Old-timers miss their chairs at beach park

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

The city's effort to rid Kuhio Beach of chairs and backpacks it says were being left illegally overnight is working — for now.

Early yesterday morning, only about a dozen regulars — about a quarter of the usual crowd — hung out next to the concession stand, where they used to sit in plastic chairs for hours, watching the surf and talking story.

Because the city won't allow them to store their chairs at the beach anymore, most stood around instead, complaining about what had happened the day before, when city workers removed chairs and other belongings that were chained to the surfboard lockers behind the concession stand.

By afternoon, the place was devoid of the old-timers who over the years had become part of the scene.

"There's no place for us to sit," said June Harvey, 38, of Waikiki, who brought three of her chairs to sit on. "It's not right, what the city did."

Barry Fukunaga, director of the Department of Enterprise Services, said it's illegal to store personal belongings in a public place.

The old-timers say it's not over yet.

Harvey, like dozens of other beach regulars, said she's ready to take her concerns to the city. "If there's a meeting, I'll be there," said Harvey, who has surfed at the popular surf break Canoes for more than 20 years.

Longtime Waikiki surfer and former Board of Education member Lex Brodie said he has spoken to Mayor Jeremy Harris about overall improvements to Kuhio Beach, which could include more benches or seats.

"I was sorry to see it happen this way," said Brodie, 88, who has been surfing in Waikiki since 1925. "I think a quiet, down-to-earth discussion to review the problem will take care of it."

City Councilman Charles Djou, whose district includes Waikiki, said that while he doesn't have a problem with what the city did, he didn't approve of the way the situation was handled.

"I am a little concerned about how aggressive the city was about this," he said. "It seems it was a little over the top."

"People are grumbling," Harvey said. "We've lost the fun, the ambience, the aloha spirit here."