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Government

Give Input on Electric Utility Planning

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

HECO News Release

Meetings have been scheduled across the state to receive public comment on Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) by Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light Company. The utilities’ goal is to file an Integrated Resource Planning Report for each company with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) by June 28, 2013. The Molokai meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole Center (note the later time than what was earlier announced.)

According to the PUC, the goal of integrated resource planning is to “develop an action plan that governs how the utility will meet energy objectives and customer energy needs consistent with state energy policies and goals.”…

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Teachers Speak Out for a Fair Contract

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

Teachers Speak Out for a Fair Contract

Molokai teachers are joining public school educators around Hawaii to raise awareness for their efforts of negotiating a fair contract with the state. Since July 2011, teachers have been working under a contract imposed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, which included wage cuts and higher healthcare premiums. The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) union has been unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a contract with the state for the past year and a half, and teachers are frustrated with the lack of movement on a new labor agreement.

“We are trying to go through the proper protocols but the governor would prefer to mandate rather than negotiate,” said Tania Manaba-Will, the Kaunakakai Elementary School HSTA representative.…

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Aha Kiole Community Findings Revisited

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Community Contributed

(printed in two parts)

By the Aha Kiole o Molokai

American Safari Cruises (ASC) will begin visiting Molokai again beginning this month. In the March 14, 2012 issue of the Dispatch, the Aha Kiole presented its findings from a public survey and moku meetings on ASC and the cruise tour industry on Molokai. The results indicated that the community was interested both in protecting Molokai’s ocean resources and small town character, as well as allowing for some commerce for our island vendors. Residents indicated a desire for management to bring a satisfactory outcome for both vendors and local ocean users.…

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Election Results

Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Election Results

The results are in! Molokai voter’s summary: Barack Obama won the Presidential race, Mazie Hirono won the U.S. Senate, Tulsi Gabbard won U.S. Representative District 2, Mele Carroll won the State House race District 13 (Molokai, Lanai, Hana), Stacy Helm Crivello won the Maui County Council Molokai seat, Haunani Apoliona won the OHA At-Large seat, Colette Machado for OHA Molokai seat.

For complete results, click on this link from the Hawaii Elections Office:https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhawaii.gov%2Felections%2Fresults%2F2012%2Fgeneral%2Felections%2Fresults%2F2012%2Fgeneral%2Ffiles%2Fhistatewide.pdf…

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Tsunami Brings Evacuation, Debris

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Tsunami Brings Evacuation, Debris

Last Saturday night, coastal residents around the state evacuated in preparation for a possible tsunami. The warning was issued around 7:30 p.m., with the first swell projected to hit around 10:30 p.m. On Molokai, residents flooded the gas stations and headed for higher ground.

While tsunami evacuation may have seemed like a pointless drill for many on Molokai, residents did report damage in some areas. One family living in Honouliwai on Molokai’s east end found some unusual lawn ornaments Sunday morning.

“My parent’s… yard at Honouliwai Bay… was covered with sand and brush debris and some fish friends in the garden,” said Wailani Tanaka, via email.…

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Know Your Water, Know Your Responsibilities

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Know Your Water, Know Your Responsibilities

Water is an essential component to life –without it, we would cease to exist. Few know this better than the agricultural farmers of Molokai, who each use nearly 6,000 gallons of water per acre per day, according to Alton Arakaki, extension agent for the University of Hawaii –College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR). While water is so important, many residents and farmers don’t know where it comes from, who’s responsible for it and what policies govern its distribution. In order to educate and guide the community in the ways of water, a panel was held on Molokai last Friday to provide information that is important to understanding the use of agricultural water on Molokai and its distribution via the Molokai Irrigation System (MIS).…

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Recognizing a Job Well Done

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

Recognizing a Job Well Done

Every day of the year, county employees on Molokai work to make sure programs run smoothly, residents stay safe and community needs are met. In recognition and gratitude for their service, employees from the county’s five departments on the island were honored at a luncheon last week.

The 20th annual County of Maui Employee Recognition Luncheon held at the Mitchell Pauole Center recognized those with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of service, county retirees, those with perfect attendance and employee of the year nominees from each department.

“Usually the higher ranking individuals get credited, but [the employees] are the ones who make us look good,” said County Council Chair Danny Mateo.…

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Construction Begins on New Public Works Baseyard

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

Construction Begins on New Public Works Baseyard

A new county Department of Public Works baseyard will bring upgrades for both the department and Molokai’s emergency response capabilities. The current facility is located on state property next to Rawlin’s Chevron in Kaunakakai– which is also a flood zone, according to David Goode, Maui County director of Public Works. That means in the event of an emergency such as a tsunami, employees may not be able to access equipment.

“We needed to move out of the flood zone — we’re typically the first responders,” said Goode.

The new baseyard building, which costs nearly $4 million, will stand in the Industrial Park near The Nature Conservancy office.…

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Investing in Community

Sunday, October 21st, 2012

Mayoral Budget Office visits Molokai to gather testimony

When Mayor Alan Arakawa and his team of county officials visited Molokai last week, they did what many Molokai residents do every day–they waited for a ride from the Maui Economic Opportunities (MEO) bus.

That’s an example of ways in which the county is limiting their own spending to make more funds available for community needs, explained Arakawa as he discussed the county’s upcoming budget with Molokai residents last week.

The budget for the current fiscal year was $549.9 million, and Arakawa expects around the same numbers for 2013 to 2014. In a time of budget cuts across the board, Arakawa said his office has managed to maintain a consistent budget due in large part to limiting excessive spending within his departmental administration.…

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Molokai Internet Survey – How’s Your Speed?

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

Molokai Internet Survey – How’s Your Speed?

The State of Molokai’s Broadband Internet

High speed Internet can allow residents of rural areas like Molokai to participate in economic and civic life far beyond the geographic boundaries of our shoreline. Broadband technology can eliminate logistical constraints of regionally-based business, foster greater social interaction, and allow quick transmission of news and information. However, these economic and social advantages depend on the reliability and speed provided by Molokai’s limited Internet service providers.

In the spirit of community-building, The Molokai Dispatch is polling local customers of a variety of broadband providers to find out the quality and user satisfaction of Molokai’s Internet service.…

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