Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 4

Stor-McKn A-4 Monday. March 22. 1WJ NEIGHBORHOODS Life starts at 00 years An Aiea Heights resident's displays are a welcome tradition By June Watanabe Star-Bulletin Sada Yamamoto unfolds one of her colorful crocheted Afghan bed covers to show a visitor what she enjoys doing in her spare time. "Only one week," Yamamoto says proudly describing how long it took her to create the finished product laid out atop her single bed. She'll give the cover to a favorite nephew in Japan or a friend.

It's a work of love. So much has changed in Yamamoto's life since she arrived 17 months ago at Kuakini missed putting up a decora nn tion for Girl Day and had to explain to the "nice lady at the bank down the hill what hap- Li pened. 1 i i ills Home, a private nursing facility. At age 99, she is alert and cheerful. "All time happy, never mad," she says.

"No need nothing because my health good. I never have bad thoughts." Johanna Won, a health activity dinator at Kuakini Home, recalls that Yamamoto was not always so cheerful. "When she came (in October 1991), she Sada Yamamoto By Terry Lull, Star-Bulletin Art and Kona Smith flank a Hawaiian warrior in the family's Aiea Heights yard. Kona made the decorations with Art's help. It's also a struggle to come up with designs and ideas.

"I'm not a creative The garbage man always asks, "What is the next one?" Kona Smith's been building them for just more than a year now, but the decorations that go up in a corner of his family's Aiea Heights yard for virtually all major holidays already have become a tradition in his neighborhood. Folks notice when there's nothing special to mark even a small holiday, like Girl's Day. (He couldn't make anything this year after being hospitalized.) "We've had some nice letters from people," Smith said modestly of his projects. "It's so nice when people go by and honk. They say, 'We're always looking to see what you're going to do Smith, 59, a Punahou School graduate, was a teacher for more than 21 years at Waianae High School, where he taught Hawaiiana and Hawaiian history and coordinated student activities.

Serious heart problems forced him to retire. "But you just can't sit back and die," he said. His brother had a lot of plywood, his father already had a woodworking shop set up at home and he had a lot of time to fill. In December 1991, his first effort Christmas candles went up along the driveway of his home at 99-947 Aiea Heights Drive, where he's lived with his parents since 1957. But no one except visitors to the home could see the decorations and Smith eventually chose the more visible corner spot to greet and cheer neighbors.

"Now, it's to the point of scrounging around to find plywood," he laughed of the time-consuming hobby. "People expect it. But that's good, because it keeps me on my toes." He even had to turn away a buyer once. "A woman minister came by and wanted to buy (the cross). I said, 'But was very reclusive and hardly ever smiled," Won said.

"But now she's cheerful, alert and never forgets a thing." Residents on Yamamoto's floor at Kuakini Home must be able to walk and take care of their own toilet needs. They have an active lifestyle. "I like this," Yamamoto said. Yamamoto left Hiroshima in 1912 to come to Hawaii; She first went to Kauai as a picture bride and then moved to Oahu. "I live Kahuku and make bread, anpan, cupcakes," she said.

"Sell from my house. Make plenty money. But I have no children." She separated from her husband and left Kahuku for San Francisco to live with a brother. She returned six years ago after living on the mainland for 62 years. "I old and have nobody on mainland so I come back," she said.

"I work many jobs on mainland. Sewing kind, restaurant, pool hall, motel. I never sick before until I come back." Relatives help pay the $1,519 a month for her nursing care. Living at Kuakini Home has changed her life. As she leaves her private room, Yamamoto smiles and begins walking slowly down the hallway to another room where a group sing-along is being held.

Yes, she can sing, too. Rod Ohira, Star-Bulletin If you've got a funny or just plain interesting anecdote for "Talk Story," call 525-8640, or send fax to 523-8509. this is real flimsy. It's not going to last a long Besides, what would I do next Easter?" Although he's always thinking up new designs, Smith recycles, repairs and revises his old decorations. A black pot, for example, was used for both Halloween and St Patrick's Day.

Smith has made red hearts for Valentine's Day; a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for St. Paddy's; colorful flowers for Mother's Day and Easter; red-white-and-blue rockets and shooting stars for the Fourth of July; orange jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween; a goofy-looking turkey for Thanksgiving. In celebration of Hawaiian sovereignty this year, he produced a handsome Hawaiian warrior. But there have been disasters. Forced to produce something quickly for Aloha Week, he came up with a warrior's helmet: "That took only 20 minutes, but it was such a terrible job." Likewise, he was disgusted with a rainbow.

Portions of it are now part of a man in a hammock. The resting man was part of Smith's practically no-budget, low-profile cam paign for the Board of Education last year. Because of his health, "I knew I couldn't campaign so I just had a sign that said, "Kona Smith, Board of Education." He lost. The cutout man stayed, but carried a different sign: "No stress." "Life is too good to be stressed out," Smith explained. SMITH credits his 83-year-old father, Art, with providing a lot of help.

