The Region - News from Aug. 27, 1986

A proposal to rename Little Tokyo’s Weller Street in honor of Lt. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka, the Japanese-American astronaut who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, was approved by the Public Works Committee of the Los Angeles City Council. The name change--which has drawn support from Japanese-American community organizations but has been opposed by some of the merchants who would face business expenses as a result of the change--is expected to go before the full council by mid-September, according to John Burmahln, the committee’s legislative assistant. “Because of the protests on the name change for that street, a public hearing (will be) scheduled at the same time,” Burmahln said.