HISTORIC HAWAI‘I FOUNDATION LAUDS PRESERVATION EFFORTS

Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Hawaiian Hall and HFD Museum among 16 projects awarded preservation honors by Historic Hawai‘i Foundation

February 20, 2009 (Honolulu): The rehabilitation of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the renovation of Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Hall and the adaptive reuse of the Kaka‘ako Fire Station are among the projects that will be recognized at Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s 2009 Preservation Honor Awards ceremony on March 24.

The awards have been presented annually since 1975 and are Hawaii’s highest recognition of preservation projects that perpetuate, rehabilitate, restore or interpret the state’s architectural, archaeological and/or cultural heritage.

“The preservation projects being recognized this year include examples of the breadth of Hawaii’s cultural and architectural legacy,” said Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel Photo by Jonathan Radke

The sites range in age from the 500-year-old Hale o Lono heiau to a 57-year-old Ossipoff-designed house, with projects from many other eras in between.

“The diversity of the sites being preserved for future generations reflects the unique and intertwined histories of Hawaii’s peoples,” Faulkner said. “We are proud to recognize the efforts of many organizations, businesses and individuals who are doing their parts to ensure that the legacy of Hawai‘i lives on.”

The honorees were selected by an Awards Committee comprised of professionals in the fields of architecture, history, planning, landscape architecture, architectural history and media. Each nomination was considered on its own merits and not in competition with others.

“The recipients of the awards demonstrate various ways that historic sites are relevant to us today, and ensure that the places we enjoy will be available for future generations,” said Robert Iopa, chair of the Preservation Awards Committee. “While each project is different, all are exemplary in demonstrating how preservation builds community.”

Honors will be presented in three categories: Preservation Awards recognize a specific preservation project; Preservation Media recognize publications and other media that interpret historic sites; and Preservation Commendations recognize programmatic and advocacy efforts.

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s annual Preservation Honor Awards ceremony will take place at a luncheon on March 24, 2009 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. aboard Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess in Honolulu Harbor. Tickets are $40 each and may be reserved by calling 808-523-2900.

2009 Preservation Awards
For a specific project that preserved, rehabilitated, or restored a historic building, object, site or district:

• City and County of Honolulu Department of Design and Construction; Okada Trucking Company, Ltd.; Urban Works, Inc.; Clayton J. Wong & Associates; and Cultural Surveys Hawai‘i, Inc for the restoration and conversion of the Kaka‘ako Fire Station to a museum for the Honolulu Fire Department (Kaka‘ako, O‘ahu);
  
• Office of Hawaiian Affairs Land Management Hale; and Hi‘ipaka, LLC for the restoration of the 500-year-old Hale O Lono Heiau (Waimea Valley, O‘ahu);
  
• YWCA of O‘ahu; Thompson Matheny Corporation and Ferraro Choi and Associates for the Phase I interior renovation, refurbishment and preservation of the dining room, kitchen and Elizabeth Fuller Hall at Laniakea, YWCA of O‘ahu (Capital District, Honolulu);
  
• Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts, LP; WCIT Architecture and Philpotts & Associates for the renovation of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (Waikīkī, O‘ahu);
  
• Thirty-three Hundred Tantalus, LLC for the active preservation of this Vladmir Ossipoff designed home (Nu‘uanu, O‘ahu);
  
• Forest City Military Communities Hawai‘i for the rehabilitation of five historic homes (Pearl City Peninsula, O‘ahu);
  
• Nāpali Coast ‘Ohana and Hawai‘i State Parks Division for restoring Nu‘alolo Kai historic sites and cultural landscape through collaborative efforts involving the cooperation of a state agency, non-profit organization and Hawai‘i cultural practitioners (Napali Coast, Kaua‘i);
  
• Bishop Museum; Heath Construction Services; Mason Architects, Inc; and Constructors Hawai‘i for the restoration of Hawaiian Hall and Picture Gallery (O‘ahu);
  
• Pā‘ia Mantokuji Soto Mission members; Board of Directors; and Centennial Committee for the repair, preservation and structural upgrades to the historic Pā‘ia Soto Mission temple and site (Pā‘ia, Maui).

