Supreme Court takes notice of Hawaii’s ‘aha

The order from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy to temporarily halt the processing of the Native Hawaiian self-governance election came as a post-Thanksgiving shock to its supporters and a bit of holiday cheer to the opponents.

Up to that point, the court rulings had cleared the way for the election of delegates to an ‘aha, or constitutional convention.

Today is when voting for delegates is scheduled to end, but Kennedy’s stay means votes can’t be counted or certified. It’s unclear how this ultimately will end, but it surely will delay the ‘aha, if it is to be held at all.

Drivers of tall vehicles should be overpass-savvy

There are conclusions to be drawn from the recent mishaps on the H-1, at the Gulick Avenue overpass. It was struck on two occasions: first by a crane being hauled beneath it on Nov. 16, and then by another too-tall vehicle 10 days later.

The first takeaway is that this old section of the freeway may have been designed for the smaller vehicle dimensions of a bygone era.

But the second — and the one that really sticks — is that drivers of these vehicles ought to know better. And it’s the traffic-jammed commuter, and the taxpayers repairing the bridge, who have to pay.