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Community

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

Learning with the Children’s Theatre

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Learning with the Children’s Theatre

Community Contributed

My name is Wailana Purdy-Avelino, an intern for Hōkūlani Childrenʻs Theatre of Molokai under Mrs. Vicki Boswell. As an intern, my responsibilities include creating a web page for Hokulani CTOM and updating our Facebook page weekly, I am currently developing a puppet theater script to go in the play and help to arrange a day camp for the kids during spring break to create props and shadow puppets while doing fun activities to build stronger relationships with our young actors.

Personally, I always enjoyed theater and acting. While in elementary school I participated in several school plays including one under the direction of Mrs.…

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A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

A’o Aku; A’o Mai: What I Learn, I Teach

Community Contributed

By Sara Jane Larkin, Teacher

Hawaii schools follow the Na Hopena A’O/HA framework.  This framework provides a system of expectations for all in Hawaii to aspire to.   HA means breath and the components of the framework are an acrostic of the letters in breath; belonging, responsibility, excellence, aloha, total wellbeing, and Hawaii.  With Makahiki season upon us, the talk of champions and excellence is constant.  In first grade at Kilohana School, I wanted to make time to enhance our total well being as well as our sense of excellence.  A warrior is someone who is as mentally strong and prepared as well as physically strong and prepared. …

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Victory for Robotics Team

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Victory for Robotics Team

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

On Jan. 28, the Kaunakakai School Robotics Team achieved a unique feat for Molokai. 

The team, coached by Andrea Yuen and Joe Howe, won the highest prize, the Excellence Award, at the 2023 Vex IQ Elementary State Championship. 

The Excellence Award is “given to a team who exemplifies overall excellence in creating a high- quality robotics program,” said Edwin Mendija, a robotics coach and supporter of the team. The criteria for such an award includes not just doing well in the competition itself, but also having proper documentation and explaining the robot to the judges. 

“As their coach, they competed strongly,” especially in the engineering notebook and judges’ interview, said Yuen. …

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Stories of the Storm

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

The storm that drenched Molokai Jan. 28-29 brought record amounts of rain and heavy flooding not seen in decades to the central south shore region. Those in the Kawela and Kapa’akea areas were among those hit hardest, and recovery efforts are still ongoing.

Donna Paoa said her family has been living in the same Kawela location since 1955. The Kawela area sees periodic flooding during heavy rains, particularly near the Kawela Bridge, which acts as a dam when runoff pours down from the mountains, she said. 

Despite previous flooding, this time was different. 

“It’s happened off and on [in the past] but this was torrential,” Paoa explained.…

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Farming Keeps Social Worker Grounded

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Farming Keeps Social Worker Grounded

By Paul Hanley, Community Reporter

Brent Nakihei has been working on the ‘aina since he was a child. The youngest of 12, he used to do chores for his grandparents Albert and Agnes Ne on their piggery farm in Kalama’ula. Now 53, he has started farming again on the same land, originally leased by his great grandfather John Pua’a in 1923, the fifth Hawaiian Homestead on the Hawaiian Islands.

Molokai farmers like Kekama Helm inspired Nakihei to get back into farming and to do it sustainably. His initial venture is a 1.6-acre field planted into avocado, soursop, white guava, lichee, ulu, and different types of mangoes — about 50 trees in all.…

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Back Under the Lights: Women’s Softball Returns

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Back Under the Lights: Women’s Softball Returns

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

After weeks of practices and scrimmages, women’s softball kicked off their inaugural games for the new season. 

Players and supporters arrived early and left late. Teams set up tables with food, coolers and music. As the game approached, the women players paired up for pre-game throws. The men watched from the bleachers, holding the kids. 

Starting Monday, Feb. 6, women’s league games will run until March. The five teams in the league include Guarantee Action, Pepsi, Ka-Chow, Hahhd Heads and Eezy Breezy.

Thursday night’s games started with a Pepsi versus Eezy Breezy matchup. Although Eezy Breezy closed late in the game, Pepsi held onto its initial lead, ending in an 18-16 victory for team Pepsi. …

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More Hearings for Proposed Forest Additions, Rule Changes

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

DLNR News Release 

Two additional hearings have been scheduled for Maui and Molokai for people to comment on a proposal to protect nearly 100 unencumbered state land parcels across Hawaii as part of the State Forest Reserves, Natural Area Reserves, and Wildlife Sanctuaries systems, including some parcels on Molokai. 

Additionally, comment is being sought to update administrative rules associated with the Natural Area Reserves System (NARS). Both proposals are being shared online and in meetings to collect people’s input. In-person meetings have already been held on Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii Island.  

The proposed parcels are state lands not currently managed for environmental protection or any particular land use.…

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Micro Ag Grants Awarded

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

MEO News Release 

The first 31 of the third round of Maui County Micro Agriculture Grants – with an average amount of $25,000 – were awarded Monday by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center.

More than 110 grants are expected to be awarded with the $3 million from the county. The first 31 grants included 11 for farm/ranching operations on Molokai and three on Lanai.

MEO’s Business Development Center, which once again is administering the program, is expected to award another 20 to 25 grants Friday. The goal is to announce all awards by the end of the month.

There were a total of 213 applications for this third round of grants.…

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Mardi Gras at Catholic Church

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

St. Damien Church News Release

On Friday, Feb. 17, St. Damien of Molokai will have its second annual Mardi Gras celebration.  This year the event will be in the evening from 5 to 8 pm at the church.  

Mardi Gras has become a traditional Christian holiday marked with music, food, and good times before the Lenten season. The community is invited to come and enjoy the food, live music, games, a mask contest and baked goods including malasadas.  Lucky number tickets are available for a donation and the grand prize is a $1000 voucher for Mokulele.  

For information about this community event, including how to get a mask to enter in the contest, please contact the St.…

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Kaunakakai School Thefts

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

On Feb. 9, students came to Kaunakakai Elementary and found that someone had stolen the wind screens from their outside eating area. To you who stole these items from our kids, I know you don’t care about the health and welfare of our youngest children; I know you don’t care about shade and wind breaks for the student dining area; I know you don’t care that your “problem,” or whatever it is that is causing you to do this, is going to affect the 300 students at our school. I do know that all you care about is yourself. And, by the way, this is the third time that this has happened. …

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