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Prom Dresses Without the Price

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

Prom Dresses Without the Price

Last year when the prom dress she’d rented online failed to arrive, Molokai High student Giesha Nunez had to travel to Maui to buy a gown—on the day of prom.

This year Nunez and dozens of other banquet and prom-bound teens got to browse formal dresses on Molokai. All were available for free in the island’s first Bella Project Prom Dress Giveaway, hosted by Child and Family Services (CFS) last Wednesday.

“Molokai has a lot of extra assistance to help the kids,” said Molokai High parent Cheri Rivera, who feels that’s a unique trait of the island. “It’s a blessing to have … for the girls, to feel extra special on this special night.”…

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Warming Laps and Hearts

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

Warming Laps and Hearts

A group of kupuna received a cozy gift last week when members of the Molokai Museum Handcrafters Guild presented them with colorful, handmade quilts.

Wilma Pratt, who founded the guild in 2008, said the eight members gather to quilt and create crafts together once a month. It took them about a year to sew about a dozen lap quilts, and Pratt said they decided to donate the finished products to the kupuna at Na Pu`uwai’s Senior Day Care Center, a program that offers care and activities for the elderly.

Their warm and colorful gifts brought smiles and words of gratitude last week.…

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Farmers First Look, Part 2

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

With many athletes and coaches going straight from winter sport championships to spring sport practices, there is little rest for Molokai High Farmers. The athletic department takes on its largest season of the school year with seven different sports this spring: volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, track and field, softball and this year’s newest addition of judo. In the second of a two-part series, the Dispatch takes an early look at three sports on the cusp of their Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) seasons.

Judo

While Molokai High School is offering judo for the first time ever, its coaches are anything but novices.…

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Youth Group Lifts Kupuna’s Spirits

Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

Youth Group Lifts Kupuna’s Spirits

Although youth-directed and youth-inspired, Molokai’s suicide prevention group is focused on the emotional health of all ages. Last week, student members of Suicide Prevention Around Molokai (SPAM) stopped by Home Pumehana to lend a hand and “put a smile” on the faces of kupuna residents.

Seven students made the rounds through the Kaunakakai nursing home complex, offering to help with any household tasks residents needed.

“Kupuna, especially in nursing homes, they get depressed at times,” said SPAM Youth Coordinator Kealoha Hooper, whose family operates the Consuelo Foundation, which funds SPAM. “[We decided] it would be nice to go put a smile on their faces.…

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Financial Woes May Suspend Ferry Route

Sunday, March 22nd, 2015

Financial Woes May Suspend Ferry Route

In the face of falling ridership, the Lahaina Cruise Company (LCC) is planning to suspend the Molokai Ferry’s daily round trip between Molokai and Maui, pending approval from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), according to the company’s President and Senior Captain David Jung.

“What’s happening with the ferry right now, is that we’re hemorrhaging money because of low ridership,” said Jung. “We’re trying to come up with a solution right now, but in the meantime we [plan] to cut back one trip a day. It’s better to have reduced service than no service.”

The route, which departs from Kaunakakai Harbor at 5:15 a.m.…

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The Art of the Short Story

Friday, March 20th, 2015

MAC News Release

There will be an eight week creative writing course from March 24 to May 12 taught by internationally bestselling author and Molokai resident Brandon W. Jones, sponsored by the Molokai Arts Center (MAC).  This class will meet once a week at Kaunakakai School to learn and discuss the mechanics of effective story writing, with the goal of producing one short story by the end of eight weeks.

Brandon will be available to give individual guidance and feedback, and there will be optional group critique sessions.  While the course is designed as an eight-part whole, each class will focus on a fundamental element of the craft and can be taken on a drop-in basis. …

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Bright Ideas for Saving Energy

Friday, March 20th, 2015

Community Contributed

By Maya Lima and Gaby Miguel, Kilohana sixth graders

Did you know that you can save a lot of energy and money by simply flicking off a light?   On Feb. 18, Kilohana School held an Energy Expo for their school community.   At the expo, Kilohana’s fifth and sixth graders gave presentations on how to save energy and money at home.  Parents and students walked from station to station to learn about energy conservation.

One of the student presenters, Gabrielle Miguel told audience members, “One cool way to save energy is to wash your clothes with cold water and buy Energy Star appliances.”  …

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Hawaiian Immersion Summer School  

Friday, March 20th, 2015

Kula Kaiapuni Kauwela News Release

Celebrating the fourth year of Kula Kaiapuni Kauwela on Molokai, the program will once again be held this summer at Kualapu`u Public Charter School for students entering grades K-9 in the fall.  Teachers have been selected: Nahulu Maioho — grades six to eight, Kailana Ritte-Camara — grades four and five, Lokelani Han — grades two and three, and Uluhani Waialeale — grades Kindergarten and first grade. Manuwai Peters will be the site coordinator.

The dates for the 20-day program will be from June 9 through July 7 daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The Hawaiian language based curricula is designed to engage and excite students in land and ocean activities that emphasize the caring of Molokai resources.…

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Poets to Slam at MMS and MHS

Friday, March 20th, 2015

MHS News Release

Molokai High School students will be slammed on the first hour of their first day back from spring break on Monday, March 23. Molokai Middle School students will be slammed in the afternoon. All this slamming will be spoken by poets from Pacific Tongues. Assemblies at both schools will expose rural students to the rhythmic cadences of urban scenes when these Hawaii poets from Oahu will wow local teens with humor and pain, love and longing, darkness and hope – favorite teen topics – with original poems in a slam – poetic deliveries that sometimes assault audience ears with impassioned points-of-view.…

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Farmers First Look, Part 1

Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

With many athletes and coaches going straight from winter sport championships to spring sport practices, there is little rest for Molokai High Farmers. The athletic department takes on its largest season of the school year with seven different sports this spring: volleyball, golf, tennis, baseball, track and field, softball and this year’s newest addition of judo. In a two-part series, the Dispatch takes an early look at the first four sports that have already begun their Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) seasons.

Baseball

When it comes to the defending MIL champion Farmers, Head Coach Scottie Rapanot has yet to see anything that needs significant changes.…

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