‘Malama I Ka Wai’ is theme for 3rd annual Maui County Water Conservation Poster Contest

La'akea Paleka, third grader from Kula Kaiapuni Kualapu'u, took second place last year in the Maui County Water Conservation Poster Contest with this poster.

Maui County DWS News Release

The Department of Water Supply (DWS) is accepting entries from students of the County of Maui for its third annual Water Conservation Poster Contest. Entry deadline is March 9 and the contest is open to public, private and home-schooled students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Every student who creates and submits an entry will receive a Certificate of Participation. Winners will receive U.S. Savings Bonds of $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place. A total of 18 prizes will be awarded with first, second and third prizes presented to winners in each competition level. Winners will also receive a Certificate of Achievement. Honorable Mentions will receive gift certificates, and top winners will be recognized at an event in the Mayor’s office.

The department’s goal is to educate Maui County’s students on the importance of water conservation and encourage them to take an active role in ensuring the sustainability of Maui County’s water. Students should portray the theme “Malama I Ka Wai” and include a water conservation message in their artwork. “Malama I Ka Wai” means “To Take Care of the Water.”

Cassidy Duquette, a kindergartner at Kilohana School, took second place with this poster.

Students may draw or paint their entry on 11-by-17-inch white paper, and complete and attach the entry form available at http://www.mauiwater.org. Contestants may mail or drop off their entry and form to the Department of Water Supply, Water Resources and Planning Division at 2200 Main Street, Suite 102 in Wailuku (One Main Plaza), or to the Deputy Director’s office on the 5th floor of the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku.

Three students from three different schools on Molokai were named winners in last year’s contest. They were: Cassidy Duquette, Kilohana School, second place, kindergarten; La’akea Paleka, Kula Kaiapuni Kualapu’u, second place, grade 3; and Cherish Puaoi-Kalilikane, Honorable Mention grade 2, Kaunakakai Elementary School.

To see last year’s winners, go to 2011 Poster Contest Winners. More information is available at the Maui County website or by calling the Water Resources and Planning Division at 463-3108 or 463-3104.

DLNR listening session tomorrow on Lanai

DLNR News Release

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is visiting Lanai to conduct a listening session on Wednesday, Feb. 29. It runs from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Lanai Senior Center.

The DLNR Chairperson William J. Aila, Jr., First Deputy Guy H. Kaulukukui, and Water Deputy Bill M. Tam from Honolulu will be visiting Lanai to hear community comments, questions and concerns regarding topics under the Department’s jurisdiction. This is part of a series of DLNR listening sessions conducted statewide.

The DLNR is responsible for managing 1.3 million acres of state land, 3 million acres of state ocean waters, 2 million acres of conservation district lands, our drinking water supply, our fisheries, coral reefs, indigenous and endangered flora and fauna, and all of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites.

The DLNR’s management responsibilities are vast and complex, from the mountaintops to three miles seaward of our beautiful coasts. The health of Hawaii’s environment is integral and directly related to its economy and quality of life.

For more on DLNR and its divisions visit www.hawaii.gov/dlnr. If you are unable to attend but would like to send your comments, questions, and concerns to the DLNR, e-mail: DLNR2011ListeningSessions@hawaii.gov.

Pico earns top seed at state wrestling tourney

As expected, Lahainaluna dominated the Maui Interscholastic League wrestling championships on Saturday at Baldwin High School. But it was a Molokai wrestler who earned the only No.1 seed out of the MIL in the upcoming state wrestling tournament.

Senior Mikayla Pico earned first place Saturday in the 100-pound class at the MIL championships by defeating Kiana Soloria of Kamehameha Maui.

Senior Mikayla Pico will be the top seed in the 98-pound division when the Chevron State Wrestling Championships begins Friday at the Blaisdell Arena.

Two girls from Molokai received No. 2 seeds — Rizpah Torrres-Umi at 120, and Charisse Manley at 125.

For the Molokai boys, two wrestlers qualified for state: Dhavin Spencer-Basa will be the No. 3 seed at 285 pounds and Kailen Inouye is No. 4 at 135.

The Lunas claimed eight MIL championships in the boys division. Lahainaluna qualified for state in all 14 weight classes and got two No. 2 seeds.

Makani Ikaika O Molokai race series begins March 10

Participants from race 5 in last year's Makani Ikaika O Molokai race series. The series returns in March for its second season.

The Stand Up Paddle Association of Molokai (SUPAM) will be starting its second annual race series with Makani Ikaika O Molokai.

New for 2012 will be the introduction of a one-man division. The main goal of this grassroots-level series is to have fun and condition for the bigger races around the state.

There will be two courses: Kamalo to Kaunakakai Harbor for advanced paddlers, and One Ali’i Fish pond to the Harbor for beginners and intermediates.

SUPAM will be conducting training sessions on Tuesdays for advanced paddlers from 3:30-6 p.m., and on Thursdays for the beginners/intermediate from 4-6 p.m. Weekend training runs and early morning sessions will also be held for advanced paddlers that are interested in getting more time on the water.

For more information, contact Clare Seeger Mawae at clare@youthinmotion.org or 808-336-0946.

