Legislators laud pagoda's saviors
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
The state House of Representatives yesterday honored a group of residents who led a grassroots effort to save the landmark Japanese pagoda in Honolulu Memorial Park.
Associated Press library photo
Rep. Corinne Ching, R-27th (Liliha, Pu'unui), said the seven residents are community heroes and an inspiration to others.
When the owners of Honolulu Memorial Cemetery announced in 2002 that they planned to tear down the cemetery's pagoda, many people came together to save the historic structure. Seven of those people were honored yesterday at the state House.
"They didn't know the outcome and didn't have any experience, but they fought so hard and saved a great state asset," Ching said.
Receiving certificates were Wayne Kotomori, Lorraine Palumbo, Christian Porter, Ann Ono, Vic Hejmadi, M.T. Tuaileva and City Councilman Rod Tam.
The future of the pagoda looked dim when the Richards family, then owners of Honolulu Memorial Park, which includes the pagoda and the adjacent Kyoto Gardens, filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The family announced a plan to tear down the pagoda at a cost of $200,000 rather than spend an estimated $1 million to repair the 37-year-old structure.
Save the pagoda became a rallying cry for those who own niches inside. They were led by Kotomori, whose father, Noboru, died in 2002. Those cremated remains sat in an urn at his son's home, waiting for the Honolulu Memorial court case to be settled.
"Initially, I did it for my dad," Kotomori said. "It is not only a symbol for the people that have niches and plots in the cemetery, but it has evolved into a symbol for all of Hawai'i and maybe all of the nation to be proud of.
"Even though I had a lot of turmoil in my life last year, if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it. I believe I made a stand and it was worth it."
More than a year of protests and legal maneuvering led to the bankruptcy case being dismissed by the court in September. The Richards family then turned over its interest in the cemetery to the nonprofit Friends of Honolulu Memorial Park, most of whose members are retirees who have loved ones buried or inurned there.
Today the 116-foot pagoda has been placed on both the state and national registers of historic places and the Friends group is working on fund-raising, grant writing and a master plan to restore the structure.
The pagoda was erected in 1966 as a replica of the Sanju Pagoda in Nara, Japan, but Honolulu's pagoda has been in disrepair for more than 20 years.
Ching said although many volunteers were involved in the effort, seven stood out: Kotomori for originally leading the charge; Porter, an attorney, for his pro bono work; Hejmadi, who has taken over as president of the nonprofit Kyoto Gardens charged with running the cemetery; Ono, a former school teacher, who organized the supporters; Palumbo, an architect who recognized the significance of the pagoda and wrote the nomination papers for its historic recognition; Tuaileva for his volunteer work to maintain the gardens; and Tam for his continued support in the City Council.
Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
