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WHEN new lights were switched on at the Waimanalo Beach Park last night, illuminating the entire ball field, the gesture symbolized more than just a facelift to the park.
New equipment brightens
ball fields at Waimanalo
Beach ParkBy Leila Fujimori
Star-BulletinResidents believed the city had finally paid attention to their rural community. Some, such as Mabel Spencer, have been working with the city's visioning process to get the park improvements.
"It's been a while since money has been coming to this community," said Mabel Spencer, a Waimanalo Neighborhood Board member. "This marks the beginning that monies are coming to Waimanalo."
About 125 residents, young and old, celebrated last night at the park. While a senior citizens group entertained with hula and song and others gave speeches, children played on the field in the dark, waiting for the lights to come on.
The park, home to three baseball diamonds and a football practice field, received five hurricane-proof lightposts, new chain-link fencing backstops, dugouts and new bleachers. The field was leveled and new grass was planted. An automatic sprinkler system for half the field was installed, as well as ramps for wheelchair accessibility and new tables and water fountains.
"It's about time the park gets improvements," said David Wise, president of the Waimanalo Football Club. "The community waited years for this."
Ed Palama, 54, has lived across Kalanianaole Highway from Waimanalo Beach Park since he was 5. Palama, city maintenance supervisor of the Windward Coast from Makapuu to Pokapuu, said the park's old wooden lightposts for the field hadn't changed since then.
Shad Hussey, president of Koolau Bobby Sox, noted, "Fields nowadays are scarce."
His girls use the field for softball three nights a week, while boys and girls use it for baseball and football during the day..
"I think it's better now because it's brighter and it's nice," said 11-year-old Elsa Apo, a player for the Koolau Bobby Sox. "This is like my favorite field."
Would the new lights improve play for players?
"The lights are not gonna make them better, but at least they're going to see the ball better," Hussey said with a chuckle.
Corina Staudinger, 11, Apo's teammate, said: "It looks better; the grass is green," recalling the old brown grass field.
ADULTS also use the field during weeknights for soccer practice, baseball and softball games.
"We're excited," said Lehua Afong, a member of Nalu, one of two Waimanalo women's soccer teams that use the field for practice. The brighter lights will help players to see farther. With the old lights, Afong said, only a portion of the field was lit.
The lighting will provide another benefit. Faith Kaiama of the Waimanalo Community policing group said it will "deter the wrong kinds of people" from frequenting the park with illicit drug activities. Others stressed the importance of having a park open in the evenings to keep kids busy in sports activities to keep them out of trouble.
