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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Travel Rules Cause Frustration, Masks Remain Mandatory

Wednesday, November 11th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Confusion over current travel rules continues, as residents try to navigate the ever-changing regulations of COVID-19 and a slew of forms, exemptions, protocols and quarantine regulations.

Returning part-time Molokai resident was reduced to tears after a frustrating travel experience arriving at the Molokai airport recently. Kim Potter of Kauai, who said she travels frequently for work as a first responder with FEMA, had a “nightmare experience” after a glitch in the Maui County system that travel verification workers use to check people’s addresses as they arrive at the airport left her scrambling to make calls to those her could vouch for her condo ownership and address.…

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Renewable Energy Cooperative Workshop

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

Shake Energy Collaborative News Release

On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., we will host a virtual public meeting to further our progress on designing renewable energy on Molokai to be locally owned and operated by a newly forming Cooperative.

At this meeting, we will host second round interviews for energy development companies that are interested in partnering with the cooperative and co-developer, Shake Energy Collaborative. We interviewed six companies at our last meeting on Saturday, Oct. 24. After review, we invited the best fit companies back for a more in-depth conversation on Nov. 7.

If you would like to attend this virtual public meeting, please reach out to Ali Andrews, CEO of Shake Energy Collaborative, at ali@shake-energy.com.…

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‘Ohana to Continue Service, Mokulele in Financial Hardship

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

After announcing they would temporarily stop service on Nov. 1, ‘Ohana by Hawaiian will now continue flying “through at least January 2021,” the airline said in a statement last week.

A “dormant” Essential Air Service (EAS) provision covers flights to Molokai and Lanai, requiring a 90-day notice for disruption of service, according to the Dept. of Transportation. Ross Higashi, deputy director of the airports division, said in a state Senate Transportation Committee virtual meeting last week that the EAS designation wasn’t being evoked for years because multiple airlines were providing commercial air service to Molokai and Lanai.…

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Sust’aina ble Molokai Launches Egg Production

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

Sust’aina ble Molokai Launches Egg Production

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Molokai doesn’t have to decide whether the chicken or the egg came first, because another “first” has poised the island to potentially produce all its own eggs. Nonprofit Sust’aina ble Molokai is the first organization in Maui County — and likely the state — to have a Dept. of Health certified cooperative distribution model for on-island egg production.

Molokai currently imports more than 100,000 eggs per month, according to Sust’aina ble Molokai (SM) Executive Director Harmonee Williams Pastrana. Hand in hand with their efforts to foster consumption of locally grown produce, the organization is seeking to reduce the community’s dependency on off-island sources for eggs through a unique program that makes it easy for small farmers to produce and sell eggs.…

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Krazy for Kolea Kontest Winners

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020

Nene O Molokai News Release

In the 23rd annual Krazy for Kolea Kontest, the Haase family takes first, second and third place for spotting this year’s kolea returnees with Butch number one, Evelyn number two, and Joyce number three. All three birds each observed hours apart at different locations in Kaunakakai on
Aug. 7. Butch will receive a Kolea research T-shirt and all three Haase members a free scoop of ice cream.

The kolea or Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a swift flying shorebird and has been recorded migrating at 118 mph, although an average of 56 to 60 miles mph is more typical.…

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Molokai’s 1st Little Free Library Open

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020

Molokai’s 1st Little Free Library Open

Kawela Plantation Homeowners Assn News Release

Just past mile marker 4.5, at the entrance to Kawela Plantation II, you will find Molokai’s first Little Free Library. A global phenomenon, the small, front-yard book exchanges number more than 100,000 around the world in over 100 countries. Now, with the support of the Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association, Molokai’s new Little Free Library will join the movement to share books, bring people together and create communities of readers.

“Our Little Free Library doesn’t just belong to us, it belongs to Molokai,” say Kawela Plantation residents, who introduced the idea of installing the library. “It’s our hope that this Little Free Library will bring a little more joy, a little more connection and a whole lot more books to our community.”…

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Festival of Hope Provides for Families

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020

Festival of Hope Provides for Families

CFS News Release

Child and Family Service (CFS) hosted the Festival of Hope for Families, a walk-up event offering local individuals and families support resources, services, and food gift certificates from Oct. 12-16. Part of a series of statewide events, Molokai’s Festival of Hope for Families helped provide needed supplies, resources, and family-friendly activities to those in need during the pandemic crisis.

This family-focused festival followed social distancing guidelines and required that all attendees follow safety guidelines when walking up to the Child and Family Service Molokai Office where groceries, food gift certificates, Community Resource Kits, PPE items and advice, and education resources were distributed.…

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Wet Winter Likely to Bring Drought Relief

Wednesday, October 28th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

As the western half of Molokai continues to experience extreme drought conditions, weather forecasters are predicting above average rainfall to bring some relief this wet season.

Kevin Kodama of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Honolulu office said though many parts of the state began the summer drought-free due to extra wet conditions early this year, parts of Maui County, including Molokai, were an exception to that. Maui County had a drier-than-normal wet season last winter, worsening the current drought conditions.

“[Maui County] got a head start as far as drought,” Kodama said. “By the end of September, they ended up with the worst drought conditions across the state.…

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Workshop for Renewable Energy Cooperative

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

Shake Energy News Release

On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 to 11 a.m., Shake Energy will host another virtual public meeting to further our progress on designing renewable energy projects on Molokai to be locally owned and operated. This follows in a series of community workshops hosted on Molokai about Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE). These meetings are held regularly every two weeks to continue the effort to formalize this energy cooperative and design the projects it will own and operate.

At the meeting this weekend, we will be hosting interviews from energy development companies that are interested in partnering with us to submit our bids to Hawaiian Electricʻs Request for Proposals (RFP) for Phase II CBRE projects on Molokai.…

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What Happened to the MHS Farm?

Wednesday, October 21st, 2020

Many Molokai High graduates who loved FFA, The Molokai Farm, and the Ag curriculum at MHS have been and are still surprised, if not exasperated, that the High School administration, the Hawaii Department of Education, and the citizens of Molokai would let the program just die, go away and literally be plowed and grassed over, seemingly with no remorse or need.

Those of us who are grads, who were in this great program in the 50s and 60s, and who have since moved or passed away do not know what really brought about the end of Molokai High Ag Program. So we do not really know who, how or what budgets got cut, but the abandonment of the Ag Program was short sighted and a great loss for the Island.…

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