Preservation Media
For a printed publication or visual presentation that interpreted the history, preservation or physical characteristics of a historic building, object, site or district:

• Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Association for the book “Fit to Fight: Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard 1908-2008” (Pearl Harbor, O‘ahu) ;

Photo at left:

From Fit to Fight PHNS 1908-2008:
Building One, the Shipyard Headquarters and later COM-14 Administration Building, was opened in 1926 and is still in operation today as one of the many historic buildings on the base. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

• Turner Publishing Company and author Clifford Kapono for the pictorial history on Honolulu, “Historic Photos of Honolulu” (Honolulu, O‘ahu);
  
• Minatoishi Architects for the publication, “Assessment of the historic architectural resources within the proposed Royal Hawaiian Hotel & Sheraton Waikīkī Master Plan” (Waikīkī, O‘ahu);
  
• Dean Sakamoto; The Honolulu Academy of Arts; Karla Britton; Diana Murphy; Kenneth Frampton; Don J. Hibbard; Spencer Leineweber; Marc Treib and Victoria Sambunaris for the book and exhibit “Hawai‘i Modern: The Architecture of Vladmir Ossipoff” (Honolulu, O‘ahu).

Preservation Commendations
For an individual, organization, or government agency that engaged in an advocacy, educational, programmatic or other activity supporting preservation efforts, either for a specific site or through a broad-based program:

• Heritage Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, School of Architecture for the first comprehensive study of the historic buildings, landscapes and other elements of the historic Mānoa campus (Mānoa, O‘ahu);
  
• Hawai‘i Capital Cultural Coalition and partners for the Hawai‘i Capital National Heritage Area Suitability/Feasibility Study (Capital District, O‘ahu);


• Barbara Long for her work in the preservation and restoration of the historic Old Maui High School campus (Pā‘ia, Maui).

###

Contact: Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
(808)523-2900
Kiersten@historichawaii.org

Bill will help Hawaii harness its history to help our economy

By Corinne Ching
Feb 20, 2009
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

It comes as no surprise to anyone that our economy is suffering along with the rest of the United States. And part of the solution to get our economy moving again will necessarily focus on the tourism industry. According to the State of Hawaii Data Book, in 2007, tourism contributed more than $12.8 billion in direct visitor expenditures. Clearly, tourism is the main driver of our economy at this time.

Our tourism takes advantage of the natural assets that Hawaii has to offer - gorgeous views, ocean recreation and active volcanoes, to name just a few. However, our tourism industry has yet to place a stronger focus on and take better advantage of another asset that Hawaii has to offer, an asset that equals increased direct spending and longer stays by visitors. That asset is our heritage.

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions spend $623 on average per trip compared with $457 per trip for all U.S. travelers, exclusive of travel costs. Several factors should make this statistic important to tourism leaders.
First, with visitor counts down, it behooves tourism officials to market to tourists who would spend more, and as shown above, heritage tourists spend more.

Second, the newly elected president is a local son, and all things Obama are generating huge interest, including where he lived and played. That interest should be an easy and timely wave for tourism officials to catch.

Third, the assets are already here. It is akin to placing a new wrinkle on an existing product. Many of us probably live within walking distance of a place rich in the history of Hawaii and the culture of its people. And like the interest in things Obama, focusing on our heritage sites is also timely.

On Jan. 30, a bill - S. 359 - was introduced in the U.S. Senate calling for the designation of a National Heritage Area for the Capitol District, which includes lands from Kalihi to Kakaako. Besides the eligibility to receive grants and funding from the federal government for renovation and rehabilitation, the designation has been shown to increase tourism to the designated area.
S. 359, the announcement of the legislation at Aliiolani Hale and its likely congressional hearing in the near future are the culmination of years of hard work and persistence by all advocates of heritage tourism. Most notable among those advocates are the members of the Hawaii Capitol Cultural District, who labored tirelessly to create another brand for Hawaii's tourism industry.
Clearly, the pieces are there, and the time has come for our tourism leaders to push heritage tourism, which, if done correctly, can be an important source of revenue for our state. I have often introduced measures to support this tourism marketing direction, including measures for renovation funds, interpretive signage, protection of historic sites and requesting the National Heritage Area designation, which is tantalizingly close to reality. As we celebrate the birthday of the "Great Uniter," Abraham Lincoln, and at the dawn of the presidency of another potential great uniter, I would hope that we could all come together to preserve and protect Hawaii's treasures and to prosper from them.

Republican Corinne W. L. Ching is assistant minority floor leader of the state House. She represents District 27 (Nuuanu-Liliha-Alewa Heights).

Read the full article

Honouliuli Day of Remembrance

University of Hawai'i Architecture Bldg. Auditorium (2nd Floor)

Sun., March 11 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Join the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i (JCCH) and the Japanese American Citizens League-Honolulu Chapter (JACL) as they mark the 66th commemoration of the opening of the Honouliuli Internment Camp in remembrance of the more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry interned during World War II in Hawai‘i and the continental U.S.

