Kalaupapa

Blessings from the Barge

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

The normally calm demeanor of the Kalaupapa settlement was replaced with hustle and bustle on Saturday morning as residents chatted excitedly about what many have dubbed “Christmas in July.” It marked the once-a-year barge that hauls in essential supplies like building materials, fuel, vehicles and other goods from Oahu to the isolated settlement.

Hawaiian interisland shipping company Young Brothers Ltd. currently has a five-year contract to bring in the barge, which costs $200,000 every year, according to Kalaupapa DOH Administrator Mark Miller. This is the only vessel in the state that’s small enough to fit in the remote harbor, and timing is critical.…

Connecting Kalaupapa

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Settlement to receive broadband Internet service in July

Next month, Kalaupapa residents can expect to receive broadband Internet service for the first time in the settlement’s history. Workers and patient residents of the famously remote peninsula have often felt isolated, with little or no Internet, sometimes unreliable telephones, and limited physical access.

“This is a major step forward in communications for Kalaupapa,” said Department of Health Kalaupapa Administrator Mark Miller, who added settlement officials have been trying to get high speed Internet to Kalaupapa for the past four years. Miller said the installation will also mark the first time his office will be able to be connected to the state DOH system, rather than operating largely through the postal service.…