By Glenn Teves

It seems like we’re constantly changing the definition to words to suit our lifestyle changes and our response to money.  Once upon a time, agriculture meant the production of food, fiber, and timber. All of a sudden, this definition is being turned on its head with the recent enactment of a law that allows transient vacation rentals on agricultural lands. Has the County gone over the edge or do they know something that we don’t? 

Just like the song of the late 60’s by Cat Stevens, “Where do the children play”, my question now is “where do the farmers farm if they farm at all”. With some farm land in Maui County exceeding $500,000 an acre, probably the highest in the nation, who in their right mind will want to farm when they’ll be spending the rest of their life paying for the land. Farm land has shifted from a resource, as envisioned in our state constitution, to a commodity sold to the highest bidder and the County is taking the lead in making this happen.

Road Between Kaupo and Kipahulu to Reopen After Nearly Two Years of Closure

WAILUKU, Maui, Hawaii - Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced that the Piilani Highway will reopen well ahead of schedule on Sunday, October 5, 2008. Drivers are reminded to drive cautiously since many parts of the historic road are very rural in nature. 

The roadway that traverses the eastern side of the island of Maui and connects the remote communities of Kaupo and Kipahulu had been closed for nearly two years following the October 15, 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake. The 6.7 earthquake caused rockfalls, destabilized cliff faces and undermined sections of the road. 

First known green sea turtle nest found at Papohaku Beach.

Rescued baby honu wait in a bucket to be released.

By Catherine Cluett

Hundreds of tiny tracks mark the sand from the grasses’ edge down to the ocean. They are neither the tracks of a crab, nor the marks of a bird. These footprints belong to baby green sea turtles making the 50-yard trek from their nest to begin their lives at sea.

It was the tracks which alerted a Popohaku home owner and Nature Conservancy volunteer to the turtle nest. George Balazs, a marine turtle research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), carefully dug a hole in the sand as a group of volunteers peered down into what had been the nest of over a hundred baby green sea turtles. Balazs was looking for clues that might bring insight to the genetic distribution of green sea turtles on Molokai.

 Soaking cancels classes for two days.

By Marie Nowell

Signs announcing cancelled classes were posted outside the Molokai Educational Center (MEC) last Thursday due to flooding. A drinking fountain ruptured overnight causing up to several inches of water to accumulate.

The facility remained open only for students who needed to complete tests. MEC professor and coordinator Donna Haytko-Paoa and other staff discovered the leak when they arrived to work Thursday morning. By then, water had flowed into surrounding classrooms and hallways.

The main concern was flooding in the computer classroom. There was four inches of water found in the electrical boxes, which are located on the floors.

 A New Family Restaurant Keeps Busy

 By Marie Nowell

Owner Maka Lee and employees have been really busy with the opening their new saimin shop, Maka’s Korner. So busy that they had run out of food within the first two days of operation.

After opening the doors for the first time last Wednesday, Lee said she is still trying to “get the feel of the restaurant business.” It has been a two year process to open the family business which is employed by friends and family members according to Lee.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 6 am – 2 pm. The basic menu includes steak, burgers, and fresh saimin noodles imported from Shiro's Saimin Haven in Honolulu.

By Catherine Cluett and Marie Nowell

Sixty-seven crews and about 700 paddlers participated in the 30th annual Na Wahine O Ke Kai Canoe Race last Sunday. The race started at Hale O Lono on Molokai and finished at the Hilton Hotel on Oahu across the Ka`iwi Channel for a total distance of 41 miles. The day brought flat water, which made the conditions more mentally challenging than physically taxing, said Rose Lum, 30-year paddling coach at Kamehameha Schools whose daughter paddled in Sunday’s race. “Love for the sport is all you have out there,” she added. “It’s all about culture and who we are. You can’t get this feeling anywhere else in the world.”

Concrete airlifted by helicopter.

By Catherine Cluett

Flying a helicopter takes skill. But flying a helicopter with a 3, 000 pound bucket of cement swaying beneath it on a 100 foot cable is nothing short of an art, says a member of Pacific Helicopters’ ground crew.

