Photo courtesy Kirk Matthews

Kirk Matthews stood in front of an active lava flow, watching it slowly make its way down a street in Kalapana. It was 1983, and he was on Hawaii island to cover Kilauea’s eruption.

Fast forward to almost a decade later, when Matthews arrived on Kauai to cover a fundraising concert put on in support of the island after Hurricane Iniki’s devastating damage. Backstage, he got to meet musical greats such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bonnie Raitt and Jimmy Buffett.

In another scene from his life, Matthews was invited to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children to do a story on a young boy afflicted with leukemia. Just a week later, Matthews learned that the boy had died, and he received a letter from the parents thanking him for the story. It’s a particular experience that Matthews cites as one of his most memorable.

Stories like these are plentiful for the man who made broadcast journalism his career for more than 40 years.

In September, after 27 years at KHON, Matthews, who appeared on MidWeek‘s Nov. 10, 1993, cover, retired from the station and TV news.

“I had a nice, long run and it was time for a change,” he says.

He wasn’t always looking to become a journalist. It was, in fact, entirely happenstance.

He had started out hoping to be a teacher, like his father. But living in Oregon in the 1960s, he took what he could get and began working at a radio station in Coos Bay. There, Matthews did everything, including writing and reading the news. It later took him to Portland, where he worked in public radio and then public television.

“It was sort of a gradual process,” he says.

For his years of service in broadcast journalism, City Councilwoman Kymberly Marcos Pine and the Honolulu City Council recognized Matthews with an honorary certificate at a recent meeting.

“It was unexpected,” he says. “It was a special time for me to be in City Council chambers not reporting, just standing there with my lovely wife Linda Coble.”

As Matthews settles into retirement, he notes a couple of projects on the horizon. Though he is coy about it for now, he will say that none are related to television news.

And though his time away from the station has meant not being able to see his friends there, he doesn’t miss having to report bad news — fires, murders and child abductions — the list, he says, is endless.

“I always enjoyed good news stories, and I felt a whole lot of pride in that,” he says. Still, these days, life is much different. It’s a change Matthews can only describe as “odd.”

“For 44 years of my life, I got up every day — as we say in our house, get up, dress up and show up,” he says.

“Now, I’m wearing jeans and shopping at Longs,” he adds with a laugh.

Photo courtesy Nanette Napoelon

In college, Nanette Napoleon spent a night in Kaupo, an old and remote Hawaiian graveyard on Maui.

Yes, it sounds almost made up, like a scene from a movie, except Napoleon’s very real night in Kaupo became the driving force behind her career.

“From that experience, I developed an affinity for graveyards,” she says. “It became first just an interest, which turned into a passion.”

Since then, she has devoted her life’s work to researching and protecting Hawaii’s cemeteries and graveyards.Through her studies, Napoleon discovered that the community in general has a very close bond with graveyards. They not only serve as resting places for ancestors, but also as cultural and historical signifiers within society.

Despite this, she discovered something unusual. “Over the years, they’ve become less important,” she says. “There’s become a disconnect between our ancestral burial grounds and our busy lives today, and people don’t visit graveyards as much as they used to, and they’ve become abandoned.”

Her findings led Napoleon to form Hawaii Cemetery Research Project, for which she has published cemetery directories for each island. Her work also includes a recorded list of more than 10,000 individual tombstone inscriptions.

For the past 14 years, she also has been researching Hawaii’s ties with the American Civil War. Napoleon, who appeared on MidWeek’s July 2, 2013, cover, calls it her second passion, and one she currently is documenting in a book.

“It’s important to me to tell this kind of long-lost story in a chapter in Hawaii history because most people don’t know this story,” she says of the soldiers from Hawaii who fought in the war.

“For Hawaii to have a connection to that, such a huge thing in American history, it’s huge for Hawaii.”

Still, most people probably best associate her with her work with cemeteries. So much so that she will be the first speaker in a series of talks presented as a collaboration among Historic Hawaii Foundation, Friends of Iolani Palace and Historic Preservation Program, Department of American Studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“I think Bill Chapman (director of Historic Preservation Program) from UH did that because he knows me as the ‘cemetery lady,’” she says with a laugh.

Themed “Preserving Our Historic Cemeteries,” this “Experts” lecture series is designed to shed light on local gravesites that have been forgotten and neglected, and will include topics ranging from maritime memorials to grave-marker preservation. Napoleon’s Jan. 29 lecture, titled “Gravestones and History: Cemeteries as Genealogical Resources,” starts off six sessions that will continue through March.

“The whole idea is to highlight cemeteries as historic places,” she says, “not just simple repositories for the dead, this utilitarian purpose.

“They serve a higher purpose — they reflect our ethnicity; they reflect our culture within those different ethnicities, so I think this whole series is to help people understand the large impact of cemeteries within our community.”

For more information on Historic Hawaii Foundation’s lecture series, visit historichawaii.org. Each lecture is free and open to the public.

Photo from Dana Edmunds

Chef Chai at Pacifica has become synonymous with elegant dining. But long before Chai Chaowasaree’s namesake began to dazzle diners with an expert knowledge of Asian-fusion and Hawaii regional cuisine, all he really wanted to do was avoid eating vegetables.

“I didn’t eat a lot of vegetables when I was young,” he recalls. “If I went to the table and I saw the things I don’t like, I just walked into the kitchen and cooked it myself.”

