HDCC Lends Helping Hand

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. (HDCC) recently donated a $5,000 driveway to the city’s historic Ewa Cemetery. The cemetery — located at the intersection of Fort Weaver Road and Karayan Street in Historic Ewa Villages — was impacted by the widening of Fort Weaver Road, also being completed by Hawaiian Dredging. The widening effectively had removed vehicle access to the cemetery, leaving only a small pedestrian gate.
State Rep. Kymberly Pine of District 43 (Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point and Puuloa) sought to find a solution — in light of the city’s limited budget — by seeking assistance from Hawaiian Dredging. Despite the contractor’s recent 10 percent cut in its workforce, Hawaiian Dredging agreed to donate labor, materials and resources. The city’s only expense was for a no-parking sign.


Workers pour a new 10-foot by 10-foot driveway.

“In these particular economic times that challenges every move … you folks at Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. came forward and provided access to the Ewa Cemetery without hesitation to donate labor, expertise, materials and equipment when all other attempts through traditional government funding means failed,” Tom Berg of Pine’s office wrote in an e-mail to HDCC employees involved in the project. HDCC team members included Howard Luyt, senior project manager; Darek Kawamoto, senior project engineer; and Mike Nakashima, vice president, heavy division.
Completed in July, the new drive-way allows community volunteers access to cut the grass, remove fallen trees and repair gravestones.