Campbell High School (CHS) needs improvements to its athletic facilities. At the February meeting of the Ewa Neighborhood Board there was a request for upgrades to their track field and for construction of a new stadium. The Campbell High School Alumni & Community Foundation asked the board to include these requests in the Capitol Improvement Project (CIP) funding proposal. Tesha Malama reported that CHS has the largest public high school student enrollment in the state and that the Ewa Beach population is expected to increase by 7% in five years. Malama pointed out that two athletic records were voided last year because the field did not meet proper standards. In addition, the present track and field complex is difficult to access and poses health related issues caused by the dirt cinder track. Malama asked the board to support a proposal requesting $400,000 for planning and design, and $4,600,000 for construction of a new athletic and fitness complex. The board unanimously supported the proposal requesting $5 million for improvements to the high school’s athletic complex. State Representative Bob McDermott reported that $10 million had been proposed in the state budget for the planning and construction of a the new stadium., while Representative Rida Cabanilla disclosed her proposals for school appropriations: $10 million to build a new high school, $12 million to Campbell High School, $4.3 million to Ewa Elementary School, $3.6 million to Ewa Beach Elementary School, and $100,000 to Keoneula Elementary School.
Other school news came from the Honolulu Police Department that reported its recent Weed and Seed activities in Ewa. Officer Micah Nakagawa covered these current events with the neighborhood board:
- Weeding: Officers continue to conduct underage drinking sweeps and drug investigations in the area. On January 31,2014, officers arrested a male and a female in a drug investigation.
- Seeding: The H2O Water Safety program started on January 3, 2014; a Junior Bowling program was held January 22 -February 19, 2014; Weed and Seed participated in Keoneula Elementary School Career Day on February 28, 2014; HPD assisted intramurals at Ewa Makai Middle School, March 3-7, 2014.
In conjunction with the Weed and Seed program, Officer Michael Dela Cruz presented the HPD’s “Important Facts about Marijuana in Hawaii.” Dela Cruz reported that HPD opposes the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana. During the discussion, Dela Cruz noted that persons who use medical marijuana are allowed to grow three budding plants at any given time.
The next general board meeting will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014, at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library , 91-950 North Road, Ewa Beach, at 7:00 P.M. New business will deal with the Queens West Hospital. A briefing and updates will be presented by Susan Murray, Chief Operating Officer. The public is invited to attend and participate in discussion.
