Kaunakakai Elementary School students celebrated the end of the school year in spectacular fashion. Firefighters from the Kaunakakai station brought a tanker and hoses to the last day of school on Thursday, May 30 to drench the enthusiastic kids, as per tradition.…
Joe Kennedy won’t give up. He’s been farming on Molokai for 55 years and despite heart trouble and a fractured pelvis, the 83-year-old is determined to keep producing food and to share his wealth of knowledge.
“I had a charmed childhood,” said Kennedy, who grew up in Missouri, where the family had a farm and loved gardening and nature. Although he earned a college degree in teaching and art, what he really wanted was to farm. While teaching in Alaska, his supervisor recommended he try Hawaii.
“Oahu was too commercialized,” said Kennedy, “but when I came to Molokai in 1969, I took one look at the land and people and knew I was going to stay.…
On a breezy May evening, the Molokai High School community gathered to celebrate the graduation of the class of 2024. This year’s ceremony was particularly poignant, marked by a shared sense of triumph over adversity. As Principal Dr. Katina Soares took to the podium, she delivered a speech that resonated deeply with both the graduates and their families.
“There’s no point in sugarcoating it. Your high school journey hasn’t been easy,” said Soares, addressing the tumultuous years the students had endured. She recounted the significant challenges faced by the class, from navigating online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic to the constant upheaval of schedules and routines upon their return to in-person classes.…
Dorothy Ann Kehaulani Quintua peacefully departed this world on March 30, 2024 at the age of 77, at home surrounded by the love of her children, grandchildren, and cherished ohana. She was born January 16, 1947 and her life was a testament to love, kindness, and unwavering strength.
Dorothy is survived by her loving daughter Johnessa Quintua (Jeremiah Keohuloa) of Hoolehua, Molokai, sons Travis Reyes and Guy Quintua both of Honolulu, Oahu, and her sister Miriam Kunihiro of Hilo, Hawaii. Dorothy’s legacy extends through numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews all of whom she adored deeply.
A celebration of Dorothy’s remarkable life will be held on September 14, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.…
Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association News Release
After a four-year hiatus, the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA) is proud to announce the return of the Molokai Channel World Championships, Na Wahine O Ke Kai and Molokai Hoe. Registration is now open to all eligible paddling divisions from the junior level to 70 years and over.
The Na Wahine O Ke Kai Championship race kicks off a two-week stint of inter-island paddling as the top female paddlers from across the globe take on this grueling inter-island challenge on Sunday, September 29. The Molokai Hoe follows on Sunday, October 13, celebrating the 72nd crossing of the Ka‘iwi Channel.…
Thousands of photos from the 1970s and 80s on Molokai are now available thanks to longtime resident Mike Dooley. Via the YouTube account “Molokai Photos,” Dooley shares his collection dedicated to Molokai’s past.
“I documented everything,” said Dooley. “I was a fly on the wall with a camera.”
Arriving on Molokai in the mid-1970s, Dooley started working at the Ka Molokai newspaper, which gave him access to a darkroom to develop his photos. Dooley explained that he developed more than 50,000 photos over the years, however many of them have since been damaged. What remains are approximately 5,000 film photos of Molokai families, fairs, farms, and more.…
Molokai High School (MHS) teams and athletes were honored at the annual sports banquet on May 21.
With the school year wrapping up, families and coaches gathered at the MHS cafeteria to recognize the accomplishments of this year’s athletes and athletics department, and especially the departing seniors.
This year, the Farmers produced four Maui Interscholastic League champion teams: baseball, eight-man football, boys volleyball and girls softball. Additionally, individual Molokai athletes from wrestling, cross country and track and field qualified for their respective state tournaments.
The boys volleyball team finished highest in the state tournament this year of all MHS teams, earning fourth place.…
Molokai’s high school chefs had a chance to shine at last weekend’s Queen’s Gala.
A celebration and fundraiser for the Molokai High School Culinary Club, the Queen’s Gala showcased the high schoolers’ culinary prowess. Now in its second year, the Culinary Club is thriving, offering high school seniors education and job opportunities right out of high school.
“If the community sees the success at the end of the rainbow, then they’re more bound to support in the future,” explained club moderator and Molokai High School teacher Tiare Hubbard. “This is a student focused, student created and student driven event.”
The MHS chefs created and served a five-course meal, working alongside mentor chefs from UH Maui College, the Four Seasons Maui and Fairmont Kea Lani.…
Tens of thousands of dollars were awarded to Molokai High School (MHS) students for post-high school studies at the annual scholarship award ceremony last week. The scholarships are funded through a combination of local businesses, MHS alumni, and more.
“Remember who you are and where you come from,” said Keo Hirata, in the presentation of a scholarship from KAPA Curious to a MHS senior.
Many of the scholarship presenters were MHS alumni themselves. Ruth Dean, Class of 1961, introduced a new $5,000 award. Dean, whose mother was born in Kalaupapa, explained that she wanted to give an award for a student intending on attending a vocational school.…
In the 29th annual Ho’omau celebration on Molokai, residents from across the island gathered to commemorate the study of ‘olelo Hawaii. The event was a fundraiser for the preschoolers of Punana Leo o Molokai, a Hawaiian language immersion preschool.
“This whole movement is a revitalization starting with our keiki so ‘olelo Hawaii can live on throughout the whole family,” explained Pueo Akina-Sumarnap, a teacher at Punana Leo o Molokai. “This program, this movement, is so important because it’s who we are.”
Last Saturday’s Ho’omau included vendors, food and entertainment. Proceeds help fund school supplies, programming and tuition for the students and families of Punana Leo.…
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