The Kalakupua playground at the Fourth Marine Division Park in Haiku needs our help. The fantastic play structure, designed by school kids and built by a hardworking group of community volunteers in 2004, has begun to show signs of decline.
The once deep and spongy mulch has thinned out in important places to reveal weedcloth and rocks. The wood is dry and cracked and the historical displays honoring our veterans have all faded away.
Is anyone routinely checking the hard-used equipment for hazards?
When the project was completed the architect, Robert Leathers, stressed the importance of annual maintenance. He was right. The wet and windy weather in Haiku has taken its toll on the playground.
What if a local bank opens an account to collect donations to fund the purchase of mulch and wood sealer?
In the past, inmates from the jail have done a fine job of resealing the wood.
If we don't take care of this resource we will be left with an eyesore of decaying lumber and many unhappy children who will miss the excitement of playing there. Let's save this magical playground for our children and grandchildren.
Elizabeth Ball
Haiku
