Save Pali Lanes Group

Interview by Georgia Johnson-King

Article by Georgia Johnson-King

            Vice President of the "Save Pali Lanes" Christian Arakawa is dedicated to saving the Pali Lanes bowling centre. Arakawa has written multiple articles for The Honolulu Civil Beat, calling for individuals to help in any way they can to preserve the historic site.

The Save Pali Lanes group have also run into their own struggles: "We had a group of millennials helping us but they have since left our group, they read a press release published in August by A&B which claimed the bowling alley had been saved which they then repeated and believed. I immediately contacted them and told them it was incorrect because nowhere in the article did it say Pali Lanes would stay," said Arakawa. 

For social media support the Save Pali Lanes Group been working with some influencers in the area of Kailua to help push the news. 

 "I made my cell phone, email and who I am really public so people know to contact me and I can help them with my broad understanding of everything, I want to connect people so they understand the bowling alley and why it should be saved ... We've had a lot of community support in the recent months," said Arakawa.
 

Hamakua Group

Interview by Mathew Vasconcellos

Article by Georgia Johnson-King

        The Hamakua Group began in 2015 and is a group that was "originally interested primarily in beautification of Kailua," according to Robert Gratz who started the group originally.

When asked how the group initially got involved with the Pali Lanes project, Gratz described a "glitzy" walkway that was intended to go right through the Pali Lanes property in Kailua.

"We were presented with the Pali Lanes issue through some environmental contacts as they were worried about a walkway through [to] the marsh... I met with the owner and after that we became involved in the Pali Lanes issue," said Gratz. 

The Hamakua group produced a design titled: Pali Lanes re-imagined, and in November of 2018 the Hamakua group, and a representative (Christian Arakawa) from the Save Pali Lanes group, presented the designs to Alexander and Baldwin.

The design featured an updated, and partially re-modelled Pali Lanes, that the residents still believed retained the charm. "The community has responded with a 70% [positive] vote to save the alley," said Gratz

After seeing the new designs for Pali Lanes, Alexander and Baldwin has still moved forward with plans to replace the alley, despite the high percentage of locals who want to preserve it. 

"They have leagues for seniors, they have special needs leagues, high school PE classes, the stuff the Pali Lanes gives to the community is not easy to put a dollar on," Gratz said. 

"The sort of value that a Bowling centre provides I don't think A&B knows how to measure that... the community has spoken," said Gratz. 

The Hamakua group will continue to work with the Save Pali Lanes group to help their project. 

Pali Lanes employee Wayne Dela Cruz has been encouraging all entering bowler's to sign the petition to save Pali Lanes. 

Dela Cruz was willing to take interviews to disclose why he wanted to save Pali Lanes."I've been working here for over four and a half years, I love the atmosphere of it here, the nostalgia of the place."

"You should play a game here, you can use my personal ball! I call her Mary Jane!" Dela Cruz said, cackling and producing a huge green, red and yellow bowling ball. 

"It's like a second home to me pretty much... I got this job exactly a year after my grandmother passed away, so I saw it as a blessing from her you know?" said Dela Cruz.

 The employees personal connections to Pali Lanes give them reason to keep encouraging individuals to sign the petition to save the lanes and attend the Kailua board meetings.