WAILUA — Kaua‘i resident Jerome “The Shadow” Freitas is calling attention to a matter in Wailua which has reportedly not been addressed for quite some time. Waialeale Boat Tours, which owed over $100,000 in back rent to the state nearly
WAILUA — Kaua‘i resident Jerome “The Shadow” Freitas is calling attention to a matter in Wailua which has reportedly not been addressed for quite some time.
Waialeale Boat Tours, which owed over $100,000 in back rent to the state nearly five years ago, was evicted from the Wailua River property by a circuit judge in August 2004. Since then, nine unused wooden boat docks have continued to pose a potential public safety hazard, especially for children playing along the river’s edge on weekends.
“The only concern I have is a lot of people call me and are afraid of their kids walking around the area and getting hurt,” Freitas said Wednesday. “A lot of people come out here during the weekends.”
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources apparently is responsible for removing the remaining debris, he said.
“No one has complained enough to bring this to the state’s attention,” he said. “Only when something happens, then action is taken.”
Freitas added that not only has the area become a public safety concern, it also serves as a blemish to the island’s river landscape.
“It looks like an eyesore,” he said.
According to Freitas, the state still actively uses one of the docks, but has yet to remove the others.
“Why not just remove them? It’s not hard to do,” he said. “You cannot do anything with them anyway.”
A DLNR spokesperson did not respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday by press time.
