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Community

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

On the Edge

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

On the Edge

Community Contributed

By Ted Kanemitsu

Editor’s note: This photo was contributed by Ted Kanemitsu through the Molokai Dispatch Facebook page, with the caption, “Sometimes getting the best view requires taking risks.”

My reason for sharing my images with viewers of the Dispatch Facebook page is because I know that there are many locals and visitors alike who cannot be here as much as they would like. A glimpse of home, especially during long, hard winter months, warms the heart and the soul. It makes one appreciate what we have even more.

On this particular day, I was hiking along the north shore sea cliff with my dog Pokahu.…

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Special Olympics Basketball Takes Gold

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

The Molokai Special Olympics basketball team is on a roll bringing home the gold, taking the championship on Oahu for the past seven years, according to Molokai Special Olympics Coordinator Rita Kalahiki. This year, though, they played with a mixed team of both veteran and less experienced players — and still won gold last weekend at the annual statewide Holiday Classic.

“The team was too good, no one would play against them,” said Kalahiki of the basketball team’s success streak. So in order for the competition to agree to play against Molokai this year, Kalahiki said she had to mix up the island’s three teams of different levels — A, B and C teams — to form two new A teams.…

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Molokai Students Visit Pearl Harbor

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

Molokai Students Visit Pearl Harbor

Community Contributed

By David Tomiyama, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Public Affairs

A Molokai Middle School student robotics team saw science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in real world applications while touring Hawaii’s largest industrial employer, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Nov. 30. The students descended into an underground space with pumps capable of emptying a 53 million gallon dry dock. They also toured USS Hawaii, one of the U.S. Navy’s most technologically advanced ships, a Virginia-class fast attack submarine.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” said seventh-grader Noah Keanini.

The students were on Oahu to compete in a First Lego League robotics competition.…

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Poetry Reading: Ariana Nash

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Poetry Reading: Ariana Nash

Friends of the Molokai Public Library News Release

The Friends of the Molokai Public Library is pleased to present a reading by acclaimed poet Ariana Nash on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Molokai Library. Ariana will read poems from her just-released book “Instructions for Preparing Your Skin” which won the 2011 Philip Levine Prize in Poetry. She is also a recipient of a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Prize and a MacDowell Colony Residency.

Ariana’s poems are precise and frank, measured and uncompromising. She has the ability to illuminate the intimacies of human connections, and while doing so, she demonstrates an eye for textures, spaces, and metaphoric images.…

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Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Community Contributed

By Arleone Dibben-Young, Molokai compiler

The 113th Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place on Molokai Thursday, Dec. 20. The nationwide event is an annual count that takes place in established areas during the same time period during the month of December. The information compiled over time provides a useful tool indicating population trends of bird species.

The topside Molokai count is divided into three routes: Seabirds and waterfowl via a northern pelagic route, forest birds at the Waikolu Lookout, and shorebirds and waterfowl along the south shore. The Kalaupapa peninsula is the fourth site in the count circle and is limited to five participants.…

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Molokai Mom On a Mission: Fugitive Dust Storm 2

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Community Contributed

Opinion by Mercy Ritte

A shocking fugitive dust storm invaded Ho`olehua on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10:12 a.m — the second such occurrence in less than a month.  Winds traveling from the south-east at about 10 to 15 miles per hour blew across Monsanto’s vast exposed land, lifting a disturbing amount of earth into the air and sending it several miles across the landscape.  This chemical saturated dust involuntarily entered and contaminated the homes, yards and vehicles of many residents.  What I found most alarming was the pungent scent of chemicals that filled the air during this occurrence.

Fugitive dust is also known as particle pollution.  …

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Building Bridges

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Building BridgesTeams from Molokai Middle School win Maui County bridge competition

The girls at Molokai Middle School (MMS) are breaking all preconceived notions that boys are better at math and science. Last week, two all-girl teams from Molokai –the Red X and the Smurfettes –won first and third place in the Maui Economic and Development Board (MEDB’s) annual popsicle stick bridge competition, which tests students’ engineering skills. Five teams from around the county competed in this year’s competition, now in its fourth year.

Molokai’s team “Red X,” with Sarai Galam, Gabrielle Aquino and Paula Maroto, won first place. Their popsicle stick bridge withstood 85 pounds, over 50 pounds more than second place, a team from Maui, which held about 30 pounds.…

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Ku Ka Lau Lama 2012

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Ku Ka Lau Lama 2012

Under the spreading branches of the banyan tree at the Molokai Community Health Center, Aka`ula School parents and supporters enjoyed a prime rib dinner during the school’s annual Ku Ka Lau Lama fundraiser. The event raises money needed for purchasing school supplies and equipment, as well as funding the financial aid program for Aka`ula students. One of several annual fundraisers for the school, it also featured a large collection of silent auction items and the opportunity for guests to donate school supplies to the giving tree.

“It’s a challenge for nonprofits and schools across the board, so we’re extremely grateful that the community is willing to help support educational choice,” said Victoria Newberry, one of the founding teachers.…

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A Christmas for Kupuna

Monday, December 10th, 2012

A Christmas for Kupuna

This year’s Senior Christmas Gala was a night full of food, music and dancing. The celebration last Saturday, hosted at Mitchell Pauole Center, marked the sixth and final Senior Gala dinner, due to budget cuts from the county, according to Barbara Haliniak of the Molokai Island Foundation, which organizes the event. For the first time this year, Molokai High School (MHS) athletes from the girls’ volleyball team volunteered to serve the kupuna dinner. Photo by Caylee Ledesma.…

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MHS Athletes Ready for Winter Season

Sunday, December 9th, 2012

As the holiday season nears, most students are getting ready for winter break, but athletes at Molokai High School (MHS) have been busy preparing for their upcoming season. Swimming, Wrestling, Girls’ Canoe Paddling, Girls’ Basketball and Boys’ basketball have all been training hard in hopes of making it to the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) championships this year.

Swimming

Water sports are a large part of the lifestyle on Molokai, so naturally the Friendly Isle has produced some of the state’s top swimmers, including state-record holder Ilia Reyes, whose time for the 50 meter freestyle qualified him for the Olympic trials last year.…

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