Watson, Obama both went to Harvard

How well did President Barack Obama and Derrick Kahala Watson know each other as they were handed their diplomas in 1991 from Harvard Law School?

The president described all seven of his nominees for federal district judgeships on Wednesday as having "talent, expertise and fair-mindedness."

Watson was named as Obama’s choice as U.S. district judge, the first federal judge with Hawaiian blood since the late U.S. District Judge Samuel King.

A 1984 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Watson attended Harvard College and graduated Harvard Law in 1991, the same year as Obama, though it’s yet unclear if the two knew each other. With law degrees in hand, Watson went to work for a San Francisco law firm — he returned to his native Hawaii as a U.S. deputy attorney in 2007 — while Obama went back to Chicago to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago.

Owner of Lanai makes good move

For Lanai-born Kurt Matsumoto, you can go home again. And if the new boss is billionaire Larry Ellison and the job is to run an essentially private island, it is a sweet return, indeed.

Starting Dec. 1, Matsumoto, 55, will be Lanai’s top exec, charged with helping Ellison execute plans for holdings that include two resorts, golf courses, luxury home projects and development of new sustainability and organic food enterprises.

Sensing "a lot of excitement" already on the island, Matsumoto said "this is a really good second chance for Lanai."

The one-time Pineapple Island might soon be casting around for a new nickname.