Upon this week’s receipt of the largest-ever gift to the University of Hawaii, the future for the business college looks positively radiant. Real estate investor and UH alumnus Jay Shidler has donated his stakes in land under office and hotel buildings on the mainland to benefit the college that already bears his name.

But the gift, which could eventually add up to a value of $7 billion, comes with a string. The UH must refrain from selling the assets while 99-year leases are in place. After that, they could be up for grabs. If the UH is half as savvy as Shidler, it will continue to hold onto the properties and lease them to others.

Answers needed from HFD about Marco Polo fire

The Honolulu Fire Department surely would like to pay the $7,000 fine arising from its handling of the July 14 Marco Polo apartment blaze and move on, but there are still burning questions.

Mainly, there’s this: Why didn’t HFD follow the procedures that would have prevented the fine?

The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division this week fined the department for failing to handle asbestos-contaminated gear correctly; a 20-day clock started for contesting the citation.

There are no answers coming from fire officials yet, but we hope they’re coming soon. Tick-tock.