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Community

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

Furry Business

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Humane society seeks a stronger financial foundation.

By Melissa Kelsey

It is not only the Molokai Humane Society’s services that are improving; the island’s only veterinary service is taking steps toward financial sustainability as well.

Housed in a converted sea container near Ho`olehua, the animal care facility recently started taking animals by appointment instead of only on a walk-in basis to help the entire operation run more smoothly. In case pet owners do have to wait, they can check email and work online using the facility’s new onsite wireless internet.

With better service, a growing clientele and a busy schedule, the motley crew of animal lovers who coordinate the veterinary services want to make sure they are taking initiative to be financially solid.

“We want to show the county that we are fiscally responsible,” said Chairman of the Board, Koki Foster.

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Faithful Service

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Faithful Service

It was the last Molokai Planning Commission meeting for three commissioners, Sherman Napoleon, Jr., Lynn Decoite, and Bill Feeter. They received many thank you’s from fellow commissioners and community members. They will be replaced by Napua Leong and John Sprinzel, starting in April. The Molokai Planning Commission is still accepting applications to fill one open place for a third incoming commissioner.

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Legal Hospitality

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Planning Commission recommends a second legal TVR for Molokai.

By Melissa Kelsey

Molokai is an easy place to start a Transient Vacation Rental (TVR), but not while following the law. The bureaucratic process to legally operate a TVR on Molokai is lengthy and arduous, and requires two separate permits.

One Molokai TVR owner determined to operate her business legally is resident Francis Feeter. After an application process that has lasted years, she is finally beginning to see the fruits of her labor. Last Wednesday, the Molokai Planning Commission (MoPC) unanimously passed a motion to recommend to Maui County that she be given both necessary permits to operate her TVR for a period of three years.

“You have the authority to say how many years the permits would be good for. If there are any problems with the rental, you have the right to not renew,” said Feeter to MoPC Commissioners, referencing the limited time condition of the permits.

Conflicting Views

Some community members expressed relief that Feeter has been rewarded for her efforts to follow the law, believing that the best way to manage TVRs is to prove that it is possible to go through the proper legal channels.

“We have got to allow somebody to be legal,” said community member Rich Young. “I think properly managed, this can work out. This is a balance for our community, and it definitely is not a good thing if it is done illegally,” he said.

Not everyone agreed with the MoPC’s decision to support the permits, a decision that left some community members concerned about the MoPC’s consistency in following laws and granting exceptions.

“The business district is where these vacation rentals are supposed to be allowed,” said community member Linda Place, expressing her views that even existing accommodations on the island are not being filled to capacity.

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Shark Gathering

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Shark Gathering

Kalele Bookstore hosts first film screening.

By Melissa Kelsey

Shark attacks are rare on Molokai, but their mysterious nature may have been one thing that allured residents to Kaunakakai last Tuesday to watch a film about great white shark facts and myths. As popcorn was passed around in a plastic bucket to seated viewers, Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions was packed full with guests attending its first film screening. The 24-minute film, entitled “White Shark Café,” was created by The Molokai Dispatch Staff Writer Sean Aronson during his time as a graduate student studying film at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in California.

The film challenged the traditional image the media has portrayed of great white sharks as mindless, ferocious killers. Contary to common depiction of shark attacks, sharks usually just bite humans once, mistaking them for seals, and can test the fat content of their prey from that one bite, according to Aronson. The movie’s title, “White Shark Café,” describes a region of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California that is a seasonal gathering place for great white sharks.

“All I have to say is, respect the ocean,” said community film viewer Mervin Dudoit. “If we get more things like this, we will understand the situation better.”

The event was attended by more than 30 viewers, and included pupus and a discussion after the film. Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions plans to host more films and presentations in the future to bring people in the community together in the store’s space, according to store owner Teri Waros.

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Mount Opala

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Mount Opala

New cell under construction at Naiwa landfill

By Melissa Kelsey

Slowing Accumulation
There are currently no plans by Maui County to ship Molokai opala off the island, according to Martin. However, Maui County occasionally hires private vendors to ship certain items off-island. A $1 million contract between Maui County and SOS Metals allowed trashed vehicles and appliances to be sent off Molokai last year, according to Martin.

Maui County also hires private vendors to take recycled materials, according to Martin. As a result, Molokai residents can help keep trash from piling up in the landfill by carefully sorting household waste and bringing recyclables to the recycling facility located on the same property as the landfill. Items stamped with “5¢ HI” can be redeemed for five cents each.

Plans to convert trash management on Molokai to the Herhof Stabilat system where trash is converted to electricity are not currently making progress, according to Kamehameha Environmental LLC board member Billy Buchanan. To create energy through this system, solid waste is put through a heat exchange unit after its moisture has been removed.

“It seems to be stuck in bureaucracy and no one is making decisions. Everything is about being green and saving energy and fossil fuels, but when we have a proven technique and technology and very little happens, that is a problem. This project is pretty much at a standstill,” said Buchanan.

In the meantime, Molokai residents should do everything they can to reduce the island’s waste accumulation.

“The community needs to know that Maui County is not only expanding the dump, they are also recycling and working with the community to prevent things from going into the landfill,” said McPherson.

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Clean Slate

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

On health and safety, GM foods’ record speaks for itself.

