Community Development

What is community development? How should community development be governed?

Solar Hot Water Molokai Training

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

Sustainable Living Institute of Maui News Release
Want to learn about solar hot water installation? Now’s your chance, in an upcoming training program offered on Molokai. The Solar Hot Water Training Program is a hybrid course that combines six weeks of online classes followed by three final days of classes held on-site at the UH Molokai Education Center.

The training provides entry-level training in solar hot water design and installation. The curriculum introduces students to solar thermal applications, theory, safety issues, troubleshooting and monitoring, solar thermal design and installation, and licensing and permitting requirements. The course includes both classroom and hands-on experience.…

Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Community Contributed

By Clay R. Rumbaoa, Molokai Ranch CEO

Editor’s note: This is a letter reprinted with permission from the winter issue of Molokai Ranch’s quarterly newsletter.

Aloha & Comosta Molokai, These last few months have been a whirlwind of activity at Molokai Ranch, as we move forward with many of the initiatives I outlined in our last newsletter [the four pillars: animal husbandry, sustainable farming, renewable energy and green improvements]. First and foremost, we officially returned to our ranching and agricultural roots with the reintroduction of cattle operations.

Our intention is to raise and breed high-quality grass-fed and finished cattle for consumption in Hawaii.…

Ninth Annual Keiki Expo

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Molokai Keiki Group News Release
Nine years ago, the first Molokai Keiki Expo was held, created by the Molokai Keiki Group (MKG). The event is like a “one stop shop” where families are encouraged to bring their child(ren) to engage in the many fun activities provided while parents have an opportunity to gather information, ask questions and access programs. This year’s Keiki Expo will be held on Feb. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Mitchell Pauole Center.
The MKG was created in September 2004 by passionate community advocates as a grassroots effort to address the needs and gaps that exist on our island pertaining to early childhood and being pro-active in finding solutions.…

Unemployement Rates: The Story Behind the Numbers

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Unemployement Rates: The Story Behind the Numbers

So, the unemployment numbers are in. Things are looking bright for the statewide average, with 5.2 percent unemployment ringing in the lowest rates since October 2008. But the numbers on Molokai are dismal, with a percentage of 12.7 doubling that of the rest of the state. And numbers can’t lie, right? Well, that’s not always true. We wondered why Molokai was such an outlier in the stats and contacted the state Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), which released the recent data, to find out. It turns out there are a couple of explanations. Phyllis Dayao of the DLIR’s research and statistics office offered us an enlightening explanation as to why the numbers don’t tell the whole story for Molokai.…

Statewide Meetings for Mental Health Services

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Hawaii Department of Health News Release

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD) is conducting a series of community focus group meetings to solicit input from communities and stakeholders statewide about AMHD services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. Information gathered at the meetings will be used for developing plans for 2013 and beyond. The meetings are open to the public. The Molokai meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Conference Room, Kulana Oiwi Complex.

“Gathering input from community members about the mental health system in each county plays a critical role in the state’s planning process for improving services,” said Health Director Loretta J.…

Celebrating Energy Alternatives

Friday, January 18th, 2013

Celebrating Energy Alternatives

In the Ocatillo region of southern California, the Quechan tribe of Native American Indians has lived for thousands of years. The bones of their ancestors are buried in that ground, and it’s that earth that holds the prayers of their elders. So when Pattern Energy wanted to build wind turbines there several years ago, tribal leaders came together and decided to fight to protect the land.

At last weekend’s Energy Festival hosted by I Aloha Molokai, several Quechan tribe members were honored guests and panelists. They shared a story with local attendees of their experience with Pattern Energy, the same company currently proposing wind turbines for Molokai — a story many Molokai residents say sounds all too familiar.…

Molokai Energy Festival

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

IAM News Release

The second annual Energy Festival, hosted by I Aloha Molokai (IAM) will be held next weekend and focuses on sensible, renewable energy solutions. On Jan. 11 and 12, 2013, at Mitchell Pauole Center, Kaunakakai, Molokai over 1000 people are expected to participate in panels and workshops, listen to local music, and eat ono food at the event.

The opening ceremony on Friday, Jan. 11 will be a cultural welcome to Native American guests from the mainland and feature guest speaker Colette Machado, chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Saturday workshops will educate about construction of a low-cost solar water heater, do-it-yourself energy audits, reducing electricity use in the home, and photovoltaic (PV) options for homes and businesses.…

Aha Kiole Community Findings Revisited

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Community Contributed

(printed in two parts)

By the Aha Kiole o Molokai

American Safari Cruises (ASC) will begin visiting Molokai again beginning this month. In the March 14, 2012 issue of the Dispatch, the Aha Kiole presented its findings from a public survey and moku meetings on ASC and the cruise tour industry on Molokai. The results indicated that the community was interested both in protecting Molokai’s ocean resources and small town character, as well as allowing for some commerce for our island vendors. Residents indicated a desire for management to bring a satisfactory outcome for both vendors and local ocean users.…

New Address System Helps Emergency Response

Sunday, November 11th, 2012

In the small community of Molokai, where driving directions are usually given in relation to trees, landmarks and neighboring family names, identifying numerical street addresses can sometimes seem unnecessary. However, inconsistencies between Highway Contract Route (HCR) delivery addresses used by the U.S. Postal Service and the physical address assigned by the County of Maui have caused some confusion, as well as delays for emergency response personnel like police and firefighters. Thus, by June of 2014, the HCR delivery service, denoted by “HC01” box addresses, that starts in Kaunakakai and extends east must be changed to county-assigned street addresses. The change will affect 235 residences on Molokai.…

Living Local

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Living Local

10th Annual Business and Food Expo highlights Molokai vendors

Molokai is often known as “`aina momona,” or the fat land, because residents have always had the capacity to grow their own food, catch their own fish and hunt their own meat. The annual Business and Food Expo, hosted by Molokai Chamber of Commerce, is an opportunity to highlight vendors who use the bounties of the land to produce award-winning food and products that offer visitors and locals a taste of Molokai. Last Saturday marked the 10th expo, aptly named “A Taste of Molokai,” which featured local food and business vendors, celebrity chef demonstrations, gourmet food samples, prizes, music and entertainment.…