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Community

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

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.…

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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.…

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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.…

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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.…

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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.…

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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. …

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Talk Story with Sen. Schatz

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Talk Story with Sen. Schatz

Last week, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz made a visit to Molokai and talked story with business owners, farmers, advocates and residents. Schatz is former Hawaii Lt. Governor, and was elected by Gov. Abercrombie to serve out Daniel Inouye’s term until the 2014 special election, for which he is running. As a senator, Schatz sits on three Senate committees: Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources, and Indian Affairs. Here are some excerpted questions and answers — some from a conversation with the Dispatch and others from community members.

Question (Q): What do you love about Molokai?
Schatz’s answer (A): It’s the sense of people depending on each other and real aloha.…

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MECO Scheduled Kaluakoi Outages

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

MECO News Release

Maui Electric Company (MECO) is scheduling an electricity outage for the Kaluakoi subdivision in west Molokai this Friday, Aug. 23, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The planned outage is part of an improvement project to install new equipment in that area.

As part of this project, 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 electrical supply.

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

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Impaired Driving Enforcement

Wednesday, August 21st, 2013

Maui Police Department News Release

The Maui Police Department will be participating with the nationwide Impaired Driving National Enforcement crackdown from August 16 to September 2, 2013. Police will set up intoxication checkpoints at unannounced locations and times during this two week period. Intoxication checkpoints will be set up county wide, which will include Hana, Lanai and Molokai.

People are encouraged to drive sober. Those that will be consuming alcoholic beverages are reminded not to drive and to use a designated driver or find an alternate mode of transportation. This guideline serves as a useful reference for promoting safety and responsibility on the roads.…

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Brother Dutton Statue Installed

Monday, August 19th, 2013

Brother Dutton Statue Installed

Molokai Catholic parishioners got to see the face of a new statue of Brother Joseph Dutton for the first time when it arrived on the island from China last Thursday. The statue of the Civil War veteran who worked for 45 years in Kalaupapa with St. Damien depicts him in his youth wearing his Union uniform. There is a growing movement to promote Dutton to sainthood alongside Damien and Marianne Cope, and the statue may be one starting point for that process, said Molokai’s Father Bill Petrie of St. Damian Catholic Parish.

The statue was donated to Molokai by Oahu benefactor John Perreira, who worked with local residents, including the late parishioner Larry Helm, former commander of the Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans, to design the statue.…

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