DeRouin Named Official Athletic Director

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

DeRouin Named Official Athletic Director

The athletic director (AD)’s office is now Lee DeRouin’s to keep. After four months of serving as interim athletic director for Molokai High School (MHS), DeRouin was recently named the official AD.

He stepped in temporarily in August after former AD Hoku Haliniak left to accept a position as Director of Sports Information for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association. DeRouin was one of five candidates being considered for the AD job, according to Daniel Espaniola, who was on the selection committee.

“He’s new to the job but he has tremendous potential for growth in the position and making good things happen for the school,” said Espaniola, who works for the Department of Education as an Educator Effectiveness System Educational Officer.…

Investigation of East Molokai Crash Continues

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

More details on a Jan. 16 forced emergency aircraft landing in east Molokai have surfaced in a preliminary report recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

According to the report, a privately owned Cessna 172 carrying a pilot and three passengers “collided with terrain” in Ualapue on Molokai’s east end around 2 p.m. that Friday. There were no casualties, although one passenger was rescued in serious condition and the other three with minor injuries.

The plane was owned by Hawaiian Night Lights, LLC. Pilot Michael Richards, a certified flight instructor, was giving a flying lesson to a Japanese citizen while her parents accompanied them in the plane.…

Keiki Cruise on Refurbished Rides

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Keiki Cruise on Refurbished Rides

Changing a broken bicycle chain has become second nature for 10-year-old Isaiah Hanchett-Lopez.

“I like to use a screwdriver when I do it,” he said matter of factly. “When you’re unscrewing that, it gets loose, so you push it up, take that off…” He continued to rattle off several steps with ease.

It’s just one of the many handy skills that Hanchett-Lopez and the kids at the Molokai Youth Center have picked up since the Center started repairing bikes for free nearly a month ago.

“There’s something magical about a kid and a bike,” said Youth Specialist Travis Ritte, who repairs bikes at the Center.…

Honoring Dr. King

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Honoring Dr. King

On Jan. 17, Molokai paid tribute to a man who left a legacy of equality and social justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was not just observed as a holiday, but as a Day of Service on Molokai, with students gathering on the Public Library grounds to remember the true meaning of the occasion.

Interval House Molokai joined with Aka`ula School and the Molokai Public Library to put on a program that included portions of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in more than half a dozen languages, while Aka`ula School students opened the event with “Music of the Movement,” a civil rights musical celebration.…

Gov. Ige Thanks Molokai

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Gov. Ige Thanks Molokai

Newly-elected Governor David Ige and his family visited Molokai for a mahalo luncheon last week Saturday to thank Friendly Isle residents for their support during his campaign.

“Every time we were here, [my wife] Dawn and I really enjoyed your hospitality and the warmth with which we were received,” said Ige. “Because Molokai is rural, [you] did a lot for our campaign that’s sometimes invisible. We wanted to thank each and every one of you for the hours to sign wave, put up signs and talking to friends and neighbors… that is really what allowed us to be successful.”

Ige, Dawn and their son Matthew greeted a crowd of eager residents and enjoyed lunch and entertainment.…

Farmers Outstanding in their Fields

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Farmers Outstanding in their Fields

Molokai High teams made a strong showing against league opponents over the weekend, bringing home wins on the water, the court and the mat.

Wrestling

Molokai’s wrestling team is short on funds but not on talent. On Saturday the Farmers left their first MIL meet of the season with six titles, the most of any team. Lahainaluna had the second best performance with five titles.

“I think we as a team didn’t really expect to do as well as we did,” said Kuikamoku Han, who won the boys’ 285-pound title for Molokai. “We have a lot of new people that are not familiar with the sport.…

Heroes Among Us: Michael Helm

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Heroes Among Us: Michael Helm

For a long time, Michael Helm wasn’t proud to be a veteran, but it was a feeling he kept to himself.

Helm grew up on Molokai as the son of beloved island veteran, the late Larry Helm, who served in Vietnam and was heavily involved in veterans’ affairs on Molokai.

“It was kinda hard ‘cause my dad was really proud I went in, and I wasn’t really proud coming out [of the military],” said Michael. “I never did get a chance to tell him about that.”

Michael was never deployed to a war. However, like many veterans, during his service he was deeply impacted by the culture and system of the military, which he grew to distrust.…

Christmas Bird Count

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Christmas Bird Count

Community Contributed

By Josiah Ching

As part of the 115th annual National Audubon Society’s Christmas bird count, a small group of dedicated volunteers set out to conduct a survey of the bird population on Molokai. The national survey is both the longest running citizen science survey as well as the longest running wildlife survey to date. The local survey is organized by Arleone Dibbon-Young, a Molokai-based wildlife biologist. She has been instrumental in not only protecting the endangered Nene population on Molokai, she has also compiled years of data on Molokai’s avian population and has a wealth of knowledge regarding Molokai’s history.…

Lions Roar: Vision Van

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Molokai Lions Club News Release

Happy New Year from the Molokai Lions Club to the community on Molokai. Thank you for your continued support of our events and projects that are specifically designed to enhance and sometimes even amuse the residents of Molokai.

Sight is the main mission of the Lions Club both on Molokai, in Hawaii and internationally. We in the Molokai Lions Club try very hard to do our part in bringing sight related services to the community. The Project Vision Van’s Big Bus will be on island Feb. 5-10 to do retina eye screening for adults. This service is especially beneficial to those afflicted with diabetes.…

Teachers Union Lends a Hand with Funding

Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

MHS News Release

Molokai High School (MHS) was the recipient of a $178,180 2-year grant to fund part-time teachers to work with students in support of College and Career Readiness.  So far, there have been five teachers hired to work with small groups, assist in classrooms, and tutor one on one during Hana Hou Monday through Thursday in the library!

Tutors are available to help with all academic subjects, class projects, scholarship or college applications until 3:30 Monday through Thursday.  Hana Hou is open until 5 p.m.  Students that come and work with the part-time teachers will be eligible to win a raffle prize at the end of the quarter. …