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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Pearlridge gets new helmsman; Oahu may get new station
THE state's second-largest shopping center has a new general manager, who was actually friends with the former general manager.
Marty Lastner was GM of Pearlridge Center for more than 10 years -- and Fred Paine, the new guy, was one of a cadre of colleagues who encouraged Lastner to take the job way back when.
Lastner and Paine worked for the Rouse Co. in Columbia, Md., and knew each other, reporting to the same boss. "I remember convincing (Lastner), with a group, to take the job that's in Hawaii," Paine said.
A headhunter called Paine earlier this year and described an available position in Hawaii.
"I said, 'that sounds like Marty's job, he's gotta be long gone,' and she said, 'Nope, that's who's doing the hiring. Do you know him?'" Paine said.
Paine called Lastner and they agreed to meet during Lastner's house-hunting trip back East. The process was begun, Paine was hired and he started Sept. 15. Lastner returned to the mainland with his family last month.
Paine had been running a 400,000-square-foot office and retail complex called 2000 Pennsylvania Ave.
"Four blocks from the White House, next to the World Bank, right in the middle of everything," said Paine. That's also where he was Sept. 11, 2001.
"That was a pretty unbelievable day and then probably the year after that was almost surreal."
Lastner left Pearlridge in "outstanding condition, we're fully leased and the center is doing extremely well and I just want to keep it going," Paine said. "I know he's missed by everybody connected with the property."
Paine was ready to leave the East Coast for the West but didn't expect to be either this far west, or to replace his friend.
"If you had told me eight weeks ago, 'you're going to be living in Hawaii,' I'd have said, 'you're crazy.'" Now, having purchased a home in Kailua, Hawaii is his new best friend.
Both Paine and his college-age son love sailing and plan to pursue some water time together between semesters.
Expensive paper
The California-based religious broadcaster Educational Media Foundation has bought a $2 million piece of paper.
The construction permit for KKHI-FM 103.5, a yet-unbuilt radio station on Oahu, was originally purchased by Wyoming-based Kona Coast Radio LLC for $2.15 million during a federal auction last year. Educational Media Foundation bought the permit this week for $2 million.
Educational Media Foundation does business as EMF Broadcasting, which transmits two streams of Christian music programs over a network of radio stations across 40 states.
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Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com