SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 - VOLUME 30, ISSUE 39
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
Weather Cancels Channel Race By Catherine Cluett | Editor
KULAIA: ONE COMMUNIT Y, ONE WA`A
F
or the first time in 35 years, the annual Na Wahine O Ke Kai women’s channel race between Molokai and Oahu was cancelled the evening before the race due to weather concerns. With a small craft advisory calling for swells up to 12 feet and a wind advisory predicting 35 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph on Sunday, race officials made a difficult decision to call off the 41-mile crossing of the unpredictable Ka`iwi Channel. It will not be rescheduled this year. “It is with heavy hearts that the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Committee announced the cancellation of the 2015 race,” announced the race’s Facebook page. “This decision was not come to lightly and was the collaboration of committee members, our kupuna, medical team, and official boat captains.” This would have marked the 37th crossing and is the second time in the race’s history the event has been cancelled. The first time came in 1980 due to 30-foot surf and strong winds. Hundreds of paddlers from Hawaii and around the world gathered last weekend on Molokai for the start of the event. Reactions to the cancellation were mixed, but most understood that safety has to come first. “Good call. This is the only way to ensure everyone is safe!” commented one Facebook user on Na Wahine O Ke Kai’s official page. “Please no! Please let us make our own decision!” wrote another paddler on the page. While most commenters confirmed the sentiment “better safe than sorry,” many also expressed disappointment about not being able to make the crossing after months of training and in many cases, hundreds of miles of travel for the event. For one group in particular, the race would have represented a first: three crews had registered in a new junior division for ages 16 to 18, the first time in event history that the race was open to women under 18. Many paddlers worked hard to prepare physically and mentally for the renowned race, but every year, Molokai volunteers also put in great effort to make the event a success. Residents worked together to haul dozens of canoes to the remote Hale O Lono Harbor in anticipation of the race. This year, however, the cancellation will mean extra work. As of Sunday, local canoe club members who organize the hauling efforts said the canoes would remain at Hale O Lono until it was determined how many of them would be left at the harbor in anticipation of the men’s Molokai Hoe in two weeks. Those that will not be paddled by the men will need to be loaded onto trailers again and
Canoe Race Continued pg. 3
Photos by Colleen Uechi and Catherine Cluett
By Colleen Uechi | Staff Writer
L
ast Friday on the closed main street of Kaunakakai town, children spoke Hawaiian fluidly. Community members pounded poi while shop owners told ancestral stories through their handmade crafts. Hawaiian culture was alive and well at Molokai’s second annual Kulaia, a
celebration whose purpose was reconnecting with traditions of the past. “I like the idea that it’s a historical event that we’re trying to revive in our own Molokai way,” said resident Pulama Lima. “… I think it brings our community together in a way that people look at us as this model of aloha and this model of why we still continue this life of subsistence.”
Molokai Joins Opposition to NextEra Merger
M
olokai residents voiced largely opposition two weeks ago to a proposed merger between Hawaiian Electric and NextEra, a Florida-based energy company. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is gathering public feedback on the proposed $4.3 million merger and will make a decision within the next six months. Molokai’s feedback, said Commission Chair Randall Iwase, has been in keeping with what they’ve heard so far around
Kulaia Continued pg. 6
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Farmers Win 87-14, Stay Undefeated Pg. 4
Photo by Catherine Cluett
By Catherine Cluett | Editor
An event that once accompanied outrigger races and national holidays in mid-1800s Hawaii, Kulaia was planned to accompany this year ’s Na Wahine O Ke Kai. While the race was cancelled the next day due to weather, paddlers and local families still got a chance to celebrate community and culture.
the state. “The commission is not required to hold these sessions, but it was opinion of all three commissioners that it was important and appropriate to hear from the public,” said Iwase. A majority of Molokai attendees testified that they opposed the merger. “Big is not better any longer,” said Cheryl Corbiell, a member of I Aloha Molokai, a group that advocates for local energy
Park Program Connects Kids to Kalaupapa Pg. 4
PUC Continued pg. 2
Why I fly with Makani Kai “It’s a lot more convenient than the hustle and bustle with the TSA,” says Willie,a tug engineer with Young Brothers. He asks his wife: “How long was I waiting in line at Ohana, 30, 35 minutes? The line stretched forever.” Dana says she likes Makani Kai because, “It’s family oriented. It’s a lot more laid back than the other airlines.” Willie continues, “And I never had a late departure with you guys…in fact we’ve left early a couple of times.”
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
The Reyes Family From left: Nanea, Kahu, Willie, Dana & Pauline
Molokai Born & Raised