Shiver me timbers! Artist and Hawaiian historian Herb Kane, who lives in Captain Cook on the Big Island, often gets mail addressed to Captain Hook, HI. He's going to get a lot more with the Hook address when his Hawaii 50th statehood anniversary postage stamp is released later this year. Some U.S. Postal Service releases concerning the stamp, as well as some Web sites picturing Kane's stamp, list his home being in Captain Hook. Kane's excellent painting of a surfer on a long board and two paddlers in an outrigger canoe catching the same wave was used for the stamp. Capt. James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands; Captain Hook was an evil pirate in Disney's “;Peter Pan”; films. Peter cut off Hook's arm and a big ol' crocodile ate it, forcing the pirate to replace it with a metal hook. The croc found Hook tasty and followed him, wanting to consume more of him. Hook was deathly afraid of the croc. But he knew when the creature was near because it had swallowed a clock and Hook could hear it ticking. Captain Hook is not a nice name for town in beautiful Hawaii ...

Speaking of beautiful Hawaii, NBC's nightly news program Wednesday had a brief segment called “;Paradise Lost”; about our state. It featured anchor Brian Williams talking about the vog caused by the long-running eruption of Kilauea volcano. Hawaii's visitor industry, not having its best days, could have done without that ...

Marcia Gay Harden, who won a Tony June 7 for best lead actress in a play for “;God of Carnage,”; is a frequent Hawaii visitor. In March, she became an honorary member of the Honolulu Symphony's board of directors. The symphony was quick to send her congratulations. Harden won a best supporting actress Academy Award in 2001 for her role opposite Ed Harris in “;Pollack, about the artist”; ...

The newly renovated Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has been ranked third in the 2009 listing of Top 25 Tennis Resorts worldwide by Tennis Resorts Online. That had to make the hotel's G.M. Jon Gersonde, Prince prez Donn Takahashi and Liana Mulleitner, corporate communications chief for Prince Resorts Hawaii, happy campers ... The Corey Funai Blues Band will have an added attraction in the second annual Summer Oahu Blues Bash at Anna Bannana's 4 to 9 p.m. June 28. Corey's dad, noted guitarist Jimmy Funai, will join the band for the bash. Corey plays harmonica and sings. Drummer James Ganeko and bassist Troy Millard round out his band. Other groups include Friends of Adam, Tell Mama, Northside Art and the Mixers, and Chris Vandercook with Mark Prados. “;Five hours, five bands, five bucks (entry)”; promises event producer and fellow SB'er Mark Coleman ...

The outpouring of praise and tributes for respected public servants Tom Gill and Duke Bainum following their recent deaths were well deserved and heartwarming. Condolences to their families ... Condolences also go out to former Police Chief Lee Donohue, his wife Lucy and their family over the death of their son, Steven Donohue, 43, June 5, from motorcycle crash injuries ... Henry Nery Young, 71, a Waikiki beach boy in the late 1950s and early '60s, died April 7 in Monterey, Calif., his second home. A memorial gathering for Henry will be held at 9 a.m. next Saturday near the Aloha Beach Service shack at Waikiki Beach ...