PUHI — When Island School students return for the fall semester, they’ll be greeted by a new covered bike rack near the administration building.
That’s thanks to the efforts of Eagle Scout candidate Bryce Yoshida.
Yoshida collected some of his fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 148, sponsored by the Lihue Christian Church, as well as his father, relatives and friends to put finishing touches on the rack that blends in with the Island School campus.
“I just got the plaque that goes on the building from Mike Goto,” Yoshida said Saturday. “Right now, we’re about 95 percent complete. We’re just putting on the paint. We had done the primer coat earlier in the week.”
Yoshida said the project got off the ground after he contacted Goto, a former Boy Scout executive who works in the Island School administrative offices, about a year ago. Yoshida learned the school needed at least three or four bike racks that would blend in with its architectural landscaping.
Family friend Sanford Oshiro said the Scout got a lot of help from the community in completing the almost year-long project.
“This was not an easy task, like just putting up pipes where students can park their bikes,” Oshiro said. “The main structure is done with galvanized pipes that was provided — and bent! — by Wellington Fence. The boys had to do the framing and concrete floor, create the roof, and today, we’re putting on special epoxy primer so the latex paint has a good base to grip onto. You can’t really just use water-
based paint on galvanized pipe; it won’t grab.”
Among those rolling up his sleeves to help apply the final coats of paint Saturday was Jason Yoshida, Bryce’s relative and the principal of King Kaumualii Elementary School.
“We have some pieces at King Kaumualii that are Eagle Scout projects,” he said. “The Eagle Scouts built some of the picnic tables we have, and even installed backpack hangers for the students.”
Ismael Cantu, a Troop 148 leader, also was there with his son Maceo to help with the final touches.
“This is a lot better than pouring concrete in the midday sun in Hanalei,” said Cantu, a contractor involved in the North Shore flood recovery. “Right now, we’re involved in several projects out in Hanalei. This is a lot easier; at least we have shade.”
There were more than 35 sponsors listed who provided the financial aid, services, machinery or materials for the project that will benefit the bike-riding Voyager students.
“This was a lot of work,” Yoshida said. “It took a lot of effort, and the cost of materials was more than $2,000. Originally, they wanted three or four? We could only do one.”
