Roots Skate Park in North Kohala’s Kamehameha Park.

(BIVN) – It is “good news, bad news” as far as Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation facilities go in North Kohala these days.

During a presentation before the Hawai‘i County Council Finance Committee in Hilo on Thursday, Parks and Rec director Roxcie Waltjen announced that the Kohala Swimming Pool as well as a room in the North Kohala Senior Center are closed until further notice due to equipment failure and a damaged ceiling, respectively.

“This morning, 8:09 a.m.,” Waltjen said, “I received a call from our staff at the Koala pool. The pump has sprung a leak. We had to close it. So it is closed indefinitely until we get things done.”

The department was aware the equipment in the pool’s pump room needed replacement. “At first we thought it was a $1 million dollar job,” Waltjen said, before the department learned of the leak. “We finally got the estimate yesterday. It’s about a $340,000 dollar job. Good news, bad news.”

While the department evaluates the situation, the county says, swimmers may use the Kona Community Aquatic Center or the Honoka‘a Swimming Pool. Operating times, contact numbers and other pool information are listed under the Aquatics section of the Department’s website.

On top of that, Waltjen was sent a photo yesterday morning. “A portion of the ceiling at the Kohala Senior Center fell in yesterday. Right now, we have that room sealed off and closed off. We’ll be investigating whether that has any asbestos before we start to repair it,” she said.

“You guys ever watch the the soap opera, Days Of Our Lives?” Waltjen joked. “This is, Days of Parks and Recreation.”

Kohala councilmember Tim Richards added that the pavilion at Mahukona also needs some help.

But not all the news was negative. Waltjen said this week she heard from supporters of Kohala’s Roots Skate Park. “They have $70,000 dollars left in their budget,” she said, “they want to enter into phase 2 (of the skate park) we’re gonna be starting to open that.”