Rail execs look upward for help

If you listened really hard after last week’s election results came in, you could almost hear it: a big sigh emanating from the offices of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, whose officials had been worried the vote would undermine the proposed rail project.

Now it seems mere relief is not enough from HART, which Tuesday decided to further hedge its bets. The authority’s CEO, Dan Grabauskas, joined with members of the HART board, Mayor Peter Carlisle and City Council members at a blessing of the first shipment of steel for the project, delivered to Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor.

Will that be enough? Hard to say. Considering everything the controversial project has been through lately — including lawsuits, with one ruling still to come — HART may need to bless the ground all along the 20-mile route, the design blueprints, the correspondence with the feds … everything.

Go out to eat, help fund new school

If ever there was a good excuse to eat out, this week’s Restaurant Week Hawaii provides it.

Now through Sunday, Hawaii restaurants are featuring special menu items, promotions and discounts. Portions of the proceeds will support an advanced culinary campus offering a four-year program — the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head.

Many restaurants, from casual to high-end, are participating; most are on Oahu with a few on the neighbor islands.

For a full list of the eateries, plus more about Restaurant Week, see www.restaurantweekhawaii.com.