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Community

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

Molokai’s Honor Box Tradition

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Molokai’s Honor Box Tradition

Community Contributed
By David Kley

Molokai has long been called “The Friendly Isle,” and it’s easy to see why: friendly shakas are waved and neighbors greet each other like old friends. The island’s strong sense of community is everywhere, from gatherings to everyday errands. But nowhere is this shared trust more evident than at the many fruit stands lining Molokai’s scenic coast.
Yesterday, my girlfriend, Genevieve Kikukawa, and I set out on Molokai’s coastal road. The crashing waves, salty breeze, and lush greenery filled our senses.
Our first stop was at Kanani Farms, where we discovered a quaint fruit stand. A handwritten sign reminded us to pay for what we took using a small cash box – an “honor box.”…

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Wilfred Takahashi

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Wilfred Takahashi

Born June 24, 1932, Wilfred Takahashi, known as Willie, passed away on Dec. 19, 2024. He is survived by his wife Teresita, daughter Maricel and grandsons Benjamin Jr. and Treve.
Before moving to Molokai, Willie served his country in the Korean War, and worked in construction. He also worked at Wailea Golf Course, where he met his darling wife, Tessie. Willie was the last of his veteran friends to survive their daily breakfast club at either Kanemitsu Bakery or at Mrs. K’s. For years, Willie was our famous bell ringer for weekend masses at St. Damien.
Willie’s services will be held Jan.…

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New Artist in Residence

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

New Artist in Residence

Molokai Arts Center News Release

The Molokai Arts Center welcomes Artist in Residence Connie Lee Lynch from Jan. 13-31. Connie is a mixed media and fiber artist currently living in Pearl City, Hawaii. She has had crochet designs and articles featured in both crochet and spinning magazine publications. Most recently, her work was included in the Fiber Hawaii 2024 Exhibit at the Downtown Art Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Through her art, Connie invites both makers and viewers alike to become seekers of beauty and joy, exploring texture and line and color, taking pause to notice the simple pleasures of life in the everyday world all around us.…

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Tow and Scrap Program

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Maui County Dept. of Environmental Management News Release

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management has launched a new Tow and Scrap program for Molokai residents to recycle their unwanted qualified vehicles at no cost. The County is partnering with A&S Services LLC and Molokai Metals Facility to facilitate the program.

Residents must be the last registered owner of the vehicle being recycled. Residents will need the vehicle title with their name on the title and a government-issued photo identification.

To make an appointment, residents may call A&S Services LLC at (808) 336-0747. An A&S employee will go to residents’ homes, check their documents and give them two forms to fill out.…

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Agricultural Micro Grant Additional Information

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

MEO News Release

Molokai residents interested in applying for the Agricultural Micro Grant Program can do so in-person at MEO’s Molokai Office, 380 Kolapa Place, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748. For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center by phone at (808) 553-3270 or by email at lily.napoleon@meoinc.org. The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 25, 2025. Further application details are available at meoinc.org/programs and were printed in the Jan. 8 issue of The Molokai Dispatch.…

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Superyacht off Kaunakakai Raises Questions

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Superyacht off Kaunakakai Raises Questions

On Friday, Jan. 10, a formidable yacht anchored off of the Kaunakakai Wharf – quickly raising concerns from many residents.

While the yacht stayed offshore, a dinghy with crew members landed at the wharf, where they were subsequently met by a group of Molokai residents eager to have a frank discussion about visitation expectations.

For a more indepth examination of Friday’s incident, make sure to check out next week’s issue of The Molokai Dispatch.…

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Lonoikamakahiki

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Lonoikamakahiki

Mo’oLono o Molokai News Release

Throughout time, our kupuna have marked the transition of Makahiki season with observations, ceremonies, competitions and festivities. Today, we continue to evolve and pull forward the most meaningful and appropriate traditions of the generations before us, while ensuring we remain relevant, inspiring and profoundly grounded as kanaka to honor our pilina to our kupuna, akua and Molokai.

In that spirit, the Mo’oLono of Molokai will once again commence a ka’ahele across the island, carrying the ki’i of Lonomakua from Halawa to Kaluako’i, and all are invited to join in.

Our goal is to recognize the abundance of blessings in our community, to honor the health of the land, ocean, air and water, to assess the needs that require political, social or physical interventions or remedies, to build aloha between people in our community, and to celebrate Molokai Nui a Hina.…

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MEO 60-Year Spotlight: The Molokai branch

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

MEO 60-Year Spotlight: The Molokai branch

MEO News Release

Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., (MEO) is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. The Community Action Partnership program, born of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, was chartered on March 22, 1965.
MEO’s reach stretches from East Maui to Lanai City to Kaunakakai, Molokai, while offering most of the agency’s 30 programs in each location.
On Molokai, MEO offices and a Head Start preschool were completed in 1992 on 1.3 acres at 380 Kolapa Place in Kaunakakai. Prior to moving, MEO was located across the street from Kaunakakai Elementary and served as a “community hub,” recalled MEO Molokai Director Mahie McPh

erson, who leads a staff of 19.…

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Sports Weekend Recap

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Sports Weekend Recap

Winter sports continued into the last few weeks of their regular seasons. Girls basketball took on Seabury Hall in two games at home. In Friday’s game, where the basketball team celebrated senior night, the Lady Farmers took an emphatic 50-4 victory over Seabury Hall. Leila Hooper-Phifer dropped 19 points and Kaia Yamashita put up 12 points in the win.

Saturday was more of the same for the Lady Farmers, taking a 38-17 win. This time Khloe Bicoy led the scoring with 12 points. The Lady Farmers ended their regular season with a 9-1 record and will host the MIL tournament in two weeks.…

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Barter and Trade Event Focuses on Food Abundance

Thursday, January 16th, 2025

Barter and Trade Event Focuses on Food Abundance

A new type of collaborative program highlights the ethics of food abundance on Molokai. The Barter and Trade event invites Molokai residents to bring excess food from their gardens to share and trade with their neighbors.

“It’s meant to build connections among community members, to celebrate our abundance, to extend generosity by sharing with others, to encourage self-sufficiency and steps toward reducing our dependency on imported goods,” explained event organizer Mercy Ritte.

The project is anchored in the theme “Ko Koa Uka, Ko Koa Kai,” meaning that those from the mountains share their crops and those from the sea share their catch.…

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