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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Nearly 1000 Families Fed in Produce Distribution

Wednesday, September 16th, 2020

Nearly 1000 Families Fed in Produce Distribution

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

The largest food distribution effort of its kind brought 960 boxes of produce to Molokai families last week through a multi-agency effort coordinated by nonprofit Sust’aina ble Molokai. The organization has been coordinating regular food giveaways to communities around the island during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last Friday afternoon’s distribution at Lanikeha Community Center was federally funded by the USDA Farmers to Families (F2F) food box program, with the help of more than a dozen local agencies and many Molokai volunteers. Administered on Molokai through Sust’aina ble Molokai’s Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai (“uniting together for the love of Molokai”) — an initiative that focuses on COVID relief through food banking and giveaways — the F2F program has funded the food and shipping of Molokai food giveaways twice a month during the pandemic.…

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New Online Travel Application Mandatory

Wednesday, September 9th, 2020

State of Hawaii News Release

A new online Safe Travels application will be mandatory for all travelers on Sept. 1, the State of Hawaii announced. This new digital application, which collects the required health and travel information, is critical to protecting the health of our residents and visitors alike. Safe Travels is one part of a multi-layered screening process which includes arrival temperature checks, and secondary screening for those with symptoms or temperatures of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. The application can be found at travel.hawaii.gov.

If you’re looking to visit Dubai for a vacation, you should hire a Dubai visa service from the best Dubai travel agency.…

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Moratorium on Electric Disconnections Extended

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Hawaiian Electric service disconnections for nonpayment have been suspended through Dec. 31 for Molokai residents and customers statewide. The company urges customers challenged by the financial impact of COVID-19 to seek utility bill assistance from government and nonprofits, and to set up a payment arrangement plan.

The Public Utilities Commission yesterday ordered utilities to extend through Dec. 31 the moratorium on service disconnections for nonpayment. The company voluntarily suspended its collection efforts in March to ensure customers’ electric service would not be disrupted while many were staying home. The PUC subsequently ordered all utilities to suspend disconnections and Hawaiian Electric has since been following with the commission’s orders and timing for the disconnection moratorium.…

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Planning the Autumn Vegetable Garden

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

By Glenn I. Teves, UH CTAHR County Extension Agent

We grow a garden on Molokai for many reasons. For some, it’s about having ready access to the freshest, healthiest fruits and vegetables in these challenging times, while for others it’s about teaching our children how to grow food and enhance their appreciation for the bounties of our island.
As we leave the dog days of summer to a cooler transition, a new planting season opens to us. We’re blessed with cooler days and nights in autumn when many vegetables thrive. The Autumn Equinox occurs on Sept. 21 with the days are the same length as the night as the days become shorter all the way to the Winter Solstice, Dec.…

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Treasures in the Hold

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

Treasures in the Hold

By Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa

It appeared on the horizon at about 7:30 a.m. Then at 8 a.m, it had arrived in the inner harbor, and by 9 a.m. had settled in next to the pier at Damien’s Landing. Looking at it from my front porch brought to mind these lines from a Girl Scout camp fire song, “Barges, I would like to go with you, I would like to sail the ocean blue. Barges, have you treasures in your hold? Do you fight with pirates brave and bold?”

No, I was not in the Girl Scouts and for that matter, I was not in the Boy Scouts.…

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Help Form a Community-Owned Energy Coop

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

Shake Energy Release

On Saturday, Sept. 5, from 9 to 10 a.m., we will host another virtual public meeting to further our progress on formation of a cooperative to design and own renewable energy projects on Molokai. This follows in a series of community workshops hosted on Molokai about Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE). At these workshops, community residents expressed the desire for CBRE projects to be owned and managed locally by a cooperative entity. These meetings will be held regularly every two weeks to continue the effort to formalize this energy cooperative.

At this meeting, we will define and assign steering committee roles, draft a milestones timeline for incorporating the cooperative, draft a sources and uses budget, review site selection information and draft a rubric for vetting partners.…

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Improving Kupuna Health Through ʻAi Pono

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

By Dr. Landon Opunui, ND and Miki Wong, RD, Na Pu’uwai

There are multiple social and health disparities Native Hawaiian kupuna face such as high rates of life-threatening diseases, financial hardship, disability, shorter life expectancies and underutilization of services. As a result, it should be no surprise that data suggests the health care needs of Native Hawaiian kupuna far exceed that of their non-Hawaiian counterparts. This leads to health equity problems. Learn how you can improve health equity at https://about.me/whitneyperkinswitt.

Hawaiian culture emphasizes care for kupuna. However, many adult caregivers are less available to care for their aging loved ones because of competing work and ʻohana responsibilities.…

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Young Brothers Granted 46% Rate Hike

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

In the latest in a saga of Young Brothers barge troubles, the company was granted a 46 percent rate increase, with conditions. The increase, approved last week by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC), will be effective Sept. 1. YB must fulfill several mandates as part of the rate hike, which has been granted on a emergency basis for 12 months.

“We understand that Young Brothers is the only carrier required to serve all islands and discontinuation of service would discontinue all service to Molokai and Lanai,” said Molokai Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez in an informal virtual community meeting she held to dis-cuss the rate increase last Thursday.…

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Mo’omomi CBSFA Gets Support in Public Hearing

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

Mo’omomi CBSFA Gets Support in Public Hearing

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Decades of resource management, data collection, traditional knowledge, legislation and public hearings culminated last week in one of the final steps of the process to designate Mo’omomi as a state-recognized Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA).

A virtual public hearing, held by the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources and lasting more than four hours last Wednesday, yielded a major of testimony in favor of the CBSFA, though written testimony that was submitted — during a period which closed Aug. 26 — was not available to the public online.

The proposed CBSFA, which would allow community co-management of resources, runs along Molokai’s northwest coastline from Ilio Point to Nihoa Flats, extending one mile out from the shoreline.…

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Kalaupapa’s Annual Barge

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

Kalaupapa’s Annual Barge

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Barge Day in the remote Kalaupapa settlement has always been filled with excitement — it only comes once a year, after all! Often referred to as “Christmas in July” for residents, there is just a narrow window of calm, summer weather that allows the barge to safety dock at the settlement’s small harbor to unload a year’s worth of essential and large items. This year’s shipment was a little delayed — and complicated by strict COVID-19 protocols to keep at-risk residents safe.

“Once a year a barge brings in all of our bulky items, like appliances, vehicles, fuel, materials to repair buildings, and items considered hazardous to fly in on an airplane, like certain batteries,” the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Facebook page reported.…

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