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Kick Start

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Kick Start

Wahine soccer team gets new energy from an old source.

By Sean Aronson

,” say Shelton, “but it’s important that we compete.”

The soccer team plays two more games in Maui before the New Year. In 2009, they will be at home for just two games – January 9th and 10th against Baldwin High. Home games are played in the field behind Kaunakakai Elementary School. Friday games begin at 3:30pm and Saturday games at 10 am. Come out and support your team.

 

 

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Global Classroom

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Global Classroom

At Aka`ula, students are encouraged to see the world.

By Sean Aronson

to see what’s out there.”

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Census Job Interview – Thursday

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Crew Leader: Leads and regularly meets with Enumerators in the field to provide on-the-spot assistance and supervision.
Pay: $16.50-$18.50/hr.
Crew Leader Assistant: Assists Crew Leader with all field duties, including appointment and training of new hires and
assigning work to the enumerators. Pay: $15.00-$17.00/hr.
Enumerator/Lister: Completes assignments which involve locating and listing addresses (in 2009), and (in 2010) conducting interviews with
respondents.
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Staking a Claim

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Cultural and environmental healing for the DHHL

By Catherine Cluett

A place to call home may be on the horizon for many Hawaiians waiting to receive Hawaiian Homeland property. Not only would future generations be given an inheritance of land, but thanks to a new energy policy, they could be left with a legacy of renewable resources and sustainability they would be proud to call their own.

Representatives from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) held a “beneficiary consultation” meeting with Molokai community members last Wednesday to discuss what additional land the Department should acquire on Molokai. They also sought residents’ feedback on a new DHHL energy policy that will affirm Hawaiians’ commitment to sustainability and make renewable energy resources more accessible to the community. DHHL’s Administrator Darrell Yagodich and Planner Bob Freitas both gave presentations to a large gathering.
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One Bright Idea

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Solar panels to be an educational tool at Molokai Middle School

By Catherine Cluett

The future is looking bright as students at the Molokai Middle School become active participants in their school’s new energy-saving technology. Through a Maui Electric Company (MECO) program called Sun Power for Schools, Molokai Middle had solar panels installed on their roof that will allow students to experience science and sustainable technology hands-on. Last Thursday marked the blessing of the photovoltaic units, attended by students, teachers, and officials.

“We’re fortunate to have the solar panels. We’ll know how much money we’ve saved,” explains eighth-grade student Briann Steverson.

The system is comprised of eight 167 watt modules, producing about six kilowatts hours of energy per day. Bryan Lampshire of Rising Sun Solar, the company that installed the system, says that’s about enough to power a computer and a few lights. An inverter allows the panels’ DC power to be converted to AC for connection to the grid. A data acquisition system gives students the opportunity to collect, monitor, and analyze data from the system as part of an integrated renewable energy curriculum.

Due to their small size, the panels are useful more for their educational value than their monetary payback. Lampshire says the panels probably won’t save the school much money on their electric bill, but they are a great learning tool. Science teacher Tiana Miguel says the data collecting system will allow students to track how much energy the panels are producing and how much money they’re saving the school. Photovoltaic energy is also a useful springboard to all types of scientific exploration in the classroom.

“The Sun Power for Schools program gives students the opportunity to become familiar with the technology in today’s renewable energy world,” says MECO President Ed Reinhardt.

Kahu Anna Lou Arakaki performed the blessing of the newly-installed panels. She accompanied Reinhardt in a bucket lifted high over the solar modules on the school roof as Middle School students and officials looked on. Both Representative Mele Carroll and Senator Kalani English prepared letters that were read at the dedication.

Sun Power for Schools Project Manager Cheryl Correa says schools around the state are selected by the Department of Education to receive the solar panels through the MECO program. Molokai High School has also benefited from the program, with panels installed in 1999. Over 30 schools statewide have been recipients of the Sun Power for Schools program, says Correa.

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Happy Holidays Molokai Style

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Happy Holidays Molokai Style

Mele`ana, Kalehua and Kamalei gleefully sing Christmas mele to a huge gathering of family and friends at this year’s Parade of Lights celebration.

