Gift of Dictionaries

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Gift of Dictionaries

Community Contributed

By Alison Place

Rotary Clubs and other civic groups throughout the nation donate the funds to provide dictionaries to third graders in their respective cities. Aptly called The Dictionary Project, the goal of the program is to assist all students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary, according to the project’s website.

More than 130 Molokai third graders were the recipients of this gift from the Kihei Rotary Club. You can check here for the best Personalized Gifts For Him and get custom gift ideas to make the recipients feel special.On…

Maka`ala Molokai, the Little Fire Ant May Be Coming

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Maka`ala Molokai, the Little Fire Ant May Be Coming

Community Contributed

By Lori Buchanan, MoMISC


The stinging little fire ant has been detected on hapuu ferns being sold at several garden stores and big box retail outlets on Maui and Oahu, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (DOA) on Dec. 31. The ferns originated from Hawaii Island.

The Molokai/Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC) continues to strongly urge Molokai residents not to import plants from Hawaii Island due to the current little fire ant (LFA)and coqui frog infestations there. Also to be aware that coqui frogs and LFA will hitchhike on other goods such as household items, vehicles and on you!…

Holidays in Kalaupapa

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

By Father Pat Killilea, St Francis, Kalaupapa

I heard the voices approaching. So I got to my feet and went to the front door. They were coming through the entrances onto the church lawn wearing strange red head gear and armed with torches. My heart began to race. Oh my Lord, they were coming to take me away. My goose was cooked and Christmas had not even arrived yet. I had to face the music. Then… they broke into song: “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed…”
They had indeed come to take me away, as they began the annual community carol singing evening.…

Five Bonus Benefits of Exercise

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Jon Mikami, RPh, and Kelly Go, RPh, Molokai Drugs

You’ve been hearing about the benefits of exercise for a long time: Weight control, chronic disease management, stronger muscles and bones, to name a few. But the list of exercise benefits done with the help of indoor trampoline for kids just keeps getting longer. If you could package these benefits in a pill, you might have a multi-million dollar product!

Maybe these less-touted benefits will offer the motivation you need to make exercise a regular part of your daily routine. Look into the latest Weight Training Innovations if you decide to start strength training.…

Nominations for Mayor’s Small Business Awards

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Maui County News Release

The Mayor’s Small Business Awards honor outstanding small businesses in our community, and nomination forms are now available for the upcoming awards.

“Small businesses are the true job generators, and owners risk a great deal to open their doors, create jobs, grow and stimulate our economy,” Mayor Alan Arakawa said. “Maui County is fortunate to have many successful small businesses that are known for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and ingenuity. I look forward to honoring them through this awards program.”

Annual 2014 Mayor’s Small Business Awards are announced jointly by the mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.…

Hemp, Health Houses and a Greener Future

Friday, January 3rd, 2014

The MOM hui and Sust`ainable Molokai News Release

Hemp with lime is a non-toxic and energy-efficient building matertial; it is also resistant to mildew, fire and pests. The drawback – industrial hemp is currently illegal to farm in the United States. However, industrial hemp, a non-psychoactive plant, is grown in 31 other countries. It can also be used to make thousands of sustainable products, and it offers many solutions for global warming, nutrition, and deforestation.

To learn more, we invite you to the documentary film premier of “Bringing it Home” – a film that depicts the story of a father’s search to find the healthiest building materials, leading him to the completion of the nation’s first hemp house.…

Not Succumbed to Corporate Propaganda

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

Dennis M. Karpiak’s scathing opinion piece, “GMO, a Powerful Technology,” on activists in general and in particular Mr. Walter Ritte, deserves a response. In addition, his criticism of industrial agribusiness regulation shows disregard for the health and safety of adjacent property owners, consumers, and agribusiness workers. His assault on activism and its intimidation on politicians is trite and self-serving.

His description of activists as anti-science know-nothing nincompoops is inappropriate and egregious. However, I have bad news for our dear doctor. The Maui County Council, those pesky activist politicians, has an ordinance before it, introduced by Councilwoman Elle Cochran on Dec. 6.…

GMOs Banned in 28 Countries

Wednesday, December 18th, 2013

In response to Dennis M. Karpiak’s opinion “GMO, a Powerful Technology” in the Dec. 4 issue, I believe having M.D. after one’s name fails to give one license to make comments such as “…having no scientific basis” against activists without first having done one’s due diligence in researching the “other” side.  Granted, what is stated is an editorial of one’s own personal belief; however, blatant public statements need to be validated by one before committing it to paper.

If GMOs were truly advocated worldwide, every country would embrace it rather than ban it.  GMOs are currently banned in 28 countries, most recently corn in Mexico and a total GMO ban on Hawaii Island.…

Kalaupapa Aircraft Wreckage to be Recovered, Under Investigation

Monday, December 16th, 2013

Kalaupapa Aircraft Wreckage to be Recovered, Under Investigation

After a Makani Kai aircraft crashed into the ocean off Kalaupapa last Wednesday, Makani Kai owner Richard Schuman said the Cessna Grand Caravan will be recovered this week.

“We know what happened, but not why,” Schuman told the Dispatch Sunday. “One way or another, we’ll get that aircraft out… and get the engine to the manufacturer [for answers.]”

The Makani Kai flight departing Kalaupapa about 3:45 p.m. experienced “catastrophic engine failure” shortly after take-off, according to pilot Clyde Kawasaki. The plane went down about 1/2 mile off the peninsula. Eight on board survived, while Department of Health (DOH) Director Loretta Fuddy died in the water after exiting the sinking plane.…

Students Learn Computer Code

Monday, December 16th, 2013

MEDB News Release

STEMworks™ students across the state are learning to write computer code as part of a nationwide campaign embraced by President Obama and featuring free tutorials designed to get students interested in computer science. Molokai Middle and High schools are two of 13 schools participating statewide.

The Hour of Code is an initiative developed by Code.org to spark interest among young people across the U.S. and help address the increasing demand for computer programmers in many fields.

According to Code.org, the number of computer programming jobs is growing at a rate twice the national average of computer science students.…