Community

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

Fire Dept. Demo

Sunday, September 1st, 2013

Fire Dept. Demo

Maui Fire Dept. News Release

In observation of Fire Prevention Week, the Maui Fire Department on Molokai will hold a live burn demonstration and other events on Saturday, Sept. 21. Join us at Kaunakakai Ball Park from 9 to 11 a.m. for our big show that will include a helicopter and Jaws of Life demo, cutting a car to simulate rescue, fire truck shoot down and burn demo of a structure.

We’ll also be joined by our friends Smokey Bear and Sparky Dog to aid in fire safety education. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuits and towels to get wet after the show.…

Dream Green Team

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

Talking trash isn’t usually a good thing, but a small team in Kalaupapa is changing the way people think about rubbish with their award winning solid waste management program. The Kalaupapa National Historical Park (KNHP) Green Team, comprised of five local Molokai employees, has received national recognition for the work they’re doing to make the peninsula a statewide model of waste management.

The team — Arthur Ainoa, Joseph Kahee, Brennan Lee-Namakaeha, Pa`oneakai Lee-Namakaeha, and Ryan Mahiai — has recently been named one of seven recipients of the National Park Service’s 2013 Environmental Achievement awards. The award recognizes their accomplishment of drastically reducing the peninsula’s solid waste through recycling, composting, conserving and reusing.…

Local Store Celebrates 1 Year

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

Something for Everybody News Release

On Aug. 5, Something For Everybody celebrated its first year of business in Kaunakakai town.  The store was buzzing with excitement as customers old and new made their way in for the store’s “First Birthday” deals.  Each customer got $1 off their purchases with complimentary mahalo goodies and snack bags.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a year,” said first-time business owner Wailani Tanaka. “I know that I couldn’t have made it without the continued support and business from my community which I am ever so grateful for!”

To honor the store’s loyal customers, Loyalty cards and Daily Discounts made their debut on the anniversary. …

MECO Planned Kaluakoi Outages

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

MECO News Release

Maui Electric Company (MECO) will be scheduling periodic interruptions in electrical service for the Kaluakoi subdivision as part of a system improvement project to install new equipment in this community. Kaluakoi residences will be notified of specific dates and times of the outages via printed flyers delivered to their homes.

As part of this project, the periodic outages will be scheduled through October to replace several switchgears. A combination of electrical disconnect switches, fuses or circuit breakers used to control, protect and isolate electrical equipment, switchgears provide continued reliability of the electricity Maui Electric provides to customers.

Should there be any questions or concerns, please contact Maui Electric directly at 1-877-871-8461.…

Back to School Brings Big Changes

Thursday, August 29th, 2013

Back to School Brings Big Changes

The school bell has rung, the 2013-14 school year is underway, and several changes are in effect for Molokai’s K-12.

Strive HI Scores

Last week, the state Department of Education (DOE) published school Strive HI scores, part of the new Strive HI Performance Strategy implemented this school year.

In May 2013, the DOE received federal approval to waive national No Child Left Behind (NCLB) criteria in order to better fit the needs of Hawaii schools.

The strategy holds schools accountable to achieve multiple standards to measure progress and college and career preparedness. It then places schools on a grading scale each year based on performance, achievement growth, graduation rate, and absences.…

County Budget Decisions

Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Maui County News Release

It’s that time of year when the County of Maui makes big budget decisions. Come out and add your input to what’s important to fund this year. Mayor Alan Arakawa is encouraging all community members to participate in the Community Budget Meetings for Fiscal Year 2015, which will be held around the county next month.

The budget meeting on Molokai will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 5:45 p.m. for the CDBG hearing and 6 p.m. for the budget meeting at the Mitchell Pauole Center.

“Feedback from these meetings provides valuable direction to for us,” said Mayor Arakawa.…

Back to School and Swimming

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Back to School and Swimming

Maui Dolphins Molokai Chapter News Release

At the end of the day, when Cooke Memorial Pool closes at 4:30 p.m., the Molokai Chapter of Maui Dolphins Swim Club (MDSC) gets in the water.  From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, swimmers from 5 years old and up enjoy private, structured pool time with coaching.

Membership ranges from Kindergarten to Masters-age swimmers, all with the opportunity to compete in sanctioned USA Swimming meets.  This fall is a great time to join – school is in session, and healthy students and parents both perform better throughout the day.  Family membership comes with discounted rates; discounted insurance rates are available.…

Funding for Improved Kalaupapa Waste Management

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

KNHP News Release

Joseph Kahee, Pa`oneakai Lee-Namakaeha and Ryan Mahiai, employees of the Solid Waste Facility of Kalaupapa National Historical Park (KNHP), were awarded one of 33 grants across the country in the amount of $12,500. The funding was through the Horace M. Albright-Conrad L. Wirth Grant Program at the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. The Albright Wirth Grant Program supports a wide range of innovative projects that give National Park Service employees the opportunity to pursue personal and professional training experiences.

This group grant was used to implement a comprehensive “greening” plan for KNHP. One of the core components of the plan was to lay the groundwork for an integrated solid waste management system in Kalaupapa.…

Affordable Housing in Manila Camp

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

A new apartment complex proposed for Manila Camp is in its initial planning stages and seeks to fulfill a need for affordable housing in central Molokai. The Chopra Hale apartments would consist of 16 units and occupy 1.04 acres located at 190 Makaena Place, according to project manager Luigi Manera.

The proposal was presented to the Molokai Planning Commission last week and commissioners voiced several concerns about its impact on the community. Some questioned the project’s goal itself.

Currently, the closest affordable housing options are in Kilohana and Maunaloa, Manera said. The apartments will provide more affordable housing closer to town; however Commissioner Billy Buchanan recommended that a study be conducted to ensure the apartment rates are reasonably priced for Molokai.…

Molokai Girl Excels in Neuroscience

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Molokai Girl Excels in Neuroscience

Community Contributed

By Robin and Dano Gorsich

Molokai girl Makalele Gorsich graduated with honors from UH Hilo on May 11.  She earned a BA in Psychology and an Educational Certificate in Early Childhood Elementary Education.  In four years at the University she achieved a cumulative grade point average of 4.0.  In her Junior and Senior years she was named as a UH Presidential Scholar, the only member of her graduating class to receive this honor.  This May she received the Outstanding Psychology Student of the Year Award, the first time this award had been bestowed in a number of years.

Makalele is the daughter of Robin and Daniel Gorsich of Waialua Valley, Molokai. …