Community

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

Penny Martin Shares Hokule’a Memories on Voyage Anniversary

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Penny Martin Shares Hokule’a Memories on Voyage Anniversary

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Exactly 47 years ago, Molokai’s Penny Rawlins Martin was sailing aboard Hokule’a on its return leg from Tahiti to Hawaii during its inaugural voyage in 1976. She was 24 years old, one of the youngest on board – and one of only two women selected for that original crew. 

The voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti and back represented proof that early Polynesians could indeed sail across the ocean without the use of modern navigation tools. Instead they used the stars and environmental observations to guide them over the open ocean, nearly 3,000 miles each way.  …

Artists in Residence

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Artists in Residence

MAC News Release

This month, the Molokai Arts Center (MAC) welcomes two Artists in Residence, Dr. Ryan Pratt and Ms. Tansy Xiao. Dr. Ryan Pratt will be working on A Sonic Ecology. Ms. Xiao’s project is entitled Sound Dust.

Ryan is interested in “recording the natural sounds of Molokai, studying them and extrapolating a musical landscape, exploring portraits in audio with ‘endangered’ sounds, reflecting the ecology of the island.” Tansy would like to “create a poetic video essay inspired by Hawaiian traditional music.” She was fascinated by Hawaiian filmmaker Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu’s work, which was her first encounter to the genre.

Ryan Pratt was introduced to music through his grandmother, a jazz pianist and vocalist.…

Molokai Ranch Acquisition

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release 

Interested to learn more and get involved in community ownership of Molokai Ranch? Molokai Heritage Trust will be holding a public meeting to continue the planning of community acquisition of Molokai Ranch once again! This is a community-led project facilitated by Sustʻainable Molokai. 

Please join us on July 20 (Thursday) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. (us02web.zoom.us/j/81270082253) Meeting ID: 812 7008 2253

We apologize for the long hiatus and thank you for your patience as Momi Afelin transitioned out of her position as the community facilitator to focus on her studies. At the same time, we have transitioned Kawaipuna “Puna” Kalipi as the incoming community facilitator.…

Apply for Made in Maui County Festival

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Maui Chamber of Commerce News Release 

The Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival, a highly anticipated celebration of local craftsmanship and community pride, reminds local manufacturers and potential vendors to seize the opportunity and apply now for participation in its monumental 10th annual event. With limited space available, this two-day festival offers a platform like no other to showcase products, connect with wholesale buyers, engage with customers, and experience the unwavering support of the Maui County community.

Past attendees of the Hawaiian Airlines Made in Maui County Festival have consistently praised the significant impact this event has had on their business.…

Mural Erased

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Mural Erased

Healing comes in so many ways, the levels are countless as you try to help yourself make any sense of it all. Losing a loved one is a hard one, feeling hopeless about the struggles and disasters in the world is another hard one. We all have a right to ourselves to find ways of coping with grief and my family finds it in art. When we look at art which brings happy memories, the healing continues, day after day until you can smile again. 

Well, my family just lost their dad. God help us, as we are taking it very hard. …

Disappointing Services

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

To recap a previous community letter, we, the people of Molokai, used to have a ferry that traveled to/from Maui twice daily, and we used to have services from three different airlines. Since February 2021, our only means of off island travel is via Mokulele Airlines/Southern Airways for medical, business, family, recreation travels.  (And some have access to private boats.)

It’s with great disappointment that Mokulele Airlines has not been dependable in providing reliable and consistent services.  We travel frequently each month for the reasons mentioned above, and we have a corporate account.  Too often our flights have been delayed, changed, or canceled. …

Golf Ace

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Golf Ace

Community Contributed

By Rick Schonely

Rick Schonely, retired Maui County firefighter, substitute teacher of the year and island musician, is the July Ace winner for the Hui O Kukui Golf Club. Schonely shot 41–39 for a gross score of 80 and with his 14 handicap his net 66 secured his victory. Congratulations Schonz!

The Hui O Kukui Golf Club would like to thank the staff and management of iconic Ironwood Hills Golf Course for perpetuating the game of golf on Molokai.…

Kawela-Kīpū Connection 500 Years Ago

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Community Contributed

By Marshall Weisler, Archaeologist

Stone adzes were vitally important to ancient Polynesians and every household had several sizes and shapes for a range of woodworking tasks. Not every rock is ideal for adze making so locations with fine-grained rock, known as quarries, were sought after from the earliest times. A small but important adze quarry is located three miles east of Kawela at Pu‘u Pāpa‘i. And rock from that quarry has an important story to tell.

First a little background. The Pu‘u Pāpa‘i quarry is unique in its “chemical signature” or its “rock DNA.” Rocks from different islands, and sometimes different volcanoes or even separate lava flows, can have a unique chemical composition.…

Live Like Tre’ Day

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

Live Like Tre’ Day

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

A community event on Molokai last Saturday celebrated the life and legacy of 24-year-old Maui County firefighter Tre’ Evans-Dumaran, who died earlier this year after responding to emergency calls during flash floods on Maui. The Molokai Live Like Tre’ Day is the last of three community events that took place on Maui, Hawaii Island and Molokai, hosted by the Live Like Tre’ Foundation. 

Dona Evans, Evans-Dumaran’s grandmother, explained that the day’s events were a way of honoring him within the different communities he was a part of. 

In addition to being stationed on Molokai for the first year of his firefighting career, Evans-Dumaran also had family on Molokai.…

Woman in Critical Condition Following Bakery Explosion

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai’s Cisilia Defang remains in critical condition as of Sunday, following an accident at Kanemitsu Bakery last week that left 70 percent of her body covered in second and third degree burns. 

Thirty-one-year-old Defang was born deaf and worked at the bakery for more than two years. Kanemitsu Bakery told KHON2 she was one of their best bakers, and her family said she loved her job.

On the evening of July 4, she was working to prepare bread for the next day and turned on the gas stove around 8 p.m., according to the bakery. …