Daynin Dashefsky, who gives seminars on how to turn ideas into a marketable product, was asked by Kanoe Kepaa-Kanagusuku to give a class to OCCC prisoners. Kanoe heads an organization that runs programs for OCCC that helps inmates make the transition back into the community. Some inmates are interested in marketing their ideas when they are released so Daynin said OK, although she was nervous about it. Keep in mind Daynin is a former beauty queen who still looks great. For the session, she didn't wear any make-up, wore a long baggy sweater and long pants. “;I felt in this situation is was better to dress down instead of up,”; she said. All went well. “;The most I got from the inmates was I overheard one guy say that I looked like Sandra Bullock. I could live with that”; ...

Early on, Daynin told inmates she was born and raised in Nanakuli. They seemed to like that and it was more comfortable. Not only did the inmates get into the process with questions and interest, but the guards did, too, Daynin said. “;I challenged the inmates to look around at their living situation and see if they can come up with ideas to make prison life more comfortable and more cost effective for the state. At the end of the class, everyone was very appreciative and lots of them came up to me and shook my hand and thanked me for coming in. From the time I got there till the time I left, I was treated with the utmost respect”; ...

Daynin has been asked to consider running a permanent workshop to help inmates who are serious to move forward with their ideas. “;We are working on that now,”; she said. “;Everyone deserves a second chance and everyone deserves the right to make a living and be successful. My hope is to give these guys something positive to think about and focus on while they are inside so that when they get out, they will already have something to go to and start working on, rather than starting all over from nothing.”;

Daynin is also a martial artist, a jiu jitsu champion known as “;The Grappler”; during workouts. Before she left, an inmate came up to her and asked if she remembered him. “;I asked who he was and he said, Matt. He trained jiu jitsu with me back in 2005 and he asked how my daughters were. He lost a lot of weight so I didn't recognize him. I was sad to see him in there but it was nice that he remembered me from jiu jitsu.”; How could he forget? ...

ONWARD: Jennie Wyss is a nurse but she is also following the footsteps of her parents, chef Martin and Jeanie Wyss, who owned the Swiss Inn in Niu Valley. Jeanie sends word that Jennie and her business partner, Dani Thiel, recently opened Cafe Hibiscus, a small 16-seat cafe in Portland, Ore., on 14th Avenue and Alberta Street. Chef Jennie, Punahou '93, has decided to keep the menu more “;Swiss”; than Hawaiian. After all, her dad is originally from Switzerland. And mom says daughter Jennie will be happy to whip guests up a schnitzel with roesti, for which her dad was famous, among other dishes. “;Jennie has a lot to learn from Martin,”; Jeanie said. “;We will probably go to Portland again this summer to help.”; Jennie and Dani have been marketing Martin's Swiss salad dressing for two years. Jennie is obviously a workaholic. Besides the restaurant biz, she is still hoping to work occasionally as a home hospice nurse, something she has been doing for years. Massage therapy is her other side job. The Wyss' older daughter, Suzie, Kalani '90, is human resources manager at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key in the Florida Keys ...

Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things Saturdays.E-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).