Every dark cloud has a less dark side

The bad news is that court-ordered changes in the city rail plans forced delays, which is costing taxpayers more money. The good news is … well, calling it "good news" is a stretch. More like "less bad news."

Anyway, word came Thursday from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation that construction delay costs for three project construction contracts are coming in lower than expected, by about 31 percent.

This is like going to an upscale boutique and seeing signs proclaiming that items on the sale rack are now priced one-third off. Yes, but that’s one-third off … what? Sigh. Well, rather than look a gift horse in the mouth, let’s hope HART continues to beat our cost overruns into submission. Or at least into something less scary.

Fly Alaska Air and learn about Hawaii

Alaska Airlines has awarded Kaiser High junior Aaron Nee a $5,000 college scholarship and a flight for his family to where he hopes to see snow for the first time — New York — by creating the winning Paint-the-Plane design for a Boeing 737-800 jet.

More than 2,700 Hawaii students from kindergarten through high school competed for the prize, won by Nee’s painting of a voyaging Polynesian canoe, a bright yellow hibiscus and a map of the Hawaiian islands. More than 7,000 votes were cast, and they chose the 16-year-old, who has an interest in graphic design and athletics.

Now maybe Hawaiian Airlines would like to join in on the fun?