Off the News

What's good for Waikiki is good for the state

Sand, sand and more sand.

That's what's in store for famed Waikiki Beach, with a plan to restore 24,000 cubic yards of sand to the diminished shoreline. The goal is to widen the 1,700-foot-long beach by 37 feet between the Royal Hawaiian Hotel groin and the Kuhio Beach crib wall, using sand from nearby shoals, areas that have become shallow. The project, scheduled to start early next year, would replenish sand outward to the beach's 1985 boundary.

This seems all good -- for locals enjoying the sand-and-surf in our own backyard, to the tourists who spend thousands of dollars to visit.

For Waikiki, Hawaii's No. 1 tourist destination, this $2.5 million project to maintain appeal and appearances is a mere drop in the bucket. Or a mere grain in the shifting sands of ...

Oh, never mind -- make up your own poetic metaphor.

Wonder what's up with Wonder Woman?

Talk about a makeover. The 69-year-old Wonder Woman, usually decked out in a scanty American flag-like costume, is getting a new look -- and a new storyline regarding her origin. As noted in The New York Times, DC Comics wants to give the heroine a modern sensibility, which it debuted yesterday in Issue No. 600 of her monthly series.