Ocean
Watch
Monday, November 23, 1998
Beach parks are perfect
for Thanksgiving dinners
THANKSGIVING Day is nearly here, a holiday that always
reminds me of one thing: beach parks.
OK, turkey, too. But since I spent my first Hawaii
Thanksgiving at one of Oahu's prime beach parks, the two have been as
firmly linked in my mind as mashed potatoes and gravy.
I had been living in Hawaii for about five months when
a friend called, inviting me to Thanksgiving dinner. My heart sank. The
last thing in the world I wanted to do on a day off in Hawaii was sit in
someone's sweltering dining room and stuff myself with food.
But it was a nice offer and I accepted.
"It's a planned potluck," my friend said.
"Can you bring pumpkin pies? Oh, and bring your boogie board. We're
going to Bellows this year, and the waves there are really fun."
"Bellows?"
"It's a beach park. Each year, we pick a different
one for our Thanksgiving picnic. I think you'll like it."
Like it? I never got over it. Not only did the
traditional turkey and trimmings taste exquisite on a picnic table, the
park offered nearly endless entertainment. Instead of watching TV, we rode
waves, walked the beach and examined marine animals blown ashore by the
tradewinds.
I later learned that besides its wide sand beach and
charming ironwood forest, Bellows Beach Park also has a colorful history.
Starting in 1917, the area was called the Waimanalo
Military Reservation. Then in 1933, this firing range and gunnery-training
site was renamed after F.B. Bellows, an Army lieutenant killed in a plane
crash.
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy attacked Bellows
Field, killing two Americans. The next morning, a Japanese naval officer
swam ashore after running his two-man submarine aground on the reef.
American soldiers captured him, making this man the
first Japanese prisoner of World War II. Later, the body of the other crew
member washed ashore.
During that war, Bellows Field expanded, playing an
important role in training men for combat in the Pacific.
In 1964 the Army gave 46 acres of Bellows' shoreline to
the public for recreational use on weekends and holidays. It was a fine
gift.
Another choice picnic site is Haleiwa Beach Park.
One Thanksgiving Day, I moved an entire dinner party
there. The participants were a bit reluctant at first, worrying about food
getting cold and sauces spilling.
But once I got them near the water, we all had a
wonderful time. OK, so the wind blew a little sand into the sweet
potatoes. It was a Thanksgiving dinner worth remembering.
And so is the origin of Haleiwa Beach Park.
In 1832 one of the first American Protestant
missionaries set up housekeeping at this site. Later, other missionaries
came, building a secondary school with a dormitory for Hawaiian girls.
This religious boarding school lasted until the 1880s,
when the deterioration of the dormitory and the principal's failing health
caused the school to close.
The significance of the school is the name of the
dormitory: It was Haleiwa, meaning "house of the frigate bird."
Since the area is not flush with frigate birds, no one
knows why the missionaries chose this name for their school residence. But
today the name remains where it began, gracing one of the North Shore's
loveliest towns and beach parks.
This year, as I plan yet another Thanksgiving beach
picnic, I'm thankful that people in Hawaii had the foresight to make so
many beach parks on Oahu.
It's one of the many pleasures of living -- and
celebrating holidays -- on this island.
