KEKAHA — Kekaha School was closed yesterday, its cafeteria surrounded by a pool of reddish-brown water as cleanup efforts island-wide began following the New Year’s weekend storm. The pool of water that surrounded the Kekaha School cafeteria was not limited
KEKAHA — Kekaha School was closed yesterday, its cafeteria surrounded by a pool of reddish-brown water as cleanup efforts island-wide began following the New Year’s weekend storm.
The pool of water that surrounded the Kekaha School cafeteria was not limited to that campus, however, as across the street, playground equipment at Ke Kula O Ni‘ihau school was also submerged, and the entrance to the Kekaha shopping complex housing Menehune Food Mart and the Obsessions Cafe was moated by the same body of water that extended across the exit of the Kekaha School parking lot.
“Only the cafeteria is affected,” said Kekaha School Principal Billi Smith. “There is a cesspool behind the cafeteria, and with all that water, the cesspool got flooded.”
Smith said that situation prompted Kaua‘i state Department of Education school Superintendent Daniel Hamada to issue a closure notice while the water and cesspool were pumped.
“The county’s been real good about this,” Smith said. “There’s a crew from the Waimea fire station working with the pumps now.”
The din of a flotation pump shattered the otherwise quiet campus as Kaua‘i Fire Department fireman Tracy Cummings noted that the small pump would soon be replaced by the county’s Department of Public Works’ pumps which have a lot more capability to move the standing water which was piped across campus to the H.P. Fayé Park (Kekaha ball park), where it flowed onto the outfield of one of the baseball fields.
“When we’re done with Kekaha School, I think we need to pump out the Hongwanji up Waimea Valley,” he said. “There’re underwater there, too.”
“When the water level is lower, the cesspool needs to be pumped, too,” Smith said. “But, only Hamada can determine if the school will open, tomorrow, or not.
“The teachers and staff are all at work. This is a normal work day,” she noted. “They’re in their classrooms working on plans. They’re also talking with other teachers to make plans on students’ study programs.
“This is interesting,” Smith mused. “I could think of better ways to welcome the New Year.”
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
