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    Loko Pa'aiau Volunteers Honored in Honolulu

    HONOLULU – Council Member Brandon Elefante, along with other members of the Honolulu City Council, recognized members of the military and local community for their volunteer work during a presentation of honorary certificates at Honolulu Hale in Honolulu, Feb. 22.

    Approximately three years ago, these communities came together in a group effort to begin the restoration of Loko Pa'aiau, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond located near McGrew Point, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

    Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and commander, Naval Surface Group, Middle Pacific, accepted the honor on behalf of the Navy and thanked the volunteers for their hard work and dedication to the project.

    “It’s just a fantastic tribute to their sense of community, family and partnership for the community,” said Fuller. “It shows their true commitment to making themselves better members of the community here, and showing everyone that it’s our land and we have to work together to make sure that we can remember our history.”

    Every month, the Honolulu City Council honors persons or groups for their contributions to the community.

    Jeff Pantaleo, cultural resources manager of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii (NAVFAC) and Rebecca Smith, natural resources management specialist of NAVFAC, shared recognition on behalf of NAVFAC and were honored to be a part of the city council's event.

    “It’s humbling, because we’re just doing this to do the right thing," said Pantaleo, “To be recognized, it helps us to get more support from the community.”

    It took six months to complete the first phase of the project, which was to clear the mangrove trees obstructing the pond along with other invasive vegetation. The long-term goal is to restore the pond to its original condition.

    “We do quarterly clean-ups,” said Pantaleo. “Our next one is on April 22, which is Earth Day. Usually, we have about 80 to 100 people from different groups who come out and learn about the culture and also help with the clean-up effort.”

    Along with clearing the pond, the groups also plant native Hawaiian vegetation, said Pantaleo.

    “It can sometimes be really hard work, but it’s really rewarding,” said Smith. “I think the involvement of the local community brings a whole different level to this particular volunteer effort because you get the sense of culture and history through the event from the people who are there.”

    Fishponds in early Hawaiian history were used to farm fish, providing food for the surrounding communities. There were originally 22 fishponds in Pearl Harbor, but now only three remain. Of the three, the fishpond at McGrew Point was the most accessible and in the best condition.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.22.2017
    Date Posted: 02.23.2017 15:51
    Story ID: 224548
    Location: HONOLULU, HI, US

    Web Views: 62
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN