Rearview: Looking back at things learned during 2021

Every year about this time, I write about the things I learned in the past 12 months.

Writing Rearview Mirror is a joy to me. I learn so much, and I’m happy that readers want to come along for the ride.

One of the more interesting topics I delved into in 2021 — at least for me — were the many things that were proposed in the islands that never came to pass.

Imagine if the University of Hawaii had been located on the Big Island, the Neal Blaisdell Center was where Kamehameha Shopping Center is today, the convention center was off Waikiki or a football stadium filled Punchbowl instead of a cemetery. Hawaii would be a very different place if some of these proposals had come to pass.

Football stadium inside Punchbowl

In 1923 Honolulu needed a sports stadium. Punchbowl, at the time, held a rifle range.

Maj. William Hoopai, athletic director of the Hawaii National Guard, said Punchbowl was an ideal location and could hold 95,000 people, almost the entire population of the city.

Punchbowl formed a perfect amphitheater and, in the opinion of Hoopai, could be transformed into a modern stadium at a small cost.

Instead, private developers built Honolulu Stadium at King and Isenberg streets. It opened in 1926.

University of Hawaii

Prior to its opening in 1907, legislators thought the College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts might need a lot of farmland, and considered a site halfway up Mauna Loa from Hilo.

Manoa was picked instead when it was pointed out that it would use intensive rather than extensive agriculture.

United Nations

I haven’t put this in my column until now, but in 1949, Gov. Ingram Stainback and the Legislature proposed Hawaii as a potential site for the United Nations.

Dozens of world cities also nominated themselves before New York was selected, I learned recently.

Where specifically did they propose to build it? This is a shocker. Waima­nalo. Seriously. The Waima­nalo Sugar Co. was on the verge of closing, and the Legislature thought it would make a fine location.

Failed proposals

The state Capitol considered nearly 20 locations, such as Fort Armstrong (Piers 1 and 2), inside Diamond Head, the Ala Wai Golf Course, the windward Hawaii Pacific University campus and Aala Park.

Convention center planners considered building an artificial island off Waikiki, using the International Market Place, as well as the Ala Wai Golf Course, before selecting the former Aloha Motors site at Kapiolani Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue.

City Hall might have been closer to downtown, such as where the YWCA is today, in an alternative universe. The chosen site was once thought too far away by the mayor, but the city could get more land for less money, which swayed it.

The Blaisdell Center occupies the former Ward Estate at King Street and Ward Avenue. Some suggested a par-three golf course on the Ward Estate, and the sports and entertainment complex where Kamehameha Shopping Center is today, at School and Kalihi streets.

It was once suggested that the Bishop Museum and Hawaii State Library be moved to Thomas Square.

Many theme parks were proposed: Disneylands, undersea cities and cultural centers. Kane Fernandez wanted to build Caneland, an homage to sugar and the people it brought to Hawaii.

World War II memorials

One of the fascinating things for me was discovering all the plans to create a World War II memorial in the islands. A committee of local movers and shakers spent 20 years considering and planning.

Their idea was to build a Memorial Boulevard from Pearl Harbor to downtown Honolulu or all the way to Diamond Head.

The Memorial Boulevard would be eight lanes, with majestic banyans, each representing a state or a Pacific nation.

Along it would be fountains and statues commemorating major battles of the Pacific. A large number of memorials sponsored by various groups could be located along a grassed parkway, such as a Pacific House — as a repository of relics, documents and photos — and a Fleet Marine Headquarters, with a parade grounds.

Only two were actually built: the USS Arizona Memorial and the Disabled American Veterans Hall next to Keehi Lagoon, in 1952.

Ala Moana Center

This year I was given an article written by Donald Graham, the man who built Ala Moana Center. It said many things I had not known previously.

Lowell Dillingham thought downtown Honolulu, which had been the main shopping area for over 100 years, was outdated. Fewer rode the bus and more had cars after World War II, but downtown did not have enough parking.

Sears was not the first choice as anchor tenant. Equitable Insurance, which lent Dillingham the money to build Ala Moana, required an “anchor tenant” that would reassure nervous store owners and consumers it was OK to go to this formerly obscure location with plenty of parking.

Dillingham considered several mainland chains, such as Macy’s, May Co., Allied Stores and Marshall Field, which all said no, before they turned to Sears as a last resort.

Paper girls and boys

Many readers shared their stories of being a news carrier for the two dailies or other island papers.

Judy Glassmaker wrote: “One of the places I delivered to was the Punahou Circle Apartments.

“Every month, we needed to collect from each subscriber. I remember very clearly a customer by the last name of Dunhill. It was always the husband that would answer and pay me.

“One time I asked if they were related to the famous Dunhill pen company. He said no, the name is Dunham not Dunhill. I looked closely at the last name and said, ‘I’m sorry, it does say Dunham. My mistake.’

“Years later I realized I had been delivering the paper to President Barack Obama’s grandparents! I don’t remember ever seeing him around the apartment complex.

“Memories … Judy Glassmaker, who now reads the paper every day instead of delivering it!”

Miles Murakoshi said: “I was a paper boy for the Star-Bulletin from 1979 to 1984 in Halawa Heights next to Camp H.M. Smith.

“I hardly ever folded them and could usually throw an unfolded paper by spinning it like a Frisbee and it could go like 10 feet without getting messed up.

“Collection time was the worst — having to go to the doors and yell, ‘Collection.’ Most time, they would answer and pay, but sometimes they would hide, not answer the door or say, ‘Come back later, no money.’

“The best thing about my route was the view. Amazing views of Pearl Harbor, Aloha Stadium, Pearl City, Ewa and the Waianae mountain range.

“Going up was hard but going downhill was whooooooo fun! I also had in-depth knowledge of all the shortcuts through the neighborhood backyards, and fruit trees that were blossoming.

“Oh, the fresh, just-off- the-tree mangoes, lychee, tangerines, rose apples, mountain apples, strawberry guava, wild passion fruit and coconuts. So yummy!

“What ended my time as a paper boy was when I got hurt riding my skateboard. Every day I would ride down this steep hill. Like straight down, gonzo style.

“One day I only remember waking up in the hospital. From what they tell me, I fell backward and hit my head. I blame Tammy Yuen, who was in front of her garage looking all pretty. Must have gotten distracted that day and ate it bad.

“I started being a paper boy in elementary school and ended senior year in high school.”

Lawrence Wiig said his Star-Bulletin paper route inadvertently led to a lifelong interest. Wiig found some discarded Japanese newspapers along Farmer’s Road in Kahala and was intrigued by the writing. “It led me to a lifetime of interest in Japanese language and culture.”

“As an adult, my curiosity about the Japanese language took off. I completed a major in Japanese at the University of Hawaii Manoa. This was followed by a stint of teaching English in Tokyo, where a Japanese American colleague from Kaimuki and I decided to marry.

“We went on to spend eight years teaching English and raising our daughter in Hiroshima where I completed an M.A. in Asian studies from Hiroshima University. At long last, I was able to make sense of those mysterious newspapers from my paperboy days.”

Next week I’ll look at other things I learned writing Rearview Mirror in the second part of this review.

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Bob Sigall is the author of the five “Companies We Keep” books. Send him your comments and suggestions to Sigall@Yahoo.com.