North Shore Newsby Vera Stone
North Shore Outdoor Circle has been very busy this year, despite the trying times for many of our businesses and residents.
Here are just a few of the projects we’ve been working on this year.
We are excited to be back helping out in Waimea Valley. We adopted the Torch Ginger Alley section, where we have fun weeding and pruning. We usually meet once a month at 8 am and our Publicity Chair, Melani Spielman escorts us up the valley. After we work, we sometimes take a dip in the falls and meet for lunch. All are welcome to join us.
We arranged to have the Exceptional Earpod Tree in Waialua, next to the Waialua Library, receive some much needed love and attention. Like many of us, it was due for a grooming. When you have a tree that is 118 years old, you don’t just hack away at it, you hire an arborist and a crew, and they lovingly groom the tree so that it can keep healthy, and stand tall and proud for as long as possible. Jon Perry and his crew took on this job and completed the grooming in October, so if you get the chance, swing on by and say “hi” to this grand dame of the North Shore. By the way, it is an Earpod (or Enterolobium Cyclocarpum), not a Monkeypod. Also, check out the commemorative plaque that’s on the tree and read about its history.
We had it installed when we celebrated a rededication of its status as an Exceptional Tree in Hawaii, in February 2017. It is an important part of the North Shore and has been witness to many changes over the decades.
Weed Circle just keeps getting more and more beautiful. Along with over seven different kinds of trees there, including Singapore plumeria, lauhala,
rainbow shower, and palms, the NSOC took charge of planting a Queen’s White and Ki’i Gold. The new trees are doing well. We are still waiting for an appropriate time to arrange a celebration of life and growth.
As always, one of our most important missions is to monitor advertising signs, but we don’t wish to unduly hamper local businesses notifying people that they’re open. We want to uphold community standards, but also be good neighbors. So the NSOC is going to work with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce to balance the need to maintain the atmosphere of our historic district without unduly restricting the needs of businesses.
Your North Shore Outdoor Circle is doing a lot to make the North Shore – clean, green, and beautiful, and all of this takes funds. We are lucky to have lots of volunteers, however we are providing funds for grooming, for recognition and preservation, and for equipment like irrigation, so please consider joining us or contributing funds to help. The money that you spend on your membership, which can be as low as $25.00 per year, goes a long way toward keeping our North Shore looking good. That’s our kuleana. Please like us on Facebook, and if you have any questions, reach out to us on our website at www.outdoor circle. org or email us at nsoutdoorcircle@hawaii.rr.com