KOLOA — The well-known Tree Tunnel on Maluhia Road received its annual sprucing up on Saturday. More than 100 volunteers from community organizations and resorts turned out for the cleanup, which precedes Koloa Plantation Days. “We should do this at
KOLOA — The well-known Tree Tunnel on Maluhia Road received its annual sprucing up on Saturday. More than 100 volunteers from community organizations and resorts turned out for the cleanup, which precedes Koloa Plantation Days.
“We should do this at least twice a year,” said George Costa, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development, whose face protector was strewn with vegetative debris from brush cutting. “Then, we won’t have to work as hard.”
The county was joined by crews and volunteers. A fleet of trucks helped remove the overgrowth.
Volunteers poured onto Maluhia Road from the Grand Hyatt Kauai, the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club, the Sheraton Kauai Resort, and numerous other groups, including students from Island School.
Cynthia Kaiminaauao of The Parrish Collection has volunteered for the tree tunnel cleanup for the past three years. This year, she was joined by her daughter Haunani Kaiminaauao and granddaughter Halia Baclayon.
“This is my first year,” Baclayon, 15, said. “I wanted to do this. My mom or grandma didn’t tell me to do this. I wanted to do this because it’s good to help the community. You have to clean where you live.”
In addition to trimming trees, signs victimized by graffiti will be cleaned this weekend, according to Stella Burgess of the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa.
“We can’t send in people to clean the signs because there’s so much truck traffic,” Burgess, a leader of the Koloa Plantation Days Celebration, said.
The annual cleanup is traditionally held before the week-long Koloa Plantation Days celebration, which starts Friday.
Visit www.koloaplantationdays.com for more information.
