HANAMAULU — A senior softball team that traveled to the Mainland and won a gold medal is back building a pavilion that will benefit the community. Philip Delos Reyes was one of a group of senior softball players working on
HANAMAULU — A senior softball team that traveled to the Mainland and won a gold medal is back building a pavilion that will benefit the community.
Philip Delos Reyes was one of a group of senior softball players working on the pavilion at the Peter Rayno Sr. Park in Hanamaulu, still relishing the gold medal performance of the senior softball team, Ka Uila, in St. George, Utah.
“We took a break between the state tournament and this Utah trip,” said Kenneth Tamashiro, contractor for the pavilion project. “Now, we’re back. We don’t really have a timeline for finishing, but we want to get done quickly.”
The pavilion, a dream of Clifford Lee when the Hanamaulu Hillsiders team embarked on the renovation of the softball field, is an effort between the County of Kauai and the senior softball players, many of whom were involved in building pavilions in other county parks, including on the Westside and in Kapaa.
“The Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to collaborate with the Hanamaulu Hillsiders on the pavilion at the Peter Rayno Park,” said Lenny Rapozo, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation in an email. “The county is providing $80,000 in materials and the Hillsiders and other senior softball players are building the pavilion. We estimate this will save about $140,000 in labor costs. This partnership benefits everyone as it will result in a park facility which can be used not only by the Hillsiders, but also by the adjacent school and the community in general.”
Ale Lumosod, one of Ka Uila coaches, joined Tamashiro, the coach of Ka Uila, in leading the senior volunteers in Hanamaulu.
“The cost savings to the county is tremendous,” Lumosod said. “You wouldn’t get this kind of quality if you paid people. The seniors do it for pride. It’s all for baseball.”
Lee said in addition to the infield renovation on the softball field, and now the pavilion, he envisions more improvements to the park which is shared by the neighboring King Kaumualii Elementary School and the community.
“There’s work which needs to be done on the fence line,” Lee said. “Once we start working on that project, we’re going to give the school a big gate so they can go straight into the field on evacuations. Right now, they zig-zag along the fence before getting into the park.”
