Rotary Club of Wahiawa-Waialua

Volume 6 Issue 30– April 4th, 2019

6

District Governor
Winton “Win” Schoneman“Making a Difference in our Local and Global Communities”

President
Alexander “Alex” Kanamu

The strength of our Club lies in its members“You Can’t Walk into the Future
Backward”
Service Above Self – Making a Difference

April is Maternal and Child Health Monthat Rotary International!
April 2019 marks a new monthly theme for RotaryInternational, Maternal and Child health Month.
Rotary makes high-quality health care available tovulnerable mothers and children so they can live
longer and grow stronger.
We expand access to quality care, so mothers andchildren everywhere can have the same opportunities
for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children
under the age of five die each year because of
malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor
sanitation — all of which can be prevented.
How Rotary makes help happen
Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits,
and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how toprevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how tobreast-feed, and how to protect themselves and theirchildren from disease.

Editor – PP Geoff HorvathThat laborious journey illustrated the reason for theirvisit – to help make health care available to people inisolated areas. In rural portions of Nigeria, a country
with only one physician for every 2,500 people, many
Nigerians seeking health services have to make trips
much more arduous than the drive Cook and Gudeundertook. The result, of course, is that a great many
people simply don’t receive care. While it would be
ideal to get more doctors in remote regions, that would
take years.
Gude and the Sebastopol Sunrise Rotarians are partof a larger effort to bring technology to bear on the
problem, using telemedicine – the use of information
technology to provide health care from a distance – tobring doctors to patients virtually. And thanks to a
global grant from The Rotary Foundation, a team of
health care professionals from Nigeria has been
trained in telemedicine.

Telemedicine
Technology allows virtual doctors'
appointments for people in rural Nigeria
By Anne Ford

On a visit to southern Nigeria last October, Dr. James
K. Gude of Sebastopol, Calif., and Mikel Cook of theRotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise learned how hard it
can be to bring medical care to rural areas.
“We drove 20 or 30 miles from the Federal Medical
Centre of Yenagoa to a satellite hospital, and it took
an hour,” recalls Gude, an honorary Rotarian who is
medical director of Sebastopol-based telemedicine
services company OffSiteCare. “Big chunks of the roadwere flooded, and there were people all over theplace; we were going through villages and trying not
to hit anybody.”

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Telemedicine has been around for many years, but only
as internet speeds have gotten faster has it become
practical. Telemedicine allows physicians to connect
with patients remotely, as well as to consult withcolleagues all over the world. At its simplest, it consists

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

of a chat via online video, but it can also allow aphysician to examine a patient remotely using a robot.

Derek Conselva

PP Geoff Horvath

Oli – PP Lilette Subedi

Jim Leahey – Sportscaster – Retired – Guest Speaker
and Guest of PP Oran Spotts
Marilyn Spotts – Wife of PP Oran Spotts
Grace Abatayo – Mom and Guest of Marie Abatayo
Ashton Kanamu – Guest of Austin Kanamu
Jeris Wise – Resident Manager, The Gardens at
Launani Ridge – Guest of President Alex Kanamu
Bratton Puahi-Roper – Staff The Gardens at Launani
Ridge – Guest of President Alex Kanamu
Clinton Wise – Staff The Gardens at Launani Ridge –Guest of President Alex Kanamu
Cynthia Au – Blue Zone Hawaii – Guest of President
Alex Kanamu
Joslyn Sato – Blue Zone Hawaii – Guest of President
Alex Kanamu
Jeff Alameda – Blue Zone Hawaii – Guest of
President Alex Kanamu
Henry King – Kings Tinting Guest of President Alex
KanamuJessica King – Daughter of Henry and Guest of
President Alex Kanamu

No Report
Outside D5K
None
Within D5K
None
RI President: Barry Rassin
District: Win Schoneman
Asst Dist Govr: Doreen Higa
Club President: Alex Kanamu
PP: Lilette Subedi
President Elect: Keoni Ahlo
Exec Secretary: Alison Dela Pena
Recording Secretary: Rene Mansho
Treasurer: Kate Butts
Sergeant-at-Arms: Dr. Carver Wilcox
Asst Sergeant-at-Arms: Austin Kanamu

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Hawaii Rotary YouthFoundation (HRYF)
PP Oran Spotts contributed $100 to HRYF incelebration of his wife, Marilyn’s birthday.

