Article Posted 5/9/08 - James M. Komata

The following is being sent as an update on repairs to the Hisoaka Gym. Phase one is almost complete, though it seems it will be awhile for Phase two to be completed.

PHASE TWO UPDATE:

The status of the bid documents were discussed at yesterday's meeting. The plans and specifications were very close to completion with only the electrical drawings outstanding for minor revisions. However, discussion regarding resolution of the numerous structural and architectural issues discovered in the course of Phase I (loose or missing bolts in the roof truss system, loose diagonal tension rods in the roof truss system, ungrouted CMU walls throughout the facility, modification of CMU wall heights and addition of diagonal bracing and bond beams, repairs to leaking roof panels, addition of roof insulation, painting of roof trusses if exposed, seismic bracing of major mechanical equipment and ductwork, replacement of flooring at certain locations, etc.) will result in a slight delay in completing those plans. All of the previously unforeseen structural work not addressed in the previous paragraph will now be incorporated into the Phase II bid documents. This will require revisions to both the structural and architectural plans and specifications. The revisions are expected to be completed by next Friday, May 16 and the complete set to be submitted to the County by our architect early the following week. The County will require approximately a week to review the documents and finalize them for bidding. Unless major revisions are necessary, the plans should be advertised for bidding a month after completion of the County's review (time required for running prints, submitting notice to newspapers and other preparatory work). The public bidding time period is expected to last at least 4-6 weeks.

Please continue to share the update with all interested parties.

James M. Komata, Park Planner, Department of Parks & Recreation

County of Hawai'i, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720

Phone: 808.961.8531 Fax: 808.961.8411

jkomata@co.h awaii.hi.us

Article Posted 4/24/08 - James M. Komata

The following is being sent as an update on repairs to the Hisoaka Gym.

The Demolition Subcontractor completed removal of the ceiling system and all debris in the main gym area. Upon completing this removal, the Contractor identified previously undiscovered holes in the roof that do leak water into the gym when it rains. It does not appear that these are earthquake related but definitely need to be addressed prior to implementation of the second phase.

The Demolition Subcontractor completed removal of the CMU wall between the kitchen and the meeting room that was severely damaged. Upon removal of the wall, a significant crack in the abutting CMU wall was discovered. In order to reinstall the CMU wall, the Contractor had to address the crack by grouting the cells and doweling-in additional reinforcing.

The Steel Fabrication Subcontractor began installing the steel collars for the concrete column repairs at the two conditions requiring the fix. One additional condition was discovered by the Structural Engineer following removal of the main gym area's ceiling.

The Concrete Repair Subcontractor began preparation work for repairing the cracks and spalled conditions in the concrete and CMU walls, columns and beams. They were grinding the cracks ready to receive supplemental reinforcing dowels and structural patch materials.

Our Structural Engineer of Record was on site Thursday & Friday (4/17 & 4/18) performing an overall structural roof framing inspection as was required for the project now that the ceiling was removed and the roof space is fully accessible. The engineer discovered that there were many tie rods and truss anchor struts that had loose nuts/bolts and there is additional work required to tighten those. Not clear if this is entirely due to the earthquake or in combination with other causes at this point in time.

The Contractor's contract completion date is May 22, 2008, however, the Contractor is anticipating being completed with its work on May 2, 2008 and expects to conduct a final inspection on that date. Our Architect and Engineers are working on addressing the additional unforeseen work that was discovered subsequent to removal of the ceilings and expect to have that work prescribed and issued to the Contractor this week.

Please continue to share the update with all interested parties.

James M. Komata, Park Planner, Department of Parks & Recreation

County of Hawai'i, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720

Phone: 808.961.8531 Fax: 808.961.8411

jkomata@co.h awaii.hi.us

Article Posted 4/14/08 - James M. Komata

Here is an update on the current status of the ongoing construction project for Phase I. Please continue to share with anyone that is interested.

