Gabbard’s big night, Part II

Tonight’s the big night for U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, though for her home state here, it will actually be mid-afternoon. The second night of the second round of debates among the Democratic Party presidential contenders starts at 8 p.m. Eastern on CNN, 2 p.m. local time (to be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. here).

Actually, a bigger night for the Hawaii congresswoman may be Aug. 28, which is the last day she can accrue the required 2% polling standing and 130,000 unique donors to qualify for Round 3.

A park is born in Waikiki

A ground-breaking ceremony was held Monday for Centennial Park in Waikiki. Through a public-private partnership between the city and the Rotary Club of Honolulu, the long-neglected lot behind a condo is now slated for a makeover as an inviting green space featuring a hula mound, walkways and markers that tell the story of the neighborhood and the Rotary.

Also, debate has abated over whether a Hawaiian Electric switching station fits into the redesign. In return for a place in the park, the utility has agreed to pay a total of at least $200,000 in contributions to the club and the city. The city’s share is reserved for park maintenance.