"I couldn't do it without him," he said. The elder Smith is a skilled craftsman, turning out such items as reindeer plant holders and wind toys ducks with wings and dolphins with fins that go round and round in the breeze. Like father, like son: Art Smith said he works with wood "to keep myself in trim. I keep myself busy; that way you last longer." For the younger Smith, "The hardest part is getting off my rear end. Cutting the wood and painting takes time.

Painting anything, you have to give it a base coat of white paint first." person," he insisted. The inspiration for the Hawaiian warrior, he said, came from a newspaper ad. He drew lines on a piece of paper, making it look like graph paper, and carefully copied the picture before transferring it to wood. Likewise, he got his turkey by looking through a book. To paint his Kung Hee Fat Choy sign for Chinese New Year's, Smith went down to the neighborhood chop suey restaurant to ask for help.

Last year, he was set on doing something for the Jewish community and considered making a menorah (candelabrum). But he gave up the project when he couldn't figure out how to support the nine candles needed to mark Hanukkah. For the December holidays this year, "I want to do cartoon characters for the children. Yet I also want to do something for the Jewish people, to tell them this is something from your Christian friends. I hate to do one (celebrate the Christian holiday) and not the other.

STREETWISE 0 --it SKahuku Sunset Haleiwa. New on-ramp to Wahlawa i Wahiawa Kaneohe New off-ramp to Mililani Waianae jcMilllani co WaiphuPearl City Kallua Existing ramp A I to be closed- JlnX Existing I LiJ 1 1 l' famps t0 Beware of road repairs Roadwork planned this week: Leeward Oahu: Waianae Lualualei Homestead Road from Ihuku to Kawili streets. Nanakuli Famngton Highway at Mohihi Street. Central Oahu: Whitmore Community Calendar HAWAII KAI: Lionel Aono, the Department of Education's budget director.state Sen. Donna Ikeda and Rep.

David Stegmaier will be the featured guests at an educational forum at 7 p.m. March 31 in the Kpiser High School library. Subjects: Lump-sum funding, schoolcommunity-based management and reorganizing the DOE. HICKAM: A Polynesian show, live music, carnival rides and Hickam pogs will be part of the 35th Hickam Air Force Base festival April 2-4. Parking and admission, through the main gate, will be free.

Ten bands with repertoires from rock to country will perform. Festival hours are 5 to 1 1 :30 p.m. April 1 1 a-m. to 1 1 :30 p.m April 3 and noon to 9 p.m. April 4.

KAPAHULU: The Library for the Blind and Pfiysically Handicapped at 402 Kapahulu Ave. will be closed for asbestos removal April 9 and 10. The library will reopen April 12, said Bart Kane, state librarian. The work will be done to prepare for building new radio reading service studios. Sally Morgan is director of the library, one of the first 1 8 to be established in U.S.

states and territories. MANOA: Malama Manoa is holding its first Great All-Manoa Any Kine Karaoke Contest Auction afid Bento Benefit from p.m. April 16 in Manoa School cafetorium. Tickets are $5 for admission, bento and door prize ticket. Tickets are available at Twin Moons Bookstore and Cypress Gift Shop.

The group was organized to "preserve, protect and enhance the special qualities" of Manoa Valley. WAIALAEIKI: The Waialaelki Ridge Community Association's annual party will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 25 at the Waialae Country Club. Neighborhood boards Ala MoanaKakaako: 7 p.m., Sheridan Recreation Center, 833 Piikoi St. Z3 Palolo: 7 p.m., Palolo Elementary School cafeteria, 21 06 10th Ave.

MililaniWaipioMelemanu: 7:30 p.m., Mililani Recreation Center III, 95-281 Kaloapau St. ULL 9 Whitmore Avenue By Iryont Fukulomi, Star-Bulletin New romps coming for freeuay drivers heading to Clililoni The area will boom in the next 10 years with 7,000 units ByMurryEngle Star-Bulletin Mililani-bound drivers will have to get used to new on- and of -ramps from the H-2 freeway. But the good news is that the ramps should make it easier to get into and out of the booming Central Oahu community. "What is there is OK for now, but we will be building up to 7,000 units in Mililani Mauka during the next 10 years," said Maya Leland, spokeswoman for Castle Cooke Properties Inc. "Even before 10 years is up, the current ramp would not accommodate the traffic, according to studies done by traffic engineers." Moving the off-ramp was one condition of zoning for the subdivision.

Here's what is changing: The old Wahiawa-bound on-ramp onto H-2 has been ripped out. It will be replaced by a long, wider curving ramp that gives drivers enough time to get up to speed as they enter the freeway. Drivers will still enter the on-ramp from Mehelua Parkway, but beyond the former entrance. The on-ramp is scheduled to open on June 3. The Mililani exit from H-2, Wahiawa-bound, will be dug out when the new on-ramp is completed.

