COVID-19

Census Followup

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

My name is Napua Burke and I served as minister to the Hawaiian Congregational churches (Topside Molokai UCC Churches) from 2013 to 2016. At the end of 2016, I returned to Hilo to care for my mother and I continue to be grateful for the kind words and messages I received at the time of her passing.

My husband and I have continued to maintain a home in Molokai because we love this island and its people. We have not visited Molokai since the beginning of the pandemic for obvious reasons. Recently though, I began working for the Census and I have volunteered to come over to Molokai in December to conduct what are called Post Enumeration Surveys, which is basically a method of verifying that accuracy of the information received during the census.…

Support the Arts

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

MAC News Release

Molokai Arts Center (MAC) started 2020 celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Plans to expand classes and activities, helping to intensify MAC’s commitment to the Molokai community, was waylaid by COVID-19 and frequently changing safety protocols.

The mission of the only non-profit arts education organization on Molokai is to provide art classes, youth and kupuna programs, as well as studio and gallery space for adults, children, residents and visitors to this rural island. We believe that everyone in the Molokai community, from the professional artist to the novice, deserves the opportunity to develop their creative gifts.

Today, this means servicing less people in light of social distancing requirements and canceling all activities which normally gathered more than ten people.…

Virtual Floating Lantern Ceremony

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Since 2013, Hospice Molokai (now known as Navian Hawaii), along with the Molokai Guzeiji Soto Mission, has hosted the Annual Floating Lantern Ceremony. The event provides our Molokai Community the opportunity to come together in a safe and familiar space reminding us that we are not alone and to honor our loved ones that have died.

Due to COVID-19 we were unable to hold the seventh annual live event on Nov. 14, so a Virtual Video Event was created for you — “Holding Space to Honor Our Loved Ones.” It can be viewed at any time on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=57asQuS4yQk “Molokai Floating Lantern.”…

The Angels Are Coming

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

Opinion by Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa

First came the virus and we found ourselves wearing masks, keeping the social distance from our fellow citizens, shutting down our businesses and places of worship and going into quarantine. Then came the devastating fires on the west coast, with subsequent widespread destruction and loss of life. Next came storm after storm decimating parts of the nation and taking lives in their paths. It seemed like the end of the world might be imminent. Finally came the fever of election campaigns where the truth often went out the window, to be replaced by blatant lies.…

Kalawao Last County With No COVID

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

As the rest of the county sees unprecedented rises in cases, Hawaii has the lowest case counts of any state in the U.S. over the last seven days as of Sunday, according to the Center for Disease Control. Kalaupapa — which is its own county of Kalawao — is reportedly the last county in the U.S. with no confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Kalaupapa community — managed by the Dept. of Health and National Park Service — has taken rigorous steps to insure the health and safety of the remaining patient residents living there.

Statewide as of last Friday, Hawaii had an average of 85 cases per day, according to the Dept.…

$2.5M in Assistance for Farmers and Ranchers

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

County of Maui News Release

Mayor Michael Victorino is urging Maui County farmers and ranchers to apply for reimbursements of expenses for losses related to COVID-19 and for food sustainability.

“This program has $2.5 million in CARES Act funding to provide Maui County farmers and ranchers with an urgent lifeline to help them with reimbursement of their expenses,” Mayor Victorino said. “I would like to thank the Maui Chamber of Commerce for partnering with the County of Maui to help sustain our agricultural community through these difficult times.”

Farmers and ranchers can apply reimbursement on allowable expenses of up to $25,000 for those who meet program qualifications.…

Pandemic Doesn’t Stop Coastline Cleanup Efforts

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

Pandemic Doesn’t Stop Coastline Cleanup Efforts

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Despite the large annual Mo’omomi marine debris cleanup being cancelled this year due to the pandemic, a recent effort spearheaded by Hawaii nonprofit Sustainable Coastlines removed more than 25,000 pounds of trash from Molokai’s north shore. Using helicopters to airlift enormous sacks of rubbish from remote areas that had previously been collected, along with limited volunteer efforts to gather more debris, millions of pieces of plastic that had washed ashore will now be removed from the island and recycled or properly disposed of.

The effort represented a collaboration with Sustainable Coastlines, global clean ocean movement Parley, Windward Aviation, along with Molokai conservation organizations, Uncle Mac Poepoe, and a few local families.…

Residents: Travel Rules Appear to Favor Visitors

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

As Hawaii’s COVID-19 numbers continue to level off averaging around 100 new cases per day and no new recent cases for Molokai, daily cases across the mainland have reached all-time highs. The U.S. surpassed 11 million cases on Sunday, and one million just in the last week alone, according to the latest data.

Meanwhile, Hawaii residents continue to live under strict travel regulations, as visitors from mainland are welcomed by the state. As officials seek to balance safety with economic recovery, some locals say they feel visitors are being prioritized over residents. And as many in the Molokai community continue to hunker down and avoid travel, partly due to the many hoops of paperwork, testing, quarantine rules and regulatory hassle, some are getting fed up.…

Mail-In Voting for Veterans Board

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

MVCV News Release

Due to the COVID restrictions for Maui County, we are not allowed to physically hold gatherings to no more than 10 people for both indoor and outdoor activities. Because of this the Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans (MVCV) is not able to hold our general membership meeting for veterans. We were hoping that these restrictions would be lifted by now, but since we are forced to deal with these unusual circumstances, we have decided to hold a mail-in election for new board members.

We are looking for veterans from any branch of service who want to volunteer as board members for Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans.…

Every Kolea Counts

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

Hawaii Audubon Society News Release

The Hawaii Audubon Society is conducting the first-ever statewide count of Kolea, or Pacific Golden-Plovers, inviting community members to help count. The last Oahu-only count was in 1968, estimating 15,173 Kolea. In 1992, researchers counted 1,902 Kolea on Oahu’s 28 (38 today) golf courses. Because no counts have been conducted since then, and never any statewide counts, no one knows if the Hawaii population is increasing, decreasing or stable.

Besides estimating Hawaii’s Kolea population, the Hawaii Audubon Society’s project aims to increase resident and visitor awareness and appreciation of these birds that nest in Alaska, and spend winters in Hawaii.…