It has, of course, been quite some time since his days as an at-home amateur chef. For about 30 years now, Chaowasaree has honed those skills in Hawaii, a place he never imagined he’d end up.

“I never thought I would retire here,” he says. “After all these years, people in Hawaii really accept me and are very supportive of me. This is home.”

Having first opened Singha Thai Cuisine in Waikiki some 25 years ago, he’s now transformed that space into his latest venture, Chai’s Waikiki Market and Café. With it, he hopes to bring local flavors a little closer to Hawaii’s tourist hub.

“I thought it’s something we can offer to our visitors because now, if they want to try local food, they have to drive out of Waikiki so far,” he says.

Now open for about a month, Chai’s Waikiki Market and Café offers familiar dishes such as loco moco, saimin and beef stew at affordable prices in a casual atmosphere. This new venture also serves as a way to showcase locally made products. In one section that he refers to as an “omiyage station,” shoppers passing by may find anything from local honey to a pineapple cake that is made with his mother’s recipe.

“This is totally different from what we’ve normally done in the past,” he says. For Chaowasaree, that shift from what many may have come to expect of him is a true reflection of his own philosophy as a chef and restaurateur.

“I think, if you’re doing the same thing again and again, your customer probably is going to be bored and also yourself, and then your staff,” he says.

“Change is always a good thing,” he adds. “You have to keep updated all the time.”

Outside of his restaurants, Chaowasaree also devotes his time as executive chef for Hawaiian Airlines’ in-flight meals for first-class passengers. It’s a job he’s had for almost five years, and one that adds to his already busy schedule.

In fact, Chaowasaree rarely spends a moment in his apartment. “You know, I don’t cook at home at all,” he says with a laugh, adding that this also means he has no pets or plants.

Still, it’s a career Chaowasaree is grateful to have. Everything he ever only imagined of being able to accomplish, he says, has come to fruition.

“It’s all my dreams,” he says. “That’s why I say I’m so blessed that things happened the way it is, and I can’t ask for anything more.”

Photo courtesy Hawaii Republican Party

As a public school teacher, Pat Saiki took notice of the lack of independence she and her colleagues had. There were no planning periods, no access to private telephone calls — essentially, no rights.

So she organized the first state Teachers’ Chapter of HGEA, inspired to protect the viability of teachers. It was a display of leadership that had teachers rallying behind Saiki, encouraging her to run for office.

In 1968, she was elected to the state House of Representatives, officially entering the world of politics.

“It’s been a long road since,” she says.

Since last March, she has served as chair of Hawaii Republican Party after David S. Chang was called to active duty.

Republicans, she says, endured a particularly difficult election season. But despite

candidates Duke Aiona and Charles Djou, among others, falling short of victory, Republicans did manage to elect two new constituents to the House. And nationwide, Republicans also gained the majority in Congress. All of this has made the struggling local party hopeful.

“It’s a slow progress, but we’re taking it one step at a time,” says Saiki.

In a state where the Democratic majority has such a strong presence and influence, Saiki worries that many in Hawaii have simply given up. It’s a mindset she also points to as the cause for low voter turnout this past election.

“It’s been difficult because people are comfortable where they are,” she says. “Many of them are accepting the situation as they see it.”

In an effort to gain more supporters, the party has been actively hosting precinct and district meetings to encourage members of the community to voice their concerns.

“We’re trying to build the party from the ground up,” says Saiki.

Her work with Hawaii Republican Party comes after decades of service to Hawaii and the U.S. in various roles as a politician. In a career that has spanned nearly 50 years, she has accomplished much — from writing the state’s Emergency Medical Services law, to assisting in the creation of Hawaii’s law and medical schools, and even working to obtain funds to create the Sex Abuse Treatment Center at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children.

This year, Saiki, who appeared on MidWeek‘s cover in 1985, will turn 85 years old — though a conversation with her would make you think otherwise. There are, she says, no secrets to her good health. Saiki remains active, playing golf twice a week, attending exercise classes, walking her dog and spending time in her garden.

Still, it seems that work is really what continues to inspire Saiki. “I love what I’m doing because the party is so important to the state, so important to the people,” she says.

“I guess I’m hanging in there because I believe that this state needs a loyal opposition, a viable opposition — and people just cannot sit back and accept things the way they are when they can change it.”

But for now, Saiki is unsure yet whether she will stay on as chair of Hawaii Republican Party.

“I served my time,” she says. “I think it’s time for young people to move up and I’m encouraging that, so we’ll see what happens.”

Photo from Laura Aguon

As a student at University of Hawaii, Kanoe Gibson Nitta was studying business with a focus on marketing and management. But she just wasn’t sure how she would apply her studies to a job after college.

Then friends, including Olena Heu and Ron Mizutani, encouraged her to apply for an internship that had opened up at KHON2.

So she did, turning what began as a temporary position into a complete career change, entering an entirely different industry than she had imagined.

“I just had to learn everything on the fly, on the job,” she says, “and luckily, (there were) great people there to teach me.

“It was great, a lot of fun.”

It wasn’t an immediate shift, though. At the time of her internship, Gibson Nitta was pregnant with her first child. It wasn’t until two years later that she would rejoin the crew of Wake Up 2day as a weather anchor.

She left the station again in the summer of last year while on maternity leave with her second child. But she knew it would be temporary, a matter of waiting until something part-time opened up.

“I loved it,” she says. “I loved the excitement of the news industry and I loved the reporting.”

