Three New Schools On The Way For Kapolei
Aloha friends,
You might have heard the news about the possibility that U.S. Postal Service could close Kapolei Postal Station. I’ve been doing my best to get the word out – encouraging folks to let USPS know how they feel. Apparently, due to an administrative error, USPS has decided to postpone the comment deadline from July 4 to Aug. 25. So please keep sending in written comments to Janice Shimizu, 3600 Aolele St., Honolulu, HI 96820-9998.
Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii. gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
UH West Oahu to Launch Senior Citizen Program
At my May 4 “Listen Story” meeting, one of my constituents brought up the need for UH West Oahu to allow seniors to audit classes (sit in on a course of interest without actually taking the class and paying the fees). We contacted the UH West Oahu chancellor’s office to see if this would be a possibility.
I was very happy to get an email from Dr. Eun Ahn, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at UHWO, notifying me that it will be establishing procedures to start a senior citizen program at UHWO beginning as early as the spring of 2014. So for all you seniors in the West Oahu area, please give this some thought as another opportunity for lifelong learning in your community.
New Schools Coming for District 20
I was very pleased to learn that Gov. Abercrombie released $40 million in funding July 20 for the construction of Kapolei II Elementary. This new school will be located at the corner of Kapolei Parkway and Fort Barrette Road across the street from Kapolei High School. The school is expected to accommodate up to 750 students and is planned to be completed by the fall of 2015.
This past session, we appropriated funding for two other new schools in the district: * $5 million for the planning and design of East Kapolei High (most likely will be located at the corner of Farrington Highway and Kualaka’i Parkway on what is now DLNR land) * $3 million for the planning and design of East Kapolei Middle (will most likely be located behind the Kroc Center off Kualaka’i Parkway)
State Road Project Update
We received the following update from the state Department of Transportation for major traffic improvements planned for West Oahu:
* Fort Barrette Road Widening – 90 percent completed with design, construction in 2016
* Kualaka’i Parkway Extension (Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt Avenue) – will be completed by 2015 * P.M. Contra Flow (from Radford Drive to H1/H2 split) – preliminary construction for the deck widening and crossover work is in progress. They are targeting substantial completion of the project by late summer 2014.
“Listen-Story” Meeting
My next “Listen Story” meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday (July 20) at Eat Pray Love Café (533 Manawai St. #304). It’s on the Waianae side directly across from Kapolei High.
