City Hall is alive with the smell of blossoms

It’s flowering season for plumeria trees and, in a blessed coincidence, Memorial Day weekend rolls around every year at this time, too. Lots of volunteers will gather between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. today at Honolulu Hale courtyard for lei-sewing. While donations of all loose flowers are accepted, we all know it’s mainly plumeria that comes in.

Here’s a bit of history about the humble but lovely plumeria (or frangipani, another of its many monikers). It was named for the 17th-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who was not the first to describe it but somehow got the honor. You can tell the folks at the lei event this, but they’ll probably be more impressed by bags and bags of blooms. For more information, call 768-3002.

Not just kids happy that school’s out for summer

And they’re off!

Yesterday was the last day of the school year for most of Hawaii’s public school kids — which means, as any of them will tell you, the start of summer, though officially, that doesn’t occur until June 21.

The children get a break from the study grind — as do their teachers and faculty, as well as parents and guardians.

The breaks also extend to rush-hour motorists, who have already noticed an easier commute with the university and colleges already out.

Ah, we like these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.