Makahiki
For Ilima Ho-Lastimosa of God’s Country Waimanalo, there’s no place like Molokai. “It’s more traditional and meaningful here. In Honolulu, it’s just going through the motions,” she says.
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Unique reading program encourages adults and children to open a good book.
By Sean Aronson
At a time when most keiki have IPod’s glued to their palms and spend hours on the internet, reading may be more important than ever. That’s the message from Jed Gaines and the Read Aloud Program, or RAP.
Gaines is founder and president of Read Aloud America and visited Molokai last week to attend the kick-off event at Kaunakakai Elementary School. More than 200 people filled the cafeteria, all inspired to start reading more.
Kualapuu and Maunaloa Elementary participated in the program last year. It is the second time Kaunakakai has participated and at least half of the adults and children are repeat customers. Kilohana Elementary is participating for the first time.
While Gaines was in attendance at the kick-off event, the man running the show was Molokai High School staff member Matthew Helm. Helm was a participant in RAP last year as a parent and loved the affect it had on him and his family.
Helm, who is also the Women’s High School volleyball coach, said taking on the increased responsibility was no big deal.
Since this was the first of six meetings over three months, Helm spent the majority of his time discussing the mission of the program and gauging the enthusiasm of the crowd. This included asking trivia questions and throwing Frisbees to those answering correctly.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of RAP is the TTTT requirement or ‘TV Turn-off Through Thursday’. As implied, RAP participants are asked to leave the TV’s off until the weekends. The suggestion applies for children and adults.
Helm admitted this was hard for him and his family when he participated, but it was important in keeping the reading a focus for the six week period.
“It’s so easy to get into bed and watch a little Sportscenter before going to sleep,” Helm told the participants, “But I found I could do without.”
To encourage reading, participants are given a list of suggested books to read, appropriate for each age group. They are also persuaded to get a library card if they don’t already have one, and visit if frequently during the program.
Adults are encouraged to participate with the same vigor and enthusiasm as the adults. This sets RAP apart, according to Gaines.
“The secret of the program is the adults,” says Gaines.
While other reading programs focus on the mechanics of reading, RAP is really about the pleasure of reading. At its heart, the program is reading for reading’s sake, says Gaines. There are no book reports, no grades – just reading.
RAP is celebrating its ten-year anniversary and has reached more than 140,000 people in Hawaii.
This unique family literacy program draws parents and children together for six sessions every other week in the early evening to share good books. Its goals are to reach families and stimulate their interest in reading, decrease television viewing, increase family time spent in reading activities, and connect the values of good books to everyday life.
Families who participate in RAP build Family Reading Handbooks and receive free books, reading lists, and dinners.
The free dinner takes some of the pressure off of adults and allows them to participate.
“The more adults involved, the better the program,” says Gaines. Judging from the turnout at Kaunakakai, this should be a good year for RAP.
For more information, visit www.readaloudamerica.org or call (808) 531-1985.
Makahiki 2009
Lonoikamakahiki! Lonoikamakahiki! Lonoikamakahiki! These are the words that are shared amongst individuals who celebrate the Lono season where the rise of the Makali'i star marks the time to honor an Akua who brings life and peace to the 'aina.
For many, Makahiki never ends. Harvesting and cultivating food is a year round responsibility for many farmers and for many it’s a lifestyle not brought by any season.
What makes this time of the year significant is that it was kapu to make war which allowed people a time to appreciate and take care of what they had so that they could replenish what they were missing. It was also a time of celebration when the ruling chiefs showed their aloha to Lono by offering their best vegetation and gifts from their ahupua'a. In return they asked for the rains of Lono to nurture their gardens and to strengthen their relationship with the land.
Some of the kinolau, or body forms of Lono can be seen as kukui, kumu, `aweoweo, black pig, certain kalo and niu, laua`e, `a`ali`i, and other varieties of lau.
Now that the makahiki season has come to an end, Molokai celebrates with an opening and closing ceremony that is shared by many of the children and community members of Molokai as well as those from the outer islands including O'ahu, Kaua'i, and the Big Island.
Aside from the protocols held by Makahiki coordinators, many practitioners here still honor Lono through ceremony and pay respect for their ahupua`a. Each land section had a significant site or ahupua`a that bordered or marked their `aina. It is at this place that Lono visits and where those of the ahupua`a give their ho`okupu.
