… Well, HALLOWEEN is on the near horizon, and the Police Department will hold a meeting on Friday, Oct. 23, at 9 a.m. in the conference room at MCC-Lahaina on Kenui Street. We hope police will announce changes to regulating traffic on Front Street, which was kept open for cars on Fright Night last year. And I wonder if the county will provide any of the services provided by LAHAINATOWN ACTION COMMITTEE in previous years, such as porto-potties, additional lights and musical entertainment, which the Cultural Resources Commission denied to LAC…

… many of the restaurants will provide their own entertainment, including KIMO’S, BJ’S CHICAGO PIZZERIA and the PIONEER INN (Greg di Piazza, as in previous years). The WHARF CINEMA CENTER will have their 26th Halloween Costume Karaoke Contest, plus their famous Haunted House — in the early hours for children, and in the later hours for those adults with stronger hearts!!…

… the SOROPTIMIST/LAHAINA ROTARY CLUB KEIKI PARADE along Front Street on Oct. 31 will start this year at 3:30 p.m. from Papalaua Street, ending at Canal Street and into Banyan Tree Park…

… and in the rest of the world, all the huffing and puffing over the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to PRESIDENT OBAMA — darn right he deserves it, if for nothing else, giving hope to the rest of the world that peace is achievable through interaction and diplomacy. We should all be proud of his award…

… the action of the U.N. sacking Ambassador PETER GALBRAITH over his assertion that the election of Afghanistan President KARZAI is a fraud is an embarrassment. Last year, I spent seven hours in an airplane seated next to Galbraith and came away impressed with the man, his knowledge and his views. The prophecies in his book, “The End of Iraq,” have certainly come true. So the U.N. fires the guy for alerting them to the truth? Shame on the U.N. — it certainly doesn’t put their integrity on a high platform…

… and back in Hawaii Nei, I see that — finally — there will be an update and modernization to the International Passenger Arrivals area at Honolulu Airport — and about time, too! The arrivals area was a disgrace — old, dirty carpets with clear plastic tape holding together all the splits. Third world countries ran rings around us in the decor of the airports, although Fiji could use some air conditioning in the long standup wait to get through immigration!!…

… LAHAINA RESTORATION FOUNDATION’S THEO MORRISON held a meeting with a group of Lahaina movers and shakers to give a presentation on suggested changes and upgrades to the decor of the OLD LAHAINA COURTHOUSE. With a couple of exceptions, the changes could enhance the old building. I understand there will be further meetings to present these plans to the public and invite input…

… and records show that TED LIU’s plans for reorganizing DBEDT will cost the state over a billion dollars in lost economic activity and punish numerous non-profits and small businesses!! AUWE — maybe we should extend those furloughs to the DBEDT directors!!…

Up Front Lahaina is a twice monthly feature. To protect his innocence, the writer chooses to remain anonymous. The views expressed in this column belong to the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Lahaina News staff and owners.