Drivers will enter the new exit after passing under the Meheula Parkway overpass. A signal light, now at the old ramp and Meheula Parkway, will be installed where the off-ramp joins with the parkway, Leland said. Castle Cooke is responsible for the $3 million cost of the new ramps. "When a developer is seeking permits for an area that has been undeveloped, a traffic study is done to see how relocating a ramp will affect the roadway. If the roadway needs improvement, then the developer has to do it," said Marilyn Kali, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

The criteria depend on the scope of the project, Kali said. "Whatever the developer builds has to meet federal or state standards, and the state has the final say on Young streets. Ala Moana Poni Street from Kanunu to Makaloa streets. Kakaako to Waikiki Ala Moana from Queen Street to Kalakaua Avenue, Pau, Kaiolu, Kanekapolei and Niu streets, Kalia Road from Saratoga Road to the Koko Head end of road, Helumoa Road, Lewers Street from Kalia Road to Kalakaua Avenue, Liliuokaiani Avenue from Kuhio Avenue to Ala Wai Boulevard and Ala Wai Boulevard from Kapahulu to Kaiulani avenues. Lower Manoa Dole Street.

Windward Oahu: Kaneohe Pali Highway from St. Stephen's Seminary Road to the Kamehameha Highway intersection. Ahuimanu Ahuimanu Road. Keapuka Likelike Highway from Kahekili Highway to Anoi Road and from Haiku Access Road to the Board of Water Supply Reservoir Access Road. Kahaluu Kahekili Highway near the Hygienic Store.

HauulaLaie Kamehameha Highway. Kailua Kaiiua Road from Kawainui Bridge to Castle Hospital and from Castle Hospital to Castle Junction, Kalanianaole Highway from Castle Hospital to Castle Junction and from the Pohakupu Booster to Olomana Golf Course. East Honolulu: Aina haina to Hawaii Kai Waioli, Hahaione and Leighton streets, Wailupe Valley hillside, Hawaii Kai Drive and Kalanianaole Highway from Puu Ikena Drive to East Haiemaumau Street. from Kamehameha Highway to Uakanikoo Street and Kamehameha Highway (rom Kilani to Whitmore avenues. Waipio to Waiawa H-2 freeway from Waipio Interchange to Waiawa Interchange and from Mililani Interchange to Waipio Interchange.

Crestview Lumi Place and Street. Lurniaina, Lumialani and Lumioke streets, Lumi Place and Street and Lumihoahu Place and Street. Pearl City Hookanike Street. Aiea Moanalua Road from Pali Momi to Kaamilo streets and Moanalua Freeway from Aiea Interchange to Moanalua Stream Bridge. Honolulu: Kalihi Kapalama Avenue from School to Peter Buck streets, Kamanaiki, Kaliawa, Peter Buck, Makuahine, Makuakane.

Kaikuahine, Nihi and Lima streets, Kaikunane Loop, Hala Drive, Likelike Highway from Valley View Drive to Wilson Tunnel and Sand Island Access Road near the Weight Station. Iwilei intersection of Nimitz Highway and Alakawa Street Liliha Rooke Avenue from Maui to Hawaii streets and Waolani Avenue from Hawaii to Wyllie streets. Moiliili Kuilei Street. McCully intersection of McCully and whether or not the standards are met," Kali said. Private citizens may apply to build access from a freeway to their property, Kali said.

"They should include driveways, for instance, in their plans when they go for a building permit," Kali said. "Either the state or county will make sure the driveway is in a safe location and that it will be built to standards." Two other H-2 freeway projects are part of the state Department of Transportation's program to encourage better use of Hawaii's highways by providing car-pool lanes to reduce single-occupant vehicles. "When you reduce single-occupancy vehicles, you reduce traffic congestion," Kali said. "We hope this will encourage more car pools and van pools and get more people to ride together instead of riding separately." The two projects will provide new car-pool lanes in both directions from Mililani to Waiawa. Vehicles with two or more people can use the lanes.

The freeway is being widened to provide the car-pool lanes in both directions from the Waipio Interchange to Waiawa Interchange. The Waiawa Interchange is where H-l and H-2 freeways meet. That work, including the Waianae exit, started in October and is scheduled to be completed in June. Work on the car-pool lane from the Mililani Interchange to the Waipio Interchange began in January and is expected to be finished in February 1995. Pearl City: 7 p.m., Pearl City Public Library, 1 138 Waimano Home Road.

'Any events coming up in your neighborhood? Is any issue stirring up your community? Send a brief notice to June Watanabe, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802, at least five days in advance. We will publish as many items as space allows. SAVE with coupon -n COUPON nnv CARPET COCONUT CREAM CAKE 8" square light chiffon cake with coconut bavarian Icing. Topped with grated coconut.

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