The Aloha Spirit is Alive and Well in North Georgia

It’s been nearly a month since the now famous 40-plus days and nights of rain, which made the news all over. During that time, we got quite a few e-mails from folks on the mainland who had planned vacations in the islands, and didn’t want to have their vacations spoiled because of rain — or worse. Most of them came despite the dreary forecasts.

One of them is a woman named Debby Krebs. I mention her because she was particularly inquisitive about the flooding, the landslides, the shark attacks, the sewage. I would get an e-mail from her every few days as she worried about whether to cancel her trip. Long story short, she came all the way from Atlanta, just at the tail end of the 40 days of rain. She also sent me an e-mail, which ended this way:

You guys are so fortunate to have such a ‘treasure’ at your fingertips. We had a wonderful trip. There is so much to see in just 1 week. Maybe it won’t be 18 years til our next visit. Thanks again for your kindness.

That wasn’t enough. She also dropped off a few items here at the station to express her thanks; some omiyage from northern Georgia, including some peach candies and some Georgia Peach Butter, along with a t-shirt for a North Georgia radio station.

And she posed for this photo in front of KITV with her two kids, Kristian and Lauren after dropping off the gifts, which was beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the office when she and the family dropped by.

Thanks to the Krebs for the candies and the Georgia Peach Butter. You’re welcome in the islands anytime.

Ben.
ben@kitv.com

Michelle Rodriguez’ Day in Court

I’m a fan of the hit ABC show LOST so following the court events surrounding Michelle Rodriguez’ drunk driving arrest in Kailua last November have been particularly interesting to me. You can read the news story on our HawaiiChannel.com website, but here are some of the things I didn’t get to write about.

Usually when someone pleads guilty to a charge, they apologize for their actions and say to the judge that they’ll take responsibility. Then their lawyer wisks them away from the prying questions of the media or they make a brief 10 second statement. Not Michelle Rodriguez. Her statements in and out of court were some of the most interesting I’ve heard in my years of covering court hearings.

In Kane’ohe District Court today, she pleaded guilty to the drunken driving charge and when the judge gave her the option of 240 hours of community service or 5 days jail.. she chose prison. That was the big surprise of the day, but things started getting spicy when Deputy Prosecutor Sean Sanada used information from her prior run ins with the law on the mainland and Hawai’i as evidence that Rodriquez should spend the maximum 15 days in jail. In one instance, he talked about Rodriguez’ hit and run charge in California. He said in that incident, she approached the driver of the car she ran into, sat on his lap and said “what can we do about this?” Sanada said Rodriguez then then left the scene of the accident.

In her defense, Rogriquez’ attorney Steve Barta said that his client was “taking responsibility” in that intance because she is a celebrity and some people try to take advantage of her fame and that’s why she had to leave that accident scene.

Michelle made a statement to the judge in which she talked about coming from “nothing” and then losing everything because of the recent events. She talked about losing a house on the East Coast, losing her vehicles, and spending $50,000 on her lawyer for her defense in the latest D.U.I. case. She then turned to her attorney and said he was a “lovely” lawyer by the way. All of us cracked up and one print photographer covered her mouth in humorous disbelief.

Outside of court, Rodriguez talked about how her “manic” behavior was brought on by steroid treatments prescribed by her doctor and that when she first came to Hawai’i, she was hit badly by allergies to dust mites and cockrock “resin.” The photo her attorney displayed in court was an unflattering sight of her with a swollen face.

Rodriquez now faces a probation violation hearing in California next month… stemming for her first D.U.I. conviction and she could face 18 months in prison. When I asked her if she would drink and drive again. She gave me a look and said, “that’s a stupid question. Come on!” I smiled back and knew that I’d use that memorable sound-bite for my story.

One big question surrounding her employment at LOST is will she get killed off on the show because of her troubles with the law? The rumor mill and internet buzz says that she and another female character will get the axe and supposedly the scene has already been shot.

Some I’ve talked to have called her “crazy” while some of her fans and supporters say she’s a “lovely” girl and a nice person. Some are turned off by her brash behavoir, but others are charmed. In fact, one media photophaper from another station asked her to pose for a picture with him after the court appearance and interview, and she agreed and smiled widely for the cameras.

There’s one thing that I can say… Michelle Rodriguez is a character and is unforgettable. I’m sure that’s why the producers of LOST found her so appealing. She has what some call “street cred” and that tough girl image you see on television seems to be the same persona she displays in public. Rodriguez called her life an “open book” and I’m sure she could write many interesting chapters in that memoir.

aloha,
Mahealani (on the LOST beat and a LOST fan)
mahea@kitv.com

Backstage at Merrie Monarch

I have just a couple hours to get to the Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo for the 2nd night of Merrie Monarch coverage. Last night was a long one with Miss Aloha Hula and my interview with her afterward ending at 1am. My wake up time for the Friday morning liveshots was at 3am. I tried to get some shut-eye but I was too pumped on caffeine to get in a quick nap. It’s now 3:45pm on Friday and I still haven’t really gotten a good sleep in.

