Kikiaola gets new roof

WAIMEA — Basilio “Bunga” Fuertes of the West Kauai Lions Club watched in the shelter of the newly roofed pavilion as Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation put the final screws to the new roof Tuesday at the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor just outside of Kekaha.

“This is a highly-used place,” Fuertes said. “On some days, especially when the cruise ship is in, there are cars parked everywhere from people taking tours. We also have the fishermen who use this place. In fact, the fishermen, especially Jimmy Largo, built this pavilion.”

Over the years, the weather took its toll on the materials.

“The roof was leaking,” said Eric Nordmeier of the West Kauai Lions Club. “In the old days, we would take these leaky pieces, hammer them flat and make them into canoes.”

But with repairs nowhere in sight, the West Kauai Lions Club joined forces with Dennis Eguchi, a local fisherman, and the Family and Friends of Agriculture to raise nearly $2,000 to cover the costs of needed materials for the roof repair.

“We were going to do the work, too,” Fuertes said. “But we don’t want to take away from the work being done by the DLNR. They’re doing the work, we just provided the material. Besides, I don’t think I could make it up the ladder to the roof.”

Nordmeier said the work was delayed, frustrating the Lions who came up with the material.

“We have to thank Sen. Ron Kouchi,” Nordmeier said. “We wrote him, and DBOR is here. At first, they said they couldn’t do it because of the rat poison project on Lehua, then it was this, and then it was that.”