Meet the Candidate: Randy Piltz
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The Maui County primaries are Sept. 18.
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The Maui County primaries are Sept. 18.
1 CommentsRemember Your Roots
Community Contributed
By Brandon Roberts
Ramona Kuulei Mililani Solatorio's la hanau united sister and older (but only by a year) brother Pilipo Kamaki with roots planted deep in the `aina. The siblings celebrated in their birthplace, Halawa, a valley they both chose to leave as young adults, but have since returned to malama as kupuna.
One took to the seas aboard Naval tankers and traveled the world, throwing palu with the ship's swagger as a sea-sick sailor. He enlisted at the age of 16 as a ticket to see the world's wonders.
The other slipped eight-wheels underfoot – bruising and battering her way to the top, the first Hawaiian professional roller derby wahine. A frame of five-feet and a hundred pounds to match, she rounded the rink and I know that laugh reverberated with the raucous crowd as it did from the Halawa mauka.
Ramona remained until 1963 when she said "a hui hou" to Halawa and went to California to live with Pilipo and his new wife, Dianna.
Keiki o ka `aina, they were adopted to Rose Aukai and Elino Solatorio after the death of their mother, Helen Lahapa Kawaa in 1943.
Their life in the lo`i was difficult. It was respect, strength, tradition and culture. These qualities have accompanied them through their journeys and now 50 years later stand side-by-side sharing laughs and tears about those early years.
Ramona now calls Las Vegas home but makes a yearly return to Molokai Nui a Hina and energizes her ohana with contagious vivacity.
Pilipo and Dianna live in Halawa and with the help of ohana, haumana and volunteers are restoring generational lo`i on kuleana lands.
Whether konking the competition in Portugee horseshoes or making o`opu at the bridge with bamboo and worms, these siblings carry a glow that attracts all, determination that will run you over and mana that twinkles in their eyes.
A Light from Heaven
Provided by John Thoene
Located right above American Savings Bank in Kaunakakai is Molokai’s newest store, A Light from Heaven. On Sept. 7, A Light from Heaven will be celebrating its grand opening. Come and celebrate with the owners, John and Lina Thoene. We sell camping, hunting and fishing supplies and accessories.
Hours of operation are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – Saturday; 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday, and closed Sunday. Although there are a couple of stores on the island that sell fishing merchandise and some camping equipment, we do not have a store that specifically specializes in camping, hunting and fishing. We do not wish to compete with the other stores; rather, we will sell what the other stores do not.
Historic Groundbreaking Attracts VIPs
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In what some have called the biggest project to happen on Molokai in a decade, the old Pau Hana Inn is shedding its identity and becoming the Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC), while keeping the ancient banyan tree, seaside views and sense of community activity.
Using gold-plated, hand-painted shovels, dignitaries and community members turned over the earth at the health center’s new campus last week, marking its latest chapter.
The ceremony was teeming with leaders from the county and state: U.S. Sens. Dan Akaka and Daniel Inouye, Gov. Linda Lingle, state Sen. Kalani English and state Rep. Mele Carroll all gave remarks at last week’s groundbreaking.
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Bon-a-Fide Good Time
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Elaborate kimonos mingled with T-shirts and slippers, paper lanterns lit the dusk sky and Taiko drumming filled Kaunakakai last Saturday evening as the Guzeiji Soto Mission held its annual Obon festival, a religious and cultural event that honors the dead.
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“It’s symbolic of dancing with your ancestors,” said Rev. Shuji Komagata, who came from Soto Mission Aiea on Oahu for Saturday’s festival. “It’s a reunion.”
The celebration began in the morning with a prayer service at Kapa`akea Cemetery, followed by a service at the temple to honor those who have passed away in the last year.
The Obon festival had been held at Mitchell Pauole Center for over 20 years, but this year organizers moved it to its original site, the temple grounds on Hotel Lane, allowing the evening’s service to flow into the performance.
“We just thought it would be really nice to bring it back to its original place,” said volunteer Koki Foster.
Komagata called the festival a time for “everybody, even if they’re a different religion, to take a moment and remember the ones who have passed on.”
Over the stage hung a line with slips of paper on which people wrote the names of loved ones who had passed away. At the end of the night, the slips were burned, symbolically releasing the spirits.
Native Hawaiian Health Care Gets Funding
Representative Mazie Hirono News Release
Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that a $9,044,880 grant has been awarded to support Native Hawaiian health centers on Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the Island of Hawaii, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
These grants keep vital health care providers operational by enabling them to pay for rent, salaries, various overhead, and medications for qualified patients.
Bridging the Summer Gap
Community Contributed
By Kimberly Kaai and Sandy Czajkowski
Getting prepared for Molokai Middle School was made truly exciting for 35 incoming seventh and eighth grade students thanks to Summer Bridge Math, a 21st Century program. It ran from July 12-15, 2010.
The goals of Summer Bridge Math were designed to support students’ successful transition into the Molokai Middle School setting and focus on specific math topics as a bridge between elementary school math to middle school math. This was a cooperative effort involving Molokai Middle School teacher Iolani Kuoha and sixth grade teachers Kim Kaai of Kaunakakai School and Wendy Espaniola of Maunaloa School.
Summer Bridge Math gave students an opportunity to get acquainted with each other in an academic setting as well as meet some of the Molokai Middle School staff.
A special thanks to Rose Yamada who donated gift certificates to participating students and kudos to the students who took time this summer to be part of this valuable learning opportunity!
Akaku Invites You to Meet the Candidates
Akaku News Release
Following in His Footsteps
It was an eventful week for a group of French Catholic priests from the Fraternity of Molokai, marking the first time they had ever visited their namesake island and home of their patron, Saint Damien de Veuster.
These priests were part of a group of 35 priests, nuns and lay people from an international Catholic movement called Heart’s Home comprised of nearly 400 global members and volunteers. They came to Molokai to learn about Saint Damien’s life, gain a deeper understanding of his mission and the people he served, that inspires them in their own missions around the world.
Heart’s Home, inspired by St. Damien’s work and dedicated to compassion for those in need, has 45 centers in 22 countries around the world.
Sylvie Muller is a lay-consecrated member who made the journey to Molokai. Muller’s current mission is in Brooklyn, New York. She began with Heart’s Home, as many do, as a volunteer, first sent to serve in Argentina over 10 years ago. She said though her work with Brooklyn’s elderly, under-privileged and home-bound is often difficult, she is inspired by Saint Damien’s closeness to the people he served and how much he loved them.
“You don’t know how I was longing to be closer to Damien and follow in his footsteps,” said. St. Damien “gives meaning to what I do and what I am.”
Who Supports the Molokai Veterans?
Opinion by David Hafermann
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