COURTESY PHOTO Vandals smashed three glass windows on the front doors of the Kahuku Library between Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Kahuku library patrons fuming at vandals

Laie resident Bill Racoma is so "ticked off" over the vandalized Kahuku Public and School Library that he is spearheading a reward campaign to catch the vandals and prevent further damage.

Racoma, who is a regular patron of the library, jump-started the reward fund with $500 right after he found out about the vandalism. Others, including the Friends of Kahuku Library, the library staff and Staples Realty Inc., have already added to the amount, which now totals $1,000.

Head librarian Fran Corcoran said vandals used two bowling ball-size rocks to smash three glass windows on the front doors between Sunday night and early Monday morning, ruining a new keiki reading corner in the process. The vandals did not take anything, she said, "so what is the sense of it?"

"The aggravating thing is they damaged and destroyed the area for preschool kids that had just been established three weeks ago. They are ruining it for kids who are so little," Corcoran said.

Tiny shards of glass penetrated the foam floor matting, making it too dangerous to save, and also blanketed some stuffed animals and pillows. All of this had to be thrown out, she said. But employees from the Hawaiian Electric Co. promised yesterday to donate new toys and pillows -- "I am overwhelmed" by their generosity, she said.

Racoma, a Realtor who has lived in the area for 16 years, said Corcoran has been "working very hard to make the community grow" with the bookmobile, educational programs and events four out of seven nights per week.

The vandalism "really ticked me off; there was no cause for it, no rhyme or reason. It was senseless because there was nothing taken. ... Whoever did it should pay the price and be responsible for their actions," Racoma said.

It will take until next week for the glass to be replaced at a cost of more than $3,000, Corcoran said. She has asked the vendor to use a type of glass that does not splinter, but crumbles into little balls upon impact.

"This has been a recurring event -- it happened twice in 2004," she said. There was no reward, no follow-up, and no one was caught, Corcoran said.

If anyone has information about the vandals, call Racoma at 728-3314 or e-mail him at halelaie@aol.com. Or leave a note for Corcoran at the library.