‘Friends’ To Honor The Queen And Her School

The Friends of Queen Liliuokalani School plan a 100th Anniversary Kanikapila from 4 to 6 p.m. April 12 on the campus of the now-closed school. Gates open at 3 p.m.

The group invites the community to bring a picnic dinner and enjoy music by Marlene Sai and the Royal Hawaiian Band, Barry Kimokeo and many others.

The date is exactly 100 years after the Hawaiian queen laid the cornerstone of the new schoolhouse in Kaimuki that would bear her name – and reports say that “the Hawaiian Band” was there for that ceremony as well.

“It’s so sad, the story,” said Lynette Yuen, a teacher who retired from the school in 2005. She said there will be a reenactment of the 1912 event, a time capsule display and a rededication of the site. Former principals will attend.

The April 12 kanikapila also will honor the monarch’s dedication of the cornerstone and serve as a tribute to the school’s historical significance, achievements and purpose.

Call 533-2424 or email friends_of_qls@hotmail.co m for details.

The DOE closed Liliuokalani Elementary in May 2011 as a cost-saving measure, amid uproar from school supporters. Enrollment at that time was less than 100 students.

The latest plan is to house a data storage center in the cafeteria and move about 180 staff in its Office of Human Resources from rented space to refurbished classrooms. According to the governor’s office, the school closure has saved the state $530,000.