LIHU‘E — Unique benches mysteriously placed in bus stops around the island are leaving county officials scratching their heads, trying to figure out who to thank for the unique work. “Who is building those benches?” Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay
LIHU‘E — Unique benches mysteriously placed in bus stops around the island are leaving county officials scratching their heads, trying to figure out who to thank for the unique work.
“Who is building those benches?” Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro asked at a council meeting Wednesday.
Mostly, Furfaro wanted to thank whoever is building those benches. But his question had no answer.
County Executive on Transportation Celia Mahikoa did not know, and neither any of the council members.
The closest answer they got came from Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, who said she knows a person who knows the person.
“It’s a little local mystery,” said Councilman Tim Bynum, looking upwards and shouting, “Thank you, whoever you are.”
The county has approximately 120 bus stops. Only six of them have county-provided shelters with benches, and four of those benches were provided by the community, according to county spokeswoman Mary Daubert.
“There are also a number of benches at bus stops around the island that were installed by members of the community on their own,” Daubert said.
Mahikoa said the administration is currently in the designing phase of a contract to provide 49 shelters that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. But actual construction is scheduled for the end of the year.
As for now, the council is trying to find out who is providing the benches at bus stops, so they can thank him or her.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
