Archives for Historic Hawai’i Foundation

Mahalo, Natatorium supporters!

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.

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

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.

Mahalo! Super Turnout for Natatorium Public Meeting

Many thanks to the many, many advocates for our War Memorial Natatorium who came out for last night’s public meeting! As you can see from the photo (and only about a half of our overwhelming turnout made it into the picture), the pro-Natatorium crowd made an impressive showing in our bright yellow “Remember-Respect-Renew” T-shirts. (The back of the shirts reads, “Save ‘em!” Note the logo of the National Trust for Historic Preservation on the left sleeves.) Among those who came out were veterans, including high-ranking leaders of the VFW and American Legion. There were surfers. Historic preservationists. Swimmers and water
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Categories: Environmental Impact Study, Events, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, Uncategorized, and Veterans.

Come Out on July 21: Public Meeting on the Natatorium!

The Time has Come! We need you to stand up publicly on Monday, July 21, for repairing and reopening the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. An open public meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. that evening in the Kaimuki High School cafeteria at 2705 Kaimuki Ave. Please mark that date on your calendar right now! This two-hour meeting won’t determine the Natatorium’s fate, but it can get the conversation back on track. Here’s the background: Honolulu’s government wants to tear down the Natatorium. [Can you imagine? Demolish an official state war memorial?] Before it can act, the city is required by
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Categories: Elected officials, Environmental Impact Study, Events, Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Uncategorized.

Tuesday: Make a call (or 3) for the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial

A reminder: Historic Preservation Awareness Day is today –Tuesday, March 22 — from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on the third floor of the State Capitol in Honolulu. The Friends of the Natatorium will be there, along with more than 40 other organizations, talking to legislators, staff, other state officials and Capitol visitors about the importance of preserving culturally and historically important sites in Hawai’i. Tuesday would be a perfect day for you to make a quick call to Legislative leadership just to say, “I wanted to call you on Preservation Day to let you know I support restoring the
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.

Join Natatorium supporters at the State Capitol on March 22

Plan now to join the Friends of the Natatorium for a very important event at the State Capitol in Honolulu on Tuesday, March 22: the ninth annual Historic Preservation Awareness Day. This is our best chance each year to tell to the Natatorium’s story to senators and representatives, to legislative staff, and to Capitol visitors. And it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about the threats to other culturally and historically important sites throughout our state. From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, the Friends of the Natatorium will be on the third floor of the Capitol with representatives of more than
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.

July 8: After work with Friends of the Natatorium and HHF

Aloha! Please join us and our friends from the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation on Thursday, July 8, to learn about the most endangered historic sites in Hawai‘i and efforts to save them. That’s the date for Pau Hana with a Purpose, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Design Within Reach Studio on the top level of Ala Moana Center (next to Nordstrom). This event is free and open to the public; no reservations are required. Wine and refreshments will be served. Meet some of us from the Friends of the Natatorium and from HHF, and talk also with the dedicated folks working
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.