Archives for Waikiki Natatorium

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

13-Jul-14 | Comments Off on 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.
Tags: City and County of Honolulu, environmental impact statement, environmental impact study, Friends of the Natatorium, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Waikiki Natatorium, and WCP Inc..

A Must Read: Hawaii’s Natatorium, as Seen from The Atlantic

23-May-14 | 1 Comment

This week’s big news about the Natatorium prompted The Atlantic to publish an absolutely must-read overview and thought piece. The story, headlined “The Improbable Persistence of Swimming Pools Built in the Ocean,” carries the byline of The Atlantic senior associate editor Adrienne LaFrance. She’s a former reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat, and has written about the Natatorium issue before. But the format of The Atlantic really gives her room to write a “big picture” analysis with knowledge, insight, grace and passion. The issue, she writes, isn’t just what to do with a unique 100-meter ocean pool anchoring one end of
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Categories: History, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Natatorium Named a "National Treasure" by National Trust

21-May-14 | 4 Comments

Big, big news! The National Trust for Historic Preservation announces today that the War Memorial Natatorium is now a National Treasure. That designation means that the National Trust is (pardon the expression) diving headfirst into the effort to preserve, revitalize and reopen our amazing, historic 100-meter ocean pool in Waikiki. They’ll provide manpower, resources, partnerships, planning, expertise. Whatever it takes. Why? The president and CEO of the National Trust, Stepanie Meeks, says the Natatorium is a “one-of-a-kind resource.” “There is no comparable structure elsewhere in the nation,” Meeks says. “This Treasure designation reflects our commitment to developing a collaborative preservation
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, National Treasure, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Get a Great Natatorium Shirt… and Support the Friends!

18-May-14 | 2 Comments

For a limited time, these great Friends of the Natatorium “Remember. Respect. Renew.” T-shirts are available in navy blue. And even better, our friends at Ōiwi Ocean Gear are donating $10 from the sale of each $25 shirt to the Friends! That’s a big help in our efforts to preserve and renew the War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki. 100 percent super-soft, lightweight cotton. The Friends of the Natatorium logo on the front. On the back, a graphic of swimmers doing what we’ll all be doing again in Waikiki’s beautiful, monumental ocean pool once we get it fixed and reopened. Here’s
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, Support, and Uncategorized.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, merchandise, T-shirt, and Waikiki Natatorium.

We Need your Natatorium Stories!

17-May-14 | Comments Off on We Need your Natatorium Stories!

Did you learn to swim at the Natatorium? Spend weekends there with your best buddies? Cannonball off the old high dive? Did your kupuna tell you Natatorium tales of Duke Kahanamoku, or Keo Nakama, Halo Hirose and the ditch boys? Did you grow up with sagas of Johnny Weissmuller or Esther Williams? Then come talk story with us! Natatorium Oral History Project This Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – May 20-22 – we’re videotaping the stories of people who spent the better part of their lives swimming at the War Memorial Natatorium. People who grew up there. And people who never
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, History, Uncategorized, and Videos.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, Natatorium history, oral history, and Waikiki Natatorium.

The Wall Street Journal: Preservation and the Natatorium

11-Mar-14 | Comments Off on The Wall Street Journal: Preservation and the Natatorium

There was an important story in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend about a major challenge faced by historic preservationists nationwide. Among those facing that challenge are those of us working so hard to restore and reopen the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. And, in fact, the Natatorium gets a prominent mention in the Journal story. The focus of the piece is the recent scarcity of government financial support for historic preservation. Says the Journal: Save America’s Treasures, a federal grant program that provided more than $300 million to help preserve some 600 historic structures around the country since its
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, National Trust for Historic Preservation, News coverage, and Uncategorized.
Tags: historic tax credit, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Save America's Treasures, Waikiki Natatorium, and Wall Street Journal.

Honolulu's Architects: Restore Natatorium and "Preserve an Essential Piece of our Soul"

17-Nov-13 | 2 Comments

Great news! The Honolulu chapter of the American Institute of Architects – in a guest column in the Nov. 17 Honolulu Star-Advertiser – issued a strong, eloquent call for restoration of the War Memorial Natatorium, our “living and permanent memorial” to Hawaii’s World War I soldiers and sailors. The AIA cites the observation of Arthur Frommer: “Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul.” “By restoring the Natatorium,” the AIA concludes, “we will fulfill our original promise to honor those who served in The Great War, preserve an essential piece of our soul, and allow the
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Categories: News coverage, Statement, and Uncategorized.
Tags: American Institute of Architects, op-ed, Star-Advertiser, Waikiki Natatorium, and World War I.

Floral Tribute Links Swimming History with Veterans Day

13-Nov-13 | 5 Comments

A small, “small world” back story for Natatorium history buffs: The floral display that adorned the front gate of the War Memorial during Monday’s Veterans Day commemoration was provided by Sono Hirose, daughter of pioneer swimmer Takashi “Halo” Hirose. Additional flowers and accompanying lei were hung on the gate after the somber, ceremonial playing of Taps by Johnny Sanchez with Bugles Across America. Sono Hirose’s father Halo was one of Hall of Fame Coach Soichi Sakamoto’s prodigies from Maui, a competitor in many Natatorium meets and one of Hawai’i’s most celebrated swimmer/soldiers. Among other accomplishments, he was a world record
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Categories: Events, History, Images, Uncategorized, Veterans, and Veterans Day.
Tags: 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Bugles Across America, Soichi Sakamoto, Sono Hirose, Swimming Hall of Fame, Takashi "Halo" Hirose, veterans, Veterans Day, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Veterans Day 2013 at the Natatorium: Photos and TV Coverage

12-Nov-13 | Comments Off on Veterans Day 2013 at the Natatorium: Photos and TV Coverage

Mahalo to everyone — everyone! — who took part in a wonderful 17th Veterans Day observance at the Natatorium! A standing-room-only crowd of active duty soldiers, veterans from all branches, Young Marines from Kaneohe and civilians came together just outside the War Memorial’s gates to pay tribute to all those from Hawai’i who have served. They remembered especially the 10,000 World War I soldiers and sailors to whom the Natatorium itself is dedicated. First Photos Here is a look at some pictures of the event, and links to some of the local television coverage. We hope you can see yourself
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, Uncategorized, Veterans, and Veterans Day.
Tags: American Legion Riders, Friends of the Natatorium, Veterans Day, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8616, Waikiki Natatorium, and Young Marines.