MAY 13, 2015 - VOLUME 31, ISSUE 19
The The
Molokai M olokai 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
Baseball Finishes Fifth at States Committee
Considers Ferry Subsidy
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
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or six and a half innings, the teams had fought hard. Pac-5 had been aggressive on the basepaths and Molokai had been timely with the bats, but with the two-hour limit up and the score tied, it had all come down to a coin toss, per the league’s time limit rule. A flip of a piece of silver would determine who would advance to the next round of the Division II state baseball tournament, and who would go home. “In my mind I was thinking, this is the biggest coin toss of our life,” said Molokai Assistant Coach Kenny Adachi. “It’s kind of a junk way for win, but it’s also a junk way to lose.” The Pac-5 coach called heads, the quarter fell tails and Molokai survived to play one final game. They beat Konawaena last Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium finish fifth in the state and close out another dominating campaign at 13-1. Throughout the season, Molokai was known for its offense, winning multiple games by double digits. However, the Farmers’ big bats were tested on May 7, in the opening game of the state tournament. They faced KamehamehaHawaii pitcher Malu Peralta, who Adachi called “probably the best pitcher in Division II.” The Farmers sent their own ace to the mound in Hanalei Dudoit-Enos. The senior matched Peralta’s dominance, holding the Warriors to one hit in three
innings. However, in the fourth inning, the Warriors broke open for five singles and four runs. “The boy was hitting strikes,” said Head Coach Scottie Rapanot of Dudoit-Enos. “… It just so happened the other team started swinging the bat. … [When] they hit ‘em in the hole, you cannot do nothing.” Kamehameha-Hawaii went on to beat Molokai 5-1, despite Dudoit-Enos’s seven strikeouts. “Everyone did alright, they just have to think a little more when they’re in the box,” said senior second baseman Codi Kamakana, who drove in the game’s only run. “But I feel we played a very good game.” Still in the running for fifth place, the Farmers moved to the consolation bracket to take on the Pac-5 Wolfpack in a win-or-go-home match on May 8. The first inning felt eerily similar to Game 1, as the Wolfpack knocked in five hits and scored four runs on Molokai starter Nohi Meyer. “We just told everybody, this is not our last game right here,” said Meyer. “We gotta make it to the next one. Everybody gotta have heart.” Meyer turned around and pitched five innings of shutdown ball. The Farmers backed him with a third-inning rally, tying the game at 4-4 on an unstoppable string of hits that had Molokai fans
roaring. To keep things on schedule, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association applied the “drop dead rule” to consolation bracket games. The game ends after seven innings or two hours, whichever comes first. At the end of two hours, Molokai and Pac-5 were tied 4-4. Per the rule, officials subtracted errors from
Baseball Continued pg. 3
Top, Codi Kamakana. Left, Levi Horner-Villa Photos by Colleen Uechi
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ossible financial aid is in sight for the Molokai ferry, whose recent losses in ridership and funds have forced company president David Jung to consider a shutdown as early as June. On April 15, the county’s Budget and Finance Committee will discuss a bill in which Mayor Alan Arakawa has proposed a $105,000 subsidy for the ferry. The money would come from the county’s Economic Development Revolving Fund (EDRF) and apply to the 2015 fiscal year, which ends June 30. “The ferry throughout the year has seen a decrease in ridership as hard times have come to Molokai,” said Jung, testifying at the county council’s April 7 meeting. “[Ridership decreased] when the Sheraton shut down, Pau Hana Inn shut down, watermelon faded away, coffee slowed down. Now we have GMO restrictions. Molokai is in hard times.” The bill came in response to Councilmember Stacy Crivello’s March 31 resolution urging the mayor to consider economic relief for the ferry. Ridership has dropped 25 percent since last summer, said Jung, and the company suffered $288,000 in losses last year. If the committee recommends passage of the proposed bill on April 15, it must go to the council for final consideration. According to the office of Council Chair Mike White, if the committee issues a report, which usually takes about a week, the bill could be ready for discussion at the council’s April 26 meeting. If approved then, a subsidy could come to the ferry early to mid-June. Residents can email written testimony on the matter to bf.committee@
Ferry Continued pg. 2
Feats of Science By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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lementary students from around Molokai tested their scientific muscle in an event called the Molokai Science Olympiad last Saturday, the first-ever event of its kind on the island. Held at Kaunakakai School, students in grades three to six from Maunaloa, Kualapu`u and Kaunakakai schools participated in teams, challenging each other to tests of engineering, math and science prowess. One competition featured launching rockets made from soda bottles and pressurized with water and air. The winner of the competition was the team whose rocket remained aloft the longest. In another event, students designed and constructed bridges from uncooked pasta; the winning bridge could hold the greatest amount of weight. A third event tested team communication skills; one team member described
Science Continued pg. 3
Making Wishes Come True By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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en-year-old Molokai boy Felix has had more than his fair share of challenges. Diagnosed with a progressive, genetic disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy that causes muscle mass loss and weakness, he’s spent a lot of time in doctor’s offices. But for his 10th birthday, he forgot all of that and spent a week as a normal, happy kid, fulfilling his wish to visit Florida’s Disney World. The trip was made possible by Make-A-Wish Hawaii, a nonprofit that grants wishes of children with lifethreatening medical conditions. MakeA-Wish Hawaii CEO Siana Austin Hunt, who grew up on Molokai’s Kapualei Ranch, said Felix was referred to the organization by his doctor. “He’s got a vivacious personally and his eyes just lit up,” said Hunt, referring to meeting Felix to discuss his wish. “When we talked to him, he had a really big hope for excitement. He wanted to ride roller coasters before he probably [no longer can]… He was over the moon to travel and incorporate his family.”
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
7 Judoka Compete at States
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Mo`olelo of Laka and `Olohe
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Photos by Darcy Fiero, courtesy of Make-A-Wish Hawaii.
Felix’s adventure last month, which included his mom, dad and older sister, began with a send-off party at Dave and Buster’s in Honolulu. Riding in a limo to the arcade gaming venue, he was joined
Make-A-Wish Continued pg. 3
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