HANAMAULU — Eddie Sarita of the County of Kauai said you have to keep at it, or the conditions get out of hand Friday at the Hanamaulu Beach Park. “The last time, the Drug Court cleanup worked on improving the
HANAMAULU — Eddie Sarita of the County of Kauai said you have to keep at it, or the conditions get out of hand Friday at the Hanamaulu Beach Park.
“The last time, the Drug Court cleanup worked on improving the water,” Sarita, the coordinator for providing equipment and supplies, said. “It used to be just a piece of plywood and people would wash things and create a smelly mess. We put concrete in the area and now, it’s clean and there’s no smell.”
During the Drug Court cleanup Friday about three dozen Drug Court clients and staff from the Judiciary Department tended to adding concrete to accommodate the trash cans outside the main pavilion.
Additionally, Joseph Savino, Drug Court director, said the group did a general beach cleanup, cut back overgrowth around the park, repainted the bathrooms and picnic benches in the pavilion as well as other cleanup chores.
Disrupting the planned outing, the discovery of a deceased sea turtle created additional chores.
“We called it in to Don Heacock, the state biologist, and he told us to move it out of the water to a shaded area,” said Tori Laranio, a Drug Court probation officer. “We had some of the guys go to retrieve the turtle and have been watching it until Heacock shows up.”
Laranio said the volunteers estimated the turtle at about 150 pounds and after closer inspection while waiting on Heacock’s arrival, found no signs of distress, entanglement or fish hooks.
“I couldn’t go to help because I was tied up with the concrete work for the slab,” said Armando Navor. “We did the slab the old style way — right on the ground. I think I put in my good honest day’s work.”
Savino said the Drug Court has about 65 adult clients, and five juveniles under its jurisdiction.
“Not all of the clients can come out on any given event,” Savino said. “But of the ones here, about nine or 10 of them will be graduating from the program Nov. 21.”
The beach cleanup is one of three outings on the Drug Court calendar. Previously, Drug Court outings have included work in Kokee and the National Tropical Botanical Garden South Shore Visitor Center.
“Hanamaulu Beach Park is one of our adopted parks,” Savino said. “The beach cleanup and work done here is just one way for clients to give back to the community they harmed.”