An akualoa or image of Lono is held up high and walked alongside the land; upon his passing, games are played amongst the people and it is a great time to sharpen skills, to compete and to find the strongest competitor within the ahupua`a. If war was about, there would be no time to play or hone one’s skills making this season very important to the ali`i.
As we enter the season of Ku where the production and the outcomes are reflections of the Lono season, I share with you my mana`o. If I have offended anyone that is not my intention. Mahalo for allowing me to share and until the next rise of the Makali`i, LONOIKAMAKAHIKI!
Prevention is Better than Cure
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Senator Kalani English talks story with families of Healthy Start, an early intervention program that’s lost its funds to budget cuts this year.
By Catherine Cluett
The common idiom isn’t the only evidence supporting the powers of prevention. Healthy Start is a program providing in-home services for pregnant women and families with newborns who are at-risk for child abuse or neglect. Over the past four years, there has been no abuse for over 99% of families remaining in Healthy Start for 12 months, according to a program publication.
But in these tough economic times, success may not be enough to keep Healthy Start on its feet. Statewide funds have been cut for this program as of January 10, 2009.
Last week, Senator Kalani English met with Molokai families, staff and supporters of the program to discuss its benefits to the community and options to recover program funding.
“I’d rather spend money on something like this than spending it to build prisons later,” said Sen. English, referring to the program, which targets preventative intervention. “Cuts like this may not be the most efficient way to save money.”
Two bills, one in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives, have been introduced in support of continuation of Healthy Start funding.
Family planning, developmental screening, prenatal care, and home visiting are a few of the services offered to the community by Healthy Start.
Kenneth Gonzalez of the Department of Health pointed to the fact that early intervention studies have shown it costs the state much less to invest in preventative programs. “This helps state money by preventing crisis later,” he says.
Many mothers present at the meeting related how the program gave them reassurance that they weren’t on their own. Families offered first hand accounts of the program’s positive impact in their lives. Molokai’s Healthy Start Program Coordinator Shirley Burrows added that the program not only supports kids but the whole family.
Calling Healthy Start “a success story,” Sen. English pledged his support of the program.
He encouraged community members to approach the Governor’s Community Council to drum up support and awareness for the cause.
For more information, call the Molokai Healthy Start office at 553-8114.
Work To Be Done
Farmers humble despite lopsided victory.
By Sean Aronson
"1-2-3 ‘hard work”
The team exclaims as they exit the huddle. They are up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter against the St. Anthony team last week, but there are no celebrations from players or coaches. Each face is stern and focused, readying for the second quarter.
And it opens with a bang. When Junior guard Kawaiola Kalipi hits a three from the corner, it’s 17-0. The Farmers continue to play stymieing defense and create turnovers on nearly every possession.
And the fast breaks follow. At least 10 times in the first half alone the Farmers successfully executed a fast break. The offense was quite spread out, too. At least six different scorers represented in the first half.
End of the first half – Farmers-38 and St. Anthony-9,
As the third quarter opens, the Farmers maintain their defensive intensity. A steal leads to a breakaway and a pass up the court leaves Alvin Ringor with and easy lay up.
As the clock ticks down, the Farmers don’t let up. Forward Scottie Rapanot completes a three-point play with panache.
End of the game – 59-13.
And the points were spread very evenly. Kawaiola Kalipi and Keoni Kahoalii were the high scorers, each with 10 pts. All seven healthy players scored and contributed.
Despite the positive results, players and coaches alike were hesitant to dole out too much praise.
“The defensive pressure is there,” says Head Coach Lee DeRouin, “but we have improvement in all areas.”
Over the weekend, the Farmers lost two close battles to M.I.L. rival Seabury Hall. Despite injuries to two starters, they fell by just three points on Saturday and four on Friday.
“We’ve still got a long ways to go,” says DeRouin.
The Farmers play their next home games on Jan. 30 and 31 against Hana. Game time is 7 pm. They will also host Lanai on Feb. 6 and 7 for the Homecoming games
Farmers Find Their Match
Lee-Namakaeha and his opponent from Lahainaluna High School duck and grab. One second they’re standing head to head, the next, grappling on the mat.
Then it’s over. The score board changes to 3-2 and the ref raises Lee-Namakaeha’s arm in victory. Sweating and panting, the wrestlers look as though they’re ready to drop.
“Eight minutes is a long time to wrestle,” says Randy Manley, one of Molokai’s three coaches. “It’s a very physically demanding sport.”
The biggest challenge of wrestling?
