SOMETHING on the lighter side might be more to your liking, perhaps? "Living Legend" Roger Verge of Moulin de Mougins in France will be serving up two signature dinners (assisted by Hawaii's ubiquitous Sam Choy) during the Grand Chefs on Tour event at the Kea Lani Hotel Oct. 18-20. The dinners will be accompanied by the wines of Au Bon Climat, Robert Mondavi and Vine Cliff. A rarity in the wine business, Eugenia Keegan is the president of Vine Cliff in a largely man's world of wine production, and she'll be on hand to conduct the wine seminars. Call the Kea Lani for info ...
JOINING the KITV weekend news team is Jodi Leong, who should be singing the news. Besides her degree in broadcast journalism, Jodi is a Castle High grad who's been active in community theater, most recently appearing in Army Community Theatre's "Flower Drum Song" in the role of Linda Low. In fact, that's a great name for a TV anchor. Sort of like the alliterative Heather Hays, the 1992 Miss Hawaii USA who's now anchoring the news at the NBC-TV affiliate in Green Bay, Wis., and cheering for the Packers. She's even posed for pictures with cheese on her head, the sign of a true Packer fan ...
THE local committee which stages the Mrs. Hawaii pageant each year is both happy and sad. They were sorry to see that this year's title holder, Cristy Agres, didn't win the title of Mrs. America in Las Vegas, but pleased that she finished as second runner-up. That makes three in a row for Hawaii among the top five finalists in the annual pageant. Mrs. Ohio won this year's title. Both former Mrs. Hawaiis Bella Tomas (third in 1994) and Val Eldredge (first runner-up in '95) were on hand cheering on Cristy. Luana Alapa, who heads up the local pageant, is determined to find the contestant to capture that elusive national title ... SPEAKING of high fives, you're likely to see quite a few of them around the new Four Seasons at Hualalai on the Big Island, which opens Friday. It'll be the first resort property I know of that has its own full-sized basketball court next to the spa. One other highlight - on the property is a luxury restaurant where the top entree costs just $16 ...
THERE'LL be jitterbugging at the Prince Kuhio Hotel Sunday when the National Kidney Foundation holds its benefit, "Let's Dance." The Willy Barton orchestra will play and special guests will include Jan Brenner and George Chun, revisiting the '30s and '40s. Call 956-1111 (Ext. 52) for more info ...
REMEMBER Terry Gerritsen, who was a physician here before she started writing full time and changed her name to Tess? Those who do will be pleased to hear that her latest book, "Harvest," has premiered at No. 13 on the N.Y. Times best-seller list for fiction, right behind Elmore Leonard's "Out of Sight." Another part-time Honolulu resident, Paul Theroux, also has a new book out, "My Other Life," which has been getting good reviews nationally, though it hasn't yet cracked the Times' Top 15. Making its appearance at No. 15 on the nonfiction list, as predicted here, is Frank McCourt's wonderful "Angela's Ashes," about growing up destitute in Ireland ...
