TGI Staff WriterBy PAUL C. CURTIS KEKAHA – Horns blared and Kauaians hollered their support as a new lifeguard stand was erected Thursday at Kekaha Beach Park. But the stand is just the beginning of the community’s acceptance of the
TGI Staff WriterBy PAUL C. CURTIS
KEKAHA – Horns blared and Kauaians hollered their support as a new
lifeguard stand was erected Thursday at Kekaha Beach Park.
But the stand is
just the beginning of the community’s acceptance of the safety presence near
the surf break known as First Ditch, along Kaumuali’i Highway here.
The
Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands is working to get a
water line installed to the stand, so that county lifeguards – now under the
umbrella of the Kaua’i Fire Department – can wash down equipment.
In
addition, community volunteers from the West Kaua’i Business and Professional
Association are working with Kaua’i Electric to get a street light installed
near the new stand.
The Rotary Club of West Kaua’i has also expressed an
interest in working with the stand’s new lifeguards, who will report for
full-time duty Sept. 15.
“This is part of our continual effort to make our
beaches safer,” said Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.
Wailua Beach also sports a new
lifeguard stand, tucked in the shade near the sand parking lot on the north
side of the Wailua River bridge.
The old Wailua Beach lifeguard stand may
be refurbished and placed at one of the county’s more popular beaches, possibly
Po’ipu Beach Park, said Kaleo Ho’okano, head of water safety for the
county.
The next lifeguard stand to be erected will probably be Kealia
Beach, as soon as the fire department finishes hiring three additional
lifeguards.
Funds for those three positions are in the current county
budget. Kusaka requested two new lifeguards, and the County Council added a
third.
Along with the swimming pools at Waimea High, Kaua’i High and
Kapa’a, the new stand brings to eight the number of beaches patrolled by county
lifeguards. Lifeguards are present full-time at Salt Pond Beach Park, Po’ipu
Beach Park, Lydgate Beach Park, Hanalei Beach Park at the pavilion, and Wai’oli
Beach at Pine Trees.
Lifeguards are at Wailua Beach weekends and holidays,
and summers at Anahola Beach Park.
The site of the new stand was chosen
because it will allow access to the beach area to emergency vehicles should the
need arise.
Staff writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at 245-3681
(ext. 224) and [
HREF=”mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net”>pcurtis@pulitzer.net]
(Photo by
Dennis Fujimoto)