“Perseverance,” says Manley.
Manley also coaches a kids’ wrestling program on Molokai. He says 54 kids participate, and about half the high school team is fed from this program.
Below are Molokai’s results in last weekend’s tournament. Weight division is listed in parentheses.
Friday: Boys: (114) 3rd, Kailen Inouye; (130) 1st, Kevin Dudoit; (135) 2nd, Simon Blair; (140) 2nd, Gaig Yap; (160) 4th, Delfin Corpuz; (171) 1st, Colton Manley; (189) 3rd, Brennan Lee-Namakaeha; (215), 1st, Jason Akaka
Girls: (98) 2nd, Mikayla Pico; (120) 4th, Louisa Torres-Umi; (125) 4th, Kaulanarose Akaka; (130) 2nd, Charisse Manley; (175) 1st, Justina Luafalemana
Saturday: Boys Maui 15 vs. Molokai 6. (108) Gerald Dionio, Maui High, pinned Sereno Dudoit-Enos 0:34; (114) McDaven Gumboc, Maui High, dec. Kailen Inouye 6-0; (135) Charles Cruz, Maui High, dec. Kevin Dudoit 8-3; (140) Ty Estabillo, Maui High, dec. Simon Blair 5-4; (152) Darius Caparida, Molokai, pinned Jon Kitagawa 0:32; (285) Jason Akaka, Molokai, def. Josiah Kaiu 4-0.
Molokai Girls 9 vs. Kamehameha 6. (98) Mikayla Pico, Molokai, dec. Nikki Davis 5-0; (125) Louisa Torres-Umi, Molokai, dec. Aysia Peters 2-1; (130) Charisse Manley, Molokai, dec. Sarah Ishikawa 9-2; (140) Eva Kaaa, Kamehameha Maui, pinned Maikel Gosselin-Gunn 0:15.
Molokai, a Model of Inspiration
I vacationed at Kaluakoi three times in the recent past. For me, Molokai has been a remarkable discovery -- one of the last "real" places left on this planet, populated by charming, "real" people.
I'm sure you know that Kaluakoi has become a cause célebre, which has been written up three times in the NY Times alone in the past year. To many readers, it is the story of David & Goliath, or the little man versus the corporate giant.
I believe it is enormously courageous and inspiring what the Molokai people have done. I hope they hold fast, because a lot of people everywhere are looking to them as a model of what it means to choose honor and the preservation of your identity in the face of inducements and threats from the forces of corporate evil.
Donations with Dignity
Holidays come early for Maunaloa town.
By Sean Aronson
The Office of Social Ministry (OSM) for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hawaii oversaw the charitable effort. Iwie Tamashiro, chair of the Oahu chapter of OSM, has been leading the diocese’s Molokai outreach efforts. Tamashiro stressed that she did not want the gifts to be seen as a hand-out, but rather a helping hand.
“It’s very important that we send a message to the community that, ‘We’re here with you, we’re not here for you.” Tamashiro continued, “We need to treat each person that we’re offering a gift to with dignity and respect.”
Teaming Up
Locally, Tamashiro worked with Deacon Mike Shizuma, of Blessed Damien Church in Kaunakakai, and his wife Leoda to organize the event on-island. From there, coordinators reached out to the Maunaloa `Ohana I Lokahi Association Ministry (MOILA) under the supervision of Aunty Kehau Pule and Aunty Janice Pele.
Prior to the toy give away, every household in Maunaloa was given a punch card to shop at Maunaloa General Store. For every $5.00 purchase your card got punched. Those who shopped had incentive to buy more because each hole punched represented a chance to pick a different gift at the give away.
The concept of this event was to give parents the "dignity" of getting brand new gifts to give to their children. Coordinators say this was not a hand-out because the parents gave by shopping at the local general store.
The charitable effort is the culmination of many volunteers working together and a fair amount of money. Castro, of St. John Apostle Evangelist Church, put out the word to other religious organizations and received a tremendous outpouring of support, he says. Hui O Laulima received nearly $10,000 in donations, both from individuals and charity organizations.
Thanksgiving Generosity
The Christmas giveaway was the follow-up to another instance of charity displayed at Thanksgiving by the Catholic group.
In November, about half of the donated money was used for the Thanksgiving celebration. For that event, 150 baskets of food were distributed to Maunaloa residents. Baskets included boxes of stuffing and potatoes, cranberry sauce, brown sugar and marsh mellows. Attached to each bag was an envelope that held a gift certificate for a turkey. The turkeys were purchased through the Maunaloa General Store, to further stimulate the local economy.
