Resolution seeks Obama's library for isles

Hawaii lawmakers are considering a resolution encouraging President Barack Obama to pick his birth state of Hawaii as the location for his presidential library.

The House Tourism, Culture and International Affairs Committee will hear the resolution at 9:30 this morning in Conference Room 312.

The resolution, introduced by 47 of the House's 51 members, says it “;is a matter of great state pride”; that Obama was born and raised in Hawaii.

It says a presidential library in Hawaii would give the people of the islands access to documents and artifacts of the Obama administration.

If passed, House Concurrent Resolution 174 would be sent to the president and Hawaii's congressional delegation.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Mayor denies bias against girl athletes

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares has taken exception with the charge that the county discriminates against female athletes, calling the fields provided to the Baldwin High School girls softball team “;great.”;

A federal judge ruled Friday that the state and county had discriminated against the girls team by moving them to a field inferior to that used by the boys baseball team.

“;I was a little disturbed by the allegation that these are second-class fields,”; Tavares told the Maui News. “;I think everybody should take another look at these fields, because these fields are great.”;

The team was asked to move from War Memorial Field No. 1, a Little League field for more than 40 years, to Keopuolani Field No. 3, a dedicated softball field, when the softball program changed its season to overlap with baseball last year, officials said. Parks Director Tamara Horcajo said her department has bent over backward since then to accommodate the Baldwin softball team at its new field.