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Mandates are tough things to enact, especially in an election year, so House Bill 1910 and Senate Bill 2316 are in for an uphill battle.
The measures propose to require children to receive at least one dose of the vaccine countering the human papilloma virus (HPV) before entering seventh grade. HPV is the cause of genital warts and, in some cases, cervical cancer.
Hawaii is one of seven states proposing HPV legislation this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and this is not the first time. It’s available but optional now, amid opposition from some who want the vaccine to remain a parental decision.
Other immunizations deal with diseases more easily transmitted, where HPV is spread through sexual contact. Parents tend to insist on being in charge on that score.
Going greenish in Kakaako
It’s a bit ironic that a community garden on Cooke Street will soon be replaced by a concrete micro-apartment building.
Ironic, because the state agency that’s guiding that Kakaako redevelopment, the Hawaii Community Development Corp., was just picked as one of 27 entities in 22 states for a program called Local Foods, Local Places. The federal program — no money attached but offering a wealth of expert resources — aims to improve neighborhoods via food-related initiatives.
So while that humble Cooke Street garden would be overtaken, the overarching idea is to sprout initiatives such as composting co-ops, a food-waste rescue program and future gardens — just elsewhere in Kakaako.
