Millennium Moments
Before the "Pink Lady" -- more formally called the Royal Hawaiian Hotel -- graced Waikiki, another Royal Hawaiian welcomed isle visitors. Original Royal Hawaiian
knew glory daysThe original Royal Hawaiian occupied a block downtown, from Hotel to Beretania, and Richards to Alakea streets. Built in 1871 for $150,000 by the Hawaiian kingdom to accommodate a growing number of visitors, the Royal was considered by many to be an outrageous expenditure, says "Vignettes of Old Hawaii" by David Free.
Still, the hotel provided the latest to its guests: lush tropical grounds featuring 12 cottages, an artesian well supplying rooms with running water, spacious verandas, a treetop view of the city, a telephone and a bandstand.
For almost 50 years, the Royal hosted famous visitors.
But its decline came when the Moana Hotel opened; in 1917, the Royal was converted to the Army-Navy YMCA, Free says. In 1926, the building was razed to make way for an Armed Forces YMCA at Richards and Beretania streets; the YMCA itself was restored in the 1980s by hotelier/businessman Chris Hemmeter and is used today as an office building.
Surfing Into the Millennium
Businessman's gift puts teams on tracks
The Manoa Pop Warner football program will be making good on its fund-raising tickets Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Manoa Park football field.Mike Irish, owner of Keoki's Lau Lau and Kalua Pig, will be distributing 3,000 one-pound containers of kalua pig to Pop Warner supporters.
Irish's donation, along with $12,000 from the community, will allow the teams to go to Las Vegas even though their fund-raising money was stolen on Nov. 20.
"We worked all last weekend, making their product, making sure it's frozen," Irish said.
"To hear the sound of relief in their voices makes it all worthwhile."
Rites slated Tuesday at Arizona Memorial
A 7:50 a.m. memorial service Tuesday on the USS Arizona Memorial will mark the Navy's observance of the 58th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.The service will feature prayers, more than 40 wreath presentations, a 21-gun salute and echo taps.
Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander-in-chief, Pacific Fleet, will speak.
Attendance is by invitation only because of limited space.
Other Pearl Harbor Day events include a 5 p.m. sunset service, open to the public, at the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center waterfront lawn. That event is sponsored by the Aloha Chapter, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.
Jet squadron to visit Kaneohe Marine base
The sound of jet aircraft near Marine Corps Base Hawaii will be heard through Dec. 10 with the visit of a Navy squadron at the Kaneohe base.The squadron of S-3B Viking aircraft, here from the mainland, will conduct training flights before leaving for Japan on a routine deployment.
Breast cancer benefit sale tomorrow evening
A pair of Harley Davidson motorcycles will be auctioned off to help a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer. The sale is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to midnight tomorrow at the Pacific Club.The auction is the third of its kind held by the Stacy Brookfield Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Jonathan Brookfield, a Hawaii resident whose wife, Stacy, died of breast cancer.
In addition to the sportster 883XL and Fatboy Harleys, donated items include artwork by more than 10 island artists including Patrick Ching, John Pitre and Dana Queen; a helicopter ride for six; a Cobra kayak, and various trips.
Tickets are $75 at the door and include dinner.
For information, call 351-0241.
Korean students at UH to aid Food Bank drive
The Korean Students Association at the University of Hawaii is planning a food drive for the holiday season.The group will collect food until Sunday at local Korean churches and also will be at the Safeway Supermarket on Beretania Street from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The collected food will go to the Hawaii Food Bank.
For information, call Martin Lee, 641-3512.
Corrections
Hawaiian Electric Co. said it plans to put about one-half mile of underground power lines through the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus. A story Nov. 20 said incorrectly that the utility would put 1.5 miles of power lines through the campus.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Jeep driver injured in crash at Makaha
A man was critically injured this morning after slamming his Jeep into a utility pole in Makaha.The unidentified man was headed west on Farrington Highway when he crashed into the utility pole near Jade Street at 12:50 a.m., police said. He was ejected from the vehicle and suffered severe injuries.
He was transported to Queen's Hospital.
Boy, 13, held in robbery at Hygienic Store
Police have arrested a 13-year-old boy for allegedly robbing a Windward store.The owner of the Hygienic Store at 47-528 Kamehameha Highway was taking inventory when the boy confronted her with a knife at 7:50 a.m. yesterday, police said.
He ran away with an undisclosed amount of money from the woman's purse. An officer apprehended the boy after a chase.
The youth was booked for first-degree robbery.
Child blamed for fire in Halawa View unit
Fire yesterday caused extensive damage to an eighth-floor unit of the Halawa View Apartments at 99-009 Kalaloa St. in Aiea.Officials said the 3:20 p.m. fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter in a bedroom closet. No one was hurt, and the family of four was aided by the Red Cross.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at 3:39 p.m. and extinguished it at 5:05.
"The whole apartment suffered substantial damage," but the closet full of clothes where the fire started received the most, said acting fire Capt. Alan Calhoun. Damage was estimated at $40,000 to the structure and $15,000 to contents.
Other units did not sustain water or fire damage, he said.
Cops seek federal counts in Chinatown attack
Police are pursuing federal "Weed and Seed" charges against a man, 18, who allegedly attacked a 31-year-old man waiting for a bus in Chinatown yesterday.The victim was waiting for the bus at Maunakea and North Hotel streets at 7:30 p.m. when he was physically attacked by the suspect.
Federal charges, often with stiffer penalties, can be pursued in designated "Weed and Seed" neighborhoods.
