Residents have waited nearly two years for new light poles to be installed at Ala Wai Community Park and night activities restored there. But they're going to have to wait a little longer.

The two poles — replacements for two unsafe poles — were finally ready, but gusty winds, courtesy of Hurricane Flossie, prevented their scheduled installation yesterday and will likely do so for a couple more days.

"We're supposed to finish today (Tuesday)," said electrician James Malta, as he painted a light pole that was marred by graffiti. "But the inspector said the winds were too strong, and I don't think it'll die down in the next couple of days."

The installation, part of a $119,700 contract, has been postponed because of safety concerns. It will be rescheduled after the weather calms down.

"It's been a long, drawn-out process, (but) we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and unfortunately it was delayed because of Hurricane Flossie," said Eugene Lee, director of the city Department of Design and Construction.

The first light pole was taken down in 2005 when it was reported to sway, posing a safety concern for park users, Lee said.

An inspection revealed a defective bolt attaching the pole to the foundation. It also led to the examination of seven other poles in the park, and another defective one was taken down. The project dragged on due to the lengthy bid process for replacements and the wait for materials from the Mainland.

But the situation led the city to develop a plan to evaluate all of the light poles in every park on the island, Lee said.

Some residents have complained about the long wait to replace the lights at Ala Wai Community Park's baseball field.

"When things seem to get damaged in city parks, it's an extraordinarily long period for them to get fixed — it seems to be the trend," said Kaimuki resident Mike Kometani, who has watched his children play baseball at the park for 10 years.

Kometani, 55, said his 17-year-old son, a senior on the Punahou baseball team, hasn't played night games there for at least two full seasons.

"It's not like we have a choice. It's a good facility and it's too bad we haven't been able to use it in the evening," he said.

Kometani said it is an inconvenience for almost all of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu having to commute to Waipi'o to play night games. It could easily take an hour to drive out in rush-hour traffic, he said.

"It's very frustrating, and not only that, the children had to get out of school earlier because of the length of the commute. They would miss more classes and school time," Kometani said.

The baseball field is a key resource and one of the only places for many players in the area.

Dean Yonamine, 'Iolani School's head varsity baseball coach for 25 years, said the field — probably the most-used in the state — is a main site for practice and night games. But for the past two years, his estimated 20 players couldn't use the field at night.

It affected the eight teams in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, too, he said.

'Iolani played more games at Central O'ahu Regional Park in Waipi'o. They also took night games out of their schedule.

"It wasn't anything that drastically affected the team," Yonamine said. "It was something we all had to understand and adjust to."

But the reinstallation of lights will make life easier for everyone, he said.

"We've always had night games at Ala Wai, and I'm sure they are going to work that back into the schedule again," Yonamine said.

It may seem inconvenient for many people to drive to Waipi'o, but at least they have lights there, Lee said.

"We thank the public for their understanding and patience, and hopefully it won't be too much longer before we can open up the field for night play," he said.