---

A Rotary engine,
former anchor Coble
receives high honors

ONE of Hawaii's first female Rotarians, Linda Coble has been named the second female Rotary Treasure by the club's Honolulu chapter. A former local television news reporter and anchor, Coble was the chapter's first female president and first female district governor.

The award recognizes the most outstanding members of the club for extraordinary service to the organization. Her achievements include the creation of the Children's Justice Center, Friends of Foster Kids and Kids Voting Hawaii.

The nine previous honorees over the years have included real estate maven Vi Dolman and Adm. Lloyd Vesey.

The list of predecessors were among those who inspired her, Coble said yesterday from Oregon.

"They were my mentors. They taught me about community service." She has served Rotary nearly full time, in unpaid positions, since leaving broadcast journalism in the mid-1990s.

"We can't have a voice as journalists. We can't advocate, we can't pick and choose causes: Everything has got to be both sides of a story," she said.

Upon leaving journalism, "I was so gratified to have that lesson of Rotary (volunteerism) put in my brain ... it was really cool to be outside of the business and be able to have a voice and Rotary gave me that outlet for service."

Controversial exposure

KHON-TV morning news anchor Kirk Matthews will have a naked upper lip upon his return to the set on Tuesday.

Active in the Rotary Club of Honolulu along with his spouse, Linda Coble, Matthews shaved his 35-year-old mustache to portray Rotary Club founder Paul Harris at a recent event.

He joked that fans, one in particular, are "all over me."

Mrs. Matthews, as Coble is referred to on-air, said she is "not going to let him grow it back."

Fully expecting a torrent of viewer response, he got the move approved in a meeting with news management before razor hit skin.

Sale of the times

The one-day sample sale this weekend at the Gentry Pacific Design Center represents a break from tradition.

The Hawaii Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers conducts a scholarship-raising sample sale every two years and had one last year at the 560 N. Nimitz Highway shopping complex.

However, the white-hot housing market and remodeling mania Hawaii is experiencing sent a loud signal to merchants. It said, "d-e-m-a-n-d."

"We're proud to say that our merchants are offering so many new products for the home, we thought that rather than wait, we'd bring it out now," publicist Glenna Wong said.

Participating merchants will open their doors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission price.