by Chris Loos
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
When Suzanne Williams of Florida threw a dart over her shoulder at a map and it landed near Hilo, CBS News cameraman Les Rose kissed her on the lips.
He and correspondent Steve Hartman had criss-crossed the country 113 times since 1998 doing "Everybody has a Story," a segment about ordinary people chosen at random for "The Early Show" and the "CBS News with Dan Rather."
It works the same way every time. The person featured throws a dart at a US map and then Hartman and Rose fly to the place where the dart hits and pick someone to interview for the next segment. They'd been to Texas seven times and to Iowa six times but never to Hawaii.
That changed Nov. 6. The CBS crew landed at the Kona airport and headed straight for a phone book. Rose videotaped while Hartman opened it and touched his finger on "Tinker, Donald & Tesse -- Keaau."
It was 10:15 a.m. when Don Tinker answered his phone. Hartman explained who he was and said he wanted to drive to the Tinker home to interview him and his wife. He was surprised when Tinker didn't object.
According to Hartman, in only 20 percent of cases does the first person called agree to an interview. "The biggest problem is gerring eople to believe that we're really with CBS News," he said. "People always think I'm selling something."
Tesse Tinkerman was at hula practice when her husband answered Hartman's call.
"When I came home," she said, "he was standing there and said, 'We've got to clean up. CBS is coming.'"
She thought he was fibbing.
Hartman first chatted with the Tinkers at their Hawaiian Paradise Park home to find out a little about them. He learned that Don Tinker, 72, is a beekeeper and runs the montly swap meet in Paradise Park. Tesse Tinker, 64, told Hartman and Rose she volunteers at Hilo Medical Center and teaches hula in a senior citizens' halau* called "Pua Kea."
"Their eyes sort of lit up," she said.
Hartman made the halau the focus of his story. He listened as one by one Tesse Tinker and her hula sisters -- mostly mainland transplants -- tried to explain the important role their hula ohana** plays in their island life.
"There's a bond between these women and it didn't make sense to me, but I started asking them about it," Hartman said. "Ultimately, I think what it comes down to is ... unless you have friends and people who are family or feel like family, it's no paradise."
The crew also taped Tesse Tinker as she wheeled a hospital patient to his car after being dischaged and Don Tinker at the swap meet and with his bee hives. They interviewed Tesse Tinker's mother and a neighbor, and videotaped Don and Tesse Tinker doing mundane chores at home.
Before Hartman and Rose left the Big Island, Tesse Tinker had her turn with the map. Her fling of the dart sent the TV crew right back to Florida. "Tesse seemed to have no consideration for our budget," Hartman joked.
The Tinkers are excited about their appearance on CBS (channel 9 or cable channel 7). "It's almost unbelievable," Tesse Tinker said. "The odds are astronomical ... It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."
The segment is scheduled to air at 6 a.m. Dec. 4 on "The Early Show" and again at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 -- subject to breaking news -- on "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather." ***
Hartman, who is back on the mainland, said it was worth the wait to finally tape a segment in Hawaii.
"Not only did we get to see one of the most beautiful parts of America," he said. [sic] "We also got a darn good story."
* -- a halau is a hula group
** -- ohana means family
*** -- The Early Show starts at 6am here. The evening news starts at 5:30 here, and I believe the TV schedule is an hour off from EST and CST.
I am planning on watching this. Isn't everyone else? ;)
Posted by at November 17, 2003 03:40 PM | TrackBack