Earlier this year, she rejoined KHON2 as a weekend weather anchor, providing Gibson Nitta with the flexibility she sought. In this new position, Gibson Nitta is able to stay at home with her children — a daughter now 8 months and a 4-year-old son — during the week, and work at the station Saturdays and Sundays.

“The most important job is being a mom right now,” says Gibson Nitta. “It’s nice, though, to have something to, I guess, make me feel kind of normal again, you know, as a person,” she adds with a laugh.

A couple of days a week in Waikiki, you also may find Gibson Nitta, who appeared on MidWeek‘s March 10, 2004, cover, singing along with guitarist Randy Allen. The duo also sometimes performs at weddings.

“It’s been nice to be able to still do that,” says Gibson Nitta. “I feel like that’s … just kind of my passion.

“As long as I get to keep doing that, it keeps me fulfilled.”

Don’t expect to see Gibson Nitta turning to music as a full-time commitment. It’s something she says that she always will keep in her back pocket.

“I don’t ever want to stop loving it,” she says. “And I think if I did it full time, I could possibly stop loving it.”

Mom, weekend weather anchor, musician — it’s a busy life Gibson Nitta leads, and one she takes day by day. Little projects, like a planter she just completed, and writing help to manage her packed schedule. But, ultimately, it is her spirituality that helps Gibson Nitta stay grounded.

“I read my Bible,” she says, “and I think that what really keeps me in line, keeps me focused, is making sure I seek God in everything I do.”

Photo from Jojo Serina

In college, Angela Perez Baraquio’s mother imparted these words of advice: “If you obey God and do his will, your life will be better than a fairy tale.”

So it was somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy when Baraquio became Miss America in 2001 — the first Asian American and Filipina, and the first teacher ever to win in the pageant’s then-80-year history.

To be sure, Baraquio’s life has been very much like a fairy tale. Winning Miss America earned her $100,000 in scholarships, which allowed Baraquio to achieve her dream to obtain a higher education. And this June, she will celebrate 13 years of marriage to Saint Louis grad Tini Grey, whom she first met at age 15.

And yet, there also have been periods of great challenge in Baraquio’s life — being Miss America during 9/11 and losing her brother to suicide in 2006.

“Things that people don’t necessarily equate with Miss America,” she says.

It is stories like these Baraquio details in her memoir, Amazing Win, Amazing Loss: Miss America Living Happily, Even After.

The book, which was released last September, has been in the making since Baraquio first won Miss America and co-workers began encouraging her to write a book about the experience. But she was only 24 at the time and didn’t feel ready yet.

Though she revisited the project throughout the years, it wasn’t until 2013 that Baraquio committed to completing it.

“It was a very cathartic experience,” she says.

Along with her time as Miss America, Baraquio recounts what it was like being a first-generation Filipino growing up in Hawaii as one of 10 siblings. And the last few chapters discuss her brother’s death in detail.

Ultimately, Baraquio’s book is a faith-based inspirational memoir that touches upon three very important influences in her life: faith, family and friends.

“Everybody goes through highs and lows in their life,” she says, “but what really got me through my personal struggles and triumphs was my faith, my family and my friends.

“And that’s the only reason I’m still here today to talk about it.”

These days, the mother of four who last appeared on MidWeek‘s Nov. 16, 2007, cover, is vice principal at a Catholic school in California, where she has been living since 2006. In this position, Baraquio also is able to put to use her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s in educational administration.

“To be able to use my teaching credentials because of Miss America, it’s amazing,” she says.

Her ties with Hawaii remain strong, and she tries to return at least twice a year. During those visits, she films Living Local With the Baraquios with sisters Bernadette, Tess, Ceci and Rose, which airs weekly on KFVE.

“We always go back, because even though we’re here (in California), Hawaii’s always considered my home,” says Baraquio.

Amazing Win, Amazing Loss: Miss America Living Happily, Even After is available at Na Mea Hawaii Native Books and on Amazon. For more information, visit angelaperezbaraquio.com.

Photo from Katie Young Yamanaka

At age 14, James Young and his family moved to Hawaii. It was then that he developed an interest in other cultures and began to study Japanese archery.

Inspired, he decided to capture his experiences on film.

“I did a little documentary about Japanese archery using my dad’s old home movie camera,” he recalls. “It’s kind of been an interest of mine ever since then.”

It’s an interest that held and one he channeled for a time in his professional life, devoting 13 years to KHET (PBS Hawaii) as executive director and general manager. Though, oddly enough, it also was during this period of his life that Young had the least amount of time to create his own films.

“A lot of the time, I was the guy who made the deals, raised the money and then somebody else got to have all the fun,” he explains with a laugh.

So it should come as no surprise that since retiring in 2004 from Hawaiian Electric Co. as its lead engineer, technical services, Young has returned to his erstwhile passion.

At least once a year, he travels and has visited places like Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Madagascar. During these trips, Young shoots his own footage, then edits, narrates and produces videos entirely on his own. Made available on his YouTube channel, Young’s videos capture everything from the Intha people in Burma to Mongolian wrestling and beach musicians in Madagascar.

While technology has enabled Young to singlehandedly produce these videos, the Internet has played an even bigger role in gaining an audience. One video of a Japanese archery demonstration at Kapiolani Community College has garnered more than 2 million views.

“When I was head of the public television station, it was kind of like being a gatekeeper,” says Young, explaining that there were any number of things that prevented projects from airing.

