Superferries may return to isles yet

Surely nobody is surprised that the defunct Superferry vessels, the Alakai and Huakai, may end up in military hands.

A lot of critics of the interisland transport line argued that it probably was seen as an alternative means to shuttle troops and equipment between Oahu and, say, Pohakuloa training areas.

Army officials long talked about the benefits of assigning a military "Joint High Speed Vessel" here for that purpose, and the Superferry is very similar in design. Now, the Navy’s Military Sealift Command has proposed using one of the ex-ferries to replace the leased Westpac Express based in Okinawa for Marine transport around the Western Pacific.

No word yet if the other one could come back to the islands.

High-tech service might take awhile

When it comes to government, we know that getting things done simply, quickly or cheaply is rare. There are, after all, things like rules and regs and specs that come into play.

So while it might seem a relatively simple task to set up Wi-Fi routers in public libraries to provide wireless Internet access for all — don’t those things cost a couple of hundred dollars apiece to cover a building? — in reality, it isn’t, due to concerns like security.

Still, outfitting the state’s 50 libraries with Wi-Fi is well under way, thanks to a bunch of funding and granting sources. The Kaneohe and Salt Lake-Moanalua libraries already have wireless access, and testing is happening elsewhere, so it’s hoped that wireless service at other branches can be announced soon. The price tag for this 50-library venture? About $292,000. Let’s hope none of the buildings sit in a dead spot.