Kahala Post Office Now Carries Cec Heftel’s Name

Mrs. Rebecca Heftel and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa unveiled the plaque at renaming ceremonies.

Broadcaster and Congressman Cec Heftel (D-HI), who died in February 2010, received an honor yesterday that will last as long as there’s a US Postal Service facility at 4354 Pahoa Avenue in Honolulu.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who represents Hawaii's 1st Congressional District in Congress as Mr. Heftel did from 1977 to 1986, and Rebecca Heftel, Mr. Heftel’s widow, were the honored guests in ceremonies held within the building to rename the facility the Cecil L. Heftel Post Office Building. Rep. Hanabusa introduced the renaming legislation last summer, and the act became law when it was signed by President Barack Obama in November.

Hawaii’s three other members of Congress – Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and Rep. Mazie Hirono – were represented at the ceremony and sent messages that were read by USPS Acting District Manager Frank Santos.

Rep. Hanabusa told the audience of the respect with which Mr. Heftel is still regarded in Congress more than a quarter century after he last served there. She also recalled Mr. Heftel’s broadcasting career and his leadership of KGMB-TV and the KSSK radio stations and his decades of service to the people of Hawaii.

The plaque shown above will be prominently displayed inside the building next to the inner doors leading to the counter and will be visible to all visitors. Additional details on the ceremony and Mr. Heftel’s congressional and broadcasting careers can be found in earlier posts to this website and in the numerous media stories linked below.

HawaiiNewsNow.com covered the event; its report is available at YouTube (the "live" action of the ceremony begins at the 22-second mark).