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Fall Sports Round-up

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

We had all three fall sports represented at the 2010 HHSAA tournaments. Congratulations to all our fall sport student athletes and coaches for a great Molokai Farmer showing in the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) and at states.

Girls’ air riflery team – Kayla Matson, Mia Mendija, Nika Mendija and Chelsea Simon – placed first at MILs and Kayla Matson placed first overall at MILs. The team traveled to Honolulu for the HHSAA and placed 7th in the state.

Cross country sent Petrisha Alvarez, Kevin Dudoit and Isreal "Paka" Adolpho to the state HHSAA meet.

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MMS Perfect Attendance

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

This year, in Molokai Middle School’s first quarter, 70 out of 160 students had perfect attendance. Students were rewarded with gift certificates for a free ice cream cone with sprinkles from Kamo`i Snack-n-Go. All students had their names entered into a drawing for two iPods and winners were Griffen Tuisamatatele, eighth grade and Kawika Martin-Galam, seventh grade. 

Mahalo to Kim Svetin, Kamo`i Snack-n-Go, and Molokai Drugs Store for the donation of the gift certificates and iPods. Keep up the good work students, and mahalo parents for getting your child to school everyday!

Kelly Ka`awa-Richardson

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Join the Club

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Community Contributed

By Gladys Brown

Registration is now open for membership in the Family and Community Education (FCE) Club. Formerly known as the University Extension (UE) Club, this organization has expanded to include activities for parents and community members in health, community affairs and education on various topics, of interest to people ages 30-80. It was mostly dedicated to crafts, cooking and sewing in past years. Annual membership is about $30 and includes National FCE dues.

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Treading Water

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Treading Water

Construction at Cooke Memorial Pool in Kaunakakai could not have come at a worse time for the Molokai High School (MHS) swim team.

The team normally practices at Cooke, which closed early last month for renovations to the facilities’ roof, surrounding walkways and locker rooms. Now, more than two weeks into the season, swimmers still haven’t been in a pool.

The team didn’t hear about the pool closing until late September when the county announced the construction. With limited options, coach Jessie Ford went looking for a private pool large enough – regulation size is 25 yards long – for the team to practice in.

After a month of searching, she found a resident on the west end with a two-lane 50 meter-long lap pool wiling to help out.

Problem solved? Not so fast.

Practicing on property not owned by the county or school carries too many risks, said MHS Athletic Director Camie Kimball.

“We run into liabilities issues with that,” she said, adding that the offer – though generous – probably won’t work.

Kimball said she is talking with the county about the team’s options, which could include getting into Cooke before construction is complete. The pool’s concrete perimeter was recently torn up to install new plumbing for the locker rooms.

“Right now, it’s not really safe to have anyone up there,” said Mike Mangca, recreation leader at Cooke.

The pool could reopen before construction is complete as soon as the area is cleared of “hazardous conditions,” according to Stephen Grogan, a Parks and Recreation planner. This could be as early as Thanksgiving, he added optimistically. 

Grogan said the county tried to schedule the construction to have “the least amount of impact.”

“There’s no time that has no impact,” he said. The pool’s busy season is the summer and swimming lessons are in the fall, so October to December was a rare “window of opportunity.” Construction is expected to be complete by the end of next month.

Despite the lack of pool time, Ford said she has not written the season off, instead filling practices with running, weigh lifting and yoga to improve the swimmers’ balance.

“A lot of that stuff is really good preparation for getting into the water… I’ll just keep them sweating,” she added.

Still, at some point they have to start swimming. If they’re not in the pool by mid-December, Ford said she would be “hesitant” to compete.

Many Maui swimmers they face in competition train year round, so MHS swimmers are already at a disadvantage. Still, the team is trying to stay positive.

This is junior Gyson Aalona’s third year on the team. As frustrating as the situation is, he said he doesn’t think a few weeks without swimming will be a detriment to the season. 

“We’ve always been at a disadvantage, and we did good last year…I think we have a pretty good chance,” he said.

“All we can do is stay optimistic and do the best with we’ve got,” Ford added.

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A Time to Celebrate

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

A Time to Celebrate

The scene at the Maunaloa Recreation Center last Wednesday gave little hint of the years-long struggle to secure the future of Maunaloa Elementary School.

Music drifted out the door and down the block, where kids escaped to laugh and play in the last few minutes of sunlight.

The only cues of the community’s campaign were the hand-made protest signs that lined the hall’s walls – “Keiki Our Future,” “Save Maunaloa School.”

