41 clubs mark centennial

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer

From trying to build a park by the docks in Hilo, Hawai'i, and a safe playground for children near Lihu'e, Kaua'i, to lighting up a humpback whale sculpture in Kihei, Maui, or just extending "HUGS" to families at a special house in Kaimuki, members of the 41 Rotary Clubs in Hawai'i are improving life in their communities to celebrate the International Rotary's 2005 centennial on Feb. 23.

Kathleen Mahdavi, program coordinator with Hawai'i Literacy, uses a bookmobile provided by the Rotary Club of Wai'anae Coast. The club renovated a former tour mini-bus that it acquired from another Rotary Club. Rotarians are still trying to fix a leak in the bookmobile that was discovered during the November rains. Help in fixing the leak is being requested; call Rotary of Wai'anae Coast president Bob Sullivan at 668-8700. Advertiser library photo

The first club was organized Feb. 23, 1905, by Paul P. Harris.

"Rotary is a way of life," said Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunset president Hans Kolb. "Our attitude is we've been blessed and need to give something back."

The following is a summary of the Hawai'i Rotary Clubs' centennial projects:

O'AHU

• Ala Moana. Volunteered over 200 hours in 2004 at Pahole State Natural Area Reserve in the Wai'anae mountain range.

• Honolulu. Volunteered 2,700 hours at YMCA Camp H.R. Erdman in Mokule'ia, working on five cabins to make them accessible to people with special needs. The project saved the YMCA $275,000.

• Honolulu Sunset. Renovated, painted interior, improved lighting and replaced old furniture at HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support) house at 3636 Kilauea Ave. The club converted a donated playhouse into a children's library.

• (Joint) Waikiki, Diamond Head. Replacing 20 windows in preschool building at Waikiki Community Center.

• (Joint) West Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. Repairing 191 feet of covered walkway at Kokua Kalihi Valley, a nonprofit community health organization.

• East Honolulu. Built a playground station at Palolo Elementary School. Club raised $20,000 to do the project.

• Hawai'i Kai. Purchased an electronic scoreboard, which has been installed at a community park's roller-blade rink. Rotarians also bought a $6,000 announcement board for Koko Head Elementary School and are awaiting city approval to set it up.

• Kane'ohe. Restoration of the 600-year-old Waikalua Loko fishpond. The club also bought interpretive signs for the pond, which 2,000 to 3,000 students visit each month.

• Windward O'ahu. Built a flag pole monument fronting Kailua Public Library at 239 Ku'ulei Road. Installed 24-hour lighting for the monument. Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. assisted.

• Downtown Honolulu. Installed library circulation desk at Central Middle School.

• Honolulu Sunrise. Building a learning center in the basement of the Papakolea Community Center, which will include a reading room and computer lab.

• Metropolitan Honolulu. Did major renovation at the Honolulu Clubhouse, a psychosocial rehabilitation center for adults living with mental illness.

• Pearlridge. Built a roof over a walkway leading from the main building to the cafeteria at Momilani Elementary School.

• Kapolei. Purchased and will install 20 benches for Kapolei High School.

• Mililani Sunrise. Plans to place ceramic tile panels at the base of a new gazebolike bandstand at Mililani Town Center that Castle & Cooke is building. The panels will reflect Mililani's past, present and future.

• Wahiawa-Waialua. Developing frontage for Ho'ala School in Wahiawa. The project includes planting a garden around a Japanese prayer peace pole that was given to the school in August, and building a fence.

• Wai'anae Coast. Acquired used tour mini-bus from Honolulu Sunset Rotary Club and converted it into a bookmobile to promote literacy and tutoring at transitional housing, low-income housing and the Boys & Girls Club. Staffing and books provided in a partnership with Hawai'i Literacy Inc.

• West Pearl Harbor. Twenty-five club members demolished the smaller of Leeward Community College's two observatory buildings, badly damaged by termites, and are rebuilding it.

