In 2013, Mayor Kirk Caldwell and I proposed a restoration plan for the Waikiki Natatorium World War I memorial, which closed in 1979 due to safety and deterioration issues. Both the mayor and I were open to comments, observations and suggestions for modifications. The point was a decision had to be made at long last.

Having been for decades on the receiving end of every possible position concerning what should be done with the Natatorium, I trust that people of good will can recognize that no one’s solution will be implemented completely.

The city has since re-evaluated the 2013 proposal. Caldwell’s latest plan is a good-faith conclusion to more than a lengthy discussion (“Waikiki Natatorium supporters approve plan for overhaul,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 9). It represents, above all, a refocusing on the central point that has all too often been forgotten in the verbal jousting that has characterized the public conversation on this issue. The Natatorium’s purpose is to honor those who sacrificed in WWI. The mayor’s plan is a direct and respectful recognition of this in terms of purpose and practicality.

Neil Abercrombie

Governor of Hawaii (2010-2014)

Manoa

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