NOVEMBER 12, 2014 - VOLUME 30, ISSUE 45
The
Molokai Dispatch T H E I S L A N D ’S N E W S S O U R C E S I N C E 1985
Lanterns That Carried Prayers
Moratorium Passes, Questions Remain
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
A Photos by Catherine Cluett
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
A
s the muted colors of dusk overtook a glassy ocean, hundreds of lanterns were set afloat, bearing messages of grief and loss, prayer and gratitude. Ashore, a crowd lined the water’s edge. Some stood with heads bowed and hands folded, others with arms in embrace, toes buried in the sand, looking out to sea. “Whatever healing they need, whatever losses they’ve experienced, they can write those messages on the lantern,” said Barbara Helm, bereavement coordinator at Hospice Hawaii Molokai. “It’s an opportunity to grieve openly – everyone’s coming for the same purpose. We’re all there in support of each other, without saying anything.” Hundreds of residents released more than 200 lanterns made of wood and paper during Molokai’s first Lantern Floating Ceremony. A joint effort between Hospice Hawaii Molokai and the island’s Guzeiji Soto Mission, the event took four years of dreaming before it became a reality last
Saturday at the Molokai Community Health Center Oceanside campus. Helm said she saw Oahu’s annual lantern ceremony on TV and thought, “We could do this on Molokai.” Both Hospice Hawaii Molokai and Guzeiji Soto Mission had wanted to organize it, but lacked the manpower. Finally this year, with the help of many volunteers, it began to take shape. “We offer bereavement support for anyone who has suffered losses, and my role is to coordinate support activities,” said Helm. “This is for the community, for the whole island.” Helm said she was worried about windy conditions and choppy water but the evening proved calm. “We studied the moon, the stars and the tide charts … and scheduled it carefully,” she said. They also planned it when Oahu’s Bishop Shugen Komagata of the Soto Mission of Hawaii would be able to attend. He said he visits Molokai about once every two months to lead services at the island’s temple.
Lanterns Continued pg. 6
highly disputed voter initiative to ban the growing of genetically engineered crops passed in Maui County in last Tuesday’s General Election by a narrow margin of 50 percent to 48 percent, with just over 800 votes’ difference. On Molokai, all of the island’s four precincts voted no by a ratio of nearly two to one, with 63 percent voting against the moratorium and 34 percent favoring it island-wide, according to stats from Hawaii’s elections website. The initiative calls for a moratorium until a detailed environmental impact study of the harms associated with growing genetically engineered organisms has been completed and reviewed by the County Council. In the wake of the vote, Monsanto and Dow Agrosciences, known on Molokai as Mycogen, are poised to legally challenge the initiative, while County of Maui administration says it is preparing to enforce the moratorium. The Citizens Against the Maui County Farming Ban spent nearly $8 million on their campaign to defeat the initiative, according to data from the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission. Monsanto spent $5.1 million toward that total, and Dow AgroSciences, which operates on Molokai as Mycogen, contributed nearly $1.8 million. Political analysts have said more money was spent on the campaign to oppose the initiative than this year’s
Moratorium Continued pg. 3
S TA M P E D E R O D E O
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Incumbents Take Stage in General Election Pg. 3
By Molokai Dispatch Staff
Molokai Football Finishes Second in League Pg. 4
D
ozens of paniolo from Molokai and around the state gather at Kapualei Ranch every November to help keep a tradition alive. This year, the Molokai Stampede celebrating paniolo heritage was held Nov. 8 and 9,
Photos by Catherine Cluett
and Saturday’s # 11 team roping even featured more than 100 teams. Contestants competed for a grand prize ATV, saddles and buckles. The rodeo features team roping, team branding, barrel racing and keiki events like dummy roping. Pictured at left, Molokai’s Me-
leana Pa-Kala tosses to catch the horns of her steer during Saturday morning’s team roping. Right, four-year-old Ryelle climbs the fence to kiss horse Hoku, ridden by her dad, Don Habon, as he takes a quick break from roping.
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The
Molokai Dispatch
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Emily Mahiai Molokai Born & Raised