In last year's Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament in Kailua-Kona waters, “;Hawaii Goes Fishing”; Executive Producer Dean Sensui was on the Marlin Magic II when Bob Dudley landed a 973-pound marlin, the second largest fish ever caught in the tourney. Dean was with the Alii Brothers Marlin Hui team aboard Fire Hatt during this year's recent competition and there was no giant marlin landed. But Dean, a former Star-Bulletin photo chief, has highlights. Joe Yee made a few special commemorative lures for this 50th year of the tourney. Buzz Colton brought one along and it was one of five lures dragging behind the Fire Hatt. A short time later, a marlin hit the special lure, and when it did, those aboard were elated. It wasn't a big fish but it got the team with in striking distance of winning the tourney. Alas, it wasn't enough for victory and Alii Brothers' finished fourth out of 42 teams. Dean has good footage to show when “;Hawaii Goes Fishing”; starts its new season this fall on OC16. Another highlight was that Peter Fithian, the last of the tournament founders, was still right out there running the tournament with the help of many volunteers ...

Jackie Smythe and Chris Dawson are not people who rush into things. They have known each other 14 years and recently he gave her a large diamond ring and proposed. She accepted. Jackie heads her own marketing and communications company, Smythe Associates, and Chris is a polo playing businessman. His mom is attorney Beadie Kanahele Dawson and his sister is Donne Dawson, head of the Hawaii Film Office. Chris is a Roosevelt and San Diego State graduate who plays polo for Team Dawson. Jackie has lived in Hawaii for the past 15 years and has a daughter from a previous marriage, Halsey Smythe, 14, who will be a freshman at Punahou. Jackie is from Portland, Ore., and is a U. of Oregon graduate. This will be the first marriage for Chris, 46. The date has not been set. Hopefully, it will not take them another 14 years ...

Don Ho's Island Grill at Aloha Tower will celebrate Don's life on his birthday Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. Al Waterson is host. Some of the entertainers who worked with Don will perform. An all-you-can-eat Hawaiian buffet will be offered for $25. The first 100 couples to purchase buffet dinners will be given a copy of the book, “;Don Ho, My Life My Music”; ... Ho received a mention on Bill Maher's weekly HBO show July 31 when the liberal comedian, who gets serious with his knowledgeable guests, fired shots at the birthers. The birthers are a group that claims President Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii and therefore should not be president. Maher said even if the birthers were handed Obama's original Hawaii birth certificate and were shown a video of Obama's mother giving birth, with Don Ho singing in the background, the birthers still wouldn't believe Obama was born in Hawaii ... In an earlier show, Maher had a little fun with Obama and Hawaii when the president made a weak throw to open the All-Star baseball game. Maher joked about the soft pitch and said, “;He's from Hawaii, I guess they don't play baseball there.”; Hey Bill, I have news for you ...

Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things Saturdays. E-mail him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).