Recognitions for the week ending April 7th, 2019.

None

Spouse’s Birthday

PP Oran Spotts’ wife, Marilyn celebrated her birthday
on April 4th. Oran contributed $100 to HRYF.

Anniversaries

Marie Abatayo gave a HI $10 for all the emergency
assistance she received form Kanamu Ohana (Ashtin)
when her mother fell the other day. She was helpless ingetting her mother, Grace, back in her wheelchair withher broken elbow, so she put out an emergency call forassistance and the Kanamu Ohana came to her rescue.
President Alex gave a HI $10 for someone steppingup at the last minute to run the meeting last week andfor Henry King making our new Rotary sign.
Derek Conselva gave a HI $5 for all the volunteers
who helped during our golf tournament. He said he lostthe sole of his shoe on the 4th hole and his partner lost
his on the 8th hole.
Jeff Alameda gave a HI $5 challenging us to a tug-ofwar with the Lions Club at the upcoming Wahiawa
Pineapple Festival, Saturday, May 4th.
PE Keoni Ahlo gave a HI $5 for their State Farm
business office being designated as a Blue Zone
Worksite Certified. Keoni told us that his worksite
scored 94 points out of a 100 on the form!
Nahoku Ahlo give a HI $5 for the outpouring andsupport from our community, recouping losses during a
break-in at their Lions Club headquarters last week!
They are receiving contributions and donations to makeup for the loss.
PP Doc McKenzie gave a HI $5 in recognition of Doc
Carver Wilcox and PP Geoff Horvath assisting golfers
getting on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the golf
tournament

None
None
None
HI
President Alex Kamanu gave a HI $5 in recognitionof PP Doc McKenzie’s and Marie Abatayo’s efforts
in making our fundraiser golf tournament a success.
Kate Butts gave a HI $5 for President Alex doing
such a great job as our Golf Tournament Banquet MC.
Kate said Alex missed his calling!
PP Lilette Subedi gave a HI $5 for Blue Zone Hawaii
attending our meeting.
Alison Kanamu gave a HI $5 for the wonderfulladies that played golf with her and supported her
during the tournament. They all had fun!

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

ROTARY MINUTE
Club Singing
Harry Ruggles was the fifth man to join Paul Harris in
the conversations that led to the formation of the first
Rotary club in Chicago in 1905. Harry was a fellow
who enjoyed singing, and this was a popular activity
at the turn of the century. At an early meeting of thefledgling group, Harry jumped on a chair and urged
everyone to join him in a song. Group singing soon
became a traditional part of their Rotary meeting. The

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialuacustom spread to many of the clubs in the United States,
and is still a popular fellowship activity in the Rotary
meetings of such diverse countries as Australia, Japan,
Nigeria, New Zealand and Canada. Some clubs sing anational song as the formal opening of the meeting.
Social singing, however, is seldom found in the Rotary
clubs in Europe, South America and Asia. The Rotary
Club of Eureka has tried on at least two occasions tobecome a singing club – first under Past Pres. Harold
Adams (1947/1948) and later under Edie Young(1997/1998). There are some members who have notgiven up and are promising to try once again.

Harry Ruggles

The Rotary Corner

The 6th Annual Wilkson-Wakai Scholarship
Golf TournamentThis year’s golf fundraising tournament was held at the
Hickam Ke’alohi Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam Par
3 Golf Course on Sunday, March 31st. All proceeds forthis fundraiser go toward scholarships that support
students in our community.
We would like to send out a Big Mahalo to all who
participated in making this a successful event. We senda special tanks out to: Our Platinum Sponsors,
Flagship FastLube and Dr. Tom and Mi Kosasa; ourGold Sponsors CORTEVA Agriscience and Bank of
Hawaii; and our Silver Sponsor Whitmore Economic
Development Group (WEDG).
Big Mahalo also goes out to our Tee Sponsors:•