“The beauty of YouTube and Vimeo is that there are no gatekeepers.”

This year, Young has no sojourns planned, instead devoting his time to completing a film about Balinese Hinduism. And when he isn’t documenting his travels, Young keeps the camera rolling on his grandchildren, pictured above with wife Lisa, (counterclockwise, from left) Ava, Cael and Akio.

In addition to his film projects, Young also regularly audits courses in the University of Hawaii system. Along with classes in religion, Young has studied world music and languages in an effort to enhance his travels.

All of that and tap-dancing — a form of exercise he has committed to for almost 20 years — keep Young, who last appeared on MidWeek‘s April 26, 1989, cover, quite busy. It’s a lifestyle he enjoys, though that wasn’t always the case. After retiring, he felt at loose ends and began exploring different areas of interest. This included a 14-month stint at the Apple store in Ala Moana Center, where Young says he had fun working with younger employees. Despite his Ph.D. in computer information and control engineering, his co-workers “left me in the dust.”

His interests may be varied, but it seems to be exactly what Young desires. “There’s not enough time in the day to learn everything I want to learn,” he says. “At age 71, I’m having the time of my life.”

Photo from Yasmin Dar

There was a time when Yasmin Dar imagined herself as a doctor. Science and the study of life had been favorite subjects of hers since third grade. So it made sense that she would go on to earn her undergraduate degree in biology from University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Life, it seemed, was exactly as it should be. And yet, all Dar felt was lost.

“Have you ever had that gut feeling that something just isn’t right?” she muses. “I had that feeling for almost two years after graduating with my degree.”

That instinct, some luck and meeting the right people led Dar on a new path to television news. It was, she says, the right fit, though it wasn’t entirely without mishaps.

On her third day as an intern for Hawaii News Now’s Sunrise, Dar accidentally deleted the anchors’ scripts instead of printing them.

“This may sound like a minor error, but anyone who has ever used the electronic news production system knows that it’s not that easy to recover those stories,” she says. “All I heard next was, ‘Where did the show go?’”

The screens, she recalls, went completely blank. Luckily, an executive producer managed to recover the scripts, and Dar was not deterred from pursuing a career in broadcast journalism.

Eventually, she would land on KITV4′s morning show as traffic anchor, where she worked for three-and-a-half years before departing for Eugene, Ore. There, she manned the evening news desk at KVAL as an anchor.

Now, after two-and-a-half years, Dar is back in Hawaii. “I loved living in Oregon and I miss it, but there really is no place like home,” she says. The move comes after she and husband Salvatore Fasi welcomed their first child eight months ago. Raising a newborn without family nearby to help, she says, is something the couple realized is quite difficult.

“I give huge props to families who have to relocate their lives and raise kids without that kind of family support,” she says. “It’s not easy at all. We are so grateful for our family’s help.”

Ready to return to work, Dar has joined Gov. David Ige’s staff as digital media specialist. In this position, Dar plans to work with the governor’s communications team to facilitate open lines of communication between Ige and the public.

“We want to listen to the citizens’ comments and concerns, and of course, within reason, reply to their questions,” she says.

Despite what will surely be a busy schedule, Dar, who appeared on MidWeek‘s Sept. 21, 2007, cover, also hopes to keep up with her blog “Mommy Crush” (mommycrush.com). It’s a project she began after being put on bed rest while pregnant — difficult for someone so used to being busy. On the site, she shares tips learned from her mother, doula and other friends with children.

“I’m new to this mommy world, so when I learn something new, I want to share it to help other moms who might feel like they’re in the same boat,” she says.

And Dar also can add “business owner” to her growing resume. This year, she and sister Shaiyanne Dar launched Dolkii (dolkii.com), an online retailer that specializes in Bohemian apparel and accessories for young women.

All of this may be a departure from TV, but Dar isn’t ready to rule out a return just yet. “That is always a possibility!” she says.

Dwight Okumoto photo

The key to rebuilding Hawaii’s entertainment industry and the ability to earn a musical livelihood, Johnny Kai will argue, is in its youth. Current entertainers, after all, will not be here forever.

Hawaii, he’ll also say, is brimming with talent. But it’s almost impossible for young hopefuls to break through.

“Us old people who have the experience and the knowledge, we have the jobs,” explains Kai. “That’s why the kids can’t come in. They can’t replace our years of experience, and yet we’re getting old.”

It doesn’t help either that many schools lack resources to sustain music-education programs — not to mention the amount of money it takes to build a career in the entertainment industry.

Plus, there is one other very important factor to consider: How does a person even get discovered?

This is where Johnny Kai and Brown Bags to Stardom step in, seeking young, undiscovered artists — at no cost to them.

The concept is simple: Students age 13-18 are invited to submit entries in the Music Video Challenge. It’s a contest that encourages youths to pen original songs and present them in a two- or three-minute music video. Selected winners who meet contest requirements gain the opportunity to receive a recording and one-year management contracts, as well as screen time on Brown Bags to Stardom‘s weekly OC16 show.

All of this fosters what Kai — an accomplished musician himself — believes is crucial for an artist.

“I myself grew up playing cover tunes — you get nowhere,” he says. “It’s original songs that rebuild a music community.

“So the importance of discovering new artists is how we rebuild the future.” Now, Brown Bags to Stardom is branching out to radio — where Kai says it all began for the world-renowned program.

“The fame of Brown Bags actually started with radio and giving those undiscovered talents radio airplay,” he says.

