In a series of workdays in April, more than three dozen Koke‘e leaseholders and friends pressure-washed, repaired, primed or spot-primed and painted 26 picnic tables at the mauka end of Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow and campground within the Koke‘e State Park. They
In a series of workdays in April, more than three dozen Koke‘e leaseholders and friends pressure-washed, repaired, primed or spot-primed and painted 26 picnic tables at the mauka end of Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow and campground within the Koke‘e State Park.
They also pressure-washed and painted the restrooms at the campground.
At Pu‘u Ka Pele in the Waimea Canyon State Park, the crew pressure-washed the three small picnic pavilions and picnic tables, pressure-washed the exterior of the restrooms, and spot-primed, sanded and prepared the main pavilion and restrooms for painting at the next quarterly series of workdays.
“Over the last nine years, we’ve reroofed all the pavilions in the park except the restrooms at the Koke‘e campground and at the Kalalau Lookout,” said crew chief Donn “Curly” Carswell. “We’re coming back regularly to ensure that they’re well-maintained and cleaned. We recognize that state parks gets less than a dime out of every $100 in the state budget, and as long there are leaseholders in the parks, we’re going to continue helping repair and maintain these facilities to the highest standards for our Kaua‘i neighbors and visitors.”
Equipment and materials were donated by the Koke‘e Leaseholders Association, Hui o Laka, Princeville Ranch, State Parks Division, Waimea Garage, Wayne Souza, and the YWCA Camp Sloggett.
The workdays are another example of the leaseholders’ and friends’ long-term commitment to the Koke’e and Waimea Canyon State Parks, formalized in 2004 by an “Adopt-A-Park” agreement with the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Carswell states in a release.
The leaseholders’ “malama i ka ‘aina o Kaua‘i” (caring for the lands of Kaua‘i) for more than 90 years was recognized by Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona in a commendation in late 2005 at Washington Place.
The latest information about activities in the mountains of Kaua‘i and links to relevant Web sites are available at www.malamaokokee.org.