Opinion by Paul Koehler, Monsanto Scientific and Community Affairs

Genetically engineered foods, also known as biotech foods, were first commercialized in the mid-1990s, well over a decade ago. Since that time, people have eaten billions of servings of food containing one or more biotech ingredients, and there has not been a single substantiated instance of illness or harm associated with the research and technology that went into developing those foods – not one.

It’s an incredible record that speaks to biotech’s high level of safety. One reason for this tremendous accomplishment is that biotech crops are the most extensively studied and strictly regulated foods in the world. Before any biotech food crop is approved for commercialization, it must successfully pass rigorous testing for potential health hazards. Any crop that fails to meet federal standards for food safety is not allowed to even go to market.

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People of Molokai Good-hearted

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

A response to Senator Kalani English’s March 5th contribution, “The View from Outside”
Opinion by Senator Fred Hemmings

I would gladly meet with Senator English in an open and honest debate to discuss his recent comments made in the Opinion Section of the Molokai Dispatch.

The people of Molokai are overwhelmingly a good hearted and hard working people. I know Molokai as I know all our islands. I've slept under the stars at Hale O Lono and sought refuge in a cave at Papalua Valley where I have heard the winds whisper of ancient Hawaii. I've paddled a canoe from Molokai to Oahu in the most tumultuous seas. My friendships with many of the wonderful people of Molokai are deep and enduring, hence, my aloha for them, but not for the handful of malcontents that are destroying many good lives on Molokai.

Molokai suffers a disproportionate amount of social and economic problems. December 2008 statistics from the State of Hawaii Department of Human Services show that there are 2088 people on Molokai receiving Financial and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance. With an approximate population of 7,000, this means that roughly 30 percent of the people living on Molokai are receiving public assistance. The many other problems the people of Molokai face are due in large part to a lack of economic opportunity.

Unfortunately, I continue to believe that a handful of rebels and malcontents are holding the people of Molokai hostage, resulting in these economic and social hardships. Certain politician's tactics and failures to address these issues throughout the years continue to sustain the status quo. It is my belief that we cannot yield the future of Molokai to a small group of rebels and political antagonists. Life could be so much better for all the people of Molokai. I truly believe we can advance our mutual interest by enlightened leadership, change, and rekindling the passions of hope.

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Dousing the Flames

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Firefighters on Molokai are bracing for another arduous wildfire season, but residents can look forward to a safer year thanks to some new gadgets.

“It is logistically difficult to put out wildfires on Molokai,” said Molokai Fire Captain Travis Tancayo.

When wildfires erupt on Molokai during wildfire season from May to November, a large portion of wildfire fighting equipment has to be sent to Molokai from Maui, according to Tancayo. While wildfire-fighting necessities such as tools and fuel are on their way from Maui, fires on Molokai continue to spread, damaging property and natural resources.

Local Action

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Ranch on the Bidding Block

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Molokai Properties says land is up for sale if price is right.
By Sean Aronson

It’s been almost a year since Molokai Ranch closed its doors, but its importance to this island continues to keep it in the headlines.  The most recent chapter in the Ranch saga occurred at a hearing on last weeks’ House resolution requesting a fair appraisal of Molokai Properties Limited (MPL) land.

Dan Orodenker, General Manager for MPL, said in a live hearing Friday that the Ranch land is for sale if the right offer was on the table.  Rumors about MPL’s willingness to sell have been flying around Molokai for months, but this was the first public statement from MPL addressing the issue.

HCR 95, introduced last week by Ken Ito, Chair of the Water, Land and Ocean Resources Committee (WLO), requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to conduct a fair and accurate appraisal of MPL’s lands.  The resolution cites MPL’s failure to allow access for subsistence hunting and farming as well as its lack of commitment to provide water and sewer services to West end residents among the reasons for State intervention.
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Between a Barge and a Hard Place

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Young Brothers proposes several changes to Molokai shipping service.
By Sean Aronson

Molokai is full of talk about sustainability and self-sufficiency, but every day brings reminders of how far away this island is from either.  Perhaps the most glaring example of this is the reliance on weekly barges for nearly everything – fuel, food and building supplies. For these essential items, the island is serviced by just one company, Young Brothers, Ltd.   And a number of proposed changes to the delivery schedule and rates of these barges has this community talking.

Currently, Molokai’s two weekly barges arrive on consecutive days, Wednesday and Thursday.  This presents storage problems for the island’s grocery stores because they must essentially unload and keep a weeks’ worth of merchandise in just two days.  It also means the shelves are virtually empty on Monday and Tuesday.

Under the proposed changes, Molokai would receive a barge on Monday and Thursday. The biggest difference is that the Monday barge will be going directly from Honolulu to Molokai, whereas before the Wednesday barge was going from Honolulu to Maui and then on to Molokai.  

Despite all of this information being publically available, some Molokai residents say Young Brothers is not acting in the best interest of the island.

Here’s an excerpt from an email that made the rounds through various Molokai email lists earlier this month:

“In a nutshell, Young Brothers is trying to sneak a schedule change past the PUC [Public Utilities Commission]. No fresh vegetables? Everything, vegetables, cattle, will have to route through Honolulu taking two or more days. They also want to end the Maui to Molokai link.  YB did not tell Molokai or Lanai residents the truth of what they are
 proposing.”

Young Brothers did hold a public meeting on Feb. 2nd in Kaunakakai to discuss the proposed barge schedule change as well as changes to the rates for shipping.  In addition, all of these changes were laid out in documents that are available on the Young Brothers website.

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