MAUI

• Kihei Sunrise. Put up fencing around a life-size humpback whale sculpture at Kalama Park. Club is awaiting county approval to install six 14-foot light poles.

• Kihei-Wailea. Partnered with police and Maui Youth & Family Services to produce the first "Maui Opportunity Camp," a family campout at Ke'anae peninsula for 50 seventh-graders. Club raised $11,000 to stage the camp, which it hopes will become an annual affair.

• Lahaina. Beautification project at Keawaiki Park involves grass planting, landscaping and adding benches.

• Lahaina Sunrise. Planting grass, adding gravel and placing sundial on what is now an open dirt lot across from King Kamehameha III School. A brick pathway and a tree planting are to follow.

• Kahului. Planted grass, did landscaping and added benches to transform an empty Wells Street lot into what is being called "Triangle Park." Rotary Club of Wailuku assisted.

• Wailuku. The 17-member club refurbished an old canoe house at Bailey House Museum in Wailuku and is having Duke Kahanamoku's oldest surfboard, which was donated by his family to the museum, mounted in a $4,000 burglar-proof case so it can be displayed more prominently on an outside wall.

• Maui. Adopted Pa'ia Training Center & The Teens on Call Program of Community Work Day Inc., a vocational training program for at-risk youth. The 10-year-old vocational training program was set back by fires in July and September, which destroyed its building and a garage full of equipment. The Rotary Club will prepare a Pa'ia Training Center master plan, help with the installation of infrastructure services for two old wooden buildings, and assist with renovation and landscaping work.

• Upcountry Maui. Contributed $10,000 through a Weinberg Foundation grant in 2003 to help build the Kalakupua Playground at the Fourth Marine Division Memorial Park. The Upcountry Maui Rotary Club, volunteer groups and donors, which included Home Depot and the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, turned an open field into a much-needed playground.

BIG ISLAND

• (Joint) South Hilo, Hilo, Hilo Bay, Volcano. Construction and maintenance of a 1.2-acre oceanfront park along Reeds Bay in Hilo that will feature parking, picnic areas, benches, small-boat water entrances, a volleyball court, informational kiosks and walking trails. Clubs are partnered with the county, YMCA and University of Hawai'i-Hilo in the project.

• North Hawai'i. Spearheaded a collaborative project to build a covered pavilion for outdoor concerts and family picnics in a new community park. YMCA, Waimea Community Association and Waimea Preservation Association are also involved. Groundbreaking will be in February.

• Kona. Ongoing beautification and improvement to the Makae'o walking and jogging path at Old Kona Airport State Park. Partnering with other community groups to plant grass, native Hawaiian plants and do maintenance work. Creating a Japanese peace cactus garden and setting up exercise courses.

• Kona Mauka. Building a covered bus stop on Hualalai Road. Work is expected to be completed by February.

KAUA'I

• Kaua'i. Awaiting county approval to build a fenced-in playground at the Hanama'ulu low-income housing complex in Lihu'e. Club is partnered with Construction Association of Kaua'i. The need for the playground is urgent because about 60 children live in the complex and many have been crossing Kuhio Highway unsupervised to play at a small school playground.

• Hanalei Bay. Installed four benches, three at Palikekua Lookout and another at Emmalani Park in Princeville.

• Kapa'a. Proposed project of building a canoe shelter for the Kaua'i voyaging canoe Namahoe was put on hold because of a delay in obtaining county site approval. Club exploring an alternative project to install video equipment at Kaua'i Airport's baggage claim area to promote water-safety information.

• Kalepa Sunrise. Planning to construct a covered bus stop shelter at Kukui Grove Shopping Center.

• Po'ipu Beach. Constructing a building at the Koloa Fire Station to store Jet Skis used by county lifeguards, who have been taking the personal watercraft devices home with them because they have no place to store them.

• West Kaua'i. Awaiting county approval for project to construct beach safety kiosks at popular beaches on the island. Each kiosk will display water safety information about shore breaks and currents and will feature artist drawings of natural landmarks and Hawaiian folklore, and emergency information.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.