The former publisher of a popular free weekly publication on Maui has died.
Arnawood Iskenderian, publisher of the Maui Bulletin, died of a heart attack April 4 in Thailand, where he had lived for several years. He was 69.
The goal of Iskenderian’s free publication was to carry only good news, and it became a popular alternative weekly on Maui in the 1970s and 1980s.
He offered up to four lines of free classified advertising to individuals but charged for any additional lines and also charged businesses for advertising.
The free classifieds helped to increase listings and readership for garage sales and sales of used cars, furniture, surfboards and appliances, and attracted advertising from car dealerships.
His weekly featured a column by him about backgammon and carried other Maui columnists.
"He successfully married some very brilliant concepts," said his former partner and ex-wife, Leslie Skenderian.
She said to get the publication started editorially, Maui Bulletin workers copied the advertisements on bulletin boards in various communities and put them in the publication.
The publication, sold by Iskenderian, has passed through a couple of hands and is now owned by Ogden Newspapers Inc.
Iskenderian was born and grew up in Hartford, Conn., where his father, an Arme-nian immigrant, ran various businesses, Skenderian said.
Skenderian said Iskenderian and she came to Maui on a vacation.
"Arnawood said, ‘This is the most beautiful place in the world. What are we doing driving … in the snow?’" Skenderian said.
Iskenderian, whose last name was originally Sken-derian,eventually changed his name to Iskenderian to accurately reflect the spelling of his family’s name before they moved to the United States, Skenderian said.
Iskenderian is survived by brother John Skenderian; sister Margaret Shuberg of Portland, Ore.; and sons Richard and Alexander.
