Big Island projects, observatory to be honored

Three historic preservation projects and an observatory on the Big Island will be honored May 11 during the Historic Hawaii Foundation’s 37th annual Preservation Honor Awards ceremony in Honolulu.

The local honorees are:

c Linda Collazo and the Lyman Museum Educational Program, for building a strong and diverse program of historical information through a long-running, weekly public museum presentation and by developing a series of architectural tours of East Hawaii.

c The federal General Services Administration, Mason Architects Inc., Sarwar Structural Engineering Consulting Services, Mechanical Engineers of Hawaii Corp., Wallace T. Oki, P.E., Inc., Constructors Hawaii and URS Corp., for the repair, alteration and seismic upgrade to the Hilo Federal Building and U.S. Post Office.

c “The Painted King,” presented to Glenn Wharton and University of Hawaii Press, for the account of the restoration of the King Kamehameha statue in Kapaau.

c U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for its rich history and integral part in the islands for the past 100 years.

Since 1975, the foundation has presented awards, recognizing exemplary projects that perpetuate, rehabilitate, restore or interpret the state’s architectural, archaeological and cultural heritage. Honorees are selected by a committee comprised of professionals in architecture, history, planning, landscape architecture, architectural history and media. Each nomination is considered on its own merits and is not in competition with others.

The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. May 11 in the Pikake Room at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, followed by a reception. Tickets, costing $45 for foundation members and $60 for general admission, may be purchased by calling 523-2900. For more information, visit historichawaii.org.