Posted on: Monday, March 8, 2004

EDITORIAL
Pauahi recreation center must welcome all

Among other benefits, community centers provide a sanctuary for senior citizens.

So it disturbs us to hear that some senior citizens have been turned away from the city-owned Pauahi Recreation Center in Chinatown because they are not retired members of Unity House or the Lanakila Meals on Wheels program, according to a report by Advertiser urban Honolulu reporter James Gonser.

A couple of months ago, one elderly woman complained that she wanted to sit and eat her lunch at the community center, but was refused entry. In another case, an elderly man was told he could not sit and eat lunch with his friends.

And recently, another man complained at a neighborhood board meeting that he was denied admission because he is not a Unity House member.

Unity House and Lanakila officials insist their classes and meal program are open to the public. But these incidents suggest an approach that does not belong at a public facility.

In light of that, we are pleased to hear that the issue is not flying under the radar of the Downtown Neighborhood Board, which has asked the city to look into how the Pauahi Recreation Center is being run.

Of the 114 community centers across O'ahu, the Pauahi facility is unique because it is the only such center run by a private group that was "grandfathered in." The deal certainly raises some questions about access to public facilities that are run by private organizations.

Why, for example, has this powerful nonprofit labor organization had free use of a city building for more than a decade?

And if it is open to the public, as Unity House says, is that message getting out?

A sign outside the center identifies it as a city and county facility. But on the front door, it's clearly marked it as a retiree center with no public hours or other notices.

No doubt, Unity House is providing a service that many appreciate. But if the center is restricted to union members, perhaps the organization should move to its own building, pay for the use of a city facility or launch an aggressive effort to open its programs to others.

At the end of the day, Pauahi Recreation Ceter is a publicly financed facility for senior citizens, not a union clubhouse. If the center is truly open to the public, Unity House must strive harder to put out that message.