By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — When Linda Lingle was mayor of Maui County, she oversaw construction of three major public swimming pool complexes. She lured large competitive swimming events to Maui and swam nearly every day herself.
Maui lawmakers will wade into political waters today when they consider naming one of those swimming facilities, the Lahaina Aquatic Center, after the former mayor, who is head of the Hawai‘i Republican Party and a likely gubernatorial candidate in 2002. The Maui County Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee is scheduled to discuss the proposal.
The Maui League of Republican Women applied to rename the facility as Mayor Linda Lingle Aquatic Center nearly two years ago. The request was submitted by the league’s secretary, Jo Anne Johnson.
Now, Johnson is a council member and chairwoman of the parks committee.
Johnson said yesterday renaming the aquatic center would be a fitting testimony to Lingle’s support of swimming and the Lahaina center in particular.
The question is: Will it sink or swim?
Three of the five members of the parks committee are Democrats. Five of nine members of the entire council are Democrats.
Lingle could not be reached for comment yesterday.
[back to top] |