After all the hand-wringing and worrying over the school’s fate, still grappling with the disappointment of Molokai Ranch shuttering its operations there, Maunaloa residents were relived to have a reason to celebrate.

The event was meant as a thank-you to the community, said Maunaloa Principal Joe Yamamoto, whose support helped convince the Board of Education (BOE) that consolidating the school with Kaunakakai Elementary roughly 18 miles away was not the answer.

“It’s been our message throughout -- you take away the school, you take away the heart of the community,” Yamamoto said. “It’s a hub.”

Despite improving tests scores and its meeting federal benchmarks under No Child Left Behind, the state targeted the school for consolidation, looking to save at least $270,000 a year, according to official estimates.

In September, after two years of back-and-forth between the BOE, state officials and Maunaloa residents, the board voted unanimously to keep the school open with its full staff intact, swayed largely by the outpouring of community support for the school.

“It was really overwhelming throughout the whole process,” said Elly Abafo, an educational assistant at the school. She was also a student at Maunaloa, as were her mother, children and now grandchildren.

Many at last week’s banquet likened the school to a second home for its 71 students, who all know their classmates, teachers and principal.

“It makes learning fun up here cause there’s only little bit kids,” said student Keola Sotelo-Mellokeanini.

Nearby, Leilani Kaina, whose daughter Johalei Kaina-Kahoalii, 5, is in kindergarten at the school, said she feels more comfortable sending her to a school closer to home.

“Everybody is one big ohana so parents don’t have to worry about the kids being safe,” Kaina said. Avoiding the drive to Kaunakakai every morning is also a relief, she laughed.

The school’s closure would not just have hurt its students and parents. Jonathan Espaniola, who works in the school cafeteria, said the staff was “very nervous” throughout the process.

With a limited business base, finding new jobs in Maunaloa would have been difficult. The town is still hurting over two years after Molokai Ranch shed 120 jobs in a single day, primarily in Maunoloa and on the west end. The school closing would have meant yet another blow to employment there.

But for now, workers like Espaniola are safe – and couldn’t be happier.

“I still have a job!” he said excitedly.

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MHS’ Adolpho Signs with Warriors

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

MHS’ Adolpho Signs with Warriors

Molokai High School senior Kalei Adolpho signed with the University of Hawaii (UH) last week, formally accepting a full scholarship to play for the Warriors women’s basketball team next year.

The six-foot-one-inch Adolpho said she felt “excited, honored, nervous” about playing for UH. She had been in talks with recruiters since her freshman year and made a verbal commitment to the school last year.

Finally, last Wednesday, surrounded by her Farmers coaches, classmates and family, Adolpho signed a national letter of intent, making her commitment official.

“University of Hawaii should be very proud of what they’re getting… A kid like Kalei doesn’t come around very much,” said basketball coach Mike Hooper.

Adolpho will also play for the UH volleyball team next year.

During her career at MHS, Adolpho lettered in basketball, volleyball and track and field. As a junior, she was named the league’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Last month, she helped the girls’ volleyball team capture its first state title, capping off a 12-0 season.

Adolpho’s mom, Vesta, said it is a relief to have the commitment on paper.

“There was never really any question of where she was going to go,” she said.

Adolpho will be attending UH Manoa and has not declared her major.

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Lower Airfare Possible for Kalaupapa

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Lower Airfare Possible for Kalaupapa

Pacific Wings is planning to apply for a federal subsidy that will lower the price of its Kalaupapa flights.

Currently the only commercial airline to service the peninsula on a regular basis, Pacific Wings has Essential Air Service (EAS) status with the government, a program that guarantees air service to remote areas. Those businesses with an EAS can separately apply for a subsidy to help the business’ cost of service.

Mark Miller, administrator of the Kalaupapa Settlement for the Department of Health, announced at last week’s community meeting he had spoken with Greg Kahlstorf, CEO of Pacific Wings, about their application.

“Getting the subsidy means returning to lower airfares and increased use of the service,” Miller said in an interview after the meeting. “It is also a valuable addition to our Kalaupapa patients for accessing essential medical services in Honolulu.”

After a confrontation between Pacific Wings staff and security at the Kahului Airport last year, angry with the response from the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Kahlstorf said the airline withdrew many of their inter-island routes. With fewer routes and fewer customers, Pacific Wings had to raise their prices on remaining routes.

for a coherent vision for Kalaupapa,” Kahlstorf said of the upcoming general management plan.

“Before you can figure how to market something, you’ve got to figure what the product is…Ecotourism, historical tourism, whatever we can do to attract more traffic.”

