“Someone has to do it,” Brian Yamase said with a smile as he worked his home-made weeder deftly into the wet soil fronting the Waimea Library while in the background, visitors and players from the Kaua‘i Fantasy Softball Tournament tried
“Someone has to do it,” Brian Yamase said with a smile as he worked his home-made weeder deftly into the wet soil fronting the Waimea Library while in the background, visitors and players from the Kaua‘i Fantasy Softball Tournament tried to cope with the afternoon heat with a treat from Jojo’s Clubhouse.
Yamase, one of the officials with First Hawaiian Bank, Waimea Branch, spends a lot of his non-working hours tending to the town’s needs with the aim of beautifying the town.
“If it (the town) looks nice (and clean), people tend to stop,” he said between digs at invasive weeds along the sidewalk medial strip. “And, if people stop, more people stop. It’s good for everyone.” Teaming with Eddie Lacro, the pair spearhead projects such as installing irrigation systems along the sidewalk grass strips throughout town, weeding, mowing and maintenance to keep the streets manicured.
“We just got through installing the irrigation in front the library,” Yamase explained, “And, the last part of this project is right across the street at the foot of the retaining wall by the Boys and Girls Club, Waimea Clubhouse.” Yamase totes all his necessary equipment in the back of his aging red pickup, including the necessary change of clothes that transforms him from a banker to a landscaper.
“Your banker at work,” joked Mike Faye as he spied Yamase toiling. “If you want a loan, you gotta be prepared to roll up your sleeves and put in some time.” Yamase explained that the weeding process will keep the invasive weeds to a level where the desired grass can take root.
Once strong enough, the pair will work with herbicides to control the invasive weeds.
But, until then, it’s wielding the digger that once saw life a a kitchen knife.
As the softball tournament played itself out from Thursday, Yamase was seen moving from in front the library to the section fronting the Waimea Baptist Church, then, it was back down into town where he touched up a corner of the triangular park fronting his bank.
“Actually, this (the weeding and maintenance) is to get the town ready for the (annual) parade in December,” he joked.
“And, then, it’s the Town Celebration.
It’s year-round.” As Yamase continued to toil, Kiichi Fujii, a resident who lives adjacent to Jojo’s Clubhouse, was making his way home from afternoon shopping at Ishihara Market.
That errand done, Fujii emerged from his home with an ice-cold can of pop – his contribution towards acknowledging Yamase’s dedication towards keeping the town in its pristine appearance.
Joining Yamase, Fujii wielded his own weeder and proceded to take out more invasives in the shade of Jojo’s.
