Monthly Archives December 2009

Perspective from Honolulu Weekly: The Natatorium at dawn

15-Dec-09 | Comments Off on Perspective from Honolulu Weekly: The Natatorium at dawn

The Honolulu Weekly has posted a gallery of photos of the Natatorium at dawn, taken by photographer Laura Chartier. She writes of another early morning visitor to the site who saw her shooting her images, approached and began telling her about his memories of “the days of Duke and when his family used to visit.” “I could tell,” Laura writes, “the Natatorium was a special place for him, as it was for so many people.” And as it could — and should, and can — be again. The Natatorium at dawn, photo by Laura Chartier, copyright 2009 Honolulu Weekly
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Categories: Images, News coverage, and Uncategorized.

Guest post: Reflections on "The Eddie" and the Natatorium

09-Dec-09 | 1 Comment

The sun was up. The crowd was up. Most important, the surf was up. And “The Eddie” was on. One of the world’s most compelling competitions – a surfing contest that organizers refuse to run unless the waves are massive enough to scare the boardshorts off of Neptune – was on. For only the eighth time in 25 tries. That’s the mystique of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau. A superhuman challenge, one dedicated to the memory of a superhero who “would go” in the face of nearly anything the sea could stir up? Something like that can’t be
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.

Natatorium op-ed: A call for moral and fiscal reason

04-Dec-09 | Comments Off on Natatorium op-ed: A call for moral and fiscal reason

A hugely respected national voice — Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation — has added that voice to the debate over our Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. His terrific op-ed in today’s Honolulu Advertiser sums it up this way: “Demolishing this historic treasure would be both morally unconscionable and fiscally irresponsible. … While there are plenty of other beaches, there is only one natatorium. The mayor should invest in Hawai’i’s heritage instead of flattening it.” Thank you, Dick Moe!
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Categories: News coverage and Uncategorized.

Last Living WWI Vet Appeals to Congress

04-Dec-09 | Comments Off on Last Living WWI Vet Appeals to Congress

The last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, now 108, appeared before a congressional committee this week calling for a memorial on the National Mall to veterans of the Great War. Find news coverage of Frank Buckles’ Capitol Hill appearance here, here and here. Well done, soldier! (VA photo by Robert Turtil)
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Categories: News coverage, Uncategorized, and Veterans.

Don't let them tell you the Natatorium fight is over

01-Dec-09 | 1 Comment

Hawai’i Magazine’s reporter seems to believe that demolition of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is a done deal, reporting yesterday that the battle has “seemingly reached an end.” As we reported to you over the weekend, nothing could be further from the truth. The fight has simply shifted to other arenas, arenas the city does not control. For more on that, see the letter to the editor from Peter Apo, president of the Friends of the Natatorium, in today’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin. It’s the third letter down here. As Peter points out, a legal expert from the National Trust for Historic
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Categories: News coverage and Uncategorized.