Gardena street may be Obama namesake

Daily Breeze 02/26/09

President Barack Obama could soon have more in common with Martin Van Buren than sharing the same residence.

One already has a street named after him in Gardena, and the other may soon be bestowed with the same honor.

Gardena City Councilman Steve Bradford on Tuesday proposed naming a two-block stretch of 132nd Street after the 44th president.

Obama Way would run past an elementary school and a park, from Ardath to Western avenues, Bradford said.

"This is not a political issue. This is cultural, historical," Bradford said. "I believe in giving people their due while they're here. I've run it by people and they've said, `Yes, the Obama Way.' It's catchy to folks."

Bradford believes there is not enough recognition of blacks in the community. Naming a street after the first black president would be a start, he said.

"How much do you know about contributions African- Americans have made?" Bradford said. "They don't tell you about George Washington Carver in school, or that a black man invented the cell phone. There are plenty of African-Americans who should have things named after them. This is one that is easier for people."

Bradford has been a strong supporter of Obama. He was chosen as a 35th Congressional District delegate for Obama at the Democratic National Convention. At the request of Obama administration officials, he applied for a job with the new administration.

Mayor Paul Tanaka did not say whether he supported the name change, but directed city staff to study the recommendation and report back to the council within two months.

"This has to be done very thoroughly and thoughtfully," Tanaka said. "It's important we don't make a unilateral decision citing history or a historical occasion. I've asked the city manager to put together a responsible group of individuals from the city to write an objective feasibility study."

Tanaka said he wants to know what it would cost to change the name, and whether it would affect any businesses or homes on the street.

City Manager Mitch Lansdell said he will assemble a list of legal and procedural requirements to change the name in the next few days.

"We've done it before and there is a process of notification and hearings," Lansdell said. "The city doesn't currently have a policy on naming."

In recent years, the city has renamed parts of streets after Huatabampo, a Gardena sister city in Mexico, and Chuck Nader, a former councilman and business owner.

Bradford said there are no addresses on that section of 132nd Street, so it would have a small impact.

"Finding the street is the easy part," Bradford said. "Getting consensus with council members and staff to move forward - that's where the challenge will be. I don't think there's going to be too many residents or businesses who are going to be opposed."

Bradford may already have a majority of support on the City Council for the street name change.
Councilwoman Rachel Johnson and Councilman Dan Medina said they like the idea.

"Having a street named after a newly elected president who has broken a lot of ground seems appropriate," Medina said. "As long as it doesn't cost a lot."

If the recommendation is approved, Bradford said he would invite the Obama family to the street name dedication. But he thinks the president would probably not want the recognition.

"If it was up to him, he'd probably say: `I don't need anything named after me,"' Bradford said.