There was a rousing round of applause — the only one of the evening — when the sidewalk in Kalaheo was mentioned. “It took over three years, but it’s finally happening,” Sandi Sterker said. The realignment of the sidewalk on
There was a rousing round of applause — the only one of the evening — when the sidewalk in Kalaheo was mentioned.
“It took over three years, but it’s finally happening,” Sandi Sterker said.
The realignment of the sidewalk on Papalina Road to include a turnoff where buses can stop to pick up students was just one of the many accomplishments that Ka Leo O Kaua‘i touted during its third anniversary celebration Wednesday evening at the Lihu‘e Civic Center.
“This was brought up at the very first Ka Leo meeting I attended,” Sterker said. “The students were standing too close to the traffic flow, and it made me nervous each time I passed them.”
Laurie Ho, one of the moderators who assist Ka Leo O Kaua‘i facilitators Theresa Koki and Catherine Stovall, explained that it took a number of steps working through various governmental agencies and meetings before the compromise solution was decided on.
“I give a lot of credit to Catherine and Theresa,” Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan Baptiste told the gathering that included representatives from all 14 sites where the Ka Leo O Kaua‘i meetings are held. “They get a lot of ‘positive criticism,’ and it is only through the success of projects that they get re-energized.”
“Ka Leo O Kaua‘i is not about fixing playgrounds, or cleaning beaches,” Baptiste said. “It is about strengthening communities. It is also about trying to make sure that the community stays strong.”
Baptiste cited the contributions from Community Emergency Response Teams from Kilauea and Hanalei during the recent Ka Loko Dam breach.
“During the breach, the CERT teams from Kilauea and Princeville were invaluable,” Baptiste said. “They were not only the eyes and ears of the community, they were the reflection of the community.”
Baptiste said that one of the Ka Leo O Kaua‘i program goals for its fourth year is the establishment of CERT teams island-wide based on the success of the recent incidents.
“We want to let the communities take charge during emergency situations,” Baptiste said.
“It’s important that you not only attend the meetings, but bring others with you,” Baptiste said.
Another of the possible goals for its fourth year would be the inventorying of beach accesses on the island with each community getting involved in cleaning and maintaining these access routes. That suggestion by Julie Souza, the evening’s hostess, was also met with enthusiastic applause.
Koki explained that she and Stovall each take one half of the island, with each leader in charge of seven sites where meetings are held.
“At any given time, there are six priorities being worked on,” Koki said.
That totals out to approximately 84 projects islandwide that community members are actively involved in resolving.
“These priorities can be changed, shelved, tabled, or adjusted by attendees at the meetings,” Stovall said.
“It’s also not just about complaining,” Baptiste said. “If there is something to celebrate, there’s a time to do that, too.”
Baptiste said that collectively there are an estimated 400 to 500 people participating island-wide. His goal is to increase that number by two, or three times in the next year.
“There’s work to do,” he said. “If every one of the current participants brought at least two people to their next meeting, we’d have over a thousand people involved.”
Baptiste pointed out a recent meeting in Koloa where about 200 people attended to talk about traffic.
Some of the accomplishments that were pointed out include the repainting and rebuilding of picnic tables at numerous county pavilions, the establishment of playground equipment at the Hanapepe Cliffside Park as well as the ongoing work at the Hanapepe Heights Park, the cleaning of beach accesses on the north side of the island, the work being done at the Russian Fort in Waimea, and the establishment of a town celebration in Hanama‘ulu.
Additionally, Stovall used a Powerpoint presentation to show off the partial resolution of an illegal dumping problem on Apopo Road in Kapa‘a, the grassing of a Puhi park, the work on the Kalaheo bus stop, and the current programs at Wailua Houselots Park where more community gatherings are taking place.
Additionally, people can sign up for the Adopt-a-Park, or Graffiti Busters program, Ho said.
There are 92 parks in the county’s inventory, and about two-thirds of that amount has already been “adopted,” Baptiste said.
Charlie Ortiz represented the West Kaua‘i Lions Club who was involved in cleaning up the Hanapepe Town Park and eventually ended up adopting that site. “We go down once a month and just make sure that everything is clean and safe,” Ortiz said.
Ka Leo O Kaua‘i is an initiative of Baptiste for the purpose of building and strengthening the island’s communities through the encouragement of teamwork, partnerships, and collaborative governing.
“It’s easier to do things our own way,” Baptiste said. “But, the right way is to include the community, even if we don’t always agree.”
Through the Ka Leo O Kaua‘i program, the island is separated into two districts and divided by towns and neighborhoods.
County department heads and other personnel attend Ka Leo O Kaua‘i meetings in their communities with the mayor also attending meetings.
Koki closed the gathering celebrating the variety of “small successes” with a moment of silence to honor Dr. George Okada, an active Ka Leo O Kaua‘i resident from Waimea who recently passed away.
“This is our wonderful island,” Koki said. “And, as Mayor Baptiste says, ‘It’s everyone’s kuleana.’”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
