Aloha Aunty Here,
I am continually impressed by the Leo Club at the high school. They come around to our doors at Home Pumehana every holiday with either goodies or hand made cards. It really makes my day. No matter what people say about teenagers, these kids are a great example for our future. Mahalo, you made an ol’ aunty happy.
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We have our first winner for the Molokai Is… contest: Ko’i’ula Davis! The 10-year-old Kualapu’u School student received the most online and call-in votes for her short and sweet essay about her home island. Congratulations to her, and to all the contestants; everyone submitted unique and motivating pieces.
This week we have four more entries, including mana’o from the kindergartners of Kaunakakai Elementary. Vote for your favorite by logging in to www.TheMolokaiDispatch.com, emailing to editor@TheMolokaiDispatch.com, or leaving a message at 552-2781. Voting ends on Friday, March 5, at midnight.
Remember, if you’d like to enter your own ‘Molokai Is…,’ submit poetry or other writing in 150 words or less, photography or another piece of art that defines this island for you. Include your full name, phone number, and a photo, and submit to editor@TheMolokaiDispatch.com, in person at our Kaunakakai office (Moore building suite 5 – we can take your photo), or by snail mail (PO Box 482219, Kaunakakai, HI 96748). Mmm, mmm – thanks Kualapu`u Cookhouse!
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Joseph Barno
If aloha was a place, it would be called Molokai. The beauty of the land and the beauty of its people is beyond compare. It is the smile on the faces you pass on the street, the hand waving as you pass on the road. It is the ‘talk story’ at the Friendly Market checkout line and no one gets impatient. We are all a big family, different races, different family combinations but still a family, a loving brotherhood of people. Thank God for Molokai!
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Upon completion of Kalaniana'ole Hall's restoration efforts, several Molokai community members gathered to witness its blessing on Tuesday, Feb. 9 in Kalama'ula.
Plans to renovate the historic building were first brought forth in 2003. The organization Friends of Kalaniana'ole immediately jumped on board with financial support, mustering grants from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the Molokai Enterprise Community (EC), as well as help from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Lokahi Pacific and other groups.
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UPDATE -- Last week, we asked you to define Molokai in your own words. Surprisingly there were as many entries from off-island as there were locally. So who won this week’s competition? It’s up to you. Vote for your favorite response in the comments below. Vote now for Ko`i, Donald, Derek or Marvalee. The winner will be announced in next week’s paper. Voting ends Fridays at midnight.
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Moana Dudoit shared something her mother told her over 50 years ago. “Remember, you didn’t get your talent from me, or your dad – you got it from God,” Moana said to the crowd of over 800 on Saturday night, gathered at Mitchell Pauole Center for her annual hula halau fundraiser. “Share your talent for free.”
And so Moana shared. She began a hula halau for her family, but it soon evolved into a group that anyone could join. Over 100 of her dancer’s came back to the stage, some from off island, for last Saturday’s annual dinner and dance fundraiser, performing ancient chants, hula, and the always show-stopping Tahitian-style dancing.
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Community Contributed
By Alison Place
The rhythmic sound of Tahitian drums echo throughout the cafeteria at Kaunakakai School on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Upon closer inspection one can see several adults and children smiling, perspiring, and laughing while they dance to the beat of the drums. Welcome to the Tahitian Dance Exercise class, which is taught by Tere Neuhart.
Neuhart has danced most her life, including professionally on Oahu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hawaiian Hut and Paradise Cove. Upon returning home to Molokai to raise her family, she joined Moana’s Hula Halau where she has danced for the past 16 years.
Neuhart’s passion for dance and the rhythmic music combined with the drum beats inspired her to teach an exercise class in that venue. Judging by the popularity of the class many share this passion. “I think many of the girls and ladies enjoy dancing to music from another culture while learning basic Tahitian movements. They also get a really good cardio workout from dancing and moving to the music.”
The class is funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program and is therefore free to participants. If you are interested in joining in the fun, register with Joshua Adachi (553-1730). There are two classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.
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Community Contributed
By Walter Ritte
Ka Molokai started 28 years ago in 1982 at One Alii Park. Preserving and enhancing Hawaiian Culture was the impetus for bringing back the Hawaiian games. The celebration of peace over a four-month period reflected well on the Hawaiian sense of values. During the season of Makahiki, all wars were put on hold, as agriculture and subsistence became the focus. Warriors went home to plant, fish and to care for their families and aina.
Today the values of the Makahiki season are even more important. This past year we learned important lessons when the nation’s economy crashed. One lesson was that oil reserves have peaked and are on the decline, in other words “we will soon run out of oil!” The other lesson is that without The Barge, we have only a week of food for Hawaii, we have no food security.
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Over 200 Molokai residents felt the appreciation from Hotel Molokai last week, when free pupus, drinks and raffle prizes were handed out generously at their annual Community Appreciation Party on Jan. 5.
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Aloha Molokai. My name is Aunty Kapua. I have always loved Molokai and when my beloved sister passed away I moved here from Lahaina. I am a kupuna volunteer here at The Molokai Dispatch taking care of the e-mail subscriptions and the hard copy subscriptions. The most fun, however, is stuffing the newspapers with the inserts every Wednesday.
I thought it would be great to have a column about the doings of us kupuna on Molokai. To start off I want to thank Misaki’s and Molokai Drugs for their wonderful donations to the Hui at Home Pumehana. I wish also to thank the staff at Home Pumehana for their hard work for both onolicious Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that they prepared and served. Wow, lots of work.
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A Molokai monk seal has once again captured the island’s attention – this time for his unfortunate death. A male monk seal that has been known to swim in Molokai waters for the past several years was found dead on Dec. 14, 2009.
NOAA officials say he was intentionally shot, after performing a necropsy, and have opened an ongoing investigation on why and how the animal met its fate. It is against the law to kill an endangered species, like the Hawaiian monk seal, and being found guilty can carry a fine up to $50,000.
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