Being out here in the middle of the Pacific, with no pro team to call our own, it’s always more exciting to cheer on teams if they have ties to Hawaii. Think about games that might otherwise be “meh” if not for Marcus Mariota, Shane Victorino, Kolten Wong or other “big league bruddahs.”

Now comes another Hawaii connection, albeit not one on the field or court: Kailua native and ‘Iolani School alum Bobby Webster has just been named general manager of the Toronto Raptors. At 32, he is the NBA’s youngest GM, so kudos to him. Webster’s higher profile might even come into play in October, when the Raptors come to town to play in two preseason games hosted by the Los Angeles Clippers. Part of the Clippers’ training camp, the games will be Oct. 1 and 3 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Developing affordable housing isn’t easy

Why won’t developers build more affordable housing for poorer people? Good question. At a recent City Council zoning committee meeting, local developers objected to two bills proposed by the Caldwell administration to change the city’s affordable-housing policy. The bills would require developers to build units for people with incomes lower than the current threshold, and to keep those units affordable for a longer period of time.

Apparently the incentives offered by the city, such as waivers of fees and property tax breaks, weren’t enough. What would help? One developer suggested a waiver of density limits. It’s just more evidence that creating more affordable housing will require a whole lot of creative thinking.