McCully Fire Station update

It was always odd that the fire station I grew up near -- on the corner of Date Street and University Avenue in Mo'ili'ili -- was always called McCully Fire Station. Whatevahs. I used to go there to pick up my newspapers from Mr. Wong, and for an entire year, I delivered the Honolulu Star-Bulletin right across the street from the fire station. Anyway, the old station went down last year and the new one is looking pretty good. Modern.



Most of my friends will probably agree: one of the best things about the old fire station was the soda machine out back. Was only 25¢ for a can of Diamond Head, circa 1978. Grape and Strawberry were my favorites.

Wreck-oning Times

Does it just seem like a lot of classic spots are shutting their doors lately? Or is it reality? Let's take a look back at the past several months.

• Kam Bowl. Demolished entirely, even the entrance with the "triangle" structure. Walgreen's on the way.

• Masu's Massive Plate Lunch. Closed shop for good.

• McCully Chop Sui. Also closed shop, replaced by a furniture store. Bless the heart of the store owners. They want to keep the neon lights up. They know it's a landmark.

• McCully Fire Station. Located in Mo'ili'ili. Construction for a new fire station is underway.

And now, Varsity Theater, the landmark of all landmarks, nothing but a pile of rubble and asbestos dust. Just a matter of time before Stadium Bowl-O-Drome faces the wrecking ball. I still haven't gotten around to editing the final pics of the Varsity Theater destruction. Just lost the heart to do it last week, but I'll make myself do it now.

Fire Station, pepah route and 25¢ soda machine

Aw man, I can't believe they knocked down the Fire Station. The official name was McCully-Mo'ili'ili Fire Station, and it was a broad structure that covered a wide space on the corner of University Ave and Date Street, it was an oasis of sorts. Lots of grass. Lots of space in the back, where the firefighters stayed in shape by playing volleyball. (That big net was up at least once a week.)

There, in the back, is where Mr. Wong came to drop off newspapers for us guys who had paper routes. My route began across the street, on Date, and included Terrace Towers and a bunch of apartment buildings and cottages behind Terrace on Kamoku Street. It was only to 60 to 65 papers, but it was spread out and took more time than a similar number of papers in the condos like Ala Wai Plaza.

I "inherited" the route from Vonn Rasmussen, who was a cool guy. His family lived in Terrace Towers, and he had the route wired. He could reach the fourth floor with a fling. I couldn't do it, even in eighth grade and throwing the skinny Saturday paper. The railing always blocked me, and after five, six, seven tries, my newspaper was all hemmajag. The route wasn't easy when there was basketball and baseball practice right after delivery, and then bill collection after practice. It's no wonder my grades hit the skids that year. I did meet a lot of cool customers and even cooler stray cats, though.

But meeting at the Fire Station was always cool. There were about eight or 10 other carriers there, including one my best friends growing up, JJ. One of the best things about the wait was the soda machine. It was over behind the kitchen, and that old machine cranked out sodas at just 25¢ each. One of the old Ala Wai gang, Peter, remembers that RC Cola came out of that machine. I just remember the Diamond Head sodas. Grape. Orange. Good stuff and most importantly, cheap.

I wonder where that machine is. I can't imagine where it could be now. The image of the Fire Station, the back area and the soda machine are ingrained in my brain. Somehow, an ice cold 25¢ Diamond Head grape soda tasted so much better in 1978 than anything possibly could now.

Epilogue: No more fretting by me. The old fire station will be replaced by a new $4.5 million fire station.