Kapa'a road dumpers warned
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — The Bust-A-Dumper campaign to stop illegal dumping on Kapa'a Quarry Road shifts into high gear this weekend as off-duty police officers begin to patrol the two-mile long stretch for people leaving their trash there.
What: Kapa'a Quarry Road Cleanup When: Nov. 22, registration 7:45 a.m. Meet: across from Model Airplane Field What: Citizen Patrol training Sign up: Send name, address, phone, e-mail to Windward Ahupua'a Alliance, P.O. Box 1013, Kailua, HI 96734 or waa@hoku.com. What: Kapa'a Quarry Road Holiday Store Where: Daiei Kailua parking lot near the post office Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays
The Kapa'a Quarry Road Working Group has collected $14,000 in donations from area businesses and key community players to cover the cost of the patrol, said coordinator John King.
Cleanup projects
He said the group is determined to stop illegal dumping by catching people in the act and taking them to court. He even promised to sweeten the pot.
"I don't know if it's legal or not, but I will personally pay any policeman that catches a guy $100," said King, president of All Pool & Spa, off Kapa'a Quarry Road.
At about $50 an hour for off-duty police services, King said there is enough money to cover 280 hours of patrol, which he thinks will last three to four months, enough to make a difference.
For decades, the road has been used as a dumping ground for household items, automobiles, green waste and construction material.
The Kapa'a Quarry Road Working Group, formed after four major cleanups, removed 133,000 pounds of trash this year, only to have more appear within days.
The group plans another cleanup Nov. 22, and is recruiting volunteers to receive training by law enforcement early next year to patrol the street during the day, said group member Shannon Wood.
Volunteers must be at least 18 and commit to a three-hour daytime shift every two weeks, Wood said. Two-person patrols will learn to document illegal dumping and will provide support for police and prosecutors.
The group opened a store recently at the Daiei Kailua parking lot on Saturdays selling logo items to support its efforts, Wood said. For $10, residents can buy five plants for the project and get one to take home.
King said he was willing to take a strong stance to see the dumping end.
"I would love to see a couple of people caught, and maybe we'll make political hay with it, if you will, to really get the word out," he said. "And not just Kapa'a Quarry Road, but everywhere."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com. or 234-5266.
