Ekolu Kalamas Wins Molokai Channel Race – UPDATED
This after winning the standup paddling world cup in Germany just two weeks prior (see photo). Congrats from the Dispatch gang!
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Sports
This after winning the standup paddling world cup in Germany just two weeks prior (see photo). Congrats from the Dispatch gang!
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Add your commentOur Hawaiian Hokule`a
Voyaging canoe sails to Molokai.
By Melissa Kelsey
“The trip was faster than expected,” said Cliff Kapono, a member of Kapu Na Keiki, a community of intrepid young people training to sail Hokule`a.
The double-hulled voyaging canoe had left Oahu’s windward side in the early hours of the morning, bringing its crew to the Sustainable Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island conference.
But for the akamai who sail Hokule`a, the vessel means more than just transportation.
“The point is to bring awareness that our environment is in trouble and we need to do something,” said Angela Fa`anunu, a crewmember who grew up in Tonga.
Fa`anunu said one purpose of sailing Hokule`a is to give young people a sense of place in the ocean so that they will care for it and its inhabitants, including coral reefs. The crew is planning a voyage around the world in 2012.
“There is so much knowledge out in the ocean that just needs to be understood,” said voyage captain Russel Animoto.
Animoto also captained Hokule`a’s most recent voyage, a return trip from Palmyra, an atoll about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. He compared sailing Hokule`a to living on an island. On each voyage the crew has to live sustainably by taking care of each other, the canoe and their limited resources and water.
“This group is bigger than any one individual,” said Kapono.
As an active replica of an ancient Polynesian vessel, Kapono said Hokule`a is a symbol of Hawaiian culture, resurrecting navigating and sailing arts that are thousands of years old.
“The Pacific Ocean was first explored 3,000 years ago, and it was completed 2,000 years ago,” said navigator Nainoa Thompson, who sailed the Hokule`a from Hawaii to Tahiti in 1980. “If we stop voyaging, we have no bridge between our culture, ancestors and neighbors.”
To prepare for future voyages, Kapu Na Keiki sailors undergo years of training. Crewmember Kailin Kim said safety was a highlight of learning how to sail Hokule`a. In addition, trainees learn how to work the sails, how to steer and how to navigate. She said this particular voyage to Molokai was special because Kapu Na Keiki sailors had planned most of the details themselves, including food and navigation.
“We have to make sure we know how to handle everything,” she said.
The crew left Kaunakakai on Sunday morning, sailing Hokule`a back to Oahu.
Ala Palaau Trail Project Meeting
There will be a community meeting on Saturday, August 1 to update everyone and request input on the planning process for the Ala Palaau trail project. The meeting will be at the Palaau Park Pavilion at 10 am and will be followed by a potluck lunch. Seating is limited in the pavilion, so the meeting organizers are requesting that people bring chairs or blankets to sit on.
‘Ohana Offering
We proudly announce that our Molokai Little League Junior Division baseball team members are the undefeated 13 and 14 year old District III Champions. Our team has worked hard to earn this opportunity to qualify for the Hawaii State 2009 Junior Division Tournament, scheduled for July 24-28. The tournament will take place at Hans L’Orange Field in Waipahu, Oahu.At this time we are asking for assistance from our friends, family and businesses within our community to help defer the cost of our air and ground transportation and possibly housing, meals and other incidentals.
If you have any questions or are in a position to be of assistance, please contact Hala Pa-Kala, the Junior Division Vice President at 658-0260 (cell) or 553-5391 (home).
We do realize that these are difficult economic times for all, and we truly appreciate any and all assistance we receive.
Keiki Crops
New garden for Kilohana Elementary
By Melissa Kelsey
On top of reading, writing and arithmetic, growing fresh produce will be part of the school day at Kilohana Elementary School. For the patch of land behind the school, members of the group Ka`ano imagine a community garden.
“This is one of the things that we have been wanting to do for a long time,” said Charlene Martin, a volunteer at Ka`ano, the organization known as the Molokai Seed Bank.
In addition to growing food, keiki will also learn how to preserve seeds, according to Ka`ano volunteer Jade Bruhjell. One of Ka`ano’s goals is to establish a seed bank of heirloom seeds on Molokai that Bruhjell said could decrease the island’s dependence on outside food sources.
“You start with the children,” said Martin. “We are going to teach them how to save their seeds, so they will have quality seeds of their own.”
Martin said Ka`ano members and Kilohana Elementary School teacher Mapuana Hanapi were both interested in a garden project for the school, so they worked together to brainstorm ideas. The school may use the garden’s produce to supplement its cafeteria food options and generate trade opportunities for the school, according to Martin.
“Hopefully, this will be a foundation of understanding for this generation of youth that will bring a resonance between the natural land and people,” said Bruhjell.
Martin said in the future, Ka`ano hopes to tackle similar projects at other Molokai schools.
Cultivating the Past
The idea of growing food at Kilohana Elementary School is not new. Garden project volunteer Russel Phifer attended the school in the 1960s. At the time he was a student, he said there was an educational farm at the school. Keiki worked on farm projects, recycling as much as possible for future use.
“It is good to know the past, and how things were before,” said Phifer.
Molokai schools also have a history of producing other food products, according to Phifer, who said Molokai High School used to run a dairy farm and produce milk.
