www.starbulletin.com > News > Breaking > City Council defers bill to allow renaming of park in honor of Obama By Star-Bulletin staff POSTED: 12:29 p.m. HST, Jan 14, 2010 City lawmakers punted on a proposal from Mayor Mufi Hannemann for a change in law so that Magic Island could formally be named after President Barack Obama. The council's Public Safety and Services Committee today deferred action on Bill 09-79. Hannemann has proposed renaming the park -- officially known as Aina Moana Beach -- to honor the Hawaii-born Obama and recognize his achievement of becoming president. To do so would require a change in law, which states that public facilities may only be named after a person who is dead. Council members deferred, saying they felt no compelling reason to act on the matter immediately. They said they want to allow further discussion on whether to apply the law more broadly, to honor other public figures, living or dead. Councilman Romy Cachola also asked that the administration seek input from the Hawaiian community on the potential of having the name Aina Moana "erased" by an official name change.

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  • How about naming it after Mary Kawena Pukui? She was noted for the many stories and histories that she translated from Hawaiian to English so that people could learn about the Hawaiian culture. She co-authored the Hawaiian English Dictionary. Through the many books that she wrote she helped to preserve the Hawaiian Culture and she was called a "Living Treasure."

    Thank you for bringing this up. Last time I was on a freeway it seemed to turn into the Dwight D. Eisenhower without as much as a whisper. Or did I miss that too. Who does these things anyway?
    • ALOHA Mai, e Karen, Maikai no oe, what a great idea to rename the park after Mary Kawena Pukui.
      KU I KA PONO, o Pomai
  • Mahalo Nui to Honolulu Councilman Romy Cachola for his asking input from the Hawaiian Community on this issue.
    KU I KA PONO, o Pomai
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