A show of respect for veterans

An apology is one of those things that fall into the "better late than never" category. And so the phone calls from Punchbowl Director Gene Castagnetti represent a gesture that surely will be welcomed by the 380 or so families at the other end of the line.

The message: The veterans’ cemetery staff is sorry to have relocated memorial markers for their loved ones six years earlier, without informing them first.

At issue was a section that contains no graves but memorializes veterans whose remains were never recovered, buried at sea, cremated or donated for research.

These families and their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice, so they deserve that consideration — which is really common courtesy, after all.

Prepare to power down for hurricanes

There’s power in knowledge, and knowledge about power may save a lot of utility customers from headaches during Hawaii’s hurricane season.

Whether it’s Daniel, Emila or Fabio on the horizon, Hawaiian Electric Co. is issuing free advice on safeguarding homes from power glitches.

Besides the general advisory to unplug things in advance, HECO offers a free Handbook for Emergency Preparedness, to those who call 543-7511 for a free copy or for those who go online to get it: emergencypreparedness.heco.com.

If you want to download it, better do that soon. Unsettled summer weather means you never know when the lights may go out. And then even the fanciest computer is, well, powerless to help you.