A hard line on Diamond Head profiteer

It’s not surprising that tourists might want to celebrate their Diamond Head ascent with a souvenir. The hike features two heart-pumping stair climbs as well as navigation through dark tunnels and old military bunkers.

What is surprising is that a hawker has managed to run a pop-up shop near the summit for years to sell unauthorized made-it-to-the-top certificates. State officials nabbed the man last week after watching him ask for $5 donations for certificates, and misleading customers to think he was affiliated with the state and using proceeds to keep the park clean. Here’s hoping that a court date prompts permanent shuttering of the activity.

A Trump-Kim summit in Honolulu?

State Rep. Gene Ward was in the Peace Corps, after all. Perhaps that’s what inspired him to write to President Donald Trump back in August, suggesting a “Diplomat Charm Offensive” with North Korean diplomats. Now that the president has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, could Honolulu become the “Geneva of the Pacific,” as Ward envisions?

Well, perhaps. But it’s at least an open question whether bringing the guy who had Hawaii in his nuclear sights closer to the actual target is a good idea. If the diplomats could find a sufficiently charming corner of a beach, though, that might help.