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Community

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

Community Discusses Purchase of Molokai Ranch

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter

As Molokai residents are well aware, Molokai Ranch has been for sale since 2017. For $260,000,000, a buyer would become the owner of over 55,000 acres of land with infrastructure like water lines, roads and housing — equating to about a third of the island. 

Tech moguls have a bad habit of snatching up land in Hawaii. Over the past few years, Mark Zuckerberg has bought 1,500 acres of Kauai. Larry Ellison famously purchased 90,000 acres, or 98 percent, of Lanai for $300,000,000. A massive land grab by an outside investor is what the Molokai community is seeking to avoid.  …

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Deer Meat Giveaway

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

Deer Meat Giveaway

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

On Dec. 10, Molokai Hunting Club held a Holiday Deer Meat Drive to provide venison to the Molokai community and honor the fifth reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, King Kamehameha V, who introduced axis deer to Molokai.  

More than 100 households were reached during the giveaway, held at Project Coordinator Troy Tancayo’s house. 

“The first hour was for kapuna. At La Pilina, many kupuna were saying how they grew up with deer meat, and now they don’t have that in their household anymore,” said Keo Hirata, interim PR at Molokai Hunting Club. “We had a lot of families come and about 20 Molokai Hunting Club members to help to distribute the meat that day.”…

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Children’s Theatre of Molokai Launches

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

Children’s Theatre of Molokai Launches

Hokulani CTOM News Release 

There are currently no ongoing theatrical opportunities in the community or any of Molokai schools. To fill this gap, a grassroots community effort began in 2022 by Vicki Boswell, a former elementary school performing arts teacher and social worker from the island. The mission of Hokulani Children’s Theatre of Molokai (Hokulani CTOM) is to enrich the lives of young people and inspire them to build a better community by gaining performing art experience that will deepen their understanding of human connections and values. Hokulani CTOM is in the process of being created.

Working with other community organizations we officially launch in January with our first community production play, “The Legend of Mulan” for youth between the ages of 7 and 14 years old. …

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Weekend of Basketball Games

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

Molokai High’s Girls and Boys Basketball teams competed last weekend. 

At the Barn, the Lady Farmers went up against Lanai Pinelasses. Their first game closed with a score of Lanai 54, Molokai 36. Coming back the next day for the rematch, the girls pulled a score of Lanai 54, Molokai 21.

On Maui, the boys competed against Seabury Hall. With a similar outcome as the girls’, their games ended with a score of Seabury 53, Molokai 21, with a score of Seabury 60, Molokai 25 in the rematch. 

Farmers Basketball will be back in action after winter break.…

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Alvin Kalani Kawaa

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

Alvin Kalani Kawaa

Alvin Kalani Kawaa was born on Nov. 19, 1962 in Honolulu and died on Dec. 3. 2022 at home in Ho’olehua, Molokai. He is survived by wife Kenetta Nani Kawaa; daughter Tanya Kaleinani Hanohano-Hashimoto; son-in-law Peter Hashimoto; grandsons Peter “Kahaku” Hanohano- Hashimoto (Hana) and Aaron “Kia’i” Hanohano-Hashimoto; and siblings Peter Kawaa III (LeeAnn), Kaeo Kawaa (Kahoiwai), and Glenn Adolpho (Cheryl). He was predeceased by his parents, Peter Kau Kawaa Jr and Blossom Puanani Adolpho, and sister Blossom “Sista” Kawaa. 

Alvin retired after working for more than 25 years from UPS.  He is also a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and graduated from Molokai High School Class of 1980. …

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It’s 2040, Do You Know Where Your Water Is?

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

It’s 2040, Do You Know Where Your Water Is?

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

On an island, water is life. “Ola i ka wai.” So what does the future of this life look like?  

On Dec. 8, Maui County presented a preliminary draft for Molokai’s future water production goals and usage. The plan examined current water demand and production on Molokai and consequently how to meet future water needs. 

The “preliminary” aspect of the draft means that Molokai community members have a chance to comment on it before a “much more detailed” draft which takes into account these comments will be made available. 

The Molokai Water Plan, formally known as the Water Use and Development Plan, is part of a statewide requirement that each county adequately prepare for future water demands and production.…

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Planning for Managed Tourism

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

On a small, rural island like Molokai, whose residents have fought for preservation of their cultural heritage and against overdevelopment, tourism is a controversial subject. Many residents welcomed the lack of visitors brought by the pandemic, while local businesses often suffer from drops in visitor numbers. In an effort to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) is making progress with the Molokai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). Over a three-year period, the plan’s focus is on the stabilization, recovery and rebuilding of the visitor industry for the island.

 “HTA was getting a lot of heat at the state legislature because in 2019, Hawaii had a record breaking number of tourists, over 10 million that came to Hawaii,” said Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, county councilmember for Molokai, and member of the HTA’s Molokai Task Force.…

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Clean-Up at Kahinani Place

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

Clean-Up at Kahinani Place

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

Thanks to local efforts, a long-abandoned apartment building at Kahinani Place has finally seen significant improvement. 

Right off Kamehameha V Highway, the apartments at the base of Kahinani Place have sat vacant for years. Longtime neighborhood resident Todd Yamashita believed the condos have been empty since the early 1980s. While occupants no longer inhabit the property, the land has not sat unused. Rather, it has become the holding site for noxious chemical waste. 

The abandoned land functioned as a septic business base yard, according to Yamashita. Passersby can still see the scattered remains of port-a-potties and discarded equipment. …

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Gift Local, Support a Dream, Part 3

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

Gift Local, Support a Dream, Part 3

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

This holiday season welcomes Molokai-made products to the gift giving list to support local and bring unique presents to others. This week, The Molokai Dispatch spoke with the owners of two small businesses that create and sell products on Molokai. These entrepreneurs, Chrissy Tancayo and Tapuilima “Tapu” Hanapi, are the owners behind Chrissy Makes It and Aunty’s Leis and Little Things. 

Aunty’s Leis and Little Things is located at the Ho’olehua Airport. It offers an assortment of goods from shirts and jewelry to lei and lauhala items for locals and visitors alike.  

These items reflect the island’s rich heritage and provide a meaningful connection to the land and its people.…

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Sports Successes

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

Sports Successes

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter 

Many firsts happened last weekend in Farmer’s winter sports which can be bet on by clicking links such as Ladbrokes Opening Times. They can also play تک بت for a variety of games to choose from and to enhance the betting skills. Lady Farmers Soccer had its first official Maui Interscholastic League game in 12 years of Molokai High history. Molokai Swimming, Westling, and Boys Basketball had their first competitions of the winter sports season and girls’ basketball continued their MIL journey. 

Soccer at Molokai High started up again in 2019, but it wasn’t until this year that the girls played Seabury Hall in Ho’olehua as an official MIL soccer game.…

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