Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Poets to Slam at MMS and MHS

Friday, March 20th, 2015

MHS News Release

Molokai High School students will be slammed on the first hour of their first day back from spring break on Monday, March 23. Molokai Middle School students will be slammed in the afternoon. All this slamming will be spoken by poets from Pacific Tongues. Assemblies at both schools will expose rural students to the rhythmic cadences of urban scenes when these Hawaii poets from Oahu will wow local teens with humor and pain, love and longing, darkness and hope – favorite teen topics – with original poems in a slam – poetic deliveries that sometimes assault audience ears with impassioned points-of-view.…

Farmers First Look, Part 1

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

With many athletes and coaches going straight from winter sport championships to spring sport practices, there is little rest for Molokai High Farmers. The athletic department takes on its largest season of the school year with seven different sports this spring: volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, track and field, softball and this year’s newest addition of judo. In a two-part series, the Dispatch takes an early look at the first four sports that have already begun their Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) seasons.

Baseball

When it comes to the defending MIL champion Farmers, Head Coach Scottie Rapanot has yet to see anything that needs significant changes.…

Boys’ Tennis Earns First Team Victory

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

The Molokai boys’ and girls’ tennis teams hit the road this past weekend with matches Friday at Maui Prepatory Academy in Kapalua and Saturday at Maui High in Kahului.

On Friday at Kapalua the boys won 4-1, and the girls lost 3-1. Shiloh Kawaahau and Preston Pascua won in singles and Kaiea Dowling and Decker Bicoy won in first doubles. Michelle McGuire and Althea Cariaga won second doubles for the girls.

Saturday’s matches were both won by the Sabers. The Molokai boys lost 3-2 and the girls lost 4-1. Preston Pascua won third singles, while Luke Kikukawa and Noeau Likua won second doubles.…

Molokai Baseball Sweeps St. Anthony

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

Molokai Baseball Sweeps St. Anthony

History was made on Friday the 13th at Kaunakakai’s Duke Maliu Regional Park.

Molokai High School senior pitcher Hanalei Dudoit-Enos pitched a five-inning perfect game and had nine strikeouts in a 10-0 win over St. Anthony to open Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) Division II play.

“He did super good. All that hard work he did pays off and he has really matured,” said Head Coach Scottie Rapanot. “He has bright future. All he has to do is keep working hard and he has the potential to  play college baseball.”

As a senior, Dudoit-Enos said his goal is just “to show leadership” for younger teammates on the field.…

Tutu and Me Preschool Open House

Friday, March 13th, 2015

Tutu and Me News Release

E komo mai! Partners In Development Foundation, Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool invites you to a free annual kick-off Event for caregivers and keiki ages 0 to 5 years old. Please join Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool at our open house opportunity to experience a fun-filled day with Tutu and Me Staff and to learn and understand the importance of early childhood education and how to provide quality learning opportunities and experiences for our keiki.

The event will be held on Friday, March 27 at the Kualapu`u Community Center from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Meet Pirate Rick, sing with Aunty Kala, enjoy special guest readers, sing Slippery Fish with the Tutu and Me staff, eat Sust`ainable Molokai brick oven pizza, participate in a jumping castle and fun educational activities, check out the fire truck, lucky number drawing, and more!…

Scholarships for Senior Art Students

Thursday, March 12th, 2015

Lahaina Arts Association News Release

Lahaina Arts Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is proud to announce its 37th Annual High School Senior Art Competition, Exhibition and Scholarship Awards Program.  Graduating High School seniors from Maui County, including the island of Molokai, are welcome to submit their art for exhibition and consideration in the scholarship competition.  Entries must be postmarked by April 4 or can be dropped off in person Saturday, April 4 or Sunday, April 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Old Jail Gallery (Below the Old Courthouse) in Lahaina under the Banyan Tree.

Each participating High School Senior may submit one entry for each of the five categories — Painting, Drawing, Three-Dimension, Photography, and Mixed Media. …

Six State Medals for Wrestling

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Six State Medals for Wrestling

At Hawaii’s state wrestling championships last weekend, 432 wrestlers from nearly 50 schools competed in 780 bouts over the course of two days.

Molokai athletes refused to get lost in the crowd.

Despite the staggering load of state-level competition, six of the 11 Farmer wrestlers who hit the mats emerged with medals, which are earned by finishing in the top six in a weight class. Molokai’s top finisher was runner-up Alexandria Simon, who challenged a world title-winning wrestler in the 132-pound championship final.

“It’s crazy and you know that you’re one of the best in the state just making it there, because you know all the people around you are dedicated to the sport,” said Molokai junior Cendall Manley.…

New Middle School Principal

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

New Middle School Principal

Dawn Mains assumed the position of new principal of Molokai Middle School at the beginning of this year, and having settled into her new role, gives “thanks every day that Molokai chose me.”

The former vice principal at Lahaina’s King Kamehameha III Elementary School said she first visited Molokai three years ago during a leadership development camp for school administrators and felt a special connection to the island.

“I just put it on my heart that I think I’d like to live there one day,” she said. “I prayed about it, put it out to the universe.”

When former MMS Principal Gary Davidson decided to take a job with an educational support business at the end of last year, Mains jumped at the opportunity to fill the opening.…

Wrestlers Pin Down 13 MIL Medals

Thursday, March 5th, 2015

Wrestlers Pin Down 13 MIL Medals

One of the smaller schools in the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) grabbed a big part of the spotlight at last weekend’s MIL championships. Molokai High School wrestlers snapped up 13 medals for finishing within the top three in their weight classes. Of those, 10 finished within the top two and will be going to the state championships this Friday.

Molokai’s girls’ team took second and the boys came in third. The Farmers produced three champions: Kailaoe Cabanting (119), Saydee Makaiwi (129) and Alexandria Simon (134).

“Our conditioning is really good,” said freshman Caele Manley (115), who came in second and qualified for states.…

Rejuvenating Hawaiian Reading

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

Rejuvenating Hawaiian Reading

Two new Hawaiian language books written by Molokai’s Kumu `Opu`ulani Albino were celebrated at a book signing last Wednesday at the Molokai Public Library. The books fill what Hawaiian immersion teachers at Kualapu`u School identified as a gap in reading material for their students, and are quickly gaining popularity with teachers of `Olelo Hawaii around the state.

“This little school in the middle of the boonies is beginning to put something out there that there’s a need for,” said Kamalu Poepoe, who edited the books.

“Ka Wena”, illustrated by Molokai artist Brandon Hirashima, is filled with little vignettes of Hawaiian culture in the present-day, as seen through the eyes of a lively group of keiki characters.…