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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Book sale revived in Waialua

By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer

Thanks to a flurry of donations, the Friends of Waialua Library is back in business and will hold its monthly fund-raising book sale Saturday, less than three weeks after fire destroyed its entire inventory and left its members heartbroken.

Thousands of volumes and dollars have been donated by residents islandwide to replace the books, tables and other equipment stored in the annex to the old Waialua Sugar Co. administrative building that burned down during an intentionally set fire July 29.

"We've had a very generous reaction from the community, and we have about 250 boxes of books available for sale," said Friends of Waialua Library president Marjorie Russell. "We use that money to buy things for the library that are not included in their usual budget."

At a glance

• What: Friends of Waialua Library Used Book Sale

• When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Waialua Public Library, 67-068 Kealohanui St.

Russell said they will have the sale because the new storage room — donated by Integrated Coffee Technologies Inc. and located in what used to be the main Waialua Sugar administration building next to the destroyed annex — is filled with donated books.

"Right now we have no room to take any more books," Russell said. "If we have a good turnout for the sale and can sell most of our books, we can take more. But right now we can barely walk in that room."

Books collected by the Friends are used for monthly sales, with proceeds going to the library to buy books, videos and CDs. Such sales are among the Friends' many fund-raising activities throughout the year.

In the aftermath of the fire, investigators found traces of ignitable fluid in the one-story building's main hall. The building, owned by Dole Food Co., had been used for storage for several years.

The building's contents, valued at $52,000, were lost in the fire, including the Friends' inventory of 2,000 books and 35,000 pounds of coffee stored by Dole.

The annex, built in 1938, was completely destroyed. Residents said it served for many years as a social center for dances, parties and other special occasions. Fire officials estimated it would cost about $700,000 to rebuild.

"Our tables were melted, books were ashes," Russell said. "There was nothing there. But the donations tell us that libraries in the community are very important to people. That is very encouraging."

Another victim of the fire is Aloha ke Akua High School, a nondenominational Christian school that was expected to open in the building next year.

"We were going to use it to start the school up," said Rep. Michael Magaoay, D-46th (Kahuku, North Shore, Schofield), who is helping to open the school. "Now it burned down and we have to find another facility. It's back to the drawing board."

Magaoay said the annex was part of the historic core of Waialua and many of the old buildings, including the town market and theater, are now gone.

"You have a lot of nostalgia over there," Magaoay said. "People come out to support how it used to be. They have a common bond in their memories, and they are in ashes right now. When there is a tragedy, people come together."

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.