Drier times ahead for Mapunapuna

Once a marshland, always a marshland. Many business owners in the Mapunapuna industrial area across from Honolulu Airport seemed willing to accept that as a permanent condition, but a city contractor is making headway to improve drainage.

"I have a kayak at home, and I’ve thought about bringing it to take a picture with us on the street when the tide is high," said John Tomei of NAPA Auto Parts on Mapunapuna Street.

Eckard Brandes Inc. of Kailua is scheduled to complete the $865,900 project in late August. If successful, the project will allow Tomei to keep his kayak at home.

Another charity group gets with the program

No better way to celebrate progress than a luau, or a little luau food, anyway. Kalua pig was on the menu yesterday at an event to kick off a collaboration between the Institute for Human Service and the ‘Ohana Family of the Living God Ministry. The religious group is now moving its homeless feeding program from Aala Park to the IHS Iwilei shelter.

And the people celebrating this most of all were the Abercrombie administration folks, who have been pleading with churches to do their charity food distribution not in parks but where other services to help the homeless might be available.

Count one more church signing on to the state’s 90-day plan.