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There can be, in fact, too much of a good thing. City Council members are thinking the degree of property tax benefit for those who preserve historic homes represents one good example.
Renovations within the boundaries of historic preservation rules can be complex and expensive, so an incentive is undoubtedly needed to maintain some of old Honolulu’s structural legacy. Not all the qualifying homes are mansions or even particularly beautiful, but they do establish a link to an earlier era.
That’s good. But a property tax bill of $1,000, up from the current $300, seems fair enough.
It’s mosquito season — take precautions
Following a seven-month stretch in 2015-16, during which 264 people contracted dengue fever on Hawaii island, Gov. David Ige called for a mosquito-fighting plan that steps up efforts to coordinate outbreak response. Among improvements in the works: rebuilding of state Health Department vector control staffing, which was slashed by former Gov. Linda Lingle during recession days; and islandwide surveillance and mapping of species.
Effective do-it-yourself prevention for anyone in a buzzing area includes the standbys of applying repellent, wearing light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and disposing of standing water — a skeeter egg-laying site.