“Back then, everything was produced here,” said Phifer, remembering how the island used to be less dependent on the barge. “Now, everything is packaged and shipped in,” he said.
Ekolu Kalama Wins Major Stand-Up Paddle Race in Germany
Ekolu Kalama wins the both the sprint and distance division races at the Stand-Up Paddle Racing World Cup in Germany amidst 27,000 spectators last weekend. (skip to 1:35 in the video below)
By Todd Yamashita
Molokai boy, Ekolu Kalama made some major waves in the otherwise placid waters of Hamburg, Germany last weekend. Kalama won both the 200 meter sprint and the 10,000 meter (roughly four miles) distance race in the first ever Standup Paddling World Cup.
With over 27,000 fans and 143 competitors, Kalama represented Molokai and Hawaii well in one of the fastest growing sports world wide. “It was really good and rewarding – but also tiring. There was stiff competition,” said Kalama in a televised interview.
Krazy for Kolea Kontest
Prizes offered for sightings of annual migratory birds
Nene O Molokai Press Release
The fall migration of the Kolea has begun. Also called the Pacific Golden Plover and scientifically known as Pluvialis fulva, the birds are returning from their breeding grounds in the Alaskan tundra. Kolea are territorial and live for twenty years or more, annually returning to Hawaii. Many Molokai residents have named their distinguished winter guests, noting their arrival and departure dates on calendars.
The Kolea is a swift flyer. In around 40 hours at speeds averaging from 56 to 60 miles per hour, the Kolea performs an incredible nonstop migration across the Pacific Ocean. The Kolea spends most of its daylight hours foraging, and can be recognized from a distance by its peculiar ‘run-stop-run’ feeding behavior.
The Kolea is a prominent figure in Hawaiian folklore. It was considered to be the embodiment of Koleamoku, the god of healing, and a messenger of high chiefs. The northern migration of Kolea may have aided ancient navigators with the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands.
If you report the return of your Kolea, you could win a prize. The observer of the first confirmed Kolea sighting will win a Kolea research t-shirt from the Hawaiian Audubon Society. The first ten confirmed observations will receive a gift certificate for a scoop of ice cream at Kamoi Snack-N-Go in Kaunakakai. Any individual reporting a banded Kolea will receive $20 cash, after the sighting and location have been confirmed.
The Kolea is easily recognized by its bold black and white breeding feathers. However, this ‘alternate’ plumage is lost by winter when the bird molts back to ‘basic’ plumage.
Kolea banded on Molokai have a green or yellow band over a silver metal band. Also, be on the lookout for birds banded with a combination of three colored and one metal band. Bird bands are read as if reading a book, from left leg top to bottom, then right leg top to bottom.
To report your Kolea sightings, call Arleone at Nene O Molokai at 553-5992, or send an email to researchbirds@yahoo.com. Include the date, time and location of each sighting with your report. Molokai sightings are collected at Nene O Molokai and emailed to Peter Pyle, an ornithologist who compiles the information for the Bishop Museum.
District Champs
Molokai Little League team to compete in state tournament
By Melissa Kelsey
Back Row (L-R): Likeke Schonely, David Rapanot, Bradley Nishihira-Aki, Namakana
Pa-Kala, Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales, C. Namakaeha Kamelamela.
Coaches, also back row (L-R): Scottie Rapanot Sr., Dwayne Kala, Manager Walter Rawlins Jr.
The Molokai Little League Junior Division baseball team stands undefeated. The team will travel to Oahu July 24-28 to play in the Hawaii State 2009 Junior Division Tournament.
“We played against some tough teams,” said Coach Walter Rawlins Jr., describing challenges the team faced throughout the season. “They did not give up.”
The 13 and 14 year old team earned the District III Champion title at the July 4 game when they defeated Maui Central 8-7. Rawlins said it was the first time a Molokai Little League team had earned the title in the three years he has been coaching.
“All of the kids, they found their heart and stayed together,” said Coach Scottie Rapanot Sr., explaining the team’s success. “That is something you cannot teach. They have to find it within their own.”
The team is raising funds to help cover the cost of airfare and other travel expenses they will accumulate on their Oahu journey. At Hotel Molokai last Friday, they gave homemade gifts to community members who made financial donations.
Welcoming Hokule`a – UPDATED
Sustainable Molokai Press Release
The Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokule`a will arrive to Kaunakakai Harbor on Wednesday morning, July 15. The exact time will depend on water and weather conditions. The crew is visiting Molokai to attend the Sustainable Molokai: Future of a Hawaiian Island Conference and participate in various other activities. Hawaiian immersion students will be doing oli to welcome the crew, and the public is invited to attend. With the help of the community, food is being prepared for the occasion.
Regatta Do It!
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With brawn and energy, members of the Wa`akapaemua boys crew show a powerful start to their half mile race during the Molokai’s third regatta of the season last Saturday. The races ranged from quarter mile sprint to the mile-long test of endurance and precision as crews competed to make tightest turns around course marker flags. The event was hosted by the Wa`akapaemua club, with Molokai Canoe Club and Kukui ‘O Molokai also participating. The next Molokai race is July 18, followed by the state regatta in Hilo on August 1. Many crews qualified for the state races during Saturday’s regatta.
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