It seems a bit extreme that the local distributor of the popular HoyHoy roach traps will be destroying nearly 200,000 of the popular items simply because their labels did not meet government standards.

After all, sales of the traps were halted in May by the federal Environmental Protection Agency not because they posed any sort of danger, but rather for having labels that were, debatably, “misleading.”

The manufacturer, Earth Chemical, of Japan, has since reworded the labels, and the very same product will be back on local retail shelves soon.

Could not the banned versions have been grandfathered into legal commerce, once the problem was solved? Such a waste — though there are probably a lot more happy roaches out there.

Pilots bond in fight for survival at sea

It was a miracle moment on July 15 when word came that two young pilots had been rescued— alive and well — nearly 20 hours after their twin-engine airplane disappeared into the ocean off the Kona coast. But to hear the fuller tale of survival this week from Sydnie Uemoto, 23, and David McMahon, 26, was to appreciate the strength of true teamwork and support, which made the difference between life and death.

The overnight ordeal included deflating life vests, leg cramps, jellyfish stings, a shark sighting and periods of despair. The two pilots for Mokulele Airlines had not met before their July 14 flight, but the Kalaeloa-to-Kona trip was to gain more flying time and experience. It’s a safe bet they gained both — plus a special bond of survival that beat the odds.