Off the News: Arts at Marks Garage resurrected

It’s good to see the arts get a new lease on life, thanks to a generous donor and people who believe.

Four short months ago, Arts at Marks Garage, a creative arts and performance hub in downtown Nuuanu, was close to shutting down. But thanks to a meeting at a last-ditch fundraiser, attendee Dan Fox-Aregger stepped forward as a title sponsor, donating $50,000 in honor of his late wife and artist, Susan Rogers-Aregger.

That’s enabled the nonprofit to stay afloat — and importantly, to rejuvenate with vigor as a community venue for artists to experiment and showcase. Any chance we get to encourage creativity, we should.

Ala Moana Park activists win again

Who says you can’t fight City Hall?

Critics of the city’s plans to alter their beloved Ala Moana Regional Park scored another victory on Thursday, when the city announced it had dropped plans for an off-leash dog park. This comes on the heels of successful efforts to fend off a private group’s proposal to install a big playground facility at the public park. It shows that participatory democracy can make a difference — as long as government officials are willing to listen.