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Kapolei residents
happy they will
get public library

Two groups have been
working independently
to support the facility

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By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

After 36 years of living in Kapolei, 72-year-old Martha Makaiwi is excited that the community will finally get a public library.

She recalled that as far back as 20 years ago, discussions of a second city had included a library. Now groundbreaking is expected before year's end.

"I'm excited not only for me but for the senior citizens, the children and all in the community," Makaiwi said.

Kapolei residents such as Jo Ann Abrazado and her grandchildren travel to the Ewa Beach or Waipahu Public Library. "A lot of people only get around on the bus," she noted. Having the library located within the community will encourage more children to go, she said.

Community is divided

But the project has divided the community. Two groups, both claiming to be friends of the Kapolei Library, have been working independently of each other to support it.

Community leaders have been bickering among themselves, Abrazado said. "I guess it's because it's an election year."

The state Legislature approved funding to build the first phase of the library -- across from the Kapolei Regional Park -- but does not include the books, shelving and computers.

So the Friends of the Library in Kapolei, about 25 strong, has been soliciting book donations and community support. The group became an affiliate of the statewide organization Friends of the Library Hawaii in March.

"We want to include as many as possible so that the community has a sense of ownership, and it won't just be 10 to 20 people reminding legislators that it's still important," said Carolyn Golojuch, president of Friends of the Library in Kapolei.

But Rep. Mark Moses (R-Kunia, Makakilo, Ewa, Waipahu) said the group is a rival to his Friends of Kapolei Library Inc. with between 30 and 50 members, which was incorporated in April. He said his group was the first to meet and had gathered 2,000 signatures on a petition in November to build the library.

Moses said that Friends of the Library opposed the library being built until 2005 and that Maeda Timson, neighborhood board chairwoman running against Moses, "formed it to thwart us."

Timson said that she joined as a member of the group to help get books, and that Friends of the Library was not started as a political group. She denied that it wanted to hold off on construction until 2005.

As a House Finance Committee member, Moses said he was key to securing the $8.4 million in 1998 to fund the first phase of the library and further state funding will come after the project is built. "I can't foresee the Legislature building the library and not putting books in it," Moses said.

Members of Moses' Friends of Kapolei Library Inc. have remained active by trying to get retailers to donate books to a mobile book service, said Evelyn Souza.

Both sides say they are willing to work with the other, but the other is unwilling.

Sad waste of energy

"I think it's neat that something that's not built has two groups fighting who's the real group," said Caroline Dvojacki, executive director of the Friends of the Library of Hawaii.

She lamented, however, that "it seems a sad waste of energy. ... Hopefully we can focus this energy on building it."

The Friends of the Library in Kapolei will have a general membership meeting at 7:30 today at Malanai Iki Townhouses Meeting Room, 91-1081 Oaniani Street in the Villages of Kapolei. The public is invited. For more information, call Golojuch at 672-9050.

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Hawaii State Public Library System