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Contractor to take over gateway project soon
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| Charles Ferreira of Aikahi Services, Inc., wields a gas-powered extended hedge trimmer to whack down bougainvillea spurs at the Hilo Hattie section of the Lihu'e gateway project on Wednesday morning. |
By Lester Chang - The Garden Island
LIHU'E — Hundreds of volunteers have been wondering when the professionals will take over the gateway project, a $5-million project to beautify roads leading to Lihu'e Airport.
They needn't wonder any more.
At a recent gathering of volunteers at the Kaua'i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu'e, Steve Kyono, who heads the state Department of Transportation Highways Division office on Kaua'i, reported that a contractor approved by state DOT officials could take over maintenance of the project by December at the latest.
The announcement marks the end of more than three years of volunteer service by residents, the mainstay of the project started in 2002.
Since that time, volunteers have taken care of some six miles of roadway that are part of the project.
The volunteers were supposed to have handed the project over to state officials by summer 2004.
But because state funds couldn't be found, volunteers were asked and agreed to take care of bougainvillea hedges, trees, grass, brush, and tropical plants for another year and then some.
Bids for the work have gone out and are now under review by state DOT Highways Division officials, Kyono said.
Because the bids are under review, Kyono said it would be inappropriate to discuss how much in state funds could be used for the project.
But the "state has budget funds to contract the landscape maintenance for the gateway (project)," Kyono said.
DOT officials would like small companies to have a shot at getting the maintenance contract, so they have "put out two separate bids, one for Kapule Highway and one on Ahukini Road," Kyono said.
Kyono, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste and Eddie Sarita, convention hall manager and the organizer of volunteers for the gateway project, gave their heartfelt thanks to volunteers who have stayed with the program for so long.
As a show of appreciation for the work of the volunteers, pupus were provided at the function, sponsored by Kaua'i County.
The volunteers included residents and representatives from banks and hotels, helicopter companies and churches, and employees with Kauai Nursery & Land-scaping Inc., the largest landscaping company on the island.
The project got underway during the administration of former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, who was successful in securing $4 million in federal funds for the project. Securing the funds was contingent on the county providing $1 million in "in-kind" services, which translated into the work of the volunteers.
The project, she felt, would be a good way to say "aloha" to visitors when they arrived and "mahalo" when they left. Residents who participated in the maintenance project saw it as a point of civic pride.
Kusaka was on hand to thank the volunteers for carrying on with the project after she left office.
Prior to becoming mayor, Baptiste served as the first coordinator of the landscaping project, which had 300 volunteers at one time.
Leaders of some groups that had volunteered for the project eventually dropped out, citing other obligations.
But Sarita, on his own, took on myriad maintenance projects along the gateway routes, most of the time by himself.
On his days off, Sarita trimmed hedges and brush on hot and windless days. As coordinator of the project, Sarita said he felt compelled to do the job even when others decided not to.
Theodore Daligdig III, a member and former chairman of the Kaua'i County Planning Commission, and Queenie Pezario were singled out for their contributions.
Daligdig, Pezario and their families took care of at least six individual lots on Kapule Highway.
In the past, volunteers also got help from participants in the Kauai Drug Court program and inmates at the Kauai Correctional Center in Wailua.
In 2004, the volunteers were honored by USA Weekend magazine's annual "Make a Difference Day" program.
The Lihu'e gateway project received the award for Kaua'i, which was cosponso red by The Garden Island and USA Weekend magazine.
Lester Chang, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com
They needn't wonder any more.
At a recent gathering of volunteers at the Kaua'i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu'e, Steve Kyono, who heads the state Department of Transportation Highways Division office on Kaua'i, reported that a contractor approved by state DOT officials could take over maintenance of the project by December at the latest.
The announcement marks the end of more than three years of volunteer service by residents, the mainstay of the project started in 2002.
Since that time, volunteers have taken care of some six miles of roadway that are part of the project.
The volunteers were supposed to have handed the project over to state officials by summer 2004.
But because state funds couldn't be found, volunteers were asked and agreed to take care of bougainvillea hedges, trees, grass, brush, and tropical plants for another year and then some.
Bids for the work have gone out and are now under review by state DOT Highways Division officials, Kyono said.
