Recession going well for community colleges

The 7 percent bump in enrollment at Hawaii’s public community colleges sends various signals, according to University of Hawaii officials. The most emphatic message: Jobs are in short supply, so going back to school can make perfect sense.

And a recent study suggests that the vocations with the most openings are the ones in community colleges’ traditional territory.

According to the 2010 Talent Shortage Survey by the employment agency Manpower, skilled trades such as those in the construction industry are the hardest positions to fill worldwide.

Apparently, parental pressure to turn kids toward white-collar goals after the college years is one factor producing the shortage.

Mom and Dad, if you want Junior to get a job and move out, ever, you may want to rethink that.

Wai-pi-o! Wai-pi-o! Wai-pio! Wai-pi-o!

Another day, another game, another moment in the sun.

For Waipio’s Little League World Series team — facing favored Georgia again this morning and needing two victories to represent the U.S. in the final — it’s also another chance to share a child’s joy of play and the lessons of teamwork and perseverance.

Win or lose — and don’t bet against a team that can score six runs on one hit — it’s been a great ride for a state following the real boys of summer.