NOVEMBER 23, 2016 - VOLUME 31, ISSUE 46
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
Chopper Crash Claims Two Lives By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
crivello rejoins Hokule`a
Court Rules Against County GMO Regulation
T
here were no survivors in a Nov. 15 helicopter crash on Molokai's east end. Attorney and Molokai homeowner Gary Galiher was flying the aircraft, along with passenger and Oahu realtor Keiko Kuroki, last Tuesday evening from Honolulu to his private helipad on Molokai. They never landed as expected, and they were reported missing by Galiher's colleague early Wednesday morning, which initiated a Coast Guard and Fire Department search. The wreckage of the the black Hughes 369D helicopter was found Wednesday afternoon, at about 1400 feet in a wooded area, according to Edward Taomoto of the Maui Fire Department. It was less than a mile mauka of Galiher's hillside home just east of Puko`o Fire Station. "Gary Galiher was a very experienced pilot, who flew to Molokai round-trip almost every week for over 20 years," said John Corboy, a fellow Molokai helicopter pilot, via email. Corboy also has a private helipad at his home in Kawela, and similarly flies the route between Oahu and Molokai frequently. Residents of the area reported extremely windy and rainy conditions in the area Tuesday night. Corboy said he believes those conditions, along with obscured vision from the clouds and few ground lights for orientation, may have contributed to the accident. "This terrifying mix, buffeted by gusty winds and surrounded by mountains, is a recipe for tragedy," he said. "I have been in similar situations, and believe there are few things more terrifying." An east end resident living on the next ridge over from Galiher's residence, said she thinks she may have witnessed the fateful crash Tuesday night. "I heard the helicopter and wondered it if was him," Joanne Pryor wrote to The Molokai Dispatch, via social media. "It was raining very hard, you could see his light focused on the pad above [by Galiher's house]. I was thinking someone was going to have to drive up the slippery road [to check], when there was a giant orange ball. It lasted for a quite a while." Pryor said though she couldn't hear anything, she described seeing a large explosion. She couldn't recall the exact time, but believes it was around 7 p.m. She added she had just seen Galiher land there a few evenings before that. Galiher, 70, was the founder and senior partner of Galiher DeRobertis Waxman, specializing in personal injury cases, according to his firm’s website. He was a prominent and re-
Crash Continued pg. 4
By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
L Oiwi TV Photo by Kaipo Ki`aha
By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor
M
olokai's Kawika Crivello is once again joining the Hokule`a's Worldwide Voyage as a crew member. This time, he traveled to Virginia two weeks ago to sail south along the East Coast to Florida in one of Hokule`a's final legs before heading home to Hawaii. As the weather gets colder, he shared a photo of the vessel's hull covered in frost. The crew has been bundled up in winter clothes. As they headed south to North and South Carolina, Crivello commented on the beauty of the scenery. "We've run across bald eagles, trees that are changing of colors, it's fall season," he said in a social media video. Georgia and Florida are still ahead for him and the crew as they sail 950 nautical miles on their journey from Virginia to Miami, Florida, where they are expected to reach in early December. The canoe will make approximately 16 stops in various ports along the way. In Miami, Crivello said fellow Molokai crew member Lohioa Paoa will meet with him and continue the voyage on the Panama leg as Crivello heads home. In the wake of an embittered Presidential election with racial tensions rising in many areas, Crivello shared a powerful Facebook post last week that has received more than 600 "likes" and nearly 150 "shares" as of Sunday. We've reprinted it here, with permission. "As I sit here in South Carolina,
I am greeted by a large African American bradda. his first statement to me is, 'You ain't from here huh?' followed by, 'Where are you from?!' With a handshake and a answer to his question, Hawaii, his eyes light up. He shouts his excitement to all nearby. 'Hey! This dude's from Hawayah!' "Long story short after answering his next question, 'Why are you here?' I share with him about Hokule`a, about where I'm from. His questions are [filled] with curiosity, he wants to know more about my home, our peoples success, our struggles. His eyes are intense as he is moved by the stories of my home Hawaii. The conversation changed as I asked him of this place, of its history, of his ohana. He shares with me that of the things he's seen as a young child growing up in the sixties. That of burning crosses, KKK, the racism of the south and stories of his grandmother and slavery. He shares as if he's reliving it. "I'm listening to first hand accounts. I am sitting in places that I only read about, or seen [in] movies that speak of [these] exact places. Of hangings of lynchings. Deep. I look around as I listen to his mo`olelo. His eyes welts with tears. Kaumaha. Yet he ends with this to take back home. He asked me, 'Promise me you will share this with whoever will listen.' We are in a time in this world where Love is needed, my skin color should not define me as who I am nor should yours or any person. Overpower hate with love!! Overpower hate with love! I agree, Calvin, thank you for sharing your history and stories of your place and family. You have my word.
ast Friday, a federal court of appeals ruled that Hawaii counties do not have the authority to ban or regulate genetically engineered (GE) crops, commonly called GMOs, and the use of pesticides. The decision upholds the ruling of a lower court made last year, and concludes a highly disputed voter initiative in Maui County to ban the growing of GE crops passed in 2014. Other county ordinances also overruled by the court's decision include a Hawaii Island law signed in 2013 preventing new GE crops from being grown, and a 2013 Kauai bill requiring pesticide disclosure and buffer zones for application around schools, waterways, parks and other public use facilities. The Maui County initiative called for a moratorium on the cultivation of all genetically engineered crops in Maui County while studies are done examining effects on human health and the environment. It was passed by a narrow margin during the 2014 election. Following the passing of the ordinance, a number of businesses including Molokai’s Chamber of Commerce, Monsanto, Friendly Isle Auto Parts, Hikiola Cooperative and others opposing the initiative sued the County of Maui in an attempt to prevent enforcement of the initiative. In late 2014, the court ordered a hold on execution of the ordinance “until March 31, 2015 or
GMO Continued pg. 2
THIS WEEK’S
Dispatch
Hokule`a Continued pg. 2
Filmmaker Takes on Walter Ritte Documentary Pg. 2
Oiwi TV Photo by Kaipo Ki`aha
Kalaiakamanu Hou Church Celebrates 150 Years Pg. 4
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Molokai Dispatch
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Leah-che Takashima Molokai Born & Raised