MARCH 18, 2015 - VOLUME 31, ISSUE 11
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
NATIVES OF AIR AND SEA Season's first pup
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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his black-coated baby is the first Hawaiian monk seal of the season born on Papaloa Beach, Kalaupapa last week. Researchers don’t yet know whether it’s a boy or a girl. The mother, named RV06 by scientists, was also born in Kalaupapa in 2005, said Diane Pike, Molokai response coordinator for the Monk Seal Foundation. Last year, RV06’s pup died after three days, but so far this year, mother and pup seem to be doing fine, Pike said. Hawaiian monk seals are highly endangered, with only about 1,100 individuals alive today. Scientists believe the Hawaiian monk seal, along with the Hoary Bat, are the only two species of mammals indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. Most of Molokai’s monk seal births occur in Kalaupapa because it offers a safe and protected environment, and birthing season is usually between March and June. Monk seals usually come to their place of birth to have their own pups, like RV06, said Pike. This photo was taken by Sly Lee, Marine Bio.Tech, National Parks Service, Kalaupapa, courtesy of Pike.
Scarlet Sightings H
igh in Molokai’s mountain forests, the red-plumed, endemic `apapane, or Hawaiian honeycreeper, sips the nectar of ohia lehua blossoms through its curved beak. Like the `i`iwi bird, its crimson feathers were highly prized in Hawaiian culture and harvested harmlessly from hundreds of birds to make capes, feather lei and other garments for the ali`i. Today, the `apapane still lives in the Molokai Forest Preserve and Kamakou Preserve, calling to each other with a wide variety of distinct songs and flitting thousands of feet over lush valleys. In a recent bird survey conducted by volunteers on Molokai, 32 `apapane were recorded, according to volunteer Josiah Ching. Molokai biologist Arleone Dibben-Young, who led the survey, said that is a high count for the species. This picture was taken by Catherine Cluett at the Waikolu Lookout.
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Molokai Baseball Sweeps St. Anthony
Hanalei Dudoit Enos Photo by Rick Schonely
By Rick Schonely | Community Reporter
H Farmers First Look, Part 1
MCHC Begins CEO Search
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istory was made on Friday the 13th at Kaunakakai’s Duke Maliu Regional Park. Molokai High School senior pitcher Hanalei Dudoit-Enos pitched a five-inning perfect game and had nine strikeouts in a 10-0 win over St. Anthony to open Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) Division II play. “He did super good. All that hard work he did pays off and he has really matured,” said Head Coach Scottie Rapanot. “He has bright future. All he has to do is keep working hard and he has the potential to play college baseball.” As a senior, Dudoit-Enos said his goal is just “to show leadership” for younger teammates on the field. He explained before the season opener that his best pitch is his fastball, while his change-up and curveball are other go-to pitches. The Farmers swept the Trojans to start the regular season at 2-0. On Friday, the Farmers spread out six hits and worked five walks out of Trojans
Man Camp Called Off
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
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hen California resident Bryce Anderson visited Molokai in February, he thought it was the perfect place to get away from the city. Anderson runs a company called Man Skills Academy (MANSA), a San Francisco-based organization built on developing men’s real-life skills and social relatability that Anderson feels are lost to technology. Wanting to hold a back-to-the-basics nature retreat for MANSA, Anderson created Man Camp Molokai and began promoting the island and the event to group members. “Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime on the coolest island in the entire world??!” he posted on the social planning site meetup.com. “On Molokai … the water is bluer, the land is greener, the animals are tastier, the people are nicer and the adventures are endless.” Anderson lined up his cousin, a Navy SEAL, to teach survival and navigation skills. He made plans to rent a 6,000-square foot beach house and advertised camping, hiking, fishing and hunting expeditions on the 26-acre property his family owns on the west end. “The plan is to eat as much local fish and game, that we have caught or hunted, as possible,” he wrote. “… On Molokai, there are ample natural resources and more fish and wildlife than I have seen anywhere else in the world. Guys literally fish with nets because the ocean is overflowing with marine life in this forgotten paradise.” By the beginning of March, Anderson had 11 other men on board for two five-day trips at the end of April. However, Molokai residents weren’t as excited, and many expressed that they found the posts extremely offensive. In the wake of protests on social media and direct correspondence to Anderson, the trip has been cancelled. “There are many things I like about Molokai and I wanted to share this amazing place with the men in my group,” he said. “But I have learned that there is a pono way to do things.”
Reconciling Values
pitcher Colby Tam to force the five-inning mercy rule. Senior Cody Kamakana, along with juniors Alden Abafo, Ena Victorino and Levi Horner, had one hit each. On Saturday, Nohi Meyer had seven strikeouts and pitched Molokai to a fiveinning, 12-1 victory. The Farmers had 12 runs on 11 hits. Levi Horner was 4-for-4 with one run batted in and 3 runs scored.
Land and natural resources were one of the concerns residents expressed on social media, in addition to respect for cultural and historical values. “It was very culturally inappropriate, all of it,” said Molokai resident Teri Waros, owner of Kalele Bookstore. “He didn’t understand what this island is truly about. … The marketing approach is what killed it.” Hawaii resident Jenny Lynn said on the Molokai Dispatch Facebook page that she felt the advertising was “sensational” and “disrespectful.” She referenced Anderson’s description of Kalaupapa as a “haunted leper colony” and references to a game in which the losers would have to wear grass skirts, which she felt was insensitive to the history of hula.
Baseball Continued pg. 9
Man Camp Continued pg. 2
Why I fly with Makani Kai “I wish all airlines were like Makani Kai,” says James, who had just come from the main terminal where he had to do the TSA take-off-your-shoes dance. James, who works construction, says, “I like the no hassle, laid back atmosphere here. It reminds me of the Molokai Shuttle days.” That’s a comparison of which we’re proud. From topside Molokai to Honolulu or return
$50 online fare, every seat, every flight, every day. MakaniKaiAir.com | (808) 834-1111 The
Molokai Dispatch
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