"Molokai Ranch Cuts More Than Just Jobs" - Molokai Dispatch Article
What a sad waste - in so many ways...Aloha, Kahualaulani
Ranch Cuts More Than Just Jobs
Destructive measures in the wake of closure.By Brandon Roberts
Kaluakoi residents awoke Wednesday to the sound of rain and falling coconut palms. Up to 30 trees have been killed to make barriers around the golf course, and have many Molokai residents wondering why.
"This is just so sad, it looks like a war-zone with all the beautiful trees down," said Judy Canady, Ke Nani Kai resident of 27 years. "They could have at least had the courtesy to tell us."
She believes the Ranch is doing this as retribution for the failure of the La`au development.
Judy's husband Darryl, former president of the West Molokai Association, said that the Ranch shutdown and subsequent hacking of healthy trees has been a "festering, ongoing, and growing situation for many years." Judy added that the horrible situation has hope, "it brings us together in the community."
The Canady's echoed many West End residents' sentiments that what respect the Ranch and Peter Nicholas may have had has all but disappeared. One resident of 18 years said that they should be put in jail.
"When the La`au proposal started, I gave the Ranch the benefit of the doubt, but it divided the community, and when I saw Peter Nicholas get ugly, I said, this is not the way a business person should act, this is wrong. I did not respect the way Nicholas treated the members of the community," Judy said with sadness.
"Walter Ritte was wonderful today," Judy said. She made a phone call to Ritte, a community leader against the La`au development, the night before to express her concern and emotions about the destruction on the West End.
Ritte told Ranch manager John Sabas that he would bring the Ranch all the kiawe trees they wanted to barricade the vacant golf course, but Sabas allegedly said he preferred to use the live coconuts.
"They just don't care, not one ounce," expressed an emotional Carol Harms, Kaluakoi resident. She pointed toward a standing group of dead coconut trees wondering why live palms were used instead to make the ineffective barriers.
Historically in Hawaii, it was an act of war and disrespect to cut down coconut palms. The trees are a source of life, producing food, water, shade, and holding precious land from erosion.
Meanwhile, in Maunaloa, the swimming pool at The Lodge, which once held blue waters and happy vacationers, is now full of sand. The Lodge itself has been wrapped in hog fencing, and many now wonder if this is a new definition of "mothballing".
Many questions arise as to the legality of recent Ranch activities. Did the Ranch need permits for these actions? The back-filling of the pool and the chopping of a healthy Norfolk pine next to the Lodge to clear a path for a dump truck to access the pool, as well as the killing of vibrant coconut palms are all questionable. Many on Molokai are empty and in pain, wondering what motives and intent the Ranch has behind their destructive and disrespectful actions.
Dictator
Submitted by Francobenz on Fri, 2008-04-11 21:40.
When you have a dictator in place this is what happens. The "wannabe" king is unhappy and wants to starve the people. All this "wannabe" has is title to the land, but as each day passes the wannabe loses his power and the people see him and his subjects for what they really are, selfish & rude. Now they will make the earth bleed to punish the people but mother earth will regrow and heal herself and might even repay the destruction with a little revenge. Be stong people of Molokai, this dictator will pass in time and the island will heal.And the land will return to the people. I promise. Keep the spirit of Aloha alive for your future, God Bless.
depressing
Submitted by halemalu on Fri, 2008-04-11 22:27.
i am so depressed right now. my only hope is that those who did this will experience "what goes around comes around". it seems that to some people this vile act was something trivial, but it really is a sign of something sinister. i hope this makes news all the way to the mainland papers.
Ranch Cuts More Than Jobs
Submitted by friendlyguy on Fri, 2008-04-11 19:46.
Wow! As an outsider I have refrained from offering an opinion on this entire matter. However, what they did to those trees shows that any community, anywhere in the world, would be MUCH better off without people with that type of mentality living or working in the community. They are either stupid or vindictive beyond rehabilitation: and either way, you are surely, SURELY!, better off without them and/or their business ventures.
Ranch Cuts More Than Jobs
Submitted by lokelo on Fri, 2008-04-11 15:30.
It is their property to do with it what they want, but these people are SICK! What will they do next, torch the tentalos at the beach village?
even if it is their "legal" right to do what they want....
Submitted by halemalu on Fri, 2008-04-11 16:58.
legal isn't always moral. moral and immoral has a bigger impact on those around us than "legal" and "illegal". the cutting down of a bunch of trees may be a trivial thing to some, but this act shows us the character of those who own/manage that ranch.
there are people who belong on this special island, and others who don't. they are like elephants in a china shop, trampling on our culture and our environment, treating the island like a piece of real estate, a mere commodity, not like the living aina to be cherished and respected.
there are people who belong on this special island, and others who don't. they are like elephants in a china shop, trampling on our culture and our environment, treating the island like a piece of real estate, a mere commodity, not like the living aina to be cherished and respected.
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