Hawaii
By Dave Donnelly
Tuesday, June 25, 1996
Having lunch at Beverly's desk
HIGHLY unorthodox: Two separate parties of three had arranged for business lunches at the Hali'imaile General Store one day last week when a problem was discovered. Chef Beverly Gannon had arranged to close the restaurant for a private party of 200, but didn't want to upset the other parties so she asked if they could come at 1 p.m. instead of noon at which time she'd have things under control. Maui's Bonnie Friedman, who headed up one group, agreed, but when she contacted the other threesome as requested, one person never got the word. So they showed up as scheduled, and Gannon ushered them all upstairs to the restaurant office. There they had lots of laughs about the unusual dining surroundings, and a wonderful meal which Gannon managed to serve simultaneously with banquet fare for 200 downstairs. Now that's what I call service! ...
Shari Lynn
SINGER Jimmy Borges and pianist Betty Loo Taylor are off to attend the DuMaurier Jazz Festival in Vancouver, B.C., this weekend. Filling in for them at the Alana Hotel Friday and Saturday will be vocalist Shari Lynn accompanied by Bob Albanese ... These gala dinners don't just happen, you know. Janet Schiller is chairman of the next Heart Ball (in February '97) and reports that one-third of the tables are already sold. Incidentally, Janet's son Scott just got married June 1, which almost gives him time to make her a grandma before the big night ...
CURRENTLY in Rhode Island covering the "X Games" for ESPN is local TV sportscaster Russ Francis, taking a short leave from KGMB to get some national exposure. Francis got ready for the skydiving competition, in what last year was called the "Extreme Games" before the Generation X'ers took over, by visiting with old little league teammate Ken Anderson of Skydive Hawaii at Dillingham Field for some jumping of his own ...
Stitch niche
THE earth literally moved the day Bob Davis was born in April of 1906. He came into the world the same time the "Big One" hit San Francisco, all but destroying the city. Davis, a longtime member of the Windward Artists Guild, painted in oils and created collages. But when his wife died in 1981, she left him a large collection of knitting yarn, and he began experimenting in stitchery "painting." One of these works was even placed in the White House in Washington. Davis is further marking his 90th birthday with a showing in the Lane Gallery in Honolulu Hale through July with an opening reception July 3. The nonagenarian recognizes some of the changes he's seen. In his mid-life, he notes, "cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mowed, Coke was a drink, and pot what what you cooked it." Oh yes, gas was 11 cents a gallon, movies a nickel and a new Chevy Coupe cost $600. Don't even ask what a newspaper cost! ...
Walter Kupau
YOU'LL not believe whom I spotted wearing a butterfly earring in one ear the other day. It was none other than Carpenters Union leader Walter Kupau, who is reportedly paid about $300,000 a year. With that kind of money in the bank can diamonds or emeralds be far behind? ...
Haole hula halau honcho
ONE of the nicer moments at the King Kamehameha Chant & Hula Competition over the weekend was the recognition given to Kent Ghirard, a California-born haole who taught hula here and helped popularize it around the world. Ghirard, now 77, started his Hula Nani Studio in 1948 and produced shows for the HVB, Moana, Halekulani, Queen Surf, Hawaii Calls, Royal Hawaiian and the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. He toured Japan in the '50s and '60s, inspiring many of the halau hula that thrive there today. Many of Ghirard's former students flew in from various Neighbor Islands to perform for him and salute him through the art form he so dearly loves....
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.
Hawaii by Dave Donnelly is a daily feature of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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