For Kirk Caldwell, it’s been a real blast

So much of Kirk Caldwell’s tenure at Honolulu Hale has been unexpected — didn’t he originally cross Punchbowl Street from his state Legislature office to run for City Council, only to end up on the top floor?

Perhaps, then, it’s par for the course that one of the final official acts for the acting mayor was also a surprise. This week he signed to sign a bill that tied the Council in knots for years: the new fireworks restrictions.

His last day at the helm will be Monday, right up until Peter Carlisle is sworn in as his successor. It’s not the outcome Caldwell hoped for, of course, but at least he’s going out with a bang, of sorts.

UH football thinks strategically — in Japan

With the University of Hawaii’s days as a member of the Western Athletic Conference appearing numbered, word of an expanded and upgraded television package of Warrior football games in Japan is welcome news.

Just as a successful coach makes in-game adjustments, tweaking strategy to counter and offset an opponent’s advantages, adapting to a rapidly shifting landscape will be crucial for UH athletics in the next few years.

Strengthening ties to an important market gives UH another option. And in these days, you can’t have too many of them.