Archives for National Trust for Historic Preservation

Mahalo, Natatorium supporters!

20-Nov-19 | 5 Comments

A note from Mo Radke, president of the Friends of the Natatorium Dear Friends, After years of study, the City and County of Honolulu has issued its final environmental impact statement on the Natatorium. And the news is terrific! The final document confirms the conclusions of the draft EIS: Honolulu should rehabilitate the War Memorial Natatorium and reopen it as a public swimming venue. The city said it now proposes to repair the memorial by pursuing the so-called perimeter deck option, retaining “as much of the physical structure that defines the historic integrity of the Natatorium as possible.” The perimeter
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Categories: Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Statement.
Tags: City and County of Honolulu, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Fred Ballard, Friends of the Natatorium, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, Kay Napoleon, Lin Pang, Nancy Bannick, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Roger Lee, Ron Yasui, and Ronald Yasui.

Action Alert: Send a Letter Now to Support Honolulu’s New Plan for the Natatorium

29-Nov-18 | 9 Comments

You’ve heard the good news: The City and County of Honolulu is now proposing a plan to preserve, repair and reopen the War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki! The city’s recently released draft environmental impact statement chooses the so-called perimeter deck option for resolving the long, long, far-too-long stalemate on the Natatorium’s future. Thank you for making this happen! You Natatorium supporters have made your voices heard at every step in this process. Thanks to you, we’ve taken a fabulous leap forward. But we still need your help. We need you to write again. Please submit your comments to the city
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Categories: Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Tags: environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Natatorium named official WWI Centennial Memorial

29-Sep-17 | 1 Comment

The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium has been named one of America’s official World War I Centennial Memorials, in advance of next year’s observance of the 100th anniversary of the end of the first global conflict. The Natatorium is the only monument in Hawaii on the list of the first 50 World War I memorials nationwide announced this week by the federal World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Another 50 will be selected next year. “We’re very pleased to be among the first sites selected for by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission as
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, History, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Waikiki Natatorium, World War I, and World War I Centennial Task Force.

Support the Natatorium… and score Bruno Mars tickets!

07-May-17 | Comments Off on Support the Natatorium… and score Bruno Mars tickets!

Friends, this is a bit complicated. But very, very, very cool. Stick with us, and we’ll explain as clearly as we can. Point 1: Heineken (yup, the beer company) sponsors The Cities Project. It’s an effort to do important, positive things in metropolitan areas around the world. Point 2: This year, the Cities Project has teamed up with our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support 11 important preservation and civic projects around the country. Point 3 (and this is a BIG one!): One of those projects is our effort – your effort, really – to preserve,
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Support.
Tags: Bruno Mars, Cities Project, Heineken, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Your Voice Must be Heard! City Council to Consider Natatorium Resolution

14-Jan-17 | 7 Comments

You’ve read about it. Now support it! The new design concept for preservation, repair and reopening of the War Memorial Natatorium [see the image below] is on a Honolulu City Council committee’s agenda for this Thursday, Jan. 19. What’s Going On? The Zoning and Housing Committee will vote Thursday on a resolution urging the mayor and city officials to include the new design concept in the ongoing environmental impact study of the Natatorium’s future. If the city does not study this design, there’s a danger there will be no analysis of any viable, affordable preservation option. That would mean the
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Categories: Elected officials, Environmental Impact Study, Friends of the Natatorium, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Tags: City and County of Honolulu, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Honolulu City Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Photos from the 2015 Natatorium Memorial Day Service

25-May-15 | Comments Off on Photos from the 2015 Natatorium Memorial Day Service

If you were there on Sunday for the annual Memorial Day Weekend observance at the Natatorium, here’s a second look with lots of photos. If you couldn’t make it, here’s just a hint of what you missed: Ceremony Recap –Lead-off speaker Brig. Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, deputy commander of U.S. Marine Forces Pacific. He’s a topgun fighter pilot and combat veteran with more than 5,000 hours of flight time logged, including more than 4,000 in F-18s. His career, his demeanor and his message make you proud to be an American. —Betsy Merritt, deputy general counsel of the National Trust for
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, Hula, Images, Memorial Day, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, Hula Halau Olana, Memorial Day, U.S. Marines, Waikiki Natatorium, and Young Marines.

Plan on It: Memorial Day Observance at the Natatorium

16-May-15 | Comments Off on Plan on It: Memorial Day Observance at the Natatorium

Where will you be on Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend? You’ll be right here, living as a citizen of a free and independent country, with the right to vote and the right to spend the day as you please. Where should you be that day? You should be here. You should be remembering, honoring and thanking the men and women who have died in America’s wars to establish, protect and preserve those rights. Memorial Day at the Natatorium You are cordially invited to the 27th annual Memorial Day observance at the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. It’s at 10 a.m. on
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, Memorial Day, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.
Tags: American Legion Post 17, Betsy Merritt, Memorial Day, Tulsi Gabbard, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8616, and Waikiki Natatorium.

The Natatorium, Angkor Wat and the Tower of London?

25-Apr-15 | Comments Off on The Natatorium, Angkor Wat and the Tower of London?

The War Memorial Natatorium has stood physically on the shores of Waikiki since 1927. Now it also stands there virtually, captured — in three dimensions — by a stream of zeroes and ones. 3D Digital Model California-based nonprofit CyArk, working with our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has just created a digital model of the Natatorium. They bounced laser light off the walls, bleachers and decks to get millions of highly accurate measurements. With high-tech computer modeling tools, those measurements are being converted into a 3D onscreen model that can be rotated, studied and manipulated. [How do
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, Images, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.
Tags: CyArk, digital model, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

The Natatorium is Featured in Alaska Airlines Magazine

11-Feb-15 | 1 Comment

If you happen to be flying Alaska Airlines this month, dig into that seat pocket in front of you, pull out the February issue of Alaska Beyond magazine and flip to page 21. Yes: A very nice story on the Natatorium and our efforts — your efforts — to repair and reopen it. If you’re not flying, never fear: You can see the piece online. For a PDF of just the Natatorium story, go to this link posted by our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. If you’d like to see the story in the context of the
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Alaska Airlines, Alaska Beyond, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Wow: What a Year for the Natatorium

31-Dec-14 | 1 Comment

A New Year’s Eve “Mahalo” for your outstanding support in 2014. This has been a year of important progress in the fight to save and reopen the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. An Amazing Year for the Natatorium In 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the Natatorium one of America’s Treasures, and put its resources – and its terrific, experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff – behind our effort. In 2014, you turned out in large numbers for an open meeting on the city’s environmental impact study, demonstrating major public support for the preservation option. In 2014, you – more
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, History, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: environmental impact study, Friends of the Natatorium, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Waikiki Natatorium, and World War I.