Make room for monk seals

The critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal appears to be thriving around the main Hawaiian islands — so much so that federal officials are seeking more volunteers to protect them on Oahu.

There are about 200 of them in the main islands, with four seal pups born on Oahu this year. And there may be more coming, if federal plans are carried out to bring weaned female pups from the northwestern Hawaiian islands to the safer main islands temporarily.

The seals are on the endangered species list, so we’ll just have to make room — and keep a safe distance.

Training for the jobs of the future

Thanks to a $24.7 million federal grant, the University of Hawaii’s community colleges will start programs to train students for workforce jobs in emerging sectors of the state’s economy: Biofuels, agriculture, electronic medical records and, yes, rail operations.

But will the jobs be there when the graduates show up? Well, Hawaiian Electric is committed to biofuels; diversified agriculture is growing; Obamacare has made more efficient medical computer technology a priority; and, except for a pesky lawsuit, rail is still on track.

So the answer is yes, maybe.