The city’s fiscal 2020 budget package, which took effect this month, includes a $1 million allocation to address much-needed maintenance and repair of popular Koko Crater trail. While most of the money is reserved for assessing the best approach to a long-term overhaul of the former tramway tracks, originally installed during World War II, $100,000 will go to immediate mending of potential hazards. The largely neglected trail’s 1,048 steps to the crater summit are made of wooden cross-ties, but many are missing, hollowed out or loose due to erosion and heavy usage.

Judge gets EIH-DOE hot potato

Sometimes judges settle disputes that could have been dealt with outside court. A new Education Institute of Hawaii lawsuit may not be one of those.

EIH has been pushing for the public release of Department of Education budget data to make schools spending more transparent. DOE is withholding some details of salaried positions because, officials say, the law protects personnel privacy. There really should be disclosure, but is the DOE right, too? Looks like the judge will have to answer that.