The process of decommissioning telescopes atop Mauna Kea — a hot topic fueled by the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope proposal — is underway. The 36-inch Hoku Ke‘a telescope and observatory, built in the 1960s, is one of the first two telescopes set for decommissioning. A public-input period runs through July 17 for comments to develop a draft environmental assessment and a site decommissioning plan (email jscheffel@ssfm.com). Hoku Ke‘a’s deconstruction then site restoration is anticipated to be done by late 2023.

Work also has begun to decommission a second Mauna Kea telescope, the California Institute of Technology Submillimeter Observatory; completion is targeted by late 2022.

Surfboard lockers need fixing

The city says repairs are ongoing, but it’s still a shame that the Kuhio Beach surfboard lockers, destroyed in an arson fire on Feb. 27, remain unusable.

With Waikiki all but devoid of tourists, now is a great time for residents to enjoy unprecedented access to the visitor mecca. The lockers served many locals, who enjoyed surfing off Waikiki without lugging their boards from far-off, hard-to-find parking spaces. Come to think of it, it’s the sort of convenience that wave-riding tourists have long enjoyed.