The company has been contracted to transport cement into Kalaupapa for construction on the runway there. The helicopter has been making the flight over the cliff to the remote peninsula every six minutes for the past two weeks. Goodfellows, Inc., under a State contract, is pouring 300 square yards of cement to replace cement blocks in the airport loading area with solid material.

In addition to pouring cement, Goodfellows has widened runway shoulders by five feet on each side, and also replaced runway lights, says Goodfellows region manager Dale Moore.

Kaluakoi swarming with bees.

By Catherine Cluett

For over a year, hum of bees on the Paniolo Hale Resort grounds has been as ubiquitous as your own heartbeat. But unlike your heartbeat, the presence of these honey bees is not a good sign, especially for resort resident manager James Murphy. “We have a bee infestation,” he says. And it’s a problem that’s beginning to cost the resort even its most loyal customers.

The bees are nesting in the walls of abandoned Kaluakoi Resort condo buildings, owned by Molokai Properties, Ltd. (MPL). The resort closed about ten years ago, says Murphy, and has since fallen into disrepair. The property is adjacent to Paniolo Hale, and bees are flying over to get water from Murphy’s lush grounds.

Pekekua – Part I
The story of Kahinu and the Octopus of Kupeke Fishpond.

By KK

In the days of old Molokai, before the car, wagon, or horse, the alanui (roads) were wide trails lined by stone walls. The walls kept the Pua`a (pigs) out of the alanui and away from the Lo'i Kalo (taro patches).

The Alanui to Mana’e (East Molokai) was wide and traversed more often than today’s roads which have paved over the ancient trail.

In those days, there were no Ahupua`a…. The sections of an island were called Moku.

This mo`olelo (story of old) is in reference to the Alanui O, (sacred place, center of High Respect) ka Moku o Kupeke. Kupeke is located adjacent to Puko`o, on the Komohana (west side) and Honomuni on the Na'e, (east side). Paialoko O Kupeke, (Kupeke Fishpond), is bordering the Moku O Puko`o. Here is the place where this Mo`olelo comes from.

By Lucienne de Naie

Inspired by Molokai

It was great to see some inspired Molokai representatives at the recent State Planning Conference and to get a copy of the Molokai Plan (Molokai Future of a Hawaiian Island). I want to thank all of those who worked to put this plan together. I read it and passed on copies to others, and it is now acting as a catalyst to inspire folks on Maui.

The ideas expressed in the Plan are where our communities need to go. We need to shape the kind of visitor base we want, and de-link tourism from land speculation if our communities are to survive as real places for local families to live, learn and prosper. Then we need to substitute new and better varieties of economic activity that actually benefit our residents. I have long been committed to these same values. That is one of the reasons that I chose to climb the formidable mountain which an independent candidate faces, when reaching for public office.

We on Maui see Moloka'i as leading the way through these turbulent times. The idea of having a "Molokai County Code" would be a step in the right direction to allow the independent spirit of Moloka'i Nui a Hina to take shape and emerge into its own unique expression.

Many believe that this is a time for leaders with vision to come forward and offer a new pathway into the future. Like you all, I have worked quietly for many years on Maui to bring forth into reality many small pieces of a larger vision.

This vision includes the return of our waters to Maui's people. The protection and care of our Wahi Pana and the resources that are a vital part of the natural cycle of life, like our reefs, wetlands, agricultural lands and forests.

Progress has been slow, but it has been steady. Now is the time to take on the largest challenge of all: building a new and sustainable economic future based upon cooperation rather than exploitation. This will be a challenging task, and will span many years, but it will be the one lasting legacy that would make worthwhile the many long battles we have all waged.

I welcome the support of all like-minded leaders in this undertaking. If you agree that it would be important to elect representatives who are already working for the same visions you hold, rather than trying to convince the well-meaning status quo candidates we usually get, please help me reach the people of Moloka'i who want a new future.

Please Kokua

I am running for the East Maui Council seat, currently held by Bill Medeiros. He is endorsed by the majority of unions, chamber of Commerce etc. I am endorsed by the Sierra Club and Conservation Voters of Hawaii, but my campaign support goes far beyond the environmental community.I am writing to ask for your support and your help. My webpage ElectLuci.org gives lots of info about what I stand for. I know most of you from hearings and statewide campaigns to protect our lands, waters, native people and plants.