A tribute to a king, and an admiral

It’s good to be the king. In this case, it’s King Kamehameha III who gets the honors today, when a 12-foot bronze likeness of the monarch is dedicated at Thomas Square on the occasion of La Ho‘iho‘i Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day).

On this day 175 years ago, after five months of British control, the kingdom was returned to Kamehameha III by Adm. Richard Thomas. The Union Jack came down, the Hawaiian flag — with the Union Jack in its upper field — went up. Now it’s the only flag that will fly on the new flagpole. The admiral doesn’t get a statue. Then again, the park is named for him.

New efforts needed to clear sidewalks

Before backing Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s bid for two bills that ramp up efforts to get homeless campers off city sidewalks, City Council members Carol Fukunaga and Trevor Ozawa want to make sure the proposals are legally defensible. Critics who see the matter as criminalizing homelessness have all but promised a challenge. Unlike with previous proposals, the mayor seems confident these bills will pass constitutional muster.

Stronger efforts are needed to address curbside public safety and health-related concerns. The Council should push on in support of the measures. One would make it illegal to “lodge” on an Oahu sidewalk if shelter space is available. The other would make it unlawful to obstruct a sidewalk with personal property.