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2 CommentsPost-election statement from Mayor-elect Tavares
In the days ahead, it will be important to reach out---across party lines, across branches of government and throughout the community to find the resources and solutions needed to address the complex problems before us. Building and renewing relationships with federal and state officials and with our County Council is essential. Developing a team of experienced and knowledgeable people to serve as members of a new administration will also be key to making a difference. An effective and responsive government is possible only through the commitment of capable and talented people who are dedicated to accomplishing the goals and objectives necessary to achieving a new vision.
That new vision includes a community in balance. A balance between a strong and diversified economy and the preservation of those qualities that make Maui County so special---from the expressive spirit of our diverse cultures to the spectacular beauty of our natural resources.
- A community with sufficient water for agriculture, stream flow restoration and affordable and workforce housing.
- A community with safe and clean drinking water.
- A community with decent and affordable places to live.
- A community whose energy needs are met through greater and greater use of renewable energy to reduce our dependency on expensive offshore fossil fuels, diversify our economy and provide greater energy security.
- A community with a sustainable agricultural economy with the capacity to grow more and more of our own food and fuel.
- A community with beautiful open space, well-maintained parks, and ongoing stewardship of our ocean resources.
- A community with the roads and highways and transportation systems needed to move people and goods throughout the islands.
This vision is one for all of Maui County. Now it’s time to bring it to life!
The Molokai Dispatch endorses alternatives to developing La`au Point
The evidence is clear that the proposed development of La`au is painfully splitting our community. The plan, which may indeed have been borne of good will, has in fact become an instrument of division, frustration and anger to this otherwise close-knit community. The tension and
polarity of this predicament can only increase if alternative actions are not taken.
“Honest dialogue between all parties should resume with more attention
devoted to alternatives to the development of La`au Point,” wrote
Elizabeth Johnson in a recent letter to the editor. I could not have suggested
it better.
There comes a time when our accumulated efforts and egos must be
temporarily put aside. There comes a time when it is necessary to forgo
our networked alliances and shed our obstinate pride. There comes a
time when we have to put away all other things so that we can see with
more clarity exactly what is happening around us.
The Molokai Dispatch supports and endorses the search for alternatives to developing La`au Point. We are committed to the vision that there
is a better way to move forward as a community.
Forums Added to Website
A forums link and beta forum area has been created on the Molokai Dispatch website. A few forum topics have been created and are ready for discussion. Please feel free to try it out. Leave comments here if you find that something doesn't work as expected.
The Molokai Dispatch Online – Anonymous Comments Removed
In attempts to keep the playing field fair, anonymous comments posted to stories on the Molokai Dispatch website have been removed.
Readers who wish to comment on any of our online stories or polls can easy do so by creating a log-in account. The simple process requires that registering users have a valid email account.
Keep on the lookout for an online forum where registered users will be able to create and participate in dialogue essential to future of Molokai. Until then, create a user account to post your comments now.
To create your account, look to the lower right hand side of this site and click on “Create new account.” Happy surfing, Todd Yamashita – Editor in Chief
Molokai Ranch should stop antagonizing the press
By Bree Ullman
At the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) meeting two weeks ago, I noticed Molokai Ranch CEO Peter Nicholas and his wife – both wearing green “Support the Plan, Support Molokai” buttons – standing at the edge of the crowd. I snapped a quick picture or two at a comfortable distance before Nicholas stormed over and demanded that I ask permission before photographing him. “You people are very rude,” he said. I was somewhat startled – though looking back, I probably shouldn’t have been.
The Molokai Ranch pulled its last remaining advertisement from The Molokai Dispatch two weeks ago, and several sources have said that the ranch’s community affairs manager, John Sabas, has been badmouthing the newspaper at events such as meetings of the Chamber of Commerce. My last phone conversation with Nicholas went something like this.
La`au Point: Through Your Own Eyes
For just a minute or two, take a deep breath and clear you mind of activists, developments, water rights and every other strife and struggle that has adhered itself to La`au Point. Imagine the real place that is La`au Point.
