WAILUA — Preparations were going on for the big wind that never came yesterday morning. A crew from Asplundh worked to trim coconut fronds from near the utility lines that lined Kuhio Highway fronting the former Coco Palms Resort. “Just
WAILUA — Preparations were going on for the big wind that never came yesterday morning.
A crew from Asplundh worked to trim coconut fronds from near the utility lines that lined Kuhio Highway fronting the former Coco Palms Resort.
“Just look for the bolo head ones,” Wayne Perreira said. “Those are the ones that have already been worked over.”
Perreira was surprised when Bob Jasper’s black Mustang rolled into the parking lot, and even more surprised when a Hawai‘i Movie Tours staff member unpacked a tributary cake emblazoned with “Happy 40th Anniversary Wayne Perreira!”
“He didn’t know a thing,” Jasper said. “As far as he was concerned, it was business as usual.”
Business for Wayne Perreira has been caring for the grounds of the world renowned Coco Palms Resort, closed since it was ravaged by Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
Jasper said Perreira became an employee of Hawai‘i Movie Tours last month, but is still involved in tending the grounds of the closed resort property. In an e-mail, Jasper said Hawai‘i Movie Tours has taken over caretaking duties for the owner.
He added that today is the actual anniversary of Perreira’s 40th anniversary at the Coco Palms, but because he doesn’t work weekends, Hawai‘i Movie Tours decided to celebrate the event yesterday.
“There have been a lot of people associated with the Coco Palms Resort,” Jasper said. “But Wayne is the last remaining employee — the last man standing.”
As tour vans loaded with visitors arrived, each of the group’s guides presented Perreira with a lei and introduced the property caretaker to the group.
“May I have a photo with you?” a visitor asked politely. “I saw you on the Web site by the stairs. You are the same one, aren’t you?”
Perreira agreed, clearly shy about all the attention that was focused on him at the moment.
“The most exciting times were when I got to meet the movie stars,” Perreira said in answer to a visitor’s question.
Larry Rivera, a long-time entertainer and affiliate of the Coco Palms, offered up several tunes of tribute to Perreira, noting that there was a difference between Wayne Perreira, and another familiar Pereira affiliated with Coco Palms — Charlie Pereira.
“Wayne has two ‘r’s in his name,” Rivera said, adding that Wayne is the person who helps with the Blue Hawai‘i weddings that are performed by Rivera on the grounds made famous by Elvis Presley in his “Blue Hawai‘i” movie.
Rivera also noted that things haven’t been all smooth for Perreira. Recently, thieves broke into the grounds and made off with the mural that used to adorn the walls of the Queen’s Audience Hall.
“The property owners really want it back,” Rivera said. “If anyone knows anything about it, they should contact the police.”
Perreira said people broke into the property on numerous occasions, making off with a lot of his personal property, including two of the cane knives he used to groom the place.
As for the forecast high winds that never materialized, Jasper said it was a reason to have a “holiday” for Wayne.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