The show airs Saturdays at 7 a.m. on 93.1 Da Pa‘ina. Hosted by Augie T, it incorporates music from recording artists who got their start through Brown Bags to Stardom, and it also will feature contestants from Music Video Challenge.

“The most important thing is that we let kids know that this is an opportunity to write songs and to get yourself heard on the radio,” says Kai.

Brown Bags to Stardom also will present its annual Live Talent Contest Saturday, April 25, at Blaisdell Center. Open to elementary, middle and high school students ages 5-18, competition is in two categories: music or non-music (dance or variety act). Prizes include musical instruments, cash and recording contracts for selected winners.

“If you got talent, and this is what you dream about, you should take advantage of this opportunity,” advises Kai. “You never know.”

The deadline for entries in Brown Bags to Stardom’s Music Video Challenge is April 4. There is a $25 entry fee for its Live Talent Show; deadline to register is April 2. For more information, and for rules and guidelines for both contests, visit brownbagstostardom.com.

Photo from Melveen Leed

It was a Miss Hawaii pageant that made Melveen Leed realize her love for performing.

Representing Molokai, she sang Moon River as her talent. The crowd, she recalls, was in the thousands. But Leed didn’t feel nervous at all.

“From there, my hunger to perform skyrocketed,” she says.

Throughout the years, Leed cultivated her talent and established herself as a commanding presence in Hawaii’s entertainment industry. In a career that has spanned roughly 50 years, Leed has recorded 28 albums and received numerous Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, including its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Leed still keeps very busy with her music career, performing locally and throughout the world. Just last year, she participated in an Aloha Concert at Carnegie Hall alongside other local entertainers. Standing there on stage, in a room so quiet you could hear a pin drop, is an experience Leed says she’ll remember for the rest of her life.

And most recently, Leed found herself back in the studio. “Before my vocal chords are unable to function, I am right now in the process of recording,” she says.

It was during one such session that Leed received a call from none other than Tom Moffatt. His proposition: to perform alongside Neil Sedaka.

“I thought he was kidding,” she says.

Moffatt was, in fact, very serious and this Saturday Leed will join Sedaka as his special guest for the evening at Blaisdell Concert Hall. This will be Leed’s first time meeting Sedaka, a musician she has listened to and admired since high school. And her fans, friends and family are looking forward to hearing the two perform oldies hits.

“We’re going down memory lane, that’s for sure,” she says.

To share a stage with someone like Sedaka would make most people nervous. He has, over the years, co-written more than 500 songs and sold millions of albums. But Leed has had years to perfect her talent, and sees herself only as an entertainer with a gift to share. Nerves, therefore, are not something she is prone to experience.

“You have to just do your best,” she says. “That’s it, and that’s all there is to it.” As an entertainer who has remained a staple in Hawaii’s industry for many years, she certainly has seen Hawaii’s musical landscape evolve. In each generation, Leed has enjoyed seeing the creation of distinct sounds.

And, as a teacher of her craft for nearly 40 years, Leed’s up-close look at up-and-coming talent has proven promising.

“I’m so thrilled that Hawaii has a lot of talent,” she says. “I just enhance it, that’s all I do. They have it already.”

In her spare time, Leed may be found in her garden. It’s a passion she seems to have picked up from her grandparents, who Leed recalls as having green thumbs and beautiful plants and flowers.

She also involves herself in community-related projects. It is, Leed points out, common for entertainers to do such things, and she sees it as a natural necessity to life.

“I do it because God gave us this gift and we must share it to give back — our voices, our talents, our time, our energy and our hearts,” she says.

In the past few years since Siana Austin Hunt joined Make-A-Wish Hawaii as its executive director, the nonprofit organization has experienced a trajectory of tremendous growth.

It’s an outcome she credits entirely to community supporters.

“It’s been a magical thing to see happen in the last four years, but more importantly, it’s really a testimony to our aloha spirit,” she says.

What used to be a group of about 12 volunteers now consists of roughly 400. The organization also employs 30 full-time staffers and 20 active part-time interns.

All of this, says Hunt, has allowed Make-A-Wish Hawaii to nearly triple the number of wishes it grants to local keiki. This year alone, it will grant wishes to roughly 100 children locally, and welcome another 1,000 who will travel to Hawaii with their families as part of their wish.

“It’s just been fantastic to see the growth,” she says.

These days, as president and CEO, Hunt spends a lot of time in the community, working with donors and vendors on Oahu and the Neighbor Islands. It’s important, she says, that Make-A-Wish not be Oahu-centric, but focus on the state as a whole.

Despite this, Hunt also has maintained her role as a wish granter. It’s a volunteer position that all staff members are trained in, and one that allows Hunt to interact with Make-A-Wish children.

“I get to still be involved in some of those wishes that are near and dear to my heart,” she says. “That’s very important to me, that I stay connected here.”

To hear her speak about some of the organization’s recent wishes is exciting, encouraging and sometimes even heartbreaking — but all of it is enough to make a person believe that anything is possible.

There’s Angelica, a senior in high school currently applying for college who wished to go on a college campus tour because medical bills would otherwise make it impossible. Make-A-Wish sent her to Oregon to visit her first-choice school, Concordia University in Portland. There, she was met by Concordia students en masse, who greeted her and went on a scavenger hunt throughout the city. Along the way, each clue she revealed led to gifts that a college student would need, such as dorm necessities.