The demolition subcontractor has completed all of its demolition in the perimeter rooms in the facility and is currently working on demolition and removal work in the main gym area which was expected to be completed yesterday. Because they were working in the gym, it was sealed to all others for safety and structural inspections weren't able to be conducted here.

Our structural engineer made a special visit to the site on Wednesday to inspect the additional specific structural concerns that were unveiled during demolition work; these consisted of a few failed steel connections, many unstable CMU (non load bearing) partition walls, and additional cracks in CMU walls and joints. They are currently working on prescribing the additional work required to ensure the safety and stability of the existing gym and its components. Once they have completed the drawings necessary to control the additional work, we will negotiate with the contractor to incorporate the work into this contract (or we may hold some over to the next phase).

The concrete/masonry repair subcontractor will be mobilizing to the site on Monday, April 14 and begin preparation work for repairing all of the cracks and spalled concrete/cmu walls conditions.

Our structural engineer is scheduled to revisit the site to review the concrete/masonry repair work progress and to inspect the overall steel roof framing for not-yet discovered structural damages (if any exist) as they are required to do.

That's it for now. No pictures to share as the main gym was sealed and there wasn't anything different to show in the perimeter rooms.

James M. Komata, Park Planner

Department of Parks & Recreation County of Hawaii

101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Phone: 808 961-8531 Fax: 808 961-8411

jkomata@co.h awaii.hi.us

Article Posted 3/5/08 - Maggie Frohmader

Big Island residents and visitors are invited to celebrate Earth Day “Kohala Style” at the second annual Trash Bash Art and Fashion Show. The event aims to entertain, educate and inspire Kohala residents to expand their recycling and conservation efforts, as well as award cash prizes of up to $100. The show takes place on Sunday, April 20th, 1:00 to 3:00PM, Upstairs at Kohala Coffee Mill in Hawi. There is no entry fee for the art or fashion show, and the deadline for participant entry forms is April 14th. The entry forms are available at the Kohala Coffee Mill, or by calling 345-6322.

In preparation of the event, the organizers will offer two free workshops open to all ages and interests. Artists, recyclers and educators will be on hand Sunday March 9th and April 6th, from 1:00PM to 4:00PM to help all participants with their art and fashion entries. Limited supplies will be available, so workshop attendees should bring their own trash to turn into treasures. Both workshops will be held at The Barn, behind Luke’s Place in Hawi. “We sometimes forget how far we’ve come with recycling here in Kohala,” says Hawi resident Susan Paulson.

“We have an awesome facility at the transfer station, on-site recycling at the post office, and green grocery bags everywhere. The Trash Bash is our way of celebrating these successes while thinking about the future.” The Trash Bash and workshops are sponsored in part by the Trash Bash Organizing Committee, WASTESTREAM, Recycle Hawaii, and Kona Earth Fest.

EVENT: Trash Bash Art and Fashion Show
DATE: Sunday, April 20th, 1:00 – 3:00PM
PLACE: Upstairs at Kohala Coffee Mill, Hawi

EVENT: Community Workshops
DATE: Sunday, March 9th and April 6th, 1:00 –4:00PM
PLACE: The Barn, behind Luke’s Place, Hawi

CONTACT INFO: Colleen Nevins, 345-6322

Have fun and be happy!

Article Posted 1/8/08 - Angela Rosa

On January 3rd, the Phase I contract was awarded to "Constructors Hawaii" who was the low bidder at $351,000. Soon as the contract is executed, the county will give the Notice to Proceed and from there we can get the approximate time the project will take.

On January 4th, the second low bidder questioned the completeness and accuracy of "Constructors Hawaii" bid proposal. The issues are being reviewed by the County's attorneys. Soon as we find out the outcome, I will let everyone know.