By Molokai Dispatch Staff

A long line of Christmas floats made its way down Main Street for the first time in over three years, attracting hundreds of people who came out to see the fanciful lights.

Almost everything that could be pushed, pulled, carried, dragged or rolled was dressed up as a float, including a giant coffee picking machine, an outrigger canoe complete with paddlers, a fishing boat and a golf-cart sled pulled by human reindeer. Guest-stars included Molokai veterans, 4-H Clover Lopers, Boy Scouts, Councilman Danny Mateo, and, most importantly, Santa Clause.

“Everybody was blown away,” said Molokai Chamber Foundation’s Barbara Haliniak, who spearheaded the event’s planning. Over the decades, the event has been passed from one organization to another until finally going dormant for several years. After successful fundraising, the Chamber Foundation brought the parade back to life.

“We’ve been hearing a lot in the community saying they miss the electric light parade, so we decided to do it,” said Haliniak.

The Parade of Lights was much more than just glitz and glam. Last Friday’s event featured a full-blown Ho`olaule`a that, besides food and live entertainment, featured festive contests with hundreds of dollars of cash motivation on the line.

Winner of this year’s contests are as follows (from first to third place): Best Store Window: Friendly Market Center, Dr. McGuire, Kaunakakai School. Best Float: Aloha Connection, Deluna Trucking, Mycogen Seeds. Best Dessert: Ku`uipo Ka`ai, Winona Ka`awa, Kalani Garces. Best Christmas Tree: Friendly Market Center, Lori Higa, C&C Manley. Best Ornament: Lori Higa, Penny Martin, Jazz Bishaw.

The mission of Molokai Chamber Foundation is to lead, support, and serve community needs. Support for this year’s Parade of Lights comes from County Parks and Recreation, County Office of Economic Development, Young Brothers, Maui Hotel Association, Hawaii Telecom, Maui Electric Company, and community volunteers.

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Fountains of Youth

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Molokai keiki study island streams.

Story by Catherine Cluett, photo by John Mitchell

For Molokai keiki, taking care of the aina is second nature. So is doing a Google search. Three Molokai schools are participating in a program that fosters both technology and Hawaiian values. Students are learning to be the future stewards of the island by gathering and analyzing data from Molokai’s streams.

Ho`okuleana is an educational science program that provides students with the opportunity to study the water quality of island streams. Program director Ellen Federoff says students check for such factors as temperature, ph and salinity levels, turbidity, flow rates, and oxygen levels. The tests they perform monitor the stream’s ability to sustain life and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Students examine water quality, the species that live in the streams, and the effects of pollution through a series of hands-on projects. The three participating schools are Kaunakakai, Maunaloa, and Kilohana.

Learning how to use technology as well as working within the ahapua`a system allows students to combine old and new methods of sustainability, explains Federoff. The curriculum is largely designed by the teachers to fit the needs of their classes.

“The project is cross curricular,” says Federoff. “It can tie into science, language arts, math and social studies. Some teachers plan their whole curriculum around it.”

Teachers involved in the program go through a training workshop to learn how to use the technology and understand the goals of the project. Federoff says 20 teachers participate from Molokai and Maui. About 140 students grades 4 through 6 take part in the program on Molokai.

Molokai students have studied three steams on Molokai – Kawela, Wailua, and Honouliwai. The data gathered from the project is placed in an online database so students around the state can share and interpret the results from the streams.

“It’s exciting to see the kids out there learning about the environment and becoming the future stewards of Molokai,” says Christine Smith, a volunteer with the project. “They love to feel like scientists.”

A $96,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs pays for technology such as hand held computers and probes. The grant also covers transportation costs for each class to visit a stream at least twice during the year, says Federoff.

Alaka`ina Foundation that sponsors the program is a Hawaii-based organization that provides students with hands on environmental education and technology and science-based projects. The Digital Bus, another one of their programs, is a rolling science classroom that tours the islands, visiting Molokai every spring.

