FEBRUARY 11, 2015 - VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6
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 198 5
Basketball Three-in-aRow MIL Champs
Paddling Top 8 in State Photo courtesy Shane Adolpho
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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unior point guard Hepuakea Falealii said her heart is still pumping hard after last week’s games. Falealii played a big part in Molokai’s two thrilling last-second wins in the Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) championship, as the Lady Farmers (13-1) scooped up their third consecutive league title. Molokai defeated a pair of familiar opponents by a point each, winning against the Hana Dragons 33-32 on Thursday and against the Seabury Hall Spartans 39-38 on Friday. The Lady Farmers have now won seven of the last eight MIL Division II titles. “The girls did a great job making key plays down the stretch for us to win,” said Head Coach Lee DeRouin. “We’re very excited that we won the MILs again.” In both games, Falealii scored Molokai’s last points, nailing a free throw against Hana and hitting what DeRouin called “a tremendous shot” in the lane to give Molokai its final lead against the Spartans. Freshman guard Camille Ledesma said DeRouin told them to expect heavier competition, with all four teams more polished after a full season. After doubling the Dragons’ score in two games at the beginning of the season, the Lady Farmers played a much closer contest. “Coach Lee told us that it will get challenging for us, because from the start of the season Hana will gradu-
Basketball Continued pg. 3
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Swimmers Fastest in Season Finale
F By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
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he Molokai girls’ paddling crew capped off their season in the state finals on Saturday, finishing seventh out of 16 teams in Kahului. In their preliminary race, Molokai finished sixth in four minutes and 54.13 seconds, qualifying for the semifinals. The Farmers chopped 15 seconds off of their preliminary time and took first in the semifinals with 4:39.90, launching them into the finals. “In the semifinals … only the top two could move on to the finals,” said senior paddler Waipuna PalekaKelly. “It was really intense again because it was a lot on our shoulders.” The state championship featured 16 boys’ crews, 16 girls’ crews and 16 mixed. Molokai and second-place Castle High competed in the final race, where the Farmers came in seventh at 4:48.16. Fellow MIL schools King Kekaulike and Seabury Hall also made the third and final race. Sea-
bury Hall came in second overall, right behind champion Punahou. King Kekaulike finished fifth. “We had beautiful turns all three races,” said senior paddler Kelsie Espiritu-Tanabe. “The wind and waves were in our favor.” Paleka-Kelly said she’s proud that the Farmers ranked within the top eight teams in the state, especially in a sport where there are no divisions, allowing Molokai to compete against much larger schools. Espiritu-Tanabe admitted that while it was a little intimidating facing bigger schools, they entered the final race confident after their strong showing in the previous two races. “Already being in the top eight felt good,” she said. “We mixed well and strategized well. The first two races felt as perfect as we could get.” She and Paleka-Kelly, along with fellow senior paddlers Kiana Simmons and Kaylie Tanaka, all bid
Paddling Continued pg. 3
Controlled Burn Clears Hazardous Brush
Pg. 2
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
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Reading Between the Lines to Freedom Pg. 3
Molokai Candidates Vie for Rep. Seat
he Maui Fire Department (MFD) conducted its first Molokai-based controlled burn last week, clearing out 50 acres of overgrown brush behind residents’ homes in Kalama`ula between Feb. 4 and 7. Nearly 40 firefighters from Molokai, Maui, Hawaii Island and the Pacific
Northwest participated in the exercise, which, besides decreasing the potential for wildfire, also provided live training for firefighters. “It’s a good area to mitigate hazards,” said Kaunakakai Fire Captain Henry Lindo, explaining that fires in that area tend to spread quickly, pushed for-
Burn Continued pg. 4
our Molokai residents are among those competing for a State House of Representatives seat left vacant following Rep. Mele Carroll’s resignation last month. The District 13 seat, which encompasses Molokai, Lanai, Paia, Haiku, East Maui and Kahoolawe, has received 13 applications from candidates around Maui County, according to the Maui County Democratic Party. Molokai applicants are Lori Buchanan, Lynn DeCoite, Barbara Haliniak and Noelani Yamashita. Others include Shay Chan Hodges of Haiku, Scott Crawford of Hana, Alberta De Jetley of Lanai, Lucienne DeNaie of Huelo, David Fry of Haiku, Susan “Netra” Halperin of Haiku, Lance Holter of Paia, Robert Parsons of Haiku and Kay Okamoto of Lanai. In a press release last Saturday, the Maui County Democratic Party announced that three candidates will be selected by a 22-member committee, and the Governor will make the final appointment. The 22 members of the District 13 Council will comprise the official nominating committee and will meet on Saturday, Feb. 14. Each candidate will be allowed to speak to the committee for up to 10 minutes, then committee members will vote for up to three candidates, according to the release. The final three names as identified by the nominating committee will be given to the Maui County Democratic Party Chair and the Hawaii Democratic Party Chair, who will then forward the names to the Governor. The Governor has 60 days following the first day of the vacancy to make an appointment to the House seat. The top three names selected by the nominating committee will not be released, and the Governor may choose whether to make those names public. From Molokai, Buchanan is a field outreach coordinator for the Molokai/ Maui Invasive Species Committee and the co-owner of Molokai Security Service. She served as a member of the Molokai Planning Commission, according to information released by the Maui County Democratic Party. DeCoite is the owner of L&R Farm Enterprises and R.J. Snacks. She serves as a board member of the State Board of Agriculture and is the president of the Molokai Homestead Farmer’s Alliance. Haliniak is the president and owner of The Business Depot, a bookkeeping and payroll service. She also serves as president and founder of Molokai Island Foundation, which supports inclusion of the STEM project in a school’s curriculum. Yamashita is the Executive Director of Ka Honua Momona International, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing natural and cultural resources and is a graduate of both the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Princeton University.
Why I fly with Makani Kai “This is my first time flying with Makani Kai,” says Godfrey, who learned about us through his parents. “They like it here because check in is easy and there’s no TSA.” Godfrey, who is preparing for a future as a firefighter, says he also appreciates the fact that parking is free. “Plus, when everyone’s here, we go. There’s no waiting around.” We trust that all went well for Godfrey on his inaugural flight and that he becomes a regular with us.
$50 online fare, every seat, every flight, every day. MakaniKaiAir.com | (808) 834-1111 The
Molokai Dispatch
P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748
Godfrey Akaka Molokai Born & Raised