Tide pools and puka-shell-laden beaches. The soothing sound of surf rushing over golden sands. Opihi, a`ama, monk seals, eels and fish. A brilliant midday sun and the pa`akai which patiently cures in its radiance. Crisp blue night air and innumerable stars piercing the evening sky. Imagine all these things of nature. Their sum is peace itself… this is the real La`au Point.
If visions of La`au fill your heart with wonder and your head with curiosity, I suggest you make your way to there. Regardless of where you stand within the issues surrounding La`au, a visit to the place will bring you a deeper sense of clarity.
As citizens of Molokai, we each hold a piece of La`au’s destiny within our own actions – or inaction. Therefore we owe it to the land and to ourselves to understand as much as we can about the true nature of La`au Point. So get to the point and go see La`au for yourself.
The beach area at La`au is accessible mainly by boat or by foot. When traveling by boat, be prepared for a beach landing that will require swimming as there are no docks. Check the wind and surf forecasts for south and west facing shores before embarking. Be sure to go with a captain who has experience with the southwest shores of Molokai.
By foot, La`au Point can be reached by either of two publicly accessible areas: Hale O Lono Harbor on the south shore or Dixie Maru beach on the west. Both starting areas are several miles from the La`au Point with Dixie Maru being the shortest.
The land between both starting points is privately owned by Molokai Ranch, leaving hikers with two options. Either contact the ranch to request access (808) 660-2824, or hike along the coast. All Hawaiian shoreline, up to the high tide mark, is considered state property and is legally accessible to the public.
Hiking can take between two to four hours each way depending on the route chosen. Be sure to study a map and allow yourself ample time to complete the hike. Bring lots of water, a lunch, sunscreen and adequate footwear. It is also a good idea to bring a fully charged cell phone.
La`au is unique because it is practically untouched by man. When visiting, don’t leave anything behind but your footsteps. Don’t approach monk seals. And if fishing, fish with pride, fish responsibly.
web gallery: http:www.themolokaidispatch.com/laau/index.htm
GOT WATER?
Part 4: A serious look into current water issues finalizes the series.
Water is critical to our existence on this little island called Molokai in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but many times it’s mired in law. Most of Hawaii’s water laws are based on English common law with a Hawaiian twist that includes native gathering rights. In the state constitution it states, “The State reaffirms and shall protect all rights, customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural and religious purposes and possessed by ahupua`a tenants who are descendants of native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Island prior to 1778, subject to the right of the State to regulate such rights”.
In 1990, the State Legislature enacted the State Water Code that established a priority of water rights, with Hawaiian Homesteaders and taro farmers on their ancestral lands at the top of this list. Hawaiian Homesteaders have first rights to this water and also the right to reserve water for future use of their lands. This priority is part of the state’s trust responsibility in enforcing and implementing the Hawaiian Homes Act of 1920, transferred to them by the federal government when Hawaii became a state. Yet on many occasions, the state agency responsible for enforcing the State Water Code, the Department of Land and Natural Resources Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM), has not interpreted the law correctly.
Letter to the Editor: Not Just Hot Bread
What’s the common advice given to many visitors to Molokai? It’s raved about in numerous travel books, posted on websites and passed on excitedly through word of mouth: “Make sure you go get hot bread at Kanemitsu Bakery.” As I boarded the early morning flight from Oahu, I looked forward to experiencing this quintessential activity later on that evening. Instead, I was treated to so much more that I anticipated. My first visit to “the friendly isle” can seldom be read about in travel books and websites or pre-packaged in a tourist’s itinerary. To go to a place where development has not destroyed the beauty of this isle and where culture has not been mass commercialized, is to arrive in Molokai. After coffee and pastries I met up my friend Noelani Lee and the Ka Honua Momona team to take part in the community workday on the fishpond at Kalokoeli. All contents copyright © 2003-2026. Molokai Dispatch, Inc. All rights reserved. 
