The Kauhola Point Lighthouse sits on a rapidly eroding cliff and has become a safety hazard, the Coast Guard said. Some are sad the lighthouse will be removed from the scenic coastline. “It would be like losing an old friend,” said Billy Wong, who owns and operates ATV Outfitters Hawaii, which offers tours that include a bird’s-eye view of the lighthouse. “It’s a historical part of Kauhola.”

more…

KGMB9 NEWS :

The Natatorium is a tribute to World War I veterans from Hawaii. It’s also a salt water pool in Waikiki, but it’s been closed for the past 30 years and falling apart. Thursday, a task force made its final recommendation to tear it down. The debate got heated, but in the end 12 members voted, with nine choosing to demolish it. Built in 1927 the Natatorium is a national treasure to some and an eye sore to others, which is why a task force was assigned to figure out what to do with it. ( more )

Also check the excellent Natatorium blog ( http://natatorium.org/ ) who are fighting to preserve this National Register of Historic Places listed site.

Position Description

Reports to: Senior Curator

Essential Responsibilities:

• Assists with general collection management
• Object labeling
• Inventory
• Accessioning/cataloging new acquisitions and updating existing collection records
• Assists with exhibition prep
• Assists with collection research upon request of the curator

Expectations:

• Arrive on time, at least 15 minutes before program begins
• Willing to learn new information, on an on-going basis, through hands-on experience
• Able to work as part of a team; is flexible, sociable and respectful
• Detail oriented
• Willingness to receive periodic evaluations and feedback from museum staff and/or lead volunteers

Selection:

Volunteers will be selected based upon their application and interview with curator, availability and reference check.

Training:

Attends general volunteer orientations and collection trainings.

Commitment:

• 4 hours a week scheduled in advance with Curator
• One year commitment

All volunteers are expected to notify staff, in advance, if they cannot make it to their scheduled time.

Contact:

Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2009) – The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Lāna‘i City in Hawai‘i to its 2009 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.

Lāna‘i City is a jewel, the last remaining intact plantation town in Hawai‘i,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Its remote location protected the city from the intense development pressures seen in other parts of the state, and, as a result, it’s been a haven for visitors anxious to experience an authentic and natural slice of paradise. We can’t afford to lose this unique chapter of Hawaiian history and heritage.”

Lāna‘i, known as the “Pineapple Isle,” has lush tropical beaches, breathtaking natural beauty, lavish resorts and one attraction none of the other islands can claim: an intact plantation town. Nestled between Moloka‘i and Maui, Lāna‘i is the smallest of the main Hawaiian Islands, with 2,500 year-round residents living in and near Lāna‘i City, the center of the island. The island rose to prominence with the arrival of James Drummond Dole, whose pineapple empire once stretched over 20,000 acres and employed thousands of workers. In the 1920s, Dole, who owned the entire island, created a thriving company town, complete with hundreds of plantation-style homes, a laundromat, jail, courthouse and police station, all centered around a tree-lined park named in his honor. Today, Lāna‘i is almost entirely owned by Castle & Cooke, one of the largest private landowners in Hawai‘i. The company, which also owns Dole Foods and two high-end Four Seasons resorts on Lāna‘i, recently submitted a three-part plan calling for the demolition or alteration of 15-20 historic buildings in Lāna‘i City to make way for large-scale commercial development.

The least visited of the main Hawaiian Islands, Lāna‘i has remained secluded, and the company town of Lāna‘i City looks very much as it did in its 1920s heyday. There are no traffic lights, no malls, no public transportation and less than 30 miles of paved road on the 141-acre island.

Currently, the two-block area that makes up Lāna‘i City’s historic downtown is largely intact, but that may soon change as Castle & Cooke has already submitted demolition applications to Maui County’s Department of Planning. Permit applications have been filed for the demolition of three residential structures, the police lieutenant’s house, the Lāna‘i City jail, the laundromat and other historic commercial structures.

The new development proposal includes an oversized, out-of-scale grocery store, dramatically incompatible with the historic downtown. The grocery store’s parking lot alone would consume an entire city block. Local preservationists hope to convince Castle & Cooke that a preserved Lāna‘i City is a draw for heritage tourists and is, therefore, an economically viable solution.

The nomination for Lāna‘i City was submitted by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

Center for Hawaiian Studies

Friday, May 8, 2009

A half-day colloquium which aims to critically address how Hawai‘i is situated both in the history, politics, and culture of the United States and in the scholarly discourse of American Studies, and how seeing “America” from the standpoint of Hawai‘i alters and adds to the understanding of U.S. history and culture.

3:00 p.m. Roundtable - “Colonial Citizens: Discussion on the Legacy of Hawaiian Statehood”

4:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker - Professor David E. Stannard

5:30 pm Reception

free and open to the public

Sponsored by the Hawai‘i American Studies Association and the UHM Department of American Studies.

The purpose of the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project is to provide high-capacity rapid transit in the highly congested eastwest transportation corridor between Kapolei and UH Mānoa, as specified in the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan 2030. The project corridor for the first construction phase addressed in this plan extends for approximately 35,400 linear feet (10.789 km or 6.70 miles) and includes seven proposed stations (East Kapolei Station, University of Hawai‘i (UH) West O‘ahu Station, Ho‘opili Station, West Loch Station, Waipahu Transit Center Station, Leeward Community College Station, and Pearl Highlands Station) as well as park-and-ride and maintenance facilities.

download the pdf

The story of the proposed Hawai‘i Capital National Heritage Area is a story unique in the American experience. It is a story best told through an extraordinary collection of ancient, cultural and historic sites, vibrant neighborhoods and living traditions found throughout the study area.

The Trustees of Waioh Corporation, which oversees Waioli Mission House, Grove Fann and Mahamoku museums on Kauai, encourage graduate students and college juniors and seniors who are residents of the state, studying in Hawaii or on the mainland, to apply for the $1,000 scholarship for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Preference in selection will be given to students who are Kauai residents.

See www.preservation-shortcourse.org for more information.