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Back in Business

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Back in Business

As Molokai residents and visitors alike rejoice in the opening of the new Kalaupapa pali trail, bridge the mules famous for taking visitors down the winding path are a little apprehensive.
 
“They’re like, what the heck is this?” said Buzzy Sproat, mule trainer extraordinaire for the Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour. “We need to get them in shape; make sure they can go across the bridge.”

After seven months of idling, Sproat said the mules need a little reminding. He and his mule trainers will take the mules over the bridge, and up and down the trail more than 20 times to make sure they’re comfortable again.

Previously hosting up to 75 riders a week, the world-famous Molokai Mule Ride Company was sent into a tailspin of financial woe when a landslide took out Bridge No. 2 on April 13.

Co-owner Roy Horner said the National Park Service (NPS) sometimes employed the mules, and mule trainers, to help out a business reliant on that bridge.


“We’re very happy the trail is finally open,” he said. “This was the number one trail project in the western U.S. because of the importance of its connection” between topside and the peninsula.

“I apologized for the long delay, but we’ve ended up with a fantastic end result,” he said.

By December, the tours plan to for their businesses to be back up and running as usual.

“We are looking forward to continuing to give people happiness and joy each day…To have them feel the spirit of Kalaupapa,” Horner added.

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Toxic Waste Removed from Ilio

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Toxic Waste Removed from Ilio

An environmental cleanup prompted by the Coast Guard will continue until mid-November as the last of the hazardous waste is removed from a cliff at Ilio Point and shipped to the mainland.

For nearly two weeks, workers have been using a large vacuum to suck up the remains of equipment that was dumped by a Coast Guard station while it was active prior to 1966.

“The Coast Guard dumped [the materials] there, so it’s our responsibility to clean it up,” said Gene Maestas, public affairs officer for the U.S Coast Guard 14th District in Honolulu.

Testing of the site in 2009 showed high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the soil. When testing was conducted offshore, however, no contaminants were found in the water, sediments, invertebrates or fish.

“We’re very lucky [the station] dumped something that’s not more readily in the marine environment,” said Jay Silberman, project manager from the U.S. Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit. “We want to clean it up before it gets into [the water].”


Silberman said the PCBs chemical adheres tightly to soil – almost like glue – and requires a solvent to separate the two. Because PCB does not dissolve in water, the contactor, Pacific Commercial Services Inc., is removing the contaminated materials with a vacuum that reaches 18 inches below the surface.

The materials will be bagged and sealed and shipped to the mainland.
 
The dumpsite was discovered in 2008 by Silberman and a colleague, who later put in a request for funding to conduct testing and a cleanup project. Estimates put the cost of the operation at about $600,000, which is fully covered by the Coast Guard.

Silberman said the debris – electrical equipment, pipes, iron metal, wood, glass and brick – covers about 100 cubic yards of the cliff, 70 yards of which is hazardous.

The public is advised to stay clear of the site until the operation is complete.

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Tutu Talk

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Tutu Talk

Community Contributed

Column by Tutu and Me

It is important to note that children’s perception of music follow their development. For example, newborn babies begin life by developing trust versus mistrust in the environment. They are soothed by quiet singing and rocking, which helps them formulate trust. They are frightened by scary sounds, which lead to mistrust.
By the time a child reaches ages two to three, they show increased language development, and can jump, run and walk to music. At this age, children learn and enjoy action songs.

Children use songs and rhythms to communicate their thoughts and feelings. Music heightens children’s listening skills. Music fosters a positive self-image by helping children feel successful in musical activities. Many songs focus on children.


At Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool, we give children many opportunities to explore music through singing, dancing, playing instruments, and creating bodily movements.

Try This at Home:
•    Sing familiar songs with your child every day
•    Make a homemade kazoo – secure wax paper at one end of a toilet paper roll with a rubber band. Blow through the open end while humming a tune.
•    Make a homemade tambourine – place rice or beans between two paper plates, secure the edges of the plates with tape. Shake the tambourine with one hand or tap it with the heel of the other hand. Beware of the choking hazard of the beans.
•    Make a homemade drum – cover and decorate the outside of an empty coffee can. Replace the lid and beat with hands or wooden spoons.
•    Make homemade sand blocks – glue coarse sand paper to two smooth blocks of wood. Rub the blocks together to make music.
•    Play classical music for you and your child. Bach is a good choice.
•    Dance to music with your keiki.

Remember: Music is important in the lives of children
Contributions from Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool, a program of Partners in Development Foundation.  Tutu and Me is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

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