LIHU’E — Kaua’i elected officials began lobbying the state Legislature and governors 13 years ago for funds to install a rubberized running track at Vidinha Stadium. The rubberization project was at the top of Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste state funding
LIHU’E — Kaua’i elected officials began lobbying the state Legislature and governors 13 years ago for funds to install a rubberized running track at Vidinha Stadium.
The rubberization project was at the top of Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste state funding list following years of delay when former Gov. Ben Cayetano typically wouldn’t release state funds for certain county projects.
Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican like Baptiste, yesterday released $430,000 for rubberizing the 400-meter track around the football field. The money is for design and construction.
In June, Baptiste released $430,000 in matching county funds for the project, expected completed by the start of the 2005-06 school year.
It will take that long to complete the project because of new state procurement laws designed to make sure competitive bidding for public construction projects is truly competitive, according to Cyndi Mei Ozaki, county public information officer.
“Upgrading the track has long been a priority for Kaua’i residents, and these funds will allow the county to move forward on designing and installing a new rubberized track for the entire community to use,” said Lingle in a press release.
The track is used by Kaua’i’s three high schools and various youth groups for practices and meets, and is also open to the public for jogging, walking and other recreational uses.
“The rubberized track will give Kaua’i students comparable athletic opportunities to their statewide peers,” Baptiste said. “It is wonderful to be able to provide the community with the track, for which they have waited about 25 years.”
County officials awarded a design contract, and once the design is done a construction contractor will be selected through open bidding. Construction is expected to take six months, and county officials estimate the track will be ready for use by September 2005.
Normally, summer would be the best time to do the construction work, because there aren’t many school uses during those summer months, said Mel Nishihara, county parks director.
But having to work around the annual Fourth of July Kauai Hospice fireworks fund-raiser could make scheduling the construction work difficult, he said earlier.
Associate Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
