Cousin Clarice bids a fond Aloha `Oe...
 

Dear Friends,

After 17+ years on the air, the time has come for me to say aloha. It has been an honor and a pleasure to be a part of Hawaii Radio Connection (HRC), and I will take many wonderful memories with me. Braddah Gomes and I hosted the first show in January 1992, then known as The Music of Hawaii Radio Show. What began as a two-hour show, once a month with two hosts, has evolved into a weekly program with hosts designated for each weekend. It’s been very exciting to see HRC grow and become an integral part of the northwest Hawaiian community.

My time with HRC has given me a variety of memorable experiences. I enjoyed meeting KBCS listeners while attending and emceeing Hawaiian events. I’ve also met many of you at KBCS pledge drives -- thank you for volunteering your time. Our listeners take pledge drives seriously and we were caught a little off-guard when a police officer stopped by the station during his break to personally make a contribution. Imagine the relief we felt when we realized he was here to meet the HRC ohana, not bust one of us! Some of the most memorable moments came unexpectedly, such as when Kory Tideman called me at home and played a slack key song over the phone! It was a pleasant surprise, which was very much appreciated. The many Hawaiian entertainers I’ve met at concerts or as in-studio guests always took me back to my local roots. I’d automatically switch to speaking pidgin English and crave a chicken katsu plate lunch at the same time!

Special thanks to: Braddah Gomes, who put up with me all these years. He’ll probably never forget our first show when I warned, “I’ll hand you the music, but I’m not going to talk on the air!” Lo & behold, he got me to speak into the mic, and wasn’t able to shut me up after that...Uncle Ed (a.k.a UE), my dear friend and co-host of many years. UE was one of our first listeners, who offered to share his music collection with us. We went one better and put him on the air with his music!...The rest of our wonderful HRC-FM ohana & alumni -- Uncle Gregg, Manono, Aunty Moody, Sista Kulina, Calabash Uncle Steve, Aunty Rochelle, Uncle Ari, Rod Arakaki, Tyler Shigeta, Braddah Kiwini, and Sista Iwalani -- for your time and dedication, and for making HRC so much fun…My husband, Brad, and daughter, Keilani, for their unconditional love & support, allowing me to indulge in a fun hobby, and occasionally accompanying me to the station…the staff, management, and fellow programmers of KBCS-FM for their belief in our show…Gail Stringer, of Hawaii General Store, for inviting me to voice some of their radio commercials…and last, but certainly not least -- our wonderful listeners. Your continued support of Hawaii Radio Connection, KBCS-FM, and KXPA-AM has contributed to the success of the program!

A heartfelt mahalo to you all for being a part of this amazing experience with me. I have truly enjoyed my time with HRC, and know our paths will cross again in the near future. I may still be reached at cousinclarice@comcast.net, so feel free to drop me a line!

Aloha…A Hui Hou!

Cousin Clarice