Vandal Starts Fire in Ainaola Park Bathroom

The public women’s restroom at Ainaola Park in Hilo is closed until further notice due to vandalism that occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2019.

“Unfortunately, someone started a fire in the women’s bathroom at Ainaola Park, rendering it unusable,” said Maurice Messina, Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation. “We have activities scheduled in the park this weekend, so in an attempt to minimize disruption of services to the public, our in-house carpenters will work on a temporary fix to get the bathroom up and running by Friday.”

Hawai‘i County Department of Parks and Recreation estimated the damage at $1,000.

“When we have to pull our crews from other projects to tackle issues related to vandalism, it puts us behind schedule and the park users are the ones who suffer,” he added. “Regrettably, vandalism and property damage at County park facilities has increased and we share the public’s frustration at the lack of community pride and consideration of others when something like this happens.”

To report information about this incident, contact the police non-emergency number at 808-935-3311.

If property damage or vandalism is found at any arks and beaches, inform Parks and Recreation as soon as possible at 808-961-8311.