Or TJ, whose wish was to be memorialized as a superhero on comic book covers. Make-A-Wish reached out to local artists, who created 20 different covers featuring TJ as a superhero or alongside his favorite comic book characters.

And this month in Makawao, Maui, the community — local firefighters, the high school football team and Mainland companies among them — is building a backyard oasis for 7-year-old Ryder. When it is finished, Ryder will have a bike track and playground to enjoy.

For all of this, says Hunt, there is no better reason to get out of bed each day. “There is no more fulfilling and powerful a thing to stand with a family and be able to take them in the midst of an incredibly difficult journey to a place of hope, strength and joy,” she says. “It’s grounding, it tugs at your heart because every wish family becomes part of your own family.”

Make-A-Wish Hawaii hosts its 29th annual April Foolish party presented by The Boys Brunch Hawaii Friday (April 10) at M Nightclub from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Proceeds benefit the organization, supporting its wish-granting efforts for Hawaii keiki. For tickets and more information, visit hawaii.wish.org.

Photo from Hoagy Gamble

In 1946, Hoagy Gamble was born in Hawaii. And if you ask him, he’s been eating SPAM, eggs and rice for just as long.

“From pretty much day one,” he says.

This should come as no surprise to those familiar with Gamble. Since 1950, L.H. Gamble Co. has represented Hormel Food Corporation in the Islands, handling the multinational manufacturer’s sales and marketing in the state.

Plus, Gamble’s father, the late Lester Gamble Sr., is credited with pioneering the brand in Hawaii beginning in 1948.

Its presence in Hawaii, says Gamble, began during World War II when it was first introduced. SPAM was used as part of military K-rations, and returning local soldiers also had become familiar with it abroad.

Today, its sales in Hawaii continue to increase. Last year, roughly 7 million cans of SPAM were sold, up from 4 million in the early 1990s.

“Hawaii has had a love affair with this product for more than 50 years,” says Gamble. “We think that one of the key reasons is that the product taste profile goes so well with white rice, another local favorite.

“The product is very versatile and is useful in all kinds of ways,” he adds. Part of that versatility not only comes from the different ways SPAM can be incorporated into meals, but from Hormel itself. There currently are 16 varieties of SPAM, which include standard options of SPAM Classic and SPAM Lite to the more unusual like SPAM with Cheese, SPAM with Bacon and SPAM Jalapeno.

In Hawaii, SPAM Less Sodium is the No. 1 variety sold. But Gamble thinks that Portuguese Sausage SPAM will also be a favorite once it is added to its lineup.

“I think it’s the best!” he says.

You can expect to see Portuguese Sausage SPAM in stores soon, and it also will make a debut at the 13th annual Waikiki SPAM Jam Saturday, May 2. During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to sample another new product: SPAM Snacks, which Gamble describes as being similar to beef jerky.

Fans of the brand can be on the lookout for SPAM Hawaii merchandise,such as T-shirts and hats, that have begun making their way into stores. At Haleiwa Store Lots, SPAM Hawaii has its own kiosk.

But it isn’t only in Hawaii that SPAM continues to gain popularity. Gamble says the Mainland has seen an increase in sales as well.

“One of the great trends we’ve seen over the past couple of years is the appearance of the SPAM brand on high-end restaurant menus throughout the country,” he says. On the West Coast in particular, he adds, SPAM musubi has made its way onto more menus.

For 43 years now, Gamble has been with L.H. Gamble and Co. after he and wife Pat joined his father in the business in 1972. Twelve years ago, sons Scott and Craig stepped in.

It has, he says, truly been a family affair. “Our food brokerage company is very grateful for the opportunity to represent Hormel Food here with this special product,” he says.

For more information on the 13th annual Waikiki SPAM Jam, visit spamjamhawaii.com.

Photo from Davin Char

At 6 years old, John Hirokawa found himself hooked on magic.

Library visits with his parents provided him with books on the topic, but Hirokawa couldn’t yet read. So his mother, the late Ruth Hirokawa, took the time to attempt it, figuring out tricks and passing on whatever knowledge she was able to glean.

“She was kind of like my teacher throughout that time,” he says.

Hirokawa, of course, has since proven that magic was more than just a childhood fancy. At age 12, he appeared on stage alongside David Copperfield, and at 16 he won the junior division of Federation International des Societies Magiques in Belgium.

His passion for magic was one Hirokawa always hoped to channel into a career. With no magic acts in Waikiki, Hirokawa saw performers like Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy, and sought to bring that caliber of skill to Hawaii’s entertainment scene.

Eventually, after stints at birthday parties and conventions, Hirokawa met Roberts Hawaii and Roy Tokujo (then with Paradise Cove Luau).

“(They) actually had the vision to see that it would work,” says Hirokawa of a show in Waikiki.

On April 15, 1990, Hirokawa debuted Magic of Polynesia. Only 25 years old at the time, he was one of the youngest headliners ever to perform in Waikiki.

“It was just that excitement of not knowing and just getting to do what I love as a hobby, professionally now,” he recalls.

Now, 25 years later, Hirokawa, who appeared on MidWeek‘s June 27, 1990, cover, still is enjoying the life of a professional magician.

“Through the years, that excitement and that fun have never changed, honestly,” he says.

Some things certainly have, though. Every three years or so, Hirokawa and his team incorporate major changes into the show. It can be a challenge, he admits, to constantly come up with new and innovative acts.

