Culture & Art

Trail Access Threatens Mule Ride

Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Trail Access Threatens Mule Ride

The Sproat family, owners of Molokai’s legendary mule ride, say they’re worried land access issues may prevent the business from continuing operation.

The Kalae barn that serves as their base of business — home to the mules that make daily guided trips down the rugged Kalaupapa trail — is on land owned by R.W. Meyer Ltd, leased by the Sproats. R. W. Meyer also owns the land at the trailhead by Kalae Highway, through which mules and hikers must pass to access the settlement.

The late Buzzy Sproat operated the mule ride for more than 40 years, and his family has owned the business for 25 years.…

Students Intern with Local Businesses

Wednesday, October 5th, 2016

Students Intern with Local Businesses

 

Seven Molokai High students will have the opportunity to intern with some of Molokai’s 16 businesses that were selected to attend the Made in Maui County Festival (MIMCF) Nov. 4-5. The internship is a partnership between MHS’s Career and Technical Education and Fine Arts departments, the county’s Office of Economic Development, Kuha`o Business Center, and vendors that will be participating in the MIMCF. The program is being piloted for the county here on Molokai.

“This program has the potential to take our students to the next level in preparing for the business world,” said Jennifer Hawkins, small business specialist with the Kuha`o Business Center.…

Ukulele Ohana Molokai to celebrate Mele O`o 

Friday, May 27th, 2016

Full Heart Productions News Release

This coming Memorial Day weekend, May 27-31, the sounds of the happiest instrument on earth will once again fill the lodge at Pu`u O Hoku Ranch as the Ukulele Ohana Molokai workshop and its teacher Lono, return for the fifth year.

The theme this year will be Mele O`o or powerful music.  Participants will learn the deep roots of Old Style Hawaiian music with Lono on their ukulele, and to experience the vibrant community of Molokai. When asked what inspires him to write and teach Lono says, “The line between the past and the present, through our ancestors, prepares us for the future.…

Forces of Our Time Talk

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

Baha’i Community of Molokai News Release

Noted artist and author, Mr. Hooper Dunbar, will speak on Tuesday, May 31 at 5:30 p.m. at Kalele Bookstore in Kaunakakai.

His topic is the title of his book, “Forces of Our Time: The Dynamics of Light and Darkness,” which addresses the many forces at play in the age in which we live and how spirit manifests itself in the realm of matter as capacity is developed.

Dunbar’s artistic works have been featured in shows by the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the National Academy of Arts in Shanghai and at the United Nations in New York City, among others.…

Ka Molokai Makahiki 2016

Thursday, February 4th, 2016

Ka Molokai Makahiki 2016

Each year, youth and adults from all over Hawaii gather to celebrate Ka Molokai Makahiki in a place where cultural traditions remain strong and friendly athletic competition is celebrated. During Makahiki, the ancient Hawaiian four-month season of peace, war was kapu, or forbidden, and every district gathered to appreciate the harvest and challenge each other’s athletic prowess.The historic tradition has been revived for more than 30 years on Molokai.

Cultural events began Thursday, with an evening lecture about Kaho`olawe, where the Makahiki season begins each year. Adult games kicked off Friday night, and student competitions followed on Saturday, with a ho`olaulea afterward.…

Heal Yourself With Music and Aloha

Friday, January 22nd, 2016

Heal Yourself With Music and Aloha

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

I am hugely grateful to be a part of the amazing Tuesday Kanikapila jam group up at Coffees of Hawaii. It had such an effect on me, seeing how much joy and aloha is shared by such a beautiful group of people just getting together to make music, that I had to write about it!

The group’s founders Waipa Purdy, Roy Horner and Bill Perdue kindly shared their interpretations of Aloha, and I wrote the article for my Huffington Post blog.

Here’s a short excerpt, you can read the full article online, and see photos and a short video of the group, at huffingtonpost.com/ayda-ersoy/

First African American Settler in Hawaii

Friday, January 22nd, 2016

Community Contributed

By Ramie Kuahuia, Aka`ula School Student

Editor’s note: This is an edited version of a paper Ramie Kuahuia, a ninth grader, wrote for English class at Aka`ula School. It was submitted for print by her teacher, in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this week and Black History Month coming up in February.

Anthony D. Allen, one of the first African Americans to settle in Hawaii, was prosperous and made many contributions to Hawaii.

Allen was born a slave in German Flats, New York in 1774. His mother was likely a slave and his father was a free man.…

Hawaiian Election Halted, Convention Scheduled

Monday, December 21st, 2015

Following a U.S. Supreme Court order that prohibited the counting of votes in a contested Native Hawaiian election, Na`i Aupuni – the nonprofit running the election – has announced it has terminated the election process. Rather than registered voters picking 40 delegates for a convention, or `Aha, that will be held in February, Na`i Aupuni officials have said all 196 candidates will be offered a seat at the `Aha.

In late November, a Supreme Court justice issued a temporary hold on ballot counting in response to a legal challenge filed by a group that claimed it is unconstitutional to hold a racially exclusive election.…

The Man Who Loves Christmas

Wednesday, December 16th, 2015

The Man Who Loves Christmas

Each year, a tent pops up on Molokai filled with the Christmas spirit. Step inside and you’ll find yourself in a wonderland of frosted decorations, festive wreaths, ribbons and lights. Spearheading the family operation, Del Gossert is known locally as the “Christmas man,” and for the least six years, has been spreading holiday cheer through discounted decorations under a tent near Hotel Molokai.

Gossert starts growing his full, white beard in October in preparation for Christmas. A self-proclaimed “Christmas fanatic,” Gossart admitted that at his former Maui residence, there was barely room for a bed amid the boxes of Christmas decorations he collected.…

Celebration Through Donation

Wednesday, November 25th, 2015

Celebration Through Donation

For 80 years, Molokai Drugs has doled out over-the-counter remedies to thousands of island residents. This year, however, the island’s only pharmacy is tending to the health of a unique customer: Molokai High’s ailing fleet of school buses.

To celebrate their milestone anniversary, the owners of Molokai Drugs donated a new 14-passenger bus to the high school, which spent nearly $15,000 last year in bus repairs alone.

The brand-new vehicle, which will be used on Maui, is a start to replacing a collection of buses that over the years have cost the school thousands of dollars, delayed numerous trips and limited the number of students and equipment that teams can take off island.…