Race Schedule:

1. Saturday, March 10, 2:30 p.m. (0.8ft)-2.45 p.m. start. Rising tide until 5.30 p.m. (1.9 ft.).

2. Saturday, March 24, 2 p.m. (1.0 ft.) start. Rising tide till 4:45 p.m. (1.8 ft.).

3. Saturday, April 7, 1:30 p.m. (1.1ft.) start. Rising tide till 4.20 p.m. (2.2 ft.).

4. Saturday, April 21, 1 p.m. (1.1 ft.) start. Rising tide till 3:52 p.m. (2.0 ft.).

5. Saturday, May 5, noon start (1.0 ft.). Rising tide till 3:15 p.m. (2.4 ft.).

6. Saturday, May 19, noon (1.2 ft.). Rising tide till 3:04 p.m. (2.2 ft.). Molokai Holokai Race — Kamalo Harbor to Hotel Molokai, 8.5 miles — for both divisions, and bonus points for the series. Contact the Ohana Surf Club for more information

7. Saturday, June 2, 11 a.m. (1.1 ft.). Rising tide till 2:20 p.m. (2.5 ft.). This event is pending confirmation.

Gov. Linda Lingle to create Molokai Advisory Board if elected

Linda Lingle Senate Committee News Release

Governor Linda Lingle announced today that if elected to the U.S. Senate, she will create advisory boards on each neighbor island to give a voice to the statewide population of Hawaii at the federal level.

Linda Lingle, a former resident of Molokai, was here in August of 2010 for the groundbreaking of the Molokai Community Health Center.

During her eight years as governor, she implemented county advisory boards made up of volunteer community leaders. The membership of the boards in East and West Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kauai discussed and reviewed a myriad of issues important to each island.

“Having worked and lived on both Molokai and Maui, I know how important it is for residents on every island to know their concerns are being heard by their U.S. Senator and that their opinions are important at a national level,” said Gov. Linda Lingle. “The island-specific advisory boards that I plan to initiate if elected to the U.S. Senate, will provide residents on each island a forum to discuss issues that need to be addressed in Washington.”

“While other candidates have pledged to be available via a toll free number or through their websites, I believe it is critical for constituents to be able to interact face-to-face with a member of my team when I am in D.C.,” said Gov. Lingle.

“After serving 10 years on the Maui County Council, including six years as the Molokai member, and eight years as Maui County Mayor, I know residents on the neighbor islands desire this type of personal contact with their representatives. Implementing these island-specific advisory boards, along with a full-time staff person, will be an important component of my plan to communicate with all of the constituents I serve, if elected,” added Gov. Lingle.

Na Pu’uwai receives grant to help with diabetes education

The Na Pu‘uwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System on Molokai recently received a $31,000 grant to help those with diabetes.

The grant was announced Feb. 6 by the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) Foundation as part of $450,494 in grant awards to 10 local health programs and community organizations in the fourth quarter of last year. The HMSA Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable foundation that supports efforts across the state to improve the health of Hawaii’s people.

For Na Pu’uwai, the grant supports the Molokai Drugs Health Care Program. The grant will help educate people with diabetes on the importance of taking their medication. The program places 50 participants of Native Hawaiian ancestry and other minority groups in individual or support-group settings.

“The grant will help improve patients’ overall health and develop a positive attitude toward diabetes self-management,” said Judith Mikami, Na Pu‘uwai’s associate and resource director.

Other Hawaiian groups to benefit from these grants include: Aloha Medical Mission, American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association in Hawaii, Faith Action for Community Equity, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Māla‘ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School, National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii, Surfrider Spirit Sessions and University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, which received the largest of the grants worth $200,000.

Na Pu´uwai, Inc., founded in 1985, is a community-based Native Hawaiian organization on the island of Molokai, dedicated to the betterment of the health conditions of Native Hawaiians.

Dhavin Basa wins heavyweight title at MIL wrestling meet

Molokai had one champion on Saturday at the Maui Interscholastic League wrestling tournament at Lahainaluna on Maui.

In the heavyweight division, the Farmers Dhavin Spencer Basa defeated Bodean Bates of Lahainaluna to take the title.

In the 137-pound class, Kailen Inouye, Molokai, lost to Nathan Inovejas, Lahainaluna, to earn second place. Molokai’s Shauden Pedro wrestled to a third-place finish at 173 pounds.

The only Molokai girl with a top finish was Sierra Pico. She lost the final match to Kiana Yamat of Lahainaluna at 116 pounds to finish in second place.

Mother Marianne Cope canonization set for Oct. 21

Since Pope Benedict XVI made it official on Dec. 19 that Blessed Mother Marianne Cope would become a saint, the Molokai Catholic Community has been waiting to hear when.

Blessed Mother Marianne Cope

On Saturday, the date of the ceremony was announced: Oct. 21. Mother Marianne’s feast day of Jan. 23, her birthday, was also announced on Feb. 18 by the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities.

