New Measures for Student Success

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

New Measures for Student Success

Academic achievements and growth will be looked at differently this school year, leaving the Department of Education and Hawaii teachers with extra homework but optimistic predicted outcomes on Molokai.

The state Department of Education (DOE) received federal approval to implement the Strive HI Performance Strategy this 2013 school year. In May, Hawaii and two other states were granted federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers to follow their own school improvement plans. The strategy holds schools accountable to achieve new, multiple standards to measure growth and college and career preparedness, rather than relying solely on test scores to quantify achievement.

Hawaii parents, educators, community groups, and higher education representatives helped create the new standard, according to the DOE press release announcing the standard change.…

Partnering for Preservation

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

Partnering for Preservation

Protecting Molokai’s Watersheds

An understanding of the connections between mountains and ocean — mauka and makai — is rooted in ancient Hawaiian culture. Today, invasive species and human impacts are threatening to clog Molokai’s reef — the most extensive coral reef in the Main Hawaiian Islands — with sediment washed down from the mountain slopes. Today, scientists are doing studies to provide proof of this evidence and offer their data to help find solutions. And today, Molokai residents are meeting together to discuss those solutions and taking action to protect the island’s most valuable resources — both the mountains and the ocean.…

Walking for a Cure

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

Walking for a Cure

Molokai families, friends, and coworkers came together last Friday at the Kaunakakai Ballpark to take part in the 2013 Relay for Life: Finish the Fight marking the 100th anniversary of the American Cancer Society. More than 200 participants walked the track honoring cancer survivors, remembering those that lost the battle, and helping fight for a cure.

“Molokai is one family—we are all ohana,” said event chair Avette Ponce. “We are one family and we’ll help each other no matter what.”

Emcee Kala Juario gave the opening speech.

“We’re here on our little island of Molokai doing what other relay-ers do in about 5,000 communities across America and in 20 other countries,” she said.…

The Circus is Coming

Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

The Circus is Coming

Next month, a giant red and yellow striped “big top” tent will take shape in Maunaloa, and with it will come an acclaimed group of more than 30 performers from around the world.

“We’re trying to bring a world class production [to Molokai] rather than telling people they have to travel,” said Carl Vincenti, director of the Modern American Circus. The circus will bring 105 minutes of family entertainment to the doorsteps of residents around Hawaii during September, October and November.

Molokai is the first stop of the state-wide tour; the Modern American Circus’ inaugural performance will be on Friday evening, Sept.…

New Business Offers Tech Solutions

Thursday, August 8th, 2013

Mendija’s Repair News Release

In today’s world, many of us are reliant on technology to be productive. Unfortunately, this same technology can leave us stranded. Computers break down, networks act up, and we sometimes drop our expensive phones on the ground. The simple fact is, technology fails us sometimes.

Local entrepreneur Edwin Mendija has offered a solution for Molokai’s tech users by founding Mendija’s Repair. Mendija’s Repair offers repair, set-up, and maintenance for computers, networks, and many other electronics. Additionally, using TeamViewer software, he provides remote assistance, allowing customers to receive help from the comfort of their homes. This innovative approach not only saves time but also ensures that tech users on Molokai can quickly resolve their issues without the need for lengthy travel.…

MHS Student Receives Monsanto Scholarship

Thursday, August 8th, 2013

MHS Student Receives Monsanto Scholarship

Monsanto Hawaii News Release

Sixteen Hawaii students were selected to receive the Monsanto Hawaii Life Sciences Scholarship or Hawaii Agricultural Scholarship, collectively earning a total of $20,000 to further their college educations. LesleyAnn Escobar of Molokai High School was one of ten students awarded $1,000 each for the Monsanto Hawaii Life Sciences Scholarship. LesleyAnn plans to pursue a BS in Biology at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.

This award is open to students of all public and private high schools statewide who graduate in good standing and will be attending an accredited college or university to pursue a post-secondary education in a discipline related to the life sciences.…

Funding for Community Tourism Projects

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

County Office of Economic Development News Release

The County of Maui is soliciting proposals for tourism programs on Maui, Molokai and Lanai for 2014 under the County Product Enrichment Program (CPEP). The intent of the program is to diversify and enrich Hawaii’s tourism product by developing new and enhancing existing community-based events, experiences, and projects related to the niches of agriculture, culture, education, nature, health and wellness, sports and technology. The program is supported through a partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA).

From heritage festivals to music series to programs that interpret our unique environment, CPEP supports a wide range of activities created by organizations throughout Maui County.…

Business Planning Classes

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

Business Planning Classes

MEO Business Development Center News Release

If you’re a Molokai entrepreneur looking to step up your game and better manage or grow your business, a series of classes over the next two months will teach you how. The MEO Business Development Center (MEO BDC), a program of Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., will present a series of evening classes for entrepreneurs during the months of August and September.

The Core Four Business Planning Classes cover how to set goals, do market research, determine pricing, make the sale, understand and create cash flow projections, and write a business plan — everything you need to know to start or grow your business.…

Family Comes Full Circle on Molokai

Wednesday, August 7th, 2013

Family Comes Full Circle on Molokai

Molokai has played a large role in what the Haase family believes is fate. In the fall of 1992, Ineke Bylsma and her friend Elizabeth Peters — two young travelers from Holland — were visiting Molokai as one stop of an around-the-globe tour. They ended up camping at Papohaku Beach for a few months, hitching rides to Kaunakakai to buy food.

An article about the two was even printed in the Nov. 12, 1992 issue of The Molokai Dispatch, titled “What Are Two Ladies Like You Doing in a Paradise Like This?”

They decided on Molokai as their Hawaiian stop because “we were told that Molokai was the most Hawaiian of all the islands and that we would find Hawaiian ‘culture’ on Molokai,” according to the Dispatch article.…

Protecting a Cultural Legacy

Sunday, August 4th, 2013

Protecting a Cultural Legacy

When today’s kupuna were growing up, they remember being told that the Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove was a sacred place. It was kapu, or forbidden, and their kupuna told them not to play in the grove or freshwater springs that open up in the ground beneath the towering trees. But today, those kupuna are concerned because they often see trucks driven into the grove, children swimming in the pools, tourists oblivious to the dangers of falling coconuts and rubbish littering the springs and grove.

“We were all taught by our parents and our grandparents that we are not to go in there and play [in the grove],” said Kanani Negrillo of Kalamaula.…