Rough going for paddlers, but aloha buoys spirits

Hui Nalu’s members were stunned to find their canoes vandalized for a third time in less than a week on Thursday at Maunalua Bay. Lashings that affix the iako (crossbeam) to the ama (float) and hull had been slashed, leaving the paddlers with hundreds of dollars in needed repairs and several hours of manual labor.

But several of the a nonprofit club’s members, who range in age from 10 to 77, quickly tended to needed work on 16 canoes and expressed gratitude to others who donated time and, in at least one case, valuable rigging rope to the effort. That spirit of aloha is heartening.

Keep those wheels turning on cycling efforts

OK, Bike to Work Week is now over — but it’s still May, Bike Month, so stay in gear for upcoming events. These include Bike to Lunch Day on Wednesday; and on Sunday, the Honolulu Regional Aloha Fun Ride at 8:30 a.m. from Ala Wai Community Park to the Honolulu Zoo, and the Bike to the Zoo event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., where the city is offering free admission to all who bike to the zoo.

And to facilitate bike-riding habits, the Hawaii Bicycling League has come out with a new Oahu Bike Map, which shows bike lanes and other paths for cyclists to find routes to work, school and wherever they need to go. See how to get the map at www.hbl.org.