Over the weekend, I went to the North Shore park which has been re-named to reflect a beloved North Shore couple who helped save the park from development. It's now Bill and Peggy Paty Kaiaka Park. (Bill is pictured above as a guest on Long Story Short on PBS Hawaii.)
The park is known for a striking pedestal boulder near the edge of Kaiaka Bay.
Kaiaka, across from the Waialua fire station, is a beautiful place. Although I need to note that it's looking a little worse for the wear. September tends to be the hottest month of the year--and the grass at Kaiaka Park is fried. No money for irrigation. On the parched grass, quite a few homeless people set up camp every day. They must leave at nightfall when the gates close.
It's not the rich green park I remember from my youth. But most of the beachside ironwoods survived past hurricanes and there are still spreading shade trees throughout the acreage. Many people from the neighborhood make walking around the park part of their exercise routine. Does Uncle Ben ever miss a day, with his dog Hau'oli? Ben usually also has a human friend, or two, or three, with him.
The site is still glorious, and I'm grateful to Bill and Peggy for successfully crusading all those years ago to keep this part of the country country.
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