Despite the lack of sleep, I’m not complaining. Covering Merrie Monarch is grueling but it’s definitely fun. It may sound corney but there’s really a spirit of aloha here and Hilo town is alive with action.

So far our news coverage has seemed less hectic than last year… probably because we have a little more experience under our belt in getting our stories on the air from Hilo.

Stay tuned for more Merrie Monarch updates.

aloha and see you on tv tonight.

Mahealani
mahea@kitv.com

Our Brave Friend

Every once in a while a news story hits close to home and the murder of Jason Nam is one of those stories that brings tears to your eyes.

Here’s how Monday’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin described the story of the victim’s fiancee speaking out and pleading for closure in the case.

Sandra Pratt was at work in the KITV newsroom on March 10 when she heard a police scanner call of a shooting in front of the Beretania Street apartment she shared with her fiance, Jason Nam.

“I called his cell phone; someone else answered it and said, ‘Jason’s been shot,’” Pratt said.

“We had huge dreams together,” she continued. “We were supposed to get married, start a family, have kids, buy a house.”
The couple had been together for 14 years. “We were high school sweethearts,” Pratt said.

These days Sandra is back at work talking about her experiences while she continues to do her job in the newsroom. We can only imagine how difficult it is to wake up in the morning and face the day. To share your private grief in public takes a tremendous amount of courage.

As I watched the television coverage from my living room, I kept thinking that Sandra and people like her, who face extreme adversity and try their best to cope with a devastating loss, are truly brave.

All of us on the morning show wish Sandra and her extended family our condolences during this difficult time.

Remembering Chief Nakamura

Ben, Chief Nakamura, and MDA Hawai`i Director Audrey Taniguchi at MDA Summer Camp, Camp Erdman, Summer 2004

Former Honolulu Police Chief Michael Nakamura died last Saturday, eight days before he would have turned 59 years old.

I met him after he retired from law enforcement in 1997. We ended up working together starting in 2000, the first year I anchored the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Labor Day Telethon. He had spinal muscular atrophy, one of the 40 neuromuscular diseases battled by MDA; the same disease he shared with his two younger brothers, Morris and Glenn; and the same disease that probably took the life of his father.

Even though he was confined to a wheelchair, the disease didn’t affect his optimism or his capacity to keep busy — serving on the school board, running for the city council, helping with MDA activities. Even after he was injured by a hit-and-run driver, he still could smile, even as he talked matter-of-factly about how the accident had taken away his ability to even raise his arms, like it was something that could happen to anyone — it just happened to happen to him. Even after all that, he still forgave the driver who hit him.

Chief Mike never had a “pity me” attitude. He’d still joke about me wearing sneakers with my tuxedo at Telethon and other MDA events; he’d check out my feet to see what pair of kicks I was wearing, and would express mock disappointment if I had slippers on. “Chief, we’re at the beach!” I’d tell him at summer camp, “Why wear shoes?” And he was always at those MDA events, helping to organize and having a great time, even if he had to arrange a long HandiVan trip from Mililani to make it.

The photo above tells most of the story. Just look at that smile. The backstory is it’s the only photo I have of us together. It seemed to be the only time he sat still long enough for a picture to be taken at MDA Summer Camp. I mean, just look at his right index finger. It’s poised on the toggle switch of his motorized wheelchair, ready to scoot him off to the next thing. There was just too much to do, and too much fun to have, no matter what.

Ben.
ben@kitv.com

Big Blog Backlog

If you’ve visited the Island Breakfast Blog lately, you know we’ve had a drought of posts while the rest of the state was being deluged with rain. So we’re going to play a little catch up with some photos:

From March 24: We were visited by designer Beverly Feldman, who has designed shoes worn by the likes of Oprah, Lindsey Lohan, and a lot of other famous folks. Feldman is originally from New York and now lives in Spain. She was here to show off her line of Hawaiian-themed shoes and purses, which she said was inspired by her first visit to Hawai`i. This was only her second visit, so apparently that first visit made quite an impression on her.

From March 22: Chef Sam Choy dropped in to cook up some really delicious dishes. I missed this one, but Dan got to eat some ono food.

Hawaiians in Sunny Seattle

I just got back from a quick vacation to visit my brother and his family in Federal Way, Washington, which is south of Seattle. People asked me why are you going from one rainy area to another? Funny thing, the weather was actually much nicer in the Northwest than it was here in Hawai’i. But really… the answer was simple… to spend quality time with my family, reconnect with old friends in Portland, where I worked as a reporter for two years, and to go SNOWBOARDING. The Northwest holds a special place in my heart. I went there in 2000 hardly knowing anyone, but in two years, managed to develop life-long friendships and passions. It’s the place where I grew into my own skin. As for snowboarding, I stink. I still do the “falling leaf” and can’t manage to carve or go really fast, but I love it and actually feel safer and more comfortable on a snowboard than a surfboard.

Me with my brother, John (below me), cousin Benny (in chair), sister-in-law Missy (next to me), cousin Linda, 17-year-old nephew Kealapono, 10-year-old niece Jayme.

With Keala and Jayme during her first snowboarding trip.

aloha,
Mahealani (the wanna-be snowboarder)
mahea@kitv.com