It was definitely a wake-up call. The departure Aloha Airlines from the local lineup of interisland carriers truly dropped some jaws around town. It also made crystal clear the vulnerability we share as residents living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — having reliable access to our interisland community is no small matter. Folks on he Neighbor Islands in particular rely heavily on interisland flights. They hop on a flight to go shopping, to get to medical treatments, for family visits and more. So if Hawai‘i truly can’t sustain more than two interisland carriers, what are we doing to make sure that the two we end up with are in it for the long haul and are willing to be part of this community we call home? Thoughts?

Jeanne Mariani-Belding

Hawai’i has often thought of itself as an ‘ohana that is generous and looks out for others in its community.
Some recent studies have given some in that ‘ohana reason to question that premise. A report last year, for example, said Honolulu ranks 42nd among 50 major cities in volunteerism.
And certainly as grim economic news swirls around us daily, you have to wonder if that will erode some of the good will we have toward others.
The will is there, say those who work with charities and volunteers. But they concede that tough economic times take a toll on nonprofits and their donors and volunteers.
They point to a couple of factors: In high-priced Hawai’i people have less disposable income compared with people making comparable salaries on the Mainland, and many Island residents must work two or three jobs. That means less money for donations and less time to give to others. Also, baby boomers at retirement age are more likely to have to continue working in Hawai’i, meaning a smaller pool of retiree volunteers.
Still, a front-page story last week reported on findings on a study in the journal Science that found that people who make gifts to others or to charities — no matter how small the gift — are happier than those who do not share.
How can this conundrum be resolved?
Those who want to give back to the community, to make a difference, can find a cause that ties in with the areas they feel passionate about or where they give their money. Parents can help at their child’s school or sports team. Cancer survivors may want to help agencies that help cancer patients. Or try one-on-one volunteering. Does an elderly neighbor need help in getting groceries or with housework? Or spend an hour or two with a shut-in. That’s all volunteering — and making a difference.
Even in tough times, all of us can help each other.

— Anne Harpham

E komo mai! Welcome to The Honolulu Advertiser’s Editorial Board blog. Members of the Editorial Board, who research and write the newspaper’s editorials for print and online, will contribute to this blog regularly, weighing in with our views on issues of local, national and world interest, both large and small. We welcome your comments and ideas, so please add your own opinions (free of profanity and personal attacks, of course) to the mix. Mahalo!

I have to admit that I’m not home on the Windward side during the workday very much. By the time I get there, the workers assigned to the “beautification” of Kahekili Highway have long since gone home.

The only thing that looks much different, day after day, are restriped lanes that zigzag to make room for more highway beauty spots.

But friends who hang out in Kane’ohe every day swear that people are actually working on the project, expected to cost $3.62 million, when all is said and done. The improvements between Likelike Highway and Ha’iku Road are supposed to feature median landscape planter boxes at two locations, among other facelifts.

The up side is that the state found workaround to lane closures, so it’s not jamming up traffic too badly. But it seems to be taking a long time to finish. This project that has inched along all through the planning and design phases, too. Don’t forget: It was conceived back in 2001, when this was a different world.

Oh, well. At least we townside work drones can glance up at the Ko’olaus while we wait. They’re Mother Nature’s planter boxes.

— Vicki Viotti