I’ve had several people send me a collection of vintage Hawaii photos in the last few days, saying that they didn’t know the source. A quick search found that the collection comes from the Honolulu Advertiser. Some great shots of landmarks past, like the old Civic Auditorium, mentioned here the other day in the context of roller derby’s revival.

Anyway, credit where credit is due! Thanks to the Advertiser for making these photos so readily available.

Update: This has already stirred up some controversy. The following note just came in from former Star-Bulletin photo editor Dean Sensui:

“Credit where credit is due”. Note there are no photographer credits on the pictures. I’d be willing to bet some of those photos were taken by Star-Bulletin photographers.

The entire Star-Bulletin photo archive still sits in the old HNA library. David Black abandoned the photo archives when he bought the Star-Bulletin, and the Advertiser has been drawing upon that valuable resource ever since.

That whole issue aside, it’s unfortunate the individuals who helped create that important historical record aren’t being given proper recognition.

If you’re a repeat visitor to this site, you might have read last month’s entry concerning questionable door-to-door sales of home security systems.

Yesterday, Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau warned consumers to watch out for deceptive door-to-door sales.

Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau® (BBB) is warning consumers to be wary of home alarm services sold door-to-door. BBB has reports of local alarm companies Lifeline Fire and Security, Security Alarm Shop, and Security One, Inc. being fraudulently represented in door-to-door sales pitches. Hawaii’s BBB is also investigating Max Alarm, a Mainland home security company actively marketing door-to-door in the state.

Now that the organization has issued a press release, other mainstream media are reporting on the issues, including the Advertiser, KITV, and KGMB.

The issue deserves to be covered, but reporting shouldn’t have waited until the BBB’s warning.

Does anyone else find yesterday’s juxtaposition of stories in the Star-Bulletin of interest? On the one hand, UH President David McClain declares a “state of fiscal exigency”, setting the stage for layoffs and program cuts. On the other hand, UH administrators are still trying to find tens of millions to begin construction of a new West Oahu campus, a move that will commit the university to huge future expenditures.

The Faculty Senate at the UH Manoa campus has taken notice of the apparent disconnect in a letter published online and sent to the daily newspapers.

We are nonplussed that at the same time that the Governor is asking us to make drastic salary concessions, and the administration is contemplating deep cuts in programs and departments, the System continues to hire new executives at salaries well beyond that of nearly all faculty, and is proceeding with hundreds of millions of dollars in new building construction (beyond repairs to ailing buildings which we all agree are necessary, such as waterproof roofs on libraries). While we are told that building funds are from a “different pot” than salaries, the bottom line is that impressive sums of money are being spent in the system at the same time that the most valuable components of our campus are being eroded and the sources of this money (either general funds, or revenue bonds whose debt will eventually need servicing) are ultimately the same as those which could be used to sustain the productive human heart of UHM. Buildings don’t instruct students, do research, or apply for federal funding.

Click here to read the full letter.