Greenwood comes up short, but taxpayers don’t

In addition to sending congratulations to former University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood on her retirement, Hawaii residents may want to enclose a thank-you note in the same envelope.

Greenwood retired at the end of June, ending her service about a year short of what’s needed to vest in the state’s retirement system.

After a somewhat tumultuous and expensive presidency — don’t forget the high salary, the housing allowance and all that Wonder Blunder spending — it looks like the state taxpayer finally gets a break here.

Know the back roads, or prepare to wait

Honolulu’s traffic jams — like the ones created by recent nighttime H-1 freeway shutdowns — lead to a few clear conclusions about commuting realities. One is that if you don’t know where to go, neither detour signs (nonexistent) nor the police parked idly behind the cones are going to help you much.

Another takeaway? Most Honolulu drivers know only one or possibly two routes connecting Points A and B. The ones who know the back roads win this game. Those who don’t can only squint at their smartphone apps, or that old-fashioned street map buried in the glovebox.