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Community

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

Raising Funds to Open Doors

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Raising Funds to Open Doors

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Thirteen promising Molokai High School Students are one step closer to their goal of traveling to visit East Coast colleges and career sites. The Molokai community came out to help them get there at a fundraiser last Saturday. 

Molokai College and Career Club (CCC) has been taking MHS students to the mainland for college visits for the past nine years. 

The trips are largely the brainchild of MHS teacher Ric Ornellas. Ornellas, a Molokai native, spent years of his life living in New York City following a college education at Middlebury College.  It has been his goal to expose Molokai students to broader education potentials and possibilities. …

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Intergenerational Learning at Soto Mission

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

Intergenerational Learning at Soto Mission

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Kupuna are learning to navigate technology in classes taught by Molokai High students at Molokai’s Guzeiji Soto Mission. The Buddhist temple in Kaunakakai has opened a new space dedicated to kupuna and community that includes an internet hotspot. The project is funded by a $11,500 Community Challenge Grant from AARP Hawaii. 

The Guzeiji Soto Mission, partnered with the Krause Family Foundation ‘Alana Ke Aloha, used the grant to purchase necessary equipment including a Wi-Fi hotspot, tables and benches, according to a press release from the AARP. 

The goal of the new program is for Molokai High School students to teach kupuna to use their devices and gain easier access to technology.…

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Molokai Complex Seeks Grant for Afterschool Program

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

DOE News Release 

The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) grant funds an afterschool enrichment program on Molokai. The Department of Education is applying to continue the 21CCLC funding for Molokai students and families.

If approved, the 21CCLC program will help youth and their ‘ohana – particularly those who attend schools needing improvement – with academic enrichment opportunities and support services to help meet state and local standards in core content areas.

Our proposed academic activities will include homework help, targeted grade level and subject tutoring, and credit/course recovery. Our personal enrichment activities include STEM activities, cultural activities, Molokai conservation activities, gardening, visual, music, dance, drama art activities, and physical education activities.…

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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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