. At the same time, some male frogs are “feminizing” –producing eggs instead of sperm, and agricultural chemicals are the blame, according to Dr. Tyrone Hayes.

Hayes, University of California Berkeley Professor of Integrative Biology, presented a lecture to address the effects of agricultural chemicals on hormones as part of a five-island speaking tour on Molokai, May 16. Hayes was joined by food advocates Maui District Health Officer Dr.…

Ka Ipu Kukui Program Accepting Applications

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

UH Maui College OCET News Release

The Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows program recently completed its seventh year and is now seeking applicants from Molokai for the 2014-15 session. A Decisions Maui and Focus Maui Nui initiative, the program is a yearlong endeavor designed to promote and train community-identified future leaders of Maui County.

Interested applicants are welcome to talk story with Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows at the Paddler’s Inn on June 3 from 5to 8 p.m.

Since it began seven years ago, 85 fellows have completed the program, including 11 graduates who were honored during a commencement ceremony held on Wednesday, May 7, at the Kahili Golf Course in Waikapu.…

Harbor Ferry Terminal Project Completed

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Harbor Ferry Terminal Project Completed

DOT News Release

A $9.1 million project to improve the Kaunakakai Harbor Gerry Terminal has been completed, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announced last week.

Passengers using the ferry from Kaunakakai Harbor, Molokai, to Lahaina Harbor, Maui, now have an upgraded and modernized facility with an expanded passenger waiting area, upgraded restroom facilities, and a larger parking lot that allows for better traffic flow.

“This project demonstrates my administration’s commitment to improving Hawaii’s infrastructure across all islands, and is a great example of state departments working together to complete projects,” said Gov.…

Energy Assistance Program

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

MEO Molokai News Release

June is the only month that the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program is offered and MEO Molokai will be taking applications June 2-30, Monday through Fridays except on June 11.  We ask that if anyone is interested to please pick up a brochure that is posted in town or at MEO office at the end of Kolapa Place.

Give us a call at 553-3216 to make an appointment and please gather all your required documents before coming to your appointment.…

Molokai Fitness: Warming Up

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

Do you warm up properly before you start your exercise, and cool down at the end?

A good warm-up helps increase your heart rate before you start your exercise, it raises your body temperature and increases the blood flow to your muscles to get your muscles ready for action. This will help you burn more calories during your exercise. It will also help minimize potential muscle tears and injury, and can also help improve your muscle strength.

A warm-up also helps you focus more on your workout, and that will lead to a more effective workout and better results. …

Molokai High Celebrates 75 Years of Memories

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Molokai High Celebrates 75 Years of Memories

Richard Otsuji clenched a black-and-white photo of 24 Molokai High School (MHS) seniors, the entire graduating class of 1942, in his hands early last Saturday morning. After waiting 25 years to uproot the time capsule buried during MHS’ 50th anniversary in 1989, Otsuji and many alumni found digging up the past brought a rush of emotion.

“I can remember every detail that happened here. I even shock myself sometimes,” said Otsuji, a former South Pacific WWII war crime investigator, with a wholehearted laugh while pointing his class photo. “I can name you every person in [this picture], their first name and where they live.”…

Molokai Grads Bonded by Friendship

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Molokai Grads Bonded by Friendship

The challenging classes have finished. Studying late into the night for tests has ended. Senior projects have all been presented and graded. And nothing, not even the intermittent rain showers, could stop 77 Molokai High School (MHS) seniors from turning their graduation tassels from the right side to the left and taking home their hard-earned diplomas last Friday.

“I encourage you, as someone said before me, to ‘dream on and dream big’ and follow your dream,” said MHS alumnus and commencement address speaker James “Jimmy” Duvauchelle.  “Never settle for second best. Be the best you can be because that’s who you are.”…