Airport upgrades can’t bring back the old days

There are two reasons to worry about the expensive upgrades to Honolulu’s airport (the newly spiffed-up eatery areas are just a small part).

One is that it won’t be done in time for the mammoth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, just over a year from now.

The other is that all the money can’t bring back the airport of the pre-9/11 era. There still won’t be a way for folks to give loved ones a proper greeting or sendoff. We travel in security now, but not in much aloha.

WAC whacks back

If nothing else, the Western Athletic Conference’s plan to file suit against breakaway members Fresno State and Nevada as well as the Mountain West Conference signaled that the WAC won’t slip into irrelevance without a fight.

Fresno State and Nevada announced plans to join the MVC after the deadline for notice of withdrawal from the WAC — and despite a solidarity pact calling for teams wanting out to pay a $5 million exit fee. Their absence in the 2012 season would create huge scheduling problems for the remaining teams, Hawaii included, and result in "irreparable financial consequences in amounts that cannot be accurately determined," the league’s suit says.

With its very survival in serious jeopardy, the WAC will be pursuing every option it can, and its lawsuit is likely just the start.