Because the bids are under review, Kyono said it would be inappropriate to discuss how much in state funds could be used for the project.
But the "state has budget funds to contract the landscape maintenance for the gateway (project)," Kyono said.
DOT officials would like small companies to have a shot at getting the maintenance contract, so they have "put out two separate bids, one for Kapule Highway and one on Ahukini Road," Kyono said.
Kyono, Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste and Eddie Sarita, convention hall manager and the organizer of volunteers for the gateway project, gave their heartfelt thanks to volunteers who have stayed with the program for so long.
As a show of appreciation for the work of the volunteers, pupus were provided at the function, sponsored by Kaua'i County.
The volunteers included residents and representatives from banks and hotels, helicopter companies and churches, and employees with Kauai Nursery & Land-scaping Inc., the largest landscaping company on the island.
The project got underway during the administration of former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, who was successful in securing $4 million in federal funds for the project. Securing the funds was contingent on the county providing $1 million in "in-kind" services, which translated into the work of the volunteers.
The project, she felt, would be a good way to say "aloha" to visitors when they arrived and "mahalo" when they left. Residents who participated in the maintenance project saw it as a point of civic pride.
Kusaka was on hand to thank the volunteers for carrying on with the project after she left office.
Prior to becoming mayor, Baptiste served as the first coordinator of the landscaping project, which had 300 volunteers at one time.
Leaders of some groups that had volunteered for the project eventually dropped out, citing other obligations.
But Sarita, on his own, took on myriad maintenance projects along the gateway routes, most of the time by himself.
On his days off, Sarita trimmed hedges and brush on hot and windless days. As coordinator of the project, Sarita said he felt compelled to do the job even when others decided not to.
Theodore Daligdig III, a member and former chairman of the Kaua'i County Planning Commission, and Queenie Pezario were singled out for their contributions.
Daligdig, Pezario and their families took care of at least six individual lots on Kapule Highway.
In the past, volunteers also got help from participants in the Kauai Drug Court program and inmates at the Kauai Correctional Center in Wailua.
In 2004, the volunteers were honored by USA Weekend magazine's annual "Make a Difference Day" program.
The Lihu'e gateway project received the award for Kaua'i, which was cosponso red by The Garden Island and USA Weekend magazine.
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Ronald Pray wrote on Oct 17, 2009 5:14 AM:
I am a former U.S. Coast Guard Search and rescue team member at Barbers Point. I never read the scathing November 28 article about a rescue I did in 1977 while on leave.
In November of 1977 I had visited Kauai on leave and hiked the Na Pali coast to go camping. On the trail I saw some hikers in front of me ignore the cries of a man saying he was poisoned by mushrooms he had eaten. I know that there are many poisonous varieties from the orange mushrooms to the copelandia varieties which are deadly. I stopped and he was vomitting and telling me that he was dying. I laid my sleeping bag down onto the ground and made him comfortable then lit my coleman stove and cooked him soup to eat. He ate the soup and continued vomitting. He said that he needed immediate attention. I ecouraged him to vommit everything out of his stomache.
I asked him if he would be OK while I ran back to Haena for help and he said please do that.
I ran from his location sometimes skipping the zig-zags in the trails steep inclines jumping straight down to the trail below. I had injured my Achilles tendon by twisting my ankle which put me on light duty upon returning to Barbers Point.
I then knocked on the first door I found and asked them to contact the U.S. Coast Guard that there was a man stranded on the trail who needed immediate attention.
The Fire Department went in on the trail and found the man walking out on his own. This is why the writer in 1977 claimed that I had misread the situation and that is why he called my rescue "The Rescue that wasn't". I believe that had that man died, his death would have been on my ticket and given that rescuing folks was my business I had a responsibility to perform.
We may never know what part my inducing vomiting played in the recovery of this man. I'd like to believe that it played a major role in his quick recovery.
I am proud that I stood for the highest traditions of the U.S. Coast Guard on that fateful day on the Na Pali Coast.To this day, I have a lump in my Achilles Tendon which hurts on certain days to remind me of that day I ran into that man.
Malama Pono,
Former 3rd Class Petty Officer Ronald Pray "