Lately, Hirokawa has enjoyed performing “close-up” magic, which involves a lot of interaction with the audience. It’s a sort of realism that requires good sleight of hand. He might, for instance, walk up to someone, take his or her rings and link them together, or borrow money and make it disappear then reappear somewhere else.

“That’s the kind of stuff that I love to do now because it’s very impromptu and it varies from show to show,” he says. “Just doing magic with no smoke and mirrors.”

Still, Hirokawa’s favorite portion of the show is during the finale, when he makes it snow.

“I have that same kind of first-time feeling every night,” he says. “When we have locals come and they bring their kids who haven’t experienced snow before, it’s just a real magical feeling.”

For 23 years, Hirokawa has been married to wife Nadine, with whom he has three grown children. Life, he says, has gone by so quickly.

“I feel real old,” he says with a laugh. “And that’s been one magic trick I’ve never been able to figure out: How to stop time.”

Magic of Polynesia celebrates its 25th anniversary with a “25 for 25″ kamaaina special. From now until May 9, residents may purchase tickets to the show for only $25 (regular price is $59). For more information and tickets, call 971-4321 or visit magicofpolynesia.com/25for25.

Darnell Arceneaux. Photo by Mike Wells

A few weeks ago, family and friends gathered at Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse. There, they sat in anticipation and then celebrated the news of Marcus Mariota’s first-round, second-pick draft selection by the Tennessee Titans.

It was a culmination of sorts, of all that Mariota has accomplished — first as a Saint Louis School Crusader here at home, and then as a Duck with University of Oregon.

No one was less surprised than Darnell Arceneaux, Mariota’s former coach at Saint Louis.

“We knew we had a special player,” he says of Mariota. “At an early age, there were some glimpses of stardom. We knew it was there.”

Arceneaux had the chance to spend draft day with Mariota. It was, he says, a tremendous day.

“Just to see one of your former student-athletes, to see his dreams come true — all of his hard work and dedication really paid off,” says Arceneaux.

And all that talk about Mariota being a great person on and off the field? Definitely not hype, according to Arceneaux.

“His mom and dad have done a tremendous job raising their two boys — Matt and Marcus — and you know, it’s genuine,” he says. “What you see is what you get with Marcus.”

These days, Arceneaux coaches quarterbacks and inside slots with Occidental College in Eagle Rock, Calif. This upcoming season will mark his third year with the school. There, he works with a staff that includes head coach Doug Semones and offensive coordinator Brian Smith. It was, Arceneaux says, part of the draw in making the move. In high school, he recalls playing against Semones’ Kahuku team.

“I’m loving it,” says Arceneaux. “I got a chance to learn about myself and also just coaching at the college ranks.”

He’s been a coach for at least 15 years, getting his first head-coaching position in 2003 and doing Pop Warner before that. Throughout the years, Arceneaux has seen his coaching style transform.

“Instead of them having to make all these changes, I’ve really made the change to adapt to how they learn,” he explains.

Despite his job on the Mainland, Arceneaux, who appeared on MidWeek’s May 12, 2004, cover when he and brother Anthony were coaching the Hawaii Islanders of Arena Football League 2, still considers Hawaii home, and only stays in California for football season. Wife Nicole is a teacher in Mililani, while his children — a son and a daughter — attend school here as well.

“Leaving my family is never easy,” he says. “But having a home team like my family and a great head coach in my wife Nicole makes it a lot easier.”

Be on the lookout for Arceneaux’s 15-year-old son Kekoa. He not only already plays varsity football with Punahou School, but also is on the varsity basketball team and runs JV track.

“He’s got some juice in his blood,” says Arceneaux. “Hopefully he’s blessed to have a good athletic career.”

Rusty Komoroi. Photo from Darryl Watanabe

The end of something often can be sad — a time for reflection and recuperation. But for Punahou School boys varsity tennis coach Rusty Komori, who will retire this year, it also is cause for celebration.

Earlier this month, he and his team accomplished something Komori says no one else in any sport in the country has ever surpassed: 22 consecutive state championships.

“I feel that for someone to hold this national honor from Hawaii is a great thing,” he says. “It kind of shines a spotlight on us coaches, not just in tennis.”

The team’s recent success also highlights a personal milestone for Komori. He began coaching the boys varsity team in 1994 and has been at the helm for each of those 22 wins.

It isn’t just about the achievement of his current team, Komori notes, but of every player throughout the years. “It’s something for them to be very proud of, because my current team, they’re trying to make the players who have come before them proud,” he says.

And much like a true reflection of his coaching style, Komori is quick to point out that the success of his team isn’t solely based on winning. Passing on these values to each player will be, he says, one of the things he’ll miss most.

“I love developing the players’ character through tennis,” he says. “We really focus on our players behaving correctly, thinking correctly — and if they can do that, then playing tennis becomes a lot easier.”

He picked up tennis rather late as a freshman in high school, having played other sports, including baseball and soccer, prior to that.

Though Komori, who appeared on MidWeek’s July 14, 2010, cover, wishes he had started earlier, it wasn’t all for naught. Baseball, for instance, honed his hand-eye coordination, and soccer developed his footwork and movement.

Tennis, though, is where Komori felt he could excel. Because as much as tennis is about belonging to a team, it also is very much about individual skill.

“If you want to be good, it just depends on you,” he says. “No one can tell you that you cannot be good because if you want to be good, it’s all up to you, you can’t blame anybody else.”

