By now you’ve heard that the mayor’s task force voted this week to support demolishing the Natatorium and replacing it with a beach. This vote did not surprise us; the lines in the sand were drawn early. We knew that the battle was uphill, given that this was the mayor’s own task force and that the mayor advocates demolition. The vote does nothing to change our position on preservation of the Natatorium. It does nothing to quell the vigor with which we are working to block attempts by the city to demolish the War Memorial. If and when Mayor Hannemann
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"Demolition by neglect" or "a beautiful place:" What's your choice?
Honolulu Advertiser columnist Lee Cataluna has published a great column decrying the “demolition by neglect” of some of Hawai’i’s great landmarks and cultural treasures. The Natatorium, she writes, doesn’t have to suffer the same fate. It can, she said, “again become a beautiful place that Hawai’i residents and visitors can enjoy. But it takes money, vision and, most of all, a collective will to make it so.” Read Lee’s column here. A question for you: Do we have that collective will? Tell us in the comments below what you think.
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TV coverage: Friends of the Natatorium say fight isn't over
KGMB9’s coverage of this week’s task force vote included a quote from Peter Apo, president of the Friends of the Natatorium, promising that we will continue the fight to save the Waikiki War Memorial at every opportunity, administrative and legal. This fight is far from over! Watch the story and tell us what you think.
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Star Bulletin Editorial Board: Mayor Should Rethink Natatorium Demolition
EDITORIAL Rethink Natatorium plan POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 29, 2009 Demolishing the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium might not be the inexpensive way to deal with the deteriorating landmark that Mayor Mufi Hannemann was advised it would be. Previously unforeseen costs of demolition should cause the city to instead consider renovating and maintaining the memorial when it becomes feasible in a recovered economy. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is recommending restoration of the memorial, pointing out that demolition would involve extensive environmental studies that could result in rejection of such a course. The memorial was built in 1927 to
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Quick access to the Natatorium on Facebook
The Natatorium’s personal page on Facebook has a new custom URL: http://www.facebook.com/waikiki.natatorium The Natatorium also has a fan page on Facebook, which you can find at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Honolulu-HI/Waikiki-Natatorium-War-Memorial/11999212279?ref=ts Follow Natatorium news on either page!
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Honolulu Star-Bulletin Editorial Board Urges Restoration
The editors of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin wisely point out, “the task of renovating the natatorium would be difficult and expensive, but respect and gratitude for the sacrifices of a past generation of soldiers and sailors demand that it be given full consideration.” http://www.starbulletin.com/editorials/20090601_editorial.html
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John Henry Felix's Memorial Day Service Address, May 24, 2009
“82 years ago, Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic Legend and Hawaii’s original Ambassador of Aloha, inaugurated the Natatorium. What a glorious day that was. If he could be with us today, he would be appalled and deeply saddened by what he would see. He would be outraged that our elected officials were considering demolition, because he had a deep aloha for what this Memorial stood for — reverence, honor and respect for those who defended us.” — John Henry Felix from his remarks on May 24, 2009 at the 21st Annual Memorial Day Service at the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. Watch
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Hawaii Public Radio's Coverage of Memorial Day at the Natatorium
Hawaii Public Radio’s political reporter, Wayne Yoshioka, filed this wonderful story on our May 24th Memorial Day Service.
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Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium Service Story on Star-Bulletin Front Page
If you missed the service on Sunday, read all about it and see great images in the Star-Bulletin’s May 25th coverage of the event. http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20090525_war_dead_and_vets_remembered.html
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Memorial Day Service on KHNL News and Video
Check out KHNL’s news report and videos from the Natatorium Memorial Day Service on Sunday. http://www.khnl.com/global/story.asp?s=10417828
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