Advertiser reporters fan out

Advertiser Staff

James Gonser is responsible for the Honolulu beat.

Scott Ishikawa is the point man for Central O'ahu.

Will Hoover is a Leeward and North Shore reporter.

Susanne Roig covers East Honolulu to Waimanalo.

Eloise Aguiar reports on the Windward side. Advertiser library photos

"We have found that the closer we are to specific communities, the better we do at reflecting our readers' concerns," said Advertiser Editor Saundra Keyes in announcing the expansion. "That's why we're increasing the number of reporters assigned to specific communities."

James Gonser, who has been covering Central and Leeward O'ahu, takes on the newly created Honolulu neighborhoods beat, which spans an area from Honolulu International Airport to Kaimuki. Gonser joined The Advertiser last year after serving as managing editor of the Sun Press newspapers in Kane'ohe. He is a 1988 University of Hawai'i graduate with a degree in journalism.

Scott Ishikawa, who has lived in Mililani since 1994, returns to Central O'ahu as our reporter there. Scott joined The Advertiser in 1996 and covered the central region until moving to the State Capitol, where he covered the Legislature and later transportation.

He graduated from the University of Hawai'i in 1991 with a journalism degree. He also worked for the Sun Press newspapers.

Ishikawa will be responsible for an area from Kapolei to Honolulu International Airport. His coverage area also includes 'Ewa, Mililani, Wahiawa, Pearl City and 'Aiea.

Will Hoover, who lives at Ko Olina, will cover Leeward O'ahu and the North Shore. His coverage area is between Makaha and Ko Olina on the Leeward Coast, including Wai'anae and Nanakuli, as well as North Shore communities from Kahuku to Hale'iwa.

Hoover has been with The Advertiser since 1986. For much of that time he has been a features writer with the Island Life section, for which, in the mid-1990s, he also wrote the popular column, Pineapple Stew.

Before coming to Hawai'i, Hoover was a roving reporter and columnist for the Des Moines Register and, prior to that, he was a Nashville songwriter and Epic recording artist. Hoover attended Central Missouri State University.

Reporter Suzanne Roig will continue to cover the East Honolulu area from Kahala to Waimanalo. Roig joined The Advertiser in 1995 as a business writer. She has worked at the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sun and the Sun Press. She graduated from the University of Hawai'i in 1986.

Eloise Aguiar remains our reporter for the Windward area, covering communities from Kahuku to Kailua.

Aguiar, who joined The Advertiser last year, attended Windward Community College and graduated from the University of Hawai'i in 1987. She covered community news beginning in 1990 for Sun Press.

Neighbor Island stories can also be found on the "Neighbors" page. Neighbor Island reporters are Christie Wilson and Tim Hurley on Maui, Jan TenBruggencate on Kaua'i and Hugh Clark on the Big Island.