Mother Marianne will join six others who will also be made saints on Oct. 21 by Pope Benedict XVI: Jacques Berthieu, a French Jesuit; Pedro Calungsod, a Filipino lay catechist and martyr; Giovanni Battista Piamarta, an Italian priest; Maria del Carmen (nee Maria Salles y Barangueras), the Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching; Anna Schaffer, a German lay woman; and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, a young Mohawk woman who converted to Catholicism, who will become the first Native American canonized as a saint.

In early December, the cardinals and bishops on the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes for Saints announced a second miracle attributed to Cope’s intercession. It took place in 2005 when Sister Michaeleen Cabral, of Syracuse, met Sharon Smith, who was suffering from pancreatis following a kidney transplant. Sister Cabral encouraged Smith to pray to Mother Marianne, the former Syracuse Franciscan leader who spent 35 years at the Kalaupapa settlement. Smith, now 65, recovered completely.

Marianne, known as the “beloved mother of outcasts,” entered religious life in 1862 in Syracuse, N.Y. and came to Hawaii in 1883 to provide health care to patients with Hansen’s disease, commonly known as leprosy. She arrived in Kalaupapa in 1888, about a year after Father Damien died of Hansen’s disease. Damien became a saint in 2009.

Attending the canonization ceremony in Rome will be Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva and eight Kalaupapa patients and caregivers.

The official tour is tentatively scheduled to run from Oct. 14-23. It will begin with a visit to Syracuse, N.Y., home of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, which Mother Marianne joined in 1862. A shrine and a museum dedicated to her are located there. Besides heading into Rome and Vatican City for the canonization, travelers may also go to Florence, Italy.

Seawind Tours & Travel, which is organizing the official tour, will have packages with visits to Syracuse and Florence as options, as well as a Rome-only itinerary.

Seawind took 546 people from the 50th State to St. Damien’s canonization in October 2009.
Go to www.seawindtours.com/blessedmariannecope for updates.

Kalaupapa traveling exhibit goes to Oahu March 2

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement News Release

Hilo, Hawaii – Over 1,000 people attended the debut of the Kalaupapa traveling exhibit at the East Hawaii Cultural Center (EHCC) in December 2011. The exhibit features the photographs of acclaimed photographer, Wayne Levin.

Organized by the nonprofit organization Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, the exhibit features 100 photographs of Kalaupapa, her people and family members celebrating their ancestors. The words of the people accompany the photographs.

Aulani Shiu and Dayton Kupele offer ho'okupu to their Kalaupapa ancestors in this 2010 picture taken by Wayne Levin.

A discussion featuring family members sharing their experiences was held in conjunction with the show. The exhibit is funded in part by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Ku kulu Ola:
Living Hawaiian Culture Program, the Atherton Family Foundation, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and IDEA, an international organization dedicated to empowering people affected by leprosy.

Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa was founded to promote the dignity of every individual sent to Kalaupapa since 1866, through advocating on behalf of current residents; preserving the unique history of Kalaupapa; and bringing the Native Hawaiians sent to Kalaupapa back to their family histories, the history of Kalaupapa, and the history of Hawaii.

Wayne Levin has been photographing Kalaupapa since 1984. When he became involved with Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa in 2003, he began photographing family members in ways that bring to mind their ancestors.

Sol Kaho`ohalahala, a member of the ‘Ohana Board of Directors, attended the opening of the exhibit in Hilo. A photo of Kaho`ohalahala visiting the grave of his Kalaupapa ancestor, Lillian Kaho`ohalahala is included in the exhibit.

“Seeing all of these photographs of Kalaupapa residents and now their families honoring their ancestors makes us realize that there is a future at Kalaupapa, a future of ‘ohana and always remembering our kupuna who are now part of the land,” said Kaho`ohalahala. “It was wonderful to meet other descendants in Hilo and share our experiences.”

The exhibit will open on Oahu at Windward Community College in Kaneohe on March 2 and run through April 1 at the venue.

Later, the exhibit will appear at Kapolei Hale and Maui Arts and Cultural Center. For more information as it becomes available on exhibit locations, family discussions and dates, please visit www.kalaupapaohana.org.

No suspects in senseless livestock killings at Kalae ranch

Police are looking for suspects in the recent killing of several horses and cows on a Kalae ranch.

On their 1,000-acre pasture near Meyer Lake, Richard and Roxanne French found a horse and three cows shot dead in December.

A horse near Molokai's north shore. It is not known if this horse was one of those shot on the French's ranch last week or in December.

The tragedy got worse last week. While surveying the pasture, Richard French found another horse and a cow shot. When police were called, another pregnant mare was found shot in the stomach. An additional cow was shot as well. The mare is clinging to life while the other animals died.

Police are reporting the losses in excess of $90,000 for the quarter, palomino and sorrel horses, plus heads of cattle.

The ranch now only has one horse left to herd the 150 cattle.

“Police are investigating these incidents. At this time we have no suspects,” said Maui County Police spokesperson Lt. Wayne Ibarra. “Anyone with information should contact the Molokai Police Department (808-553-5355) or Maui County Crimestoppers (808-242-6966).”

The family has set up a reward account at Bank of Hawaii under the “Innocent Livestock” fund.

The Humane Society of the United States is also likely to add a $2,500 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction.