Political

Molokai Voters’ Election Guide

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

What to know before heading to the polls.

Primary Election day is quickly approaching. Your vote is your voice and one of the most powerful forces to shape the future by electing a representative government who will make decisions which affect you, your family and your community. On Saturday, Aug. 9, cast your vote for the candidate you think best represents your vision for the future.

The options can be confusing, though, and seeing the ballot for the first time at the polls can be overwhelming if you’re not prepared. So to help you get ready for this year’s primary election, the Dispatch has compiled a list of the candidates that will appear on Molokai ballots.…

Veterans Corner

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

Community Contributed

By Jesse Church

Aloha my fellow veterans and residents of Molokai, old Jesse here with all the veterans news and upcoming events.

The MV-22 Osprey shares its name with a bird of prey. So why is Osprey such an appropriate name? One of North America’s largest birds of prey, the osprey is a magnificent fish eating hawk, according to the National Audubon Society. Like the Marine Corps tiltrotor aircraft, the osprey is often at sea. And like Marines, its presence has grown all over the world, near coastlines and other bodies of water. The term osprey derives from the Latin word ossifragus, meaning bone breaker.…

On the Campaign Trail

Thursday, July 17th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Barbara Haliniak

As a registered candidate for the State House in the 2014 Primary Elections, I received an invitation from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser to participate in the Voter’s Guide that will be published in print and on-line.

If the Star-Advertiser uses the same criterion as in the 2012 elections, we were asked several questions, but only two were published.  So to give you voters an opportunity to review the Star-Advertiser’s key issue questions that may not appear in the publication, I will provide you the five questions that were asked and my responses which were limited to 50 words each.…

Molokai Joins Opposition to Federal Proposal

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

Across Hawaii, tensions are rising as the federal Department of Interior (DOI) proposes establishing a Native Hawaiian government. Last Saturday, Molokai residents joined in the widespread opposition. The slick floor of Kaunakakai Elementary School cafeteria was strewn with symbolic red ribbons, also pinned to the shirts and blouses of dozens of community members to show their disapproval.

Attendees expressed anger and mistrust with the U.S. government on whether and how the process of reestablishing a government-to-government relationship between the U.S. and the Native Hawaiian community should proceed.

Former U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka pushed for federal recognition in Congress for more than a decade, and many Native Hawaiians have urged for such status to protect locally established rights.…

Vote ‘We the People’

Friday, June 27th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Barbara Haliniak

Early in my career at the phone company, I learned that any time one came across a problem, it was standard to identify the problem and offer solutions to the problem.  Based upon this, on May 21 I filed nomination papers for State House District 13 seat, currently occupied by Mele Carroll.

After I filed nomination papers, a bunch of questionnaires from various organizations were sent to me soliciting responses for possible endorsements.  Although, I responded to two organization questionnaires, I did not get their endorsements.  It was OK, I needed to be true to who I am and not some organization’s voice. …