Today significant in Hawaii history

If you thought Nov. 28 this year was merely the big shopping day after Thanksgiving, think again.

The day also marks an auspicious Native Hawaiian holiday — Lā Kūʻokoʻa — which commemorates the 1843 formal recognition of the Hawaiian Kingdom as a sovereign nation.

In recent years, Hawaii Independence Day has seen a reactivation, celebrated with festivities at ʻIolani Palace and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

This Friday, the Ward Warehouse Amphitheater will host a 1-4 p.m. celebration of music and dance, as well as the sharing of history of the date that honors the foresight of King Kamehameha III and the diplomatic accomplishment of Timoteo Haʻalilio in gaining recognition for Hawaii from the United Kingdom and France.

Construction pain won’t last forever

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. Motorists might consider the proverb as they crawl through the H-1 freeway near the H-1/H-2 merge for the next year or so.

A project to build an overpass for Honolulu’s rail transit system will close down several lanes on either side of the H-1 beginning after the Thanksgiving weekend. They will take place at night, between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Monday-Thursday.

Given that H-1 often resembles a parking lot during the day, a weary driver might consider the nighttime closures the icing on the darn cake.

The good news is commuters will have plenty of time to gaze up at the rising concrete piers and imagine a 50-minute ride into town — leaving home after dawn, not before.