• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    August 21, 2025

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    August 22, 2025

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    September 3, 2025

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Education

Molokai Science Projects Wow Judges

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Molokai students have proved themselves to be some of state’s brightest minds. Seventeen Molokai High School students and 15 Molokai Middle students represented the island at this year’s Maui Schools' Science and Engineering Fair on Maui two weeks ago – and they returned laden with awards.

MHS senior Moriah Jenkins won the event’s top honor for developing a myoelectric prosthetic limb for dogs. She will represent Hawaii at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pennsylvania this May -- marking the first year a Molokai student has qualified for the international competition.

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Pulling for Makahiki

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Pulling for Makahiki

Hundreds of competitors of all ages gathered last Saturday to test their athletic skill and celebrate the 30th annual Ka Molokai Makahiki – an ancient tradition honoring Lono, the god of peace and fertility. During this four month season – usually from October through February – war was forbidden, or kapu, on all islands. Offerings from the harvest were made to Lono, and everyone joined in athletic games.

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Local Filmmaker Directs TV Special

Monday, January 30th, 2012

A half-hour television special illustrating the importance of Hawaii’s watershed and its protection will be airing on local stations this month and next. The show, produced on behalf of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DNLR) was written and directed by Molokai filmmaker Matt Yamashita. Staring actor Jason Scott Lee, “The Rain Follows the Forest” is a journey to learn about the islands’ fragile fresh water supply, its connections to the upland forest environment, and the ways we can protect this valuable resource.

Posted in , , , comments1 Comments

Celebrating Alternatives

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Caption by Catherine Cluett, photo ©PF Bentley/PFPix.com

Molokai hosted its first Alternative Energy Festival last weekend, organized by I Aloha Molokai, a community group that opposes industrial wind turbines on the island. The festival featured panel discussions on the state’s proposed Big Wind project, alternatives to that plan, workshops on topics from how to dry food to how to finance a small photovoltaic system, entertainment by acclaimed musicians such as Amy Hanaiali`i, and a youth poster contest. Above, musicians from the group Molokai Drums gave a debut performance to open the festival.

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Kepuhi Beach Bodyboard Results

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Community Contributed by Jan Kanani Thomas

On Saturday, Dec. 3, youth participated in the first ever Kepuhi Beach Bodyboard Championships. The competition was sponsored by Hale Ho`okupa`a, a nonprofit that provides outpatient drug and alcohol treatment services for Molokai adults and adolescents. Contestants enjoyed three to six foot waves and an opportunity for healthy competition in a drug-free environment.

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

High Hopes for Hoops

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The winter sports season is upon us, and Molokai High School (MHS) teams are gearing up for another exciting round of Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) play. So get out your green gear, read up on the basketball teams’ outlooks this season and keep it nearby for when The Dispatch previews paddling, wrestling and swimming next week.

Boys’ Basketball
The MHS boys’ basketball team earned a runner-up finish in the MIL last year – and this season, they want to go even farther.

“Our goals are to win the MIL championship and represent Div. II MIL in the state tournament, and if all goes well, to win the state championship,” said assistant coach Rick Schonely.

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Keeping Art Alive

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Keeping Art Alive

Vincent Van Gogh had his “Starry Night,” and Landon Pawn-Kalilikane has his, too.

The Molokai High School (MHS) senior has been working on his adaptation of the iconic painting for the past week, perfecting the swirling blue skies and peaceful landscape during teacher Perry Buchalter’s art class. But while Van Gogh completed his piece in the south of France in 1889, Pawn-Kalilikane said his will be the modern Hawaiian interpretation: Instead of a dark tower-like structure, Pawn-Kalilikane will paint a palm tree; instead of a small European village, a coastal beach scene.

.”

Posted in , , , , commentsAdd your comment

Food Factor

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Food Factor

Community Contributed by By Kalei “Pumpkin” Moss

For the past few months, four Molokai First LEGO League (FLL) teams have been working hard to prepare for the regional competition that was held on Maui the first two weekends in November.  This year the theme of the FLL competition was “Food Factor,” in which each team was given the task to design and operate a LEGO MINDSTORM robot and to research and create a solution to a problem that dealt with food safety.  Each team dedicated hundreds of afterschool hours through the 21st Century Grant, to brainstorm ideas for their robot and their research project, and some teams even choreographed routines to present their ideas to the regional FLL judges in an original way.

The “Molokai Blizzard Boys” team is based out of Kaunakakai Elementary School but is comprised of students from grades five through eight.  Led by their team coach Kawika Gonzales, they researched the problem of industrial freezers malfunctioning during non-store hours and causing food spoilage.  Their solution to the problem was to create a wireless sensor that transmits temperature information to an app on an iPhone, iPad or smartphone.   Their idea is so innovative they even have a possible investor that may want to patent the product.  They presented their research to the judges by doing magic tricks and were awarded the best robot design.  They will be moving on to the state competition held in Oahu in December.

The “Molokai Oompa Loompas” team is based out of Molokai Middle School and is made up of girls grades six through nine.  Led by Meg Fox, they researched the problem of people consuming meat that is undercooked or raw and may become sick because of it.  Their solution to the problem was a “pressurator” which uses pressure to crush any living things’ DNA, including germs, leaving uncooked meat germ free and safe to eat, but the meat is not distorted in any way.  The “Molokai Oompa Loopmas” presented their research to the judges through a song and dance routine that was based on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” complete with costumes.  They won the Maui Tournament Championship Award, meaning they were the overall winners of the regional competition, and they will be moving on to the state competition on Oahu in December.

Congratulations and good luck to the teams that will be moving on to the state competition in December.  We are proud of all the teams and the hard work they have done to prepare for this year’s regional competition.  If you would like your child to participate in a 21st Century Grant funded FLL class or if you would like more information you can contact Joshua Adachi at Kaunakakai Elementary School at 553-1730.  Should you have difficulty getting in touch with Mr. Adachi, please contact Sandra Czajkowski at 658-0609.  Look for part 2 of the “Food Factor” article, in which we will highlight the Kualapu`u Elementary School and girls Kaunakakai Elementary School teams.

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Tutu’s Corner

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Column by Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Paniolo Pride

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Paniolo Pride

Whenever keiki in the Molokai Junior Roping Club (MJRC) saw Papa Cliff Dudoit raise his pointer finger, silently holding it in the air a few inches from his face, they didn’t need words to know what he meant.

Dudoit, one of the founders of the rodeo club, strived to teach Molokai’s youth not only the foundations of being a good cowboy or cowgirl, but of being a good person. And, as he explained, “number one was your attitude.” Raising that finger was a simple reminder to keep your attitude in check.

“In life, in roping and in everything else, leave your bad attitude at home,” he said. “If you have a bad attitude, you’re gonna have a bad day.”

Raina Dudoit, Cliff’s wife, said the club helped keep alive the paniolo heritage of their fathers and grandfathers while keeping keiki off the streets. Many have attended national championships and earned college scholarships through the club.

“The kids always had a place to come to,” she said. “It was an alternative to drugs and substance abuse.”

More than 60 youth participated last Friday before refereeing, emceeing and managing the adult competition Saturday – another important aspect of the roping club.

“The kids are running the show,” Cliff Dudoit said. “When they grow up in the sport, they gonna know what they talking about.”

He thanked the Molokai community and the MJRC for their continued support over the years and said he looks forward to extending the club’s legacy.

“We gonna continue to help. We not giving up,” he said. “We cowboys, man. We cowboy up.”

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment