The clang of metal against metal was like a cannon shot in the quiet Sunday air. John Contrades IV, operating the Bobcat, made short work of a growing debris pile as he unloaded the litter into a big metal rollaway.
The clang of metal against metal was like a cannon shot in the quiet Sunday air.
John Contrades IV, operating the Bobcat, made short work of a growing debris pile as he unloaded the litter into a big metal rollaway.
Contrades was one of nine members of the county’s East Kaua‘i Parks and Beautification crew that showed up to prepare the historic County Building for the stringing of holiday lights.
“We were supposed to come Saturday, but they had the parade and absentee voting going on,” said Larry Saito, the supervisor of the crew. “There’s less traffic and people on Sunday so here we are.”
Working under the din of chainsaws and the purring of the Bobcat, Saito guided his chainsaw team to boughs that needed to be removed in the thinning process of the monkeypod canopy enveloping both the eastern and western ends of the building’s lawn area.
“This is so they can start stringing the lights for the Festival of Lights,” Saito said, unsure when the volunteer crews will arrive for that task. “This cleanup is supposed to be a three-day job, but by the end of the day, we’ll be done. Then we go back to Lydgate.”
Last weekend, Saito had crew members out at the popular park cleaning out wood debris from the park’s south shoreline, but the rains over the weekend saw more driftwood and other debris clog the popular tidal pools.
“This is the ‘go’ crew,” Saito said of the nine workers. “They just go!”
In addition to thinning out the monkeypod canopy and removing any dead wood to prevent accidents during the duration of the Festival of Lights, Saito said his crews will remove dead leaves from the palm trees, clean up all the litter that accumulated in trash bags over the weekend and will give the parking lot a washdown.
“There’s a lot of buildup, so I don’t know if the truck has enough power to blow out the dirt,” said Fred Ramelb, operating the water tanker. “But we do the best we can. We do this every year so people have a nice place to enjoy the holiday lights.”
Saito said manpower is not a problem for his crew. He pointed out the ability of Contrades, a 20-plus-year veteran of the department, who was operating the Bobcat.
“He’s one of the best operators I’ve seen,” Saito said. “He can make that Bobcat do everything but flip.”
Ramelb agreed, saying Contrades’ ability can literally make the Bobcat dance.
In addition to Contrades and Ramelb, Saito’s Sunday crew included Troy Paik, driving the special tree-trimming truck, Abraham Kahalekomo, Orlando Ragsac, Frank Barretto, Pancho Alapai, Lono Aki and Vince Parongao.
“A lot of these guys have been with me for at least six years or longer,” Saito said. “They’re the best crew. They do whatever they can with the equipment we have. Like I said, ‘We have the manpower!’ ”
Saito, who is approaching his 35th year with the county, said he tells his crews whatever they do is a reflection not only on him, but the county as well.
“They’re not the stereotype government workers,” Saito said. “I tell them, ‘No make me shame.’ ”
And they don’t.
