Colleen Murayama

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Dad helps
Wahiawa woman
win Dow contest

His exact pick earns her $1,000
in the Star-Bulletin derby

Star-Bulletin staff

Thanks, Dad.

A Wahiawa woman won $1,000 in the Star-Bulletin's 10th annual Pick The Dow contest after her father guessed to the decimal point Friday's correct closing figure of the blue-chip stock index.

Colleen "Koko" Murayama, 39, said her father made the pick of 10,655.15, which was right on the mark, beating out the other 2,166 entrants including four others whose guess was within a point.

In the Star-Bulletin's contest, we asked readers of the print editions to pick where the Dow Jones industrial average will close at the end of July. Entries had to be submitted by July 3.

Murayama, a civilian worker at Pearl Harbor, said she doesn't follow the market but her father, Thomas Onaga, a retired general contractor, does and used to make investments for family members.

Murayama said her husband makes all the investment decisions for her immediate family, which includes children, Kellee, 8, and Dane, 5.

She said she would likely treat her dad to a trip to Las Vegas with her winnings.

"Forget the kids, forget the husband, and take care of my Dad," joked Murayama.

She said the family used to take a couple of trips to Las Vegas each year but hasn't been back in over a year.

Battered by fears of higher interest rates, the Dow Jones industrial average, an index of 30 blue-chip U.S. companies, fell 4.5 percent from July 2 through Friday.