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Kupuna Falling Through the Cracks

Wednesday, August 31st, 2022

Community Contributed

Opinion by Ketty Mobed

Do you know elderly people, retired family members, aunties and uncles on Molokai who have been living on a fixed income? Until recently they’ve mostly made things work out on their small pension, but now many feel so overwhelmed and are in despair. Over the last couple of years, the financial burden and life for this cohort of people has gotten especially hard.

The other day I ran into Aunty P. We both had a little time, so we sat down under a monkey pod tree and talked story. The last six months have gotten really hard for her.…

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Ship Ahoy!

Wednesday, August 31st, 2022

Community Contributed

Opinion by Father Pat Killilea

It was 7:30 a.m. as it arrived at the outer fringes of the inner harbor. By 8 a.m. it was being nudged closer to the pier by two tugboats and at 8:30 a.m., it had nestled close to the dock. Then at 9 a.m., the action began for real. It had been one of the earliest dockings of the Young Brothers barge during my 10 years here in Kalaupapa.

As I sat on my front porch, the crew were unloading empty shipping containers off the barge. Old friend Lionel from Hawaii Island stopped by to say hello and told me that these containers would be filled with metal and wood scraps before going back on the barge.…

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Prevent Unwanted Animals

Wednesday, August 31st, 2022

This is your friendly Animal Control Officer, Juston Childs. The Molokai Humane Society will be having a spay and neuter clinic in the near future so please be on the lookout for those announcements/flyers. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to help in controlling the pet population on our island. Another service available to pet owners is microchipping. Microchipping helps us safely reunite pets with their families when they manage to escape and go holoholo. 

As a reminder, canines are required by law to be licensed. Dog licenses may be obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles. We understand times are hard and money is tight, discounts on licenses are available with proof that your canine is spayed and neutered. …

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Bring On the Green and White

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

Bring On the Green and White

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

The Farmers Football team kicked off the 2022 season with a Green and White scrimmage last Saturday. Players and coaches put on a competitive game, while the Cheer and Dance team led the spirit, with lively community support.

Both teams’ first official game will be this Saturday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. at home, hosting the Lanai Pine Lads. …

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Dispatch Wins 5 Journalism Awards

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

By The Molokai Dispatch Staff

At last week’s Society of Professional Journalism Hawaii Chapter Excellence in Journalism Awards, The Molokai Dispatch was honored with five Excellence in Journalism awards for coverage in 2021. The statewide awards are presented annually in newspaper, TV, radio and magazine categories and this year, recipients were announced via Zoom conference on Aug. 17. 

In the non-daily newspaper category for feature writing, The Molokai Dispatch Editor Catherine Cluett Pactol won first place for “Molokai’s Kakawahie: A Lost Species.” 

“Really nice story about a bird species that has gone from endangered to extinct,” the judges commented. “Engaging and well-written.”…

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New Maui Bus for MHS Athletes

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

New Maui Bus for MHS Athletes

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

A new bus has arrived to safely transport student athletes on Maui when they travel there for competitions. 

Molokai High’s athletes travel to Maui to compete in several sports during each season. MHS Athletic Director Lee DeRouin said the school already had a bus on Maui that was purchased in 2016 and is still in use. But with the increase of student athlete participation and new sports added in recent years, the athletic department needed another bus to safely transport the students and coaches. 

Both students and coaches are grateful for the new ride. Coach Kabbie Juario-Bicoy has traveled to Maui with her teams multiple times and knows the importance of getting from point A to B safe and smooth. …

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$3M in Home Gardening Grants

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

HDOA News Release

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is now accepting applications for the second year of the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to help produce food in areas that are food insecure.

A total of $3 million will be available in this program, which includes $2 million for this year’s grant funds combined with $1 million that was carried over from the previous year. Last year, a total of 177 grants were awarded statewide. Funding for this grant program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the 2018 Farm Bill.…

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Molokai High School’s Bold Move to Academies

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

Community Contributed

By Richard Ornellas

Molokai High School (MHS) is meeting the emerging opportunities of 21st century life for their students in a bold move to College and Career Academies: instruction based on career pathways rather than English, math, science, social studies and electives. Mirroring the trend in Hawaii for public high schools to become more relevant for post-high school life, such as the successful Waipahu High School academies model, initiated by former principal, Keith Hayashi, now DOE Superintendent, MHS has begun their transition.

The academies are Community Service and Sustainability (CSS) with Team Lead Lisa Takata, and Innovation Business and Technology (IBT) with Team Lead Kai Ward, and O Hina I Ka Malama, the Hawaiian Immersion Language Academy, Lead Mahinahou Ross.…

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Grants for Robotics Teams

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

Bayer Fund News Release 

Eligible student robotics teams on Oahu, Maui and Molokai are invited to apply for The Bayer Fund’s 2022 FIRST Robotics Grant program. Open to FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), FIRST Lego League Challenge, and FIRST Lego League Explore teams, the program offers grants ranging from $500 to $3,000 per team to inspire and nurture students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

The grant application period closes on Sept. 30, at 6:59 p.m. For more information and to apply, visit fund.bayer.us/grant/2016/8/15/first-robotics-program; use the invitation code 22FIRST. For questions, contact GrantQuestions@Bayer.com.

Established in 2015, the Bayer Fund’s FIRST Robotics Grant program has benefitted Hawaii students in elementary through high school grade levels.…

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Mahalo for the Votes

Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

Mahalo nui, Molokai! I am honored to have been chosen by our voters as the Democratic Candidate for House District 13 advancing to the General Election. Please know that each and every one of your votes made a difference. Molokai showed up at the polls, and it showed in the results. The love, support and encouragement I’ve received from our community and communities across our district fuels my determination to solidify this win for our people and ‘aina. I am excited to hit the ground running and look forward to engaging with residents across our district to bring forward place-based, community driven solutions that address our most pressing issues in ways that make sense for us and our way of life. …

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