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Molokai Monk Seal Pup Recovering on Big Island

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Molokai Monk Seal Pup Recovering on Big Island

By The Molokai Dispatch staff
This has been another “banner year” for monk seal pupping in the main Hawaiian Islands, with 35 new pups so far, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a recent news release. As the peak pupping season winds down, most of these new pups are thriving and exploring the reefs on their own.
However, two small pups, one on Molokai and another on Kauai, needed extra help. Due to quick action by NOAA’s team and partners, both are now receiving life-saving care at the Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiian monk seal hospital, Ke Kai Ola, in Kona, Big Island.…

Bissen Hears Concerns at Holomua Kākou

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

Bissen Hears Concerns at Holomua Kākou

By Léo Azambuja

Mayor Richard Bissen landed on Molokai last week as part of the Holomua Kākou series designed to reach out to Maui County’s further communities, including the Friendly Isle, Lanai and Hana. 

“The whole purpose is to come in and get your concerns, your priorities, and how we can be available to you folks,” Bissen told about 30 residents at Mitchell Pauole Center Aug. 25. 

The meeting only lasted about an hour, but Bissen left with a bag full of issues and concerns. He made assurances he would look into all of them and follow up, despite some not being the county’s responsibility, and others being caused by previous administrations.…

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He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Community Contributed
By Keawaiki Madela
Atiu, one of the southern Cook Islands, is a small and close-knit island known as Enua Manu — the land of the birds. It is the third largest of the Cooks, about 28 square kilometers, with a population of just over 400 people. The island is home to five main villages: Teenui, Mapumai, Ngatiarua, Areora and Tengatangi.
Upon arrival, our group was greeted with a warm welcome and introduced to the tradition of pātai. A pātai is a formal village welcome, where the community gathers to offer food, speeches, and songs to honor visitors. We experienced three such welcomes — Teenui Village Pātai, Atiu Enua Village Pātai, and Areora Village Pātai — and at each stop we were fed abundantly.…

Molokai Child Abuse Prevention Pathways Receives $240K Grant

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

MCAPP News Release

Molokai Child Abuse Prevention Pathways has been awarded a $240,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to expand child abuse prevention and support programs for keiki, ‘ohana, and schools across Molokai over a two-year period. 

This grant directly supports OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan to advance policies, programs, and practices that strengthen Native Hawaiian well-being — including physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health —and its related outcome of increasing availability and access to quality, culturally based, and culturally adapted prevention and treatment interventions in ʻohana, schools, and communities.

“This support from OHA allows us to continue our valuable partnerships with local preschools and public schools on Molokai, expand our programs on school campuses, and offer workshops for parents and school faculty,” Executive Director Talia Cardines said. …

HEA Awards Professional Development Grant to Kaunakakai Resident

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

HEA Awards Professional Development Grant to Kaunakakai Resident

HEA News Release
The Hawai‘i Education Association (HEA), a nonprofit organization founded more than 100 years ago to support educators and students aspiring to be teachers, recently awarded grants to four Maui County educators for professional development.
“We’re excited to support homegrown teachers in Maui county, for Maui county. At a time when the U.S. Department of Education is being dismantled and education is under siege at the federal level, HEA is glad to support Hawaii’s educators and students who give so much of themselves,” said Joan Kamila Lewis, HEA president and an instructional coach at Kapolei High School.
Kaunakakai resident Anna Marie Nip, the only grant recipient from Moloka‘i, received a $2,000 HEA student teacher grant, sponsored by the Helen MacKay Memorial.…

Junior Youth Group Honors Firefighters

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

Junior Youth Group Honors Firefighters

By Paul Hanley

Members of a Junior Youth Empowerment Program, ages 11-14, wanted to find ways to serve the community. They started with a trash pick-up at the wharf a few weeks ago and then decided they wanted to thank firefighters on Molokai for their service.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the kids had a holiday from school, so they met to bake cookies and then packed them up to take them to each of the fire departments on the island at Hoʻolehua, Kaunakakai and Pukoʻo. At each station, they met some of the firefighters, learned how they do their work and how they live while on duty.…

Evelyn Yokomizo Shinsato

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

Evelyn Yokomizo Shinsato

Evelyn Yokomizo Shinsato, 95, born on February 14, 1930, died on July 16, 2025 in Waipahu. She was born in Pahala to Hisaji and Ineyo Fukumoto. After graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute, she studied dressmaking and design in Honolulu. Evelyn was preceded in death by her first husband Tsutomu “Durham” Yokomizo (d. 1980) with whom she raised a family on Molokai, and her second husband Kenzo Shinsato (Molokai High ’48) (d. 2022). Each marriage lasted for some 30 years. While living on Molokai, Evelyn was the organist at Guzeiji Soto Mission on Hotel Lane and sometimes played at other churches on the island.…

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