Hawaii
LIKE planning a soft landing for a pitch onto the green, Arnold Palmer set down his Cessna Citation 10 onto the tiny Lanai airport earlier this year. He was there to take on Gary Player for the $100,000 top prize in "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf," which airs Sunday on ABC (9:30 a.m. in Hawaii). Golf director Gary Campbell remembers the day well. He'd been dispatched to the airport by Palmer's office which said he'd be landing by private plane with his caddy. "They came off the plane in expensive suits," recalled Campbell. Arnie had been at the controls. "Is this your caddy?" Campbell asked after greeting Palmer. "Not exactly," said Palmer, "this is Russ Meyer, chairman of the board of Cessna." Meyer had let Palmer land his newest plane and the old pro, who'd never landed on Lanai before, told Campbell he circled the airport twice before landing because, "I just wanted to take a second look." Incidentally, Meyer did end up caddying for Arnie ...
FORGIVE the punny headline, but it's the work of Rev. Abraham Akaka, who wrote the oratorio to be presented Sunday at the concluding service of the 175th anniversary year of worship at Kawaiahao Church. Kahu describes the oratorio as "God's mele of hope and love for mankind through this imperfect hearing and not-easy-to-read writer." If an Age of Enlightenment could follow the Dark Ages, reasons Kahu, "cannot an Aloha World and New Millenium built by a faithful, creative/constructive mutuality of nations follow this stony-aged time..." Or in words all Hawaii can understand, "Mele-ly we can roll this long song and lei to embrace and love our Planet Earth and All People." ... APRIL 20 is the 10th anniversary of the Sugar Bar in Waialua, and owner Peter Birnbaum will be celebrating with live music all next week. It gets underway with Arthur Lyman on Monday and concludes with Willy K on April 21 ... A news story from Hackensack, N.J., reports a Russian immigrant was held on $1 million bail after he was spotted walking from the Passaic River toward a car loaded with body parts. One wag asks, "Shouldn't that dateline read 'Hack 'n' Sack'?" ...
