March 11, 2015 - Volume 31, Issue 10
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
New Middle School Principal
H E R O E S A M O N G U S Six State Pineapple, Russo and Speedy Medals for Wrestling
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
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awn Mains assumed the position of new principal of Molokai Middle School at the beginning of this year, and having settled into her new role, gives “thanks every day that Molokai chose me.” The former vice principal at Lahaina’s King Kamehameha III Elementary School said she first visited Molokai three years ago during a leadership development camp for school administrators and felt a special connection to the island. “I just put it on my heart that I think I’d like to live there one day,” she said. “I prayed about it, put it out to the universe.” When former MMS Principal Gary Davidson decided to take a job with an educational support business at the end of last year, Mains jumped at the opportunity to fill the opening. Davidson calls her an ideal match for the job. “Dawn Mains is the perfect new principal for Molokai Middle School,” he said. “She has that great balance critical to being an effective principal these days, relying on the school team when decisions and plans are best shared, and leading with firmness when something requires the principal to act decisively.” Mains said it’s not unusual for principals to start a new position halfway through the year. With everything on track for the rest of the year as outlined by the previous principal, she said it gives more time to settle in before making big decisions about the next school year. She added that MMS faculty set those tracks well. “Davidson and the staff have done a good job putting the pieces in place… my ultimate goal is to help the staff understand all these pieces and how they all align,” said Mains.
Providing a Foundation The overall goal is being able to provide a foundation – academically, socially and behaviorally -- for kids to be able to participate in society, according to Mains. She stresses self-directed learning and helping students “organize themselves to learn how to learn” and apply that learning to any situation – a skill she said will help them in their future lives. She sees the role of principal– in addition to taking care of the business aspect of running school -- as that of a colleague to teachers and staff. “I’m on just as much a learning curve as everyone else in getting kids ready for jobs that haven’t even been invented yet,” she said. While Mains’ most recent job was a vice principal at an elementary school for five years, her previous experience prepared her well for working with the middle school age group. As a math teacher, she taught both middle school and high school students, and before taking an administrative roll, was a middle school teacher for seven years, she said. So far, she’s adjusting well to her new role in guiding both middle school
MMS Principal Continued pg. 3
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By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
M
olokai veteran Samuel Kealoha sat quietly on an airport bench on a blustery Ho`olehua morning. Lei in hand, he looked for a pair of faces out on the airstrip. He remembered the names clearly: Melton Gonzalez, a California native. Raymond Russo, from Florida. But the faces would be different. The last time he’d seen these faces 45 years ago, they were obscured by the thick jungle foliage of Cambodia. On Feb. 14, for the first time since they left Southeast Asia, Kealoha was about to be reunited with fellow Vietnam war veterans Gonzalez and Russo, thanks to the detective-like efforts of Russo’s wife and friends. When Gonzalez and Russo stepped into the airport, it only took a moment for the emotions to sink in. They laughed, cried and embraced with the flag of the Army’s 1st Cavalry, the unit with which they had served in together. Kealoha would later say that he felt “deeply moved [by] the respect I got from these two guys.” For the three of them, it was like seeing long-lost relatives. “After 40 something years … we never lost that brotherhood,” said Russo.
Lost and Found
Photo by Catherine Cluett
Four days into the reunion, Kealoha, Russo and Gonzalez sat together at Paddler’s Inn. Wearing identical Army ball caps and yellow Molokai Veterans polo shirts, they relaxed over beers and joked about each other. In a way, that was how the brotherhood all began. In 1970 when the three were fresh out of high school and serving in the Vietnam War, they met in between field missions, hanging around camp together. “We didn’t really get together until we came out of the bushes,” said Kealoha. “In the bushes we’re too busy looking at who the hell is our enemy.” That’s when nicknames were born. Gonzalez was dubbed “Speedy,” after the animated Looney Tunes mouse. Russo was, simply, “Russo.” Kealoha, whose Hawaiian name nobody could remember, became “Pineapple.” However, after the war, nicknames were the challenge of tracking down buddies. Few could remember anyone’s full names. That didn’t stop Russo’s wife Deb. Deb was determined to reconnect her husband with his comrades. She looked through Raymond’s military orders, combed through the white pages and online search engines. They sent letters and left phone messages. Then she got a response to a 2004 online post, and
Reunion Continued pg. 3
Hot Soups Hit the Spot By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
Photo by Colleen Uechi
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fter a week of torrential rains and whipping winds, island residents cozied up to steaming bowls of homemade soup at the Molokai Arts Center (MAC)’s fifth annual Soup’ R Bowl event last Saturday night. Nearly 20 artists of all levels crafted ceramic bowls for the hundreds of people who showed up at the event, held at the Molokai Community Health Center. Guests could choose from 578 different bowls to eat soup from and later take home. “One of the things that I appreciate about ceramics as an art is that it’s really functional,” said MAC Development Director Helen Kekalia. “I think this event highlights the functionality of art. It’s not just beauty and expressing yourself.” Event Head Chef Joyce Haase, Take’s Variety Store staff and a team of volunteers cooked four different soups, along with salad and bread. MAC Board President Emillia Noordhoek said they also incorporated various local products into the meal. Vegetables for salads and soups came from Barking Deer
Farm and Kumu Farms. Barking Deer Farm also provided hibiscus tea served with kiawe honey from Molokai Gold. Guests took in acoustic entertainment and hula performances with their meal and bid on art pieces in the silent auction. Molokai resident Vicki Underwood said she enjoyed having a social
t Hawaii’s state wrestling championships last weekend, 432 wrestlers from nearly 50 schools competed in 780 bouts over the course of two days. Molokai athletes refused to get lost in the crowd. Despite the staggering load of statelevel competition, six of the 11 Farmer wrestlers who hit the mats emerged with medals, which are earned by finishing in the top six in a weight class. Molokai’s top finisher was runner-up Alexandria Simon, who challenged a world title-winning wrestler in the 132-pound championship final. “It’s crazy and you know that you’re one of the best in the state just making it there, because you know all the people around you are dedicated to the sport,” said Molokai junior Cendall Manley. “… It’s an individual sport but you feel the collective energy.” Junior Kui Han came in sixth in the boys’ 285-pound division. Seniors Desiree Corpuz (112) and Sierra Pico (122) took third place, senior Saydee Makaiwi (127) came in sixth, junior Simon (132) finished second and Manley (155) took fifth. “This was one of the toughest state tournaments we had as far as the level of competition,” said Head Coach Randy Manley, who’s been coaching at the high school for 11 years. “… Any time we have kids that walk away with a state medal around their neck, that’s a pretty satisfied feeling.” As a team, the girls finished eighth out of 48 schools, while the boys tied for 24th place out of 46. Simon, a three-time state qualifier,
Wrestling Continued pg. 3
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Urgent Care Comes to MCHC
Pg. 3
Scores for Spring Sports Kickoff
Pg. 9
Soup' R Bowl Continued pg. 3
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