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Community

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

Molokai History Project

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

Following the passing of Dr. Aluli late last year, there was a groundswell of support to establish a place on Molokai to share our collective histories and cultural objects. Over the past few months, a group of 15 plus individuals have met to brainstorm ways to make this possible. Most recently, our group met with Pulama Lima, the executive director of Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center, a local nonprofit already doing heritage preservation work on Molokai. As a curator, Lima emphasized the importance of keeping and preserving our history on island, and the need for these artifacts to be cared for as required by conservation standards.…

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Sheila Loretta Polena Awai

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

Sheila Loretta Polena Awai

Sheila Loretta Polena Awai, a cherished kupuna, passed victoriously at age 86. Aunty Sheila exemplified her belief of unconditionally loving her Molokai island community. She was a beloved preschool teacher, an advocate towards foster care, education, mental health, and sexual and drug abuse services. She dedicated her life to God and was a faithful member of the Molokai Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 

Our mom passed away peacefully with God’s grace on July 3, 2023, at her home in Kalamaula, Molokai, surrounded by her ‘ohana. She was born on Feb. 26, 1937, in Kalihi, Oahu. She is survived by her four children Candace W.…

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Guardianships

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

By Eileen M.S. Nims, J.D.

There are two ways in which a person can receive guardianship over an incapacitated individual: Power of Attorney and Guardianship Petition. 

Medical Power of Attorneys allow you to designate ahead of time, who is going to be able to speak for you when you no longer can. For many Molokai adults, this is an easy possibility to ensure you have an advocate who can talk to your doctor, your insurance company, a care-home etc. when you no longer can. It avoids confusion and provides clear instructions as to who you have chosen and directed that person to do on your behalf.…

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Obon Festival Returns

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Obon Festival Returns

By Jack Kiyonaga | Reporter 

Beneath tanzaku adorned with the names of the dead and set to the staccato of taiko drums, Molokai’s Guzeiji Soto Mission celebrated the Obon Festival for the first time since 2019. 

Obon Festival, or Bon, is a Japanese holiday marking the return of deceased ancestors’ spirits to the land of the living. Bon dances became popular statewide as Japanese immigrants arrived in Hawaii around the turn of the 20th century. Molokai’s Guzeiji Soto Mission was founded in 1927 and is one of only nine Soto Missions in Hawaii. 

Saturday’s celebration was preceded by Buddhist services at Kapa’akea cemetery and the temple itself.…

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Last of the Librarians? Let’s Hope Not

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Last of the Librarians? Let’s Hope Not

By Jack Kiyonaga | Reporter 

Five years ago, a group of Molokai librarians representing school, private and public libraries came together to address a growing drift on Molokai. Part of a statewide trend, Molokai had shed full-time, certified librarians from most of its schools.  With no bookstores on-island, Molokai’s librarians have had the task of inspiring and supplying the next generation of readers. This responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of a select few. They call themselves the Molokai Library Services Cadre (MLSC). 

Diane Mokuau is the librarian at Molokai High School, winner of the 2021 School Librarian of the Year Award, and president of the MLSC. …

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Kamakani Farms: Salt, Chickens, Tomatoes—and Wind

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Kamakani Farms: Salt, Chickens, Tomatoes—and Wind

by Paul Hanley | Community Reporter 

“I didn’t want to do conventional farming,” says Cameron Hiro, who operates Kamakani Farms in Hoolehua with his wife Jacqueline and their ohana. A fourth-generation homesteader, Hiro resides on agriculture lands where his mother Janice and her late husband, Cameron’s stepfather Joseph Pele, and other family members once grew vegetables.

Though Cameron didn’t want to farm he stayed in the food industry. After high school, he studied restaurant, culinary and catering management, which led to a 35-year career in cooking, catering, and event management. In 2017, he and his brothers Raymond Hiro and John Pele became owners of Hiro’s Ohana Grill at Hotel Molokai.…

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Free Mobile Market Delivery for EBT/SNAP Customers

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Sustʻāinable Molokai News Release

Sustʻāinable Molokai’s Mobile Market is proud to announce free mobile delivery for EBT/SNAP customers as part of the Da Bux Program. With no minimum purchase required, this new service aims to make healthy and fresh produce more accessible to the Molokai community. 

Customers can order online and receive their groceries at their doorstep, with free delivery available for EBT/SNAP recipients. Visit MolokaiMobileMarket.com to purchase fresh, locally-grown, and produced food. Our online store opens weekly from Sunday at 3 p.m. to Tuesday at 12 p.m. Order pickups are on Thursday and deliveries are every Friday.

The Da Bux Program is designed to support Molokai’s local food system by increasing access to healthy food options for all members of the community.…

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A Whale of an Opportunity

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

A Whale of an Opportunity

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

A life-sized inflatable humpback whale named Kamakai visited Molokai last weekend through NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The kohola, or humpback whale, offered keiki the opportunity to explore the species’ biology, along with participating in educational activities, marine arts and crafts and movie showings of “Humpback Whale.”…

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Unreliable Transportation Decreases Dental Services

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

There are now decreased dental services on Molokai due to unreliable transport into and out of the island. 

Dr. Tabitha Chiu, DMD writes: 

“Dear Nalu Dental patients,

In the few months that l’ve been working at Nalu Dental, l’ve felt so welcomed by everyone that l’ve met. It’s been a privilege to be able to provide dental care to your community. Unfortunately, due to the unpredictability of transportation on and off the island, I will be pausing my commutes from Oahu. It has become difficult to manage my schedule when flights are consistently delayed, often without notice. I hope to return once transportation is more reliable.…

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Reflections from the Outgoing Editor

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Reflections from the Outgoing Editor

After 15 years at The Molokai Dispatch, I’m stepping away from daily operations at the newspaper and into a new role in journalism. I’ll now serve as Hawaii Public Radio’s Maui Nui reporter – the station’s first full time employee not based on Oahu. I’m honored to have this opportunity and so grateful I can continue to live and work on Molokai while bringing more Molokai, Maui and Lanai voices to the statewide airwaves. 

Over the past 15 years, The Molokai Dispatch has been a foundation for me on Molokai. I’m so grateful to the Dispatch for bringing me to the island I’m blessed to call home, and all the opportunities it has afforded me since then. …

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