EDITORIAL
Why such a long wait for a Leeward 'Y'?

It's a shame that Wai'anae of all underprivileged areas has never had its own "Y."

But thankfully, that's about to change as the Young Men's Christian Association moves to expand into underserved communities. Already, it has raised $9 million toward an effort expected to amount to $33 million.

It's about time. Honolulu boasts two state-of-the-art YMCA's with gymnasiums, swimming pools and more. The central branch across from the Ala Moana shopping mall is less than three miles from the Nu'uanu branch on the Pali Highway, where Gov. Linda Lingle swims her morning laps.

Meanwhile, the other side of O'ahu is a virtual desert when it comes to life-enriching amenities. Don Anderson, president of the YMCA of Honolulu, is right when he says the Leeward community has been shortchanged.

A full-service YMCA in Wai'anae will do wonders for the quality of life on the Leeward Coast, where residents now must travel some distance to find a decent swimming pool.

Plans call for a 16,500-square-foot building with a group exercise studio, wellness center and computer lab as well as meeting rooms and administrative offices, according to Advertiser Leeward O'ahu writer Will Hoover.

And though original plans did not include a swimming pool, concerns from the community spurred the agency to plan not one but two pools: a regular 25-meter pool, and a children's pool with slides and swings.

Still, it looks as though the Wai'anae "Y" won't be completed for a few years. We urge the YMCA to speed up this exciting and sorely needed project in every way possible.