Molokai Dispatch -- August 19, 2015

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AUGUST 19, 2015 - VOLUME 30, ISSUE 33

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

Photos by Catherine Cluett

Long-Awaited Victory for

Veterans Center

By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer

M

ilitary service members, by nature of the job, often fight for causes they may never live to see achieved. The group of Molokai war veterans who first envisioned a Veterans Center on island in 2001 couldn’t have imagined the decade-long struggle of permitting delays, protests and a lawsuit that would follow. They couldn’t have known that 63 veterans, including project pioneer Larry Helm, would pass away before the building was completed. They did, however, believe that Molo-

kai would have a Veterans Center. Last Friday, their dream became a reality, as nearly 200 veterans, community members and elected officials closed an emotional and triumphant journey at the grand opening of Molokai’s Veterans Center. “Today it’s a privilege for us as a community to support you in any way we can,” said Kahu Jimmy Duvauchelle, as he blessed the center. “My only regret is that … a few of the soldiers who started this great facility [are] not here to receive what you and I are seeing today.” As flags were raised, speeches were given and the maile lei was cut on the

building’s airy patio, a hush rested over the crowd. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard presented MVCV with a congratulatory certificate from Congress, followed by commemorative plaques from both the county and the Department of Veterans Affairs. “When I was sitting here and looking at this beautiful facility, I was thinking of the warrior ethos that [is] instilled in every one of us, that I will always place the mission first,” said Gabbard, a veteran and friend of Helm. “I will never accept defeat, I will never quit, I will never leave a fallen comrade. And I know that warrior ethos has … brought this place to reality.”

Lavoie Gets Improvements for Life in Prison Cemetery, Water Tank for 2013 Murder A By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer

By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief

A

Molokai man who killed his girlfriend with a single gunshot in 2013 was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years. Marlin Lavoie, 35, was tried and found guilty of second degree murder in June, and last Thursday, received his sentencing. On March 20, 2013, Lavoie was looking for his girlfriend of nine years, 24-year-old Malia Kahalewai, at her friend's apartment in Kawela Barns. The two had separated about a week earlier following domestic violence incidents. After speaking with Kahalewai, who repeatedly asked him to leave, witnesses said Lavoie went down to his parked car, retrieved a rifle and

Lavoie Continued pg. 2

Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans (MVCV) received the building’s final certificates for occupancy and wastewater certification in the last few months. The 3,000-square-foot structure, which sits on Wharf Road, boasts three furnished offices, a common area, certified kitchen, four bathrooms and two showers. It has a phone line, satellite TV and Wi-Fi. Veterans said the new building, with its private offices, will give them the freedom to speak openly with visiting psychologists, as well as the ability to work more efficiently with VA offices on neighbor is-

Veterans Continued pg. 3

THIS WEEK’S

Dispatch

Photo by Halealoha Ayau

$1.2 million project to replace a 19,500-gallon steel water tank in Ho`olehua with a sturdier concrete tank is nearing completion. It’s a replacement that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) hopes will provide a better long-term solution for water pressure problems in the area. Almost two decades ago, a steel tank was installed to help regulate water pressure, after some homeowners complained of weak water flow or overly powerful flow from showers and sinks, said DHHL Molokai Acting District Supervisor Halealoha Ayau. However, the salty air took its toll on the steel, and the tank sustained damage from residents who sometimes use it for rifle target practice, said Ayau. After multiple repairs, the At the beginning of this year, genDepartment of Health, which oversees eral contractor Goodfellow Bros., Inc water sanitation, decided concrete replaced the steel with 12-inch thick would be a more cost-effective long- reinforcing concrete walls, according term option. DHHL Continued pg. 2

Molokai to Receive $1.5M for Watershed Project Pg. 2

Students Show National Promise in Health Careers

Pg. 4

Why I fly with Makani Kai “Makani Kai is my first choice,” says Kawaila, “because it’s convenient and affordable. Plus, it’s one rate…you don’t have to search for the best rate, you always know what you’re going to pay.” Kawaila, who is studying Hawaiian Culture and Natural Resource Management, also says she loves Makani Kai’s people, “Kawela (one of our Molokai Airport ohana) is like a cousin to me.” It’s nice to fly with those you know.

From topside Molokai to Honolulu or Kahului

$50 online fare, every seat, every flight, every day. MakaniKaiAir.com | (808) 834-1111

The

Molokai Dispatch

P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748

Kawaila & Zaeshalyn Purdy-Wright Molokai Born & Raised


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