HAVE YOUR SAY

Get out the Windward vote

Windward voters in City Council District 3, listen up:

If you haven't already voted, your time is almost up.

At stake is who'll succeed the late Barbara Marshall, who died in February just months after overwhelmingly winning re-election. Mail-in ballots must be received by the City Clerk's office by 6 p.m. Thursday; walk-in voting ends at 4 p.m. today at City Hall and the Pali Golf Course.

SPIRIT OF GIVING

Generous tradition persists despite luggage fees

The aloha spirit lives, even in today's age of airline fees and bad economy. Honolulu return flights from Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival over the weekend were full of proof: Boxes upon boxes of Big Island Candies, Low International bread, Mountain View Stone Cookies, to name some.

Few airlines provide free luggage handling for passengers anymore, charging a fee for even the first piece, and carry-ons are limited in size and number. Still, it's nice to note that the tradition of omiyage — gift-giving after a trip — did not seem to be grounded.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Shine a light on traffic

Wouldn't it be nice if there was more synchronicity on the roads?

Synchronizing the traffic lights seems like a small, but valuable, way to keep traffic moving through the oft-clogged arteries of Honolulu.

The strip on Kalakaua Avenue in the heart of Waikiki is a good example of signal harmony that could help in other areas as well.