HANAPEPE — Hanapepe resident Blanche Suga lost little time visiting the Hanapepe Library, Wednesday morning. With her 2-year-old granddaughter Kendra Suga in tow, Blanche was at the library less than 30 minutes after it opened its doors. “I’m so happy
HANAPEPE — Hanapepe resident Blanche Suga lost little time visiting the Hanapepe Library, Wednesday morning.
With her 2-year-old granddaughter Kendra Suga in tow, Blanche was at the library less than 30 minutes after it opened its doors.
“I’m so happy you folks are back,” Blanche said. “I visited the Waimea Library during the time you folks were closed, and I’m returning the books I borrowed there, here.”
The Hanapepe Library reopened its doors Wednesday after being closed since May 11 for parking lot expansion and the installation of an irrigation system for its landscaping, said librarian Karen Ikemoto.
“We didn’t do any kind of special opening ceremony since we’ll have a grand opening when the auditorium is completed later this fall,” Ikemoto said. “Today, we simply opened the doors again.”
Ikemoto, who has been the librarian at Hanapepe Library for 17 years, said the work on the parking lot and irrigation system installation cut into the 2009 Hawai‘i State Public Library System’s summer reading programs, but she invited people to participate in the remaining three weeks.
As an incentive, she offered a prize to Suga, who started the program at the Waimea Library, but will continue at Hanapepe because the library opened.
“We’ve been coming here for a long time,” Blanche said. “Usually, I come with my granddaughters once a week. We’ve been coming here since Mrs. Aletha Kaohi was the librarian.”
Ikemoto said construction on the auditorium and work area for the library is continuing and should be completed some time this fall.
“The new addition will have meeting rooms that the public can use similar to the other libraries,” Ikemoto said. “On the outside, now that the parking lot is finished and the sprinkler system is in, there will be work done on landscaping.”
Joining Ikemoto at the library are Lisa Nambu, Library Assistant, Margie Akita, Library Technician, and Roland Lee, custodian.
The Hanapepe Library public service hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday and Monday.