Able Freight Services

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

• Bank of Hawaii• CORTEVA Agriscience• PP Dave and Nora Bramlett• Clinical Labs of Hawaii• Flagship FastLube• Kerry S. Ishara, DDS• Tom and Mi Kosasa• Masunaga Dental Group Inc.
• William McKenzie, Md• Senator ClarenceNishihara• Sen Glenn and Miki Wakai• WEDGA Big Mahalo to all the following Donors:• Able Freight Services• Anna Miller’s• Keoni Ahlo
• PP Dave Bramlett• Dole Pineapple• dōTERRA by Alison• Jim Fromm• ADG Doreen Higa•
Highway response• Honolulu Country Club• Kerry Ishihara, DDS• Ilima Hotel• June Kasoaka• Mark Milton• Paul Nakachi, Jr.
• Wendell M. Nekota• Paterson’s Egg Farm
• PP Rick Price• Phil Sammer• PP Lilette Subedi• Tupperware by Marie• PP Fran Wienbenga• Bic City Diner
A Big Mahalo to all our Club Volunteers• Marie Abatayo• Keoni Ahlo
• Brendan Akamu• Jackie Barns• Kate Butts• Derek Conselva• Lynn goya
• PP Geoff Horvath• Alison Kanamu• Club President Alex Kanamu• PP Oran Spotts• PP Lilette Subedi
A special Mahalo to Ke’alohi Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam Par 3 Golf CourseE-mail received from our Club Treasurer, Kate Butts“A big Mahalo to all our golfers and companies who
donated to our golf tournament. We hope we raised
enough money for all our education and scholarship
activities. This includes delivering 3rd grade
dictionaries to elementary schools in Scofield,
Wahiawa, Whitmore Village and North Shore. Mark
your calendars to attend our Scholarship Luncheon on
April 18 at Dot's in Wahiawa.”

Jim Leahey

The Leahey Legacy: Generations of Sportscasting in
HawaiiToday we were privileged to have the legendary
sportscaster, Jim Leahey, as our guest speaker. Jim
was a sportscaster for over 60 years, was the voice of
Hawai’i sport,s and “The Voice” of UH Sports.
Jim was introduced by PP Oran Spots who know Jim’s
father, Chuck Leahey.

No report this week.

Ka Leo File PhotoApr 11 – Dr. Poki’i Balaz – Alzheimer’s, other relateddementias health issues.

April 18 – Club HRYF Scholarship Award Luncheon
April 27 – "Rotarians at Work Day". We will meet at
8:00am at Ho'ola Na Pua to work on their serenity
garden followed by lunch at 12 noon. Bring your work
clothes, garden gloves and a positive attitude forcommunity service! Reservations in advance requiredby contacting Mark Merriman at:
mark.merriam@live.com.
May 4 – Wahiawa Pineapple Festival
Ongoing – Jack in the Box Fundraiser. Each member
will be given 10 tickets ($100) to sell.

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Jim Leahey with sportscaster Pal Eldredge in the Les
Murakami Stadium press box

Jim Leahey is an iconic name in the world of Hawai‘i
sports broadcasting. For thousands of games, his voicebrought University Hawai‘i athletics into our livingrooms. And he’s one-third of a local sports dynasty; hisfather was legendary sportscaster Chuck Leahey, andthe ball is now in the hands of Jim’s son Kanoa. JamesCharles Leahey, sometimes called Kimo, but better
known as Jim, retired in June 2018 from a career thatspanned more than sixty years in sports
broadcasting. He started out teaching school, which hecalls his first love. After he changed careers, hebecame the most recognized sports voice in Hawai‘i,announcing games and hosting sports talk shows onradio and television for decades. His first radio
announcing job came unexpectedly in his teens, when
his sportscaster father, Chuck Leahey, fell ill. Chuck
Leahey had gotten his start in Hawai‘i as a U.S. Navyreporter during World War II.

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Wahiawa-Waialua

his father this question, his father told him, Pearl Harbor
was the worst Naval defeat in the history if the Navy,nothing to be celebrated.

Photo by: JOAQUIN SIOPACK |The Honolulu AdvertiserT

Jim Leahey

Jim Leahy started off by telling us that he is a Waialua
Boy, married a Plantation Girl, and has been enjoying
material bliss for 53 years. He told us that he and his
wife, Toni, use to come to Dot’s many, many years ago.
This is the first time he has been to Dots in 30 years!
He wasn’t sure how to get here, so he asked Toni.
“When you get into Wahiawa, don’t turn on California
Ave, turn left on Kilani Ave and you will see it.” Jim said
she was correct! He found it without any problem.

