For nature enthusiasts, last week ended on a positive note: news of 2,900 acres set aside as the Helemano Wilderness Recreation Area.

The former Dole Food Co. property, rolling hills at the base of the Koolaus, leads the adventurous visitor to a spectacular view of the North Shore, from the Central Oahu access point. Of course, it means scaling the Poamoho Trail, but the vista at the end is worth the exertion. There will be camping opportunity, too, and then there’s all that open space.

Rustic recreation, watershed and anti-development protections. A worthy investment at $15.2 million, many would say.

Smoking out the vaping problem

For something that was once touted as a less risky alternative to smoking, there’s a lot of worry about vaping, rising like a cloud of, yes, smoke.

More than 200 stakeholders in the issue — school faculty and administrators and experts in health and law enforcement — will meet at a sold-out “Clearing the Cloud” conference Tuesday at Dole Cannery’s Pomaika‘i Ballrooms. Awardees for tobacco prevention and control efforts will be honored, too.

It’s Hawaii’s first meeting of its kind. Watch for more vaping concerns to waft through the state Capitol next session.