Nobody can say he didn’t try to be on hand for the transition. But that’s when the privatization of the Maui County public hospitals was supposed to have transitioned by now.

So Wesley Lo, chief executive officer of the state’s Hawaii Health Systems Corp.’s Maui region, is stepping down Oct. 31 to become CEO of Hale Makua Health Services. His departure would be a somewhat scary prospect even if it wasn’t to happen on Halloween.

The transfer of operations to Kaiser Permanente has been delayed till next year, to work through the tangles of settlement with the unions. There’s been some progress, so let’s dare to hope that the worst is over.

Of course, that might not be so, which makes things scarier than ever.

Sign of times when even Cup Noodles gets less salty

Instant ramen with less salt and no MSG? What’s the world coming to?

Well, hopefully, it’s creeping toward a healthier American population, as more eateries and processed foods revamp with healthier offerings.

Now it’s Cup Noodles’ turn — that cheap, overseasoned brick of dried noodles that becomes a meal with three minutes of boiling water. The new versions have less sodium, hydrolized vegetable protein instead of artificial MSG, and green cabbage juice in place of artificial flavors.

Yum. Now let’s see if the college-dorm kids go for it.