Thank you, Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, for suggesting the state Department of Education throw out its $1.7 billion plan to cool public schools across the state and instead use a hybrid, more nimble approach. Rosenlee offered solutions that start with performing electrical-capacity studies at schools without air conditioning and categorizing them. For schools with sufficient capacity, he suggested the DOE make it easier for those schools to partner with community groups and businesses or allow teachers to pay for air conditioning units.

He also suggested expanding a solar-powered, air-conditioning system pilot program at schools with some capacity and for campuses with no electrical capacity, piloting a similar system that uses backup batteries. Pretty cool ideas.

A highlight of UH football will be seeing the foes

It’s that most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas. Rather, the start of University of Hawaii football, with the debut game Thursday at Aloha Stadium against University of Colorado.

Are we optimistic about a good season ahead? Well … Star-Advertiser sports writer David Reardon recently predicted a 6-7 season, which would be a good season but not a winning season. But the team will be facing some heavyweight opponents this year, after all, including No. 1-ranked and reigning college football champion Ohio State (on Sept. 12), 20th-ranked Wisconsin (Sept. 26), and 23rd-ranked Boise State (Oct. 3).

Are we intimidated by that? Well … Let’s hope for the best and have fun while we’re at it. Go, Rainbow Warriors!