Learn about the history and developments on the preservation of the Honouliuli Internment Camp from various speakers:

• Senator Will Espero (20th Senate District, State of Hawai‘i) will share a touching internee’s remembrance story;


• Jeff Burton, National Park Service archeologist who reviewed 35 World War II internment sites on the continental U.S. Burton will update the most recent archaeological findings and future plans to preserve Honouliuli;


• Jane Kurahara, Co-Chair of the Confinement Sites Committee, will share plans for a memorial and interpretative center at the Honouliuli site.

Following the Honouliuli Day of Remembrance program, event attendees will also be able to participate in several activities: Attend a help session: Internees Family Archival Information Search; View the traveling exhibit, Dark Clouds Over Paradise: The Hawai‘i Internees Story; Participate in “Talk Story” groups with internees and family members; Share your own World War II experience at the Oral History Booth.

Free Admission. Parking is free, lot entrance is located off University Avenue between the Architecture Building and the Shidler College of Business building. For more information, call (808) 945-7633 or email: info@jcch.com.

Maritime Archeology and Pacific history symposium topics | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

The Honolulu Advertiser

The 20th anual Symposium on Maritime Archeology and the History of Hawai'i and the Pacific takes place this weekend with guests from as far away as Australia here to discuss historic resources that remind us of our connection to the sea.
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Mayor Hanneman "Seriously considering demolition" of World War I Memorial

Thursday, February 19, 2009

This morning at Mission Memorial Auditorium, Mayor Hannemann said in his State of the City address:

"The fate of the Waikiki Natatorium has dogged the City for decades. The back-and-forth by advocates of its preservation and proponents of expanded beach space has led to a standoff on the deteriorating monument. We are reviewing a draft of an exhaustive engineering study on the Natatorium. One of the recommendations we're seriously considering is the demolition of the pool to open up more beach space and the reconstruction of the facade further inland or at another appropriate location, like the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. I'll be convening a working group consisting of community representatives and stakeholders to help us reach a decision that's in the best interests of all the people."



The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium was a salt-water pool which opened in 1927 as a living memorial to those who served and died in World War I. More history..


Read the full text of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's State of the City address..

World Monuments Fund announces most endangered nomination process

The World Monuments Fund has announced a new schedule and online process for the World Monuments Watch, its biennial list of the 100 most endangered sites that calls international attention to cultural heritage around the world threatened by the forces of nature and society. Deadline for nominations: March 15.

http://www.wmf.org/watch

DLNR to discuss 'Recreational Renaissance' plan - Haleakala Times

Haleakala Times

KAHULUI — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will present its new “Recreational Renaissance” plan and seek community input on the various proposals at an open meeting on Friday, Feb. 20, in Kahului.

The meeting will be held at the Maui Waena Intermediate School cafeteria, 95 Onehe‘e Avenue, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The proposed “Recreational Renaissance” plan focuses on restoring and preserving Hawaii’s state parks, various popular trails and ocean recreation facilities, and represents a new and innovative approach to developing and maintaining outdoor recreational properties in the state.

“We are encouraging state park users and boaters, hunters and fishers, campers and hikers and anyone who wants to see improvements to these important recreational areas, to come and listen to our plan and give their input. Timely public support is critical to being able to make these needed changes that will benefit our communities statewide,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson.

More..

Republican House Caucus Celebrates Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday

Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter

By Michele Van Hessen, 2/11/2009 11:08:50 AM

DLNR SEEKS COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT ACTIONS FOR KEALAKEKUA STEWARDSHIP AREA

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is now seeking public comment on management actions it plans to implement in the Kealakekua Stewardship Area starting this summer. The plan represents a unified management approach to protecting the historical and cultural integrity of Kealakekua Bay and surrounding areas, as well as the fragile natural resources. Each of the divisions participating in this integrated resource stewardship effort has recognized the commonality of our values and each has made a "pact" with the other to extend, to the extent possible given existing or anticipated administrative rules, a cooperative approach in managing this area.

Land Division (LD)
Division of State Parks (DSP)
Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)
Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW)
State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD)
Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR)
Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE)

The public is invited to view the proposed Kealakekua Stewardship Area Management Plan.

Comments may be made directly to DLNR via email to KealakekuaPlan@yahoo.com , mail or fax to:
Department of Land & Natural Resources74-380B Kealakehe Pkwy.Kailua-Kona, HI 96740FAX: 808-327-6229

Public comments will be accepted through March 31, 2009.

Rep. Ching presents 3rd annual Liliha-Nuuanu Candlelight Feb 6th | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Rep. Ching presents 3rd annual Liliha-Nuuanu Candlelight Feb 6th

The Honolulu Advertiser