Morning meteorologist Jeff Booth will anchor his last Hawaii forecast on KGMB-TV+ May 20, the last day of the Nielsen rating period, as he and his young and soon-to-grow family are heading back to Ohio.

“;My daughters are 8 and 5 years old now, and we have another baby on the way. My wife and I feel this is the best time to move closer to our families,”; Booth said in a statement.

Booth started at KGMB in 2004 as a weekend weather anchor and weekday reporter and became a full-time weather anchor with the debut of “;Sunrise”; in September 2007.

“;We appreciate everything he's done for us. He has been a huge key for the success of 'Sunrise,'”; said News Director Chris Archer. “;This is obviously a very important move for Jeff and his family. ... Family does come first.”;

Booth's impending departure was among the factors behind the help-wanted listing for a chief meteorologist posted on Craigslist in March, Archer said.

“;We always want to have a game plan and always be ready for the next move. This was one way of trying to solicit the most qualified candidates for the job,”; he said.

Broadcast meteorologist certification, which Booth has, was not a listed as a requirement.

The station received 50 to 60 resumes and audition videos “;from a wide variety of candidates,”; including “;some incredibly qualified candidates we didn't even think were available,”; he said.

Booth's successor will be named next week.

In the meantime, the morning news show will have various celebrities appear “;to see if they can take Jeff's job,”; but “;the tryouts are more fun than anything else. We know who we want to replace Jeff in the morning,”; Archer said.

Separately, KGMB will air a 30-minute special on the late Bob Sevey at 6:30 p.m. Monday, a day Mayor Mufi Hannemann will proclaim as Bob Sevey Day in Honolulu, according to a station announcement.

Sevey, long retired, died of cancer in February following a 32-year career in Hawaii radio and television, 20 of them as the top-rated KGMB evening news anchor.

Social Web schooling

Nobody really cares what a Twitter user ate for breakfast, but that's no reason to avoid the social Web.

“;When something is unknown, people don't understand the value,”; said Internet entrepreneur Roxanne Darling.

Years ago it was OK for companies not to have an online presence, but now, “;people are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they continue to ignore the social Web. There are so many fundamental questions and concepts that have changed the way business is done online.”;

Social networking through sites such as Twitter, Facebook and others can be vital to success, said Darling, recently ranked No. 24 among the Top 50 Women in Social Media.

Beginning tomorrow she will teach a six-week class at the ING DIRECT cafe in Waikiki to give executives “;a 30,000-foot view”; of social media tools and how to use them to maximum business benefit. The series costs $150 per person, and reservations can be made at 384-5554 or online.

Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Reach her by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).