TheBuzz
TheBuzz
A win-win situation at the Mauna Kea Resort, which includes the Mauna Kea Beach and the Hapuna Beach Prince hotels. WSJ wedding wishes
and working on weight watchIt's no secret that rising health care costs are shared by employers and employees, hence the "Healthier You" program launched at the resort in August.
As is just about everything these days, the program is a partnership, this time between the resort and Weight Watchers. The organization is overseeing the in-house "Weight-Watchers-at-Work" portion of the program, complete with support group meetings. Employees pay a reduced rate for participation.
Human Resources Director Chris Krueger called the Weight Watchers partnership "a great opportunity," adding that the organization had taken an enthusiastic interest in the project.
The company also sponsors a walking club and will stage a health fair in October.
That gives those who get a bit too much "enjoyment" from this week's annual Sam Choy Poke Festival at the Prince plenty of time to work it off.
No toasters, please
The unusual wedding registry plans of Hawaii News 8 anchor Diane Ako and her intended -- Affordable Casket Outlet/ Moanalua Mortuary partner Claus Hansen -- were not quite as reported by the Wall Street Journal last week.By way of disclaimer, it must be said that in the newspaper industry, it's "bachi" or practically begging for trouble to point out or make a big deal of errors in other papers. You're reading about it here because Ako wanted to at least set the record straight in her hometown.
The Journal's Aug. 31 edition said Ako had the novel idea of placing her wedding registry with her stock broker.
"I accidentally got the credit, when it was actually entirely Claus' idea," she said.
Why not a traditional registry?
"Truly we have everything we need," she said. "So we thought that investing in the future would probably be the best gift -- we don't need another home appliance."
The misattribution began when Ako was preparing a "wedding special" series of reports to be entitled, "The Road to the Altar," to air in October and November (yes, in time for ratings).
"When I called my broker at Wedbush Morgan for a TV interview about nontraditional registry ideas, he had to get approval from headquarters in New York. They pitched the story idea to WSJ, and the rest is history," she said. This would be the revisionist version of that history.
The couple, meanwhile, is to be married in a private ceremony Nov. 1.
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