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Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Breaking Ground for Science Labs

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

Breaking Ground for Science Labs

By the end of next year, Molokai High School (MHS) is set to have a 4,500-square-foot, cutting-edge science facility. For a school whose science students have earned county, state and international honors over the past year—all with no science labs—it’s well deserved, and a long time coming.

Since it split from the middle school in 2004, MHS hasn’t had its own lab facilities. However, this month construction began for a two-classroom science building on MHS’s campus.

“It’s really great that you guys … basically get a brand new, state-of-the-art lab,” said Duane Kashiwai, Department of Education public works administrator. “This is being designed according to the latest sustainability requirements that we have.…

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Grant Supports Youth Training in Sustainable Ag

Friday, August 7th, 2015

Sust`ainable Molokai News Release

Sust`ainable Molokai (SM) recently received a $17,434 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of SM’s Molokai Agricultural Youth Leadership Development Program.

The Youth Leadership Program aims to train high school and college youth in sustainable agriculture and permaculture practices through an ongoing mentorship program. The mentees will gain knowledge in the areas of traditional Hawaiian agriculture, professional business skills, hands-on experience, and will be encouraged to find their own unique way to contribute to food sovereignty in their community while earning a stipend upon the completion of the program.…

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First Molokai Club Swimmer at State Meet

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

First Molokai Club Swimmer at State Meet

Last week, 15-year-old Kahale Naehu-Ramos became the first swimmer to represent the Molokai Dolphins Swim Club at the Junior Age Group State meet on Oahu.

At the Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center in Waipahu, Naehu-Ramos finished third in the 200-meter breaststroke at 3:00.67. Naehu-Ramos, who also competes for Molokai High School’s swim team, came in sixth in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:04.38.

“Kahale swam the challenging 200-meter breaststroke race almost exactly as we had discussed it,” said Coach Jess Ford via email. “His execution was well calculated, and he closed in on the lead that the second place swimmer had in the last 50 meters, coming from nearly two body lengths behind to within one stroke for a very exciting finish.”…

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Making School Meals Healthier, Cheaper

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

Making School Meals Healthier, Cheaper

With the start of a federal free breakfast and lunch program offered in public schools island-wide and recent trends toward local, healthy eating, Molokai students are set to benefit in both the cafeteria and the classroom.

Last month, five Molokai schools were selected to receive free meals for all students regardless of household income through a U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot program called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

While principals of most schools said making sure all students had lunch wasn’t a major issue in the past, they said it would still be a significant financial relief for many families. For example, at Molokai High School, a full-priced breakfast costs $1.20 for students, while lunch costs $2.75.…

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Picking Up Plastics

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

Picking Up Plastics

Mo`omomi Beach has long been considered one of Molokai’s richest areas for natural resources. However, it’s also one of most Hawaii’s most debris-laden beaches, and last Saturday, more than 150 volunteers did what they could to remove thousands of pounds of bottles, rope and plastic rubbish of all shapes and sizes from the area.

The north-facing coastline is the first stopping point in the state for marine refuse floating from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, according to Kahi Pacarro, executive director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii (SCH).

The nonprofit’s mission is to inspire local communities to care for their coastlines through hands-on beach cleanups, and for the second year, they gathered manpower and momentum at Mo`omomi to fulfill that mission.…

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Make Waves with Local Swim Club

Friday, July 31st, 2015

Molokai Dolphins Swim Club News Release

The state meets are wrapped up, bringing the long course summer swim season to a close.  Congratulations to Kahale Naehu-Ramos, the first Molokai Dolphin to compete at the Junior Age Group State meet at the Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center in Waipahu, Oahu, July 26-27.

Now that school is back in session and fall is almost here, the short course winter season begins. Molokai Dolphins Swim Club returns to its fall schedule on Monday, Aug. 3.  Practices will be Monday through Thursday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., with double practices held in the mornings twice weekly, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:45 to 7 a.m. …

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Island Foundation Logo Winner

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Barbara Haliniak

Congratulations to Michael Onofrio, winner of the Molokai Island Foundation’s (MIF) logo contest.  Michael was presented with a $200 check for his winning design, which depicts a gourd, a vine that reaches out and bears a hard shell fruit used as an implement (ipu) adorned with kukui nuts and leaves. This exemplifies the foundation’s purpose: to reach out into the community, to serve and support its needs.

Michael graduated from Molokai High School in 2013 and is about to begin his junior year at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he majors in graphic design.…

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50 Years of ‘Helping People, Changing Lives’

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

50 Years of ‘Helping People, Changing Lives’

 

Across Molokai, the reach of Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) is visible in many forms. There’s the rumbling pink and white bus that transports passengers from town to town. There are the storefronts whose owners have learned to be business savvy through MEO. There are pre-kindergarten keiki who have toddled through MEO’s Head Start program.

“This is probably the most diverse organization you’ve got,” said State Representative Lynn DeCoite. “… I feel this community, if anything, without MEO would be drastically hurt.”

Last Wednesday, the Molokai community celebrated 50 years of MEO’s service within Maui County. Residents came together to enjoy lunch, hula and musical performances, and a look back at MEO’s community programs.…

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Free Meals for Schools

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

Free Meals for Schools

As part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program, free breakfasts and lunches will be available to students at all Molokai public schools starting this year. Those schools are among seven statewide that were selected by the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) to pilot the program this year.

While many Molokai students already qualified for free or reduced price meals, educators say the new program will be a relief for many families who didn’t previously qualify and will streamline the dining process.

The federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, which debuted in Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky in 2011, gives free meals to schools in which at least 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunches.…

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Ho`ola Hou Scholarship Recipients

Thursday, July 16th, 2015

The MOM Hui News Release

Congratulations to this year’s 2015-2016 Ho`ola Hou Scholarship recipients: Kelsie Tanabe, Kamakalehiwa Purdy-Avelino, Lahela Tamanaha, Waipuna Paleka, Kiloaulani Ka`awa-Gonzales and Michaiah Soares.  Each individual will receive a total scholarship award of $1103 for the school year.

The Ho`ola Hou Community-Supported Scholarship Fund has been made possible through the MOM hui’s Annual Grassroots Benefit Concert, where 100 percent of the silent auction proceeds benefitted the fund. It is also funded by the Molokai Environmental Protection Fund, managed by the Tides Foundation, which “supports organizations that protect the Hawaiian island’s environment and enhance its community’s access to legal services, education, and environmental advocacy.”…

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