There’s just something about Harry — Harry Kim, that is. He may be the Big Island’s mayor, but Kim has managed to garner admiration across the state for his plain-speaking ways and especially, for his calm in face of natural calamities, even when battling his own health problems.

So, we join many in wishing Kim well, as he heads into surgery today in Honolulu to clear a blocked artery. Kim, 79, mostly recently had a mild heart attack and pneumonia, but today’s same-day procedure seems routine enough. Besides getting back on the job to deal with hefty issues involving lava recovery, Kim has a more enjoyable, near-term goal: being back in time for Saturday’s Christmas parade with his granddaughter.

Time for condos to step up for safety

Honolulu City Council members could override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of a bill that allots more time for condo associations to meet new fire-safety rules. We hope they don’t.

Condos really need to buckle down and get evaluations done and critical problems fixed. The city can’t stand by and allow a repeat of the fatal blaze at Marco Polo, which like many aging towers lacked fire sprinklers. They all might not need to put in sprinklers, since there are upgrades the Honolulu Fire Department endorses. HFD will need to hustle to get inspections done — but surely, it’s not complaining about holding some feet to the fire when it comes to high-rise safety.