Pay no attention to the better environment

Ever notice that when things work the way they’re supposed to, they’re not noticed? But when something’s not as it should be, it’s annoying or disruptive?

So it’s very welcome to hear that $18 million of basic overdue school repairs will be occurring in chronically struggling schools on the Waianae Coast and Hawaii island’s Kau-Keaau-Pahoa areas. Among the work: new ceiling fans, new paint and carpeting, new science labs.

With research showing that relatively minor changes — better lighting, temperature, acoustics and air quality — can make a difference for students, here’s hoping that a better environment will indeed stimulate more learning, and less fretting about the heat or moldy carpeting.

As least you’re not driving in Mississippi

Another sign that we’re lucky to live in Hawaii was reported in the Star-Advertiser over the weekend: Hawaii is 39th among states when it comes to the national Automotive Misery Index. That means it’s less miserable to own a car in Hawaii than, say, Mississippi, which ranked No. 1 on the index.

The rankings are based on what a 40-year-old male with a 2012 Honda and a clean driving record would spend each year on auto insurance plus gasoline, compared against his average annual household income. Statisticians can see how the index might be unfair to low-household-income states like Mississippi, but we can live with that.