LIHU’E-Ten clients enrolled in the Kaua’i Drug Court program, their supervisor Alton Amimoto and court staf spruced up sections of the Gateway Project this week. One of the staff members noted that everyone who signed up for the project turned
LIHU’E-Ten clients enrolled in the Kaua’i Drug Court program, their supervisor Alton Amimoto and court staf spruced up sections of the Gateway Project this week.
One of the staff members noted that everyone who signed up for the project turned out, except for a young mom who just left the hospital after giving birth.
Eddie Sarita, coordinator for the Ho‘olokahi program that oversees the Gateway Project, said there are still sections of the massive beautification program in need of dedicated “caretakers.” Sarita said he was grateful for the assistance of the Kaua‘i Drug Court.
Sarita said the Court signed up for three parcels, but said they would do more if they could during their halfday outing Friday.
He was on hand Friday to help set up traffic advisory signs that warned passing motorists of “Shoulder Work Ahead” as well as provide direction in terms of what work needed to be done on a section.
Originally, the crews were supposed to do “the hills” along Kapule Highway coming into the Lihu‘e Airport, but on Friday, the cleaners instead started from the Ahukini Road entrance to WalMart and worked their way down to the Kapule Highway intersection.
“They’re fast,” one of the Court staffers said. “We were done with the first parcel in half an hour.”
But, the second parcel posed more of a challenge as Amimoto demonstrated that the use of human strength and hands could not take the place of state-provided equipment in removing the invasive vines that threatened to smother some of the plumeria plantings.
Two of the clients manned riding mowers while others were equipped with gaspowered brush cutters and hedge trimmers provided by the state.
The din of the motorized cleaning equipment overpowered the sound of passing traffic, and workers looked up occasionally as a passing car would honk its approval of the task. During the first drug court graduation class, Amimoto noted that the clients were involved in beach cleanups and other community service projects.
