NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is going to have to wait awhile longer to be honored by his hometown of El Cajon, CA. The El Cajon City Council decided Tuesday night to drop plans to name a portion of Johnson Avenue as Jimmie Johnson Avenue. Mayor Mark Lewis said the council will consider other proposals, such as naming a section of Interstate 8 after Johnson, or perhaps renaming one of the city’s parks. “We have so many ideas out there, we want to make sure it’s done right,” Lewis said. The council had tentatively approved naming a quarter-mile section of Johnson Avenue by Westfield Parkway Plaza after the race car driver who was born in El Cajon and raised in nearby Crest. Supporters noted Johnson not only won four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, but also has raised more than $1 million for East County charitable projects. The proposal stalled after city staffers uncovered a 2004 policy that states existing streets and buildings only can be renamed after dead U.S. presidents. City Manager Kathi Henry will look into changing the city’s policy about renaming buildings and streets, and will report back in a month or two about other options for honoring Jimmie Johnson.(San Diego Union Tribune)(4-15-2010)
