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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:30 p.m., Thursday, December 18, 2008

President-elect Obama to arrive in Honolulu on Saturday

Advertiser Staff

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to arrive in Honolulu on Saturday for a 10-day holiday visit with family and to mark the death of his grandmother.

Obama has no public events on his schedule, sources said, but does plan to honor his late grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died just before his November election.

Maya Soetoro-Ng, Obama's sister and a history teacher at La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls, lives in Honolulu with her family. Obama, who was born in Hawai'i and graduated from Punahou School, has routinely made holiday visits to the Islands but missed a trip last year because of his campaign schedule.

Obama last visited in October when Dunham was seriously ill. He last visited with his family in August for a week-long vacation just before he was nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Aides to Gov. Linda Lingle have said that the governor would be interested in meeting with Valerie Jarrett, of Obama's transition team, who is expected to travel to the Islands with the president-elect. Local Democratic leaders may also want to meet with Jarrett.