Robert Mack Granger

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

Robert Mack Granger

Robert Mack Granger passed away quietly on Dec. 16, 2024, at home on Molokai at the age of 84.
Born July 20, 1940 in New Iberia, Louisiana, to Lucille Mack Granger and Ignace A. Granger, Robert was preceded in death by his parents and one nephew.
He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor’s in General Agriculture, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a Master’s in Agronomy, and the University of Minnesota with a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding. He worked 30 years for Cargill of Minneapolis in their seed division developing corn hybrids. His work took him to Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.…

January Golf Ace

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

January Golf Ace

Community Contributed 

By Rick Schonely 

Dana Takashima is the January Ace for the Hui O Kukui Golf Club. Takashima, a famous retired Molokai dentist and professional Molokai golfer, shot 40-40 for a gross total of 80. With his 16 handicap, his net 64 got him the victory.

Congratulations on the first ace of 2025, Dana!

 

The Hui O Kukui Golf Club would like to thank the staff and management of Iconic Ironwood Hills Golf Course for perpetuating the game of golf on Molokai!

 …

Children’s Theater Receives HCF Grant

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

HCF News Release

The Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) announced on Jan. 14 the awarding of $1,521,000 in grant funding to 28 art and culture organizations through its Equitable Access Arts and Culture program. This initiative is dedicated to enhancing equitable opportunities for all Hawaii residents to engage in arts and culture, addressing barriers such as geography, socio-economic factors, and systemic inequities.
For Molokai, the Hokulani Children’s Theater of Molokai was the recipient of a $55,500 grant. The Hokulani Children’s Theater of Molokai Enriches Molokai’s youth through performing arts education and accessible artistic opportunities.
The HCF grants, which provide two-year general operating support, empower local organizations to sustain and expand programs that foster inclusivity, diversity, and community engagement in the arts.…

Erosion Repairs for Kam. V Highway

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

Hawaii Dept. of Transportation News Release

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) advises highway users that crews are preparing Kamehameha V Highway (Route 450) in the vicinity of Waialua Stream for temporary repairs to the undermined road. One lane will remain open for alternating traffic at mile post 18.7 on Kamehameha V Highway during the work.

Crews have placed cones and barriers at the site this week and will be installing temporary erosion control measures which include stacking sandbags alongside the eroded asphalt.
Work to rebuild the foundation of the road and shoreline protection measures started on Tuesday, Jan. 14, and will continue until early February.…

MAC Talk at Molokai Public Library

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

MAC Talk at Molokai Public Library

MAC News Release

Join the Molokai Arts Center (MAC) at the Molokai Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. as MAC’s Artist in Residence Connie Lee Lynch shares her Molokai journey in art. Connie is a mixed media and fiber artist currently living in Pearl City. She is a certified crochet instructor and has had crochet designs and articles featured in both crochet and spinning magazine publications. Most recently, her work was included in the Fiber Hawaii 2024 Exhibit at the Downtown Art Center in Honolulu. Her website is crochetcetera.com.

While on Molokai, Connie’s mixed media paintings and fiber arts work has been focused on the theme, “Island Expressions: Exploring the Natural Beauty of Molokai through Texture and Color.”…

Two Molokai Churches Lauded for Highway Cleanups

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

Two Molokai Churches Lauded for Highway Cleanups

Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District News Release

Two churches on Molokai have been recognized by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District, for their contributions to the Adopt-A-Highway public service program.

The Heart of Aloha Church and Tenrikyo Molokai received the Adopt-A-Highway No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award for the fourth quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025, respectively. Both churches and their volunteers have regularly picked up trash along a two-mile segment of highway for the past eight or more years, helping to prevent roadside rubbish from blowing into the ocean or other sensitive ecosystems.…

Superyacht Visit Sparks Concern

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

When a superyacht dropped by Molokai for a visit on Jan. 10, many residents were left with questions regarding the incident.

The boat has been identified as the Liva O, a pleasure yacht measuring over 360 feet long and weighing over 5,000 tons. Owned by German American billionaire businessman Stephen Orenstein, the ostentatious superyacht had been sighted off Maui’s Maalaea Harbor in the preceding weeks before coming to Molokai.

A boat of this size is unable to dock at Kaunakakai Harbor, even just for recreational activities, according to the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR).…

Get Ready for the Movies!

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

Get Ready for the Movies!

After nearly 20 years, Molokai is getting a movie theater again. The Mango Theater in Kaunakakai, located in the RWH Chen Building next to Fish and Dive, is expected to open next month. It will feature 45 comfortable seats, a full concession of food and snacks, evening showings of current theater movies, and a reservations app, according to owner Brad Ellis. For the full story, check next week’s issue of The Molokai Dispatch. …

Residents Support Kamaka Air with Lei Drive

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

Residents Support Kamaka Air with Lei Drive

Earlier this month, Molokai residents came together to organize a lei drive in honor of Kamaka Air pilots Hiram deFries-Saronitman and Preston Kaluhiwa. Both young pilots were killed in a plane crash on Oahu on Dec. 17 while performing a training flight. Kamaka has been flying cargo to Molokai for over 25 years, and many Molokai community members have close ties to the cargo airline and its employees.

“We’re doing this to show our support and aloha for Kamaka,” explained U’i Lima, one of the organizers of the lei drive.

As essential workers, Kamaka Air employees only had one day off to mourn their colleagues, explained Lima.…

With Mokulele Grounded Again, Molokai Rallies Around Local Boat Captains

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

With Mokulele Grounded Again, Molokai Rallies Around Local Boat Captains

When news of Mokulele’s shutdown spread on Wednesday, Jan. 15 Molokai residents were alarmed, but somewhat prepared. After years of inconsistent flight service, suffuse with frustrating delays and surprise cancellations, residents have become unfortunately familiar with this sort of transportation crisis. Mokulele went through a similar shutdown period just this past August when issues found in routine maintenance inspection led to a company enforced grounding for several days.

Following Wednesday’s shutdown, the need to travel for critical medical appointments, work, student sports and more sent Molokai residents scrambling. Like a well-oiled machine, residents took to Facebook to organize transportation via boat.…