i L i n d . n e t

Honolulu Weekly is finally getting a new editor.

Mindy Pennebacker, an accomplished environmental journalist and editor, confirmed that she will take over major editorial responsibilities after the first of the year, although she won’t be relocating to Honolulu until sometime later. Various friends of the Weekly will assist with the editing until Mindy makes it to our shores.

Pennebacker is a 1970 Punahou graduate and is coming home again. In light of her extremely impressive resume, it appears Honolulu Weekly will have a real pro at the helm.

That’s good news for those of us who have been writing for the Weekly, and for readers as well.

Good work by the Advertiser’s Johnny Brannon turned up the unannounced suspension of the city’s managing director. Although Brannon doesn’t say it, I would guess this is an unprecedented situation.

Because this incident resulted in a suspension, the state’s Uniform Information Practices Act provides for public release of certain information:

(B) The following information related to employment misconduct that results in an employee’s suspension or discharge:

(i) The name of the employee;

(ii) The nature of the employment-related misconduct;

(iii) The agency’s summary of the allegations of misconduct;

(iv) Findings of fact and conclusions of law; and

(v) The disciplinary action taken by the agency; when the following has occurred: the highest non-judicial grievance adjustment procedure timely invoked by the employee or the employee’s representative has concluded; a written decision sustaining the suspension or discharge has been issued after this procedure; and thirty calendar days have elapsed following the issuance of the decision; provided that this subparagraph shall not apply to a county police department officer except in a case which results in the discharge of the officer…

We really need to hear more about this unprecedented situation.

A reader offered up this updated photo of a view similar to the 1970 view from Punchbowl featured here on Saturday.

It looks a lot different than it did in 1970, that’s for sure.

Change happens incrementally, and we may not notice it as it happens.

But after 30-something years, the changes become apparent.

Another reader accused me of being unfairly anti-fishermen because of the comment here yesterday about picking up trash on the beach.

So only “thoughtless fishermen” litter the beaches? Still out to get them one way or another.

So only fishermen litter. The kids and families leave the beach clean all the time. The teenagers who surf or party are neat niks, too. The implication is that the majority of the litter is left by the fishermen. Take some pictures if you see them and publish them, whom ever litters the beach. I am not saying that fishermen are perfect, it’s just that they are just like everyone else who use the beach. No better, no worse most of the time.

I’m afraid my friend is way too paranoid.

What did I really say yesterday?

Some is stuff left by thoughtless fishermen, the coffee cups and empty cans, but most is just colorful plastic bits of diverse origin that are washed by the wind and waves.

In Kaaawa, we see the fishermen in certain areas, and we see the trash they leave, but there was nothing in that comment to say “only fishermen litter”, which is what my friend read into it.

In my view, the knee jerk reaction to even mild criticism undercuts the credibility of the fishing community’s reaction to attempts at regulation, and leaves the impression that their political opposition might be as over the top as this rejection of my simple comment about picking up trash on the beach.

Obviously, the fishing debate is far from over.