Grand Waipi'o park opens

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

The city's Field of Dreams — Central O'ahu Regional Park — is finally reality.

Ashley Boyle, 12, of Waipahu, reveled in the lighter moments of yesterday's ceremonial opening of the Central O'ahu Regional Park, a versatile 269-acre playground.

A rainbow of birds flew past the 'Aiea White Sox baseball team during opening events at a youth baseball field.

Children tested the durability of grass. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Just beautiful," said Waipio Little League coach Delbert Macanas, whose two sons play in the league for 11- and 12-year-olds. "The soil and grass they used to build the field is top-grade. The big concern now is whether it can be maintained properly, with all the wear and tear."

Just as important as providing more playing fields, the park preserves green space in rapidly-developing Central O'ahu. Former city councilman and state Sen. Randy Iwase, D-18th (Waipi'o Gentry-Wahiawa), who has pushed for the park since 1985, remembers when the city in the early 1980s wanted to build housing there.

"You're going to have more planned development soon in nearby Waiawa and Koa Ridge, so this park opening is a happy day," Iwase said.

A second phase to be completed next year will include softball fields, and tennis and archery facilities. A planned third phase has an aquatics center and community center.

Mayor Jeremy Harris yesterday announced that two Korean professional baseball teams have signed on to use the fields in February for winter training. National and regional youth baseball tournaments will also be held at the regional park in the next three weeks.

"But this is for the kids," Harris said. "You just see the look on their faces now that they have another field to play on."