President Obama is expected to vacation in Hawai'i later this month, a holiday tradition for the president and his family.

Obama, who was born in Hawai'i and graduated from Punahou School, has not been back to the Islands since being sworn in as president. He was president-elect when he and his family had a 12-day vacation at a beachfront home in Kailua last December, and still a candidate when he visited his dying grandmother in October 2008 and enjoyed a summer break and local fundraiser in August 2008.

Obama is expected to fly to Honolulu on Dec. 23 and return to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 2, several sources have said, spending the Christmas and New Year's holidays in the Islands. The president does not have any public events on his schedule.

A White House spokesman would not officially confirm the visit yesterday.

Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died in November 2008, and his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, has temporarily moved to Washington, so the president does not have a direct family tie to the Islands this year.

Brian Schatz, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, could not confirm the Obama visit but said if the president does vacation here, it would show his connection to home.

"Whenever he visits, everyone in Hawai'i is reminded of how proud we are of his strong roots in his home state," Schatz said. "I think the connection between Hawai'i and the president is strong in both directions."

The White House would not confirm the visit or any details about where Obama will stay.

RETURN WELCOMED

Several neighbors along Kailuana Place, where the Obama family stayed in Kailua last year, said they would welcome a return visit.

"We saw the whole family — Michelle Obama and the girls," Ember Shinn said. "I hope they bring their dog this time."

The Obamas brought Bo, a Portuguese water dog, into their family in April. The little black-and-white dog was photographed wearing a lei in his White House debut.

With the White House press corps camped outside the driveway to the Obama vacation rental, Shinn said her house "became the bathroom for the press."

But she didn't mind.

"It was very exciting," Shinn said. "The best part was we got to know our neighbors because we all hung out on the street a lot," waiting for the Obamas to drive in and out of the neighborhood.

Jim Gebhard's daughter, Leisa, was house-sitting for a neighbor near Obama's rental and had to pass Secret Service security checkpoints every day.

When agents opened the trunk to Jim's car, they found campaign posters for his preferred presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"They joked with her and said, 'I don't know about this,' " Jim Gebhard remembered. "But she was on the list and they got used to her going back and forth."

Even though his candidate lost, Gebhard — a retired Air Force colonel — honors the commander in chief.

"He's the president now and I'm former military," Gebhard said. "You've got to respect the presidency."

'IT WAS A POSITIVE'

Linda and David Oifer had just moved into the neighborhood when the Obamas arrived for their vacation. For the Oifers, it was a chance to meet everyone because the neighbors hung out on beach chairs hoping for a glance at the Obama family.

"It was a chance to really have fun with the neighbors," Linda Oifer said. "That was the most memorable thing, and we continue to be in contact with them as a result. The media and all that stuff was not a problem. It was a positive."

She also got to speak with Obama when a friend invited her to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, hoping to get a glimpse of him following his morning workout.

"I shook his hand on base and said, 'I'm going to the inauguration,' " she said. "He actually spoke to me. He said, 'That's terrific. Enjoy it.' "