Posted on: Thursday, July 17, 2003

EDITORIAL
Around the state, a spate of good news

Not all news is big news. But sometimes, a constellation of small stories gives the distinct impression that — for all our worries and troubles — a lot of things are going right in Hawai'i.

Here's a sampling from a recent edition of The Advertiser:

• The use of diacritical marks in the spelling of Hawaiian words is picking up in official publications, public signage and even the media. This is no small thing because the marks are, in fact, critical to the correct spelling of many words.

Now, some older and native Hawaiian speakers see no need for the marks because they know and understand correct pronunciation. But for the rest of us, the marks represent an important recognition of the importance of spelling in what, after all, is our other official state language.

• A long campaign to get the White House to serve what is the only commercially grown domestic coffee has paid off. At official state functions, the White House will now tend to serve Island-grown coffee along with other domestic foodstuffs.

It is a form of America-first sentiment that we all can celebrate.

• A determined effort by the administration of Mayor Jeremy Harris to "green up" Honolulu continues to pay off. The latest ambitious landscaping project is in Kahala, where crews planted 14 wiliwili trees in the median near Kahala Mall. This complements similar projects in Kailua, along the Pali Highway near downtown Honolulu, along Ala Moana and elsewhere.

Critics have complained that the money spent on these landscaping projects could be better spent on basic city services. That's a legitimate argument, but it is unarguable that this kind of urban forestry cools the environment, beefs up the aesthetic quality of the city and improves property values.

Honolulu has been a "Tree City USA" for 25 years running (dating back to the administration of former Mayor Frank Fasi). It is a worthy honor.