Measles outbreak in Hawaii worrisome

As Ebola fears spread through the nation, another more familiar disease is making a resurgence of sorts in Hawaii, unfortunately.

Seven cases of measles have been confirmed recently, the latest four on Maui and Kauai. The initial three cases involved unvaccinated young adults who recently were in the Philippines or Indonesia and Malaysia. Unlike Ebola, measles is highly contagious — and it has a vaccine, people. The best way to prevent measles is to get immunized. See health.hawaii.gov/docd/home/imm/ or call 2-1-1 to find a clinic.

Lure tourists with Hawaii’s history

Rising airfares are making it tougher for Hawaii to compete with other beachy destinations, as rising sea levels wear away those beaches. But, the Historic Hawaii Foundation asserts, history is forever, and the richness of the Hawaiian story — the ups and the downs — sets this place apart for visitors. Many visitor industry professional heard this message at last week’s forum at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

It goes beyond the native culture, of course. Chinese tourists love Chinatown and want to learn about their distant cousins here, experts said. There’s one more bit of incentive to get the place revitalized.