“There was just so much,” says Aunty Janice Pele, a long time Maunaloa resident. In fact there was 1500lbs of food – a full barge – which Young Brothers shipped for free.
Helping Themselves
While residents of Maunaloa graciously accept the donations from Oahu, they are also taking steps to provide for their community from within. Through MOILA, Aunty Pele and Aunty Kehau are coordinating efforts to deliver food and other goods. The recently opened charity shop, Blessing House, is a venue for residents to exchange goods without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, says Pele.
It has also become an informal gathering place for residents.
For the Christmas celebration, those families that were unable to attend the giveaway festivities were able pick up the extra toys at Aunty Pele’s shop. More than a week later, Pele says families were still coming in to receive their toys.
The Catholic Archdiocese will continue to support Maunaloa town through food bank donations. There are also plans for similar holiday event next year.
It is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
The Maunaloa community would like to send a big mahalo and God’s blessings to all those that participated and helped in the effort.
And, Aunty Kehau says, “Next Maunaloa swap meet will be on January 3, 2009 – lots of ono grindz, and all kind of stuffs. Check it out 9am-1pm in front of the Maunaloa General Store.”
Molokai M.A.S.H.
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Students preview health and safety careers.
By Sean Aronson
Obstacle courses and relay races do not typically show up at career fairs, but this was not your typical career fair. More than one hundred students and 20 adults gathered to explore the many careers available in the field of health. Representing the field, firefighters, doctors, nurses and EMTs were on hand to give the keiki insight into their various careers.
It may have looked like fun and games, but there was a serious purpose to last week’s event – to expose middle school students to careers in health professions.
Nearly all the 150 Molokai Intermediate School students participated in the event, held at the Molokai National Guard’s Armory Building. There were also a dozen students from Hana Middle School on Mau participating.
Locally, the event was sponsored by the Molokai Chapter of the Maui County Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Rosie Davis is the executive director of the program and has been bringing innovative health oriented events to Molokai for three years. She calls her chapter, Huli Au Ola, or The Turning Point of Life. Previous events have included summer leadership programs and an introduction to the use of robotics in health professions.
Davis, who was responsible for bringing M.A.S.H. to Hawaii for the first time, said she was inspired to do so after Huli Au Ola surveyed students about their knowledge of health fields. Davis says the common answer was, ‘we could never be EMTs, or doctors, or firefighters.’
“This event was to show them, ‘yes you can do these things and here are some of the people to look up to,’” says Davis.
Students had a chance to dress in firefighters’ uniforms and try their hand at taking each other’s blood pressure. Practice included fire-hose carrying and tire-rolling relay races – tasks that real firefighters perform when they compete.
Eighth-grader Pierce Kaulia Dela Cruz seemed to sum up the feelings of the day. “This is so cool, I can’t wait until I can be a firefighter someday,” said Dela Cruz, after completing the firefighter relay races.
The event was part of a nation-wide program sponsored by MASH, or Medical Academy of Science and Health. The goal of M.A.S.H. Camp is to promote the health professions to young people before they begin selecting high school course work and setting goals for their future careers.
Inquiring Minds
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Science fair highlights hard work of students from middle and high schools
By Sean Aronson
Creativity was on display everywhere you looked. From the effectiveness of teeth brushing to the salinity of water in different areas of Molokai, students tested theories and proved hypotheses with the goal of charting new territory.
Last Thursday night’s event took place at the High School and also included student-made projects for sale.
For the last few years, the school has combined their annual holiday sale with the science fair in order increase attendance. Artwork, photographs, plants and t-shirts were for sale. All items were created by students and proceeds benefited the various groups represented.
The science fair projects are completely student driven and much of the work is done out of the classroom, says AP Biology teacher Lee DeRouin.
“It’s a great opportunity for the students to stretch their minds,” says DeRouin.
The projects represented a wide range of experiments from agricultural to cultural and everything in between. In January, about a dozen Molokai students will travel to Maui to compete against other high school students for a spot in the state science fair.
This year’s finalists to represent Molokai include projects about drying macadamia nuts using solar energy, memory retention and the effects of hearing impairment on senior citizens. The finalists were chosen by some twenty community members who judged the projects on scientific merit, creativity and originality.
“This is one of our best years,” declared Middle School Principal Gary Zukeran.
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