Hawaii
by Dave Donnelly
Waimea to host paniolo weekend
BACK in 1908, the late George Burns was but 12 years old and few people in the world knew Hawaii had cattle, let alone cowboys. But that year, Hawaii rancher Eben Low took two Big Isle paniolo, Ikua Purdy and Archie Ka'au'a, to Wyoming's famous World Championship Rodeo where they astounded everyone by taking top honors! These three colorful paniolo will be honored in this year's "Bankoh Old Hawai'i on Horseback" celebration on the main street of Waimea, Hawaii, during Memorial Day Weekend. It's a three-day holiday reminiscent of the grand pageants on horseback staged by the late Anna Perry-Fiske in years past, featuring horse racing (with sub rosa betting), old-style barbecue lunch and a paniolo concert with rare film, photos and illustrations of early Big Isle ranching. Sounds like a fun weekend, so start making plans ...
CITY Bank V.P. Wayne Miyao is getting kidded about a new ad his bank has kicked off featuring a special checking account ("Status 50 Checking") for people aged 50 and over. Those born in 1946 (as Miyao was) or earlier can qualify and the ad reads, "This offer is not for kids." A photo of a 3-year-old is in the ad and Miyao is getting calls from pals chiding him for using a picture of himself in a bank ad. He then has to convince them the kid is actually Dylan Miyasaki, son of Smith Davis Miyasaki art director Kent Miyasaki. So far he's had a tough time convincing them ...
DURING a recent visit to hear Jimmy Borges and Betty Loo Taylor at the Alana Hotel's Cafe Picasso, I found them playing host to a scat-singing jazzman from Vancouver, B.C. Now they're repaying the favor, and from June 27-30 will be making an appearance at Rossini's in Vancouver as part of the Du Maurier Jazz Festival there. The two are taking bassist Rene Worst and drummer Buff Allen with them. And no cracks about them having the Worst bass player at the festival! ...
Year of Hawaiian
THE Republican contingent at the House of Representatives got into the act of recognizing 1996 as the "Year of the Hawaiian Language." When attending a roll call in the House last week, Reps. Eve Anderson, Chris Halford, Quentin Kawananakoa, Colleen Meyer, Cynthia Thielen and Gene Ward all answered "eo," or "present" ...And this being an Olympic year, 84 years after his uncle Duke Kahanamoku won a gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, Bunny Kahanamoku is premiering his one-of-a-kind handmade koa calabashes at Koa Crafts in Aloha Tower Marketplace. A Kona resident, Bunny is a former Hollywood stuntman whose movie credits include "The Magnificent Seven." ...
AND while we're in a Hawaiian mode, former state basketball player of the year Jarinn Akana proved an all-star in front of the cameras as well. Portraying - surprise! - a basketball player, Akana spent four hours bouncing a ball from one end of the YWCA court to the other and working up a good sweat and appetite. Fortunately, the shoot was for a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial and the 1988 Molokai grad loves chicken; so his reward was not only a paycheck, but a huge bucket of chicken as well. Good thing Akana now lives in Honolulu - there's no KFC outlet on Molokai ...
Art photographer remembered
THE Hawaii Maritime Museum and BHP Hawaii president Henry Neale are paying tribute to the late Rick Golt, considered by many one of Hawaii's all-time great photographers. His works hang in private and business collections around the state, including the series of sports murals he did which hang at Aloha Stadium. As part of BHP's new "Imagine an Island Without Energy" and "Waterfront Careers" at the Maritime Museum, a photo Golt took at Sunset Beach has been produced as the museum's first commemorative poster, and it's now available at the museum ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. His columns run Monday through Friday. Contact Dave by e-mail at donnelly@kestrok.com.