Posted on: Thursday, April 22, 2004

EDITORIAL
Let's honor history of Honolulu Harbor

Honolulu Advertiser columnist Bob Krauss loves salty old sea stories, and Honolulu Harbor features in many of them.

Indeed, the deep-water harbor has long been a lifeline for Hawai'i, as well as a gateway for the many waves of immigrants to the Islands.

All this history gave rise to the Hawai'i Maritime Center in 1982, a cultural icon on the waterfront that has been plagued by debts and, frankly, needs help to survive.

The Bishop Museum purchased the Maritime Center in 1995 but didn't take direct control until 2002 as its financial woes mounted. It was estimated that the center would need $300,000 annually to keep the doors open, making it doubtful it could survive.

But clearly there are a lot of influential folks committed to keeping the Maritime Center alive. Some have dug deep into their own pockets to reduce the debt, and for that, we salute them.

After all, the Honolulu Harbor is what made O'ahu the gathering place. It's integral to our survival, and we should honor that.

Those interested in helping keep the Maritime Center afloat can donate to the Center's Financial Freedom Campaign.

Mail checks to Bill Brown, president of the Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Honolulu, HI 96817. Make checks out to the Bishop Museum and specify that they are for the Hawai'i Maritime Center's FFC ( Financial Freedom Campaign).