This last Buzz column for 2013 will bid a fond, envious aloha to KITV Vice President of Sales Bill Gaeth, who will retire Dec. 31 after 25 years at the station.
"Envious" "is the most-used word" he hears, he said Friday.
He joined KITV as general sales manager 21⁄2 decades ago and was promoted to VP of sales about 12 years ago.
Gaeth also was general sales manager at KHON for 12 years from 1978 to 1986.
He was succeeded in the KHON position by Mike Rosenberg, "and then of course Mike moved over here and became my boss," Gaeth said, adding that the two had shared many a laugh over the turn of career events.
Gaeth was preceeded in retirement by Rosenberg three years ago.
Rosenberg "looks very relaxed," said Gaeth, who saw his former boss and frequent lunch partner at a recent gathering.
Wife Tracy Gaeth is not about to retire and will continue working for University Clinical, Education and Research Associates, he said.
"I intentionally haven’t got much of an agenda for January," said Gaeth, as he wants "life to come get me." In time he plans to get "reinvested" in work with the Rotary Club and other nonprofits about which he’s passionate.
Before all that, though, "I’m going to pick up a nice big tube of Coppertone 35 and enjoy Hawaii like all our friends who are paying $300 a night" in Waikiki hotels, he laughed.
After getting up every workday to head into town for work for 40 years, "it’s a curious thing" to think about not doing that, he said, "but I think it’ll be OK."
At KITV Gaeth will be succeeded by Russell Elwell, who will take on the title of general sales manager after 27 years at the station.
Hurry up and wait
The Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen restaurant that was to open in Ewa Beach in August has been delayed.
Opening dates for restaurants are generally moving targets, given all the possible delays that can crop up.
Case in point: The parent company’s website says the restaurant will open in December, but franchisee Robert Carlisle told TheBuzz on Friday he hopes to open by the end of January.
"We’re still under construction," he said.
Hawaii’s first Russo’s restaurant will be in the Safeway-anchored Laulani Village in Ewa Beach, at the corner of Fort Weaver Road and Keaunui Drive, as first reported in this space in March.
As also reported at that time, Carlisle is an Army veteran, having served for 10 years as a cook before taking other jobs in the food service industry.
The new restaurant, for which he’s hired about 45 people, will have seating for 118 customers between the dining room, outdoor lanai and the bar.
On the Net: » nypizzeria.com/locations.php
HAPPY WISHES
From me and mine to you and yours, the absolutely best possible wishes for a safe and joyous holiday, and for a new year full of great local business news!
As always, your exclusive news tips about local businesses and business folk will be eagerly welcomed in 2014.
Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