Toni and Jim Leahey

Jim told us he always wanted to be a sports announcer.
He started at the young age of 6 years, where hewould announce phantom games with rocks, inManager’s Drive area, throwing rocks. He had to givethat up after hitting cars with the rocks and was warnedby owners. But this journey started way be for this!
His father, a Chief in the Navy, was stationed at Pearl
Harbor on December 7th, 1941. He was 700 yards
away from the USS Arizona when it was hit and blew
up. He spent many days picking up body parts which
was very hard for him to do. During the war in the
Pacific, Chuck spent time on Tarawa, Iwo Jima, andother islands in the Pacific. Some of the things his father
saw remained with him for the rest of his life. “Younever talked about it.” Jim noticed that his father neverwore or wanted a Pearl Harbor Survivor had eachDecember 7th. Jim asked his father why he didn’t wear
the Pearl Harbor Survivor hat. It was a long time
before Jim received his answer. The one time he asked

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

PIPI WAKAYAMA / COURTESY OF THE LEAHEY FAMILY
Al Michaels, left, and Chuck Leahey worked together
broadcasting UH games in the late 1960s.

After the war, Chuck entered the radio sports
broadcasting business, with Jim following in his father’sfootsteps.
Jim told us to be a sports announcer, you have to havea good memory. When you are announcing a game,
you have to remember all the player’s names, what
they did in the last few games, their stats and otherpersonal information. You had to give a play-by-playdescription of what was going on, something he picked
up while spending time with his father during
broadcasts.
He related a story about his dad, during a broadcast
on a mainland game, when they lost the feed. Chuck
filled in those few minutes with a made-up incident
about a lady getting injured and the ambulancecoming on the scene to take her to the hospital.
Jim started off his career as a teacher at Campbell
High School. He saw that there was a need to reachhis students so they would have a future. They didn’t
have much of an imagination. So, when he started hisclasses at the beginning of each the year, he told his
students that he was going to tell them to do things that
he didn’t want them to tell their parents about.
He told his students, if they were late, he wanted themto come up with an excuse that wasn’t ever used
before. If they lied, that was okay, but he wanted themto come up with a great excuse of why there were late.
One day a student was late. Jim asked him why he
was late. He told Jim that while on his way to school
he was kidnapped by aliens in a flying saucer. He told
the aliens that he had to go to school and if theywouldn’t let him go, he would be late. It was when theyflew over Waipahu that they turned around anddropped him off at school. Jim said, “Great, come in!”He also told his students that if they missed two daysof school, he and the class would come looking for them(the students usually knew where the hangouts were).
He said he only had to do that once!
Jim said although he loved sports announcing and had
a great and enjoyable career, the best time he had in
his life was when he was a teacher.
His students were the best babysitters, and were great
to be around. They could be trusted.
His influence was so profound, that his students lived
their lives teaching their children and now,
grandchildren, the things they learned from Jim. He
does keep in touch with some of his students today.
While Jim was teaching, he also worked with his father,
Chuck, at KITV, where Jim eventually became an
anchor. Jim was approached by KGMB-TV news
anchor Bob Sevey about joining the station to replace
Joe Moore, who had been hired by KHON-TV.

downhill and is now mediocre, with a poor programand coaching staff.
Of all the sports Jim covered, he loved baseball themost because a player didn’t have to be huge andmuscular. One of the best players was a 5’6” player.
Today, his son, Kanoa, is following in his father’s andgrandfather’s footsteps, becoming an announcer bothon radio and TV. He is doing well, carrying on the
Leahy tradition, and is making a name for himself,
locally and nationally, appearing on ESPN and othersyndicated sports networks. Jim is very proud of Kanoa
and how well he is doing in his career.
Courtesy of PBS Hawai’i

