Sculptor carves tribute to halau's namesake
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
HAWAI'I KAI — Under the hot sun in Kapa'a Quarry outside Kailua, Donald Jones hunched over the flat surface of a giant boulder.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
In his hand was a sharp knife that he used to carve an inscription on a stone that will be placed at the Pinky Thompson Canoe Halau tomorrow.
Donald Jones carves an inscription into one of several stones that make up an eight-rock sculpture at the Pinky Thompson Canoe Halau. Jones agreed to donate a sculpture when he learned the halau would bear Thompson's name.
Jones spent all of yesterday on the inscription; it is key to an eight-rock sculpture he is donating to the taxpayer-financed canoe halau at the western corner of Maunalua Bay.
The halau was completed late last month and will open following a dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. tomorrow. The canoe house, the third completed with at least five more to come in the city's multimillion-dollar building program, is named after the former Bishop Estate trustee who was a prominent member of the Hui Nalu Canoe Club, which will be the primary user of the structure.
The building of the canoe halau has been a longtime dream of residents such as Steve Hirano, a member of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board and vision team champion for the project.
But the building is a sore point with some residents, a reminder of how the city has used $830,000 in taxpayer money just for canoe enthusiasts at the expense of property owners at the Gateway Peninsula and the Moorings townhomes, whose view the halau will partially block.
The building's roof line was lowered after the residents complained, but it wasn't enough to satisfy everyone.
Hirano believes each of these views has a place in bringing the community together, by giving the community a voice. That was his initial purpose for championing a halau at the bay.
"I always thought Maunalua Bay represented Hawai'i Kai and East Hono-lulu," Hirano said. "It spoke of open space, the beauty of the coastline and the things we all enjoy and feel comforted by. But what always bothered me is the first thing you see is a big parking lot."
The building's design features a copper roof, moss rock walls anchoring the corners and decorative metal grills on the sides for ventilation. The 2,500-square-foot building cost $670,000 to build and $160,000 to design. It can store 24 canoes and kayaks under lock and key to protect them from weather and vandalism.
Jones said his involvement in the project evolved. The architects wanted some kind of memorial or dedication to be included in the building, but that wasn't financially feasible.
When Jones learned that the canoe halau was a city project and would be named after Thompson, he agreed to donate a sculpture.
The sculpture started out to be one polished stone, or pohaku, with an inscription taken from testimony Thompson gave before Congress: "Whose stated vision for Hawai'i was to see 'a thriving community composed of healthy individuals and families informed about their rich heritage and culture, living in a state of lokahi (unity) and making informed choices and responsible decisions in a safe island society that is pono (just).' "
The sculpture consists of eight pieces of rock — representing the eight major islands — taken from the Ko'olau Mountains in Kahalu'u, Jones said. Their exteriors are an iron orange and tan color, the interiors a dark gray that have been polished.
"I wanted to do something that represented the Hawaiian islands completely," Jones said.
One piece of granite stands atop a solid base. Others are on their sides with the outer layer carved away to reveal the smooth interior of the rock.
The sculpture will be arranged near the entrance to the halau.
"The tall rock has such strength in it," Jones said. "Pinky Thompson was a strong man. I didn't know him personally, just from what I've heard. This sculpture gives me a chance to honor him."
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
