Strengthening Literacy on Molokai

Friday, March 28th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

This year, Molokai High School (MHS) took a new approach to their annual Read Across America initiative: focusing on local authors. Funded by a grant from the National Education Association, MHS was able to put on a special event at both the high school and Molokai Public Library focusing on the book “Ho’ohui Maika’i: an Anthology.”

The anthology is a collection of Molokai women’s stories told through the context of food, culture and identity. It focuses on the various ethnic make-ups of Molokai families and how this diversity is experienced and demonstrated through food practices. The book was created via a collaboration between the Hawaii Council for the Humanities and the Krause Family Foundation.…

Mobile Vet Plans to Service Molokai

Friday, March 28th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

Relief for Molokai pet owners should be coming soon, as a Maui-based mobile veterinarian is planning on adding Molokai to her schedule.

Dr. Krysta Scimeca started her mobile veterinary clinic, Infinity Vet, in the immediate aftermath of the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. In fact, she’d moved from Kaneohe to Kihei only three days prior to the fires. Following the disaster, Scimeca noticed a massive need in pet care, especially as the blaze had burned down the only two veterinary hospitals in West Maui. Converting her business from a mobile animal euthanasia clinic to an animal care clinic, Scimeca began to service over 400 patients in Hana and Lahaina.…

Iconic Church Faces Uncertain Future

Friday, March 28th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

Famed Kalamaula church, Kalaiakamanu Hou, looks much the same as it did last spring. The Easter wreath still hangs on the door. The pews face the altar, as if expecting Sunday’s service.
But in front of the doors hangs a yellow ribbon of caution tape.

“Everyone takes it for granted that Kalaiakamanu Hou will be here forever,” said longtime congregation member Crystal Egusa. “They can’t believe that we might lose it.”

The church has been closed since last summer when building contractors deemed the structure unsafe. Sunday masses have since moved to the adjacent church hall. Now, congregational members are unsure of how to proceed, and if it’s even feasible to try to save the iconic church.…

Featured Farmer

Thursday, March 20th, 2025

Community Contributed
UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Cooperative Extension Team

Christina Aki, a homesteader on Molokai, has cultivated an inspiring food forest and garden
since taking CTAHR programs. Her small-scale, subsistence-focused operation has grown
through innovation and dedication, and with the help of her son, Anthony, who manages much of the implementation. Together, they are restoring their ‘aina while reclaiming a sense of purpose and self-sufficiency.

Before she began gardening, Christina was an active Zumba instructor. When COVID-19
disrupted her lifestyle, her grandson built her planter boxes, sparking a new passion for growing
food. She started with pak choi, basil, and mamaki, eventually supplying 70 pak choi monthly to
the local market.…