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Resourceful by Nature

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

Resourceful by Nature

How Kumu Farms has stayed ahead of the game

By Sean Aronson


A few years ago, Whole Foods grocery store entered the world of Kumu Farms. When Schule heard they were planning to open a store on Oahu, he contacted them about selling his papayas. They were interested from the get go.

“We were very impressed with his operation,” said Claire Sullivan, “He had all the makings of what we look for in a supplier.”

Sullivan works with Whole Foods in Hawaii to identify local producers of all things natural -- from fruits and vegetables to soaps and granola. Whole Foods does not accept any genetically modified (GMO) items and currently sells about half conventional and half organic produce.

According to Sullivan, Whole Foods has been working hard to share the origins of their produce with customers. One way they do this is by posting a picture of the farm next to the product.

Today, in the papaya section, there is a picture of Schule with a description of Kumu Farms and its partnership with Hawaiian Homesteaders. “It’s a way for the consumer to connect to the producer,” says Sullivan. It also lets buyers know whether the fruit is conventional or organic.

Kumu is one of the only Hawaii farms to have their produce sold at Whole Foods on the mainland. The reason: “It’s his commitment to organic, non GMO,” says Claire Sullivan.

While Schule’s relationship with Whole Foods is important in terms of promotion and prestige, it is not a major source of revenue. Schule estimates that only about 5 percent of his produce is sold to Whole Foods.

“It may be small, but it has that name and that’s important,” said Schule

Whole foods will open three more stores on Hawaii in the next year -- two on Oahu and one on Maui. When Sullivan was asked if the Maui store had a better chance of attracting Molokai farmers, she demurred. She said the irony is that even for the Maui store, products will travel to Oahu where their distribution center is and then travel back to Maui.

Sullivan said she is looking for quality products – not just produce, but manufactured goods as well. She is particularly interested in local celery, carrots, onions, potatoes and spinach.

Looking Ahead
As for Kumu, Schule says the future of the farm is a mixed bag – rising transportation costs and the increased cost of doing business on an island are keeping the farm from truly thriving. But Kumu’s durability and longevity bodes well for Schule. He has established Kumu as a reliable producer and that means his buyers have come to count on his produce.

Despite this, big challenges lie ahead, many of which are out of Schule’s control. He says Molokai is at a crossroads – people are working out what kind of future is best for the island. He says growth is necessary for the survivability of the island, and for the farm.

Again, Kumu will have to adapt.

Agro-tourism is one possibility for growth. The farm would need some cosmetic work, says Schule, but it already attracts a steady stream of people who come to see the operation. He’s unsure how they hear about the farm --- perhaps its Kumu’s proximity to the airport -- but they mostly come to buy his papayas and pesto.

Schule says Coffees of Hawaii is a good model for a potential agro-tourism business, but his vision is more laid back, just what one would expect from his personality.

“We would certainly be funkier, that’s the way I’ve always done things,” says Schule.

Funky methods or not, Kumu is a survivor at a time when survival on Molokai is perhaps most difficult.

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Holiday Concert at the Library

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

Molokai Public Library is scheduled to host a “Christmas Medley Concert” featuring Lips & Lungs, on Wednesday, December 10th at 2:30 p.

Lips & Lungs is a musical trio composed of Ilse Borden (baritone sax), David Layne (trumpet) and Charle Kenward (clarinet).

This one-hour concert is recommended for all ages. Contact the library as soon as possible if a sign language interpreter or other special accommodation is needed.

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Maunaloa School Update

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Two other Molokai elementary schools also will be studied for consolidation.
By Sean Aronson

It is official – Maunaloa Elementary School will be reviewed for possible consolidation in the coming months.

After much speculation and confusion, State education officials announced this week that Maunaloa is among the schools being considered for consolidation. The Molokai school is part of a list that includes more than 20 schools in the islands. Two other elementary schools – Kualapu`u and Kaunakakai Elementary Schools ­­­­­– were grouped with Maunaloa in the announcement.

The Board of Education has grouped schools together that share geographical areas in order to study them as a system. If Maunaloa were to close, it is likely students would be transported to Kualapu’u or Kaunakakai, according to Board of Education members.

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