"Phase I covers the structural repairs to the cracked walls, columns and metal work; removes all of the suspended ceilings and lighting fixtures and generally prepares the facility for the permanent repairs to come in Phase II--such as new plumbing fixtures, new lighting, new ceilings, painting and other architectural work. The hazardous materials issue came about for Phase I to cover the handling and disposal of the materials that were intended to be removed from the facility."

AND reagarding the restrooms.....

The final inspection on the comfort station project was conducted on December 20, 2007. We are waiting for our architect to issue her punchlist that will be forwarded to the Contractor for satisfaction of his construction obligations to the contract. I spoke with our Project Manager on this and we expect the punchlist shortly. The most critical work that needs to be completed is for HELCO to connect power to the facility for which we just sent in the signed agreement. Not sure when that will occur but it should be soon. I'm sorry about the extended use of the portable toilets, but we're almost there on that project. Like always, feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions. Thanks.

James M. Komata, Park Planner

Department of Parks & Recreation County of Hawaii

101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 Hilo, Hawaii 96720

Phone: 808 961-8531 Fax: 808 961-8411

Article Posted 10/27/07 - Angela Rosa

Alex Achmat and Ed Pollock travelled to Hilo to attend The Department of Water Supply's, monthly Water Board Meeting on October 23rd, 2007. As concerned citizens they both individually addressed the board. Alex with regard to clarifying their semiautonomous structure, and Ed was concerned with the recent water outage, and also the remiss manner in which the information regarding the non- portable status of our water supply was disseminated.

Milton Pavao provided most of the answers. The department appears to have been tardy, to say the least in their attempt to repair well # 2, which went down in March of this year. The situation became dire when well # 1's shaft broke. Only when Surety allowed the Water Dept to use their well did we get our water back, also as of Oct 24th we are still getting our water from Surety. At this time we are also awaiting repairs on wells # 1 and # 2. The Water Dept tried unsuccessfully to say that the process has been expedited as best as possible, with parts being flown in, and how this is a unique piece of equipment, demanding special consideration. It was not determined what kind of aircraft were utilised, which took 6 months to get the parts here. Mr. Pollock thought there excuses were a bit thin, to say the least.

With regard to the non-portable water alert, or lack thereof. Ms. Kris Aton of the County related all manner of ways in which we had been informed of the waters portability status, radio, civil defence, various publications, it seems these efforts fell for the most part on deaf ears. Mr. Pollock suggested they should have used the Kohala Fair as way to communicate with the local public, or failing that perhaps even a loudspeaker from pick up truck. This was after all a major health concern. It was suggested by board member Mr. Riley Smith (District # 9 [Kohala]), that electronic road signs alerting the public to the current water status, be situated on both of the N Kohala entrance roads. A good idea, but then it was thought that the DOT might not agree to this particular usage.

Article Posted 6/30/07 - JAMES M. KOMATA

Hisaoka Gym:

Phase 1 of the restoration of the gymnasium was signed off by the Mayor this past Friday. We are finalizing the specifications and plans to be used as the bid package - I just finished my review yesterday. Once we edit the final corrections, we will be putting that project out for public bidding for construction. In the meantime, the second phase of the project is proceeding in development of the design drawings and specifications with our architect and her team of engineers. We will be checking in with her today to see where she's at.

We did encounter two situations that we didn't anticipate in the formation of the schedule forecasted for the project. First, our review of the project's bid documents and preparation of our end of those documents coincided with "crunch time" that is the end of our fiscal year and the chaos that typically accompanies that time of year ensuring monies are properly encumbered before lapsing. Second, the routing of the title sheet for approval signatures of various agencies (County and State) that mimics the building permit process took much longer than expected. The architect turned in the plans to us a week or so late as I recall, so, that contributed to the delay as well.

