As the city tries to clean up Poka’i Bay, community members are stepping up to help

By ‘A’ali’i Dukelow

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — Poka’i Bay appeared pristine Friday morning with its white sand, calm waters, and light breeze.

As dozens lounged on the beach, two men were volunteering their time tending to the lawn. While both of them declined an interview, others said the pair help clean the grounds regularly.

Frequent Poka’i beachgoers added that they help out because the city has just one staff member assigned to maintaining the area.

“Sometimes the trash doesn’t seem like it’s being taken cared of either, so sometimes the trashcans are overflowing,” beach goer Andrea Lombardi said.

Adding to the mess, the restrooms at the beach park have been closed for nearly a month as the city adds metal barriers to the top of the masonry wall.

Nathan Serota, a spokesperson with the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, explained the blockade is being added to keep out trespassers who scale the walls when the doors are locked to do drugs in the facility and vandalize it.

While portable restrooms are available for beach goers as crews continue the renovation, some are hoping the work will be completed soon.

“We need bathrooms that are taken cared of,” beach goer David Corey urged.

Serota reported the restrooms could reopen next month.

“We do our best with the staff we have and we’re actually looking to shift, maybe, some of the staff to see if we can focus their attention more on the areas of concern that we’ve heard from the Leeward coast and from other communities as well,” Serota added.

As the city works on the improvements, Poka’i Bay appears to be in good hands.

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