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The Battle Over the Waikiki Natatorium Continues

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  Let the battle begin! A new round over what to do about the Waikiki Natatorium has been touched off with a new alternative for a swim basin replacing the crumbling walls with a fiberglass mess. Former war veterans weighed in on the controversy over the weekend on veterans day...against the backdrop of the war memorial and ceremonies held there.

We talked to two veterans who remember swimming at the salt water pool when they were children. Retired Lt. Col. Curtis Manchester shared his memories.

Manchester hopes whatever is decided, its appropriate for the memorial. John M Cummings Jr. said he loved jumping off the pool tower and recalled watching elite swimmers from the US and Japan go head to head.

We also spoke with Jim Bickerton, the attorney for the Save Kaimana Beach Coalition. He had plenty to say about what the group he thinks is wrong with this latest alternative of a modified swim basin over the proposal tearing out the pool and recreating the memorial arch inland.

 

Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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