Kamehameha Park Comfort Station:

We had our Pre- construction Meeting with the Contractor's representative and the Department of Public Works, Building Division's Project Coordinator on Friday, June 22, 2007. The Contractor was issued its "Notice to Proceed" effective Monday, June 25, 2007 and it has 90 consecutive calendar days to complete its work - which puts completion at Saturday, September 22 by my computation. There are chances that the project's completion date may be extended for situations such as rain-out days, problems that arise due to the design, or any additional work or changes in work we ask the contractor to include - as every project is subject to, to some extent. Except for rain, I don't expect the latter issues to be of much concern here once they are able to site the building between the tennis courts and the new septic system that was already installed for this facility.

James M. Komata, Park Planner ph.961.8531 fx.961.8411

Department of Parks and Recreation County of Hawai'i

101 Pauahi Street; Suite 6 Hilo, Hawai'i 96720

Article Posted 3/27/07 - Sue Treppenhauer

Saturday, March 17, 2007, I forgot many things. I forgot my nephew’s birthday, I forgot it was St. Patrick’s Day, I forgot it was my husband’s only day off, I forgot myself. The only thing I could remember was that I was going to try something very important that day – I was going to try to stay up from 6pm until 6am on Sunday, and to walk in memory of Mom, to walk in support of Aunt Barbie, Doreen, Debbie, Jon, and all the other cancer survivors being helped by the American Cancer Society.

My friend, Doreen, just finished her chemotherapy for breast cancer. She is blessed in many ways: that she has a huge family on this island, that they surround her with love, that she received support and education from the American Cancer Society during her diagnosis and subsequent treatment, and that she is STRONGER than her cancer. Her family decided to form a team for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. They used Doreen’s middle name for the team: KA’ILILAUOKEKOA’OKALANI. In Hawaiian, this name means “The Heavenly and Precious One.” If you ever had a chance to meet this warm, loving woman, you would understand how fitting that name is. She has over a hundred relatives on this island, hundreds of friends, has a demanding job as the Director of Human Resources at the Fairmont Orchid Resort, and a husband and three children, yet anytime you have a chance to speak with her, she seems to slow down the spin of the planet so she can spend time with you and give you her total attention.

>>Continue Reading This Story<<

Article Posted 1/14/07 - Special thanks to James Komata and Kohala Action eNews

The following is a status report for Kohala Parks and Rec type projects that are being discussed and implemented in our community. For your information, a 'Friends of Kam Park' has been formed. In the future, that group may be the point of contact, but for the time being, please use Joe Carvalho, 889-5226, as the primary contact.

Some of the items that are on the table include:

1.   Repair of the baseball grandstand at Kamehameha Park.    

2.   Repair of Hisaoka gym at Kamehameha Park--this is a significant facility used by the community. For Kohala, this is the highest priority in Kam Park.

3.   Replacement of the restroom at Kamehameha main softball/baseball field.

4.   Pavilion at the makai fields at Kamehameha Park

5.   Outdoor multipurpose court at Kamehameha Park

6.   Storage facility at Kamehameha Park

7.   Repair of Keokea Park Pavilions

The Following are excerpts of a letter from James M. Komata, Park Planner, giving an update on the status of said projects.

As for the new restrooms at Kamehameha Park, it is the project we are currently working on bidding for construction.  Hope to have it advertised within a week's time.  The leach field for the new comfort station has already been installed under a prior contract so at least that portion of work is out of the way.  

Yesterday I received a copy of the schematic design drawings for the improvements Tinguely Development are proposing to do at Kamehameha Park.  I have concerns over the general design and will take that up here with our Director before going back to Tinguely.  The drawings include a storage building at the main baseball diamond, a covered stage at the courtyard fronting the gym and a pavilion at the lower ball field.  

On the grandstand, we will be placing our request to fund a new grandstand for the park in our upcoming CIP budget. If we do make it to the point of replacing the facility, it will look nothing like what is there now, but will be functional for its purposes and meet ADA requirements.  

I don't know where the outdoor basketball courts stand, that is something that our Recreation Director, Chris Cackley was coordinating.  

Hope this helps. James Komata