His passion for tennis is one that stuck through high school at Damien Memorial, into college at Creighton University and, of course, now, professionally. Along the way, he has learned from and worked with coaches such as Rick Aquino and Bernard Gusman. Each, he says, has developed his own coaching skills in some way.

But really, it’s the students themselves who have given Komori valuable lessons on coaching. “There’s different personalities and everyone learns in different ways, and you can’t treat everyone the same,” he says. “Understanding everyone’s unique personality is very important.”

While Komori’s time at Punahou is reaching an end, his life as a tennis coach certainly is not. He still plans to coach private and group lessons. “Twenty-two years is a long time,” he says of his career at Punahou. “I’m just very proud.”

Photo from Sharon Cavin

It’s been about eight years since Kim Gennaula walked away from KGMB and her career in broadcast journalism.

In the years since then, she has shifted careers, focusing instead on philanthropy — first working with Kapiolani Health Foundation as its philanthropy director, then as CEO of Aloha United Way for almost four years.

Still, some steadfast fans seem to believe she is set to return to TV at any moment. “The funny thing is, even though I’ve been gone a long time, I still have people who come up to me sometimes and (ask), ‘Have you been on vacation?’” she says with a laugh.

There are some things Gennaula, who appeared on MidWeek’s July 11, 2012, cover in her role with AUW, misses about TV — the rush of breaking news, for instance. But as a mother of two, the grueling hours it required of her is what inspired Gennaula to make the change.

Today, she serves as Iolani School’s executive director of advancement. It’s a role that allows her to channel many different passions and skills.

One of Gennaula’s duties, for example, entails raising funds to provide financial aid and scholarships for children from low-income or at-risk families who might otherwise be unable to attend Iolani.

Not only does she find it rewarding, but it’s a task that, at times, is not entirely unlike journalism. “Fundraising is all about interviewing the person, knowing what their wants are and then creating a great opportunity or story that fits what they want to support,” she explains. “So it’s a lot like news, which is going out and hearing people’s stories, and then trying to do justice by what they want to communicate.”

It all ties in nicely with Gennaula’s commitment to education, which should come as no surprise to those who know she spent a term on the state Board of Education. And despite her role at a private institution, Gennaula has discovered that it has, in some ways, allowed her to work closely with public schools. This year in particular, Iolani added a new position to its staff: private public initiatives coordinator. Designed with public schools in mind, Iolani hopes it will find ways to allow public school teachers and students the same access to programs available to private schools.

“Even though I am no longer on the Board of Education, I’m actually in a position now where I can do even more good for the public schools than I could in that previous role,” she says.

Plus, there is one other great advantage to working at Iolani. Gennaula’s two children attend the school. That means seventh-grader Luke and sixth-grader Alia can do their homework in Mom’s office, and Gennaula gets to pop in for class presentations.

“For me, it’s the perfect blend of the things I love to do in my career of service and fundraising,” she says, “and also being a good mom at the same time.”

Photo from Marc Schechter

Born in Japan, chef Alan Wong’s earliest memories of food are simple: tamago gohan (a Japanese egg and rice dish), miso soup, a man who sold sweet potatoes out of a cart, and frozen tangerines his mom purchased at a train station.

It’s visceral memories like these that Wong hopes to preserve here in Hawaii through sustainable food practices. It’s a crucial necessity, he notes, especially when you consider that the state imports more than 85 percent of its food supply.

“We define sustainability as making decisions today so that our grandchildren’s children can enjoy what we enjoy today, tomorrow,” he says.

“Imagine New Year’s Eve with no sashimi.”

He points to bigeye tuna and other fish in jeopardy of disappearing. Dairies, as another example, no longer exist on this island, where there once were four. And though he grew up eating locally sourced meats like pork, it no longer exists or is a rarity.

It’s a passion Wong continues to support as a chef and in the community.

In 2011, for instance, Wong partnered with University of Hawaii-Hilo to establish Adopt-A-Beehive with Alan Wong. Intended to raise awareness of the vital role honey bees play in food production, the program offers scholarships to student beekeepers.

“In the end, it’s about encouraging more younger people to become farmers, encouraging chefs to use local products and helping our own economy,” says Wong.

It’s a plight that Wong, who last appeared on MidWeek’s Aug. 31, 2011, cover, is optimistic about. Now, more than ever before, he sees locally sourced products. All you need to do is look at the amount of farmers markets today. This, in turn, has given chefs — even those who may cook only at home — a greater opportunity to buy local.

But beyond this devotion to Hawaii’s food sustainability, Wong also is very involved as a teacher. It is, after all, one of his two desires as a chef (the other being his creative process).

“I really enjoy seeing younger culinarians especially, who possess the right attitude, embrace a commitment to work hard to become better,” he says. “I like teaching that kind of person, and it makes me really happy to see them grow and evolve and excel.

“When you think about giving back,” he adds, “we’re giving back to the community a cook who makes better decisions now.”

Many, he says, have worked in his restaurant and moved on to even greater things.

It’s a reflection that comes at a particularly nostalgic period for Wong. This year, Alan Wong’s Honolulu, which he opened on South King Street in 1995, celebrates its 20th anniversary.

“I’m still amazed that we made 20 years,” he says. “I never imagined that we would even make it to 10 years or 15 years.”

Outside of the kitchen, Wong may be found golfing, traveling, reading taking photos or gathering with friends over a hibachi, when he gets the chance.

“That’s how I got into this business, and it reminds me of that,” he says. “So I always enjoy that.”