HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0706.001 2006-2008 REPORT ON BILL 185 REFERENCE'''1'd`~'1
AMENDING ORDINANCE N0. 07-83
P,•S~aAMENDED REL'ATING'TO"PUBLiCr`,
IMPROVEMENTS AND FINANCING THEREOF
ADAING PARKS AND RECREATION, NAMELY,
GILBERT CARVALHO PARK EXPANSION FOR
($1,000,000): FUNDS FOR THE EXPANSION,
CLEARING, BEAUTIFICATION, AND
IMPROVEMENTS OF THIS PARK
AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMAN
DON IKEDA FOR INTRODUCING THIS REQUEST AND
PROJECT AS HE REPRESENTS THE DISTRICT OF KAUMANA.
GILBERT CARVALHO'S PARK WAS NOT ONLY AS A PARK AND
RECREATION AREA, BUT THAT IS WHERE THE YOUTH WOULD
SPEND THEIR LEISURE TIME IN THE SPORT OF BASEBALL,
LEARNING GOLF AS THEY WERE TAUGHT BY THE ELDERS TO
BE PRODUCTIVE IN WHOLESOME ACTIVITIES. THEN THERE
IS A RIVER CALLED "CAMACHO POND AND TEACHERS POND
WHERE THE YOUTH, ESPECIALLY WOULD SWIN., UNDER THE
GUIDANCE OF THEIR ELDERS.
GILBERT CARVALHO'S PARK WAS ALSO A CULTURAL AREA WHERE
THE RESIDENTS OF KAUMANA WOULD GATHER, ESPECIALLY ON
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS EXCHANGING THEIR CULTURAL, THEIR
LANGUAGE FORMULATING A CLOSER "FAMILY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE,
EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.
VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS PARK WERE TWO IMPORTANT AREAS
ONE WAS THE LITTLE UNDERGROUND SPRING WATER THAT FLOWED
ADJACENT TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE PARK, WHERE THE WATERCRESS
THRIVED AND GATHERED BY THE RESIDENTS. UNFORTUNALY,
ONE OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARING THE WEEDS
ON THE EMBANKMENT OF THE LITTLE STREAM WITH INSECTICIDES, .
Comm. No. 7U ~ . /
MAKING IT A HEALTH HAZARD IN THE AREA OF THE GROWTH OF Ref. Toe4rmse>Neif '
Ref. Uote V
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THE WATERCRESS. ONE NOTE OF IMPORTANCE OF THE
WATERCRESS IS THAT THIS VEGETABLE WAS USED IN THE
PREPARATION OF THE REMEDY FOR ASTHMA. MAY I REQUEST
THAT WE NOT USE INSECTICIDES IN ERADICATING THE WEEDS,
AND OTHER PLANTS THAT DESTROYS THE BEAUTY OF THE PARK.
ANOTHER PART OF THE HISTORY OF THIS PARK IS THAT THE
RESIDENTS WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE RELIGIOUS EVENT CAKLED,
"THE HOLY GHOST FEAST". I AM PRESENTLY CONTACTING THE
RESIDENTS FOR RE-ESTABLISHING THIS EVENT. THERE IS MUCH
TO BE DONE IN ITS BEAUTICATION OF THI5 PARK.I ENVISION A
YOUTH TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAM IN TEACHING THEM IN THE
RULES AND REGULATIONS IN TRAFFIC. I INITIATED THIS
PROGRAM IN THE MIDDLE 1950's AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BIG
ISLAND TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAM.
THERE IS ANOTHER SEGMENT THAT COORDINATES WITH THE PARK,
AND THAT IS THE REDEVELOPING OF THE RAINBOW DRIVE,
BY WIDENING IN ORDER THAT A MACADAM LANE (HAMAKUA AREA)
FOR THE DISABLED VETERANS WHO USE MOBILE WHEELCHAIRS TO
SPEND TIME AT THE PARK. THIS LANE MUST BE PROTECTED BY
"CURB BUMPS" MR. IKEDA AND I HAVE, TOGETHER WITH MR.
HOB AGUTAR OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DISCUSSED IT AND IT CAN BE
FEASIBLE.
ONE ITEM ALSO OF PARAMOUNT INTEREST AND CONCERN IS THAT
VISITORS VIEWING THE RAINBOW FALLS AND AREA WOULD ALSO
WALK ACROSS THE O.E.O. AREA WHERE A CURB RESTAURANT
OR REFRESHMENT PLACE ARE IN "HARM'S WAY" AS THERE IS NO
PROTECTION AS THEY GET ACROSS THE DFIVE. I HAVE BROUGHT
THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS APPARENT TNAT IT IS NOT IMPORTANT.
2 DIFFER WITH THIS DECISION, FOR AFTER ALL, THESE
VISITORS "POUR" IN A LOT OF CONTRIBUTING INCOME
AND PROTECTING OUR ECONOMIC G%OWTH. THERE IS MUCH
HISTORY, FACTUAL AND LEGEND ABOUT THE RAINBOW FALLS.
ONE AREA THAT IS RECOGNIZED IS WHEN THE POND OF THE
FALLS ARE MAINTAINED AND CLEARED OF ALL CONTRIBUTING
PLANT-LIFE AND SHRUBBERY, ONE WILL NOTICE THAT THE
OUTLINE OF THE POND REPRESENTS THE OUTLINE OF THE
ISLAND OF HAWAII.
ALSO, THAT THE RAINBOW DRIVE COMMENCING FROM ABOVE
THE O.E.O. AREA WHERE THERE IS A TREE"THAT REFLECTS
SHADE TO THE DRIVE. THIS AREA SHOULD BE CLEARED OF
CONTRIBUTING HAZARDS.
THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL IN
PERMITTING ME TO TO CONTRIBUTE MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE
KAUMANA "BEAUTY".
INCIDENTALLY, ALL EFFORTS SHOULD BE THE CONCERN OF THE
LEADERS AND RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICTS OF THE BIG
ISLAND WHERE THERE IS BEAUTY IN EVERY AREA AND SHOULD
BE PROTECTED, ENVIRONMENTALLY OR OTHERWISE. IN WALKING
WITH FOR OTHER "ASSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE U. S. CORPS OF
ENGINEERS AND MYSELF, ALSO AN ASSIGNED MEMBER IN THE
'FORTIES THERE IS BEAUTY ALL OVER, LET 'S NOT
DESTROY IT, BUT PRESERVE IT.
Francis L. Benevides, Sr.
P.0. Box 1877
Hilo, Hawaii 96721
VOLUNTEER, TRAFFIC SAFETY COORDINATOR