AL MASINI, whose many shows won more than 35 Emmy awards over the years, was among those in the TV industry who died last year and were honored in a segment of Sunday night’s Emmy show. Al, who died Nov. 29 at 80 years old, created "Entertainment Tonight" 30 years ago. He made his home in Hawaii in 1994 and married Charlyn Honda, a TV editor at Pacific Focus, on June 2, 2001.
"John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences, wanted to definitely include Al for the Emmy’s ‘In Memoriam’ segment," Charlyn said. "John and his partner, Joe Stewart, were hired early in their careers by Al as set and lighting designers for ‘Star Search.’ He also hired them to do set and lighting design for some of his other shows: ‘Supermodels of the World,’ ‘Songwriters Hall of Fame’ and ‘Destination Stardom.’"
Charlyn is keeping busy with a production company named 1013 integrated, as supervising producer of a video for the APEC Hawaii Host Committee that will run Nov. 6 to 13 in hotel rooms and the convention center during the APEC summit …
SACRED HEARTS Academy is honoring six outstanding alumnae at its scholarship fundraising gala Oct. 14 at the Sheraton Ballroom. They are impressive women. They include three doctors, an attorney, a biochemistry professor and a retired police officer. Evelyn Liu Keli’iho’omalu, class of 1949, was one of the first five women to join HPD’s then 500-male force in 1956. The others were Lucille Abreu, Momi Lum, Blanche Bast and Ann Carlisle. Keli’iho’omalu served 31 years.
Two other honorees are: Maureen Chang, class of ’84, an attending physician at Kapiolani Outpatient Pediatric Clinic, and Sally Malia Chang, class of ’76, who practices internal medicine in Kailua with her father, Winfred Chang. The Chang women are cousins. Sally Chang’s children, Kalei and Tiare Sadanaranda, are active in local community theater and she participates in their productions, volunteering as the cast doctor.
More honorees are: Mary Lou Marsh, class of ’63, the staff anesthesiologist for three hospitals in the San Diego area; attorney Maile Lu’uwai, class of ’80, the project administrator for Imiloa Astronomy Center, who now manages federal and private foundation funds, but was previously on Sen. Dan Inouye‘s staff; and Valerie Hu, class of ’68, who has spent most of her career at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Hu’s research lab has made significant recent discoveries in the field of autism. Tickets for the gala are available for $125 by calling Sacred Hearts Academy at 734-5058 ext. 234. …
THE 25TH Infantry Division Association will hold a reunion next week at the Hyatt. The reunion is held every five years in Hawaii. A patriotic group of more than 500 people is expected. Keynote speaker at the banquet will be retired Lt. Gen. Robert Foley, a Medal of Honor recipient in 1966 for his Vietnam War heroics.
Local boy Bob Corboy and Foley served together as young officers at Schofield Barracks in 1964-65 …
Danny Kaleikini will sing the national anthem Oct. 2 at the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills football game. Danny was invited to sing by Dr. Edison Miyawaki, an owner of the Bengals. The Bengals are promoting Oct. 2 as "Hawaii Day" in Cincinnati …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
