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Hara Arena To Close After August Event

WYSO | By Jerry Kenney
Published July 29, 2016 at 6:40 PM EDT
Hara Arena: Built in 1964, has seen many performances over the years, including; The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Grateful Dead...
Aesopposea
Hara Arena: Built in 1964, has seen many performances over the years, including; The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Grateful Dead...

The owners of the Dayton Hara Arena have announced they will close their doors for good after an Aug. 27th event.

Hara Arena: Built in 1964, has seen many performances over the years, including; The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Grateful Dead...
Credit Aesopposea
Hara Arena: Built in 1964, has seen many performances over the years, including; The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Grateful Dead...

For more than 60 years, Hara has hosted music, sports and special interest shows.

Owners say a 20-year court battle has drained them financially and kept them from making needed renovations to the facility. The inter-family legal battle was the result of the unresolved estate of Hara founder Harold Wampler who died in 1996.

The venue offered a $36 million dollar annual economic impact for the city of Dayton. Officials announced the closure today in a press release Friday.

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Jerry Kenney
Jerry Kenney was introduced to WYSO by a friend and within a year of first tuning in became an avid listener and supporter. He began volunteering at the station in 1991 and began hosting Alpha Rhythms in February of 1992. Jerry joined the WYSO staff in 2007 as a host of All Things Considered and soon transitioned into hosting Morning Edition. In addition to now hosting All Things Considered, Jerry is the host and producer of WYSO Weekend, WYSO's weekly news and arts magazine. He has also produced several radio dramas for WYSO in collaboration with local theater companies. Jerry has won several Ohio AP awards as well as an award from PRINDI for his work with the WYSO news department. Jerry says that the best part of his job is being able to talk to people in the community and share their experiences with WYSO listeners.
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