Jim & Kanoa Leahey

Chuck and Jim Leahey

Bob asked Jim how much money he was making as ateacher. Jim said he was making about $6K a year, in
those days. He declined this offer. Jim told Bob that heenjoyed living in the community he was teaching in. He
said he enjoyed riding his bicycle to school every day.
But Bob offered to double his teaching salary to$12,500. When that didn’t work, Bob Sevey offered
to triple his salary, asking, a question that remainedwith Jim to this day, "When are you going to start
thinking about your own children, instead of everyone
else's?" He accepted the offer and made his move to
KGMB, and was there until 1984.
One of the most exciting games Jim covered was in theheyday of UH, when they had a great team andcoaching staff. It was the game between UH and
Brigham Young University (BYU), on October 28th,
1985, at Aloha Stadium. It was the year that UH upset
BYU by a score of 56-14! Jim said that the UH fans
and all Hawai’i were so excited at the upset, that hecommented, “It was better than Statehood!” It took
many, many years to accomplish this win. It did happen
a couple of more times after that.
Since then, with the exception of when June Jones was
the head coach, the UH sports program has gone

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Gregory Frey '79, James 'Jim' Leahey '61, Dr. Nathan
Murata '80 (Bro. Edward Gomez, S.M. Faculty Award), andBlake M. Nuibe '70 (Ka Lamaku Award)

Jim, a St. Louis and Chaminade graduate, was one of
two individuals that received the 2018 Gallery ofDistinguished Achievers (GODA) award, usually given
to educators, not sportscasters. He was recognized at
the Saint Louis School’s 21st Annual Gallery ofDistinguished Achievers (GODA) that took place on

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, at the Sheraton Waikiki
Hawaii Ballroom. He almost didn’t go because the hotel
workers union strike, and his belief that you don’t crosspicket lines. He learned this while at Saint Louis HS,
where he was taught to respect all persons and theirbeliefs and causes. As it turned out, the strike ended
the day before the event, so Jim had to do some lastminute shopping so he’d have something to wear to theevent!
The Gallery of Distinguished Achievers is thequintessential honor roll for Saint Louis School alumni.
Gallery inductees have distinguished records ofaccomplishment in professional and lifetime
undertakings and have contributed to our Alma Materand the greater community, epitomizing the "Saint Louis
Man." The Brother Edward L.K. Gomez, S.M. FacultyAward honors outstanding educators both past andpresent who demonstrate passion for student learningand commitment to the values and mission of Saint Louis
School.
Jim was recognized again this year. He was named the2019 Irish Person of the Year and was in the SaintPatrick’s Day Parade. After the parade, the ceremony
was held in the Japanese Cultural Center! Only in
Hawai’i, being as multi-cultural as we are!

health condition itself! He hated that, so started
reading books!
One thing Jim said, during his presentation, had aprofound impact on all of us. He said “You can’t walk
into the future backward.”
After the meeting, members took advantage of photoops with Jim before he left.
The Leahey legacy continues!

Ace of Hearts

After a 60+ year distinguished career as the voice ofUH sports and the voice of sports in the islands, Jim
decided to retire in June of last year.

Today, Derek Conselva had the right number, but thewrong card! The pot continues to grow!

(Go to our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/groups/96286297
3749303/ to view all pictures.)

Since retiring, Jim says he is bored. He bought a 73”
TV to enjoy the games. But all he heard was, “Go ask
your doctor, go ask your doctor, go see your doctor.”
All he saw and heard were commercials telling you
about taking medication for this condition and that
medication for that condition for good health.
However, some of the side effects were worse than the

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Mike and Kate Butts
Jim Leahey arriving

Guest Jeris Wise

Alison Kanamu with Guest and Birthday Girl, Marilyn Spotts

Pineapple by

Guest Clinton Wise

PP Doc McKenzie’s HI $5

Guest Bratton Puahi-Roper
Austin and Ashton Kanamu setting up

Guests Cynthia Au and Joslyn Sato
President Alex getting ready for the meeting

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

Guest Henry “Kid” and Daughter Jessica King

Guest Jeff Alameda

Banner Alley

Guest Grace Abatayo

The Pineapple Lounge

Lilette preparing for the Oli

Sergeant-at-Arms Doc Carver Wilcox introducing our guests
President Alex waiting to start the meeting

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

PE Keoni Ahlo and PP Doc McKenzie

Guest Nahoku Ahlo

Setting up the media station

PP Oran Spotts introducing Jim Leahey

Rotary – 114 Years of Service to the World!

Jim Leahey a Sports Legend

Jim Leahey addressing our Club

PP Doc McKenzie asking Jim Leahey a question

An attentive audience

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua